Improvements in the Arrangement or Construction of Floors, Platforms, or other similar Structures of Public or other Buildings.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Jan., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 15th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 28th Nov., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Arrangement or Construction of Floors,
Platforms, or other similar Structures of Public or other
Buildings.
We WILLIAM HORSFALL of Square Road Halifax, Ironfounder and RAYMOND
BERRY, Arcade Chambers, Commercial Street, Halifax, Architect both in the
County of York, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, to be as
follows:-
The object of our invention is to construct the floors, or other similar structures
of theatres, music halls, ball rooms, public halls, village schools or other buildings,
so as to cant, tilt, or be raised into any suitable position or incline desired.
We mount the floors upon a series of girders running longitudinally the whole or
part length of the hall or room as desired, these girders are pivotted upon a series
of supports or journals placed in any suitable position preferably near the centre
of the aforesaid girders. When desired to raise the floor during a lecture or
performance (upon the raised platform) the floor is raised at the back by hydraulic,
screw, or other means canting or tilting the same to a suitable incline, so that the
people at the back, have as good a view of the stage as those at the front.
Also if desired the floors may be made to tilt from the sides, or ends, or both, or
by forming a suitable joint or joints in the floor and girders any part of the floor
may be raised or tilted as desired.
Dated this Twenty-second day of January 1896.
JOHN E. WALSH,
Crossley Street, Halifax, Patent Agent for the Applicants.
Improvements in the Arrangement or Construction of Floors,
Platforms, or other similar Structures of Public or other
Buildings.
We WILLIAM HORSFALL of Square Road Halifax, Ironfounder and RAYMOND
BERRY of Arcade Chambers Commercial Street, Halifax, Architect, both in the
County of York 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 :-
The object of our invention is to construct the floors or other similar structures
of theatres, music halls, ball rooms, public halls, village schools or other buildings,-
so as to cant, tilt, or be raised into any suitable position or incline desired.

page_text: Fig. 2. is a side elevation of canting or tilting floor, showing balance weight for
assisting in raising and lowering same.
Fig. 3. is a modification of canting or tilting floors showing balance weights at
each end.
Fig. 4. is an end view of Fig. 3 showing mechanism for raising and lowering same.
Fig. 5. shows another modification of canting or tilting floor, and means for
raising and lowering same.
Fig. 6. is an end view of Fig. 5.
We preferably mount the floors A, upon a series of girders B, running longitudinally
the whole or part length of the hall or room as desired, these girders are pivotted
upon a series of supports, bearings or journals C, placed in any suitable position,
preferably near the centre of the aforesaid girders as shown at Figs. 1 and 3, or at
the ends, as shown at Figs. 2 and 5.
When desired to adjust the floor to a suitable incline during a lecture or
performance upon the raised platform D, I preferably raise or lower the same from
each end as shown at Fig. 1. by means of hydraulic lifts or jacks E, operated in
any suitable manner; projections or brackets F or other means may be employed
for retaining the said floors in the position required.
Also see Fig. 2. we may employ a series of balance or equipoise weights G, and
chains H, passing over pulleys J, and attached to brackets or projections K, upon
one end of the floor A, so that by means of an ordinary lever and crank, the floor
can be easily raised and lowered into any position required.
Or as shown at Fig. 3. we may hinge or pivot the floor A at the centre, upon
suitable bearings or journals C, at each end of the said floor are attached a series
of brackets or arms K, connected to which by means of chains or ropes H, passing
over pulleys J, are a series of equipoise or balance weights J', the floor being raised
or lowered or adjusted at different inclines by means of suitable winding drum M,
placed in any suitable position, and rope or chain M', operated by worm N, and
worm wheel P, as shown at Fig. 4. Legs or supports P1 may be employed for
retaining or supporting the floor in the position to which it has been raised.
. In Figs. 5 and 6 we pivot or hinge the floor A, at one end, and raise or lower
the same by means of a series of screwed shafts R, mounted in suitable bearings S,
and operated by a series of worms T, and worm wheels U; the aforesaid screwed
shafts passing through the bosses of the worm wheels so that upon the worm wheels
being operated, the internal thread within the bosses of same engages with the
screwed shafts, raising, lowering, and adjusting the incline of the floor A to any
position desired. Legs or supports P¹ may also be employed if required for the
purposes before mentioned, but the same are not necessary.
By this means the floors may be canted or tilted to any suitable incline, so that
the people at the back, have as good a view of the stage as those at the front.
Also if desired the floors may be made to tilt from the sides or ends, or both,
or by forming a suitable joint or joints in the floor and girders, any part of the
floor may be raised or tilted as desired; this invention may where feasible be
applied to side balconies and for any other suitable purposes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. Constructing the floors of theatres, music halls, ball rooms, public halls,
village schools or other buildings, in two or more parts pivotted or hinged in the
centre and raised, lowered or adjusted as to amount of incline, by means of hydraulic
jacks, lifts, or other mechanism, in the manner and for the purposes substantially
as shown and described.
2. Hinging or pivotting the floors of theatres, music halls, ball rooms, public
halls, village schools or other buildings, and raising or lowering same to any suitable
incline desired, by means of balance or equipoise weights, levers, and cranks, in the
manner and for the purposes substantially as shown and described.

page_text: 3. Hinging or pivotting the floors of theatres, music halls, ball rooms, public
halls, village schools or other buildings and raising, lowering and adjusting samo
to any suitable incline desired, by means of screwed shafts, worm and worm wheel,
operated in any suitable manner for the purposes substantially as shown and
described.
Dated this Fourteenth dex of October 1896
JOHN E. WALSH,
Crossley Street, Halifax, Patent Agent for the Applicants.