Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Mar., 1887
Complete Left, 6th Dec., 1887
Complete Accepted, 6th Jan., 1888
I SAMUEL TAYLOR of Nos. 145 146 and 147 Lionel Street Birmingham in the
County of Warwick Zinc and Galvanized Iron Worker do hereby declare the nature
of this Invention to be as follows:-
My invention consists principally of the improvements hereinafter described in
constructing the sheets constituting the metal covering of the roof and fixing the said
sheets to the supporting wooden or metallic rafters of the roof or to the wooden
rafters and boarding of the roof.
By my improvements the roofing sheets are very easily fixed no skilled labour
being required the roofing sheets are without holes or piercings the joints are pro-
tected against the entrance of water provision is made for the ready expansion
and contraction of the sheets by changes of temperature and the sheets can be
packed for storage or transit with the same facility as ordinary corrugated sheets.
My invention is specially applicable to the metal coverings of roofs made of
sheets of zinc and galvanized iron but is also applicable to coverings made of other
metals and alloys.
In constructing a metal covered roof according to my invention I use by pre-
ference stepped roofing sheets the steps of the sheets being arranged equidistantly
and parallel with the ridge and eave of the roof and I so construct the longitudinal
edges of the stepped sheets or those edges which are supported on the rafters that
the said edges assist in fixing the sheets in their places on the rafters and also
prevent or prevent to a large extent water passing over the said edges to the rafters.
For these purposes I make along each bearing edge of the roofing sheet a convex
beading or raised part and between the said beading and the extreme edge of the
sheet I make a guiter the said gutter being formed by bending upwards the extreme
edge of the metal sheet at an obtuse angle. A combined beading and gutter of the
kind described is made at each bearing edge of the roofing sheets. The beading
described acts as a barrier to the passage of water to the extreme edge of the sheet
and the raised edge or gutter acts as a conduit for conveying away water which may
have passed over the beading. The beaded and guttered edges of the adjacent sheets
to be supported on and fixed to the rafters are not in contact but are arranged at a
[D1131

page_text: short distance apart on the rafter and I fix the opposed edges of the separated sheets
to the rafter by means of a cap or fixing strip having steps in it corresponding with
those in the roofing sheets the edges of the said cap having such a figure that they
can engage or interlock with those of the roofing sheets. The fixing cap between its
locking or engaging edges is arched for giving it rigidity and in the middle of the
arched part of the fixing cap holes are made for the fixing screws or screw bolts to pass
through. Around the holes in the fixing cap the metal is raised or an embossment
made to prevent water from the roof passing to the said holes.
The supporting edges of the adjacent roofing sheets having been arranged at the
proper distance apart on the rafter the fixing cap is engaged or interlocked with the
edges of the sheets and the said cap fixed in its place by passing screws or screw
bolts through the said cap and screwing them into the rafter curved washers being
interposed between the heads of the screws and the fixing cap. The bearing edges
of the roofing sheets are thus secured very firmly on the rafter the fixed roofing
sheets being capable of expanding and contracting and having the provisions
herein before pointed out for protecting the joints from water and for carrying away
water.
Plain or unstepped roofing sheets and caps may be used with the improvements
herein before described.
In making flat metal covered roofs I use in conjunction with the roofing sheets and
caps described zine or metal lined wooden rafters of the construction described in the
provisional specification filed with my application for Patent on the 26th day of
March 1887. No. 4540) and I fix the caps to the edges of the roofing sheets in the
manner described in the said provisional specification.
Dated this Thirty first day of March 1887.

page_text: Improvements in Metal Covered Roofs.
I SAMUEL TAYLOR of Nos. 145, 146 and 147 Lionel Street, Birmingham in the
County of Warwick, Zinc and Galvanized Iron Worker, do hereby declare the nature
of my 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 consists principally of the improvements herein after described in
constructing the sheets constituting the metal covering of the roof and fixing the said
sheets to the supporting woodon or metallic rafters of the roof or to the wooden rafters
and boarding of the roof.
By my improvements the roofing sheets are very easily fixed, no skilled labour
being required; the roofing sheets are without holes or piercings; the joints are
protected against the entrance of water; provision is made for the ready expansion
and contraction of the sheets by changes of temperature and the sheets can be packed
for storage or transit with the same facility as ordinary corrugated sheets.
My invention is specially applicable to the metal coverings of roofs made of sheets
of zinc and galvanized iron but is also applicable to coverings made of other metals
and alloys.
In constructing a metal covered roof according to my invention I use by preference
stepped roofing sheets the steps of the sheets being arranged equidistantly and
parallel with the ridge and eave of the roof and I so construct the longitudinal edges
of the stepped sheots or those edges which are supported on the rafters that the said
edges assist in fixing the sheets in their places on the rafters and also prevent or
prevent to a large extent water passing over the said edges to the rafters. For these
purposes I make along each bearing edge of the roofing sheet a convex beading or
raised part and between the said beading and the extreme edge of the sheet I make a
gutter the said gutter being formed by bending upwards the extreme edge of the
metal sheet at an obtuse angle. A combined beading and gutter of the kind
described is made at each bearing edge of the roofing sheets. The beading described
acts as a barrier to the passage of water to the extreme edge of the sheet and the
raised edge or gutter acts as a conduit for conveying away water which may have
passed over the beading. The beaded and guttered edges of the adjacent sheets to
be supported on and fixed to the rafters are not in contact but are arranged at a short
distance apart on the rafter and I fix the opposed edges of the separated sheets to
the rafter by means of a cap or fixing strip having steps in it corresponding with
those in the roofing sheets the edges of the said cap having such a figure that they
can engage or interlock with those of the roofing sheets. The fixing cap between its
locking or engaging edges is arched for giving it rigidity and in the middle of the
arched part of the fixing cap holes are made for the fixing screws or screw bolts to
pass through. Around the holes in the fixing cap the metal is raised or an emboss-
ment made to prevent water from the roof passing to the said holes.
In making fat metal covered roofs and other covered roofs I use in conjunction with
the roofing sheets and caps described, zinc or metal lined grooved wooden rafters of
the construction described in the provisional specification filed with my application for
patent on the 26th day of March 1887, No. 4540 and I fix the caps to the edges of
the roofing sheets in the manner described in the said provisional specification.

page_text: I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings the
manner in which my invention is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in perspective a portion of a roof provided with stepped roofing
sheets and fixing appliances constructed according to my invention; Figure 2 repre-
sents in cross section the same in conjunction with two rafters; Figure 3 represents
a longitudinal section of the stepped roofing sheets and Figure 4 the longitudinal lap
for joining the ends of two stepped roofing sheets; Figure 5 represents in plan;
Figure 6 in cross section and Figure 7 a part of the same the arrangement of my
invention when the roof is made without vertical bearers and the roofing sheets are
fixed to purlins as hereinafter explained; Figure 8 represents in cross section my
arrangement applied to a metal lined grooved wooden (or metal) rafter.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of the
Drawings.
a, a are the stepped metal roofing sheets; bb are the wooden rafters ; c Figure 3
is the eaveplate and d the ridge of the roof. Upon the rafters b, b the longitudinal
edges of the stepped roofing sheets a, a are supported in the manner best seen in
Figures 1 and 2, where it will be seen that the opposed edges of the roofing sheets are
not in contact but are arranged at a short distance apart. Each bearing edge of the
roofing sheet is made with a convex beading or raised part a² and between the said
beading and the extreme edge of the sheet is a gutter a³ the said gutter being made
by bending upwards the extreme edge of the metal sheet at an obtuse angle and
curving the same as seen in Figure 2. The said beading a² acts as a barrier to the
passage of water to the extreme edge of the sheet and the raised edge and gutter at a³
acts as a conduit for conveying away water which may have passed over the beading a²;
e, f, e is the fixing cap or fixing strip by which the edges of the roofing sheets are
fixed to the rafters the said cap or fixing strip extending from the ridge of the roof to
the cave plate so as to cover the bearing edges of the roofing sheets from end to end
and the space between the said bearing edges of the sheets. The continuous fixing
cap or strip e, f, e is stepped and has a corresponding figure to the adjacent edges
of the two roofing sheets a, a to be fixed on the rafter; that is, the middle of the said
cap is arched at to fit over the curved raised and gutter parts at a³, a³ of the roofing
sheets and the edges of the cap are provided with beadings e, e for engaging or
interlocking with those marked a², a² on the edges of the roofing sheets (see Figure 2).
In the middle of the arched part of the fixing cap e, f,e elongated or elliptical holes
at g are made at the required distances apart for the fixing screws h to pass through,
the said screws being screwed into the wooden rafters b, b. When metal rafters are
used screw bolts are passed through the rafters and fixed by screw nuts; i is the
raised part or embossment around the hole g in the fixing cap to prevent water from
the roof passing through the said hole, and under the head of the screw a curved
washer k is used for the same purpose. It will be seen that no holes are made in the
roofing sheets a, a the screws or screw bolts used to secure the caps passing between
the separated edges of the sheets at a as best seen in Figure 1.
The supporting edges of the adjacent roofing sheets a, a having been arranged at
the proper distance apart on the rafter b, the fixing cap e, f,e is engaged or interlocked
with the edges of the sheets and the said cap fixed in its place by passing screws
(or screw bolts) through the said cap and screwing them into the rafter or rafter and
boardings the curved washers & being interposed between the heads of the screws and
the fixing cap. The bearing edges of the roofing sheets are thus secured very firmly
on the rafter the fixed roofing sheets being capable of expanding and contracting and
having the provisions herein before pointed out for protecting the joints from water
and for conveying away water. No bending or doubling of the roofing sheets a, a at
the eaves, ridge, hip or at other impediments in the roof is required as the sheets are
made to pass into grooves in the roof framing as illustrated in Figure 3.
The manner in which the ends of two roofing sheets are engaged together to form
the longitudinal lap is illustrated in Figure 4 where it will be seen that the junction of
the ends of the sheets fit closely together, no screws or bolts for securing them
together being necessary. Plain or unstepped roofing sheets and caps may be used

page_text: with the improvements herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
When no boarding is used in framing the roof, vertical bearers are required at
distances apart corresponding to the width of the sheets used as before described but
my improvements may also be applied to roofings constructed without the said vertical
bearers and may be fixed to the purlins only. In this case the roofing sheets and the
roofing cap are bolted together between the purlins by the arrangement represented in
Figures 5, 6 and 7; that is, I use a strong washer I shown separately in Figure 7
having nearly the same figure as the fixing cap and I fix the said washer on the
underside of the adjacent edges of the roofing sheets a, a by means of the screw bolt
and screw nut at m, a curved washer & being interposed between the head of the screw
bolt and the fixing cap. The continuous fixing cap e, f, e washer and the adjacent
edges of the roofing sheets a, a are thus secured together between the purlins.
In applying my improvements to grooved rafters either made of wood or metal
according to the protected invention herein before referred to, I arrange the parts in
the manner represented in Figure 8. In this case the extreme edges of the roofing
sheets instead of being turned up and curved are turned down so as to fit against the
lined groove p in the rafter b and the arch shaped and beaded fixing cap e, f, e after it
has been interlocked with the adjacent edges of the roofing sheets a, a is fixed in its
place by the screw bolts the cross pieces or feet of which are drawn against the
inclined or undercut shoulders s, s in the grooved rafter as will be understood by an
examination of Figure 8.
My improvements may be applied to curved roofs as well as to flat roofs the roofing
sheets having the required form given to them by hand when fixing them and the
fixing caps may be made of wood or other non metallic material instead of metal.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that I claim as
my invention of "Improvements in metal covered roofs."
First Constructing the edges of the roofing sheets which are without holes or
piercings and either stepped or plain, with beadings and gutters for the purposes and
substantially as herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
Secondly The combination with roofing sheets of the kind claimed in claim 1 of
stepped or plain fixing caps or strips, the said caps or strips being so constructed that
their beadings and gutters engage or interlock with those on the edges of the roofing
sheets substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
Thirdly Arranging the roofing sheets on the wooden or metal rafters or supports so
that their adjacent edges are separated a short distance apart and passing the screws
or screw bolts into or through the said rafters or supports between the separated edges
of the sheets for the purpose of connecting the sheets and caps together and to the
rafters or supports substantially as herein before described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
Fourthly Connecting the roofing sheets and caps together between the purlins of
the roof in the manner hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figures 5, 6 and 7 of
the accompanying Drawings.
Lastly The adaptation of my improved roofing sheets and fixing caps or strips to
grooved or guttered wooden and metallic rafters as herein before described and
illustrated in Figure 8 of the accompanying Drawings.
Dated al 1
1007