IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF METALLIC Roofs
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Horn Black, Builder, and Julian Marshall, Gentle-
man, both of Hampstead, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF METALLIC Roofs."
Sealed the 2nd September 1879, and dated the 23rd June 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Horn Black and Julian
Marshall at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd June
1879.
JAMES HORN BLACK, Builder, and JULIAN MARSHALL, Gentleman, both of
Hampstead, in the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF METALLIC ROOFS."
The object of this Invention is to provide a metallic covering for the roofs of
buildings, which covering shall be lighter, cheaper, and more durable than those
produced with the use of tiles or slates.
In carrying out this Invention we use sheet iron of any suitable thickness, which
by means of dies we stamp out into the form required for the flat portions, and the
hips, ridges, and flashing of the roof. For covering the flat portions we stamp out
flat plates of any convenient size, say that of an ordinary alate, giving the same by
preference a rectangular form with either a straight, curved, or other ornamental
shape to the lower edge thereof, and at the same time we pierce the plates with
nail holes.
The act of stamping out the plates will form a burr on the under side thereof,
and this burr we retain in order that the overlying surfaces shall not be in close
contact with those beneath them when they are applied to the roof.
The plates thus formed we subject to what is known as Barff's oxidising process,
the Patent for which was obtained the Twenty ninth day of February 1876,
No. 862.
anded in monfine

page_text: other, and these we secure in place by a strip of rolled iron (treated by the Barff
process), extending along the row at about the middle of the length of the plates,
which strip is pierced with holes to receive nails which pass through corresponding
holes in the plates to the traverses or lathes beneath.
The hip and ridge plates we bring to a suitable shape in dies, and we also form 5
the gutters from rolled iron in a similar inanner, or the gutter's ridge and hips may
be brought to shape by rolls acting upon strips of sheet metal cut to the required
width. When properly formed they are to be submitted like the flat plates to the
Barff oxidizing process, and they will thus be secured against the deteriorating
action of the weather.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Horn Black and Julian Marshall in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 23rd December 1879.
JAMES HORN BLACK, Builder, and JULIAN MARSHALL, Gentleman, both of
Hampstead, in the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF METALLIC ROOFS."
The object of this Invention is to provide a metallic covering for the roofs of
buildings, which covering shall be lighter, cheaper, and more durable than those
produced with the use of tiles or slates.
In carrying out this Invention we use sheet iron of any suitable thickness,
which by means of dies we stamp out into the forms required for the flat portions
and the hips, ridges, and flashings of the roofs. For covering the flat portions we
stamp out flat plates of any convenient size, say that of an ordinary slate, giving
the same by preference a rectangular form with either a straight, curved, or other
ornamental shape to the lower edge thereof, and at the same time we pierce the
plates with nail holes.
The act of stamping out the plates will form a burr on the under side thereof,
and this burr we retain in order that the overlying surfaces shall not be in close
contact with those beneath them when they are applied to the roof.
The plates thus formed we subject to what is known as Barff's oxidizing process,
the Patent for which was obtained Twenty ninth day of February, One thousand
eight hundred and seventy six, No. 862.
In laying these plates we adopt the arrangement pursued in roofing with slates.
In the accompanying Drawing we have shewn in plan view at Fig. 1 a portion
of a roof constructed according to our Invention, Fig. 2 being a section of the
same taken on the line 1, 2, of Fig. 1; a, a, are the traverses or laths which are
secured to the rafters of the roof in the ordinary manner; b, b, are the metal plates
which are laid in rows on the traverses, and butting against each other; o is a strip
of rolled iron (treated by the Barff process) extending along each row at or near the
middle of the length of the plates. Each strip is pierced with holes corresponding
to those in the plates to receive nails (also treated by the Barff process), which pass
through the holes on the plates to the traverses or laths beneath.
When it is desired to replace a cracked plate, the nails holding such plate are cut
with shears between the plate and the metal strip, and the plate is then drawn out.
A new plate provided with dogs' ears or catches d, d, as shown at Figures 3, is then
inserted under the strip, which is prized up to allow the catches d, d, to pass under
it. The strip is then allowed to drop into its place, and the new plate is drawn
down until the catches d, d, press against the edge of the strip, and thereby hold it
firmly in position.
The hip and ridge plates as well as the gutters we bring to a suitable shape by
rolls acting upon strips of sheet metal cut to the required width. When properly
formed they are to be submitted like the flat plates to the Barff oxidizing process,
and they will thus be secured against the deteriorating action of the weather. We
have shown at Fig. 4 a section of a hip or ridge plate; and at Figures 5, a plan view
and a section of a valley gutter.
In making a watertight joint between two gutter plates we bring the ends of the
plates ff, to the form shewn at Fig. 6 in the Drawing. These ends when super-
posed and having red-lead, putty, or other stopping or cement between them will
lie in a groove cut in the rafter or beam g, and will form a valley or groove trans-
verse of the gutter. Into this valley or groove we insert with or without further
stopping a strip of metal A of the same width and depth as the valley or groove,
and screw or nail it firmly down to the rafter a. By this means we obtain a perfect
joint without presenting any obstacle to the flow of water in the gutter.
In making box gutters we prepare the box of wood in the ordinary way, and

page_text: we first line the sides and then the bottom with metal treated by the Barff
process, as before explained. The sides we form in one plate bent into the required
shape with flanges top and bottom (see Fig. 7), which is a cross section of a box
gutter, the top flange projecting outwards over the sides of the box, and the bottom
flange projecting inwards, the ends of the plate being rivetted or otherwise secured
together. The bottom of the box is formed of a square plate, the edges of which
are turned up at right angles, and into the angles thus formed we screw or nail
triangular pieces of solid metal, the screws or nails passing through to the wooden
shell.
At Figures 8, 9, and 10, we have shown in plan view and cross section, and in
section on an enlarged scale, our Invention as applied to what is known as a roll
roof, such as are used for cathedrals. For this purpose our Invention is par-
ticularly applicable, as the metal when once brought into proper form will be
sufficiently rigid to retain such form, and the use of solder with soldering irons
and fire will be obviated.
In all cases the parts are stamped out or otherwise prepared and pierced with
holes to receive the screws or nails previous to being treated with the Barff
oxidising process, and red-lead, putty, or other stopping or cement is used at all the
joints.
Having now described the nature of our Invention of "Improvements in the
Construction of Metallic Roofs," and explained the manner of carrying the same
into effect, we wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited
Letters Patent we claim,-
Constructing metallic roofs from plates and strips of iron which have been
treated by Barff's oxidizing process, in the manner and for the purpose above
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Horn Black, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the Twenty third day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.