IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPLICATION OF IRON FOR BUILDING PURPOSES, AND IN THE MEANS OFAME, PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE TO FORTIFICA
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Weekes, Civil Engineer, of 13*, Great
George Street, Westminster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE APPLICATION OF IRON FOR BUILDING PURPOSES, AND IN THE MEANS OF
Sealed the 19th January 1869, and dated the 20th July 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Weekes at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th July 1868.
I, CHARLES WEEKES, Civil Engineer, of 13*, Great George Street,
Westminster, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPLICATION OF IRON FOR BUILDING PURPOSES, AND IN THE
MEANS OF CONNECTING THE SAME, PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE TO FORTIFICATIONS,'
to be as follows, viz. :-
I propose to use iron in the form of simple building material, that is,
in the form of ordinary bricks. The bricks may be either of cast,
wrought, or chilled iron or steel, or a combination of any of these, thus

page_text: the facing may be of steel or chilled iron with backing of cast or
wrought as circumstances may require. I propose to lay these bricks
in the ordinary manner of brickwork with a proper bond, laid dry or
built with iron or other cement, or red lead joints, as required; the bricks
may also be bound together by hoop iron bands so that every adjoining
brick or set of bricks may be thoroughly connected, and if desirable the
bricks may be sunk to a sufficient depth to allow of the iron bands being
used without increasing the thickness of the joints. The surfaces of the
bricks may be planed if desirable, so as to form close joints. The bricks
may also be formed so as to dovetail or lock into each other by pro-
jections on one brick fitting into recesses on the other. To all arched
structures and bomb-proof protections and walls circular on plan this
mode of using iron would be particularly applicable.
I do not confine myself to any particular size or shape of bricks, but
prefer the ordinary size of building bricks, those for arches being of any
required shape; probably the facing bricks would require to be headers
of greater length than those generally used, but arranged so as to bond
if necessary with the rest of the work. Again the brickwork in iron
may be used as backing to the iron armour face plates now used, or may
be used simply as facing to new or old work of masonry, brickwork,
concrete, &c., and further the bricks may be formed hollow of any form
required, whether radiating or not, and used either in arches of floors,
roadways, or for other similar purposes, or they may be used to build up
in piers or other work, instead of iron or wooden columns, staunchions,
or other similar appliances, in fact in any situation where the saving of
space with strength is required. They would also be applicable to
fireproof constructions.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles Weekes in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 20th January 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
WEEKES, Civil Engineer, of 13*, Great George Street, Westminster, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of July, in the year of

page_text: our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Charles Weekes, Her special licence
that I, the said Charles Weekes, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles Weekes, 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
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE APPLICATION OF IRON FOR BUILDING PURPOSES, AND IN THE MEANS OF
CONNECTING THE SAME, PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE TO FORTIFICATION," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Charles Weekes, 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 Charles Weekes, 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:--
The improvements which constitute this Invention consist in the
formation and application of iron in certain elementary or sectional parts
in duplication for building purposes, and in the means of connecting
the said sectional parts together, the object of the said Invention
being to render the application of iron more facile and general in the
construction of ordinary buildings, whether of an architectural or
engineering character, and particularly to adapt it for the construction
of fortifications and defensive works in war.
For ordinary building purposes I propose to make rectangular shells
of three kinds; the first, which I denominate the "iron brick" being of
the length, width, and depth of a common brick; the second, which I
denominate the "iron quoin" or angle brick, being by preference of the
length of a brick and a half along each outer face, the width and depth
being as before stated; the third, which I denominate the T or "iron
ie brick," the length, width, and depth of each limb being also equal

page_text: to that of a common brick. The whole of these shells or iron bricks,
quoins, and ties are intended to take the place of ordinary bricks in
any kind of structure, and to be worked in with ordinary bricks for
increasing the strength of such structures. I propose to lay the iron
bricks in the same manner as ordinary bricks are laid with a proper
bond or jointed together or connected together, as herein-after explained,
or bound together by iron bands, so that every brick or set of bricks
may be thoroughly bound or tied together longitudinally. When iron
bands are thus used, in order not to increase the thickness of the joint,
I propose to form a groove along the centre of the upper or lower bed,
as the case may be. These shells may also be formed so as to dovetail
or lock into each other by projections on one brick fitting into recesses
in the other. The joints may be "close" or "surface" joints made
with iron or other cement, or "run" with lead or other suitable metal
or materials. The angle bricks or "iron quoins" I
to apply
to all main wall or other angles, and the T's or "tie blocks" to all
junctions of cross walls with main walls. In the case of arches, and
where else required, I propose to use bollow or solid iron bricks moulded
or shaped to the required forms. In fortifications and defensive works
in war or for war purposes I propose to adopt the solid forms and
introduce the arch principle, with surface and, if necessary, clamped
joints (planed if required), the bricks being chill-cast, case-hardened, or
made of wrought iron or steel.
propose
In adopting the dimensions of the common brick I do not confine
myself thereto, but propose to introduce in all cases when practical
duplicate sectional forms of greater or less dimensions according to the
nature of the structure and the conditions to be fulfilled therein.
The various sectional forms of "bricks," "ties," and "quoins," and
the mode of laying, coupling, and applying the same in ordinary
buildings, and particularly in fortifications, are shewn upon the accom-
panying Drawing, to which the following explanation applies.
EXPLANATION OF THE DRAWING.
which
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one of the shell "iron bricks
I propose to use in lieu of and in connection with common bricks for
ordinary building purposes, open at the bottom, partially open at the
ends and slotted and grooved at the top. Figs. 2 and 2*, and Figs. 3
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one of the shell "iron bricks
which
I propose to use in lieu of and in connection with common bricks for
ordinary building purposes, open at the bottom, partially open at the 3
ends and slotted and grooved at the top. Figs. 2 and 2ª, and Figs. 3

page_text: "
"
and 3*, shew other modifications of this form of brick for walls, piers,
and columns. Fig. 4 shews one of the shell "iron quoins," and Fig. 5
a shell "iron tie brick." Figs. 6 and 7 are clips for couplings, as shewn
at a and b, Fig. 5. Fig. 8 shews the mode of applying the "bricks,'
quoins," and "ties," (Figs. 1, 4, and 5) as wall plates and longitudinal
bond or tie courses. The advantage of putting in a bonded wall plate
in this form over that of a cast-iron plate I conceive to be that while
it affords a perfect longitudinal tie, in case of any settlement taking
place in the wall the joints would yield thereto; whereas in the case
of a cast-iron or timber plate fracture would ensue and the bond be
broken. Figs. 9, 10, 11, and 12 illustrate the mode of applying the
bricks, formed as shewn at Figs. 2 and 2, and 3 and 3* respectively, in
which a, a, are vertical internal ribs or flanges for giving vertical stiffness
or rigidity to walls or piers. Fig. 13 is intended to illustrate the mode of
applying iron bricks in the construction of a column in lieu of a single
casting. Fig. 14 also illustrates the mode of forming and applying iron
bricks in the construction of a pier in conjunction with ordinary brick-
work, for giving increased stiffness and strength where space is limited
or the economy thereof is necessary or desirable. In any or all the
cases before mentioned, in the application of the iron bricks, quoius,
and ties, as well as in those last mentioned, they may be walled with or
without a filling of concrete, or the latter may be run into the hollow or
shell spaces afterwards. Figs. 15 and 16 shew the mode of applying the
bonding shell brick (Fig. 1) in the construction of chimney shafts to
counteract the effect of expansion in the ordinary brickwork from
internal heat. Fig. 17 shews the form of shell iron brick which I
propose to use for arches of buildings, railway and other tunnels,
viaducts, sewers, and the like, the dimensions, thickness of metal, or
degree of solidity being varied as circumstances may require. Figs. 18,
19, and 20 shew the modes of applying such bricks in the construction
of ordinary arches. In shaft and well sinking, and also in tunnelling
(especially in wet places), the application of bricks of this kind will not
only enable perfectly water-tight work to be made, but will save a consider-
able amount of excavation, from their greater strength with less thickness.
Fig. 21 is a sectional plan, Fig. 22 a front elevation in part, and Fig. 23
a transverse section of a fortification, or work of defence in war, in
which the improved iron and steel bricks and blocks are applied so as
also to combine the arch principal. A, A, &c. are sectional blocks of
wrought iron or steel, which form the port or porthole, the work being

page_text: otherwise constructed as fully shewn in detail upon the Drawing, or in
any manner analagous thereto, in which the elementary or duplicate
sectional form of parts and "arch" principle are combined for increasing
the resisting power of the work. Figs. 24, 24, and 24' shew respectively
front elevation, plan, and section of an embrasure of masonry, and are
intended to illustrate the application of the metal block and brick in
combination with the "arch" principle of construction instead of filling
up the same with armour-plate shields. Figs. 25, 25, and 25b shew a
modification of the foregoing application.
The advantage of the sectional or elementary form of construction,
over that of the "plate" I conceive to be its greater economy, increased
facility of transport and portability and greater strength. For temporary
field works the smaller element would enable iron structures of this
class to take the place of common earth work, and be otherwise employed
where plates could only be obtained at enormous cost. For forming
beds for mortars or for steam hammers, or any similar structures exposed
to violent concussion, the arch blocks and bricks composed of solid
wrought or cast iron supported by masonry or brickwork will be found
efficient and more economical than one large single casting therefor.
Having thus stated the nature and object of my said Invention, and
illustrated and explained the means by which the improvements may be
carried into effect in practice, but without confining myself to the precise
forms and arrangements of details shewn upon the Drawing, I hereby
further declare that what I desire to secure by the before-mentioned in
part recited Letters Patent, and claim as my Invention, is as follows:-
First. As regards ordinary buildings of an architectural, engineering,
or other character, the formation and application of the "iron bricks,"
"iron quoins," "iron ties," and "couplings," as and in the manner
herein described and explained or illustrated upon the Drawing.
Secondly. As regards fortifications or works of defence in war, the
formation and application of "blocks" and bricks of wrought, cast, or
chilled iron or steel, as and in the manner described, explained, and
illustrated.
Thirdly. The application of the said sectional or other blocks and
bricks of metal, in the arch form, for increasing its resisting power in
works of defence in war.

page_text: Lastly. The application of the said blocks or bricks for the construction
of fireproof and strong rooms, skew arches, groined vaults, domes, and
rooms of a circular or other geometrical figure.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Weekes, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
CHARLES WEEKES. (L.S.)