AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF FIREPROOF DWELLING HOUSES, THEATRES, FACTORIES AND SUCH LIKE STRUCTURES to be as follows:
Year: 1884

page_text: "
I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL of N° 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane,
in the county of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby
declare the nature of the said invention for "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF
FIREPROOF DWELLING HOUSES, THEATRES, FACTORIES AND SUCH LIKE STRUCTURES
to be as follows:-
"
This invention relates to an improved construction of buildings, such as theatres,
dwelling houses and factories, whereby they are. rendered better able to withstand
the action of fire. For this purpose the walls are built of hollow bricks, so arranged
with apertures at their meeting surfaces as to form continuous passages throughout
the wall for the circulation of air, whereby the wall is kept cool. The bricks are
either made with projections and recesses fitting into each other, or they are made
with opposite recesses in their vertical sides, that are filled with concrete or cement,
so as to key them together. The floors are constructed of iron rafters, enclosed in
bollow fire-clay tiles, of such form as to leave spaces for the circulation of air all
round the rafter. The spaces between the rafter are filled in with hollow fire-clay
tiles forming the floor, and strengthened by the insertion of metal bands or plates,
the sides of such tiles being formed to key into each other and to fit the con-
figuration of the sides of the tiles enclosing the rafters.
The doors are made of wood, encased in thin sheet metal as are also the door and
window frames and sills, or these may be made of fireclay. The wainscoting is
also constructed of wood covered with thin sheet metal.
The roofs of theatres are provided with openings closed by covers or doors that
are opened when a fire occurs, so as to produce an upward draught and thus
prevent the fire from spreading laterally. When the floors are of wood, the
ceilings are by preference formed with a coating of fireclay, and the joists or beams
are also so coated and are carried upon fireclay slabs. The cornices and other
mouldings are also formed of fireclay or terra-cotta.
The window shutters are made of moveable metal bars, like venetian blinds, so
that when a fire occurs in a lower floor the bars of the shutters to the upper floors
can be turned upwards so as to prevent the ingress of the flames.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant,
28, Southampton Buildings,
London, W.C.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
"
I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL of 'N° 28' Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane
in the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent do hereby
declare the nature of my invention for AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF FIRE-
PROOF DWELLING HOUSES, THEATRES, FACTORIES, AND SUCH LIKE STRUCTURES
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 an improved construction of buildings such as theatres,
dwelling houses and factories, wliereby they are rendered better able to withstand
the action of fire. For this purpose the walls are built of hollow bricks, so arranged
with apertures at their meeting surfaces as to form continuous passages throughout
the wall for the circulation of air, whereby the wall is kept cool. The bricks are
either made with projections and recesses fitting into each other, or they are made
with opposite recesses in their vertical sides, that are filled with concrete or
cement, so as to key them together.
They are formed by pressing through dies of any desired form and dimensions,
care being taken to give them a thickness proportionate to their size.
Large walls should be constructed with hollow bricks A A (Fig. 1 of the accom-
panying drawings) in the recesses formed at the joints of which concrete or
inortar B is introduced. For smaller walls or partitions bricks CC are used as
shewn in various sections at Fig. 1 and in horizontal section at Fig. 2. These
bricks may also be arranged as shewn in perspective view at Fig. 6. When used
for theatres, a partition formed of these bricks of from 4½ in to 61, in in thickness
will prevent fire from spreading from one box to another; it should have about
2 ft over the arch; for walls that may be subjected to great heat; such as the
partition wall between the stage and the auditorium refractory bricks are used.
For ceilings, whether horizontal or inclined, the iron beams K K should be
enclosed in casings of fire clay D, specially formed so that there exist air spaces
between it and the iron, as shewn, such spaces being made to communicate at
their ends with the outer air and with the rooms through openings in the ceilings
so as to establish a current of fresh air through thein.
The roof may be arranged for theatres as shewn at Fig. 3 so as to promote an
upward draught in the case of fire, for which purpose openings closed by windows
or trap-doors are formed, which are either suitably counterweighted or are raised
by means of a winch or other mechanism. By thus causing the flames to be
directed upwards, the lateral spreading thereof may be avoided or lessened.
The partition walls between the stage and auditorium as also the partition walls
separating the sides from the stage have their openings provided with double
curtains as at E Fig. 4, formed of wood strips or beams F Fig. 5, encased in sheet
iron a, the one end of which at b is made to project slightly beyond the other
end so as to cover the joint. The several strips or beams are connected together
by a pitch chain c or other flexible connection; the curtains are raised by means
of a winch or drum situated either above or at the sides; they may be retained
in position by a spring or other suitable contrivance, accessible to the watchman
so as to be readily lowered in the case of fire.

page_text: These double curtains, separated from each other a distance of from 18 ing to 3 ft
permit of a current of air being established between them, so that if the beams
of the first curtain should give way, this current of air will still prevent the
second curtain from being burnt, and the first curtain nearest the fire would not
readily be attacked in consequence of the strong upward draught of the flames
produced by the before mentioned openings in the roof.
The curtains are arranged to slide in grooves formed of iron and coated with
fire clay, so that there is no passage round the sides of the curtains for the flames.
The doors P between the different rooms are made of wood encased in sheet
iron; as is also all the other woodwork of the building, such as the wainscoating Q,
door frames H &, the sheet iron being passed through suitable dies for imparting
to it the same configuration as the wood mouldings.
For dwelling houses and theatres it is also advisable to coat the ceilings with fire
clay; the joist and beams are also so coated, and the beams are carried upon fire
clay slabs of moderate thickness so as not to cause the floors to be of too great a
depth.
The cornices and other mouldings are likewise formed of refractory material.
The floors should be of oak or of fir.
The window frames may also be encased with sheet iron, and the shutters are
made of moveable metal bars like venetian blinds, so that when a fire occurs in a
lower floor the bars of the shutters to the upper floors can be turned upwards so
as to prevent the ingress of the flames; the shutters being situated some distance
from the window frames, these would not readily become heated so as to catch fire.
The staircases may be of wood stone or iron; being enclosed by fire brick walls
and the doors being encased in iron, there is little danger of their catching fire.
The joists R of the Hoors should be made as far as practicable of large fire clay
bricks or slabs, being connected together by tongues and grooves, and having their
ends formed so as to fit against the casings of the beams. They may be
strengthened by iron tie bars Š.
The tops of the partitions should be made of blocks with double profile, and
those for the main walls either with single or double profile, taking care to make
the blocks hollow for the passage of chimney flues or for promoting the circulation
of air.
All parts of the building that are liable to be attacked by the flames, such as the
mouldings of the frames of windows or doors, porticos, and the like should be
made of fire clay.
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. The herein described improved construction of buildings wherein the walls,
partitions and ceilings are formed with air spaces for the circulation of air so as to
protect them from the action of heat, and wherein those parts that are accessible
to flames are either entirely constructed of fire resisting or refractory material or
are coated with such material.
2. The construction of casings D, joists R and bricks A and C, of fireclay
substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying Drawings.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant,
28, Southampton Buildings,
London, W.C.