CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO GIRDERS OR RAFTERS TO BE USED IN THE CON- PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION CONSTRUCTION OF ROOFS, BRIDGES, BUILDINGS, AND OTHER ERECTIONS
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis Morton, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer and Contractor, for the Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO GIRDERS OR RAFTERS TO BE USED IN THE CON-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis Morton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 28th
July 1854.
I, FRANCIS MORTON, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer
and Contractor, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO GIRDERS OR RAPTERS TO BE USED IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF ROOFS, BRIDGES, BUILDINGS, AND OTHER ERECTIONS," to be as
follows:-
The object of this Invention is to construct a rafter, girder, or principal for
roofs, floors, or platforms, either of small or largo spans, and to so combine
and arrange the parts of such girder and rafter that great facility of erection
and transport may be obtained.
The rafters or girders are composed of sets or series of pieces or links,
bolted together, so that the complete rafter or girder may not only be capable
of sustaining itself when all the parts are united, but of resisting considerable
pressure. The centre or middle link, or part of the girder, is formed of either
single or double T iron, having flanges at top and bottom, for the purpose of
increasing the strength of the pieces. The ends are made to abut, and the
links are connected together by side pieces, which lie in the grooves of the
centre links, and are secured in their places by pins or bolts which pass through
the three thicknesses.

page_text: Although I prefer for girders of great length to construct the centre pieces
with flanges at top and bottom, yet sometimes a single flange at top only may
be used where great lightness is required. Sometimes, also, instead of employ-
ing single pieces of double T iron, I find it convenient to take two pieces of
double angle iron, and bolt or otherwise fasten them together.
The side links may be provided with an angle or rim on one side, thereby
greatly adding to the strength with a small addition to the weight; and when
the side links are made of cast iron, an additional thickness may be given
round the bolt hole on one side, to compensate for the diminished quantity of
solid metal in drilling the hole for the bolt.
The ends of a girder or rafter formed in this manner may be inserted in
a socket or shoe, secured to the piers or walls of the building or other erection,
and when the links are made of wrought iron, shoes to receive the ends of
the wooden purlins or lateral braces must be bolted or otherwise secured to
the centre pieces. This will give great rigidity to the whole structure, and the
covering of the roof may be secured to the wooden purlins in any of the known
ways; cast or wrought iron, or rolled iron, or wood, or a combination of any or
of all these materials, may be employed in the construction of these rafters or
girders, which may be used for various purposes in the construction of bridges,
roofs, floors, and other parts of buildings..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Francis Morton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th
January 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANCIS
MORTON, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer and Contractor,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Francis Morton, Her special license that I, the said Francis Morton,.
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Francis
Morton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel

page_text: Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE
TO GIRDERS OR RAFTERS TO BE USED IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ROOFS, BRIDGES,
BUILDINGS, AND OTHER ERECTIONS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Francis Morton, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same
to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Francis Morton, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement,
reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
The object of this Invention is to construct a rafter, girder, or principal for
roofs, floors, or platforms, either of small or large spans, and to so combine
and arrange the parts of such girder and rafter, that great facility of erection
and transport may be obtained.
The rafters or girders are composed of sets or series of pieces, bolted toge-
ther, so that the complete rafter or girder may not only be capable of sustain-
ing itself when all the parts are united, but of resisting considerable pressure.
The centre or middle part of the girder is formed of either single or. double
Tiron, having flanges at top and bottom, for the purpose of increasing
the strength of the pieces. The ends are made to abut, and the pieces are
connected together by side plates, which lie in the grooves of the centre
pieces, and are secured in their places by bolts which pass through the three
thicknesses.
Although I prefer for girders of great length to construct the centre pieces
with flanges at top and bottom, yet sometimes a single flange at top only may.
be used where great lightness is required. Sometimes, also, instead, of employ-
ing single pieces of double T iron, I find it convenient to tako two pieces of
double angle iron, and bolt or otherwise fasten them together. The side pieces:
may be provided with an angle or rim on one side, thereby greatly adding to:
the strength with a small addition to the weight; and when the side pieces.
are made of cast iron, an additional thickness may be given round the bolt
hole on one side, to compensate for the diminished quantity of solid metal in
drilling the hole for the bolt.
The ends of a girder or rafter formed in this manner may be inserted in a
socket or shoe secured to the piers or walls of the building or other erection,
and when the parts of the girder are made of wrought iron, shoes to receive.

page_text: the ends of the wooden purlins or lateral braces must be bolted or otherwise
secured to the centre pieces. This will give great rigidity to the whole struc-
ture, and the covering of the roof may be secured to the wooden purlins in
any of the known ways. Cast or wrought iron, or rolled iron, or wood, or a
combination of any or of all these materials, may be employed in the con-
struction of these rafters or girders, which may be used for various purposes
in the construction of bridges, roofs, floors, and other parts of buildings.
In the accompanying Drawings I have shown views of different forms of my
improved girder as applied to the construction of roofs, and also as a simple
girder that may be employed for any other purpose. Fig. 1 is a side elevation
of part of a roof constructed with my improved girder; Fig. 2 is a plan view
of the same, with the roof boards removed, to shew the girders and purlins
beneath; Fig. 3 is a transverse section of part of a roof; and Fig. 4 is a
sectional view through one of the girders, shewing the main or centre pieces
a, a, a, and the side pieces b, b, b. The centre pieces a, a, are provided with
side flanges at top and bottom, and the ends of these pieces are made to abut
against each other, as shewn in Fig. 1, and these pieces are kept in their
proper relative positions by means of the side plates or pieces b, b, which are
placed between the flanges of the centre pieces and are bolted through, as
shewn in Fig. 1. It will be seen that the side pieces or plates b, b, are pro-
vided with a flange at their lower side for the purpose of strengthening them,
and the end bolt holes are also made thicker and stronger than the other
part of the plate; for some purposes, however, plain flat plates of suitable
dimensions will answer the purpose, and may be employed. The ends of the
purlins d of the roof are inserted in sockets or shoes c, c, which are formed on
or attached to the centre pieces a, as shewn in Figures 1 and 3, and these
purlins are made to act as struts between the girders, and will materially assist
in strengthening the whole structure.
I prefer to increase the thickness of the flanges at the ends of the pieces a, a,
in order that they may have a better bearing or abutment against each other,
and the end of the girder is secured in a cast or wrought iron shoe, of
suitable form, and fixed on the top of the wall or pier that is intended to
support the roof.
Fig. 5 is a side view of a modification of the girder just described. In this
instance the centre pieces a, a, are only made to abut against each other at
their upper parts, the lower part being cut away in order to lighten the girder.
Side plates or pieces b, b, are employed for securing the centre or main
pieces, as in Figures 1, 2, and 3, and one of these side pieces is shewn detached
in side elevation and section at Figs. 6.

page_text: Figs. 7 are a side elevation and section of another form of side plate or
piece b, the only difference being that the pieces. have flanges both at top and
bottom.
Fig. 8 is a side view, and Fig. 9 a sectional view, of a modification of
Fig. 7, the main or centro pieces of the girder being formed in the same
manner as in Fig. 5; but the side plates are made of lengths of strong hard
wood, such as oak, which are fitted to the sides of the main pieces between the
flanges, and are secured therein by bolts, the ends of the pieces being made to
abut against each other.
Having now described my Invention of "improvements in girders or
rafters to be used in the construction of roofs, bridges, buildings, and other
erections," and the best means with which I am at present acquainted for
carrying the same into effect, I would observe, that although I have shewn and
described metal as the principal material of which my improved girders or
rafters are to be made, yet I do not intend to confine myself thereto, as I
sometimes propose to use wood in combination with metal, as shewn in
Figures 8 and 9, and for some purposes I also intend to employ wood, not
only for the side pieces, but also for the main or centre pieces a, a.
In conclusion, I claim, constructing girders or rafters of main centre pieces,
which are made to abut end for end against each other, and are strengthened
and held in their relative positions by side pieces or plates, which are bolted
through or otherwise firmly secured to the main pieces, so as to form one rigid
girder or rafter, the parts of which are so arranged and combined that the
girder or rafter will, when supported at both ends, be capable of sustaining a
considerable weight or pressure at any part of the span.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis Morton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twenty-fifth day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Signed in the presence of
W. P. STRUVÉ,
M. In³, C. E.,
Swansea.
FRS MORTON. (L.S.)