Improvements in or relating to Sheet Metal Structures and in Columns and Beams therefor, the saids being also Applicable for Building Purposes Generally.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Apr., 1887
Complete Left, 9th Jan., 1888
Complete Accepted, 17th Feb., 1888
Improvements in or relating to Sheet Metal Structures and in
Columns and Beams therefor, the said Columns and Beams being
also Applicable for Building Purposes Generally.
We, WILLIAM ORR, Merchant, and PETER STUART BROWN, Manufacturer both of
45 West Nile Street, Glasgow in the County of Lanark do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
==
This invention relates to structures or buildings the sides or walls of which are
composed of galvanized iron or other metal sheets and with the invention the necessity
of rivetting or bolting the sections or lengths of the sheets to each other and to the
standards or columns is obviated whilst at the same time a rigid structure capable of
being easily taken to pieces is obtained.
Under the invention standards or columns are erected at distances apart corre-
sponding to the breadth of the galvanized iron or other metal sheets to be employed.
These standards are of an incomplete tubular section, that is to say a slot runs from
end to end of the tube and the edges of the metal sheets are bent or hooked so as to
enter these slots the sheets being retained in position by inserting in the slot of the
standard between the meeting edges of two of them a wedge or key. To give increased
rigidity to the structure the metal sheets are preferably dished or buckled and the
walls are made double, the outer sheet being dished inwards and the inner one dished
outwards the space between them being filled or not with saw dust concrete or other
like non-conducting material. At or about the centres where the sheets approach
nearest each other wedges or keys are or may be driven down between them and the
tendency of the said keys being to straighten out or flatten the concavity of the sheets
they have the effect of wedging the sheets more securely in position in the slots of the
columns or standards.
The columns or standards for the inner series of plates or sheets are tied to those
for the outer sheets by clips or fasteners which may be of I section the flanges on
each side of the central web being creased towards each other to grip the columns
or any other suitable form of fastener may be employed. In situations where great
Price 8d.
;

page_text: strength or rigidity in the columns or standards is required the column is built up of
a series of tubes each having a slot extending throughout its length. The slots are
all turned inwards towards the centre of the column and the several tubes are bound
together by a bar the cross section of which is such that it has a series of necks which
pass in through the slots the neck being terminated in a part of greater breadth than
the width of the slot which part is at the interior of the tube or instead of a bar a series
of fasteners of similar cross section may be employed.
Besides being used for the purposes hereinbefore described this form of column may
be employed in building purposes generally and the invention besides being applicable
to the walls of structures may be adapted to fireproof or other flooring the whole
structure in that case being laid horizontally.

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Sheet Metal Structures and in
Columns and Beams therefor, the said Columns and Beams being
also Applicable for Building Purposes Generally.
We, WILLIAM ORR, Merchant, and PETER STUART BROWN, Manufacturer, both of
45 West Nile Street, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, 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 :-
to
This Invention relates to structures or buildings the sides or walls and roofs of
which or the walls or roofs only are composed of galvanized iron or other metal sheets
and with the Invention the necessity of rivetting or bolting the sections or lengths of
the sheets to each other and to the standards columns or supports is obviated whilst
at the same time a rigid structure capable of being easily taken to pieces is obtained.
Under the Invention in constructing a wall standards or columns are erected at
distances apart corresponding to the breadth of the galvanized iron or other metal
sheets to be employed. These standards a are as indicated in horizontal section at
figure 1 of the accompanying drawings of an incomplete tubular section, that
say, a slot runs from end to end of the tube and the edges of the metal sheets b are
bent or hooked so as to enter these slots the sheets being retained in position by
inserting wedges or keys in the slot of the standard between the meeting edges of the
sheets. To give increased rigidity to the structure the metal sheets are preferably
dished or buckled as shewn and the walls may be composed of a single thickness of
sheet as at figure 1 or they may be made double as at figure 2, the outer sheets 6 being
dished inwards and the inner one dished outwards the space between them being
filled or not with sawdust concrete or like non-conducting material. At or about the
centres, where the sheets approach nearest each other, wedges or keys c are or may
be driven down between the sheets and the tendency of the said keys being to straighten
out or flatten the concavity of the sheets they have the effect of wedging the sheets
more securely in position in the slots of the columns or standards a.
When a double thickness is used as at figure 2 the columns or standards a for the
inner series of plates or sheets 6¹ are tied to those for the outer sheets by clips or
fasteners, which may be of I section the flanges on each side of the central web being
creased towards each other to grip the columns as at d or the clips may be made solid
as at d'; or any other suitable form of fastener may be employed. In situations where
great strength or rigidity in the columns or standards is required the column is built
up of a series of tubes a, as indicated in horizontal section at figure 3, each tube having
a slot extending throughout its length. The slots all turned inwards towards the
centre of the column and the several tubes are bound together by a bar e the cross
section of which is such that it has a series of necks f which pass in through the slots
the necks being terminated in a part of greater breadth than the width of the slot
which part is at the interior of the tube or instead of a bar extending throughout or

page_text: partially throughout the lengths of the tubes, a series of fastening discs or plates of
similar plan may be employed.
Figures 4 and 5 show in outside elevation and in vertical section respectively a
building erected on the principle of our said Invention, a being the vertical standards
or columns to which the metal sheets constituting the walls of the structure are
fastened as before set forth whilst are the supporting tubes for the sheets constituting
the roof. Many different modes of securing these tubes h may be adopted but as
shewn on the drawings they are secured at their upper ends by passing them through
recesses made in the periphery of a plate i and at their lower ends by resting them in
recesses made in the upper edges of bars j. Figures 6, 7 and 8 are detail views drawn
to a larger scale shewing this part of the structure. The outer and inner bars jare
tied together at intervals by bolts k and they are also bolted to the sheets constituting
the walls of the structure. The recesses in the upper edges of the plates ; are made
so as to embrace more than the half of the circumference of the tubes h thereby acting
as fasteners for the said tubes.
Besides being used for the purposes hereinbefore described the form of column
figure 3 may be employed in building purposes generally and the invention besides
being applicable to the walls and roofs of structures may be adapted to fire proof or
other flooring the whole structure in that case being laid horizontally.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
:-
1. In a sheet metal structure the combination of tubes each having a slot throughout
its length with iron or other metal sheets dished, buckled or flat the edges of the said
sheets being entered into the slots and held in position by wedging to constitute the
wall, roof or floor of the structure, substantially as described with reference to the
annexed drawings.
2. In a sheet metal structure the combination of two iron or other metal sheets
dished or arced with tubes of incomplete section secured or fastened together in pairs
the edges of the sheets being inserted and held in the slots of the tubes, to constitute
the walls, roof or flooring of the structure substantially as described with reference to
figure 2 of the drawings.
3. A column or beam composed of a series of tubes of incomplete section secured
together by a bar or by fasteners so constructed that parts of the said bar or fasteners
pass through the slots and bind the several tubes of the series together, substantially
as described with reference to figure 3 of the drawings.
Dated this Seventh day of January 1888.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow,
Agents.