Specification of the Patent granted to JAMES BOYDELL, jun., of Oak Farm Works, near Dudley, in the County of Stafford, Iron Master, for Improvements in the Manufacture of Metallic Roofs and Joists, and Improvements in Joining Sheets or Plates of Metal for various Purposes.—Sealed July 6, 1843.

WITH AN ENGRAVING.

To all to whom these presents shall come, &c., &c.— My invention relates,

Firstly, to improvements in manufacturing metallic roofs, and consists of the use of grooved iron rafters in combination with plates of iron, the edges of which are caused to enter the grooves in the iron rafters.

Secondly, to the use of grooved iron rafters, or iron rafters having hollows or recesses at intervals for affixing iron laths, or battens, or otherwise, for supporting and receiving tiles, or other covering, when constructing metallic roofs.

Thirdly, to a mode of constructing rafters and joists, and consists in forming wrought-iron rafters or joists with grooves to receive wood, so as to have boards or laths fixed thereto by means of nails; and

Fourthly, to a mode of joining plates of metal, and consists in causing plates of iron to be welded, by being pressed together when between rollers at a welding heat. And in order that my invention may be fully understood, and readily carried into effect, I will proceed to explain the drawings hereunto annexed, in the various figures of which the same letters of reference are used to indicate similar parts wherever they occur.

Description of the Drawings.

Fig. 1, represents an end view in section of part of a roof constructed according to part of my invention. Fig. 2, is a plan thereof.

Fig. 3, shews a plan, a longitudinal and transverse section, and a side view of one of the plates of metal for covering the roof. I prefer plates of iron for this purpose, and the same may be preserved by being coated with zinc, as is well understood, or with paint, and such is the case with respect to the rafters shewn in figs. 1 and 2; and

such is also the case in respect to the rafters, joists, and other parts hereafter explained, in respect to other parts of my invention. a, a, are rafters of wrought or castiron, having grooves, b, b, formed therein, as is shewn; d, d, are plates of metal for covering such roofs; these plates are turned down at the sides, (1), (1), and at the end, (2), and upwards at (3); by this arrangement the turned down sides enter the grooves, b, and are retained there by wedging or otherwise. And I prefer that the grooves should be filled with asphalte, or other cement or material, which should be waterproof.

Fig. 4, shews an end section; and

Fig. 5, a plan of part of another roof, somewhat differing from the preceding one.

Fig. 6, shews a plan, a longitudinal and a transverse section of one of the covering plates of metal, all four edges of which are turned down, as is shewn. The rafters, a, a, of this roof have grooves, b, b, and in addition to the rafters there are stretchers, e, with grooves affixed to the rafters; the grooves in the rafters being opened laterally into the grooves of the stretchers, and the turned down edges of the covering plates enter the grooves in the rafters, and in the stretchers; and I prefer that these plates should be all wedged in their places by small metal wedges, and the grooves then filled with asphalte, or other suitable cement or material, which should be waterproof; by either of these arrangements very strong and light roofs may be constructed at a comparatively small cost. The rafters, when of wrought-iron, I produce by means of rollers; and rafters of wroughtiron will be found very light for such purposes, or grooved rafters proper for this part of my invention may be made of cast-iron.

I will now proceed to describe the second part of my invention.

Fig. 7, shews part of a plan of a rafter.

Fig. 8, shews part of a side view thereof, partly in

section.

Fig. 9, shews a plan, two side views, and a transverse section of part of one of the angle iron battens or laths used with the rafters, such battens or laths being applied and affixed at intervals suitable for receiving tiles.

Fig. 10, shews a plan of part of a rafter, and parts of two battens or laths combined together; and

Fig. 11, shews a transverse section of the rafter, with the two battens or laths combined therewith; a, a, are the rafters, there being recesses, f, f, formed therein to receive the turned down ends of the two battens or laths, g, g, and these battens or laths may be secured by wedging or otherwise. It will be readily understood that these rafters might be grooved from end to end in place of having recesses only at intervals, and the battens or laths, g, g, in such case might be retained in any desired place by means of thin iron wedges, or by other convenient means, and although I prefer that the metal battens or laths, g, g, should be of angle iron, as is shewn, as the same gives greater stiffness and strength to a roof, yet it will be evident that plain bars may be employed; and although I prefer that the grooved or recessed rafters should be made of wrought-iron, cast-iron may be resorted to where their greater weight will not be an objection.

I will now describe the third part of my invention, which relates to forming rafters and joists of wroughtiron, having grooves to receive wood, in order that boards or laths may be nailed thereto.

Fig. 12, shews a transverse section; and

Fig. 13, a plan of a rafter, or a joist, constructed by combining two plates of wrought-iron so as to produce grooves to receive wood, as is shown at h, i, the two plates, j,j, of which each rafter or joist is composed, being riveted, or otherwise combined together; by this arrangement it will be evident that if rafters be formed in this manner, or by rolling a bar into a similar section, the wood introduced at h will allow of laths or boards being affixed thereto by means of nails, in order that tiles or slates may be used when covering such a roof, and the wood at i will allow of laths or boards being nailed thereto, in order to form a ceiling in the interior of the roof, and if joists be made in this manner, by having suitable grooves formed therein for receiving wood, the flooring boards may be fixed by nailing thereon at h, and the laths or boards for making a ceiling may be nailed at i.

Fig. 14, shows another section of a rafter or of a joist of wrought-iron, having only one groove for receiving wood, as is shown at h. I would remark that the section of rafter or joist of wrought-iron may be varied so long

as it is made capable of receiving wood in a groove or grooves formed therein, as herein explained.

I will now describe the fourth part of my invention, vhich relates to a mode of joining sheets or plates of metal, and consists in welding plates of iron one to another for various purposes, by means of pressure between rollers, by which means plates or sheets of iron may be welded together in order to obtain sheets or plates of large dimensions, or sheets may be strengthened by having other sheets welded on parts of their surfaces; and this part of my invention is performed by placing the parts which are to be welded together in contact with each other, temporarily attaching them where necessary, and then heating such plates to a welding heat in a suitable furnace, and then causing them to be passed between rollers in order to press and weld the parts together, and to facilitate this operation, I apply a pair of rollers as near as may be to the mouth of the furnace in which the iron plates or sheets are heated to a welding heat, so that the plates being drawn by the workman between the rollers, the motion of the rollers may draw the plates out of the furnace, and press and weld the parts together; and I make the upper roller capable of being raised sufficiently above the lower one, so that the workman may pass his tongs between them, in order to take hold and draw the plate from the furnace to the rollers, so that when the upper roller is lowered, and the two rollers put in motion, the plates to be welded may be drawn out of the furnace, and be pressed between the rollers by the revolution of the rollers.

Fig. 14, shews a plan and edge view of two plates or sheets of iron, the edges of which overlap each other, as is shewn, and the plates are retained together by means of wires passed through holes at k, k; these plates being introduced into a suitable furnace, and brought to a welding heat, the workman will draw the plates up to the rollers, so that when the upper roller is lowered, the metal will be pinched between them, and the revolution of the rollers will draw the plates out of the furnace, and by the pressure will weld the two plates or sheets together, or in place of the edges overlapping, there may be a plate laid over the joint, as at 7, fig. 15, which shews a plan and edge view of two plates or sheets of iron prepared for welding; these plates may be rivetted at inter

vals at m, m, or otherwise temporarily attached before welding.

Fig. 16, shews a plan and edge view in section of an iron door, or other rectangular structure, in panels, produced according to this part of my invention.

The plates, n, n, fig. 17, are combined together temporarily in any convenient manner by wire or otherwise, and are placed together with the plate, o, fig. 18, under the parts, n, into a furnace, and the whole are brought to a welding heat, and passed between the rollers, as above explained; and, if care be used, it is not necessary to combine the parts, n, with the plate, o, for, if carefully laid together when in the furnace, they will combine sufficiently by the heat to allow of their being moved together to the rollers.

Fig. 19, shews a plate, o, having numerous small plates, P, p, welded therein, in like manner to that above explained, the parts in this case not requiring to be first fixed, if care be taken in seeing the pieces in their places when in the furnace; in this manner different devices of small plates may be welded on to the surface of a plate or sheet of iron.

Fig. 20, shews a plate, o, strengthened by a series of plates, 9, 9, by like means to that above explained.

Fig. 21, shews a plate or sheet of iron strengthened at two of its edges by means of narrow plates welded thereon, in the same manner as above explained.

Having thus described the nature of my invention, and the best means I am acquainted with for performing the same, at the same time I would remark, that I do not confine myself to the precise details shewn, provided the peculiar character of either part of my invention be retained. But what I claim is,

Firstly, the mode of constructing metallic roofs by employing iron rafters with grooves, combined with metal plates turned at their edges, as herein described.

Secondly, the mode of manufacturing metallic roofs, by applying wrought or cast-iron rafters, with grooves or recesses for receiving iron laths or battens, or otherwise.

Thirdly, the mode of constructing wrought-iron rafters and joists with grooves for wood, as herein described; and

Fourthly, the mode of joining plates or sheets of iron, by causing them to be welded together by means of the