CERTAIN IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF METALLIC ARTICLES AND STRUCTURES FOR HONDIT AND ODNAWNNMAT PARR
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Cunliffe, of Waterloo Place, Westminster,
in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF METALLIC ARTICLES AND STRUCTURES FOR
HONDIT AND ODNAWNNMAT PARR
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Cunliffe at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th August 1873.
I, WILLIAM CUNLIFFE, of Waterloo Place, Westminster, in the County
of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF METALLIC ARTICLES AND
STRUCTURES FOR USEFUL AND ORNAMENTAL PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
The Invention is designed for the purpose of making various articles
or structures of iron or other metal or metals, as the outside shell or
walls thereof, and " filling in
or solidifying the same with a composi
tion herein-after described,, such manufacture being applicable for the
"

page_text: formation of conservatories, metallic buildings, shop fronts, windows,
casements, flower boxes, vases, trunks, safes, palisades, fencing, and for
other purposes.
The improvements consist in forming such articles, constructions, and
structures, or a portion of them of a number of metal tubes having a
cellular or other hollow form, or of metal compartments. These metallic
parts, in whatever hollow form they are made, are attached together or a
portion of them with lips, tongues, or hook-like grooves, which interlock
or overlap each other in such a manner that when a compound of
sulphur, bitumenous, or resinous substances, limes, or cements, and
other mineral or earthy matters or compositions before referred to are
filled into such previously prepared hollow spaces, the setting or solidi-
fying of such cements when so filled in firmly knit the whole structure
or construction together in whatever form such structure may previously
have been made to assume before such "filling in" with the composition
aforesaid.
In order, if desirable more firmly to strengthen the tubular, cellular,
or other hollow metallic forms, and also in some cases to ornament the
"same, strips, ribbons, collars, or ferrules of metals are employed separately
or conjointly with wire rods or tension bolts, which pass through the
hollow structures longitudinally or lengthwise, which will materially
tend to strengthen and hold the several parts together.
I further propose to adapt to such hollow metallic structures panels of
metal, wood, glass, or other material, which are placed in suitably formed
grooves in such a manner that when such panel or panels are being forced
into the groove prepared to receive them the hollow structure or rib
around the panel yields to the pressure until the panel rests firmly in its
seating, at which time the groove or frame of the panel assumes its
former position and firmly fixes the panel, after which the hollow
⚫ structure is filled in with the composition before mentioned, or in some
cases left hollow.
The structure of whatever form when filled in with the composition
and firmly set is coated over with a fibrous or porous coating of vegetable
or other pulp, or a solution saturated or impregnated with sodium
sillicate, or other equivalent, or a vegetable and mineral compound may
be employed as a coating, the application of which to the metallic

page_text: surface of such structures forms a hard, durable, and vitreous protection,
which in laying on may be caused to assume a plain or patterned surface
or in colors.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Cunliffe in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 26th February 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CUNLIFFE, of Waterloo Place, Westminster, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said William Cunliffe, Her
special license that I, the said William Cunliffe, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Cunliffe,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others; from time to time, and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF METALLIC ARTICLES AND
STRUCTURES FOR USEFUL AND ORNAMENTAL PURPOSES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Cunliffe, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of
the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Cunliffe, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof. that is to say :—

page_text: This Invention relates partly to the construction of greenhouses, plant
protectors, shop fronts, and other such like structures, and also to the
construction of flower boxes, safes, pillars for fencing, stable fittings,
and such like. Also to a construction of sash bars from thin sheet
metal.
In the construction of posts, pillars, columns, and such like for green-
houses, shop fronts, and other metallic structures, for the posts or pillars
of fencing, or other posts or pillars, I employ thin sheet metal bent into
circular or other forms, and with the side edges of the metal bent
inwards, as shewn by the various sections and elevations of posts or
pillars at Figures 1. These sections are shewn merely as examples, as
the forms of the posts or pillars may be greatly varied. The thin sheet
metal posts or pillars made in this way are subsequently filled in with a
melted bituminous cement, whilst the posts or pillars are retained by
clamps to the form desired. As the cement cools down and sets it
retains the turned in edges of the sheet metal and forms a solid
filling.
.
"
The bituminous cement I prefer to employ is composed of melted
pitch or asphalte mixed with from 3 to 10 per cent. of sulphur, and when
this has been thoroughly mixed it is thickened to the required consistency
by adding to it a mixture of gypsum and sand in the proportion of 1 of
gypsum to 2 of sand, or instead of gypsum other cements or limes may
be used. I would however state that other bituminous cements or
cements of other kinds may be used as a filling for the thin metallic
posts or pillars.
As will be seen by the several examples of pillars and posts shewn at
Figures 1, the posts, pillars, and such like may be of various forms and
designs. They may also be strengthened by collars or ferrules placed
around them, as shewn in some of the examples, such collars or ferrules
serving at the same time as ornaments to them.
The posts or pillars may also in some cases be strengthened by ribbons
or strips of metal being wound spirally or otherwise around them, as is
also shewn in other examples.
In cases where the posts or pillars are to have metal plates connected
to them the edge of such plates is bent in such manner that it may
⚫overlap or interlock with the turned in edges of the sheet metal forming
the pillars or supports, and when the supports have been filled in with

page_text: cement or concrete, as before described, the whole will be securely tied
together.
Figure 2 shews an example of two plates parallel with one another,
thus united to one pillar or support.
•
Figure 3 shews an example of two plates at right angles to one another,
and united to one pillar or support.
Figure 4 shews how the plates attached to the pillars or supports may
be double, and the space between them filled in with a filling of concrete
such as before described, or with other filling to serve as the exterior
walls or partitions of houses and other structures.
Figure 5 shews how a post or pillar may be formed with horizontal
trough-like projections standing out from it.
At Figure 6 I have shewn a perspective view of a greenhouse, the
whole of the frame of which may be constructed in the manner herein-
before described; and in like manner other forms of greenhouses, plant
protectors, metallic houses, and other buildings, shop fronts, and other
such structures may be formed.
Boxes for flowers may also be formed in the same manner, as shewn
at Figure 7, and also other boxes, safes, shop fittings, stable fittings,
roofings, and such like.
The sash bars employed to support the panes of glass in greenhouses,
plant protectors, and other glazed structures I also form of thin sheet
metal tubes of any desired section, and with grooves formed on two
opposite sides, as shewn in the sections at Figures 8.
I prefer to form the tubular sash bars of zinc, but other metal may be
used.
To insert the glass into the grooves in the sash bars one edge of the
glass is inserted into a groove in one bar, and its opposite edge then
pressed against the side of the next bar, which readily yields to the
pressure, and allows the glass to enter the groove. The thin metal then
springs back to its former position, and holds the glass securely. Panels
or other forms or parts of other material may similarly be held in grooves
in hollow bars of spring metal. Hollow sash bars of thin sheet metal
capable of thus having the edges of panes of glass or other panels thus
spring into grooves formed therein may be made of various sections.
Those shewn at Figures 8 are however very suitable for the purpose.

page_text: For protecting and ornamenting the external surfaces of metallic
articles and structures, such as herein described, and other metallic
surfaces the surface of the metal must first be made perfectly clean and
free from grease and other deleterious matters, and upon this a very thin
coating of a solution of gun cotton, pyroxyline, or collodion is applied.
Instead of this form of a liquid solution of fibrous pulp any other
vegetable or other fibre reduced to a state of pulp, either in a liquid or
semi-liquid or plastic state, and that will adhere to a clean metallic
surface, may be used.
The object of this fibrous coating is to obtain a firm, binding, porous
body to interlay or intermix with other mineral bodies, and silicato and
other compounds to form a hard, durable, and permanent body of a
vitreous or porcelain-like appearance, and to resist corrosion or the action
of the atmosphere or weather.
2ndly. Upon this coating of fibrous pulp a coating of either lime,
chalk, Portland or other cement, or other suitable mineral, oxide, or
body finely ground and mixed with water is applied, or any other
convenient vehicle, such as milk or seize solution, may be used in lieu of
water. After this coating is set another coating of the fibrous pulp is
given, and upon this again another coating of the compound of lime,
chalk, or other mineral body, and so on alternately continued until the
desired thickness is obtained.
3rdly. Upon these alternate coatings of fibrous pulp and mineral
compounds a thin solution of silicate of soda or other suitable silicate
solution is applied and repeated until the whole is thoroughly saturated,
taking care that each coating of the silicate is thoroughly absorbed and
dry before another is applied.
Upon the compound coatings of fibrous pulp and mineral matters,
before applying any coating of the silicate solution, any color or pigment
desired may be applied either plain or in any patterned decorative device,
mixed up with either water, size, solution, gum, or other suitable
vehicle for application, or the surface of the fibrous pulp and mineral
coatings may be made to assume a patterned device in relief by stamps,
dies, or other means while in a plastic or soft state or otherwise.
When a sufficient number of coatings of the silicate, has been given to
impregnate and fully saturate the underlaying compounds and to obtain