Improvements in Materials and Methods for Erecting Buildings and Parts thereof.
Year: 1895

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Materials and Methods for Erecting Buildings and
Parts thereof.
JOHN DOUGAN 13 Leven Street Glasgow, Consulting Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improved methods for erecting dwelling houses and
other buildings or parts thereof and particularly for buildings of a temporary or
semi-permanent kind and for the combination and manufacture of materials for
such erections or parts thereof.
The materials used in the construction of the walls, floors, roofs, ceilings,
partitions, breasts of chimneys or other parts of buildings either permanent or
temporarly may consist of compound blocks, slabs or plates formed of all or any
one or more of the following substances viz. :-Lime, Arden lime, hydraulic lime,
Portland cement, Roman cement, stucco, plaster of Paris, or other material, or their
equivalent or mortars made of all or any of these limes or cements mixed with
sand, gravel, broken granite or other broken material, breese, iron oxide,
puzzolanos or other material or their equivalents in combination with asbestos
bilicate wool, breese, sawdust, or other fibrous or other non-conductor of heat or
sound or their equivalents.
In forming the blocks, slabs or plates the materials are made into a mortar,
concrete or béton with water or other liquid and thereafter moulded in moulds of
wood, iron, or other material or their equivalents into the required shape or worked
by means of templates in such a manner so as to leave a hollow space or a number
of hollow spaces in the middle of each block, slab, or plate formed by means of a
core, box or shell or a number of cores, boxes or shells made of wood, cardboard
stucco, plaster of Paris or other material or their equivalents. These hollow spaces
may be filled with asbestos, silicate wool, breese, sawdust or other material or their
equivalents which will act as a non-conductor of heat or sound.
The block, slab, or plate may be made thick enough on one side of the hollow
space so as to be of sufficient strength to bear the crushing strain of the building
and on the other side of the hollow, i.e. the face that forms the interior at least
as strong as ordinary lath and plaster.
The object of the blocks, slabs, or plates being made hollow is to prevent the
products of respiration or combustion from condensing on the inner surface of the
walls of the buildings and the object of the asbestos, silicate wool, breese, sawdust
or similar substances or their equivalents is to prevent the conduction of sound or
heat through the blocks, slabs or plates, as in partitions or for deafening of ceilings
or floors to which the blocks, slabs or plates may be fastened or attached by means
of screws, bolts, fillets, straps or their equivalents.
A grove, dovetail, dowel pins, cheek, half cheek, feather or splay may be formed
round the edge of the block, slab or plate to admit of one block being firmly
fastened or dovetailed to another and to preserve an even surface so that the
walls can be papered right off or a very thin coat of finishing plaster only is
required.
Colouring matter may be added to give the blocks, slabs or plates any desired
colour.

page_text: After the blocks, slabs or plates are set they may be placed in water or other
liquid to harden or indurate.
The blocks, slabs or plates may also be strengthened by having sheets or strips
of metal or wire netting-preferrably corrugated-imbedded in them.
The blocks, slabs or plates are built on the top of each other just as in ordinary
stone work and can be jointed by means of mortar, cement, putty, paint, varnish,
or other material or their equivalents.
Dated the 24th May 1895.
JOHN DOUGAN.
Improvements in Materials and Methods for Erecting Buildings and
Parts thereof.
JOHN DOUGAN 13 Leven Street Glasgow, Consulting 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: —
This invention relates to improved methods for erecting dwelling houses and
other buildings or parts thereof and particularly for buildings of a temporary or,
semipermanent kind and for the combination and manufacture of materials for such
erections or parts thereof.
Though not confined to buildings for temporary purposes only.
The materials used in the construction of the walls, floors roofs, ceilings,
partitions, breasts of chimneys or other parts of buildings either permanent or
temporary may consist of compound blocks, slabs, or plates formed of all or any,
one or more of the following substances viz. :-Lime, Arden lime, hydraulic lime,
Portland cement, Roman cement, stucco, plaster of Paris or other material or their
equivalents, or mortar, concrete, or bèton of all or any of these limes or cements
mixed with sand, gravel, broken granite, or other broken material, breeze, iron
oxide, puzzolanos, or other material or their equivalents in combination with
asbestos, silicate wool, breese, sawdust, diatomite or other fibrous or other
nonconductor of heat, or sound or other material or their equivalents.
In forming the blocks slabs or plates the materials are made into a mortar,
concrete or béton with water or other liquid and thereafter moulded in moulds of
wood, iron or other material or their equivalents into the required shape or worked
by means of templates gauges or other tools in such a manner so as to leave a
hollow space or a number of hollow spaces in the middle or interior of each block,
slab or plate formed by means of a core, box, or shell, or a number of cores, boxes
or shells made of wood, cardboard, stucco, plaster of Paris, or other material or
their equivalents.
The core, box or shell or cores, boxes or shells may or may not be left
permanently in the blocks or slabs.
These hollow spaces may be filled with asbestos, silicate wool, breeze, sawdust,
diatomite, or other material or their equivalents, which will act as a nonconductor
of heat or a nonconductor of sound.
The block slab, or plate may be made thick enough on one side of the hollow
space so as to be of sufficient strength to bear the crushing strain of the building
and on the other side of the hollow, i.e. the face that forms the interior or inside of
the wall at least as strong as ordinary lath and plaster.
The object of the blocks, slabs or plates being made hollow or having a
nonconductor of heat or sound, as asbestos, silicate wool, breeze, sawdust,
diatomite, or other material or their equivalents, placed in their centre or interior
is to prevent the products of respiration or combustion or aqueous vapour from

page_text: condensing on the inner surface of the walls of the oundings and to prevent the
conduction of sound through the blocks, slabs or plates; as in partitions, or for
deafening of ceilings or floors, to which the blocks, slabs or plates may be fastened
or attached by means of screws, bolts, fillets, straps or their equivalents.
The blocks, slabs or plates are also used for the outside walls of buildings.
A groove, dovetail, dowel pin, cheek, half check, feather or splay may be
formed round the edge of the block, slab or plate, to admit of one block being
firmly fastened or dovetailed to another and to preserve an even surface so that
the walls can be papered right off or a very thin coat of finishing plaster only is
required.
Colouring matter may be added to give the blocks, slabs or plates any desired
colour.
After the mortar, concrete or bèton of which the blocks, slabs or plates are
made they may be placed in water or other liquid to harden or indurate.
The blocks, slabs or plates may also be strengthened by having sheets or strips
of metal or wire or wire netting, preferably corrugated, imbedded in them, either
wholly or partially imbedded in them.
The blocks, slabs or plates are built on the top of each other just as in ordinary
stone work, and can be jointed by means of mortar, cement, putty, paint, varnish,
or other material or their equivalents.
And in order that my said invention and the manner of performing or carrying
the same into effect or practice may be properly understood, I have hereunto
appended an explanatory sheet of drawings in which the same reference letters
are used to indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where shown.
Figure is an end view; Figure 2 is a front view; and Figure 3 is a section of
a hollow block or slab, in which a is the hollow space, b is the core, box or shell
made of wood, cardboard, stucco, plaster of Paris, or other material or their
equivalents to form the hollow space in the centre or interior of the block or
slab, c is the mortar, concrete, or beton made of the materials aforesaid; Figure 3ª
the hollow or centre is more to one side than the other; Figure 4 is a front view
of a block or slab in which the core, box or shell has been removed, leaving it
open right through from top to bottom; Figures 5 and 6 are a section and plan of
Figure 4 respectively, d is a feather, dowel or dovetail to fit into the groove or
recess e, on each block.
In making these blocks or slabs, lime, Arden lime, hydraulic lime, Portland
cement, Roman cement, stucco, plaster of Paris, with sand, gravel, broken granite,
or other broken material, breeze, iron oxide, puzzolanos, is made into a mortar,
concrete or béton with water or other liquid, and placed in a mould or frame which
has the neccessary feathers, dovetails, grooves, or recesses, to form one side or
face c, then the box, core or shell 6 made of wood, cardboard, stucco, plaster of
Paris or other material or its equivalents is placed in the position required or the
nonconductor of heat or sound a¹ made of asbestos, silicate wool, breese, sawdust,
diatomite, with just sufficient lime, cement, stucco, plaster of Paris or other
material or its equivalents to hold it together till the rest of the mortar, concrete
or bèton c is placed round about it to fill the grooves and to fill the mould, and
finished with a template or gauge; the whole being left till it is sufficiently strong
to be handled and thereafter allowed to indurate by exposure to the air or
otherwise.
In Figures 4. 5 and 6, elevation, section, and plan of a block or slab the core,
box or shell is removed after the mortar, concrete or bèton c is set.
Figure 15 shows the blocks or slabs built on the top of each other as in an
ordinary wall, of which the joints f may be made of mortar, cement, putty, paint
or varnish.
Figures 7. 8 and 9 are sections of roofs, or floors; Figures 10 and 11 are
sections of ceilings in which h. h and h¹¹ are wood, ✓ iron or H iron joists, bearers
or beams respectively, c' is a plate made of mortar, concrete or bèton of the same
materials as before and allowed to harden before being placed in position and a¹ is

page_text: the nonconductor of heat or sound as before, is the fillet or flange of the
wood, or Hiron joist, bearer or beam, c¹ is the ordinary mortar, concrete or
bèton used for concrete floors or roofs.
In Figures 10 and 11 the blocks or slabs are similar to Figure 2 but in Figure 11
the blocks or slabs are fastened to the joists or beams by means of screws or
bolts l.
Figure 12 is a section of a plate n made of mortar, concrete or bèton as before
or of stucco, plaster of Paris or its equivalents with a corrugated strip of metal
or wire m, partly imbedded in the plate before it becomes set or hard.
Figures 13 and 14 is the section and plan of a plate made as before with
corrugated wire netting m¹ imbedded in the plate n before it becomes set or hard.
Figure 16 is a section of a wall which has a nonconductor of heat or sound a¹
made of the before mentioned nonconducting substances bound together and to the
surface of the wall o. o, (which may be an ordinary stone, brick or rubble wall) by
means of lime, cement, stucco, plaster of Paris, or other material or its equivalents,
and it may have a finishing coat p. p. of hard plaster, stucco, or other material or
its equivalents.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. The herein described method of forming hollow blocks, slabs or plates and
the like from lime, Arden lime, hydraulic lime, Portland cement, Roman cement,
stucco, plaster of Paris or other material or their equivalents either singly or in
combination with sand, gravel, broken granite, or other broken material, breese,
iron oxide, puzzolanos, or other material or their equivalents for walls of buildings,
partitions, ceilings, roofs, floors, deafening, and other purposes, and the use of
cores, boxes or shells of wood, cardboard, stucco, plaster of Paris, or other material
or their equivalents.
Second. The forming of blocks, slabs or plates of similar materials but with a
centre or interior portion filled up with a nonconductor of heat and sound, such as
asbestos, silicate wool, breese, sawdust, diatomite or other material or their
equivalents for walls of buildings, ceilings, roofs, floors, deafening, and other
purposes.
Third. The making of walls, floors and roofs having a centre or interior portion
with a hollow or hollows or with a nonconductor of heat and sound such as,
asbestos, silicate wool, breese, sawdust, diatomite, or other material or their
equivalents, placed in said centre or interior.
Fourth. The use of plates made of mortar, concrete or bèton, stucco, plaster of
Paris or of the materials above mentioned; in place of wood centreing, along
with the use of a nonconductor of heat or sound as described in the foregoing.
Fifth. The use of corrugated metal, corrugated wire, corrugated wire netting in
strengthening blocks, slabs or plates made of all or any of the before mentioned
substances or their equivalents.
Sixth. The method of erecting buildings or parts thereof by means of blocks,
slabs or plates all as made and described in the foregoing pages, substantially as
and in the manner set forth.
Dated the 19th February 1896.
JOHN DOUGAN.