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235,677 · Fryer · "Illuminating-Tile for Roofs and Pavements" · Page 1 Home  > Prism Glass  > Patent Index  > Page 1

235,677: 1 of 2

Patents: 114 of 530	UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM J. FRYER, JR., OF NEW YORK, N. Y. ILLUMINATING-TILE FOR ROOFS AND PAVEMENTS.	William J. Fryer, Jr. 2 of 3
SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 235,677, dated December 21, 1880. Application filed October 7, 1880. (Model.)

To all whom it may concern:     Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. FRYER, Jr., iron-manufacturer, of No. 104 Goerck street, in the city of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Illuminating-Tiles for Roofs and Pavements, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which--     Figure 1 is a top view. Fig. 2 is a cross-section, and Fig. 3 is a view of the under side.     A A are glasses. B is the iron frame or grating. C is the putty or cement to make a water-tight joint between the glass and iron.     Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.     A very common article of manufacture is rough plate-glass cut in squares of six by six or four by four inches and set in an iron grating for the roofing or covering of an area to a building.     To make a more elegant article of manufacture is the object of my invention; and to this end I insert glasses of the form shown in the drawings in an iron frame, the upper surface of the glass and the iron being on the same plane, and the glasses being so checkered as to obscure from sight persons passing over or standing upon them.     Manufacturers of illuminated tiles have directed most of their skill to improving lenses by working out curious and novel ways of increasing the volume of light and accomplishing other purposes, such as carrying off the water, &c., leaving almost untouched the cheaper and commoner kinds of tiles-- squares of rough plate-glass set in an iron frame-- and yet cast-glass squares neatly configured cost but little if any more than rough plate-glass cut into squares of the proper size to fit the frames. Already I have found that the public appreciate my efforts to give a neater appearance to this style of tile than could be obtained for the same money previously.     On reference to my drawings, it will be seen that my glasses are channeled on top to prevent slipping, and underneath are cut up into numerous small squares to obscure any person or object above. A plain level border on the under side is left where the glasses rest on the rabbet of the iron frame.     There is, of course, nothing original in

casting glass having geometrical lines or figures on its surface. Such lines and squares as I make use of are to be found on glass table-ware, inkstands, and other useful and ornamental articles in glass-- as, for instance, ordinary corrugated sky and deck lights. It will be noticed, however, that all such articles are cut and configured on one surface only, while my glasses are lined on both surfaces, and these, when set in and combined with an iron frame, as described, form a new article of manufacture. It will be further noticed that my improvement is not in the direction of securing a powerful and multifarious refraction and reflection of light by providing ridge-like protuberances, or a plurality of elevated bearing-points, to catch the horizontal and oblique rays of light and refract the same into the space beneath, instead of being reflected from the surface of the glass and lost. Such arrangements belong to the more expensive kinds of tiles, and the field of invention in that direction has been pretty well cultivated.     I desire to go on record with the declaration that when my glasses (made, say, four by four inches square, or less) are set in an iron frame and used for the covering of an area-way, or what is known as a "basement-extension," the use of these for such a purpose would be in violation of an unexpired patent granted to T. Hyatt, August 27, 1867, No. 68,332, and reissued August 6, 1878, No. 8,363. As a license under that patent, and therefore having the right to use this particular improvement for the covering of basement-extensions, I have no desire whatever to claim herein the right to cover a basement-extension with small glasses the style shown in my drawings when set in an iron frame; but,     As my original invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is--     As a new article of manufacture, glasses configured on the upper and lower surfaces as shown in the drawings, when set in and combined with an iron frame, for the purposes set forth. WM. J. FRYER, JR. Witnesses:     JOHN ADAMS,     ARTHUR LAWRENCE.