Improvements in Portable Houses.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Mar., 1896-Accepted, 13th June, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Portable Houses.
I, CHARLES HENRY LEONARD of Grand Rapids, in the County of Kent,
and State of Michigan, United States of America, Gentleman, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
My invention relates to improvements in portable houses, and its object is to
provide the same with certain new and useful features, hereinafter more fully
described, and particularly pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the
accompanying drawings, in which-
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the tubular iron framework of my improved
house with the front studding removed;
Fig. 2, a detail of the panels; Fig. 3, a cross-section of the same;
Fig. 4, a detail of the metallic batten-strip, showing the application of the same;
Fig. 5, a section of the same on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4;
Fig. 6, a detail of the castings, which lock the rafters to the ridge-pole, in side
elevation; Fig. 7, a detail of the same in plan view;
Fig. 8, a portion of a rafter, showing the slot to receive the stud-fastening;
Fig. 9, a detail of the stud-fastening; and
Fig. 10, a detail of the panel-fastening.
Like letters refer to like parts in all of the figures.
A are the sills of the house, and B are the tubular iron studs which pass through
said sills and have nuts B' on their ends, which nuts engage the under side of said
sills.
C are rafters of the same material as the studs, which rafters are locked to the
ridge-pole D by the castings E. Said castings are provided with hooks E', which
pass each other to the right and engage the ridge-pole at opposite sides, encircling
the same; and at the top of said castings are provided the lugs E³, which engage
and pass each other to the left. Said castings are thus interlocked, and as they
are secured to the rafters by means of the shank E' said rafters are thus locked to
each other and to the ridge-pole. To secure the studs to the rafters, oblong
slots H are cut in said rafters and in the ends of said studs are secured fastenings I
consisting of oblong heads I attached to said studs by Deck 1. By putting said
beads into said slots and turning the studs to bring the heads transversely to said
slots the rafters will be locked to said studs. The studs or posts B' which support
the ridge-pole are secured to said pole in like manner.
The panels F are preferably made of wood, consisting of an outer frame and a
central portion of siding. In the sides of said frames are grooves to receive the
studs and rafters. Said grooves are of such depth that when the panels are in
place their edges meet and the studs and rafters are covered, said paneling
presenting a continuous inner and outer surface. To tie said panels together, a
fastening G is used, which consists of a triangular-shaped casting pivoted at G¹ to
one panel and engaging a screw G¹ in the other panel. The edge G engages the
shank of said screw, and said edge being eccentric to the pivot G', when the
fastening is forced downward, the panels will be pulled toward each other.
A notch G allows the head of said screw to pass.
The panels comprising the roof are the same as the side panels and are secured
to the rafters in the same manner. Over these panels are secured strips of suitable

page_text: roofing material J, the same width as said panels, and the seams covered by the
metallic batten-strips L. Screws K project from the rafters far enough to enter
the openings M in the batten-strips and allow their heads to engage the outer
surface when said batten-strips are moved longitudinally, and the shanks of said
screws enter the slots leading from said operings M. The edges of said strips are
turned downward and when they are secured in place as described said edges press
into the roofing material and form water-tight joints.
By using hollow iron tubing I get a light and durable frame easily taken apart
and set up, and hy grooving the panels to receive the studding and rafters instead
of grooving the rafters and studding to receive the panels, as heretofore, said frame
is entirely obscured, leaving a continuous paneled surface at both sides. Securing
the studs to the rafters, interlocking the hooks on the ridge-pole, and fastening the
house to the sills by the lock-nuts binds all parts together and secures a light yet
very strong and durable frame.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :
1. The combination with ridge pole and rafters, of a casting secured to one end
of each rafter, said castings having hooks to engage the ridge pole and being
relatively so constructed that they will interlock in pairs and thereby secure the
rafters together in pairs, substantially as described.
2. The combination of the rafters and a ridge pole, of a casting secured to one
end of each rafter, each of said castings having a hook projecting from one side
and a lug at the top, the hooks of a pair of castings being constructed and arranged
to pass each other at one side of the castings and to engage opposite sides of the
ridge pole, and the pairs of lugs being arranged and constructed to interlock
with each other and thereby lock the rafters together in pairs, substantially as
described.
3. A rafter having a threaded end and provided with a casting for securing it to
a ridge pole and to another rafter; said casting embodying a threaded shank by
which it is secured to said rafter, a hook to engage the ridge pole, and a lug
constructed to interlock with a similar lug of the casting on another rafter.
4. In a portable house, the combination with the panels, of a fastening means
therefor, consisting of a triangular fastener on one panel and a headed projection
on the other panel to be engaged thereby, said triangular fastener being pivoted at
one end and having an opening with its forward edge eccentric to the pivot and a
notch in said forward edge, substantially as described.
5. The combination of sills, tubular studs, panel frames having grooves to
receive said studs, and a fastening pivoted at one end to one panel and having the
inner edge of its other end eccentric to and engaging a screw secured to the other
panel, substantially as described.
6. A roof for a portable house, embodying a ridge pole, rafters secured thereto,
panel-frames having grooves to receive said rafters, panels secured to said frame,
roofing material of substantially the same dimensions as said frames, secured thereto
and covering said panels, batten strips overlapping the joints, and fasteners for the
batten strips, extending between the pairs of panel frames into said rafters,
substantially as described.
7. In combination with the roof of a portable house, batten strips adapted to
cover the seams in said roof and having downwardly turned edges, and openings,
and slots, and screws projecting from said roof and adapted to engage said slots,
substantially as described.
Dated this 26th day of March 1896
F. W. BARKER,
Applicant's Agent.