IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON- STRUCTION OF WALLS, FLOORS, AND OTHER PARTS OF BUILDINGS AND OTHER STRUCTURES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edwin Chadwick, of East Sheen, in the County
"
of Surrey, C.B., for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF WALLS, FLOORS, AND OTHER PARTS OF BUILDINGS AND OTHER
STRUCTURES."
Sealed the 5th September 1871, and dated the 3rd June 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edwin Chadwick at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd June 1871.
I, EDWIN CHADWICK, of East Sheen, in the County of Surrey, C.B.,
3 do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for “ IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WALLS, FLOORS, AND OTHER PARTS OF BUILDINGS, AND
OTHER STRUCTURES," to be as follows:-
The object of my Invention is to construct walls, floors, and other
parts of buildings in a cheaper, lighter, and better manner than here-

page_text: tofore, and to this end I form the walls or floors of tiles or thin blocks
made of potteryware, cement, or concrete, and with rebated joints or
tongues, so that the tiles or blocks may he joined or connected together
edgewise. These tiles or blocks are built up on edge in two rows, at
such a distance asunder as will form the two faces of a wall or floor of
the desired thickness. These two rows of tiles or thin blocks are con-
nected together laterally by cross ties made of potteryware, metal, or
other suitable substance. The tiles may either be made in pairs, one
of which will be provided with tongues to take into the rebates of the
other, or they may all be made with rebates, and two contiguous tiles
may be connected together by means of separate tongue pieces, which
may be cemented in the rebates. Walls, floors, and ceilings so formed
will of course be hollow, and as they will be formed entirely of fire-
proof materials, they may be warmed or cooled by means of hot or cold
air, or used as a means of ventilation or for regulating the temperature of
apartments. The tiles or blocks may also be used to form pavements or
roads, and when blocks are made of suitable form sewers or drains may
be constructed of them on the same principle. If the tiles or blocks
are made of potteryware and burnt in kilns I submit them to a second
pressure after moulding, so as to consolidate them before burning. To
this end after the tiles have been formed by pressure in a die or mould
they are partially dried and then subjected to the second pressure by
means of an hydraulic press or a powerful lever press. After the tiles
have been subjected to this second pressure, when partially dried they
will be so consolidated that they will be less liable to twist or cast in
burning. They will therefore be correct and exact in form, and will
gain in density and strength.
In order to assist in strengthening the structure iron tie rods. may
be passed through the walls and floors to prevent them from deflecting.
The jointed tiles or blocks may be made of any convenient or suitable
shape, such as square, hexagonal, octagonal, or otherwise, and the
external surfaces may, if desired, be ornamented with any suitable
design, or they may be made of various colours, and when suitably
arranged will form an ornamental design.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edwin Chadwick in the Great. Seal Patent Office
on the 2nd December 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWIN
CHADWICK, of East Sheen, in the County of Surrey, C.B., send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Edwin Chadwick, Her special licence
that I, the said Edwin Chadwick, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Edwin Chadwick, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vond, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF WALLS, FLOORS, AND OTHER PARTS OF BUILDINGS, AND
OTHER STRUCTURES,” upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Edwin Chadwick, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same
to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edwin Chadwick, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say):-
The object of my Invention is, to construct walls, floors, and other
parts of buildings, also pavements, footways, and roads, in a cheaper,
lighter, more expeditious, and better manner than heretofore.
In carrying out my Invention I form the walls, floors, or pavements
of tiles or thin blocks, or tiles made of potteryware, cement, or concrete,

page_text: and with rebated joints or tongues, so that the tiles or blocks may be
joined or connected together edgewise, and thus form a hollow wall or
floor.
In the accompanying Drawing I have shewn various views of a wall
or floor constructed according to my Invention; Fig. 1 is a plan view
of a hollow floor, some of the tiles being removed to shew the parts
beneath; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same taken in
the line 1, 2, of Fig. 1.
In order to form a wall the tiles or blocks are built up on edge in two
rows at such a distance asunder as will form the two faces of the wall of
the desired thickness. These two rows of tiles or thin blocks are con-
nected together laterally by cross ties made of potteryware, metal, or
other suitable substance. A floor is constructed in precisely the same
manner, except that the flat tiles which form the face and under side of
the floor are placed in a horizontal position and the cross ties in a
vertical position. This being understood the Figures in the Drawing
will represent either a floor or wall.
The flat tiles may either be made in pairs, one of which will be
provided with tongues to take into the rebates of the other, as shewn in
the detached views, Figs. 3, which represent a plan and edge view of a
single flat tile, or the tiles may all be made with rebates, and two con-
tiguous tiles may be connected together by means of separate tongue
pieces, which may be cemented in the rebates. The tiles are hollowed
out or dished on one side so that the edges are considerably thicker than
the middle part of the tile. By this means I obtain a maximum of
strength with a minimum of weight and material. The rebated joints
prevent the tiles from tilting up or becoming displaced, and when
used for footways reduce the amount of concrete necessary as a bedding
for them.
In Figures 1 and 2 the tie tiles are made in various ways. At a, a, the
ties are simply short columns made of potteryware and provided at each
end with projecting flanges which fit into rebates at the corners of the flat
tiles b, b, which form the sides of the wall or the top and bottom of the
floor. In this case the round ends of the ties a are flush with the outer
surfaces of the tiles b, b, the corners of which are cut to receive them,
as shewn at a, a, a, Fig. 1. In place of the ties a square pillars, as
shewn at c, c, may be employed to support the corners of four contiguous
tiles. Walls, floors, and ceilings so formed will of course be hollow, and

page_text: as they will be formed entirely of fire-proof materials they may be
warmed or cooled by means of hot or cold air, or used as a means of
ventilation or for regulating the temperature of apartments.
When it is desired to warm the floors or walls by means of hot air
admitted to the hollow spaces therein this space should be divided into a
series of flues so arranged that the heated vapours should pass along in a
serpentine direction. To this end, instead of using a number of pillars to
support the four corners of the tiles, long tiles or supports such as those
shewn at d or e, and detached in side and edge views at Figures 4 and 5,
must be used. It will be seen that these tiles when in place not only
support the flat tiles, but by fitting end for end into each other form a
continuous wall, and thus produce a number of parallel flues along
which the products of combustion may be conducted. The form of the
tiles admits of their being easily separated and removed for the purpose
of cleaning the flues. These flues or passages may also be employed to
draw off vitiated air from the rooms. Should any of the flat tiles
become accidentally loosened the rebated joints will impede or prevent
the passage of smoke. When the tiles are fitted closely for warming
floors thick beds of concrete, such as was employed for covering Roman
hypocaust floors, will be unnecessary.
The tiles or blocks may also be used to form pavements or roads and
footways or side walks, and the water, gas, and other service pipes may
be laid in the hollow spaces so that access may be readily obtained to
them. When blocks are made of suitable form (curved for instance)
sewers or drains may be constructed of them on the same principle.
.
If the tiles or blocks are made of potteryware, and are intended to be
burnt in kilns, I previously submit them to a second pressure after
moulding, so as to consolidate them before burning. To this end, after
the tiles have been formed by pressure in a die or mould, they are
partially dried and then subjected to the second pressure by means of an
hydraulic press or a powerful lever press. After the tiles have been
subjected to this second pressure, and when partially dry they will be so
consolidated that they will be less liable to twist or "cast" in burning.
They will therefore be correct and exact in form, and will gain in
density and strength. If the tiles are made of concrete so as to avoid
the burning process, iron slag, iron dust, or cinder granite dust, broken
stone, rough sand, or burnt sand or burnt clay may be employed mixed
with Portland cement, selenitic lime, or other suitable material may be

page_text: employed. Iron slag as it runs from the furnace may be at once run
into moulds and cast into the required form. In order to assist in
strengthening the structure, more particularly floors, iron tie rods may
be passed through the walls and floors to prevent them from deflecting.
A building constructed in this manner will therefore hold together like
a box or a wooden house, and may be moved about without danger.
The jointed tiles or blocks may be made of any convenient or suitable
shape, such as square, hexagonal, octagonal, curved, or otherwise, and
the external surfaces may, if desired, be ornamented with any suitable
design, or they may be made of various colors, and when suitably
arranged will form an ornamental design.
Walls constructed of these tiles may be washed with water and thus
kept perfectly clean, and kept free from any noxious or infectious
deposits. They will also be non-absorbent and free from damp and
mephitism.
It will also be evident that the tiles or blocks may be made or
manufactured in a suitable yard, place, or factory, and may therefore be
allowed time to dry and get hard, and when used for paving purposes
may be carried to the place where they are to be used, and at once laid
down in position with great rapidity, so as to shorten as much as possible
the interruption of public traffic.
The surface of the tiles or blocks used for pavements, footways, and
roads may be covered with any requisite amount of Val de Travers or
other asphalte.
When the blocks or tiles are used for paving the horse tracks of
tramways they should be made of larger dimensions and covered with
asphalte, and when the tramway is on a steep incline I prefer to
construct the horse track in steps, as shewn at Fig. 6 in the Drawing.
The tiles used for constructing this horse track are shewn on an enlarged
scale at Fig. 7; they are jointed together and their surfaces are covered
with Val de Travers asphalte.
These tiles will also be found admirably adapted for constructing ovens.

page_text: Having now described my Invention, and having explained the
manner of carrying the same into effect, I claim as the Invention
secured to me by Letters Patent, constructing walls, floors, pavements,
footways, and other parts of buildings and other structures of tiles or
blocks, as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edwin Chadwick, have hereunto sot
my hand and seal, the First day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.