Improvements in the Manufacture or Construction of Fireproof Staircases, Floors, and the like.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Mar., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 28th Dec., 1891-Accepted, 30th Jan., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture or Construction of Fireproof
Staircases, Floors, and the like.
I, JAMES PULHAM, of 50, Finsbury Square, in the County of London and of
Broxbourne, in the County of Hertford, Terra Cotta and Artificial Stone
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to staircases, floors and the like composed of terra cotta,
fire-clay or concrete or of cements mixed with suitable aggregates and has for its
chief object to provide means for preventing the collapse of such staircases, floors
and the like in case of fire by reason of the expansion of the metal girders, joists
and pillars supporting the same.
According to my invention such metal girders or joists are enclosed or embedded
in the stair treads of staircases and between suitable mouldings in the case of joists
and in order to allow additional security in case the said stair-treads or mouldings
become heated I advantageously place a packing of slag-wool, asbestos or other
nonconducting material wholly or partially around the girders or joists.
The landings of staircases may be constructed in the same way as floors and the
spaces between the mouldings covering the girders are closed in by a series of
sections of fire-clay, terra cotta or the like which when placed together form
arches the tops of which are covered with concrete or other suitable fireproof
material.
The handrails, newels, balusters, and other parts of staircases liable to collapse
may also have metal bars embedded in them.
When the steps of staircases are of such a width that single pieces of, say, terra
cotta could not be conveniently made, each step can be made in two or three pieces.
When two pieces are employed they abut together and when three pieces are
employed the central piece is supported upon flanges or projections upon the end
pieces. In such sectional steps the supporting bars are avantageously placed
re✓
beneath the sections and in order to protect the said bs the underside of the
staircase is advantageously, covered by brick arching between the side walls or
between a single side wall and the stringer of the stairs.
Dated the 26th day of March 1891.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture or Construction of Fireproof
Staircases, Floors, and the like.
I, JAMES PULHAM, of 50, Finsbury Square, in the County of London, and of
Broxbourne, in the County of Hertford, Terra Cotta and Artificial Stone
Manufacturer, 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 relates to staircases, floors and the like composed of terra cotta,
fire-clay or concrete, or of cements mixed with suitable aggregates, and has for its
chief object to provide means for preventing the collapse of such staircases, floors
and the like in case of fire by reason of the expansion of the metal girders, joists
or bars supporting the same.

page_text: According to my invention such metal girders, joists or bars are enclosed or
embedded in the stair treads of staircases and between suitable mouldings and in
order to allow additional security in case the said stair-treads or mouldings become
heated I advantageously place a packing of slag-wool, asbestos, concrete or other
non-conducting material wholly or partially around the girders, joists or bars.
The landings of staircases may be constructed in the same way as floors and the
spaces between the mouldings covering the girders are closed in by a block or a
series of sections or blocks of fire-clay, terra-cotta, brick or the like, which, when
placed together, form arches, the tops of which are covered with concrete or other
suitable fire-proof material.
The hand-rails, newels, balusters, and other parts of staircases liable to collapse
may also have metal bars embedded in them.
When the steps of staircases are of such a width that single pieces of say, terra
cotta could not be conveniently made, each step can be made in two or three pieces.
When two pieces are employed they abut together and when three pieces are
employed the central piece is supported upon flanges or projections upon the end
pieces. In such sectional steps the supporting bars are advantageously placed
beneath the sections and in order to protect the said bars the underside of the
staircase is advantageously covered by brick or other arching between the side walls
or between a single side wall and the stringer of the stairs.
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe how it can be
carried into practice by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-
Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through a portion of a fire-proof
straight staircase constructed according to my invention :
Figure 2 is a transverse section of the same shewing the face of one of the
stairs:
Figure 3 is a similar view to Figure 2 but illustrating a slight modification:
Figures 4 and 5 are plans of portions of the stairs illustrating different arrange-
ments of tiles forming portions of the treads:
Figures 6 and 7 are similar views to Figures 1 and 2 respectively illustrating
another modification; and,
Figure 8 is a modified detail relating to the same :
Figure 9 is a similar view to Figure 1 illustrating another modification:
Figure 10 is a similar view to Figure 2 illustrating a further modification :
Figures 11 and 12 are respectively a plan and vertical section of a portion of a
fire-proof circular or turret staircase constructed according to my invention :
Figure 13 is a section of a portion of a fire-proof floor or landing also constructed
according to my invention; and,
Figure 14 is a slight modification of the same.
Similar reference letters indicate similar or corresponding parts throughout the
drawings.
Referring to Figures 1 to 10 a, a are the stairs which are advantageously
composed of fire-clay terra-cotta and formed in one piece for narrow staircases and
in more than one piece for wide staircases. In the drawings they are shewn in
three pieces b, b, b, the centre piece being supported on projections 61, 6¹ on the end
pieces.
, c are the supports for the stairs, the said supports being carried by the side
walls d, d or by a side wall and a stringer. In Figures 1 and 2 the said supports
take the form of bars or bolts which serve to tie the stairs and walls together,
suitable covers, hoods or mouldings e, e, advantageously composed of fire-clay
terra-cotta, being employed to protect the ends of the bolts and their nuts from
the action of fire.
In Figures 1 and 9 the bolts c, c are shewn embedded in concrete, asbestos or
slag wool beneath the tread of each stair, the tread in Figure 1 being formed at the
rear part by tiles/f, different arrangements of which are shewn at Figures 4
and 5, and at the front by the pieces b, b, while in Figure 9 the tread is formed in
one piece but separate from the riser. g, Figures 1, 2, 3, 9 and 10, is the arching

page_text: which I employ to protect the said bolts from fire, which arching, as shewn in
Figures 1, 2 and 9, may be formed of brick, or, as in Figures 3 and 10, of blocks,
the said blocks being advantageously composed of fire-clay terra-cotta.
As shewn in Figure 10, the arching blocks may be made to key into each other,
and by providing their under faces with suitable designs I produce an artistic
ceiling without any plastering.
in
As shewn in Figures 1 and 9 the supports are in the form of a flat bar c' arranged
grooves in the riser of each stair and in the arching below.
In Figure 6 the girders, joists or rods are shewn enclosed within the stair treads
and embedded in concrete asbestos or slag-wool. In order to provide additional
support for the stairs when constructed as shewn in the said figure and in Figure 7,
I form the end pieces or blocks b. b, b with projecting pieces h, h which are built into
the walls d, d, the centre block forming a key or bond; or the said pieces h, h
can be formed separately from and serve to support the blocks b, b, b, as indicated
clearly in Figure 8.
In Figures 11 and 12 the stairs are supported between a central support i and an
outer wall d, the support i being advantageously formed hollow to serve as a
chimney, ventilating or other shaft. j, j indicate hand-rails, the two side ones of
which may be formed by suitable fire-proof material strengthened, if required, by
metal bars embedded in them while the centre one can be of metal. The side rails
may be formed partly in and out of the wall, suitable fire-proof material j' being
used to line the walls as shewn.
Referring to Figures 13 and 14, c, c are the girders supporting the floor or
landing, which girders are partly enclosed in skew-back blocks j2, 2 to protect them
from fire, the lower part of the girders being protected from fire by slag-wool or
the like kept in place by keys k, k.
is the arching which may be in sections as shewn in Figure 13 and which rests
upon the blocks 2, in order to support the floor or landing above, a plug or key
being employed to keep the sections in place and from which a chandelier or the
like can be suspended; or the arching may be of brick, as shewn in Figure 14.
The floor or landing may be composed of suitable fire-proof cement m and tiles n
or the like as in Figure 13, or cement alone as in Figure 14. When the arches
abut onto the outer walls, rods c², c², Figure 13, may be embedded in the cement
to tie the whole together.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
The improvements in the construction of fire-proof staircases, floors and
landings herein before described and illustrated in the various figures of the
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.