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375,101 · Sharts · "Manufacture of Illuminating Tiles for Sidewalks, &c." · Page 2 Home  > Prism Glass  > Patent Index  > Page 2

375,101: 2 of 3

of the tiles or gratings I make half-round holes sufficiently large to cover one-half the screw-bolt. These half-round holes are made the exact spaces apart to conform to the screw-bolts in the supporting-bar. The tiles cast from these patterns being brought in junction with each other along the center line of the supporting-bar, the half-round holes on the edge of each tile will completely surround the screw-bolts. In this position I put washers and nuts e and e' on the screw-bolts, which firmly fasten the two adjoining gratings A A and A' A' to the supporting-bar beneath. The screw-bolts protrude above the supporting-bar a sufficient length to pass through the gratings and the washers and nuts. By this method all drilling and countersinking and tapping are avoided, but a single row of screw-bolts is required, both gratings are fastened in their places by the same row of bolts, the top surface of the supporting-bar can be made much narrower, and much of the handling of the tiles is avoided.     When the gratings to be used are calculated to be covered with a concrete filling, B, flush with the surface of the glass lenses D, placed over the light-openings of the gratings, the portion of the screw of the screw-bolt and nut that protrudes above the face of the casting of the grating is entirely covered by and embedded in the concrete filling.     In adapting my method to the old style of iron and glass tiling, usually known as "knob-tiles," I make half-round recesses along the edge of the tiles or gratings large and deep enough to allow the insertion of the end of the screw bolts and nuts, with sufficient space above them to cover them with melted metal or hard cement, f, flush with the surface of the tiles. The bottom of the recesses g' have half-round holes for the reception of the screw-bolts, the distances between each conforming to the screw-bolts C' C' on the supporting bars B' B', the edges of the tile being brought in junction with each other. The half-round bolt-holes will surround the bolts, as above stated, the washers and nuts e' e' of the screw-bolts firmly fastening the edges of both tiles A' A' at the same time.

In many. cases a plain rivet-bolt, F and F', may be substituted for the screw bolt and nut, the head of the rivet-bolt being embedded in the supporting-bar, as above mentioned, the remaining part of the rivet-bolt protruding above the casting of the tile or grating sufficiently to allow a substantial rivet-head to be formed, in order to firmly fasten the tiles or gratings to the supporting-bar beneath.     I do not confine myself to any special kind of illuminating tiles or gratings, as my method is equally applicable to all.     The principal features of my invention consist in the production of a supporting-bar having the heads of the screw or rivet bolts C C' and F F' firmly embedded in it, the screw or rivet part protruding upward and surrounded by the half-round holes along the edges of the tiles or gratings, the two adjoining edges of the tiles being fastened to the supporting-bar by a single row of rivet-bolts or bolts and nuts, obviating the necessity of drilling, counter-sinking, tapping, extra handling, &c.     Having thus fully described my invention and illustrated its advantages over the present methods adopted in the manufacture of illuminating tiles, &c., particularly on the score of economy, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is--     The combination of a supporting-bar for illuminating-tiles, which has screw or rivet bolts cast into its top surface, the heads of the bolts being firmly embedded in the casting, the remaining part of the bolts protruding upward from the supporting-bar, with illuminating tiles or gratings which have a series of half-round bolt-holes along their edges at their junctions for the reception of bolts, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth. THEODORE SHARTS. Witnesses:     J. H. GOODWIN,     RO. L. CLUTTER.