Improvements in Fire-proof Floors.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Mar., 1897-Accepted, 3rd July, 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fire-proof Floors.
I, JAMES HOWDEN, of 8, Scotland Street, in the County of Glasgow, North
Britain, Engineer, 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, that is to say :-
My said Invention has for its object to construct fire-proof floors in an improved
manner, so as to combine lightness with strength, and to facilitate the plastering
and finishing operations being carried out in an artistic and economical manner.
In carrying ont my invention I have resting on the walls of the building, metal
or wood beams, preforably of 1-section underneath which I temporarily fix a
boarding. I then place in the space between each pair of beams a layer of coko breeze
or other material with which I mix Portland cemont, petrifite which is a cement
believed to be manufactured according to Grote's Patent Specification No. 17,142
of 1898, or other material to form concrete. On each layer of concrete I then
place a box of thin wood or other material upon and about which I place materials
to form concrete as before. The concrete is finished flush with the top and bottom
of the beams and wood, tiles, cement or other flooring may be laid on the top.
The temporary boarding may then be removed and tho plastering and finishing be
proceeded with.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood I hereunto append a sheet of explanatory drawings,
to be hereinafter referred to, and showing two modifications of my improved
fire-proof floor.
Figure, 1, of the drawings is a transverse vertical section of one modification and
Figuro, 2, is a similar view of another modification. In these drawings the same
reforence lottors are used to mark the same or like parts wherever they are repeated.
In the modification shown in Figure, 1, of the drawings iron or steel beams, A,
of-section are employed which rest upon the walls of the building at the desired
height in a usual manner. When the beams, A, are placed in position at a suitable
distance apart, a boarding, B, is temporarily fixed underneath then so as
to hold coke breeze or other watorial for mixing with Portland cement, petrifite,
or other similar material to form concrete, C. The dry material is shovelled in on
the top of the boarding, B, to a depth similar to that shown at the points, D, and
such as may suit the depth and distance apart of the beams, A, used. The liquid
Portland cement, petrifite, or similar material is then poured in so as to thoroughly
combine with the breeze or other material, thus forming a concrete bottom level
with the underside of the beams, A. This bottom layor of concrete is preferably
deeper in the middle between the boams than at the ends as shown at H, for the
purpose of giving the greatest amount of strength with the least quantity of
material or it may all be of the same dopth as shown at, J. After this bottom layer
of concrete is set, a box, E, of thin wood or other suitable matorial and having
two sides and a slightly arohed top and being of a width to cloar the flanges of two
adjacent beams, A, is placed on the set matorial with its open side lowerinost. The
depth of this box, E, in the centre is such as to leave suflicient room for a depth

page_text: of concreto above it similar to that shown in the drawings and such as may suit
the depth of the beams, A. The breeze or other dry material is then shovelled in
on the top and down the sides of the box until it reaches the bottom layer of
concrete, C, first put in. The liquid Portland cement, petrifite or other similar
material is then poured in as before until it thoroughly penetrates and combines
with the breeze 'or other material. The concrete is then made flush with the top
of the beams, A, in the most convenient manner.
The boxes, E, forming the interior spaces may be of a length equal to the
distance between the walls of the building, or they may be in several pieces with
the ends filled in in each, and so placed as to leave a transverse space, at right
angles to the beams, A. When the upper part of the concrete is put in, it also
fills these spaces and thus forms cross stiffening bars of concrete at intervals.
When the concrete is set it can be covered on the top side either with tiles, G,
cement, K, wood, L, or other flooring. A coating of plaster, M, which adheres
readily to the concrete is put on the nnder side of the concrete and the bottom of
the beams, A, the latter being previously treated with a solution of petrifite which
adheres readily to iron or steel. The petrifite solution before becoming dry is
roughened with sand, saw-dust or other material.
The concrete may bo mado to project above and below the upper and lower
sides of the beams this projection being effected by temporarily attaching strips
of wood to the beams with which strips the concrete is made flush, and on the
strips being removed the spaces they occupied are filled in with cement or other
suitable material.
In some cases in which it is more advantageous for economical or other reason
to uso wooden instead of motal beams, the improved floor may bo constructed
according to the modification shown in Figure, 2. The wooden beams, A, have
longitudinal strips, N, fixed along their lower edges to form (like the flanges of
the metal beams) supports for the concrete. The concrete is made to cover the
tops of the beams, A, to render the floor more completely fire-proof. Other parts
of this modification are constructed and arranged similarly to the corresponding
parts of the previons modification.
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 what I
claim is :
1. An improved fire-proof floor comprising metal beams between which concreto
is applied having within it hollow spaces obtained or moulded by the insertion
of boxes or shells of thin wood or other material, and having wood, tile cemont or
other flooring fixed on its upper side and plaster with or without other finishing
materials on its lower side, substantially as hereinbeforo described with reference
to Figure, 1, of the accompanying drawings.
2. An improved fire-proof floor comprising wooden beams between which concrete
is applied having within it hollow spaces obtained or moulded by the insertion of
boxes or shells of thin wood or other material, and having wood, tile, cement, or
other flooring fixed on its upper side and plaster with or without other finishing
materials on its lower side substantially as horein before described with reference
to Figure, 2, of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this thirtieth day of March, 1897.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.