IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF GLASS ROOFS AND ROOF LIGHTS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Owen Johnson Showell and John Showell, both of
the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Surveyors, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF GLASS ROOFS AND
ROOF LIGHTS."
Sealed the 13th April 1868, and dated the 14th October 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Owen Johnson Showell
and John Showell at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 14th October 1862.
We, OWEN JOHNSON SHOWELL and JOHN SHOWELL, both of the City of Man-
chester, in the County of Lancaster, Surveyors, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF GLASS ROOFS
AND ROOP LIGHTS," to be as follows:-
Our Invention relates to a mode of constructing glass roofs or roof lights
in such manner as to render them water-tight without the use of putty or.
cement, and so that they are capable of giving way to slight movements
arising from expansion and contraction and from other causes; and our.
Invention consists in the use of glass sheets or plates with their two opposite

page_text: or all their edges turned at right angles or thereabouts to the plane of the
sheet or plate, and in arranging such glass sheets or plates so that their turned
edges will come together, these edges being placed either up or down; if
upwards, they are covered by a cap or cover each other; if downwards, they
enter a gutter or overlap the edge of an adjoining sheet or plate of glass.
The caps or gutters are made of metal or other suitable material.
We prefer
to make our improved glass roofs by a series of horizontal metallic ribs of
the L-form, placed parallel to the ridge of the roof, so that each rib (excepting
the highest and lowest) will support the upper ends of one series and the
lower ends of another adjoining series of glass sheets or plates, so that the
water from one series, will descend on to those below.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Owen Johnson Showell and John Showell in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 14th April 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, OWEN
JOHNSON SHOWELL and JOHN SHOWELL, both of the City of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Surveyors, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Owen Johnson Showell and John Showell, Her special license that
we, the said Owen Johnson Showell and John Showell, our executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Owen Johnson
Showell and John Showell, our 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF GLASS ROOFS AND ROOF LIGHTS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Owen Johnson Showell. and
John Showell, or one of us, by an instrument in writing under our hands
and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, 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

page_text: Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Owen Johnson Showell and John
Showell, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer
tained in and by the following statement and accompanying Drawing (that
is to say):-
Our Invention relates to a mode of constructing glass roofs or roof lights in
such manner as to render them water-tight without the use of putty or
cement, and so that they are capable of giving way to slight movements arising
from expansion and contraction and from other causes; and our Invention
consists in the use of glass sheets or plates with their two opposite parallel
edges turned at right angles or thereabouts to the plane of the sheet or plate,
and in arranging such glass sheets or plates so that their turned edges will
come together, the edges being placed either up or down; if upwards; they are
covered by a cap; and if downwards, they enter a gutter, the caps or gutters
being made of metal or other suitable material.
The particular manner in which we carry our Invention into effect is illus-
trated by the Figures on the accompanying Sheet of Drawing.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal elevation partly in section; Figs. 2 and 3, trans-
verse sections, showing one mode of constructing our improved glass roofs or
roof lights, the framework being of metal.
a represents one of the purlins formed of angle iron; these purlins run
horizontally, and are placed at suitable distances apart from the ridge to the
eaves of the roof; if the whole of the roof is to be covered with glass, the
distance at which the purlins are apart is according to the length of the sheets
of glass employed. To the purlins the iron troughs or gutters bare secured by
a bolt b', as shown in Fig. 2; the upper end of each gutter is secured on
the flat part of the purlip, and the lower end overhangs the edge of the purlin,
as shewn in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. These gutters are placed at such distance
apart as to suit the width of the sheets or plates of glass employed. The sheets
of glass (c) rest upon the edges of the gutters, and the turned edges come
together in the middle of the gutters, as shown, which gutters are placed in
the line of greatest fall or inclination of the roof. The upper ends of the glass
sheets are made water-tight by a "flashing" of lead (d), which passes from
end to end of the purlin and overlaps the upper ends of the glass plates. The
glass plates are secured by means of the hooks (e), one end of which takes
hold of the upper end of the purlin, and the other upon the lower end of the
glass sheets, and the hooks are secured so as to be prevented from lifting by

page_text: wires f, which pass through a loop in the hooks and then under the trough or
gutter (b), the ends of the wires being bent so as to keep them in their places,
as shewn in. Figs. 1 and 3. The space between the upper end of one plate of
glass and the lower end of the adjoining sheet at the lap is closed by a bar of
wood :9, which extends under the glass from one hook to the other, the
shoulders upon which hooks keep the bars in their places. The upper-edge
of the bar g is covered with felt, and the lower edge serves to keep the upper
ends of the sheets of glass down in their places.
.
Figs. 3 and 4 are views respectively corresponding to Figs. 1 and 3, showing
another method of securing the sheets in their places. In this case the glass
is held down by a hook-formed piece (e'), extending across the glass between
the gutters, and it is secured to the purlin by a bolt e3; a number of holes e
are formed in the hook part (e¹) to allow of the escape of any water that
may get between the hook and the glass.
:
Fig. 6 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1, and Figs. 7 and 8 are views corre->
sponding to Fig. 3, showing the arrangements for carrying out our improve->
ments when the purlins are of wood. The hook (e) mode is illustrated in
Fig. 7, and on one side of Fig. 6, and the hook bar (e') mode is shown in
Fig. 8 and on the other side of Fig. 6.
Fig. 9 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1, and Figs. 10 and 11 are views
corresponding to Fig. 3, showing the manner of carrying out our Invention'
when the turned edges of the glass plates are covered with a cap and the
gutters are dispensed with. Figs. 9 and 10 show the metal purlin. The
glass extends between two purlins, its lower end rests upon the edge of the
angle iron and its upper end upon the flat part of the angle iron purlin
next above; felt, cement, or other suitable material is employed to bed the
glass on the angle iron. The turned-up edges of the glass are covered by a'
metal cap h; the upper end of one cap and the lower end of an adjoining cap
aro secured by the same bolt 6, as shown. The lower end of each cap has two
projections (h) from it, which descend below the edges of the glass, and thus
prevent them from sliding down.
Fig. 11 shows the manner of carrying out this modification of our Invention
when wood purlins are employed.
.
Fig. 12 is a view corresponding to Fig. 9, and Fig. 13' is a' view corre-
sponding to Fig. 11, showing a mode of carrying out our Invention when the S
sheets of glass are to be supported on the four sides. It will be seen that the
turned-edges of the glass are both covered and supported by a cap h and
gutter b, the gutters being let into the wood purlin (a).
We have now particularly described the nature of our Invention and the

page_text: mode of carrying the same into effect, and claim as our Invention in the con-
struction of glass roofs or roof lights, the combination and arrangement of
glass plates having turned edges, with caps, gutters, and the means for securing
and making water-tight, as herein-before described and illustrated by the
accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said Owen Johnson Showell and John
Showell, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Eleventh day
of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-three.
OWEN JOHNSON SHOWELL. (L.S.)
JOHN SHOWELL.
(L.S.)