IMPROVEMENTS IN RENDERING COLUMNS, GIRDERS, DOORS, SHUTTERS, & OTHER PARTS OF BUILDINGS FIREPROOF
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Stratford Hogg, of Rotherhithe Wall,
Rotherhithe, in the County of Surrey, Ironmonger, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RENDERING COLUMNS, GIRDERS, DOORS, SHUTTERS, &
OTHER PARTS OF BUILDINGS FIREPROOF."
Sealed the 21st March 1862, and dated the 1st October 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Stratford Hogg
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st October 1861.
I, WILLIAM STRATFORD HOGG, of Rotherhithe Wall, Rotherhithe, in the
County of Surrey, Ironmonger, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RENDERING COLUMNS, GIRDERS, DOORS, SHUTTERS,
& OTHER PARTS OF BUILDINGS FIREPROOF," to be as follows:-
Fireproof buildings are usually constructed with girders, doors, and other
parts formed of iron, as being incombustible, but which in place of being a
security are often detrimental, girders, columns, and other substantial &
supporting parts of buildings often give way on becoming hot, or crack
from the application of water.
Now my improvements consist in casing & enclosing such parts of
buildings in fireproof bricks or other forms of clay or analogeous fireproof
material moulded & formed to suit the particular objects to be enclosed.
For columns which support buildings Imould the casing in a tubular form,
in one or more lengths, and place them on the pillars as the work progresses;
Price 8d1

page_text: these fireproof casings have a space between them & the columns, which,
if free escape is provided, may contain air, or it may be preferably filled
with some material being a non-conductor of heat.
In casing columns of buildings that are already erected, I form the fireproof
casings in parts, dividing the tube in lines parallel with its axis, which pieces are
applied and secured together around the columns by ironhooks or other fixings
connecting them together, or they may be hooked or otherwise secured to the
columns. I lute the joints with some fireproof cement or material, & stop
any holes that may be made necessary for fixing them. Girders may be
similarly coated, preferably during the construction of the building forming
the casings in parts to suit & apply properly to enclose the girder; the
adjoining parts of the building may keep these in place, or they may have
independent fixings. Ilute the joints to prevent the ingress of the fire or heat.
Girders in buildings already erected may be also enclosed, more or less
entirely by moulded forms of fireproof material applied thereto, suitable
appliances being provided for fixing. All girders, beams, or joists on other
parts of buildings, if necessary, may be covered and rendered fireproof in like
manner, if requisite, for adding to the fireproof qualities of a building.
In constructing fireproof doors, shutters, or movable partitions, I form them
of fire-bricks, lumps, or moulded forms of fireproof material, adapted for and
fitting to their iron framework, so that it is inclosed within and protected by
the fireproof materials of which they are composed. This I effect by forming
grooves or recesses in the edges of the moulded articles, or holes through
them, which embrace or receive the framework; these doors, shutters, and
partitions, are either mounted on hinges or travel on rollers as usual.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Stratford Hogg in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 1st April 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
STRATFORD HOGG, of Rotherhithe Wall, Rotherhithe, in the County of Surrey,
Ironmonger, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Stratford Hogg, Her special licence that I, the said William

page_text: Stratford Hogg, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said William Stratford Hogg, 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 Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN RENDERING COLUMNS, GIRDERS, DOORS, SHUTTERS, AND OTHER PARTS
OF BUILDINGS FIREPROOF," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Stratford Hogg, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Stratford Hogg, 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 Sheet of Drawings here-
unto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say)-
Fireproof buildings are usually constructed with girders, doors, and other
parts formed of iron, as being incombustible, but, which instead of being a
security are often detrimental, as girders, columns, and other substantial and
supporting parts of the building often give way on becoming hot, or crack
from the application of water. Now, my Invention consists in casing and
enclosing such parts in fireproof bricks or other forms of clay or analogous
fireproof material moulded and formed to suit the particular objects to be
enclosed. For columns which support buildings I mould the casing in a
tubular form in one or more lengths, and place them on the pillars as the
work progresses; these fireproof casings have a space between them and the
columns, which, if free escape is provided, may contain air, or it may be
preferably filled with some material being a non-conductor of heat. In casing
columns of buildings that are already erected I form the fireproof casings in
parts, dividing the tubes in lines parallel with their
axes, which pieces are
applied and secured together around the columns by iron hooks or other
fixings connecting them together, or they may be hooked or otherwise secured
to the columns. I lute the joints with some fire-clay or fireproof cement or
material, and stop any holes that may be necessary for fixing them. Girders
may be similarly coated preferably during the construction of the building,

page_text: forming the casings in parts to suit and apply properly to enclose the girder;
the adjoining parts of the building may keep these in place, or they may have
independent fixings and I lute the joints to prevent the ingress of the fire or
heat. Girders in buildings already erected may be also euclosed more or less
entirely by moulded forms of fireproof material applied thereto, suitable
appliances being provided for fixing. All girders, beams, joists, or other parts
of buildings, if necessary, may be covered and rendered fireproof in like
manner, if requisite, for adding to the fireproof qualities of a building.
In constructing fireproof doors, shutters, or movable partitions, I form
them of fire-bricks, lumps, or moulded forms of fireproof material adapted for
and fitted to their iron framework, so that it is enclosed within and protected
by the fireproof materials of which they are composed. This I effect by
forming grooves or recesses in the edges of the moulded articles or holes
through them, which embrace and receive the framework. These doors,
shutters, or partitions are either mounted on hinges or travel on rollers as usual.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 represents an elevation of a column enclosed in fireproof material
according to my Invention, and Fig. 2, a vertical section of the same.
a is a base block adapted to cover the base of the column, and b, b, are
short cylinders of fire-clay material properly prepared and burnt; they are in
short lengths simply for convenience of manufacture, and may be longer, if
desired; they are fitted to drop into each other, as seen, and if entire cylinders
must be of sufficient size to drop over the capital of the column (this should
be small); an upper piece c is further adapted to enclose the capital and fitted
on the upper piece b, as seen. The joints may be luted with suitable fire-
proof cement if necessary. Where it is required to fit the fireproof coatings
to columns already fixed, I divide the cylindrical coverings longitudinally
into two parts, as seen in Fig. 3, and in cross sections at Figs. 4 & 5.
any
Fig. 4 represents simply a butt joint, while Fig. 5 shows a rabbetted
joint. The halves b, b, may be secured together with dowels d, cemented
in holes therein (see Fig. 4). In the rabbitted joints through holes may
be made in the rabbets and iron pins e inserted, as seen; hooks may be used
instead of the dowels d for greater security, the stems of the hooks being
secured in one half part of the covering; the hooks may be received in
recesses in the other and secured by a through pin, or they may be embedded
in cement in their recesses, which, in setting, secures them.
Figs. 6 & 7 represent my improvements applied to girders, Fig. 6 being a
side view, and Fig. 7 a transverse section of an iron girder so furnished. In

page_text: this case the coverings are applied at the time of putting the girder in place.
f is a plate of fire-clay material having raised lips to embrace and hang on the
lower flange of the girder, and which I slide on from the end;,, are pieces
of like fireproof material adapted and fitted to enclose the side of the girder,
while is a fourth piece which may be dropped on from above, and which
keeps the other parts in place; or this latter may be made like the part f and
slid on from the ends. I make all these fire-clay coverings in short lengths
for convenience of making and fixing, and they may be rabbit-jointed at the
ends if desired, but I think a plain butt joint will be sufficient, which may be
luted with fireproof cement if desired. I also apply these coatings to girders
previously fixed in position for this purpose. I fix ribs or tongues onė on
either side of the lower flange of the girder, see Figs. 8 and 8*, Fig. 8 being
a side view, and Fig. 8* a cross section of the girder. I drill small holes at
distances apart in the flange, and fix the tongues i, i, by screws or pins k, l,
driven or secured into the holes made. I make the tongues, somewhat short
of the whole length of the girder, that is to say, I leave a space at the end equal
to the length of the fire-clay pieces, at which point they can be entered on the
tongues and slide into position, as seen in the side view. The last one may
hangat ore end on the tongues, and be supported from the wall of the building
at the other end; a short piece should be fitted in at that point to close in a
space equal to the distance which this last piece is slid on the tongues; this
last piece may be also held up by fastenings in the wall.
Fig. 9 represents a cross section showing another method of fixing the
fire-proof plates f, f, on a girder already in place. This simply consists in
carrying the lips or edges above the flange of the girder, and forming holes
in those lips or edges in which iron pins mm, are inserted, whereby the
fire-proof plates are supported in position."
Fig. 10 represents a section of a box girder protected from fire according
to my Invention; in this case the pieces or plates f simply enclose the lower
part of the girder, and are held up by wall hooks 0, 0, or other suitable
fixing driven into the ceiling, as seen.
Figs. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, & 10, represent fireproof doors or
shutters constructed according to my Invention. Fig 11 shows a side view,
Fig. 12, an edge view, and Fig. 13, a vertical section of a door composed of
four blocks of fire-clay secured and connected by frame-work, and ties disposed
within the fireproof material. a, a, is the external frame recessed within the
outer edge of the material, and b, b, bars passing laterally through the door,
and rivetted into the sides of frames a. These bars are recessed into the edges
of the fire lumps, which are thereby supported while the fire-lumps protect

page_text: the bars from heat. The fire lumps have also through holes in them in
which I insert bolts c, c. To bind the framework more firmly together, if
necessary, I mount these doors or shutters on rollers d, d, as usual for heavy
fireproof doors or shutters. Fig. 14 represents a door with a similar number
of bars band bolts c, but with the fireproof material in the form of a series of
small pieces, as seen, which are slid in between the bars b and held up in close
contact, and thereby form a solid surface. Fig. 15 represents a side view of a
door with three fire-lumps and two bars b,but without the bolts c; in this case
the revetting or junction of the metal frame a and bars b must be sufficiently
strong to sustain the whole together, I, however, prefer to use the bolts c for
such door, as in Fig. 16. Fig. 17 represents a side view of a fireproof door of
one lump or piece having three bolts c through it. Fig. 18 represents a side
view, and Fig. 19 an edge view of a door having two fire-lumps with one bar
band two bolts c. The external frame a in this case is of a breadth equal to
the thickness of the doors, and is not therefore recessed into the fire lumps,
the parts which the framework (the tie bar 6 and bolts) being however
enclosed within the fire lumps sustains and helds the whole together,
although subjected to intense heat. I mould, dry, and burn or fire these
fireproof coverings all as usual in moulding and treating fire-clay in general.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of performing
the same; I declare that what I claim as my-Invention-to-be-protected-by-the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First, rendering columns, girders, and other parts of buildings fireproot
by the application of coverings of burnt fire-clay or other suitable fireproof
material being a non-conductor of heat, as described.
Secondly, I claim the construction of fireproof doors and shutters as
described and represented in the Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Stratford Hogg, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of March, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
WILLIAM STRATFORD HOGG. (L.S.)
Witness,
W. CLARK, Patent Agent,
53, Chancery Lane, London.