IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF COVERING ROOFS WITH SLATE OR OTHER MATERIALS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE ALSO TO THE COVERING OR FORMING OF WALLS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Le Duc, of Saint Helier's, in the Island of
Jersey, Slater, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF
COVERING ROOFS WITH SLATE OR OTHER MATERIALS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE
APPLICABLE ALSO TO THE COVERING OR FORMING OF WALLS."
Sealed the 20th December 1867, and dated the 17th September 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Le Duc at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with bis Petition, on the 17th
September 1867.
I, WILLIAM LE Duc, of Saint Helier's, in the Island of Jersey, Slater,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MODE OF COVERING ROOFS WITH SLATE OR OTHER MATERIALS, WHICH IMPROVE-
MENTS ARE APPLICABLE ALSO TO THE COVERING OR FORMING OF WALLS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the mode of covering
roofs with slate or other materials, which improvements are applicable also to
the covering or forming of walls. For these purposes the pieces of slate or
other material to be employed are by preference made in the form of squares
having two of their corners situated diagonally opposite to each other cut. off
or removed so that the piece of slate or other material when prepared for use
presents the form of a six-sided figure, having four, of its sides (by preference)
longer than the remaining two, which latter are represented in length by the
length of the base of the right-angled triangle constituting the amount of

page_text: corner removed from the original square figure. The pieces of slate or other
material formed as described are secured in position by means of nails or pins,
one of which may be conveniently placed near to the upper corner of each
of the two shorter sides. In laying, the pieces of slate or other material are
arranged in horizontal rows and with their shorter sides in juxtaposition, the
lower rows being first laid, and each succeeding row above so placed that its
lower corners overlap and cover the joints or intervals between the shorter
sides of the pieces of slate or other material of the lower row.
I would remark that in order to fill the spaces which would otherwise be
left between the lower projecting points of the first row of completely formed
pieces of slate or other material a specially formed row is in the first instance
laid, the individual parts of which differ from those described, in having only
five sides, two of which five sides are (by preference) shorter than the
. remaining three, and that a row of similarly formed slates is likewise employed
to fill up the spaces which would otherwise be left between the upper pro-
jecting points of the last or top row of completely formed slates.
Square pieces of slate or other material placed diagonally may be laid in
horizontal rows corner to corner, the lower rows being first laid, and the
lower corners of the pieces of slate or other material constituting the
succeeding rows above extending in each case some distance below the points
of contact or juxtaposition of the pieces of slate or other material of the
lower rows.
According to my Invention a very considerable saving is effected over
systems hitherto adopted in the quantity of slate or other material requisite to
efficiently cover a given area of roofing or other surface.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Le Duc in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
17th March 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
LE DUC, of Saint Helier's, in the Island of Jersey, Slater, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Le Duc, Her special license, that I, the said William
Le Duc, my-executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the

page_text: said William Le Duc, my exécutors, 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MODE OF COVERING ROOFS WITH SLATE OR OTHER MATERIALS, WHICH
IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE ALSO TO THE COVERING OR FORMING OF WALLS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Le Duc, 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 Le Duc, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
.statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
and to the letters marked thereon:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the mode of covering
roofs with slate or other materials, which improvements are applicable also to
the covering or forming of walls. For these purposes the pieces of slate or
.other material to be employed are by preference made in the form of squares,
having two of their corners situated diagonally opposite to each other, cut off
or removed so that the piece of slate or other material when prepared for use
presents the form of a six-sided figure, as shewn in Fig. 1, having four of its
sides a, a, a, a, (by preference) longer than the remaining two b, b, which
latter are represented in length by the length of the base of the right-
angled triangle constituting the amount of corner removed from the original
square figure. The pieces of slate or other material formed as described are
secured in position, as shewn in Fig. 2, by means of nails or pins c, one of
which may be conveniently placed near to the upper corner of each of the two
shorter sides. In laying, the pieces of slate or other material are arranged in
horizontal rows and with their shorter sides in juxtaposition, the lower rows
being first laid, and each succeeding row above so placed that its lower corners
overlap and cover the joints or intervals a between the shorter sides of the
pieces of slate or other material of the lower row.
I would remark that in order to fill the spaces which would otherwise be
left between the lower projecting points of the first row of completely formed

page_text: pieces of slate or other material a specially formed row is in the first instance
laid, the individual parts of which differ from those described in having only
five sides, as shewn in Fig. 3, two of which five sides are (by preference)
shorter than the remaining three, and that a row of similarly formed slates is
likewise employed to fill up the spaces which would otherwise be left between
the upper projecting points of the last or top row of completely formed slates.
Square pieces of slate or other material placed diagonally may be laid in
horizontal rows, corner to corner, as shewn in Fig. 4, the lower rows being
first laid, and the lower corners d of the pieces of slate or other material con-
stituting the succeeding, rows above extending in each case some distance
below the points of contact or juxtaposition x of the pieces of slate or other
material of the lower rows.
According to my Invention a very considerable saving is effected over
systems hitherto adopted in the quantity of slate or other material requisite to
efficiently cover a given area of roofing or other surface..
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same may be carried into effect, I would have it distinctly understood that
I make no claim whatever to the details separately, as I am aware that in
many respects they are similar to what has been previously done; but I claim
the improvements in the mode of covering roofs with slate or other materials,
which improvements are applicable also to the covering or forming of walls, as
.described..
In witness whereof, I, the said William Le Duc, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
WILLIAM LE DUC. (L.S.)