AN IMPROVED METHOD OF MAKING AND MANUFACTURING OF ALL KINDS OP COPPER, IRON, TIN, AND OTHER METAL SAFES, AND BOXES, AND REPOSITORIES, WITH METAL AND MINERAL, AND OTHER MEANS, SO AS TO AFFORD THE MOST PERPECT SECURITY AGAINST FIRE TO DEEDS, DOCUMENTS, AND PROPERTY CONTAINED THEREIN
Year: 1834

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
MARR, of Number Thirty-three, Bread Street, Cheapsido, in the City of
London, Ironmonger, send greeting.
WHEREAS I did, by Petition, represent unto His most Excellent Majesty
King William the Fourth, that I had invented "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF
MAKING AND MANUFACTURING OF ALL KINDS OP COPPER, IRON, TIN, AND OTHER
METAL SAFES, AND BOXES, AND REPOSITORIES, WITH METAL AND MINERAL, AND
OTHER MEANS, SO AS TO AFFORD THE MOST PERPECT SECURITY AGAINST FIRE TO DEEDS,
DOCUMENTS, AND PROPERTY CONTAINED THEREIN ;" and His said Majesty, being
willing to encourage all useful inventions, did issue His Letters Patent under
the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at Westminster, the Thirteenth
day of February, in the fourth year of His reign, whereby His said Majesty
did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Marr, His especial licence that I, the said William Marr, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Marr, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my said Inven-
tion; in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso obliging me, the
said William Marr, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, par-
ticularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what

page_text: manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be enrolled
in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent, as in and by the
same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Marr, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, is herein set forthi, described,
and ascertained in manner following (that is to say):-
In the Drawing attached hereto, Figure One and Two represent vertical
sections of one of my improved fire-proof boxes, the sections being taken through
the centre of the box and exactly at right angles to each other. The peculiar
internal construction and method of forming and uniting the metal plates will,
by these Figures, be very plainly seen. a, a, a, a, represent a section of the
iron or other metal plates that form the four sides, and also the top and bottom
of the external or outside base. The lock may be placed at b, or a padlock
may be used, if preferred, in which case proper hasps, staples, or other suitable
appendages may be applied for the purpose. c, c, c, c, represent the other
plates of my improved inner and fire-proof box or safe. d, d, d, d, represent a
space to contain air in the usual manner, and which has been found useful to
a certain degree as a non-conductor of heat, and having been used in a
similar way and for a similar purpose, it of course, taken individually or
separately, forms no part of Invention.
my
I shall now describe the method that I have invented to give additional
protection to any combustible property or materials that may be placed in my
improved boxes, safes, or repositaries, to secure them from fire. c, c, c, c, repre-
sent the inside metal plates of my improved inner fire-proof case within which
any combustible property may be placed. f.f.f.f, represent a lining or
covering of mica or tale split into very thin lamina, and fixed to sheets of thin
paper by gum arabic, and in that state it is used to line or cover the two
surfaces of the metal plates that form the inner fire-proof case.
The space
formed between the two surfaces of mica or tale should be completely filled or
packed full of any suitable non-conductor of heat, in the manner shewn in
both Figures at 9, 9, 9, 9. The substance or compound there represented is
burned clay, and powdered charcoal; but they may be also and with equal
advantage be filled with the dust or very small particles of marble, porcelain,
slightly burned clay, chalk, burned shells or boncs, magnesian, limestone, lava,
pumice stone, sand, plumbago, lime, hair, plaster of Paris, marlo, animal
charcoal, sawdust of wood, bark, cork, linen, cotton, wool, feathers, down.
glass, asbestos, horn shavings, coal or wood ashes, rushes, or any other suitable

page_text: non-conductor of heat, either natural, artificial, or compound, and which, being
applied and combined with my improved lining or covering of mica or talc, will
assist in keeping it spread and stationary over the surfaces of the plates that
form the inner fire-proof case, as shewn in the Drawing. It will, I trust, be
evident, that if the inner fire-proof case be used without the mica or tale lining,
with only pumice stone or any other good non-conducting material, a great
improvement will be found when such materials are so used or combined. And
to effect the purpose above described, namely, that of producing greater
security to any combustible property placed therein, boxes, safes, or repositories
of any kind or shape may be made upon my improved principle or method,
and of any suitable kind of metal, either cast or wrought, or of both combined;
and they may be united or joined by any of the means or ways usually adopted
by workmen employed in manufacturing such articles. But it will be proper to
take care that when pulverized substances are used to fill up. the spaces between
the plates of metal as above described, that in such cases all the joints or parts
where the metal plates meet or are united should be made quite air-tight or
very close by being filled in with white lead and oil, putty, or any suitable
cement that will close the joint perfectly, and thereby prevent any escape of
the pulverized non-conducting materials that may be used. In the Drawing,
Figure 1, a, at the top, shews the outside plate or lid which is jointed at h,
and being shut close, as shewn in the Figure, it may be secured by a lock in
the usual manner. The lid of the inner box or case c, e, is jointed at i, and
when closed is kept in that state by a button or any other means commonly
applied for such a purpose; and where it is necessary to have such fire-proof
safes or repositories fixed in walls or other secure places, then the lid, covers,
or doors may be made to open in front, the same superior means of protection
being equally applicable in all cases, the only difference being that thicker
plates of metal will be requisite whenever the size is much increased. Boxes,
safes, or repositories that have been made upon the old principle (namely,
with an inner fire-proof case constructed with a single plate of metal only,)
may be greatly improved by having a case or vessel of the shape or form of
the inside made or constructed of any suitable non-conducting materials or
compound, as for example, any sort of clay mixed in a plastic state with
powdered pumice stone, charcoal dust, or any other pulverized and suitablo
non-conducting material, which should be dried and slightly burned or baked;
or protecting cases may be made of Roman cement, or any of the superior
limes, and which, being formed in proper moulds, will be found to answer
the purpose, and give superior protection from fire to property placed therein.
It will, of course, be readily conceived that a lid or cover made to fit or close

page_text: well of the same material must be used so as to enclose completely any
combustible articles placed therein.
And I hereby declare that my Improved Method of Making and Manu-
facturing of all Kinds of Copper, Iron, Tin, and other Metal Safes, and
Boxes, and Repositories, with Metal and Mineral, and other Means, so as to
afford the most Perfect Security against Fire to Deeds, Documents, and Pro-
perty contained therein, consists,-
Firstly, in constructing the inner case of my improved boxes, safes, or
repositories in such a manner that there shall be an external and an internal
plate of metal to form the top, bottom, and sides thereof, leaving a sufficient
space between them to receive any suitablo substance or material known to
be a non-conductor of heat, and which being combined with an external metal
box or case, and leaving a sufficient space between the two to contain air, will,
when so formed, be found superior to any fire-proof box, case, or repository
hitherto mado use of for that purpose.
Secondly, in the application and use of certain vessels or cases made or
constructed of such materials as are known to be non-conductors of heat,
which, being applied and combined in the manner and way I have described
above, will give greater protection to property from fire than by any means
hitherto made use of.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Marr, have hereto set my hand
and seal, this Eleventh day of August, One thousand eight bundred
and thirty-four
Inrolled the same Eleventh day of August, in the year above written.