IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WALLS TO PREVENT DAMP FROM RISING, AND ALSO IN TILES TO BE USED FOR THIS PURPOSE IN BUILDING WALLS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Taylor, of Roupell Park, Streatham Hill, in
the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF WALLS TO PREVENT DAMP FROM RISING, AND ALSO IN TILES
TO BE USED FOR THIS PURPOSE IN BUILDING WALLS."
Sealed the 20th December 1859, and dated the 8th July 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Taylor at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
8th July 1859.
1, JOHN TAYLOR, of Roupell Park, Streatham Hill, in the County of Surrey,
do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF WALLS TO PREVENT DAMP FROM RISING, AND ALSO IN TILES TO
USED FOR THIS PURPOSE IN BUILDING WALLS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the construction of walls
to prevent damp from rising, and also in tiles to be used for this purpose in
building walls.
In building walls according to my Invention, I introduce into the wall at a
short distance above the ground line two layers of tiles made of non-absorbant
material; each of these tiles is made of a length equal to the thickness of
the wall, and of a width equal to the length of an ordinary brick; it is
thickened at the edges on each side, so as to form a thickened border or
flange projecting up from the general surface of the tile. The first of the two
layers of tiles is laid with the thickened flanges projecting upwards, the length
[Price 8d1

page_text: of the tile being in the direction through the wall, and the second layer o
tiles is laid with its length in the same direction, but with its thickened
flanges projecting downwards, and so that the plane surface between the two
borders of each tile of the upper course rests on the flanges of two adjacent
tiles of the lower course. The width of each of the flanges is made somewhat
less than one half of the width of the space between the flanges, so that when
the tiles are built together, as already explained, spaces are left between the
Blanges of the tiles, which effectually prevent the passage of damp along the
joints between the tiles, and they also serve to admit air underneath tho floors,
to do which air bricks are commonly employed.
In some cases in laying these tiles I leave space between them through the
wall, both in the upper and lower layers; these spaces also tend to prevent
damp rising, and also for the admission of air. The same results may be
obtained, although not so conveniently, by the use of-uon-absorbant tiles made
without flanges. The lower layer of such tiles being laid with spaces between
them, forming passages passing through the wall, and the upper layer being
laid
so as to bring the joints over the centres of the tiles in the lower layer, so
as to break joint, and these tiles may be made of a greater width than those.
in the lower layer, so as to produce a flush surface for the ordinary brickwork
above, but this is not essential. In some cases I form the tiles with longi-
tudinal perforations, in order that they may burn inore conveniently without
warping.
When using flat tiles, or tiles without flanges; I sometimes employ one
layer of tiles only, the tiles being laid a short distance the one from the other,
so as the leave air spaces; or the tiles may be grooved on the edge from end
to end of each side. When thus constructed they may be laid close together,
and the grooves on the edges coming together form spaces, which serve to
intercept damp, and also to admit air.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Taylor in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 7th
January 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
TAYLOR, of Roupell Park, Streatham Hill, in the County of Surrey, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of July, in the year of our Lord One

page_text: thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Taylor, Her special licence that I, the said John Taylor, my exe-
cutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Taylor, 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, 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 WALLS TO PREVENT DAMP FROM RISING, AND ALSO IN
TILES TO BE USED FOR THIS PURPOSE IN BUILDING WALLS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Taylor, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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 Seul Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Taylor, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per.
formed, 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 construction of walls
to prevent damp from rising, and also in tiles to be used for this purpose in
building walls.
In building walls according to my Invention I introduce into the wall at a
short distance above the ground line two layers of tiles made of non-absorbent
material; each of these tiles is made of a length equal to the thickness of the
wall, and of a width equal to the length of an ordinary brick; it is thickened
at the edges on each side, so as to form a thickened border or flange projecting
up from the general surface of the tile. The first of the two layers of tiles is
laid with the thickened flanges projecting upwards, the length of the tile being
in the direction through the wall, and the second layer of tiles is laid with its
length in the same direction, but with its thickened flanges projecting down-
wards, and so that the plane surface between the two borders of each tile of
the upper course rests on the flanges of two adjacent tiles of the lower course.
The width of each of the flanges is made somewhat less than one half of the
width of the space between the flanges, so that when the tiles are built
together, as already explained, spaces are left between the flanges of the tiles,.

page_text: which effectually prevent the passage of damp along the joints between the
tiles, and they also serve to admit air underneath the floors, to do which air
bricks are commonly employed.
Figure 1 is an elevation of a portion of a wall constructed according to this
part of my Invention; and Figure 2 is a perspective view of three tiles, such
as are employed in the construction of a wall such as is shewn at Figure 1;
they are placed together in the positions they occupy in respect to each other
when built into the wall. The tiles may be made of any description of pottery
ware, which will not absorb moisture, and they may be moulded either by
pressing the clay through a die, and cutting it off in suitable lengths, as is
commonly practised in making bricks and other articles; or they may be
moulded by hand, if preferred. In building a wall the joints connecting the
brickwork with the tiles, and the tiles the one to the other, I make with mortar,
and in order that the mortar may hold firmly to the portions of the surfaces of
the tiles to which it is applied, I score or roughen such portions of the surfaces;
this, however, is not necessary for the vertical joints between the tiles.
In some cases, in laying these tiles, I leave spaces between them through
the wall, both in the upper and lower layers; these spaces also tend to prevent
damp rising, and for the admission ofair. The same results may be obtained,
although not so conveniently, by the use of non-absorbent tiles made without
flanges, the lower layer of such tiles being laid with spaces between them,
forming passages passing through the wall, and the upper layer being laid so
as to bring the joints over the centres of the tiles in the lower layer, so as to
break joiut, and these tiles may be made of a greater width than those in the
lower layer, so as to produce a flushed surface for the ordinary brick work above,
but this is not essential.
Figure 3 is an elevation of a portion of a wall thus constructed, and
Figure 4 shows oue of the tiles separately. In this case there is nothing new
in the form of the tile; the only novelty consists in the manner in which they
are employed in the construction of a wall.
When using flat tiles, or tiles without flanges, I sometimes employ one
layer of tiles only, the tiles being laid a short distance the one from the other,
so as to leave air spaces.
Figure 5 is a front view, and Figure 6 is a perspective view of a portion of
a wall constructed with a single layer of flat tiles, as above described. In
some cases I form the tiles with longitudinal perforations, in order that they
may burn more conveniently without warping.
The tiles shewn in Figures 5 and 6 are not new, but the novelty cousists in
the manner in which they are employed.

page_text: In place of the arrangements above described, the tiles may be grooved on
the edge from end to end of each side. When thus constructed they may be
laid close together, and the grooves on the edges coming together form spaces,
which serve to intercept damp and also to admit air. Figure 7 is a front view
of a portion of a wall thus constructed; Figure 8 is a perspective view of one
of the tiles employed; Figure 9 is a perspective view of another tile of a
similar character, but of a different pattern. Tiles such as are here shewn are
very conveniently employed, as they present a continuous surface to bed on the
brickwork beneath, and also present a continuous surface to receive the course
of bricks above; at the same time the open joints between them effectually
prevent damp rising.
The tile shown at Figure 9 is made of the depth of a brick, which allows of
such tiles being worked in along a portion only ofthe length of a wall. When
the tiles run along the whole length of a wall their depth is not important.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Taylor, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
JOHN TAYLOR.
(L.S.)