Improvements in or relating to Fireproof Building Construction.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Nov., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Aug.; 1893-Accepted. 7th Oct.. 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Fireproof Building Construction.
I, JOHN FERGUSON of 70 Denton Street Carlisle Plasterer do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
I know there are many forms of fireproofing floors, and walls, and the object of
my invention is to improve upon these, by a combination of burned fireclay or
other suitable material or materials, for the purpose of making hollow cores, centres
blocks or tubes; and concrete, composed of the usual materials and laid in a plastic
or soft condition on the top of these cores or tubes, or any substitute for concrete
which may answer my purpose.
In order to attain this object, I make cores, centres, blocks or tubes of the
material or materials above mentioned, substantially as shewn in section
at A or A'.
In forming a fireproof floor, I place two of these cores or tubes together, as
shewn at B so as to bridge over a space between two iron or steel joists or
girders J, the under surfaces of which are protected from the action of fire, or
intense heat, by the flat portion of the cores being made to underlap. This flat
portion may be made to project below the lower flange of the joists to a greater or
less depth or may be made level with the same, and may be keyed or dovetailed in
any way for the reception of plaster. The grooves G along the sides of the cores
or tubes rest on the top of the lower flange.
and
or
I may also insert a wedge of any suitable material at the top bottom, for the
purpose of temporarily or permanently supporting the cores or tubes when placed
together as at B.
I repeat this or these operations until the whole of the space between each
girder or other support is bridged over.
It will be seen from the drawing that there is then a dovetailed opening at C.
This opening I may make of any suitable shape for my purpose but I shew it
dovetailed, simply to illustrate the principle of the core or tube, as this opening is
one feature of my invention.
I may make A or A¹ wider or narrower than shewn according to scale, also the
solid part of A or A' may be made thicker or thinner than shewn, and I may use
any form of struts or supports in the inside of A as at A¹ for the purpose of
obtaining greater strength, but do not confine myself to the particular form shewn
by dotted lines.
Dated this 29th day of November 1892.
JOHN FERGUSON.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Fireproof Building Construction.
1, JOHN FERGUSON, of 70 Denton Street Carlisle, Plasterer 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:-
My invention relates to improvements in the construction of fireproof flooring,
and in the protection afforded to iron, steel or other joists which are used for
carrying the same, also for reducing the weight of such floors, and for affording

page_text: ventilation through the medium of the same, and also for deadening the sound
vibrations between rooms on different floors.
In order to attain this object, I form what are hereafter called tubes, in fireclay,
terra cotta or other fireproof or fire resisting material, substantially of the shape
set forth in section by the accompanying drawing at AA, A', A', A³, A¹.
In the formation of a fireproof floor, I place a pair of tubes together as shewn
at B, so that they bridge over a space betwixt two iron or steel joists, or other
supports as shewn at JJ, the under surfaces of which joists are protected from the
action of fire or intense heat, by the flat portion of the tubes being made to underlap
to a greater or less depth. This operation is repeated until the whole of the
floorspace is covered with the tubes.
This flat portion of the tubes is so arranged that an airspace is left between the
tubes and the underside of the joist or other support, to allow for the circulation
of air.
Dovetailed or other shaped grooves are formed on the lower surface of the
flat portion of the tubes so that a key is provided for the plaster of the ceiling
below.
This flat portion may also be perforated, and the tubes can then be utilised as
chambers for carrying foul air to a flue, or to the outside of the building; or can
be made to act as a sort of automatic sprinkler, by water being forced into the
tubes, from a pipe fixed at right angles to the length of the tubes, and perforated
opposite each end of the continuous tube.
It will be seen that when a pair of tubes are placed together as at B, an
opening C, is shewn between them, forming partly a dovetail shape, and partly a
V shape, this opening in practice is filled with concrete or other suitable material
to bind or key the tubes together. This opening may be partly round and partly
a V, or a dovetail shape as at A² or may be any suitable shape, that, being filled
with concrete or other material the pairs of tubes may be bound together.
I may form any or all of the struts or other supports in the inside of the tubes
or
for the purpose of strengthening the top and bottom of the tubes, as shewn by
dotted lines at A¹. The outside of the tubes may have undercut or other
projections or depressions to key to the concrete more thoroughly as, shewn
at A3 and A'.
In forming a fireproof floor according to my invention, I fix the iron or steel
joists from two to three feet apart, and hang a scaffold upon suitable irons, which
are slung from the joists, so that the scaffold answers the purpose of a temporary
support, midway between the joists, to the tubes, when in position as shewn at B,
and it also forms a scaffold for the workmen when fixing the tubes. When all the
tubes are in position upon this scaffold, the opening between each pair of tubes is
filled with concrete or other suitable material and the scaffold is immediately
taken down.
The concrete or other material is then filled over the top of the tubes, and
the floor can be finished with boards, parquet, tiles, cement, asphalte or other
finish.
The hollow spaces in the tubes, besides answering for ventilating purposes, can
be used for carrying bellwires, electric cables, water or gas pipes.
By the use of the tubes, the concreteing above and the plastering beneath, can
be proceeded with at one and the same time.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In the construction of fireproof flooring, the use of the tube, composed of
fireclay or other fire resisting material, substantially as described and shewn in the
drawings.
2. The principle of constructing a fireproof floor, by the coniunction of pairs of

page_text: tubes, running parallel with the joists and having an opening between them; and
the filling of this opening with concrete or other material for the purpose of binding
or keying such pairs of tubes together.
3. The combination of the tubes as shewn with concrete or other material for the
purpose of forming a light fire resisting floor.
4. The combination of the tubes as shewn with concrete or other material for the
purpose of protecting the iron or steel joists, or other supports from the action of
fire or heat.
5. The combination and perforation of such tubes for the purposes of ventilation,
or sprinkling of water.
6. The combination of the tubes as shewn, with concrete or other material for
the purpose of deadening sound between rooms on different floors.
Dated this Twenty-second day of August 1893.
JOHN FERGUSON.