A Portable Covering or Roof.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 28th May, 1889-Accepted, 29th June, 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Portable Covering or Roof.
JOHN ELWELL Wrot Iron Hurdle & Fencing Manufacturer Sheepcote Street
Birmingham do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
A Portable Covering or roof in Galvanized Varnished or Painted, Corrugated or
Plain, Sheet Iron, or Steel, for Roofs of Hay, Corn, or other Stacks Booths, &
Temporary Buildings-to form which I take the required number of lengths of Wire
or Hemp Rope, or Chain, to which I secure sufficient lengths of Ridge Capping, or
curved Sheets, of the materials mentioned above, to form the Ridge, or Crest of Stack,
or Erection, I then lay the Ridging in position, on Roof, and Rope or Chain, securing
end of each length, to each side of Stack with a large Iron Skewer, Stake, or other
fastening. I also attach to each rope or chain on each side roof, a number of Steel
or Iron Hooks made in the shape of a Shepherd's Crook, turned upside down, the
Hook being outside, and made as a spring, clips, and holds the sheets tightly in
position, I then secure the bottom Hook on the two left hand side, Ropes or Chains,
with a ring or link, attached to them, for so doing, at the cave or bottom of the Roof,
then taking a sheet of the Iron I lay it on the side of the roof, bringing the bottoni
edge of the Sheet down, and force it into the two hooks, I then take two more of the
hooks bring them over the top edge of this Sheet, securing them in position by
bringing down the ring or link attached to each, taking another Sheet and forcing it
into the hooks as the first one, the bottom edge of this overhanging the top of the first
one about 6 inches, this plan to be completed with the number of Sheets required to
reach the ridge, the last Sheet reaching the top being slid under the Ridging first then
drawn down again and forced into the hooks. The next layer of Sheets overlaps the
right hand edge of the first one, three or four inches, the left hand side of this layer
being secured by the hooks on the right hand side of the first length, of Roof, this
plan to be followed until the Roof is complete.
Doted this 97th day of August 1888.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Portable Covering or Roof.
1, JOHN ELWELL, of Sheepcote Street, Birmingham, Warwickshire, Wrought Iron
Hurdle and Fencing Manufacturer, etc., do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention has reference to a portable covering or roof made of galvanized,
varnished, painted, corrugated or plain sheet iron or steel for covering hay or other
stacks, booths, temporary buildings, or for other like purposes, which is of cheap
simple, and of durable construction and requires but very little time in fixing.
In carrying out my invention I take the required number of lengths of wire or
hemp rope or chain to which I secure sufficient lengths of ridge capping or curved
sheets of iron or steel to form the ridge or crest of the stack or erection. I then lay
the ridging in position on the roof and ropes or chains, securing the end of each
length of rope or chain to each side of the stack with a large iron skewer or other
fastening. I also attach to each rope or chain on each side of the roof a number of
steel or iron hooks made in the shape of a shepherd's crook turned upside down, the
hook being outside and made as a spring clips and holds the sheet tightly in position.
I then secure the bottom book on the two left hand side ropes or chains with the ring

page_text: or link attached them at the cave or bottom of the roof. I then take a sheet of the
corrugated or other iron or steel and lay it on the side of the roof and bring the
hottom edge of the sheet down and force it into the two books, I then take two more
of the chooks and bring them over the top edge of this sheet and secure them in
position by bringing down the ring, or link attached to each, then I take another shoct
and force it into the hooks a's 'the first one, the bottom edge of this sheet overhanging
the top of the first about six inches; this plan is repeated with the number of sheets
required to reach the ridge, the last sheet reaching the top being first slid under the
ridging and then drawn down again and forced into the hooks.
The next layer of sheets overlaps the right hand edge of the first one three or four
inches, the left hand side of this layer being secured by the hooks on the right hand
side of the first length of roof, and this plan is followed until the roof is completed.
The accompanying drawing illustrates how my said invention is to be performed.
Fig. 1 represents a hay rick partly covered by a roof constructed according to this
invention and Fig. 2 shews in cross section, on an enlarged scale, part of the said roof
and the-means for securing it to the rick.
The lengths of wire or hemp rope or chain are marked a, they pass over the ridge
or crest of the rick and are secured to the sides thereof by the skewers b or by other
means. The capping e which forms the ridge or crest of the rick is made of suitable
lengths which overlap each other and are secured to the ropes or chains a by hooked
bolts d which pass through the ridge capping and hook on to the rope or chain under-
neath. The hooks for securing the roof sheets in position are marked e their lower
ends e' are made in the form of a shepherd's crook and their upper endse have an
eye through which the ropes or chains a are threaded; the number of hooks on each
rope or chain corresponds with the number of sheets required to reach from the eave
to the ridge of the roof. Each hook is, for the purpose hereinafter described, furnished
with a ring or link f through which the hook and the rope or chain are threaded.
.
In fixing the corrugated or other sheets in position to form the roof I prefer to
commence at the left hand side and I secure the two bottom hooks in position on to
their ropes or chains by the links or rings near the cave or bottom of the roof. The
first sheet is then laid on the side of the roof and its lower edge forced down into
the said two hooks; the next two hooks are then brought down over the top edge of
this sheet and secured in position by their rings or links, the next sheet g is then laid
in position and forced into the second two books the bottom edge of this shoot
overhanging the first one by about six inches; this plan is repeated with the number
of sheets required to reach the ridge c, tho last sheet 93 being first slid under the
ridge e and then drawn down again and forced into its hooks. The hooks on the next
rope or chain are now fixed in position level with those already fixed ready for the
next layer of sheets which overlaps-the-right hand edge of the first one three or four
inches and is secured in position by the hooks on the third rope or chain and by those
of the second rope or chain so that each rope or chain with its hooks (except the
outside ropes or chains) secure the sides of two layers of sheets.
My invention can be applied to lean-to roofs or for span roofs for, booths, temporary
buildings, or for other like purposes similarly as above described and illustrated with
reference to a roof for covering a hay stack, the upper ends of the wire ropes or
chains a passing over or being secured to the ridge of the roof and the lower ends
being fixed underneath the eave or eaves. By my invention the sheets are firmly
secured together without the necessity of making holes therein and there is no
possibility of water leaking through them.
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. In a portable roof the employment of wires ropes or chains a extending from the
ridge to the cave or eaves of the roof and furnished with hooks in which the edges of
the sheets fit and by which the sheets are secured together substantially as hereinbefore

page_text: 2. The combination with the wires ropes or chains a of the adjustable hooks e
threaded thereon and furnished with rings or links fall for the purposes and sub-
stantially as herein before described and illustrated by the accompanying drawing.
3. A portable roof constructed substantially as herein before described and illustrated
by the accompanying drawing.
JOHN ELWEI.L.