An Improved Method of Constructing Temporary Buildings.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Sept., 1886.
Complete Left, 8th June, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 8th July, 1887.
An Improved Method of Constructing Temporary Buildings.
I, ROBERT BUCKNALL, of 22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an improved method of constructing temporary and portable
buildings, and is more particularly adapted to such purposes as those of military or
other field hospitals, although it is also applicable to the construction of all buildings
which are only of a temporary type, and require, therefore, to be made in such a way
that they can be taken down, packed up for transit, and set up again, as quickly and
easily as possible.
In carrying it into effect, I make the walls and roofs in sections, which fold up into
packages of a convenient size. The floors are also made in sections, and tongued and
keyed together.
The roof is fastened to the walls in any convenient way, preferably by hooks, or
pins and eyes.
Both walls and roof are hollow, and between the two faces-the outer and inner,-
currents of air may pass freely. Suitable valves are provided for regulating the flow
of these currents.
The various parts forming the wall and roof sections are made preferably of teak
framed together. The outer covering is of double waterproof canvas with a backing
of cardboard cemented together, the inner covering is of card-board only. The
several outer and inner coverings are hinged to the tops of their respective frames
wherever desirable. The outer coverings when raised and supported will form a
verandah. The inner covers may be drawn up to the roof by means of pulleys and
ropes or any other equivalent device.
The hollow spaces in walls and roofs produced by this construction are to be utilised
according to my invention in various ways.
They may be used as air shafts for ventilating purposes, or as air jackets for the
purpose of preventing a rapid assimilation of the internal and external temperatures.
Price 8d 1

page_text: They may also be used as cupboard spaces, or as packing spaces for furniture or
utensils.
Perforated screens are used where desirable.
The removal of the contents of these packing spaces and the elevation of the inside
and outside coverings produces clear openings for which proper blinds may be fitted
into said openings.
The windows and doors are made to slide back into the adjoining sections.
As many of the sections as will make a manageable package are, permanently,
connected by hinges. The other junctions are made by dovetails and sockets or any
other equivalent device.
The joints between the various sections are made practically water-tight by secret
gutters formed in the rebates of the several frames.
The floors are made up of panels, each panel being strengthened by keys driven
from either side through mortises. They are fitted at their corners with coinciding
eyes through which one screw passes, thereby holding the adjacent corners of four
panels to the joist beneath.
Dated this 8th day of Santambor 1886
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of Constructing Temporary Buildings.
I, ROBERT BUCKNALL, of 22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, 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 relates to an improved method of constructing temporary buildings,
and is particularly adapted for the construction of military and field hospitals.
In carrying my invention into effect, I make the floors, walls, and roofs in sections,
so that they can be put up into packages of a convenient size for transport. Suitable
connecting devices are provided for securing the sections in position when it is
desired to erect the building.
Both roof and walls are hollow, and the hollow spaces between the outer and inner
faces of both walls and roof may be utilised in various ways, either as ventilating
shafts, as air-jackets, as cupboards, or as packing spaces.
The wall and roof-sections are made of lengths of preferably teak or jarrah, either
of which is damp--and insect-proof, connected so as to form rectangular frames.
These frames are covered on both sides with waterproof canvas or Willesden paper or
with any other similar material sufficiently light and waterproof.
These several outer and inner wall coverings are preferably hinged to the top edges
of their respective sections, thus forming flaps. The inner flaps can be raised to the
ceiling or removed, and the outer ones raised to form a portico. Roller blinds are
provided to be used if necessary when the wall coverings are raised.
The windows and doors are made to slide into recesses formed in the adjoining
sections. The windows may, however, be hinged to their frames.
As many of the sections as will make a manageable package may be permanently
connected by hinges. Other junctions are made by means of tongues and grooves, or
by any other equivalent device.
The joints between the several roof-sections are made practically water-tight by the
use of secret gutters formed in the joint, or by tongues and grooves, or by any other
equivalent device.
The floors consist of panels of hard fir strengthened by the insertion of transverse
keys of oak or similar hard wood driven across either side.
I will now describe my invention in detail, referring in so doing to the accom-
panying drawings which illustrate in detail the construction of a portable military field
hospital 33 ft. long x 17 ft. wide.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the building. The left hand part of the figure is an
external elevation shewing the hospital walls as closed for cold weather; the right
hand part of the figure being an internal elevation shewing the hospital wall with the
flaps up and the blinds down, as they would be used in hot weather.
Fig. 2 is a transverse and partly sectional elevation illustrating the construction of
the walls, partitions, and roof.

page_text: Fig. 4 is a plan illustrating the construction of the floor.
Fig. 5 is an external elevation of two wall-sections, one fitted with blind and flaps,
and the other with window.
Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation of a wall-section containing a window.
Fig. 7 is an elevation, partly in section, illustrating the method of supporting an
outer flap to produce a portico.
Fig. 8 is a plan of two wall-sections, shewing the method of making an air-tight
connection between them.
Fig. 9 is an elevation of the internal face of a wall-section with ventilating flap,
window, and cupboard under.
Figs. 10 and 11 are, respectively, sectional elevation and elevation of an end wall-
section, shewing the direction of the ventilating currents.
Figs. 12 and 13 are, respectively, sectional elevation and elevation of a wall-section
containing a door.
Like parts are marked throughout with the same reference letter.
The timbers A, A of the main cill are of a nearly rectangular section. These are
made in lengths of not more than 12 feet each, those forming one continuous length,
e. g., the side or end of a building engaging with each other by means of tenons and
mortises, or any other similar and equivalent device. Two adjacent corner timbers
are connected by hinges, a, which allow of their being folded together for convenience
in packing. The cill timbers of an annexe, B, make connection with the cill timbers
of the main building by means of devices similar to those used for connecting the
several timbers of a main cill.
C, C are the floor joists, none more than 12 feet long, and the tops of which are
lower than the tops of the cill by the thickness of the floor. They are of uniform
section, separated by uniform distances, and make connection with the cill timbers A
in any convenient way, (preferably as shewn in Figs. 4). The flooring consists of
panels D, D, of uniform area and thickness. The boards forming a panel are tongued,
grooved and glued up, and each panel is strengthened by the addition of transverse
oak keys which are mortised in from either side. The size of a panel coincides with
that of a space comprised between four intersecting joists, measuring from the centre
lines thereof. Each panel corner is fitted with a projecting eye.
When the panels
are laid, these eyes coincide. A pin, or screw, d, is then passed through each four
coinciding eyes into the joist beneath. A recess cut in the face of the cill timbers
receives the adjacent floor panels as shewn in Fig. 7.
con-
I do not confine myself to any particular shape of panel, although I wish to point
out that it is practically more convenient that they should be oblong rather than square.
Their length may be in the direction of either the side or end of the building, the
joists being arranged to suit. Both methods are illustrated in Fig. 4.
The frame of a wall section consists of top e, bottom e¹, and two sides, e², e²,
nected by mortises and tenons, or other convenient and suitable device. A tongue, e³,
projects from the face of the bottom and enters a corresponding and continuous
groove e formed in the top of the cill timbers A. Half of a section rests upon the
floor and half upon the cill, the margin of the floor panels 1), which lies in the recess
in the cill, being therefore held firmly between the sections and the cill by the
combined weight of the former and of the roof.
Two adjacent sections connect air-tight with each other by means of tongues and
grooves, f, formed along their sides. Two adjacent corner sections may be mitred
and hinged together in the same manner as the corner cill timbers are shewn to be in
Fig. 4.
The outer angle of the section tops e is cut off, thereby producing a slope f¹ of the
same pitch as that of the roof. A bead or tongues f2 project from this slope to engage
in corresponding grooves cut in the under face of the sides of the roof sections.
A wall section intended to form plain wall surface, i. e., without doors, windows, or
cupboards, is fitted with an outer flap, G, hinged to a cross-piece 9, (provided for that
purpose), and an inner flap, G₁, hinged to the section-top e. The outer flap is

page_text: provided with suitable struts g¹ by means of which it can be raised for the purpose of
forming a portico. When both outer and inner flaps are down, they form an air
channel between them open to the external atmosphere by means of louvres g², g²,
which may be adjustable. A hinged air valve g³ is provided on the inner side of the
section under the flap, G¹.
The opening of this valve closes the bottom louvre and makes communication
between the air channel in the section and the interior of the building. When both
flaps are raised, the outer by the struts g¹ and the inner removed or raised to the tie
beams m, there will be a free passage for air through the open sections. To moderate
this passage of air, and to shield the interior from the solar rays, I provide in the top
of each section a roller wood blind g which can be lowered or raised between guides g.
When both flaps G and G₁ are down, and the valves g³ and louvres g², g², closed; the
air space between the flaps acts as a non-conducting medium and prevents the too
rapid cooling of the interior. Both outer and inner flaps may be strengthened by the
incorporation with the material of which they are made of wooden margins. Suitable
fasteners for keeping the flaps closed when they are down are provided. The inner
flaps may be made loose instead of being hinged to the top of the section.
The sections made as above described can be used as packing cases for mattresses
and the like.
The method of fixing windows in the wall sections of my invention is illustrated in
Figs. 5 and 9. The frame i, i of the window is always horizontal and the sash or
sashes can be opened to the right or left by pushing them into the air spaces of the
adjoining sections; or the sashes may be hinged to their frames.
The spaces J above and below the window may be fitted with a permanent or
removable flap on both sides of the section, or the top space may be fitted with a
ventilating valve J¹, and the bottom space converted into a cupboard as shewn in
Fig. 9.
For hospital purposes the cupboard doors j, j, are provided with flap
tables,, which are raised and swung to the side of the adjacent beds by opening
the doors of the cupboard, in which the table appointments and other similar
requirements and utensils may be stored.
The sections forming a partition in a building are not so thick as those above
described. The construction of a partition-section is illustrated in Figs. 2, 10, and 11.
The frames of the sections are rectangular and may be wider than the wall-sections..
Braces k, k may be added if desired. They are covered on both sides with the same
material as is used for inner flaps G¹. The addition of these coverings, which extend
to within a short distance of both top and bottom, produces an air channel k¹ open to
the interior of the room at k², k². The top beads engage in grooves cut in the
underside of the tie beams, and the bottom beads, k, into grooves cut in the floor or
in a movable cill provided for that purpose. The side beads engage in corresponding
grooves in the adjacent sections.
The end wall sections may be made according to Figs. 10 and 11, and of a suitable
thickness.
3
The method of making a door-section according to my invention is shown in
Figs. 12 and 13. The frame of the section has the beads fa, e³, before described, and
a tongue on one side; and a short one only on the other side. The door itself is
made by fixing flaps, made as hereinbefore described, upon a frame 1, which slides
through one side of the frame of the section into the next section. The space 12 in
the section, above the door, may be covered with a small flap ³ as shewn in Fig. 3.
The roof is preferably double pitched, and with gable ends.
The gable ends are filled in with triangular sections M as shown in Fig. 3. The
principals, shewn in detail in Fig. 2, consist of rafters m, ridge piece m', king
posts m², struts m³, and tie beam m*, joined together in any convenient way, the tie
beam making suitable releasable connection by means of mortise and tenon joints, or
their equivalent, with the tops e of the side wall-sections.
with al
The frames of the roof-sections consist of two sides n, n, and two ends n', n',
suitable number of braces n². Those for one side of a double pitched roof are made
longer than those for the other side, which latter are cut away along their tops to

page_text: enable them to fit close up against the underside of the top end of the longer sections
projecting beyond the ridge piece m¹.
The roof sections are permanently covered on both sides with the same material as
the wall-sections. Ventilators N near the ridge piece may be adopted if desired. The
sections make tight connection with each other by means of tongue and groove joints
along their sides as illustrated and, described with reference to Fig. 8, or the sides are
rebated as illustrated in Fig. 1.
Any suitable devices for the purpose of fixing the roof sections to the rafters and
ridge piece may be adopted.
B is an annexe constructed as described above, and may be advantageously utilised
as a surgery, dispensary, or store room.
The different parts of a building constructed according to my invention are coated
with asbestos or other fire-proof paint.
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. In a portable building, the combination of the intersecting floor joists to which
are fixed the uniform flooring panels fixed thereupon by pins passed through eyes
projecting from the corners of said panels, and the main cill receiving the edges of
the adjacent flooring panels in a recess formed in its top and of the same depth as the
thickness of the panels; substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the
figures.
2. In a portable building, the hollow wall sections covered on both sides with
removable flaps and fitted internally with blinds and ventilating devices, or with doors
or windows and cupboards, and engaging with each other and with the main cill by
beads or tongues and grooves, and having their weight distributed evenly between
the cill and the adjacent floor panels; substantially as herein before described with
reference to the figures.
3. In a portable building, the hollow roof-sections covered with waterproof material
and engaging with the tops of the wall sections by means of tongues and grooves;
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the figures.
1007
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Patent Agents,
22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.