Improvements in the Construction of Iron Buildings, Fencing, and the like.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 29th May, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 29th Feb., 1896-Accepted, 4th Apr., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Iron Buildings, Fencing, and
the like.
I THOMAS HUNGATE PRESTON DENNIS Chelmsford Essex Engineer do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention consists of an adaptor and connector for fixing sheet iron wood or
other material to iron framing of buildings walls and fences and for effecting the
rapid construction and erection of the same also of providing a ready and secure
attachment for joists of floors, tie rods, wind ties or any constructive part of a
building where vertical weight or pressure or tensile strain exists.
My adaptor and connector consists of a metal band formed the precise shape of
the iron framing of the building wall or fence and made to encircle said framing to
nearly the entire extent of its surface; projecting lugs are formed on it at the
point of meeting.
When the adaptor and connector is placed in position on the iron framing the
projecting lugs are drawn together either with screw'd bolts and nuts or rivets-
thus fixing the adaptors and connectors securely to it.
On the opposite side to the projecting lugs or in any other position I leave a
hole or holes through adaptors and connectors and pass screws fitted with nuts
with their heads inwards through them of sufficient length to pass through or past
and beyond the metal or wood shell of the building wall or fence.
The adaptors and connectors (2 or more) being now in position to receive the
metal or wood shell of the building wall or fence as the case may be.
The shell in convenient sizes is placed close up to the iron framing it is intended
to cover with the screw or screws from the adaptor and connector passing through
or past and beyond it-it is then secured by the threaded nuts being passed on to
the projecting screws with washers of any desired shape behind them.
This operation is necessarily repeated in convenient portion or section until the
whole of the constructional portions of the building wall or fence is covered.
In the case of attaching joist tie rods or other parts of construction which have
either to support vertical weight or bear tensile strain I form adaptor and
connector with tapered grooves or keyways.
I make tapered keys or wedges to fit therein with a projection on the opposite
side of their wedge end.
Grooves are formed or cut in the pillar, rafter, or other portion of the
constructional part to admit the projection of the keys or wedges wherever any
attachment is needed.
The wedges are first placed in the grooves formed to receive them, then the
adaptor and connector is passed over them and drawn up tight by screw'd bolts and
nuts, or rivets through the projecting lugs as before described.
It will be seen that my adaptors and connectors thus fitted and fixed will bear
in moveably any vertical pressure or tensile strain.
Dated this 29th day of May 1895.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Iron Buildings, Fencing, and
the like.
I, THOMAS HUNGATE PRESTON DENNIS Chelmsford, Essex Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
My invention consists of an adaptor and connector for effecting the rapid
construction and erecting of iron buildings, walls, and fences and for providing a
ready and secure attachment for joists of floors, tie rods, wind ties or any
constructional part of a building and particularly where vertical weight or pressure
on tensile strain exists; also for fixing sheet iron, wood or other material thereto,
to form the outer or inner shell or covering of the wall, roof, partition and the
like of a building or for making walls and fences.
The adaptor and connector consists of a metal band formed to the precise section
of the iron framing of the building, wall or fence and is made in one or more parts
to encicle said framing to nearly the entire area of its surface. I usually make
these bands with projecting lugs at the point of meeting with certain holes through
same to receive screwed bolts with nuts or rivets for the purpose hereinafter
refered to.
In some cases I make these bands without the projecting lugs and in one piece
thus made they are passed over the framing of the building wall or fence and
secured in position with wedges but they are only adapted to attach the shell or
covering thereto.
I form one or more lateral tapered slots or key-ways on the interior surface
of the adaptor and connector to receive wedges, the use of which is hereafter
refered to.
I also leave a hole or holes in the required position through their sides and
through these holes I pass screwed bolts fitted with nuts (having their heads
inwards) of sufficient length to pass through or past and beyond the shell or
covering they are intended to attach to the iron framing of the building wall or
fence.
I prepare tapered wedges or keys to fit the lateral tapered slots or key-ways
above refered to. These wedges or keys are formed with projections on the
opposite side of their wedge end.
Grooves are formed or cut in the iron pillar rafter or other portions of the iron
constructional framing to receive the projecting ends of the wedges above described,
the precise use of which will be described hereafter.
I provide foundation plates preferably of cast iron for use in the erection of
buildings and the like, these are made in two or more sections each with flanges
prepared for bolting together; sockets in like sections are formed upon the
top surface of these plates and prepared with slots or key-ways; wedges are
used in their application precisely as for the adaptor and connector before
described.
I use circular framing or tubes (by preference) for all parts of a building wall or
fence but framing of other section may be substituted.
The adaptors and connectors readily adapt themselves to any angle of roof
without previous preparation when used in connection with a circular ridge or
tube as will be understood by the drawings. Iron framed staircases can also be
constructed by the use of the adaptors and connectors.
In certain parts of a building such as the ridge and eaves plate or front bar
I duplicate the adaptor and connector which in their turn are arranged to receive
other adaptors and connectors for the purpose of attaching the rafters to ridge or

page_text: eaves or front bar, to the uprights or pillars of side walls of a building a like
combination of adaptors and connectors are used in other portions of the con-
struction and where the framing of one part meets at an obtuse or right angle with
another part.
Wood cills, plates, door studs, sashes and window frames, skylights, eaves plates,
or wood framing for any required opening, also wood joists for floors, studding for
partition walls or other wood or iron fittings or fixings of any description can
be fixed to the iron framing in the position desired by means of the adaptors and
connectors.
The adaptors and connectors take the place of expensive iron forgings and are
ready for use without previous preparation, they are the sole medium employed t
unite the iron framing of a building and for attaching the shell and covering or
lining thereto and thus to form a complete iron framed building or structure.
Corrugated sheet iron or other materials are in like manner fixed to the iron posts
or framing of walls or fences.
The application and use of the several parts and fittings herein before referred
to may be thus described.
To construct a plain iron building it is necessary first to select or cut the iron
framing to required lengths.
The side pillars, rafters, and other parts of the framing being prepared with
grooves in their respective positions to receive the necessary number of wedges
required for attaching the adaptors and connectors thereto, the pillars are first driven
into the ground, the foundation plates with their connector and adaptor sockets are
then placed around the pillars at the ground line with the top end of their sockets
nearly on a line with the grooves which have been formed thereon, the wedges are
then introduced with their projecting ends placed into the grooves of the pillars
and their wedge side into the lateral tapered slots of the adaptor and connector
sockets, the sockets are then drawn tightly together by screwed bolts with nuts, or
rivets through the flanges which complete the fixing of the foundation plates to the
pillars immoveably.
The necessary number of adaptors and connectors are then passed on to the
pillars each with provision for a screwed bolt with nut and by which the shell of
the building is finally secured.
The caves or front bar is next put into position and fixed to top end of pillars
by three adaptors and connectors at each pillar which connect and fit into each
other, each having their respective wedges and slots and with provision for a
screwed bolt with nut some of which serve to secure the wood eaves plate for the
secure fixing of the eaves gutter, or said gutter may be fixed to building by the
screwed bolts alone, these adaptors and connectors are secured to the pillar and
front eaves bar respectively and in the same manner as the adaptors and connectors,
on foundation plates are fastened to the pillars as before described.
Necessary braces or ties, may be fixed to the pillars with other adaptors and
connectors to tie them the one to the other as desired.
Other adaptors and connectors are passed on to the eaves or front bar, some in
triplicate, to receive the lower ends of rafters, others with their screwed bolts with
nuts to fix the eaves plate and more for tie rods and the like.
The ridge is then fitted with its several adaptors and connectors and in the case
of a span roof building these are fitted on either side of it and connect and fit into
each other opposite each rafter the third one fixing the ridge end of each rafter
securely to the ridge, a centre adaptor and connector is usually fixed centrally
between these ridge adaptors and connectors and fitted with a long screwed bolt with
nut to finally attach the ridge roll to the building.
The ridge with its rafters being affixed thereto at the required angle by the
adaptors and connectors (each with their grooves and wedges in the manner before
described) other adaptors and connectors are passed on to the rafters, a sufficient
number being provided with screwed bolts with nuts to receive and attach the roof
covering to the framing. The ridge with its rafters is then placed in position the

page_text: lower or eaves end of each rafter being passed into the adaptor and connector
which is provided on the eaves or front bar to receive it, it is theu fixed thereto as
others before described.
The necessary ties, braces, trusses, struts and wind ties are fixed to the framing
with the adaptors and connectors provided to receive them in a similar manner as
already described and in such positions as may be necessary.
It now only remains to fix the covering to the sides and roof of the building.
Where corrugated iron sheet is to be the material for this purpose, narrow strips
of this (two to three inches in width) are first placed opposite and on the outer
face of each pillar with the screwed bolt of each adaptor and connector passing
through it. The corrugated iron sheets are then placed horizontally with their
end edges fitting close up to these screwed bolts, a second strip of narrow corrugated
iron sheet is then placed over the joints of the sheets at their end edges with the
screwed bolts of adaptors and connectors passing through it, an elongated washer
is then passed over each screwed bolt and fits closely into the corrugations of the
sheets on either side of it and when the nut of the bolt is threaded thereon the
washer firmly holds the sheets in position without making any holes in them.
The corrugated sheets should reach from centre to centre of pillars at each end
of which the operation of fixing the strips, screwed bolts, washers, and nuts is
repeated until the entire side shell is covered.
Sheets are fitted to the ends of building in like manner.
The roof has now to be covered.
A metal trough preferably of corrugated sheet iron is first fitted to each rafter
from ridge to eaves with the screwed bolts of the adaptors and connectors which are
on the rafters passing through it.
The corrugated sheets are now placed. upon the roof from the eaves plate
upward with the usual overlap at each sheet, the end edges of each sheet
terminating over the centre of each rafter, a narrow strip of corrugated sheet iron
is laid over the joint, at the edge ends of the sheets with the screwed bolts of
adaptors and connectors passing through it, elongated washers, are next passed
over these screwed bolts and fitted closely in to the corrugation of the sheets on
either side of it, the nut of the bolt finally secures the washer which in its turn
holds the sheets tightly without making any hole in them.
The corrugated metal trough under the vertical joints twixt end edges of the
sheets carries any little wet that may find its way through this joint into the eaves
gutter.
Iron walls and fences are constructed in like manner to the sides of a building,
adaptors and connectors being used as the medium to attach corrugated sheets or
other covering material thereto.
A steady plate may however be substituted for the foundation plate at the
ground line.
It will be understood from the description of the various parts, that I am able to
dispense with the usual preparation of forgings screwing and the like in the
construction of an iron building, wall or fence, and that in the case of a span roof
building any required angle can be given to the rafters by the adjustment of the
adaptors and convectors on the round ridge bai also that if such building wall or
fence is taken to pieces and removed hereafter its constructional parts and covering
will be intact (wear and tear alone being excepted) and of full service for re-erecting
or other purpose and which will be more fully elucidated upon reference to the
drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.

page_text: being made and applied with their grooves and wedges with projecting ends on the
opposite side to their wedge end also the application of screwed bolts with nuts and
elongated washers which form a part thereof and are for the purpose of attaching
a shell or covering or lining as the case may be of corrugated sheet iron, wood, or
any suitable material to the framing or for affixing any wood or other fitting or 5
framing such as cills, window frames, door frames, and the like thereto.
Dated this 29th day of February 1896.
T. H. P. DENNIS.