Improvements in and connected with Fire-proof and Ventilating Floors.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Jan., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 28th Oct., 1895-Accepted, 30th Nov., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Fire-proof and Ventilating
Floors.
I, CHARLES MAJOR of The Patent Tile Works, Bridgwater in the County of
Somerset Brick and Tile Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my
invention to be as follows:-
My invention bas for its object to provide blocks or lintels of clay concrete or
other suitable material and of such shape that they may be readily fixed in position
and which when in position will effectually protect the supporting girders
from fire.
According to my invention I form on the upper surface of each block or lintel
two under cut ribs or projections situated at a distance apart considerably less than
the width of the bottom flange of the supporting girder to which the said block
or lintel is to be applied. The under cuts in these ribs or projections are stepped,
they being sufficiently deep next the upper surface of the main body of the lintel
to admit of one side of the lower flange of the supporting girder entering the
under cut of one rib or projection sufficiently far to allow the other rib or
projection on the lintel to clear the opposite edge of the flange of the said girder
and then by moving the lintel in a horizontal direction transverse to the girder and
lowering it slightly the flange of the girder will engage in the portions of the under
cuts in the ribs or projections which are of less depth and bear against the
opposite edges of the flange of the girder whereby the lintel is prevented from
moving in a direction transverse to the girder. These lintels may extend on
opposite sides of the supporting girder to which it is attached in the manner
described to a distance about midway between the said girder and the adjacent.
supporting girders and abut against the edges of the lintels attached to the said
adjacent girders in which case strengthening ribs or projections may be provided
above the under cut ribs herein before described to be keyed into the cement when
the floor is complete and ventilating or heating passages may be formed on or in
the portions of the lintels situated between the girders. Or the lintels may be made
to extend only a short distance from the edges of the flange of the supporting
girders and serve to support other lintels which may extend from those supported
on one girder to those supported on the adjacent girder. These intermediate
lintels are preferably provided with horizontal passages, forming when the floor is
complete, continuous passages from one side of the floor to the opposite side and
communicating at one or both ends with the external air or with heating flues or
passages if desired, openings being made in these longitudinal passages communi-
cating with the rooms above and below the floor for purposes of ventilation or
heating.
Dated this 28th day of January 1895.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.

page_text: Improvements in and connected with Fire-proof and Ventilating
Floors.
I, CHARLES MAJOR. of The Patent Tile Works, Bridgwater, in the County of
Somerset, Brick and Tile Manufacturer 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 :-
My invention has for its object to provide for the construction of fire proof
floors, blocks or lintels of clay concrete, or other suitable material of such shape
that they may be readily fixed in position and which when in position will effectually
protect the supporting girders from fire.
According to my invention I form on the upper surface of each block or lintel
two under cut ribs or projections situated at a distance apart less than the width
of the bottom flange of the supporting girder to which the said block or lintel is
to be applied. The under cuts in these ribs or projections are stepped, they being
sufficiently deep next the upper surface of the main body of the lintel to admit of
one side of the lower flange of the supporting girder entering the under cut of one-
rib or projection sufficiently far to allow the other rib or projection on the block or
lintel (when being raised) to clear the opposite edge of the flange of the said.
girder and then by moving the block or lintel in a horizontal direction transverse
to the girder and lowering it slightly the flange of the girder will engage in the
portions of the under cuts or recesses in the ribs or projections, which are of less
depth; the sides of the recesses then bearing against or being opposite the opposite
edges of the flange of the girder whereby the block or lintel is prevented from
moving in a direction transverse to the girder. These blocks or lintels may extend
on opposite sides of the supporting girder to which it is attached in the manner
described, to a distance about midway between the said girder and the adjacent
supporting girders, and abut against the edges of the blocks or lintels similarly
attached to the said adjacent girders, in which case strengthening ribs or projections
may be provided above the under cut ribs herein before described, to be keyed into
the cement when the floor complete, and ventilating or heating passages may be
formed on or in the portions of the lintels situated between the girders.
Or the blocks or lintels may be made to extend only a short distance from the
edges of the flange of the supporting girders and serve to support other blocks or
lintels extending from those supported on one girder to those supported on the
adjacent girders. These intermediate lintels are preferably provided with horizontal
passages, which when the floor is complete, form continuous passages from one side
of the floor to the opposite side and communicating at one or both ends with the
external air or with heating flues or passages if desired, openings being made in
these longitudinal passages communicating with the rooms above and below the
floor for purposes of ventilation or heating.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents in vertical section a portion
of a fireproof floor constructed with blocks or lintels made according to my invention
and Figure 2 is a similar view shewing a modification thereof.
A are ordinary metal girders of I section supported in the usual manner on piers
or on the walls of the building and B2 (Figure 1) are blocks constructed according
to my invention (by moulding in concrete fireclay or other suitable fire resisting
material) with under cut projections a the space between the ends of these projec-
tions being less than the width of the lower flange of the metal girder on which the
blocks are to be placed. These blocks may be made of any desired length in the
longitudinal direction of the girders A and can be placed in position on the girders
from beneath by slightly canting the block and inserting one side or edge of the
lower flange k of the girder into the deepest portion of one of the stepped recesses

page_text: of the block which will permit of the other side or edge of the said flange passing
between the ends of the projections a after which the block can be lowered so as to
cause the two sides or edges of the said lower flange k of the girder A to enter the
shallower portions of both of the under cut projections a on the block, the block
being then suspended in position on the flange of the girder by the said pro-
jections a. These blocks when in position on the girders may serve to support
slabs blocks arches or lintels of fire resisting material to fill the space between the
girders for instance as shewn in Figure 1, lintels B having undercut stepped ends
engage with corresponding steps formed on the sides or edges of the blocks B2,
and the said lintels may be formed with extensions as shown by dotted lines at B³
to bear on the lower flanges of the girders A so that the whole weight of the
lintels will not be borne by the blocks B2. These lintels may be provided with
horizontal openings b, as shewn, which when the floor is completed form continuous
longitudinal passages parallel to the supporting girders A. These passages may
be used for ventilating or heating purposes and made to communicate by openings i
with the apartment below and with the apartment above by passages g through the
top of the lintel and extending through the concrete covering d as shewn at f. care
under cut or dovetail projections on the lintels B which serve to key the lintels to
the concrete d, similar projections e being provided on the underside of the lintels
and also on the blocks B2 to hold the plaster forming the ceiling to the apartment
below. Instead of supporting on the blocks B2 intermediate lintels B as before
described the said blocks may be made as shown in Figure 2, sufficiently wide that
when the said blocks are in position the edges of adjacent blocks will meet mid-way
between the contiguous supporting beams A. the blocks themselves constituting
lintels which fill the space between the contiguous girders. In this case I prefer
to provide strengthening ribs or projections ² to key into the cement d; and
ventilating passages such as bi and g in the lintels B in Figure 1 may be provided
on the blocks B2 if desired. The lower flanges of the supporting girders A are
entirely protected from fire by the blocks B2 there being no joint between the
contiguous blocks or lintels (in the longitudinal direction of the girders) through
which fire could have access to the said girders.
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. For use in the construction of fire proof floors; blocks of concrete fire clay or
other suitable fire resisting material, each block having formed on its upper surface
near the two opposite edges thereof, under cut stepped projections the distance
between the said projections being less than the width of the flange of the metal
girder to which the blocks are to be applied, the said blocks being suspended or
supported on the metal girder by these projections and the metal girder being
protected by these blocks from the action of fire substantially as herein before
described.
2. For use in the construction of fire proof floors; blocks of concrete, fire clay
or other suitable fire resisting materials, each block having on its upper surface
near its opposite edges, under cut stepped projections as and for the purpose
described, and on or in its edges steps or shoulders to receive and support slabs
blocks arches or lintels to fill the spaces between adjacent girders substantially as
hereinbefore described.
3. For use in the construction of fire proof floors; blocks or lintels moulded in
concrete fire clay or other suitable fire resisting material the said blocks or lintels
having under cut ribs or projections on their upper surface the opposing ends or
edges of the said projections or ribs on each block or lintel being situated at a
distance apart less than the width of the flange of the metal girder to which the
block is to be applied so as to be supported thereby as hereinbefore described and
the main body of the said block or lintel extending on opposite sides of the girder
to which it is applied, to a distance midway between the said girder and the next

page_text: adjacent girders on each side thereof, so that the ends or edges of the blocks or
lintels on adjacent girders will meet and so close the space between the girders
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by Figure 2 of the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 28th day of October 1895.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.