Metallic Ceiling and Wall Plates, and Means for Securing same to Metallic Beams.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Oct., 1898- Accepted, 28th Jan., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Metallic Ceiling and Wall Plates, and Means for Securing same to
Metallic Beams.
I, LONGLEY LEWIS SAGENDORP, of 23rd and Hamilton Streets, Philadelphia,
in the County of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, United States of America,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:.
This invention has relation to sectional metallic ceiling and side wall plates
employed for finishing and decorating purposes in lieu of plaster, stucco, paper or
the like and has for its object the provision of a backing or lining to the plates,
whereby, among other advantages, the ceilings and walls to which they are applied
are rendered non-conductors of heat and cold, and of noise and disturbing vibra-
tions, and whereby the accumulations of moisture by condensation on the backs,
of the plates is prevented and all joints and seams rendered dust, water and gas
proof.
And to this end my invention consists in the application to, or combination
with, the ceiling or wall plates having lapped or interlocked joints and so con-
structed as to form panels or sections which are fitted together in various ways
according to the conditions of use, and architectural design, of sheets of felt or
other non-conducting material forming a lining or backing between the metallic.
shell and the surface covered thereby, and having the characteristics above referred
to and hereinafter more specifically described. My invention further consists in
the combination with the metallic plates having the felt backing or lining as
above set forth of wood-edge strips suitably secured to the metallic plates as herein-
after described.
My invention also has for its further object the provision of novel structural.
features whereby the joining together of a series of plates is accomplished without
the necessity of cutting away the corners of the plates, and in a manner productive
of greater uniformity and symmetry in the arrangement of the sections and in the
building up of the ornamental features of the work.
The structural features which constitute my invention are applicable to any
of the designs which are made up of rectangular plates or panels joined together
at their edges, and is especially devised with a view of connecting together rect-
angular plates of different sizes and different rectangular shapes so that square
plates may be connected together, oblong rectangular plates perfectly joined and
oblong rectangular plates joined to square plates in an endless variety of ways,
according to the nature of the main design of the ceiling or wall.
When the design for the ceiling or wall cover is made up of equal sized plates
or panels the two adjacent sides of each plate, upon which the underlying joint.
beads are formed, have usually a single continuous bead on the beaded side, if
such square plates or panels are of minimum dimensions, that is to say, if such
plates or panels are, say one foot square. When this size is exceeded the larger
plates are multiples of the smaller plates, either in length or both in length and
width, and when the larger plates are used in connection with the smaller plates,

page_text: the joint forming beads on the long sides of the larger plates are according to my
invention subdivided into beads corresponding to the length of the beads in the
smaller plates so that the plates of all sizes of which the larger plates are multiples
of the smaller plates, may be joined together under the conditions and require-
ments of my invention.
My invention further provides means for securing ornamental metallic plates or
panels, such as before described to the ceilings of fire-proof structures wherein
the frame work of the ceiling is composed of iron or steel flange beams filled in
with terra-cotta or brick work, and to this end has for its object the provision of
novel devices for securing to said metallic beams, timbers for the purpose of sup-
porting the furring strips to which the metallic plates or panels are applied and
secured, and consists in the construction and novel application of metallic cleats,
which, being attached to the lower flange of the metallic beams and secured to the
timbers will effectually support the latter and render them adequate means for
the attachment of the furring strips.
In the accompanying drawings which illustrate my invention, and which form
a part of this specification:
-
Figure 1 is a plan view of an ornamental sheet or panel of metal constituting
a section of a ceiling or side wall covering and having applied thereto a non-
conducting backing or lining according to my invention.
Figure 2 is a sectional view of the same on the line X-X of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a plan view of the plate shown in Figures 1 and 2 with the addition
of wooden edge strips, and
Figures 4 and 5 are sectional views showing the wood strips applied to opposite
sides of the plate.
Figure 6 is a plan view of a section or portion of a metallic ceiling or side wall
covering, embodying my invention and composed of oblong rectangular plates or
panels A and square plates B, B, joined together.
Figure 7 is a sectional view on the line X-X of Figure 6.
Figure 8 is a perspective view, partially in section representing the cleat and
other features of my invention applied to an iron I beam and supporting the
furring timber.
Figure 9 is a perspective view showing the furring strips applied to their sup-
porting timbers and the cleats in position on the I beams.
Figure 10 is a perspective view of a modified form of cleat.
The metal plates or sections A are rectangular and of any desired ornamental
configuration and of any proper mechanical structure as regards the marginal or
joint parts, but are preferably of the type shown in the drawings, in which two
adjacent sides have wide margins beaded as at a so as to form with the ornamental
molding beads b, b, of the two other sides interlocking lap joints.
It has been usual heretofore, to attach the plates directly to the furring strips
without using any intermediate lining or filling. This has been found objection-
able and particularly so when the ceilings or walls themselves are not perfect
non-conductors of heat or cold, or when they offer but little obstruction to noise or
vibration. To overcome these, and other objection's, I provide sheets of non-
conducting material, such as roofing felt, between the sheets of metal and the
furring strips, and arrange such non-conducting sheets in various ways to the
different requirements or conditions of use.
As will be seen the felt sheet B, which I employ for lining or backing purposes,
while of approximately the same dimensions as the metal plate, is applied to the
back of the latter so as to project at its two edges 1 and 2 half an inch beyond
the edges 3 and 4 of the metal plate, thus leaving uncovered about a half an
inch of metal on each of the two edges 5 and 6. The object of this arrangement is
to allow of a perfect contact and lapping of the sheets of felt with each other
after the metal plates are lapped, while not interfering with the lapping of the
metal on the metal. Thus, when the plates are in position the metal surface of
one plate is in joint contact with the metal surface of the one it overlaps, while
underneath, or back of these plates, the sheets of felt overlap each other.

page_text: The sheets of felt are preferably attached, by liquid cement to the sheets of
metal before being put up, and when the plates are stamped so as to present
surface configuration the sheets of felt are pressed firmly into the recesses on the
backs of the plates so as to be in perfect contact with them and leave no open or
air space between the felt and the metal.
The felt sheets instead of being pressed into the recesses of the metal sheets
and cemented thereto, may be pressed so as to have the same configuration and
then loosely applied to the plates, i.e. without cementing. I prefer however, to
securely fasten each sheet of felt to its metal plate before shipping it from the
factory, the felt lined metallic sheets thus constituting a new article of manufac-
ture ready for use and only requires to be put in place and nailed to the furring
strips.
In some cases I find it advantageous to attach strips of wood to the separate
plates. such strips being arranged around the edges of the plates so as to form a
border, such construction being shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5 of the drawings. The
strips are mitred at the corners and nailed together and to the metal plates, and
when the plates are put in position on the ceiling, nails are driven through the
metal plates, the felt backing and the wooden strips and into the furring of the
ceiling. In the sectional view Figure 4, I have shown these wooden strips C as
applied to the back of the metal plates and on the outside of the felt backing B.
When applied in this position, nails 1) are driven through the metal plates A,
the felt backing B. and the wooden strips C, and into the furring strips or other
surface to which the plates are being secured, when the plates are being put in
position on the ceiling. The wooden strips are set back from the edge of the
metal plates a sufficient distance to permit of the edge of the plates overlapping on
two sides as hereinbefore described.
In Figure 5 of the drawings, I have shown the wooden strips C as applied to
the outer metallic side of the ceiling plate, the strips being in such position that
when two adjacent plates come together the edges of the wood strips of the
adjacent plates abut, and when the plates are secured in position on the ceiling by
nails passing through the wooden strips and the plates, I place a cap E over both
strips and nail the cap in position by nails passing through the wood strips and
into the furring strips of the ceiling, and I then finish the corners with suitable
rosettes.
I will now proceed to describe the manner in which I join together a series
of plates, without the necessity of cutting away the corners of the plates, and
whereby I secure great uniformity and symmetry in the arrangement of the sections
and the building up of the ornamental features of the work.
As will be seen in Figures 6 and 7, the square plates B, B', consist of plates
of metal in which the ornamental features of the body of the plate are formed
by depressing or dishing the plate by pressure in dies and at the same time pro-
ducing the raised or relief ornamental projections configured on these plates.
The plates to which this invention are applied may be either depressed or in
the same plane with the base of the ornamental bead or border C, which is utilized
as one of the members of the joint. The ornamental bead or projection C₁,
extends around the four side edges of the plate and two adjacent edges of the
plate are extended laterally to form lips d, d, and are provided each with a supple-
mentary head D', of less width and depth than the bead or border C¹. The
ornamental bead C, may be stamped with any appropriate desirable ornamental
design, but it is in effect simply a concavo-convex semi-octagonal, or other
desirable shaped bead of a size to overlap and conceal the underlying member of
the joint formed by such bead and the bead D', when the members are brought
together.
The ends of the beads D¹, terminate a short distance from the edges of the
plate, leaving plain corners at E', over which the corner portions of the ornamental
bead extend, the edges of said ornamental bead resting upon the unbeaded corner
portions.

page_text: '
When a number of square plates are to be joined together, the edges of one plate
having the beads C, C₁, are brought into juxta-position with the edges of the
other plates, so that the beads C₁, on the edges unprovided with the beads D¹
shall overlap the beads C, on the adjoining plates. In this way the ends of the
beads C, will be brought to intersecting points formed at the angles of the
plates, and perfectly fill said angles and intersecting points instead of leaving an
interruption of the beads and a seamed or open place disclosing several thick-
nesses of metal to be covered and concealed by a button, rosette or other device.
When the supplementary bead D', is formed on a plate which is in size a
multiple of the smallest plate of any given series of plates or panels, the supple-
mentary bead on the two adjoining beaded edges of the plate, instead of being
continuous, is according to my invention, produced in two disconnected lengths
with a space between their inner ends. This will permit either of the large
plates being joined to the smaller, of large plates arranged side by side, or of small
plates being joined to the large plates. Where a large plate or panel is joined to
a small plate or panel it is in size a multiple of the smaller plate. The bead C¹,
of the smaller plate will overlap one bead length on the long side of the large plate
and the small panel will terminate midway between the inner ends of the two
aligned lengths of beads on the large plate, thus bringing one beaded edge C¹ of the
small plate in alignment with the bead C₁ on the large plate.
Under like conditions the panels covering an extensive space may be brought
into juxta-position and the entire space covered with panels of varying sizes
according to the character of the design, without any apparent breaks or open
spaces at the angles or joints. The panels, while being put into position aro
fastened to the furring strips by driving nails D through the overlapping beads,
or between them. As will be seen, the lip or marginal projection d, is always
brought in contact with the furring strips and as this margin is a substantial one
in width, a close fit against the furring strip is provided. The formation of the
joints is such as to effectually exclude dust and prevent the pulling apart of the
panels. It is obvious that instead of forming the supplemental beads D¹ in
continuous lengths they may be subdivided into short lengths, as shown at G¹ in
Figure 6.
I will now proceed to describe the means I employ for securing the metallic
plates above described, to the ceiling of fire-proof structures when the frame-work
of the ceiling is composed of iron or steel flange (or I) beams filled in with terra-
cotta or brick work, to which, of course, it would be difficult or impossible to nail
the metallic plates directly.
A2 designates the wooden beam or timber to which the furring strips are nailed.
B2 designates the metallic I beams of a ceiling, and C2, C² the parts of the cleat.
The cleat consists of a flat bar strip of metal bent or folded at an obtuse angle
between its ends so that its upper portion C3 may rest on the inclined surface of
the lower flange on one side of the I beam, while its lower portion C4, is vertical
and adapted to fit snugly against the edge of a board or timber A2, of the width
of the flange portion of the I beam. The cleat is pierced at D2 for the insertion
of a nail or spike, to fasten it to the board or timber A². In applying the cleat C²
to the metallic beam B2 the concrete, terra-cotta or other filling B³, between the
beams B² is chipped out about the lower flange 6 of the beam and
the. bent over upper portion C³, of the cleat is inserted in the space
so formed, so that it will rest upon the flange b. In the practical use of
these cleats I attach two cleats to each of the wooden beams or timbers at or near
each end of the timber, and at different points along the timber I
attach one cleat on one side of the timber and another cleat at the other side, as
shown in Figure 9 of the drawing, and thus distribute the points of support.
The wooden beams are secured to the cleats in the manner shown in the drawings,
that is, by driving a nail through the nail hole in the vertical limb af each cleat
into the wooden beam or timber. As many wooden beams as are required are
used. When the wooden beams are in position on the ceiling, furring strips are

page_text: attached thereto in the usual way and the ceiling plates are then secured to the
furring strips. If desired, the depending limit of the cleat may be bent inwardly
at its end to pass under the timber as shown in Figure 10.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
First:―The combination with rectangular ceiling or wall plates of the
character described, having their edges or margins shaped to form lap edges or
joints, of the non-conducting backing or lining sheets having their edges on two
adjacent sides projecting or extending beyond the edges or margins of the plates
and on the other two sides terminating back of, or inside, the edges of the plate,
substantially as described.
Secondly: The combination with an ornamental ceiling or wall plate composed
of a sheet of metal having a felt or other non-conducting backing of the wooden
strips secured to the metal plate in proximity to the edge thereof, substantially
as described.
Thirdly: A ceiling or wall plate or panel consisting of a sheet of metal of rect-
angular form, having on each of four sides a raised ornamental bead or moulding,
and having on each of two adjacent sides, meeting at right angles, a marginal
extension or lip, having a supplementary bead adapted to underlie an adjoining
ornamental bead or an adjacent plate, said supplementary bead on one or both
sides of the first named plate being formed of two or more shorter discontinuous
lengths or sections, with a flat portion of the plate between their adjacent ends,
for the reception and attachment of smaller plates, substantially as described.
Fourthly A metallic ceiling or wall cover, composed of a series of plates or
panels, each having a marginal bead or moulding on four sides, and on each of
two adjacent sides a marginal lip or extension with a supplementary bead
terminating at each end inside the opposite edges of the plate, one or both of
said supplemental beads being formed in two or more discontinuous lengths or
sections with a flat portion of the plate between their adjacent ends, said plates
being of different sizes, the larger plates being in one or both dimensions multiples
in extension of the smaller plates, substantially as described.
Fifthly The combination with a flanged metallic ceiling beam, and a timber for
the attachment of furring strips, arranged below and lengthwise of said beam, of
a cleat to support said timber, consisting of a strip or bar of flat metal, bent flat-
wise to an obtuse angle, one limb resting flatwise upon the beam flange and the
other depending and attached to the timber, substantially as described.
Sixthly: A metallic ceiling or wall cover, composed of rectangular plates vary-
ing in size, the larger plates being multiples in size of the smaller plates, said
plates being beaded on their margins and so constructed that they may be
accurately fitted together with the beads forming symmetrical lap joints, without
cutting or mutilating the beads.
Seventhly: The combination with stamped ornamental ceiling or wall plates
of a felt or like non-conducting lining or backing-sheet pressed into conformity
with the configuration of the plate and so arranged that adjacent sheets of felt
and plates of metal will respectively overlap each other when the plates are put
in position, substantially as described.
Dated this 3rd day of October 1808
LONGLEY LEWIS SAGENDORPH.
By Henry Skerrett,
24, Temple Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.