Improvements in Portable Buildings.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Sept., 1887
Specification Accepted, 28th Oct.. 1887
.
Improvements in Portable Buildings.
I, WILLIAM MATTHEW DUCKER of No. 42 Fulton Street, Brooklyn N.Y., United
States of America, Engineer, 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:—
My invention relates to the construction of portable buildings which are so
arranged that they can be erected on any spot without having to previously level the
ground and without the aid of skilled artizans. All the parts of the side walls are of
like proportions and are grouped around a central longitudinal shaft which forms the
center piece and serves as ventilating shaft. The side walls consist of folding frames
or sections with extensible feet said frames being securely held together by fork like
grooved plates and tongues or their equivalents.
The floor sections are constructed in a similar manner and fit at the one end into
the side frames and at the other into tho central shaft. The roof of the building
consists of rafters which fit into the ridge beam at the one end and at the other into
the frames of the side sections and between which the roof plates or sections are
arranged the spaces between the said roof plates and the rafters being snugly covered
by a rail of appropriate section.
One important feature of the construction consists in the covered frames or sections
for the walls and roof which are composed of light wooden frames provided with two
layers of paste board like material so-called leather board of very light weight,
excessive hardness and enormous power of resistance. By means of this material
am able to erect a building of unprecedenced lightness and durability. The double
layers of leather board are so far apart that an insulating air space is left between them
as protection against change of temperature etc.
As already mentioned all the frames or sections both wall roof and floor are of like
length and breadth and the connections of like size so that all the parts are inter-

page_text: changeable and thus by adding new sections the building can be extended as may be
requisite or desirable or the size of the building can be decreased.
Figure 1 is a partial elevation and partial vertical longitudinal section of a building
erected on my improved system.
Figure 2 is a partial top view and partial plan of one of my buildings. Figure 3 is
a transverse section of the building.
Figures 4, 5 and 6, represent a folding wall section in elevation edge view and
horizontal section on an enlarged scale.
Figures 7 and 8 represent the attachment of the parts of the building.
Figure 9 is a vertical section of the connection between two roof plates and the
rafter, the side walls and the flooring.
Figures 10 and 11 represent in top view and section the connection of the roofing
plates with rafter.
After the sections of the ventilating shaft a with the opening b for the circulation
of air have been laid the same being connected to each other by means of swallow-
tailed grooves and lugs or tongues, the flooring plates are attached in like manner to
the same so as to fix the distance for the side walls the latter preferably consisting of
frames e connected by suitable hinges, strengthened by cross ledges or rails and
doubly clad with specially prepared board d.
In order to permit the erection of the sections even on uneven ground the frames
are provided with extensible feet e. The frames or sections are connected to each
other by means of the tongues and fork like plates with swallow tailed grooves as
represented in Figures 7 and 8 or their equivalents. The plates with swallow tailed
recesses or grooves are screwed or otherwise attached to the one side of the frames or
section into which the swallow tail tongues g attached to the adjoining frame or
section, fit.
Like plates are fixed to the upper and lower part of the wall sections or frames to
receive the tongues i of the rafter h and the floor sections (Figure 9). The side wall
sections are provided with windows and lattice shutters and also with ventilating
orifices with suitable slides Figure 4, so that the building is not only provided with
light but also with fresh air.
After the side and end sections with door or doors have been erected the rafters /
are hung into the side frames or sections and the ridge polej, (the latter consisting of
sections according to the length of the building and supported by standards ) by
means of the plate and tongues g and the roofing plates laid on the said rafters.
The roofing plates consist of the frames which are strengthened by the ledges m and
provided with double sheathing of leather board d or its equivalent. The frames for
the roofing plates rest against the rafters and are provided with raised edges or
ribs which gear into corresponding grooves in the covering or connecting rail n
which latter are bolted to the rafters h (Figures 10 and 11) so that the edges of the
roofing plates where they rest against the rafters are snugly covered, all lateral
movement of the parts prevented and the roofing plates securely held in position by
the ledges 12 of the same abutting against the upper edge of the frames to the side
wall sections. The parts of the building can be readily connected taken apart and
packed so that a complete building will not only prove a perfect protection against
wind and weather but can be erected or taken down in an unprecedented short time
and when folded up the sections and other parts will occupy a comparatively small
space. Although prefer to sheath or cover my improved portable building with
boards specially prepared for the purpose other sheathing material can be employed
without departing from the nature of my invention.
What I prefer to employ as sheathing material is a special kind of board which I
denominate leather board on account of its leather like appearance, enormous strength,
durability and imperviousness to rain, hail or snow.
My said improved sheathing material is prepared in the following manner, as
already described in my application for letters patent dated 31st May 1887 No. 7884.
I first prepare a pulpy mass that may be easily worked after the manner of working
paper and similar substances. This pulpy mass may be composed of various fibrous

page_text: materials which are to be disintegrated and rendered soft, pliable and filamentous in
any manner now well known in the arts. As an example of this part of my invention
I form a pulp, consisting of one half part manilla, one fourth part hemp, one eighth
part jute, and one eighth part wood, or, if more convenient straw. These materials
are reduced and disintegrated into a filamentous mass and soaked or boiled in water
to a pulp.
When this has been done this pulp may be run into sheets of desired thickness in
any convenient manner, similar to the formation of paper. After these sheets have
been formed, I compact and harden them by hydraulic pressure of about two hundred
tons, which will also expel the water, and then dry them either by natural or artificial
heat. These sheets are conveniently made of the thickness of from one-sixteenth to
one-eighth of an inch, and when dried are exceedingly durable, strong and dense, and
for many purposes as where they are not directly exposed to the action of the weather,
they may be advantageously employed without any further treatment, except that when
they are not otherwise covered, they will wear better by being painted with any of the
well known oil paints.
The sheathing formed of the materials above named and in the proportions specified
I have found to he of excellent quality, but I do not limit myself either to such
materials or to the proportions of the same which I have given, as any of the well
known fibrous vegetable structures which are capable of being reduced to a filamentous
condition may be employed to advantage, without departing from my invention.
Thus in the place of hemp, the fibres of the stalk of the sunflower may be employed,
and in the place of the jute the fibrous covering of the cocoa-nut; or any suitable
equivalents of such fibrous growths may be utilized, and the proportions also may be
varied, as above stated, but the results which have been the most satisfactory to me
have been produced by the ingredients used in the proportions stated by me above.
Another feature of this invention is the preparing of the sheathings in such a way
that they may resist the action of the weather, and thus constitute the outer surface of
houses and similar structures, especially where these are required to be light, as in
buildings of portable character.
For this purpose I use a coating mixture to cover or coat the outer surface of these
sheaths, most,conveniently after they have been fixed in the required position.
This coating mixture consists of one third raw linseed oil, one-third Japan varnish
(the well known Japan of Commerce) and one-third resin of tar. These are to be well
worked and mixed together in any suitable manner, and the mass is then thinned with
Benzine or Turpentine until it is of such consistency that it may be applied with a
brush in the same manner as paint. When the sheath has been well painted with this
and thoroughly dried they resist the action of the weather, especially heat and
moisture, in a very satisfactory manner, so that they may be used to great advantage
in many structures, and especially in portable buildings for barracks hospitals etc.
These sheathings will take and retain paint very well and I consider it of advantage
to paint those to which the coating mixture has been applied, with a good fire proof
paint, as well known asbestos paint which is now a well known article of Commerce.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I desire it to be understood that
what I claim is :-
1. A portable building consisting of single or hinged frames or sections for forming
the flooring, walls and roof which are grouped around a central horizontal shaft and
securely attached to the same and to each other by means of plates with dove-tailed
grooves and dove-tailed tongues the wall and roof sections being sheathed with an
insulating air-tight and water-proof double sheathing or covering, substantially as
described in the foregoing specification and shown in the accompanying drawing.
2. For portable buildings the combination of the roofing frames or sections with
the rafters hand with the covering rail n the grooves of which serve to receive the
edges or ribs of the roofing plates, substantially as and for the purpose set forth in
the foregoing specification and shown in the accompanying drawings.

page_text: 3. In portable buildings the combination of the wall sections, roofing plates, floor
plates or sections and the central ventilating shaft with the leather board sheathing
and the grooved plate and tongue attachment, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth in the foregoing specification and shown in the accompanying drawings.
4. The general application employment and combination of the parts of my
improved portable building, substantially as and for the purpose set forth in the
foregoing specification and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 15th day of September 1887
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
Associate Agent.

page_text: This Specification was, upon the 18th day of May 1888, amended under
Sections 18 to 21 of the Patents, Designs, and Trade Marks Act, 1883.
Improvements in Portable Buildings.
I, WILLIAM MATTHEW DUCKER of No. 42 Fulton Street, Brooklyn N.Y., United
States of America, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and in
what manner the samo is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to the construction of portable buildings of the kind described
in the specification of Letters Patent No. 115-dated 4th Jan. 1887 granted to William
Phillips Thompson for "Improvements in or appertaining to portable houses"-com-
municated to him from abroad by me, and which are so arranged that they can be.
erected on any spot without having to previously level the ground and without the
aid of skilled artizans. All the parts of the side walls are of like proportions and are
grouped around a central longitudinal shaft which forms the center piece and serves
as ventilating shaft. The side walls consist of folding frames or sections with
extensible feet said frames being securely held together by fork like grooved plates
and tongues or their equivalents.
The floor sections are constructed in a similar manner and fit at the one end into
the side frames and at the other into the central shaft. The According to my present
invention, the roof of the building consists of rafters which fit into the ridge beam at
the one end and at the other into the frames of the side sections and between which
the roof plates or sections are arranged the spaces between the said roof plates and the
rafters being snugly covered by a rail of appropriate section.
One important feature of the construction consists in the covered frames or sections
for the walls and roof which are composed of light wooden frames provided with two
layers of paste board like material (so-called leather board) of very light weight,
excessive hardness and enormous power of resistance. By means of this material
(which, however, forms no part of my present invention) 1 am able to erect a building
of unprecedenced lightness and durability. The double layers of leather board are so
far apart that an insulating air space is left between them as protection against change
of temperature etc.
As already mentioned all the frames or sections both including wall roof and floor
are of like length and breadth and the connections of like size so that all the parts are
2

page_text: interchangeable and thus by adding new sections the building can be extended as may
be requisite or desirable or the size of the building can be decreased.
Figure 1 is a partial elevation and partial vertical longitudinal section of a building
orected-on-my-improved system. such as hereinabove referred to.
Figure 2 is a partial top view and partial plan of one of my buildings. Figure 3 is
a transverse section of the building.
Figures 4, 5 and 6, represent a folding wall section in elevation edge view and
horizontal section on an enlarged scale.
Figures 7 and 8 represent the attachment of the parts of the building.
Figure 9 is a vertical section of the connection between two roof plates and the
rafter, the side walls and the flooring.
Figures 10 and 11 represent in top view and section the connection of the roofing
plates with rafter.
After the sections of the ventilating shaft a with the opening for the circulation
of air have been laid the same being connected to each other by means of swallow-
tailed grooves and lugs or tongues, the flooring plates are attached in like manner to
the same so as to fix the distance for the side walls the latter preferably consisting of
frame connected by suitable hinges, strengthened by cross ledges or rails and
doubly clad with specially prepared board d.
In order to permit the erection of the sections even on uneven ground the frames
are provided with extensible feet e. The frames or sections are connected to each
other by means of the tongues and fork like plates with swallow tailed grooves as
represented in Figures 7 and 8 or their equivalents. The plates with swallow tailed
recesses or grooves are screwed or otherwise attached to the one side of the frames or
section into which the swallow tail tongues attached to the adjoining frame or
section, fit.
Like plates fare fixed to the upper and lower part of the wall sections or frames to
receive the tongues i of the rafter / and the floor sections (Figure 9). The side wall
sections are provided with windows and lattice shutters and also with ventilating
orifices with suitable slides Figure 4, so that the building is not only provided with:
light but also with fresh air.
After the side and end sections with door or doors have been erected the rafters h
are hung into the side frames or sections and the ridge pole j, (the latter consisting of
sections according to the length of the building and supported by standards k) by
means of the plate and tongues g and the roofing plates laid on the said rafters.
The roofing plates consist of the frames which are strengthened by the ledges m and
provided with double sheathing of leather board d or its equivalent. The frames for
the roofing plates rest against the rafters and are provided with raised edges or
ribs which gear into corresponding grooves in the covering or connecting rail n
which latter are bolted to the rafters h (Figures 10 and 11) so that the edges of the
roofing plates where they rest against the rafters are snugly covered, all lateral
movement of the parts prevented and the roofing plates securely held in position by
the ledges 12 of the same abutting against the upper edge of the frames to the side
wall sections. The parts of the building can be readily connected taken apart and
packeil so that a complete building will not only prove perfect protection against
wind and weather but can be erected or taken down in an unprecedented short time
and when folded up the sections and other parts will occupy a comparatively small.
space. Although I prefer to sheath or cover my improved portable building with
boards specially prepared for the purpose other sheathing material can be employed
without departing from the nature of
my invention.
What I prefer to employ as sheathing material is a special kind of board which I
denominate leather board on account of its leather like appearance, enormous strength,
durability and imperviousness to rain, hail or snow.
"
My said improved The sheathing material above referred to as leather board" is-.
prepared in the following manner, as already described in the specification of my
application for letters, patent dated 31st May 1887 No. 7884.
Hirst prepare a pulpy mass that may be easily worked after the manner of working

page_text: paper and similar substances. This pulpy mass may be composed of various fibrous
materials which are to be disintegrated and rendered soft, pliable and filamentous in
any manner now well known in the arts. As an example of this part of my invention.
1 form a pulp, consisting of one half part manille, one fourth part-hemp, one-eighth
part jnte, and one eighth part wood, or, if more convenient straw. These inuterials
ure reduced and disintegrated into a filamentous-mass and soaked or boiled-in-water
to-n-pulp.
When this has been done this pulp may be run into sheets of desired thickness in
any convenient manner, similar to the formation of paper. After these sheets have
been formed, 1 compact and harden them by hydraulic pressure-of-about two hundred
tons, which will also expel the water; and then dry them-either by natural or artificiul
heat. These sheets are conveniently made of the thickness of from one sixteenth to
one eighth of an inch, and when dried are exceedingly durable, strong and dense, and
for many purposes as where they are not directly exposed to the notion of the weather;
they may be advantageously employed without any further treatment, except that when
they are not otherwise covered, they will wear better by being painted with any of the
well known oil paints.
The sheathing formed of the materials above named and in the proportions specified
I have found to be of excellent quality, but I do not limit myself either to such
materials or to the proportions of the same which I have given, as any of the well
known fibrous vegetable structures which are capable of being reduced to a filamentous
condition may be employed to advantage, without departing from my invention.
Thus in the place-of-hemp, the fibres of the-stulk of the sunflower may be employed,
and in the place of the jute the-fibrous covering of the cocon-mut; or any suitable
equivalents of such fibrous growths may be utilized, and the proportions-also-may be
varied, as above stated, but the results which have been the most satisfactory to me
have been produced by the ingredients used in the proportions stated by me above.
Another feature of this invention is the preparing of the sheathings in such a way
that they may resist the action of the weather, and thus constitute the outer surface of
houses and similar structures, especially where these are required to be light, as in
buildings of portable-character.
For this purpose I use a conting mixture to cover or cont the outer surface of these
sheaths, most conveniently after they have been fixed in the required position.
This conting mixture consists of one third raw linseed oil, one third Japan varnish
(the well known Japan of Commerce) and one third resin of tur. These are to be well
worked and mixed together in any suitable manner, and the mass is then thinned with
Benzine or Turpentine until it is of such consistency that it may be applied with a
brush in the same manner us paint. When the sheath has been well painted with this
and thoroughly-dried they resist the nation of the weather, especially heat and
moisture, in a very satisfactory manner, so that they may be used to great advantage
in many structures, and especially in portable buildings for barracks hospitals ete:
These sheathings will take and retain paint very well and I consider it of advantage
to paint these to which the coating mixture has been applied, with a good fireproof
paint, as well known-asbestos paint which is now a well known article of Commerce.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I desire it to be understood that
what 1 claim is :-
1. A In a portable building consisting of single or hinged frames or sections for
forming the flooring, walls and roof which are grouped around a central horizontal
shaft and securely attached to the same and to each other by means of plates with
dove-tailed grooves and dove-tailed tongues constructing the wall and roof sections
being sheathed with an insulating air-tight and water-proof double sheathing or
covering, substantially as in the manner described in the foregoing specification and
shown in the accompanying drawing.
2. For In portable buildings of the kind hereinabove referred to the combination of
the roofing frames or sections with the rafters h and with the covering rail n the

page_text: grooves of which serve to receive the edges or ribs of the roofing plates, substantially
as and for the purpose set forth in the foregoing specification and shown in the
accompanying drawings.
3. In portable buildings the combination of the wall sections, roofing plates, floor
plates or sections and the central ventilating shaft with the leather board sheathing
and the grooved plate and tongue attachment, substantially us and for the purpose-set
forth in the foregoing specification and shown in the accompanying drawings.
4. The general application-employment and combination of the parts of my
improved portable building, substantially as and for the purpose set forth in the
foregoing-specification and shown in the accompanying drawings.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
Associate Agent.