IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FIREPROOF AND OTHER FLOORING FOR BUILDINGS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Abraham Henthorn Stott, of Oldham, in the
County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF FIREPROOF AND OTHER FLOORING FOR BUILDINGS."
Sealed the 22nd December 1871, and dated the 19th July 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Abraham Henthorn
Stott at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 19th July 1871.
I, ABRAHAM HENTHORN STOTT, of Oldham, in the County of Lan-
caster, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FIREPROOF AND OTHER FLOORING FOR BUILDINGS,"
to be as follows:-
The object of my Invention is to construct a fireproof or other flooring
of an equal strength throughout, the weight and strength being properly
distributed, and a less weight of metal and a lighter brick arching than
hitherto employed.

page_text: I use cast-iron columns of a suitable height and thickness, and at or
near the top of each column I cast on an arched bracket at each side
thereof projecting from the sides of the column from (say) one-quarter
to one-third of the span between the columns, and I connect each
opposite pair of brackets by bolting, rivetting, or otherwise jointing to
the ends thereof a wrought, rolled, or cast iron beam forming as it
were a continuation and completion of the arch between the two
brackets, so that each span is divided into three parts bolted or rivetted
together, and thus the strength is equalized, and the strain more equally
distributed, and the thickness and weight of the brick arching between
the beams may be considerably diminished.
In cases where it is desirable to dispense with the brick arching
and to substitute stone flagging for the floors, I use additional iron cross
beams made of T iron and rivetted to the wrought, rolled, or cast iron
beams above mentioned by means of angle-iron gussets.
And in cases where the flooring is not required to be fireproof I use
the iron columns and brackets as before, and I so form the latter as to
receive and support the ends of short wooden beams in place of the
wrought, rolled, or cast iron beams above mentioned.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, 2
filed by the said Abraham Henthorn Stott in the Great Scal Patent
Office on the 18th January 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ABRAHAM
HENTHORN STOTT, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her 2
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Abraham Henthorn Stott, Her special
license, that I, the said Abraham Henthorn Stott, my executors, admi- 3
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Abraham Henthorn
Stott, 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,

page_text: 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 CONSTRUCTION OF FIREPROOF AND OTHER FLOORING FOR
BUILDINGS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Abraham
Henthorn Stott, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under 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.
'
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Abraham Henthorn Stott, 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 and accompanying Drawings (that is to
say) :-
The object of my Invention is to construct a fireproof or other flooring
of an equal strength throughout, the weight and strength being properly
distributed, and with a less weight of metal and a lighter brick arching
than hitherto employed.
I use cast-iron columns of a suitable height and thickness, and at or
near the top of cach column I cast on an arched bracket at each side
thereof projecting from the sides of the column from (say) one-quarter
to one-third of the span between the columns, and I connect each
opposite pair of brackets by bolting, rivetting, or otherwise jointing to
the ends thereof a wrought, rolled, or cast iron beam forming as it
were a continuation and completion of the arch between the two
brackets, so that each span is divided into three parts bolted or rivetted
together, and thus the strength is equalized, and the strain more equally
distributed, and the thickness and weight of the brick arching between
the beams may be considerably diminished.
In cases where it is desirable to dispense with the brick arching and
to substitute stone flagging for the floors I use additional iron cross
beams made of T iron and rivetted or bolted to the wrought, rolled, or
cast iron beams above mentioned by means of angle-iron gussets.
And in cases where the flooring is not required to be fireproof I use
the iron columns and brackets as before, and I so form the latter as to

page_text: receive and support the ends of short wooden beams in place of wrought,
rolled, or cast iron beams above mentioned.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention for
"Im-
provements in the Construction of Fireproof and other Flooring for
Buildings," I will now proceed to describe more in detail the manner in
which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical
effect;
and in order that the same may be clearly understood I have
annexed hereunto a Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof, and have
marked the same with figures and letters of reference corresponding with
those in the following explanation thereof :-
:―
In the annexed Drawing Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section, and Fig. 2 a
transverse section of a fireproof floor constructed according to my
Invention with brick arching; Fig. 2x is a plan view of the same;
Figs. 3 and 4 are similar views with stone flagging supported by T iron
cross bears; and Fig. 3*, plan view of same. Fig. 5 is a transverse
section, showing the arrangement when the floor is not required to be
fireproof.
a, a, are the cast-iron columns of suitable height and thickness, each
having cast thereto at or near the top two curved brackets b, b, pro-
jecting from one-third to one-quarter of the span between the columns,
and connected together at their ends by being bolted or rivetted to the
wrought, rolled, or cast iron beam c, c, which forms the continuation of
the arch. d, d, is the brick arching in Figs. 1 and 2 supporting the
joists and boards e, e, or the stone flags f, f; 9, 9, are the cast-iron
longitudinal girders.
In Figs. 3 and 4 the brick arching is dispensed with, and the flags f, f
are supported on additional T iron cross beams h, h.
In Fig. 5 the ends of the brackets b, b, are so formed as to receive and
support the ends of the short wooden beams i, i, in place of the iron
beams above mentioned in cases where the floor is not required to be
fireproof.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention for
improvements in the construction of fireproof and other flooring for
buildings, together with the manner in which the same is to be or may
be performed or carried into practical effect, I wish it to be understood
that I claim as my Invention, the novel construction of fireproof and

page_text: other floors, substantially in the manner herein-before described and
illustrated by the Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Abraham Henthorn Stott, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of January,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
two.
Witness,
GEORGE DAVIES, C.E.,
Patent Agent,
Manchester.
A. H. STOTT. (L.S.)