IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES USED FOR FORMING FLUES AND AIR AND WATER PASSAGES IN BUILDINGS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Josiah George Jennings, of Holland Street, Black-
friars, Sanatory Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES USED FOR FORMING FLUES AND AIR AND WATER
PASSAGES IN BUILDINGS."
Sealed the 26th March 1858, and dated the 1st October 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Josiah George Jennings
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 1st October 1857.
I, JOSIAH GEORGE JENNINGS, of Holland Street, Blackfriars, Sanatory
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES USED FOR FORMING FLUES AND AIR AND
WATER PASSAGES IN BUILDINGS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object, improvements in the manufacture of articles
used for forming flues and air and water passages in buildings.
For these purposes, in place of using the ordinary wood trimmers at the
fronts of fireplaces in buildings as heretofore, cast-iron trimmers (with suitable
flanches and recesses to receive joists) are used, such trimmers being made
with air passages through them, so that any air admitted between the floors
by air bricks or otherwise, may pass freely through such trimmers; hollow
blocks of earthenware are used below the hearths in such manner that the
longitudinal passages through them are made tocorrespond with the air passages
in the trimmers. From the ends of such blocks proceed like blocks, which rise

page_text: up the sides or the backs of the flues or chimneys, suitable junctions with
corresponding hollow passages being used for connecting the horizontal and
upright blocks; and to insure good joints, the ends of the blocks are formed
with grooves to receive tongues. Part of the Invention is applicable when
making flues and air passages conjointly. For these purposes, moulded articles
or blocks are formed of earthenware, by forcing clay through moulded orifices
so constructed, that each die will produce in any desired lengths rectangular
blocks, the central passage of which is suitable for a flue, which it is preferred
should be cylindrical, whilst the four angles are made hollow, and form four
angular air passages around the central passage or flue; or, in place of each
die being formed to produce the rectangular hollow blocks above described
complete, each die may be made to produce half or a quarter of such a block,
in which case the sides where they come together are formed with grooves to
receive tongues or cement; and in all cases the ends of such blocks should
be made with grooves to receive tongues or cement.
In order to more conveniently provide for the conveying away rain water
from the roofs of buildings, and for ventilating the drains into which rain water
descends, hollow blocks are formed, suitable for bonding in with the brick work
of a building, such hollow blocks being of clay expressed through dies or
moulding orifices; each such block, in addition to the tubular passages for
the rain water is formed with three sides at right angles to each other, which
form suitable projections for bonding in with brickwork.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Josiah George Jennings in the Great Seal. Patent Office
on the 1st April 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSIAH
GEORGE JENNINGS, of Holland Street, Blackfriars, Sanatory Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Josiah George Jennings,, Her special licence that I, the said Josiah
George Jennings, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Josiah George Jennings, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time

page_text: 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 THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES USED FOR FORM.
ING FLUES AND AIR AND WATER PASSAGES IN BUILDINGS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Josiah George Jennings, my executors or
administrators, 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 Invention, 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.
KNOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Josiah George Jennings, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
articles used for forming flues and air and water passages in buildings.
For these purposes, in place of using the ordinary wood trimmers at the
fronts of fireplaces in buildings as heretofore, cast-iron trimmers (with suitable
flanches and recesses to receive the joists) are used, such trimmers being
made with air passages through them, so that any air admitted between the
floors by air bricks or otherwise may pass freely through such trimmers;
hollow blocks of earthenware are used below the hearths in such manner
that the longitudinal passages through them are made to correspond with the
air passages in the trimmers. From the ends of such blocks proceed like
blocks, which rise up the sides or the backs of the flues or chimnies; suitable
junctions with corresponding hollow passages being used for connecting the
horizontal and upright blocks, and to ensure good joints, the ends of the
blocks are formed with grooves to receive tongues. Part of the Invention
is applicable when making flues and air passages conjointly. For these purposes
moulded articles or blocks are formed of earthenware, by forcing clay through
moulding orifices so constructed that each die will produce in any desired
lengths, rectangular blocks, the central passage of which is suitable for a flue
which it is preferred should be cylindrical, whilst the four angles are made
hollow, and form four angular air passages around the central passage or flue;
or in place of each die being formed to produce the rectangular hollow blocks
above described complete, each die may be made to produce half or a quarter
of such a block, in which case the sides where they come together are formed

page_text: with grooves to receive tongues or cement; and in all cases the ends of such
blocks should be made with grooves to receive tongues or cement.
In order to more conveniently provide for the conveying away rain water
from the roofs of buildings, and for ventilating the drains into which rain
water descends, hollow blocks are formed, suitable for bonding in with the
brick work of a building, such hollow blocks being of clay expressed through.
dies or moulding orifices; each such block, in addition to the tubular passages
for the rain water, is formed with three sides at right angles to each other,
which form suitable projections for bonding in with brickwork.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, I will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows a plan of a cast or wrought-iron trimmer, having suitable
flanches and recesses to receive the ends of the joists, and the same is
formed with passages through it for the passage of air to and through the
hollow hearth blocks, such as are shewn at Figure 3; and Figure 2 shows a
front elevation of the trimmer; the form of the trimmer shown is the one I
prefer, but the same will require variations to suit special cases.
a, a, is the
trimmer, which by its ends are supported by joists b, b, or by walls or other-
wise; c, c, are joists, which are supported by the flanch a', and are kept
upright by recesses or projections at a², a², as shewn ; a³, a³; are air passages;
and d, d, are blocks of hollow earthenware, which conduct air from a lower
apartment into air flues in the walls above the hearth; where such hollow
blocks are applied these air blocks which are supported at one of their ends
on the flanch of the trimmer. The joists may, where necessary, be tied to the
trimmer by screw bolts and nuts, as shown at e, e. Figure 4 shows a trans-
verse section of the trimmer a, a. The ordinary hearth is placed over the
hollow earthenware air blocks, and the ends of the hollow blocks are to be
suitably connected at one end with suitable air flues in the walls, and with
the source from which the impure air is to be withdrawn. When it is desired,
one or more of the hollow channels in the hollow earthenware blocks may be
arranged to supply air to the fireplace which is above such earthenware
blocks. By thus using cast-iron trimmers and hollow earthenware blocks in
combination with air flues,great opportunity will be afforded for ventilation,
by making openings in the ceilings and cornices in the rooms below, and
arranging for the air to pass between the joists, and to and through the chan-
nels in the hollow earthenware blocks. Figure 5 shows a plar of a block
suitable for constructing smoke and air flues in buildings; Figure 6 shews a

page_text: plan of a block half of Figure 5; and Figure 7 is a plan of a block half that
shown in Figure 6; it is preferred that the ends of these blocks should be
made with grooves to facilitate the making of close joints. These blocks are
moulded by forcing clay through moulding orifices. And the peculiarity
consists in making hollow blocks in such form that, whether in one piece or
of two or four pieces, they shall in the interior present a suitable space for a
smoke flue surrounded with hollow spaces for forming air flues; and when
such blocks are made in two or in four pieces, then each piece is made in such
form as to contribute in the formation of the inner or central smoke flue,
and also contribute in the formation of one or more air flues in contact with
the inner or smoke flue. In Figures 5, 6, and 7, the inner or smoke flue z, z,
is surrounded by four air flues y, y, whether the set of flues be constructed of
blocks all in one piece, as shewn at Figure 5, or of blocks in two pieces, as
in Figure 6, or in blocks in four pieces, as shewn at Figure 7. The exterior
surfaces are at right angles to each other, and the interior or smoke flue is a
circular, but the form of the interior may be varied, so as to form an octagonal
or other many-sided interior or smoke flue, in which case the forms of the
surrounding air flues will be varied. In Figure 8 are shown the forms of
four blocks, each having two passages for forming air flues; two of these:
blocks a, a, are similar, except in size, to hollow bricks which have before
been made, and two of such blocks w, w, are made with three passages
through them, two of which are for the formation of air flues, and the third is
made suitable for bonding in with ordinary brickwork; each of the blocks.
w, w, are made with angular projections w¹, against which the two blocks a, a,
I come, as is shown in Figure 9. In constructing blocks of this description
they may be made suitable for working in with one, two, or more courses of
ordinary brick work; and such is the case in regard to those shewn in Figures
5,6, and 7; and in order to accommodate for cases where the flues are required
to incline from the perpendicular, like blocks are made with the upper or
lower ends in some cases, and in other cases with both ends, formed to one
incline, according to the degree of inclination the flues are required to be con-
structed. When two or more smoke flues are constructed near together, then, in
place of there being projections w¹ on one side only, other blocks w³ are used,
made with angular projections w¹ on both sides, as shewn at Figures 8 and 9.
In constructing single smoke flues with the blocks shewn at Figure 8,
four of such blocks will be used in each course of the blocks, two like blocks
a, a, and two like blocks w, w, will be employed, but their positions will be
varied at each course of the blocks; in one course the two blocks a, a, will be
interior of the work, and the two blocks w, w, exterior of the wall; in the next

page_text: course the two blocks x, x, will be exterior, and the two blocks w, w, will
be interior, that is, in transverse direction in respect to the wall; or four
blocks like wo may be used, and none of those like a, a, (as is shown by
Figure 9*). Figure 10 shews a perspective view of a quantity of ordinary
brickwork, having therein hollow blocks of earthenware with passages
through them suitable for rain water pipes, and also for air flues, to ventilate
the drains into which such pipes enter. In Figure 10 there are three blocks
shown, each of a size equal to four courses of ordinary brickwork, but this
may be varied. These blocks are shown suitable for upright work, but
where the water pipe requires to be inclined, the blocks will be formed with
their ends inclined according to the angle desired. On each side of the water
pipe u there are two air flues v, v, which are each formed by three sides at
right angles to each other, so that each block is rectangular and suitable
to bond in with ordinary brickwork. To facilitate the making of good
joints, the ends of the blocks should be formed with grooves.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim is,--
First, the construction of air flues in combination with cast-iron trimmers
as herein described with reference to Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Secondly, I claim the construction of smoke in combination with air flues,
by means of hollow earthenware blocks made by expressing clay through
moulding orifices, as in one, or in two, or in four pieces, as described in
respect to Figures 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9.
And, thirdly, I claim the construction of earthenware blocks for rain
water pipes and air flues, as described in respect to Figure 10.
In witness whereof, I, the said Josiah George Jennings, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
FRED HARRIS.
JOSIAH GEORGE JENNINGS. (L.S.)