IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SUBSTRUCTURES OR FOUNDATIONS OF BUILDINGS
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Gregory Bird, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Manufacturing Chemist, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
Dewan unrave on RunTAS"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Gregory Bird at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 11th
February 1854.
I, GREGORY BIRD, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Manufacturing Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SUBSTRUCTURES OR FOUNDATIONS OF BUILDINGS " to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to a mode of obtaining secure, dry, and impermeable
substructures or foundations in buildings of various kinds by the use or appli-
cation of asphalte or asphaltic compositions. When the foundation trenches
are dug, the bottom is laid with a mixture of asphalte or asphaltic composition
and broken stone, slag, shingle, or other similar materials. A satisfactory
mode of laying such a substructure is that of first depositing a layer of the
stone or slag in the bottom, then pouring the asphalte over this layer, the two
materials being thus alternated until a sufficient thickness of substructure is

page_text: obtained. This foundation effectually precludes the upward striking of damp
or the burrowing of animals, whilst it adds to the firmness and stability of the
superstructure. By another mode such structures may be formed in blocks
for conveyance to the buildings, the blocks or masses when laid in position
being cemented or joined together by asphaltic composition. Instead of using
asphaltic compositions, or mixtures wherein real asphalte is an ingredient, any
pitching or resinous matters may be employed on the asphaltic principle.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Gregory Bird in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th
August 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GREGORY
BIRD, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Manufacturing
Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Gregory Bird, Her special license that I, the said
Gregory Bird, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Gregory Bird, my executors, administrators, or 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SUBSTRUCTURES OR FOUNDATIONS OF BUILDINGS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Gregory Bird, 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 Gregory Bird, 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 follow-
ing statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-

page_text: My said Invention relates to a mode of obtaining secure, dry, and imper-
meable substructures or foundations in buildings of various kinds by the use
or application of asphalte or asphaltic compositions. When the foundation
trenches are prepared the bottom is laid with a mixture of asphalte or asphaltic
composition and broken stone, slag, shingle, or other similar materials. A
satisfactory mode of laying such a substructure is that of first making the
substratum perfectly solid, which may be done by ramming the ground firm,
or by the modes commonly adopted where the ground is very soft, and then
depositing a layer of the stone or slag of from four to six inches thick in the
bottom, then pouring the melted asphalte through this layer. This compound
layer becomes perfectly solid when cool, binding together in one mass the
whole of the foundations, furnishing a strong support to the superstructure..
The two materials may be thus alternated until a sufficient thickness of sub-
structure is obtained. This foundation effectually precludes the upward striking
of damp or the burrowing of animals, whilst it adds to the firmness and stability
of. the superstructure. By another mode such substructures may be formed
in blocks or solid masses for conveyance to the buildings, the blocks or masses
when laid in position being cemented or joined together by asphaltic composi-
tion or otherwise combined. Instead of using asphaltic compositions, or mix-
tures wherein real asphalte is an ingredient, any pitchy or resinous matters
may be employed on the asphaltic principle.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood I shall.
now proceed to describe the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto
attached, and representing two modes in which my Invention may be carried
into practical effect.
Figure 1 on my Sheet of Drawings is a vertical section of a portion of a
foundation or substructure, such as may be be judiciously adopted in the erec-
tion of a dwelling house, wherein the asphaltic material is poured or otherwise
deposited upon the intended base in a melted or plastic condition. Figure 2 is
a plan or horizontal section of this system of substructure corresponding to
Figure 1. Figure 3 is a vertical section of a portion of a foundation wall,
wherein blocks or solid masses are used or built in the substructure or base;
and Figure 4 is a corresponding plan of the same.. With reference to Figures 1
and 2, the portion A. represents the natural earth or base material upon which
the superstructure is to be raised. This base is first trenched or dug out in
the usual manner to the form of the intended base or foundation, as more
especially pointed out in the plan Figure 2, and any necessary drains or channel
pipes are laid in as at B. When, this is done the bottom of the trench is laid.
with broken slag, shingle, or other suitable material C; this. layer being of

page_text: When such a
greater or less thickness or depth, according to circumstances.
layer has been formed in a uniform manner a quantity of aspalte or asphaltic
composition is poured or deposited upon the base layer, when it mingles with
the mineral fragments, as at D, causing them to cohere together in one mass,
and finally forming a stratum of asphaltic matter only upon the surface of the
layer. This process is then repeated by depositing a second layer of mineral
fragments, as at E, the asphaltic matter being again poured or deposited upon
this secondary stratum. The portion F, at one end in Figure 1, represents the
fragmentary mineral layer as it is prior to the asphaltic deposition. Upon
these two compound layers a third layer of a similar character may be deposited,
as at G, and these layers may be continued upwards to any amount until a
sufficient foundation mass has been laid. This foundation mass then forms the
actual earth covering for the reception of the foundation stones E of the wall,
which stones are laid on and built up in the usual manner, according to the
other modification of my improved substructures. The foundation trench A,
Figures 3 and 4, when levelled in the usual manner, is laid with blocks of
asphaltic material B, previously moulded or shaped to the necessary form and
dimensions. These blocks or masses Bare built together in the ordinary manner
in which foundation stones are laid, and they may be further secured.and
bound together by a fluid or plastic deposit of asphaltic matter. One or more
such courses of asphaltic blocks may be used, and when properly set they are
covered by the usual foundation stones C of the building, and the structure is
then carried up in the usual manner. In practice the asphaltic foundations may
be laid either with or without other substratum. When laid entirely of asphalte
the thickness of such asphaltic material is intended to be from one to two feet,
according to the nature of the soil and the weight of the superstructure to be
erected thereon. If, as I have herein-before represented, stone foundation
blocks are used in combination with the asphaltic base, a single layer of the
asphaltic material will usually be sufficient, the foundation blocks being then
laid upon the asphaltic layer, as in my Drawings. Or, if concrete is used, a
layer of asphalte may be deposited upon the concrete.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I may observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict myself
to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to describe
or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without deviating
from the principles or main features of my Invention; but what I consider
to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-

page_text: First, the general arrangement and construction of substructures or founda-
tions of buildings, as herein-before described.
Second, the system or mode of forming or constructing the substructures
or foundations of buildings wherein alternated fragmentary layers of slag or
mineral materials are inade to form the the actual base of the superstructure.
Third, the application and use in substructures and foundations of positive
foundation masses or layers of asphaltic materials.
Fourth, the application and use of asphaltic blocks or masses to form the
bases of substructures and foundations.
Fifth, the system or mode of forming or constructing the substructures or
foundations of buildings, wherein asphaltic material is used as the base upon
which to carry up the superstructure, either with or without the use of the
ordinary large foundation stones.
In witness whereof, I, the said Gregory Bird, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Ninth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
GREGORY BIRD. (L.S.)