IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BUILDINGS, AND THE FORMATION OF ARTIFICIAL BLOCKS OF CONCRETE, AND OTHER MATERIAL FOR THAT PURPOSE." PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph John Lish, of Scottish Chambers, Grainger Strect
West, in the Town and County of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BUILDINGS, AND THE FORMATION OF
ARTIFICIAL BLOCKS OF CONCRETE, AND OTHER MATERIAL FOR THAT PURPOSE."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph John Lish at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th December 1877.
JOSEPH JOHN LISH, of Scottish Chambers, Grainger Street West, in the Town
and County of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
BUILDINGS, AND THE FORMATION OF ARTIFICIAL BLOCKS OF CONCRETE, AND OTHER
MATERIAL FOR THAT PURPOSE."
My Invention relates to methods of constructing cornices, walls, floors, and other
portions of buildings of artificial blocks of concrete and other material so formed as
to give great strength to the structure combined with lightness, and to provide
cavities available for flues, ventilating channels, or the like, or serving as air spaces
to prevent penetration of damp or diminished conduction of heat.
I construct cornices in two or more layers of blocks, which are formed with
cavities or hollows in their beds, or in those sides which face each other when the
blocks are laid one on the other. These hollows serve materially to lessen the
weight of the blocks and permit of a more solid bedding of the one layer of structure
on the other.
The cavities may be formed by longitudinal grooving of the blocks, so that when
they are laid a continuous passage is presented within the structure; or the cavities
may be simply trough-like hollows, discontinuous within the structure, or opening
out if desired at the back of the wall.
For constructing walls I employ blocks of the form of a Z or L or T, or of a T
with two limbs resembling the Greek letter. The blocks of Z shape are placed
on their edges contiguous to each other, the parts corresponding to the horizontal

page_text: limbs of the Z forming the faces of the wall at each side, and those corresponding to
the vertical limb of the letter forming cross bonds, whilst between these bonds there
are hollow spaces, which may be left open or may be filled in with concrete or
other suitable material if desired. When blocks of L, T, or form are used those
for the opposite faces of the wall are placed in relatively reversed or inverted
positions with their projecting limbs forming alternating cross bonds.
Blocks of the forms described above may be used in combination with slabs, and
the blocks may be set to break joint on opposite faces with the face joints supported
by cross bonds. A like construction is applicable in horizontal structures, such as
floors, or for lintels or girders.
Blocks of form are suitable for corners, also for jambs, palisters, and such like
portions of structures.
For string courses, architraves, sills, or moulded jambs, the blocks may be made
with the desired mouldings upon them, or lengths of moulding may be attached
afterwards to the blocks to form the reveals of openings. Also, in all cases the
blocks may be made with roughened, grooved, or corrugated faces to receive a facing
of plaster or cement, or may have a facing of plaster or cement coloured, if desired,
formed upon them in the process of their manufacture.
The edges of the blocks may be grooved and feathered or rebated for jointing.
In forming blocks, such as I have described above (some forms of which made with
a facing of fabric I mentioned in a Provisional Specification filed by me on the 12th
June 1877, No. 2277), I employ lime or cement, concreto, or plaster, or argillaceous
materials along with lime or cement, and place them in a mould of the desired form
from which the block is removed when the material has set.
In many cases it is desirable to apply pressure in the moulding of the blocks, and
for that purpose I make the one part of the mould to move as a plunger, which is
pressed down on the materials by hydraulic or other suitable apparatus.
When it is desired to groove or roughen faces of the blocks I lay into the mould,
or above the material when the mould is charged, pieces of wire or other netting,
which can be picked out when the block is set, or partially so, leaving corresponding
impression.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Joseph John Lish in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th June
1878.
JOSEPH JOHN LISH, of Scottish Chambers, Grainger Street West, in the Town
and County of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
BUILDINGS, AND THE FORMATION OF ARTIFICIAL BLOCKS OF CONCRETE, AND OTHER
MATERIAL FOR THAT PURPOSE."
My Invention relates to methods of constructing cornices, walls, floors, and other
portions of buildings of artificial blocks of concrete and other material so formed as
to give great strength to the structure combined with lightness, and to provide
cavities available for flues, ventilating channels, or the like, or serving as air spaces
to prevent penetration of damp or diminish conduction of heat.
construct cornices in two or more layers of blocks, which are formed with
cavities or hollows in their beds, or in those sides which face each other when the
blocks are laid one on the other. These hollows serve materially to lessen the
weight of the blocks and permit of a more solid bedding of the one layer of
structure on the other.
The cavities may be formed by longitudinal grooving of the blocks, so that when
they are laid a continuous passage is presented within the structure; or the cavities
may be simply trough-like hollows, discontinuous within the structure, or opening
out if desired at the back of the wall.
For constructing walls I employ blocks of the form of a Z or L or T, or of a T
with two limbs resembling the Greek letter π. The blocks of Z shape are placed
on their edges contiguous to each other, the parts corresponding to the horizontal
limbs of the Z forming the faces of the wall at each side, and those corresponding
to the vertical limb of the letter, forming cross bonds, whilst between these bonds
there are hollow spaces which may be left open, or may be filled in with concrete
or other suitable material if desired. When blocks of L, T, or form are used those
for the opposite faces of the wall are placed in relatively reversed or inverted
positions with their projecting limbs forming alternating cross bonds.
Blocks of the forms described above may be used in combination with slabs, and
the blocks may be set to break joint on opposite faces with the face joints supported
by cross bonds. A like construction is applicable in horizontal structures, such as
floors, ar for lintels or girders.
Blocks of form are suitable for corners, also for jambs, pilasters, and such like
portions of structures.
For string courses, architraves, sills, or moulded jambs, the blocks may be made
with the desired mouldings upon them, or lengths of moulding may be attached
afterwards to the blocks to form the reveals of openings. Also, in all cases, the
blocks may be made with roughened, grooved, or corrugated faces to receive a facing
of plaster or cement, or may have a facing of plaster or cement coloured if desired,
formed upon them in the process of their manufacture.
The edges of the blocks may be grooved and feathered or rebated for jointing.
In forming blocks, such as I have described above (some forms of which, made
with a facing of fabric, I mentioned in a Provisional Specification filed by me on the
12th June 1877, No. 2277), I employ lime or cement, concrete, or plaster, or
argillaceous materials along with lime or cement, and place them in a mould of the
desired form from which the block is removed when the material has set.
In many cases it is desirable to apply pressure in the moulding of the blocks,
and for that purpose I make the one part of the mould to move as a plunger,
which is pressed down on the materials by hydraulic or other suitable apparatus.
When it is desired to groove or roughen faces of the blocks I lay into the mould
or above the material when the mould is charged pieces of wire or other netting,
which can be picked out when the block is set or partially so, leaving corresponding
impressions,

page_text: Figure 1 represents a sectional plan of part of a wall constructed of blocks of Z form,
according to my Invention, a special block being employed at the corner, which if
preferred may be built in solid.
Figure 2 shows the Z blocks combined with slabs.
For the purpose of keying the structure it is advantageous to make the meeting
faces of the blocks and slabs with grooves, or the one face with a groove and the
other with a projecting feather, as shown in the end view of a block, Figure 3.
The proportions and shape given to the blocks of the Z form are preferably such
as to permit of them being safely packed for transport, as shewn in Figure 4, the
blocks fitting up to each other and the inner corners being protected.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I claim,—
First. Constructing walls and buildings of artificial blocks of concrete or like
material made in Z form, and arranged and jointed together, substantially as herein
described with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings.
Second. Constructing walls and buildings of Z blocks, such as are referred to in
the preceding claim, in combination with slabs, arranged and jointed substantially as
described with reference to Figure 2.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph John Lish, have hereunto set my hand
and scal, this Third day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-eight.