IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PORTABLE BUILDINGS
Year: 1884

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COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I EDWARD ELLIS ALLEN of 111 Cheyne Walk Chelsea in the County of
Middlesex Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PORTABLE BUILDINGS, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :—
My improvements consist in an entirely new way of constructing portable
buildings whether of metal wood or other material-Instead of lapping the
longitudinal edges of sheets of corrugated iron (where these are employed) one
over the other and riveting them together at intervals of three and four feet I treat
every sheet separately so that the space contained between it and any inner
lining employed is rendered more or less an airtight cell into which any suitable
'filling-in" or packing can be placed and kept free from damp-In the ordinary
way of construction the whole of the timber framing is placed behind the sheets of
inetal there being usually one standard to every two three or more sheets whereas
in my system I employ in effect two standards to every sheet such standards
being of course of less scantling than usual part of the timber being placed in front
of the metal sheets and part behind disposing such parts as most convenient
according to circumstances in some cases forming sections which are made of
suitable sizes to answer for doors or windows walls or partitions-The edges of the
several sheets are butted or kept a short distance apart the sheets being either
firmly bound in between the two standards or timbers or slid into grooves formed
in them-The roofs are constructed in a similar manner and the floors may be
made in frame sections to correspond the whole together constituting a new system
of construction enabling a building when desired to be nearly completed in a
workshop easily transported and quickly erected-The sheets of metal forming the
sides I corrugate or stamp or roll with simple patterns or diapers upon them or
I form the sides of wood disposed as "weather boarding" covering the same with
lincrusta or other waterproof material and so form panels of an ornamental
character-The outer part of the standards above described I sometimes cover with
thin sheet iron or zinc or make the standards themselves of metal-In order to
render the joints at the ends of corrugated sheets tight I form strips or fillets of
wood or metal with one side corrugated so as to fit the said sheets or the strips or
fillets may be straight and the spaces between them and the corrugations filled in

page_text: with cement or other material-By this mode of construction various substances
may be used as filling in such as saw dust, silicate cotton boiler felt peat charcoal,
burnt clay gravel dry earth or concrete such materials being kept perfectly dry
which is impossible where the sheets are simply lapped in the ordinary way and
consequently more or less open to the atmosphere. Where the filling-in is in the
form of concrete blocks they may be 9 inches in thickness and of rough and cheap
material the framing being either planks placed edgeways or rolled or riveted iron
girders the sills or ground sleepers or ground plates being in this case sometimes
of cast or wrought iron-The- said concrete blocks are sometimes made with one
surface corrugated to correspond with the iron or zinc sheets and have their edges
grooved or lapped being united with thin grouting so as to fill up all spaces but
not so to unite them as to prevent their easy separation when required-Where
lightness is an object I line the interior of portable buildings with canvas and felt
united together the canvas being afterwards painted or covered with paper.
The accompanying Sheet of Drawings shews the modes of construction above
described Figs. 1 and 2 shew the ordinary way of building portable buildings of
galvanized corrugated iron air and damp entering at the last joints a b c d-
Fig. 3, shews the plan of arranging the sheets in sections a and b representing the
two timbers or parts of framing to each sheet, c the matched board lining and d
the filling, in, the sheets of metal being firmly screwed in between the parts a
and b. Fig. 4 shews the arrangement where the two. frames a and b to each sheet
are disposed one at each side of the said sheets they being slipped into grooves in
each standard the standards of two contiguous sheets being screwed or bolted
together, the two standards of each sheet being in this case tied together by bottom
top and intermediate bars as required.--The matched lining and filling in c and d
are the same as in Fig. 3, but so arranged that the sections are distinct and
separate Fig. 5 shews the filling in: of concrete blocks. Figs. 6 7 and 8 shew
respectively sections constructed in the manner above described for doors, windows
and sides of buildings.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed declare that what
I claim is
1 The construction of portable buildings in sections with two timbers or
standards to each sheet of metal such sheets being screwed between the said
standards by screws or in grooves.
2nd The construction of corrugated strips or fillets for forming the joints at the
end of sheets.
3rd The use of embossed in lieu of corrugated sheets in portable iron buildings.
4th The employment of cast or wrought iron frames and ground plates where
concrete filling in blocks are used.
5th The making of a light lining of a combination of canvas and felt in place of
matched boarding.
6th The employment of common concrete blocks between metal plates and
matched lining so as to obtain walls for small buildings of standard thickness
according to Building Act.
7th The construction of the several sections of portable buildings with panels of
lincrustee or other waterproof materials.