IMPROVED MEANS OF FIREPROOFING THE JOISTS AND OTHER WOODWORK OF BUILDINGS
Year: 1884

page_text: COMPLETE
DELCIFICATION.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Win. Clark, of
53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for IMPROVED MEANS
OF FIREPROOFING THE JOISTS AND OTHER WOODWORK OF BUILDINGS and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
The object of this Invention is to prevent the destruction by fire of houses,
buildings, and structures by protecting the rafters, joists, timbers, posts, caps, and
sills used in their construction by means of sheet iron and ashes or any fine
pulverized dry uninflammable earth so as to prevent fire from ascending above or
descending below the room or story in which it originated.
In order that the Invention may be more readily understood I will proceed to
describe it with reference to the accompanying Drawings wherein Figure 1
represents a cross section of a floor, joists, and ceiling of a building.
Figures 2 to 6 show a modification thereof,
Figure 2 being a plan view of the upper edges of three wooden joists of a brick
building showing the improved method of banking them and their braces or
bridging with ashes, dry earth, or similar uninflammable material.
Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of two of the joists banked according to this
Invention and showing an improved double floor and the sheet metal ceiling, the
section being taken on the line y y of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a similar view taken on the line x x of Figure 2.
Figure 5 shows the method of boxing the water pipes to prevent any leakage or
condensation that may occur from wetting the ashes or dry earth used in banking
the joists and sheet metal ceiling, and
Figure 6 is a detailed sectional plan view of a portion of one of the joists and
walls taken on the line z z of Figure 3.
Figure 7 is a perspective view showing the Invention applied to the posts and
joists of a gallery. Figure 8 is a perspective view showing the method of
surrounding the timber with ashes and inetal. Figures 9 and 10 show.
modifications.
J

page_text: Figures 11 and 12 illustrate a fire proof partition or lining, Figure 11 being a
sectional plan view of a partition, and Figure 12 a perspective view of one of the
sheet metal plates.
Referring to Figure 1, the joists A having been set in place in the wall of the
building, I securely nail or fasten to the bottom or under edge, sheet-iron E. This
sheet iron may vary from N° 24 to 30, American gauge. One sheet should lap on
another from three-fourths of an inch to one inch. All the joists A must be thus
protected on the bottom or under edge, forming a ceiling of sheet iron. I then
deposit on this sheet-iron-E and between the joists A two to four inches in depth
of fine sifted dry ashes or earth F banking the ashes or earth well up against the
sides of the joists A. I then nail strips of board a a to the side of the joists one
and a half inch to three inches below the upper edge or top of the joists. I then
securely nail sheet iron bb onto the strips a a. I then commence laying the floor D,
and as the laying progresses I entirely fill the space G between the floor D and the
sheet iron bb with ashes or earth, taking care that there is no hollow space under
the floor D in which the air can circulate, and that no chips of wood or any other
combustible material is mixed with the ashes or carth. If the ceiling B is to be
plastered, I nail strips d d on the sheet iron E firmly to the joists, to which laths
can be nailed to receive the plastering. This leaves a small space, xx, the object
of which is to prevent the sheet iron E from resting on the lath and plastering,
and leaving a space for the mortar to key. A dead air space, K K, between the
ashes or earth F and the sheet iron_b_b, is left to prevent dampness. _In_the_event_
of fire breaking out in the room or story of which D represents the floor, usually not
all of the floor D will be consumed, as the ashes or earth G will smother and
dampen the under side of the flooring boards to the extent of preventing rapid
and total burning, and in no case is it possible for a fire on floor D to reach and
burn more than a small part of the upper edge or top of joists A while the ashes or
earth G is held in place, as the ashes or earth G will smother and dampen the fire
there and put it out. Should a fire break out in the room or story of which B is
the ceiling, it is highly probable that the lath and plastering and the strips d d
would be destroyed; but it is not possible that any ordinary fire starting on that
story could heat the ashes or carth F sufficiently bot to fire the joists A. The action
of the ashes or carth F is to dampen the heat that rises to sheet iron E, and to
smother the joists A and prevent their taking fire. At the place whero the joists A
enter the wall the entire space K K should be filled with tho ashes or oarth F thus
preventing the joists A taking fire from or through the walls that might be heated
from a neighbouring conflagration.
To prevent the wood-work from burning at any opening such as Y in the floor
or roof, and to stop the draught or fire being carried up or down, I nail sheet
irou Z to the side of the adjacent wood-work, as shown at joist A, leaving a
space, H, of two or three inches, between the sheet iron Z and the joist A which
I fill with ashes or earth. It is very important that all the wood-work at all the
openings should be thus protected. The trap door I is made of sheet iron, is of a
thickness of two. to four inches, and the hollow space J filled with ashes or earth.
This trap door 1 when closed rests on a shoulder in the sheet iron Z; it should be
made to open and close freely, and when up should be so held by a cotton or other
cord made from some inflammable material and should never be fastened up by any
metal fastening.
Referring now to Figures 2 to 6, AA represents the wooden joists; BB, the
brick walls in which the ends of the joists are held; CC, represent the bridging or
braces of the joists; D represents the floor; and E represents the sheet metal
ceiling secured to the lower edges of the joist A by nails or otherwise.
-
The sheet metal ceiling E, is covered with a thin layer F, of ashes, dry earth, or
other non inflammable material as before and the sides of the joists A are banked
upon both sides with the thin bodies F¹ of ashes or dry earth held in place in
contact with the sides of the joists by the narrow vertical boards G, G, nailed to
the cleats a a¹ a³, tacked to the sides of the joists as shown in Figure 2 of the

page_text: Drawings. The walls B B, between the joists A A are banked with the bodies H,.
of dry non-inflammable material held in place by the vertical boards I, which are
nailed to the corner cleats a¹, so as to form spaces to receive the non-inflammabló
material, and the bridging or braces C C, are surrounded by the bodies J,
of non-inflammable material held in place by the narrow boards K K, nailed
to the cleats a². The lower edges of the boards G, I, K, do not rench down
to the sheet metal ceiling E, but reach slightly into the layer F, of ashes
placed upon said ceiling so that the vertical bodies F, H, J, of ashes.will
join the horizontal layer F of ashes as shown in Figure 3 thus making the banking
of the joists and braces or bridging C, with non-inflammable material complete;
and it is designed in some instances to incline the boards G, I, K, making them to
stand farther away from the joists, walls and braces at their lower edges than at
their upper edges so that the ashes, or non-inflammable material confined by them
will be given free opportunity to settle in case of any shifting of the layer F, of
ashes thus avoiding all danger of any break or opening being formed between the
vertical and horizontal bodies of non-inflammable material to expose the wood
work.
The floor D is made double being composed of the inner false floor d and outer
main floor d supported upon the cleats f, and the space between the outer and inner
floors &d formed by the interposed cleats fis filled with the layer L of ashes, dry
earth, or other non inflammable material so that the false floor d, and the joists,
bridging and other wood work beneath the floor d, is perfectly protected from any
fire that may occur upon the main outer floor d'.
The plates of sheet metal composing the sheet metal ceiling E are lap-jointed at
their edges as shown at b, in Figures 3 and 4 so that no water can penetrate to the
layer F of dry non inflammable material in case the stream of water from a
fireman's hose should be turned towards the ceiling E, and the water pipes M, where
they pass through the ceiling and floor will have the metallic casing N, placed
around them as shown in Figure 5 which will prevent any water resulting from
leaking or condensation from coming in contact with the dry non inflammable
material.
In this manner it will be seen that the joists at their ends where they enter the
walls and throughout the entire length and that the bridging of the joists also are
thoroughly banked in non-inflammable material so that they are perfectly protected
against any fire that may occur in the rooms above or below and that the non
inflammable material is so arranged that no openings can occur to expose the
woodwork to heat and that there is no danger of water coming in contact with the
non-inflammable material to leak through and soil the walls or shift the non-
inflammable material.
-
Referring now to Figures 7 to 10 which illustrate arrangements having for object
to form convenient pockets or chambers for holding non-conducting material around
building and other timbers such as posts and exposed joists.
The timber A is first made ready for use with the allowance for increasing its
size on each side of from one inch and a half' to three inches. I then nail on the
timber A the narrow strips a a of the required thickness, and about one foot apart.
To these strips a a, I nail the iron sheets B B, and fill the space between them and
the timber A with dry sifted ashes, earth, or other non conducting material, as shown
at b b, care being taken that no openings are left in the plates of iron through
which the non-conducting material could sift.
For posts, as at C, Figure 7 round, instead of square, timbers might be used, in
which case the outer casing of iron would be made tubular and cast, or rolled from
sheet-iron, and the casing might be ornamented in relief or otherwise, to suit the
taste, if desired.
For rafters or joists, as at D, Figure 7, in most cases the timber will be square,
and the non conducting material and iron casing will be applied as above described;
but instead of using four separate plates, as mentioned, the sheets of metal might
be bent into trough form, as shown at d Figure 9 to be used with one covering.

page_text: plate, d', as indicated in said Figure; or two plates bent to form right angles, as
shown at ff, Figure 10, might be used for incasing the square timbers.
Protected in the manner described by the iron and non-conducting material, the
timbers will stand an intense heat without burning; and they are cheaper than all-
iron posts, rafters, beams, &c., and will not bend under weight, as iron is liable to
do when subjected to great heat, as they would be in the event of the burning of
the building.
Referring now to Figures 11 and 12, A A represent the studs (or beams)
of building. B B represent sheet metal plates secured to both edges of the
studs A A forming a space C between them, which is packed with ashes, dry
earth, or other non conducting material c and E E represent the lath of the walls.
The sheet metal B are bent as shown at a a so that when applied to the studs A
the spaces a¹ a' will be formed at the inner edges of the studs causing the packing
inateriale to be held against the said edges of the studs as shown in Figure 11 and
forming also the air spaces d, d, between the sheet metal plates B and the lath E,
the air space between lath and plastering and the sheet metal permitting mortar to
key and preventing dampness.
To build the partition I commence putting sheet metal at bottom and fill in with
ashes as the work progresses and as often as necessary, say every foot or two, I put
a strip of wood in the space C and nail through the sheets B, which will hold the
sheet metal from spreading and prevent the ashes settling too much as it certainly
would do in high partitions.
No-ashes-lay-between-the-studding-and-sheet-metal-at-g, g, but the sheet metal-
covers the studding and is nailed flat on the studding there.
"
This shell of sheet metal filled with dry fine ashes will not only make a partition
fire proof but is an admirable " deafening as well. The ashes will rest on the
floor and must fill the "shell" to the ceiling and coming against the edges of the
studs will act to sunother the fire and prevent them from burning in case the
building takes fire.
my
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1* The combination with the joists A each provided with the strips a a d, of the
continuous sheet iron ceiling E, plates b, continuous between two joists, fire proof
material F G, and laths and plastering B, substantially as described and shown in
Figure 1 of the Drawings.
2nd The joists A banked upon either side with the non-inflammable material F¹,
held in place by the boards G, substantially as described and shown in Figures 2
to 6 of the Drawings.
3rd The joists A, banked at their ends by the non-inflammable material H, held
against the walls B, by the boards I, substantially as and for the purposes set forth
and represented in Figures 2 to 6.
4th The bridging or braces C of the joists banked with non-inflammable
material J, held in place by the boards K substantially as and for the purposes.
set forth and represented in Figures 2 to 6.
5th The horizontal body of non-inflammable material placed upon the metallic
ceiling E, in combination with vertical bodies of non inflammable material banking
the joists, bridging, &c., and held in place by boards held slightly above the
ceiling E whereby the vertical and horizontal, bodies of non-inflammable material
are made to join, substantially as described and shown in Figures 2 to 6.
6th The water pipe M baving: the boxing N, placed around it where it passes
through the ceiling E and floor D, to prevent water from coming in contact with.
the non-inflammable material substantially. as described and shown in Figure 5.
7th The floor D composed of the false floor d, upper floor and interposed
cleats, the space formed by the cleats being packed with non-inflaminable material
substantially as described and shown in Figures 2 to 4. .
j

page_text: 8th The combination, with a joist, rafter, or other piece of timber, of the narrow
strips a and metallic sheets B, arranged to form pockets or chambers, and non
conducting material filling said spaces between the iron and the wood, as described
and shown in Figures 7 to 10 of the Drawings.
9th A partition or lining for buildings, consisting of a fire proof filling box
arranged between the studs or beams and enclosed by a casing, with air space
between the casing and the filling box, as set forth and represented in Figures 11
and 12.
10th The filling box C arranged between the studs or beams and adapted to leave
an air space between the filling box and the casing when the latter is secured to tho
studs or beams, as set forth and represented in Figures 11 and 12.
11th The metallic filling box constructed with central web and enlarged heads or
ends to carry the filling material against and protect the sides of the beams or joist
substantially as herein described and represented in Figures 11 and 12.
12th In a partition or lining for buildings the combination with the beams
or studs of an interior fire-proof filling box and an outer casing, separated from
the filling box so as to leave an air space, all substantially as herein set forth and
illustrated in Figures 11 and 12.
4th 1
1001