150 years of roof windows

The 19th century

Room in the loft of Hans Christian Andersen (1805 - 1875) Under the roof, the walls were inclined and in them windows were installed – after the fashion of other mansard windows but providing a much wider view. I could admire the church tower through them which I could see from its very base.

Tenement house in France illuminated by the window installed in the roof illustrated by French draughtsman Francisque Poulbot. In the 19th century the poorest groups of society lived in the lofts of the tenement houses of large and rich German, French and English cities.

Painting by Vincent van Gogh “Farms near Auvers” in Parisian d'Orsay Museum with clearly visible glazed roof.

The oldest, historical documentation of inventions concerning non-standard windows comes from the end of the 19th century. Already then roof windows were described as construction element.

1894 Great Britain

In Great Britain during 1894 a patent application was submitted concerning improvements in the structure of sliding and pivot windows, skylights and doors so that they could be glazed and cleaned from the inside of the building. This application also presented designs for windows, skylights and doors, whose pane was set in a wooden frame.

First patent application on mechanism for rotating a wooden window.

Historical documentation (British patent no. 1724) regarding improvement in the structure of sliding and pivot windows, skylights and doors submitted by P. Shippobottam.

In the same year, two Britons A. Schmeil and P.Saar submitted another patent application concerning improvement in the structure of skylights. The main idea was concentrated on easy opening from the inside and tight closing protecting against snow and rain penetration. The skylight design presented in this application allowed for the windows to be opened.

1896 Germany

Evidences on illumination of the loft in Germany. Glazing in the roof is documented by photos of buildings of the German Wertheim network of department stores in Berlin.

The 20th century

1924 USA

Patent on design of ventilated roof windows granted to Ch. Witnell. This invention enabled easy opening and closing of the window so that it was suitable for ventilation of rooms, especially barns, pigsties etc.

1926

In the United States patent application concerning design of roof window was submitted. Patented solution protected against penetration of rainwater, snow, etc. even in case of rain blown by a strong wind.

1920`s - Europe

A series of solutions enabling opening and closing of roof windows was patented.

1927

German patent application on mechanism for opening and closing roof windows received by Tischler & Seichter company.

1928

F. Tittmann patented mechanism for self closing of roof windows in case of rain water accumulation.j.

1931 

The term roof window was used for the first time in German patent application from 1931 concerning top hung structure.

1938

In historical documents of the Polish Patent Office patent application the window illuminating the loft submitted by a German, Bernard Schwarz can be found. The idea behind the patent were two “U” shaped overlapping elements made of ceramic materials to improve insulation of the window. The document indicates that year earlier, in 1937 the invention had been reported in Germany.