IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING THE FLOORS AND ROOFS of HOUSES AND OTHER BUILDINGS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry, Young Darracott Scott. of Ealing, in the
County of Middlesex. Lieutenant-Colonel in the Royal Engineers, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING THE FLOORS AND ROOFS of
HOUSES AND OTHER BUILDINGS."
.+
Sealed the 13th August 1867, and dated the 19th February 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION, left by the said Henry Young Darracott
Scott at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition.
on the 19th February 1867.
I. HENRY YOUNG DARRACOTT SCOTT. of Ealing. in the County of Middlesex,
Lieutenant-Colonel in the Royal Engineers. do hereby declare, the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING THE FLOORS AND ROOFS
OF HOUSES AND OTHER BUILDINGS," to be as follows:--
The object of this Invention is to construct fireproof floors and roofs of
houses and other buildings in concrete in a more economical manner than
has heretofore been accomplished. In the. systems hitherto adopted the
floors have usually been supported by. joists placed at intervals varying
from 16 to 50%, the joists, whether of iron or wood. having been used to
carry the weight of the concrete mass which forms the floor.
"
1
In lieu of this arrangement propose to dispense with the use of the ordinary
joists and to make use of. wrought-iron tie rods extending from wall to wall.
or (when the space to be covered is of large extent or span) from girder to

page_text: girder, placed at intervals of 10 or 20 feet to assist in carrying the weight of
These girders will form part of the main supports of the floor
for large spans, while the tie rods will hold together the mass between the
girders. The concrete is to be made of Portland cement. or other strong
cementing material, well mixed in the usual manner with sand, gravel, cinders,
burnt clay, or other hard substances. The tie rods should be placed at intervals
of two or three feet, and be either well bonded into the walls or else secured to
the girders where these are used. As an additional bond for the concrete, and
to assist in holding the mass together, I sometimes interlace across the tie rods
hoop iron or strong wire. By this means the floor becomes one solid brace.
having the tie rods and hoop iron with the concrete to take the. tensile strain,
and the concrete to take the compressive action resulting from the weight of
the floor. It will therefore be seen that I am enabled to dispense with costly
wrought-iron joists, and simply use round or flat bar iron which by being
imbedded in the concrete will be effectually protected from oxidation or the
effects of fire, and will therefore form a perfectly fireproof floor of very great
strength. For roofs, which should be made as light as possible. iron wire
netting may be used in addition to the tie rods and hoop iron. It is advisable
that all the iron used in constructing the floors and roofs should be covered
with and imbedded in the concrete. not only to protect it from the action
of fire, but also to add to the strength of the structure.
In carrying out the Invention a centering or platform must be erected to
receive the concrete and support it until it is set, after which it may be removed,
and the tie rods and hoop iron which hold the mass together and support it.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Young Darracott Scott in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 19th August 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
YOUNG DARRACOTT SCOTT, of Ealing, in the County of Middlesex, Lieu-
tenant-Colonel in the Royal Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself. Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Henry Young Darracott Scott, Her special licence that.. I. the said
Henry Young Darracott Scott, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or

page_text: such others as I. the said Henry Young Darracott Scott. 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 Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING THE FLOORS AND
ROOFS OF HOUSES AND OTHER BUILDINGS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that the said Henry Young Darracott Scott, my executors or adininistrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their. or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly, describe and ascertain the nature of the said In-
vention, 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 Henry Young Darracott Scott; 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 Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters figures and marked thereón (that is to say):-
The object of this Invention is to construct fireproof floors and roofs of
houses and other buildings in concrete in a' more economical manner than
has heretofore been accomplished. In the systems hitherto adopted the 'floors
have usually been supported by joists placed at intervals varying from one
foot six inches to five feet, the joists. whether of iron or wood, having been
used to carry the weight of the concrete mass which forms the floor."
In lieu of this arrangement I propose to dispense with the use of the
ordinary joists, and to make use of wrought-iron tie rods extending from wall
to wall, or when the space to be covered is of large extent or span from .girder
to girder placed at intervals of ten or twenty feet apart to assist in carrying
the weight of the concrete, the thickness of which will increase with the
increase in width of the span to be covered: these girders will form part of
the main supports of the floor 'for large spans: while the tie rods will hold
together the mass of concrete between the girders. The tie rods should be
placed at intervals of two or three feet apart. and be either well bonded
As an
into the walls or else secured to the girders when these are used.
additional bond for the concrete, and to assist in holding the mass together,
I sometimes interlace across the tie rods hoop iron or strong wire, and when
this is done the tie rods may be placed at greater intervals apart. By this
means the floor becomes one solid beam, having the tie rods and hoop iron in
combination with the concrete to take the tensile strain, and the concrete to

page_text: take the, compressive action resulting from the weight of the floor. It will
therefore be seen that I am enabled to dispense with costly wrought-iron
joists, and simply to use round or flat bar iron, which by being imbedded in
the concrete will be effecinally protected from oxidation or the effects of fire,
and will therefore form a perfectly fireproof floor of very great strength. For
roofs, which should be made as light as possible, iron wire netting may be
used in addition to the tie rods and hoop iron. It is advisable that all the
iron used in constructing the floors and roofs should be covered with and
imbedded in the concrete to protect it from the action of fire, but if desired
the under side of the floor may be cambered, as shewn in the Drawing, so as
to economise materials and make the floor lighter. In such a case the centre
part of the tie rods would be exposed below the concrete..
In carrying out the Invention a centering or platform must be erected to
receive the concrete and support it until it is set. after which the centering
may be removed, and the tie rods and hoop iron will hold the mass together
and support it.
In the accompanying Drawings. Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a floor or flat
roof constructed on my improved plan: Fig. 1 is another section taken at
right angles to the former.
à, a, are the side walls of the building, and b. b. are tie rods, of which there
may be any number according to the superficial extent of the floor: these
tie rods, which may be of round or square bar iron about one' inch thick, are
placed about three feet apart. and extend from wall to wall, their ends being
well bonded into both the walls, and bent either up, down, or sideways so as
to form a good key and hold in the wall, or they may be secured to a wall
plate: hoop iron h. h. is to be interlaced over and under these tie rods, and a
proper temporary stage, platform, or centreing having been erected to sustain
the concrete until it has set, the concrete is to be spread over this floor or
platform to the desired thickness, taking care to properly imbed the tie rods
and hoop iron therein. If desired the under side of the floor may be cambered.
as seen at Fig. 1. leaving the centre parts of the tie rods exposed, as already
mentioned the concrete is seen at c. c. and is colored yellow. The tem-
porary platform or stage is formed of one-inch flooring boards d supported
from beneath by transoms or cross pieces e and the vertical posts f, all of
which can be removed with rapidity and ease when the concrete is set. which
will be in about twelve hours. A concrete floor so made may, if desired, be
covered with an ordinary wooden or parquet flooring, or it may he finished
and made smooth with cement.
Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of a floor or flat roof of large span, say

page_text: thirty-four feet between the walls: Fig. 3 is a plan view of the naked floor
shewing the arrangement of the girders, tie rods, and hoop iron.
a, a, are the end walls of the building; b, b. are the tie rods, one end of which
is secured or bonded into the walls, while the opposite end is screwed or holted
to the iron girders g. g. as seen best in the enlarged sectional view, Fig. 4;
the ends of these girders are bonded into the side walls of the building, and
therefore assist in carrying the weight of the floor: h. h. are lengths of hoop
iron interlaced over and under the tie rods, and materially assist in strength-
ening the floor. In this instance the girders are eleven feet apart, and the tie
rods three feet apart. and the hoop iron about eighteen inches. When all
this iron (girders and all) is embedded in the concrete a floor of immense
strength will be formed.
Fig. 5 is a plan view of a naked floor or flat roof in which wire network
is combined with the tie rods and hoop iron. It will be seen that by the use
of this wire network I am enabled to place the tie rods and also the hoop-iron
bond farther apart than in the former instances, thereby economising the
iron, and at the same time increasing the strength of the structure. I prefer
to make the concrete of the best Portland cement well mixed with sand,
gravel, cinders, burnt clay, or other hard substances in the proportion of one
part of cement to not more than six of the other ingredients.
Having now described my Invention of Improvements in Constructing
the Floors and Roofs of Houses and other Buildings," and having explained
the manner of carrying the same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured
to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid, the mode or modes herein set forth of
combining wrought-iron rods or hoops with concrete for the purpose above
described.
In witness whereof, 1. the said Henty Young Darracott Scott, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Nineteenth day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
HENRY SCOTT. (L.S.)