IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF METALLIC ROOFS AND JOISTS, AND
Year: 1843

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
BOYDELL, Junior, of Oak Farm Works, near Dudley, in the County of Stafford,
Iron Master, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Sixth day of July, in the seventh year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said James Boydell, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said James Boydell, my exors, adññors, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said James Boydell, my exors, adñiors, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF METALLIC ROOFS AND JOISTS, AND IMPROVEMENTS IN JOINING SHEETS OR PLATES
OF METAL FOR VARIOUS PURPOSES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a
proviso that I, the said James Boydell, shall cause a particular description of
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being there-
unto had, will more fully at large appear.

page_text: a compitance with the sand pra
James Boydell, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to
the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention relates,-
First, to improvements in manufacturing metallic roofs, and consists of the
use of grooved iron rafters in combination with plates of iron, the edges of
which are caused to enter the grooves in the iron rafters.
Secondly, my Invention consists of the use of grooved iron rafters, or iron
rafters having hollows or recesses at intervals for affixing iron laths or battens,
or otherwise for supporting and receiving tiles or other covering whon con-
structing metallic roofs.
Thirdly, my Invention relates to a mode of constructing rafters and joists,
and consists in forming wrought iron rafters or joists, with grooves to receive
wood, so as to have boards or laths fixed thereto by means of nails.
And, fourthly, my Invention relates to a mode of joining plates of metal,
and consists in causing plates of iron to be welded by being pressed together
when between rollers at a welding heat.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect, I will proceed to explain the Drawings hereunto annexed, in the
various Figures of which the same letters of reference are used to indicate
similar parts wherever they occur.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 represents an end view in section of part of a roof constructed
according to part of my Invention. Figure 2 is a plan thereof. Figure
3 shews a plan, a longitudinal and transverse section, and a side view of one
of the plates of metal for covering the roof. I prefer plates of iron for this
purpose, and the same may be preserved by being coated with zine, as is
well understood, or with paint; and such is the case with respect to the rafters
shewn in Figures 1 and 2, and such is also the case in respect to the rafters,
joists, and other parts hereafter explained in respect to other parts of my
Invention. a, a, are rafters of wrought or cast iron, having grooves b, b,
formed therein, as is shewn. d, d, are plates of metal for covering such roofs.
These plates are turned down at the sides (1), (1), and at the end (2), and
upwards at (3). By this arrangement the turned-down sides enter the grooves
b, and are retained there by wedging or otherwise; and I prefer that the

page_text: grooves should be filled with asphalte, or other cement or material which
should be water-proof. Figure 4 shows an end section and Figure 5 a plan
of part of another roof, somewhat differing from the preceding one.
Figure
6 shews a plan, a longitudinal and a transverse section, of one of the covering
plates of metal, all four edges of which are turned down, as is shewn. The
rafters a, a, of this roof, have grooves b, b; and in addition to the rafters there
are stretchers e, with grooves affixed to the rafters, the grooves in the rafters
being opened laterally into the grooves of the stretchers, and the turned-down
edges of the covering plates enter the grooves in the rafters and in the stretchers;
and i perfer that these plates should be all wedged in their places by small metal
wedges, and the grooves then filled with asphalte, or other suitable cement or
material, which should be water-proof. By either of these arrangements very
strong and light roofs may be constructed at a comparatively small cost. The
rafters, when of wrought iron, I produce by means of rollers. And rafters of
wrought iron will be found very light for such purposes; or grooved rafters,
proper for this part of my Invention, may be made of cast iron.
I will now proceed to describe the second part of my Invention, Figure 7
shews part of a plan of a rafter. Figure 8 shews part of a side view thereof,
partly in section. Figure 9 shews a plan, two side views, and a transverse
section, of part of one of the angle iron battens or laths used with the rafters,
such battens or laths being applied and affixed at intervals suitable for receiving
tiles. Figure 10 shews a plan of part of a rafter and parts of two battens
or laths combined together, and Figure 11 shews a transverse section of the
rafter with the two battens or laths combined therewith.
a, a, are the
rafters, there being recesses f. f. formed therein to receive the turned-down
ends of the two battens or laths g, g, and these battens or laths may be secured
by wedging or otherwise. It will be readily understood that these rafters might
be grooved from end to end, in place of having recesses only at intervals, and
the battens or laths 9, 9, in such case might be retained in any desired place
by means of thin iron wedges, or by other convenient means; and although I
prefer that the metal battens or laths g, g, should be of angle iron, as is shewn,
as the same gives greater stiffness and strength to a roof, yet it will be evident
that plain bars may be employed; and although I prefer that the grooved or
recessed rafters should be made of wrought iron, cast iron may be resorted
to, where their greater weight will not be an objection.
I will now describe the third part of my Invention, which relates to forming
rafters and joists of wrought iron, having grooves to receive wood, in order
that boards or laths may be nailed thereto. Figure 12 shews a transverse
section, and Figure 13 a plan, of a rafter or a joist constructed by combinin

page_text: two plates of wrought iron so as to produce grooves to receive wood, as is
shewn at h, i, the two plates i, j, of which each rafter or joist is composed
being rivetted or otherwise combined together. By this arrangement it will
be evident that if rafters be formed in this manner, or by rolling a bar into a
similar section, the wood introduced at will allow of laths or boards being
affixed thereto by means of nails, in order that tiles or slates may be used
when covering such roof, and the wood at i will allow of laths or boards being
nailed thereto in order to form a ceiling in the interior of the roof; and if
joists be made in this manner, by having suitable grooves formed therein, for
receiving wood, the flooring boards may be fixed by nailing thereon at
h, and the laths or boards for making a ceiling may be nailed at i. Figure
14 shews another section of a rafter or of a joist of wrought iron, having only
one groove for receiving wood, as is shewn at h. I would remark that the
section of rafter or joist of wrought iron may be varied so long as it is made
capable of receiving wood in a groove or grooves formed therein, as herein
explained.
I will now describe the fourth part of my Invention, which relates to a
mode of joining sheets or plates of metal, and consists in welding plates of
iron one to another for various purposes, by means of pressure between rollers,
by which means plates or sheets of iron may be welded together in order to
obtain sheets or plates of large dimensions, or sheets may be strengthened
by having other sheets welded on parts of their surfaces; and this part of my
Invention is performed by placing the parts which are to be welded together
in contact with each other, temporarily attaching them, where necessary, and
then heating such plates to a welding heat in a suitable furnace, and then
causing them to be passed between rollers, in order to press and weld the
parts together; and to facilitate this operation I apply a pair of rollers as near
as may be to the mouth of the furnace in which the iron plates or sheets are
heated to a welding heat, so that the plates, being drawn by the workman
between the rollers, the motion of the rollers may draw the plates out of
the furnace, and press and weld the parts together; and I make the upper
roller capable of being raised sufficiently above the lower one, so that the
workman may pass his tongs between them, in order to take hold and draw
the plate from the furnace to the rollers, so that when the upper roller is
lowered and the two rollers put in motion, the plates to be welded may be
drawn out of the furnace, and be pressed between the rollers by the revolution
of the rollers. Figure 14 shews a plan and edge view of two plates or sheets
of iron, the edges of which overlap each other, as is shewn, and the plates are
retained together by means of wires passed through holes at k, k. These

page_text: plates being introduced into a suitable furnace, and brought to a welding heat,
the workman will draw the plates up to the rollers, so that when the upper
roller is lowered the metal will be pinched between them, and the revolution
of the rollers will draw the plates out of the furnace, and by the pressure will
weld the two plates or sheets together; or, in place of the edges overlapping,
there may be a plate laid over the joint, as at 1, Figure 15, which shews a
plan and edge view of two plates or sheets of iron prepared for welding.
These plates may be rivetted at intervals at m, m, or otherwise temporarily
attached before welding. Figure 16 shews a plan and edge view in section
of an iron door or other rectangular structure in pannels produced according
to this part of my Invention. The plates n, n, Figure 17, are combined
together temporarily in any convenient manner, by wire or otherwise, and are
placed, together with the plate o. Figure 18, under the parts n into a furnace,
and the whole are brought to a welding heat, and passed between the rollers,
as above explained; and if care be used it is not necessary to combine the
parts n with the plate o, for if carefully laid together when in the furnace
they will combine sufficiently by the heat to allow of their being moved
together to the rollers. Figure 19 shews a plate o, having numerous small
plates p. p, welded thereon, in like manner to that above explained. The
parts in this case not requiring to be first fixed if care be taken in seeing the
pieces in their places when in the furnace. In this manner different devices
of small plates may be welded on to the surface of a plate or sheet of iron.
Figure 20 shews a plate o, strengthened by a series of plates 7, 7, by like
means to that above explained. Figure 21 shews a plate or sheet of iron,
strengthened at two of its edges by means of narrow plates, welded thereon
in the same manner as above explained.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the best means
I am acquainted with for performing the same, at the same time, I would
remark that I do not confine myself to the precise details shewn, provided
the peculiar character of either part of my Invention be retained; but
what I claim is,-
First, the mode of constructing metallic roofs by employing iron rafters
with grooves, combined with metal plates turned at their edges, as herein
described.
Secondly, I claim the mode of manufacturing metallic roofs by applying
wrought or cast iron rafters, with grooves or recesses for receiving iron laths
or battens, or otherwise.
Thirdly, I claim the mode of constructing wrought iron rafters and joists
with grooves for wood, as herein described.

page_text: And, fourthly, I claim the mode of joining plates or sheets of iron by
causing them to be welded together by means of the pressure of rollers, as
herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Boydell, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourth day of January, in the year of our Lord 5
One thousand eight hundred and forty-four.