Improvements in Dwelling-houses and certain other Buildings.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Aug., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 7th May, 1894-Accepted, 16th June, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Dwelling-houses and certain other Buildings.
We, FRANCIS MUDIE SPENCE, and DAVID DICK SPENCE, both of The
Manchester Alum Works, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Chemical
Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :—
The objects of this invention are to obtain for dwelling-houses and other buildings
for which such features are desirable and practicable :-
--
(A.) Flat or approximately flat roofs for recreation, for escape from the buildings
in case of fire and for other purposes, free from the smoke and gases emitted from
the buildings and also free from the drain or sewer gas now usually discharged
near the roofs of the buildings by ventilating.pipes.
(B.) Immunity from leakage of drain or sewer gas within the buildings and from
the unwholesome smell in or about the buildings caused by the prevailing practice
of leaving vegetable and other refuse in pails or ash-pits till it decays and putrefies.
(C.) Day and night chimney ventilation of the rooms in the buildings whether
fires are burning in them or not and complete immunity also from smoky chimneys.
(D.) The utilization along with a minimum quantity of ordinary fuel of the
before mentioned combustible vegetable and other refuse in fires placed in the
cellars or outside the buildings and fitted with boilers. These fires we term
the low fires.
By these fires we are enabled,
(1.) To continuously ventilate the various rooms of the buildings.
(2.) To produce the hot water required, (a) for washing and bathing purposes
hitherto obtained by kitchen boilers intermittently working and thus much more
liable to explosion in winter than the boilers fitted and worked on our system,
(b) for heating the buildings and the conservatories or other buildings connected or
adjacent thereto.
We accomplish the aforesaid objects by erecting either outside or inside a
building to which this invention is to be applied a shaft or chimney preferably
minaret-shaped or otherwise ornamental in design and carried up to such a height
as to make it practically impossible for the gases emitted by it to descend on to the
flat roof.
Into this chimney and near the bottom of it we pass the heated gases from the
low fire or fires. We employ one or more low fires as may be desirable according
to circumstances and according as it may be desirable to use one fire for ventilation
and for heating water for washing and bathing purposes and for heating the
building or conservatories or other buildings adjacent thereto or to use distinct or
separate fires for the different purposes or for parts or groups of such purposes.
The ascending flues from the various rooms we carry up to the flat roof where
they join into horizontal or nearly horizontal flues running above the level of the roof
and delivering their air or gas either direct into the tall chimney or into a general
flue on the same level as themselves and which conducts the air or gas to the chimney.
We support these horizontal or nearly horizontal flues on girders or other suitable
supports resting as the case may require on the outside walls, on the party walls
or on the ascending flue walls.
We make these horizontal or nearly horizontal flues rain-tight by covering them
over with lap-jointed tiles or in any other suitable manner. In the closed ends of
the horizontal flues and also when these flues are of great length, in the sides or
tops of such flues at intervals, we provide openings for clearing out the soot and
which openings after such clearing may be tightly closed.

page_text: We may also so arrange these horizontal or nearly horizontal flues and their
openings as to allow of the soot being pushed forward into the tall chimney if
desired instead of being drawn out at the openings. We provide openings when
considered necessary or desirable in the tops of the horizontal or nearly horizontal
flues over the ascending flues to allow the latter to be more readily cleared of soot.
The horizontal or nearly horizontal flues which cross the roof be so built
as to give them the appearance of ornamental garden walls. ases or other
ornaments may be placed on them here and there. Those horizontal or nearly
horizontal flues which run along the external walls may be so constructed on their
outside faces as to form ornamental parapets architecturally harmonizing with the
building. The tall chimney may also be so designed as to correspond in character
with the edifice.
ma
We provide each of the rooms with a damper to control the ventilation as may
be desired from time to time.
The flat or nearly flat roofs we construct either, (a) of wood flooring, leaded over
in the ordinary way, the leading having the usual provision for expansion and
contraction, the whole if desired being then covered with suitable planking, or
(b) in the most approved modern system of concrete, capped with asphalte, or in
any other suitable manner.
We provide one or more internal stairways up to the flat roof each opening
having a weather-tight door of the best modern construction or a cover of any
suitable kind. An external approach by a spiral or other staircase or any approved
lowering apparatus may also be provided to give free egress from the building in
case of fire.
We e carry into the chimney near its base a pipe from the drains connected with the
building. As the drains are trapped the ascending heated gas in the chimney
necessarily produces a tendency to a vacuum instead of a plenum in the drains
which makes it practically impossible for any sewer gas to be drawn from them
into the house. As the low fire or fires is or are so constructed that it is or they
are kept continually burning and must therefore have a continuous draught it is
equally impossible for sewer gas to descend into the rooms of the building by way
of the horizontal flues. For the same reason also there cannot in any case be
smoky chimneys.
If the tall chimney be erected away from the building it is obvious, (a,) that the
air or gas from the horizontal flues will have to be carried down a vertical flue
outside the building and then along an underground flue to the tall chimney,
(b) that the pipe from the drains must also be carried to this underground flue and
(c) that the low fire or fires must either be placed near the bottom of the chimney
in which case the hot water pipes must be carried from it or them to the building or
it or they must be placed in the cellar of the building in which alternative its or
their flue gases must be carried to the chimney by the underground flue provided
for the gases from the horizontal flues. The last named arrangement is no doubt
the best of those in which the tall chimney is erected away from the building but
it must necessarily give inferior results to that in which the tall chimney is placed
inside or immediately outside the building.
Dated this Fourth day of August 1893.
HOWARD
CHEETHAM,
Manchester, Agent to the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Dwelling-houses and certain other Buildings.
We, FRANCIS MUDIE SPENCE, and DAVID DICK SPENCE, both of The
Manchester Alum Works, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Chemical
Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
5

page_text: he same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
he following statement :-
The objects of this invention are to obtain for dwelling-houses and other buildings
for which such features are desirable and practicable
(A) Flat or approximately flat roofs for recreation, for escape from the buildings
in case of fire and for other purposes, free from the smoke and gases emitted from
the buildings and also free from the drain or sewer gas now usually discharged near
the roofs of the buildings by ventilating pipes.
(B) Immunity from leakage of drain or sewer gas within the buildings and from
the unwholesome smell in or about the buildings caused by the prevailing practice
of leaving vegetable or other refuse in pails or ash-pits till it decays and
putrefies.
(C) Day and night chimney ventilation of the rooms in the buildings whether
fires are burning in them or not and complete immunity also from smoky
chimneys.
(D) The utilization along with minimum quantity of ordinary fuel of the before
mentioned combustible vegetable and other refuse in fires placed in the cellars or
outside the buildings and fitted with boilers. These fires we term the low fires.
By these fires we are enabled :-
(1) To continuously ventilate the various rooms of the buildings.
(2) To produce the hot water required (a) for washing and bathing purposes
hitherto obtained by-kitchen boilers intermittently working and thus much more
liable to explosion in winter than the boilers fitted and worked on our system, (b.) for
heating the buildings and the conservatories or other buildings connected or adjacent
thereto.
%%
We accomplish the aforesaid objects by erecting either outside or inside a
building to which this invention is to be applied a shaft or chimney preferably
minaret-shaped or otherwise ornamental in design and carried up to such a height
as to make it practically impossible for the gases emitted by it to descend on to the
flat roof.
Into this chimney and near the bottom of it we pass the heated gases from the
low fire or fires.
We employ one or more low fires as may be desirable according to circumstances
and according as it may be desirable to use one fire for ventilation and for heating
water for washing and bathing purposes and for heating the building or
conservatories or other buildings adjacent thereto or to use distinct or separate
fires for the different purposes or for parts or groups of such purposes.
The ascending flues from the various rooms we carry up to the flat roof where
they join into horizontal or nearly horizontal flues running above the level of the
roof and delivering their air or gas either direct into the tall chimney or into a
general flue on the same level as themselves and which conducts the air or gas to
the chimney. We support these horizontal or nearly horizontal flues on girders or
other suitable supports resting as the case may require on the outside walls, on the
party walls, or on the ascending flue walls.
We make these horizontal or nearly horizontal flues rain-tight by covering them
In the closed ends of
over with lap-jointed tiles, or in any other suitable manner.
the horizontal flues and also when these flues are of great length, in the sides or tops
of such flues at intervals, we provide openings for clearing out the soot and which
openings after such clearing may be tightly closed.
We may also so arrange these horizontal or nearly horizontal flues and their
openings as to allow of the soot being pushed forward into the tall chimney if
desired instead of being drawn out at the openings. We provide openings when
considered necessary or desirable in the tops of the horizontal or nearly borizontal
flues over the ascending flues to allow the latter to be more readily cleared
of sout.
The horizontal or nearly horizontal flues which cross the roof may be so built
Vases or other
as to give them the appearance of ornamental garden walls.
'

page_text: ornaments may be placed on them here and there. Those horizontal or nearly.
horizontal flues which run along the external walls may be so constructed on their
outside faces as to form ornamental parapets architecturally harmonizing with the
building. The tall chimney may also be so designed as to correspond in character
with the edifice.
We provide each of the rooms with a damper to control the ventilation as may be
desired from time to time.
The flat or nearly flat roofs we construct either (a) of wood flooring leaded over
in the ordinary way the leading having the usual provision for expansion and con-
traction the whole if desired being then covered with suitable planking or (b) in the
most approved modern system of concrete capped with asphalte or in any other
suitable manner.
We provide one or more internal stairways up to the flat roof each opening
having a weather-tight door of the best modern construction or a cover of any
suitable kind. An external approach by a spiral or other staircase or any approved
lowering apparatus may also be provided to give free egress from the building in
case of fire.
We carry into the chimney near its base a pipe from the drains connected with the
building. As the drains are trapped the ascending heated gas in the chimney
necessarily produces a tendency to a vacuum instead of a plenum in the drains which
makes it practically impossible for any sewer gas to be drawn from them into the
house. As the low fire or fires is or are so constructed that it is or they are kept
continually burning and must therefore have a continuous draught it is equally
impossible for sewer gas to descend into the rooms of the building by way of the
horizontal flues. For the same reason also there cannot in any case be smoky
chimneys.
If the tall chimney be erected away from the building it is obvious (a) that the
air or gas from the horizontal flues will have to be carried down a vertical flue
outside the building and then along an underground flue to the tall chimney (b) that
the pipe from the drains must also be carried to this underground flue and (c) that
the low fire or fires must either be placed near the bottom of the chimney in which
case the hot water pipes must be carried from it or them to the building or it or they
must be placed in the cellar of the building in which alternative its or their flue
gases must be carried to the chimney by the underground flue provided for the
gases from the horizontal flues. The last named arrangement is no doubt the best
of those in which the tall chimney is erected away from the building but it must
necessarily give inferior results to that in which the tall chimney is placed inside
or immediately outside the building.
In order that our invention may be more readily understood and carried into
effect we furnish in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings, diagrams
illustrating a building in which our invention is applied, and in Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8
one of the low fires employed in such building. In the said drawing, Fig. 1 is a
diagram showing the building in rear elevation and partly in section. Fig. 2 is a
plan showing the roof of the building, Fig. 3 is horizontal section of the building
taken on the plane indicated by the line (AA) of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a transverse
section of the building taken partly on the plane indicated by the line (B B) of
Figs. 2 and 3 and partly on the plane indicated by the line (C C) of Figs. 2 and 3.
Fig. 5 is a front view of one of the low fires employed in the said building. Fig. 6
is a longitudinal section of such low fire taken on the plane indicated by the
line (D B) of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a transverse section of the said low fire taken on
the plane indicated by the line E. E. of Fig. 6 and Fig. 8 is a horizontal section
taken on the plane indicated by the line (F F) in Fig. 6. In Figs. 7 and 8 dotted
lines are employed to indicate the position of certain parts which cannot themselves
be shown in such figures by reason of the positions of the planes on which the
sections forming such figures are taken. The same letters of reference are applied
to similar parts in all the figures of the accompanying drawings.
In the accompanying drawings (a) is the ornamental shaft or chimney into which

page_text: the smoke and gases from all the fires employed in the building are conducted.
The shaft or chimney (a) is carried up to such a height that it shall be practically
impossible for the smoke and gases emitted by it to descend on to the flat roof.
(6) is the roof of the building which is made approximately flat and constructed
in any of the modes hereinbefore described. The slight degree of inclination
given to the surface of the roof is made to carry water to the gutters (6¹) upon
such roof.
(c) (c) are the horizontal or nearly horizontal flues which are placed above the
roof (6) and receive the smoke and gases from the various flues (d) (d) communicating
with the fire places (e) (e) which are placed by means of the flues (d) (d) in
communication with the horizontal or nearly horizontal flues (c). The horizontal
or nearly horizontal flues (c) communicate with the interior of the shaft or
chimney (a).
(f) is the doorway by means of which egress from the internal stairway (9) of the
building to the flat roof (b) may be obtained.
(h) (h) are ornamental railings placed around the edges of the flat roof (6) at the
parts where railings may be necessary or desirable. The back elevation Fig. 1,
and plan Fig. 2 indicate that the horizontal or nearly horizontal flues (c) (c) are in
parts made to serve as railings or parapets at the edge of the flat roof (b).
(i) (i) are the low fires. One of the low fires (i) is illustrated in Figs. 5, 6, 7
and 8 of the accompanying drawings. Each of the low fires (i) which we employ
for burning up the combustible refuse is an oblong or rectangular structure.
preferably of brick lined with fire-brick. As is indicated in Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8
each low fire (i) is provided with a sloping shoot (i) down which the refuse is to be
passed on to the shelf formed by the upper portion of the cast or wrought iron
boiler (³) which is supported by the brickwork sides of the low fire (i). Pipes are
connected to the upper and lower parts of the boiler (*) for the inlet and outlet of
water to and from such boiler (i) respectively. The pipe or pipes for the outlet of
water from the boiler (³) is or are made to convey the water heated in such
boiler (*) to any required parts of the building. The upper end of the sloping
shoot () is provided with a door or lid of any suitable form. The refuse passed
down the shoot (t) is levelled down upon the upper part of the boiler (³) by means
of a rake worked through the door (3) provided in the front of the low fire (1). The
refuse passed down the shoot (i) is allowed to remain upon the upper part of the
boiler (3) for a suitable length of time in order that it may be dried to a suitable
extent. When sufficiently dried the refuse upon the upper part of the boiler is
raked through the passage at the front of the boiler (17) on to the fire (2) where it
is again roughly levelled by means of a rake. The fire (i) is supported by fire
bars () () is a door provided in the front of the low fire in order that the fire (i)
may from time to time be cleared of clinkers and other rubbish which cannot pass
through the fire bars (*). Through the door (1) coal, coke or other fuel may
occasionally be charged upon the fire if requisite. (i) is a door by which the ashes
and other matters which pass between the grate bars (*) may be removed from
time to time and (i') is a damper by means of which the draught of the fire may
be regulated as may be necessary or desirable. The three doors (23) (*) (*) of the
low fire are very closely fitted and the damper (7) may be so adjusted that the
fire (i) may be made to continue burning all night. Each of the low fires (i)
communicates with the chimney or stack by means of a flue (³).
()() are flues connecting to the chimney or stack (a) certain of the fire places
in the building which being close to the chimney or stack (a) can be connected
directly to the chimney or stack (a) by means of the flues (5) more conveniently
than by means of flues ascending to the roof and horizontal or nearly horizontal
flues above the roof.
(k) is a spiral staircase extending from the level of the basement to the level of
the roof of the building. Access to the spiral staircase from the first floor of the
building is provided by means of a suitable door which may serve also as a window
and a suitable platform or landing. A door is also provided to allow access to the

page_text: spiral staircase from the basement or cellar of the building. There is also a
platform or other means by which access may be had from the stairway (k) to the
:ground.
(m) is a pipe by means of which the drain (n) connected with building is placed
in communication with the chimney or shaft (a). The drain (n) is trapped in any
suitable manner in order to prevent air or gas passing from the drain (n) to the
chimney (a). A vane and cardinal points or other ornamental device is preferably
provided on the chimney or shaft (a).
The manner in which the various features of the building illustrated in the
accompanying drawings are co-ordinated will be apparent from the description
hereinbefore given without further explanation of the accompanying drawings.
By means of the heated column of air continuously ascending the tall chimney or
shaft (a) from the low fires (i) chimney ventilation may be secured for the bed
and other rooms of a building in summer without any fires being used in the fire-
places of such rooms.
As dried ashpit refuse burns without or practically without smoke it follows that
if in addition to this material only coke or other smokeless or practically smokeless
fuel be burned in the building there will be practically no smoke issuing from the
tall shaft or chimney a most important desideratum in the case of towns. If the
tall shaft or chimney be surmounted by a revolving metal vane formed of a human
or other appropriate figure pointing always to the wind, and if-a vertical rod is fitted
on to the top of the shaft or chimney holding the letters indicating the four fixed
cardinal points the chimney-like appearance of the shaft may be quite taken away.
An additional advantage of burning only practically smokeless fuel in the building
is that the horizontal flues will scarcely ever require clearing of soot and the fires
may also in such cases be fitted with Bunsen or other gas burners for use as fire-
lighters. "Blowers" may be fitted to such fires if it should be desirable.
To ensure that there shall be a proper draught in the fire flues which enter a
horizontal flue near the end of it farthest away from the tall shaft or chimney it is
desirable that the sectional area of such horizontal flue shall be from one and a half
times to twice the aggregate sectional area of the several fire flues which are
connected to it.
If the horizontal flue is very small, those fire flues which are nearest to the tall
shaft or chimney will have a disproportionate amount of draught and to that extent
cause the draught of the other fire flues connected to such horizontal flue to be
deficient. This is specially likely to happen in such a building as a row of houses.
It is obvious that the practical limit of length of the flues to be draughted will
be reached when the general horizontal flue is too large and consequently too heavy
to be supported on the walls. The draughting capacity is also limited in another
direction viz.-by the height and sectional area of the tall shaft in relation to the
total sectional area of the fire flues to be draughted.
It is also necessary that every fire flue shall have a well fitted accurately working
damper. We consider that slide dampers worked by racks are the best adapted for
.our purpose.
In addition to the roofs referred to in our Provisional Specification we find that
the "wood cement roof" which has been extensively used for many years in
Germany and is very well known in that country forms a very suitable covering for
the buildings contemplated' by our invention. Such roofs have a minimum fall of
about 1 in 32. They are composed first of roof boards nailed across joists.. Next,
of a layer of a kind of pitched felt. This is well tarred with a specially prepared
tar.
After this there are several layers of very stout paper, each layer being well
tarred to receive the layer above it and breaking joint with it. The last layer is
followed with about one half inch of sand and that with about three inches of
gravel. An alternative and more solid "wood cement roof" which we prefer for
buildings arranged according to our invention is made by laying over the sand
about two and a half or three inches of cement. Any rain passing through the
gravel or through cracks which may form in the cement is stopped by the pitched

page_text: paper and diverted off through the layer of sand into the specially prepared side.
gutters.
It is obvious that the manuer in which our invention is to be applied will depend
upon the form of each building and the purpose for which such building is to be.
employed.
In those cases in which the top of the exterior spiral stairway terminates against
a horizontal flue it may be carried over such flue by a railed passage and from this
passage steps are fixed to lead down to the flat roof. If desired a connection may
be made with the spiral stairway from each floor by a door leading on to the
stairway.
•
In some cases only one low fire may be employed in a building to which our-
invention is applied.
In any cases in which such provision is desirable or necessary we may provide.
the tall chimney or shaft near or at its bottom with an aperture or apertures for
the removal of soot and other matters accumulating in such tall chimney or shaft,
which aperture or apertures must be tightly closed when not in actual use for the
removal of soot or other matters from the said chimney or shaft.
Our invention is applicable to single dwelling-houses or other single buildings or
to blocks, terraces or connected groups of buildings. In the case of a block or
terrace or connected group of buildings one low fire or two or more low fires such
as are hereinbefore described may be employed as may be necessary or desirable.
Should it be desired to make a promenade along the entire length of the roof of
a terrace or row of houses the necessary portion of the partition walls between the
houses may be omitted. Otherwise if privacy be desired such walls may be made of
any desired height.
.nbody our
cal flues on
g a
tall shaft
orizontal flues
There are numerous existing buildings which it is possible to alte
invention by constructing an approximately flat roof, placing hor
girders over such roof, connecting such flues with the fire flues, erç
or chimney, constructing low fires, and placing these low fires, the
and the drains in communication with such tall shaft or chimney.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-.
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
In a dwelling-house, or other building, the combination of a flat or approximately
flat roof, a low fire or low fires, such as (i), in the cellar or outside the building, a
chimney or shaft such as (a) receiving smoke and gases from such low fire or fires,
horizontal or nearly horizontal flues above the roof communicating with the said
chimney or shaft, directly, or by means of a general flue on the same level as
themselves, flues from some or all of the various rooms communicating with the-
said horizontal or nearly horizontal flues, and a pipe placing the drain or drains
connected with the building in connection with the said chimney or shaft, all
arranged and employed for the purposes and substantially in the manner hereinbefore.
described.
Dated this Fifth day of May 1894.