Improvements in the Construction of Portable Sectional Buildings of Wood and Iron or other Composite Materials,
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Portable Sectional Buildings of
Wood and Iron or other Composite Materials,
I, ROBERT ROBSON SPEIRS, of Maxholme, Bearsden, in the County of Dum-
barton, Constructional Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention
to be as follows:-
-
This invention has reference to and comprises improvements in the construc-
tion of portable sectional buildings of wood and iron or other composite materials
suitable for many useful purposes such as hospitals, military huts, barracks,
and the like, which will render these sectionally portable, easily put together
or taken down by unskilled labour, easy of transport in ordinary vehicles, easy
of storage, easily adapted to the nature of any site without the aid of masonry
or other foundations, stable and withal of a more durable and lasting nature than
other buildings of such a nature heretofore in use for such purposes.
To obtain these effects the buildings are formed of sectional frames all of a
similar or corresponding size for their respective parts and so fitted as to be
easily and accurately built together and secured in a simple manner.
e foundation frames which support the whole building are rectangular and
of a width to suit the width of the wall frames and preferably of a length to
equal one half of the total width of the building, and these frames are placed
together on the ground preferably levelled to receive them and secured together
by bolts and nuts. If not convenient to level the ground the corners of the
frames may be supported by stones, wood blocks or in any convenient manner.
The floor sections which rest on the foundation frames are composed of two
layers of tongued and grooved flooring boards laid in reverse directions or of
one layer of boards provided with light joists to fit into notches in the foundation
frames or to rest on same. The floor sections are secured in position by screw
nails at each corner a countersunk hole being formed in the boards to receive
the screw nail. Screw rings of suitable size arc fitted to each floor section and
countersunk so as to be level with the floor for the purpose of lifting one or
more sections when this is desired.
The foundation frames, having the floor sections on the upper side, can be
readily converted into cases for holding the small fittings in connection with
the erection, for safety in transit, by having temporary boards secured on the
underside.
The wall sections are composed of wood framing made in certain similar or
corresponding widths and lengths to suit the size of building, and these rest on
their respective foundation frames and are attached thereto by bolts and nuts or
other like fastenings and to each other when brought together by similar means.
The exterior covering of the frames may be of wood, galvanised corrugated iron,
galvanised sheet iron, zinc or such like materials or any other prepared weather-
proof covering. The intermediate runners or bracing pieces of these frames
are of less width than the outside rails forming the sections and to these are

page_text: attached the interior covering of match boarding or other material, the hollow
space between being solidly packed with non-heat conducting material or specially
prepared felt to obviate the conductivity of the exterior coverings. The inter-
mediate runners or bracings being of less width than the framing, allow of the
securing bolts being readily got at for fixing or un-fixing. To make the joinings
of the sections air-tight a tongued and grooved arrangement is provided at the
joining of the sections and a narrow outer corrugated plate fits over the side
corrugations of each section of the exterior covering and covers the joint. Where
any exterior covering other than corrugated iron is used a special plate on a
similar principle is applied.
For instance when galvanised sheet iron is used each wall section frame is pro-
vided with an angled fillet along its outer edge forming a dovetail when two
sections are placed together and the sheet metal covering is turned up at its
edges to lie against the fillets when a gutter shaped length of the metal is secured
over the fillets and makes a weather tight joint. The same or similar arrange-
ments are used for the roof sections.
All doors and windows are preferably fitted into their respective sections and
form part of same but they may if preferred be fitted to slide into adjacent
sections, and may be protected during transit by outside and inside shutters.
The roof sections are arranged so as to provide a pitched roof with or prefer-
ably without the aid of separate rafter pieces or ridge pole these being practically
formed by the meeting sides and ends of the frames, and are therefore formed
and secured together in a manner similar to that already described for the walls.
The lower ends of the roof sections and top of the wall sections are secured
together by special hooks which may be made to engage with the nearest securing
bolts of each section.
To render the building thoroughly stable and equal to resist the wind pressure
the wall and roof sections are held together at the junction of sections by light
iron tie rods and king rods. The tie rods are in two parts secured by one end
to the wall section and are furnished with eyes at their inner ends as is also
the lower end of the king rod. These eyes are all angled in such a manner as
to coincide and receive a securing bolt preferable fitted with a nut.
The upper
end of the king rods are furnished with eyes by which they are secured by
bolts and nuts to eyes in the lower end of links the upper ends of which are
secured to the roof sections on each side.
Removable ridging covers are provided to fit over the ridge plates which are
attached to the respective roof sections the ridging covers being attached by
galvanised bolts and nuts.
The corners of the building are formed of posts to which the side section are
secured.
Removable ventilators are provided on the roof and removable arrangements
for stove pipes passing through the roofs are also provided. All these fittings
as already explained can be conveniently packed in the hollow space of the
foundation frames converted into cases by the floor sections.
Buildings can be increased to any extent by adding additional sections.
Partition sections are made in a similar but lighter manner and are attached
in like manner and any building can readily and easily be divided into com-
partments of any number and size by arranging the position of the partition
sections.
Dated the 22nd July 1898
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow,' Agents.

page_text: Improvements in the Construction of Portable Sectional Buildings of
Wood and Iron or other Composite Materials.
I, ROBERT ROBSON SPEIRS, of Maxholme, Bearsden, in the County of Dum-
barton, Constructional Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement in writing reference being
made to the accompanying drawings:-
This invention has reference to and comprises improvements in the construc-
tion of portable sectional buildings of wood and iron or other composite materials
suitable for many useful purposes such as hospitals, military huts, barracks,
and the like, which will render these sectionally portable, and easily put together
or taken down by unskilled labour, easy of transport in ordinary vehicles, easy
of storage, easily adapted to the nature of any site without the aid of masonry
or other foundations, stable and withal of a more durable and lasting nature than
other buildings of such a nature heretofore in use for such purposes.
To obtain these effects the buildings are formed of sectional frames all of a
similar or corresponding size for their respective parts and so fitted as to be
easily and accurately built together and secured in a simple manner.
And in order that my said invention may be properly understood I have
hereunto appended two sheets of explanatory drawings in which Figure 1 is a
plan of a small portable hospital, Figure 2 a plan of a hut, while Figure 3 is a
sectional plan, Figure 4 a sectional elevation and Figure 5 a perspective view,
broken away, of parts of a portable building showing my improved construction.
Referring to these drawings particularly Figures 3 to 5-
The foundation frames A. which support the whole building are rectangular
and of a width to suit the width of the wall frames B and preferably of a length
to equal one half of the total width of the building, and these frames A are
placed together on the ground preferably levelled to receive them and secured
together by bolts and nuts a. If not convenient to level the ground the corners
of the frames may be supported by stones C wood-blocks or in any convenient
manner.
The floor sections D which rest on the foundations frames may be composed of
two layers of tongued and grooved flooring boards laid in reverse directions or
as illustrated of one layer of boards provided with light joists to fit into notches
in the foundation frames A or to rest on the same. The floor sections are secured
in position by screw nails at each corner a countersunk hole being formed i.
the boards to receive the screw nails.
Screw rings of suitable size are fitted to each floor section and countersunk
so as to be level with the floor for the purpose of lifting one or more sections
when this is desired.
The foundation frames, having the floor sections on the upper side, can be
readily converted into cases for holding the small fittings in connection with the
erection, for safety in transit, by having temporary boards secured on the
underside.
The wall sections B are composed of wood framing made in certain similar
or corresponding widths and lengths to suit the size of building and these rest
and are attached thereto by bolts and
on their respective foundation frames
nuts such as Figure 4 or other like fastenings and to each other when brought
together, by similar means.
The exterior covering B' of the frames may be of wood or as shown of galvan

page_text: ised corrugated iron, or it may be of galvanised sheet iron, zinc or such like
materials or any other prepared weatherproof covering.
The intermediate runners or bracing pieces b' of these frames B are of less
width than the outside rails forming the sections and to these are attached the
interior covering of match boarding or other material 6ª the hollow space
between being solidly packed with non heat conducting material or specially
prepared felt to obviate the conductivity of the exterior coverings. The inter-
mediate runners or bracing pieces 6' being of less width than the framing, allow
of the securing bolts being readily got at for fixing or unfixing. To make
the joinings of the sections air tight a tongued and grooved arrangement 63
Figure 3 is provided at the joining of the sections and a narrow outer corrugated
plate B2 is fitted over the side corrugations of each section of the exterior covering
and covers the joint. Where any exterior covering other than corrugated iron
is used a special plate on a similar principle is applied.
For instance as illustrated by Figure when galvanised sheet iron is used,
each wall section frame B is provided with an angled fillet 6 along its outer
edge forming a dovetail when two sections are placed together and the sheet
metal covering is turned up at its edges to lie against the fillets, when a
gutter shaped length of the metal B is secured over the fillets and makes a
weather tight joint. The same or similar arrangements are used for roof sections.
All doors and windows are preferably fitted into their respective sections and
form part of same but they may it preferred be fitted to slide within recesses in
adjacent sections, and may be protected during transit by outside and inside
shutters.
The roof sections E are arranged so as to provide a pitched roof with, or pre-
ferably as shown, without the aid of separate rafter pieces or ridge pole these
being practically formed by the meeting sides and ends of the frames, and are
therefore formed and secured together in a manner similar to that already
described for the wall sections B.
The lower ends of the roof sections and top of the wall sections are secured
together by special hooks e shown in Figures 4 and 5 and to a larger scale in
Figure 5 which may be made to engage with the nearest securing bolts 6 of
each section B.
To render the building thoroughly stable and equal to resist the wind pressure
the wall and roof sections are held together at the junction of sections by light
iron tie rods e¹ and king rods. The tie rods el are in two parts each secured
by one end by an eye to the wall section and are furnished with eyes at their inner
ends as is also the lower end of the king rod e². These eyes are all angled in
such a manner as to coincide and receive a securing bolt e preferably fitted
with a nut. The upper end of the king rods are furnished with eyes by which
they are secured by bolts and nuts et to eyes in the lower end of links the
upper ends of which are secured to the roof sections on each side.
Removable ridging covers F are provided to fit over the ridge plates which
are attached to the respective roof sections E the ridging covers being attached
by galvanised bolts and nuts.
The corners of the building are formed of posts G to which the side sections
are secured as shown in Figure 3.
Removable ventilators H are provided on the roof and removable arrange-
ments for stove pipes passing through the roofs are also provided. All these
fittings as already explained can be conveniently packed in the hollow space of
the foundation frames converted into cases by the floor sections.
Figure 1, of the drawings shows a plan of a small portable hospital consisting
of two wards I I, nurses room J kitchen K, bedroom L, scullery M, water
closets N, and lobbies 0, as constructed in accordance with these improvements
while Figure 2 is a plan of a portable hut fitted with doors P and windows Q.
Buildings constructed in this improved manner can be increased to any extent
by adding additional sections.

page_text: Partition sections such as R Figure 3 are made in a similar but lighter manner
and are attached in like manner and any building can be readily and easily
divided into compartments of any number and size by arranging the position
of the partition sections as illustrated by Figure 1.
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: -
First. Portable sectional buildings constructed in the improved manner sub-
stantially as herein described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Second. The construction and arrangement or combination of the parts of port-
able sectional buildings substantially as herein described and illustrated by the
accompanying drawings.
Third. In portable sectional buildings the combination with the wall and
roof sections of foundation sections constructed and arranged substantially as
herein described and illustrated by Figures 3, 4, and 5, of the accompanying
drawings.
Fourth. In portable sectional buildings the construction of foundation, wall
and roof sections in corresponding proportions in a manner to permit of erecting
buildings of varied dimensions according to the number of sections employed
substantially as herein described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Fifth. In portable sectional buildings the forming of a weatherproof joint
between the sections by means of a tongued and groove joint covered outside by
a strip or section of corrugated iron substantially as herein described and illus-
trated by Figures 3 of the accompanying drawings.
Sixth. In portable sectional buildings the weather-proof joint between sections
constructed substantially as herein described and illustrated by Figure
accompanying drawings.
of the
Seventh. In portable sectional buildings the combination with the roof and
wall sections of the tie rods, king rods, hooks and links, connected together sub-
stantially as herein described and illustrated by Figures 4, 5, and 5 of the
accompanying drawings.
D
011 A
1000