Improvements in or relating to Fireproof Doors, Screens, and Partitions for Buildings and other Structures.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Oct., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 26th July. 1895--Accepted, 31st Aug., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Fireproof Doors, Screens, and
Partitions for Buildings and other Structures.
1, GEORGE FREDERICK BOWMAN of 9 Park Place, Leeds, in the County of
York, Architect, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in fire proof doors screens and partitions
for buildings and other structures. Its object is to construct a door lighter and
cheaper than those usually made entirely of iron that can be easily made and hung
and not so liable to "buckle" and tear itself away from its hangings, in case of
fire, as the said iron doors.
According to this invention the door is constructed of wood say for instance of
pine, having a frame covered on each side thereof with two or more layers of
boards so arranged and fixed to the frame that the grain thereof is in different
directions and cross each other. The space between the sides of the door and
which is regulated by the thickness of the frame is filled with slag wool or other
suitable non-combustible material. The door is afterwards completely covered or
sheathed with say sheet tin or suitable metal, and stayed by bolts or their equivalents
as required.
By forming the doors screens or partitions of a frame filled with
non-com-
bustible material and covered with boards and tin as described not only is provision
made for the pulleys, upon which the door, screens, or partitions works to be
encased within the framework but the danger of fire passing under or round the door
is reduced to a minimum.
Dated the Thirtieth day of October 1894.
GEORGE FREDERICK BOWMAN,
By W. Fairburn Hart,
Agent.
Improvements in or relating to Fireproof Doors, Screens, and
Partitions for Buildings and other Structures.
1, GEORGE FREDERICK BOWMAN, of 9 Park Place, Leeds, in the County of
York, Architect, 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in fire proof doors, screens, and partitions,
all of which are hereafter termed the door, for buildings and other structures.
Its object is to construct a door lighter and cheaper than those usually made
entirely of iron, that can be easily made and hung, and not so liable to "buckle "
and tear itself away from its hangings, in case of fire, as the said iron doors.
According to this invention the door is constructed of wood, say for instance of
pine, having a frame covered on each side thereof with two or more layers of
[Price 8d7

page_text: boards so arranged and fixed to the frame that the grain thereof is in different
directions and arranged to cross each other. The space between the sides of the
door, and which is regulated by the thickness of the frame, is filled with slag wool,
asbestos, or other suitable non-combustible material. The door is afterwards
completely covered or sheathed with say sheets of tinned steel, iron, or other suitable
metal, and stayed by bolts or their equivalents as required.
In the drawings: :-
Fig. 1 is an elevation, Fig. 2 a sectioual plan, and Fig. 3 an enlarged part
sectional elevation of a door constructed according to this invention.
At Figs. 1 and 2 the door is shown hung on hinges, but I do not limit myself to
this method of fixing, as any other suitable method of hanging, such as for instance,
swinging or sliding may be employed. Also any dimension herein given may be
altered or varied as circumstances require.
A is the door which is constructed of a wooden frame B, each side or face of
which is covered with two or more layers C C¹ of wood, say for example of well-
seasoned, planed, grooved and tongued pine boards, of say about seven-eighths of
an inch in thickness, the grain of which is in different directions, say at right
angles to each other, and thoroughly nailed together (the nails are not shown in
the drawings) with wrought irou nails, the points of which are clenched after being
driven through the layers. The said layers are also bound together by stay bolts D,
one of which is shown at Fig. 3, at suitable distances apart, the heads and nuts of
which are sunk into one of the layers a sufficient distance to provide a space E for
air, as well as to prevent it becoming heated. in the case of fire, by contact with
the tinned metal sheating G to be presently described. Each bolt D is also made
to pass through a metal or earthenware packing F of about the same thickness ag
the frame B and arranged in the space between the layers of pine boards.
The door is completely encased in sheets or plates of tinned steel or iron, or other
suitable metal, hereafter termed the tinned metal sheets G, provided with
unsoldered lock-joints H as shown at Fig. 3, that is to say the edge of each tinned
metal sheet is bent and folded over each other as shown, and afterwards pressed
closely down to the face of the sheets by any suitable tool. The tinned metal
sheets G are fixed closely to the layers of wood C C¹ with as few nails or screws I
as possible, and the heads of all such nails or screws are enclosed within the
lock joints H as shown at Fig. 3. The edges of the door A are covered by the
tinned metal sheets G being turned over so that no part of its wooden portion is
exposed.
The space J between the sides or layers C C¹ of the door, and which space is
regulated by the thickness of the frame B, is filled with slag wool, asbestos, or
other suitable non-combustible material, which is tightly packed into and completely
fills the space J, so as to form a central core or layer.
In the drawings a swinging door is shown hung upon hinges K and provided
with suitable fastenings L, all the fixings and attachments are secured in position
by bolts passing respectively through or keyed into the walls and door. The door
may if desired be arranged to slide upon pulleys, in which case they may be
arranged to be mortised into and work within the door.
By forming the doors, screens, or partitions of a frame filled with a non-com-
bustible material and covered with boards and tinned metal sheets G as described,
not only is provision made for the pulleys, when the door is made to slide, upon
which the doors, screens, or partitions work, to be encased within the frame-
work, but the danger of fire passing under or round the door is reduced to a
minimum.
In case of an opening M to be covered or closed by the herein described door A
not exceeding say four feet wide, then the doors may be made, say of two thick-
nesses of boards or layers C C on each side or face of the frame B, but when
the opening exceeds four feet, then say three or more of the said layers should be
employed. Also the door should overlap the opening M on each side thereof at
least three inches unless prevented by a cross wall or the like. But these

page_text: dimensions and the number and thickness of the layers may be varied as
circumstances require.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I am
aware that doors made of layers of wood placed crosswise of the grain and covered
with metal sheets have been previously used, I therefore do not claim such doors
broadly, but what I do claim is:
--
In combination with a door, screen, or partition formed of layers of boards
arranged, stayed, and fixed to each side of a frame with the grain of said layers
running in different directions and also covered as described with tinned metal
sheets, of a core or layer of slag wool, asbestos, or other non-combustible material
interposed in the centre of the frame between the layers of boards substantially as
illustrated and for the purposes herein set forth.
Dated this 23rd day of July 1895.
GEORGE FREDERICK BOWMAN.