IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PORTABLE BUILDINGS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Raphael Isaac, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Draughtsman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF PORTABLE BUILDINGS."
Sealed the 3rd August 1855, and dated the 14th February 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Raphael Isaac
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th February 1855.
I, JOHN RAPHAEL ISAAC, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Draughtsman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PORTABLE BUILDINGS " to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to construct portable buildings in such a
manner that they can be packed away in a small compass, and when required
for use be put together with greater facility without the use of skilled labor.
To this end. I construct the sides and ends of the building of pannelled frames,
which are hinged to the floor, and are capable of folding upon it and upon each
other. The floor of a building having the dimensions, say, for example, of
14 feet by twelve, I compose of four parts, two of which are hinged together
in such a manner as to admit of being folded back upon each other, and these
parts I connect with the two corresponding parts by means of latch clamps.
The ends and sides of buildings of this proportion I construct each of two parts,
and connect them together when in an upright position by means of screw

page_text: bolts or otherwise, the contact or connecting edges being provided with angle
iron or T iron, to facilitate the connection and give strength to the building.
The roof I propose to make of any flexible waterproof material, and I attach
battens thereto, extending lengthwise on the under surface of the material, to
give rigidity thereto. To permit of the roof folding up, I divide the battens at
the middle of their length, and I form a hole in the centro of the roof, to
permit the pipe of a stove to project through the same. Round the stove pipe
I apply a strong metal ring, to which I joint four or more struts of sufficient
length to reach to the sides and ends of the building, and rest in sockets pro-
vided for them. This arrangement will further assist in giving stability to the
building. I propose to provide the building with a door or doors and suitable
glazed and shuttered windows, and to fit up the building with hinged frames
or shelves, to be used as berths, or for other purposes.
For the convenience of joining two or more of such buildings together, and
thereby forming one structure, I propose to make the sides or ends removable,
and to connect them to the floor by socketted pins, or other suitable substitute
for the hinges. In such case, I provide a suitable frame, which extends
across the building, to receive the thrust of the struts, and to carry the weight of
the roof.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Raphael Isaac in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 14th August 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
RAPHAEL ISAAC, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Draughtsman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said John Raphael Isaac, Her special licence that I, the said
John Raphael Isaac, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said John Raphael Isaac, 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 Inven-

page_text: tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PORTABLE BUILDINGS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Raphael Isaac, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 John Raphael Isaac, 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, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
:-
The object of this Invention is to construct portable buildings in such a
manner that they can be packed away in a small compass, and when required
for use be put together with great facility without the use of skilled labor. To
this end, I construct the sides and ends of the building of panelled frames,
which are hinged to the floor, and are capable of folding upon it and upon
each other.
The floor of a building having the dimensions, say, for example, of fourteen
feet by twelve feet, I compose of four or six parts, which are hinged together
in such a manner as to admit of being folded back upon each other, or I
connect them together by means of latch clamps or otherwise. The ends
and sides of buildings of this proportion I construct each of two or more
parts, and connect them together when in an upright position by means of
screw bolts or otherwise, the contact or connecting edges being provided
with plate angle iron or iron, to facilitate the connection and give strength
to the building. The roof I propose to make of a rigid waterproof material,
such as prepared felt, or of any flexible waterproof material, and to support
the same upon rafters, which have their bearing upon the side walls. Buildings
thus constructed I provide with doors and glazed and shuttered windows, and
up the building when required with hinged frames or shelves to be used as
berths, or for other purposes.
fit
In Sheet I, of the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1 shews, in longitudinal
vertical section, Fig. 2, in cross section, and Fig. 3, in sectional plan view, a
portable building intended to accommodate twelve to sixteen soldiers.
a, a, is the floor, made in six pieces, and constructed of double planking laid
upon timbers to raise it from the ground; the floor may be attached by bolts
or otherwise to the timbers. The side walls b, b, of the building are constructed
each of two panelled frames, which are connected to the floor a, a, by hinges

page_text: c, c, which permit of their being folded down upon it when required, or of being
detached therefrom for more convenient packing. To these side walls metal
frames d, d, are hinged for the purpose of receiving a mattress; the frames are
retained in a horizontal position by means of swing legs, as shewn in the
Drawing, or they may be supported by straps attached to the side walls. The
end walls are composed of three panelled frames e, e, and e*, the central
frame at one end (or at both if thought desirable) being provided with a
swing door. The frames e, e, are hinged to a raised rib forming part of the
floor, and they are capable of folding inwards upon the frames b, b, which form
the side walls, and the frames e* are hinged to the floor at the threshold level.
The frames forming the side and end walls are held firmly together in their
vertical position by means of bars of T and angle irons placed respectively at
the corners of the building, and between the vertical joints of the side frames
and of the end frames, as shewn in the Drawing, and secured to the woodwork
by bolts and nuts. In the centre of the building a stove f is set, the chimney
of which projects upwards through the roof. Surrounding the chimney (which
is formed of iron pipe) and in part supported by it, is a strong ring or collar g,
with holes to receive the terminal hooks of two beams h, forming the ridge of
the roof, the other ends of which are supported by hooks, with which they are
provided, taking into the end frames e*. Rafters i, i, similarly provided with
hooks, connect the side walls with the central ring or collar g, and thus rigidity
is given to the structure. Additional rafters k, k, may be employed to support
the canvas or other material which forms the roof, and these rafters, forming
struts between the ridge beam and the side walls, will tend still further to
strengthen the building. If thought desirable, iron rods l, l, hooking into eyes
attached to the side or end walls, and capable of being secured to the floor by
bolts, may be employed as struts to ensure the stability of the building when
exposed to a hurricane. The ventilation of the building may be provided for
by applying to the roof a hood m of pierced metal, as shewn in the Drawing,
which not only secures perfect ventilation, but prevents the roof from coming
in contact with the chimney, and thereby being endangered by fire. The rigid
roof I compose in sections of three or more parts, each part consisting of a
strong stretcher, strengthened with iron or other bands covered with the water-
proof material; two of these I hinge together like the lids of a portfolio, and
when placed over the building I strap them to a strong batten, which, having
buttons, slide into plates fixed upon the side walls, and are then secured by a
screw or otherwise. The flexible roof is laced to the batten as before described,
and secured at the sides likewise; but at the gable ends I lay over all battens,
which being firmly secured prevent the wind from getting under the roof. A

page_text: hole is cut out at the centre of the canvas or other covering to permit of the
hood m, and the end of the stove pipe contained therein, projecting beyond
the roof. The hood at its base has a ring round it, provided with eyes, each to
receive a hook, having attached to it a strong strap, which, being brought over
the roof down to a stake in the ground, or to a buckle at the base of the
building (to either of which it may be firmly secured), thereby gives the most
perfect stability to the whole fabric. In constructing the panels, I prefer to
make them of a double thickness of planking, between which coarse felt or
other waterproof material is placed, as shewn at 22, in the detached view, Fig. 4,
wherein it will be seen that the joints of the two thicknesses of planking o,p,
run at right angles to each other, and thus a strong but comparatively light
weatherproof panel is obtained, but the panels may when required-be con-
structed of.sheet metal. Fig. 5 shews detached, and on a reduced scale, the
several parts composing the floor of the building (Figures 1, 2, and 3); and
Fig. 6 shews a side frame folded down upon the floor. The windows of the
building are fitted to the end walls, and are made to slide in guides, as sliewn at
Fig. 8. When it is found desirable to join two or more buildings together and
thereby form one structure, this may be done by removing one of the sides or
ends of cach building, and connecting together the abutting floors by clamps
or otherwise; and the walls, by inserting between them bars of T iron and
bolting them thereto, as shewn in the Drawing.
In Sheet II. of the Drawings I have shewn my Invention as adapted to the
purposes of a temporary hospital; Fig. 1 being an elevation; Fig. 2, a cross
section; and Fig. 3, a sectional plan.
In this example the side walls b, b, and b, b*, are intended to be hinged to
the floor, which is formed in sections, as at a, a. The wall b, b, is higher
than that of 6, 6*, and rafters are laid across, connecting them together,
over which is placed a canvas or other light covering, and thus a lean-to
roof is constructed. Each framed portion of the wall b is provided with a
swing window, and the end walls may also be similarly provided if thought
necessary, whereby plenty of light and perfect ventilation are secured.
It will be convenient to provide for the ready detachment of the end walls
to enable the building to be lengthened at pleasure.
The beds for the invalids are arranged as shewn at c, c, and adjoining each
bed there is space for a small table d. At one end of the building I provide a
water-closet e. This arrangement gives ample space for the passage to and fro
of the attendants. I propose also in some cases to arrange the buildings as
shewn at Fig. 4, and thereby to enclose a quadrangular airing ground for the

page_text: use of the invalids, and for the purpose of gaining access thereto I construct a
door in the wall 6* of each building.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "Improvements in
the Construction of Portable Buildings," and explained the manner of carrying
the same into practice, I wish it to be understood that, under the above in part
recited Letters Patent, I claim the mode herein described of constructing
portable buildings which are capable of folding up and being packed away in a
small compass, and of being set up and made ready for use with great
expedition and without the aid of skilled labor.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Raphael Isaac, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Eleventh day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
JOHN R. ISAAC. (L.s.)