IMPROVEMENTS IN to be as follows:- FIRE PROOF FLOORS
Year: 1885

page_text: I, JULIUS HOMAN of N° 17 Gracechurch Street in the City of London, Civil
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
to be as follows:-
FIRE PROOF FLOORS
"
The object of this invention is to make a strong flat and cheap fire proof floor
having a small depth and without the use of the ordinary wood centering now
employed.
I use iron joists, light iron bars, bricks and a special kind of concrete.
In forming this fireproof floor I take the ordinary rolled iron joists or girders and
fix them about 2' 0" apart. I then place on the lower flanges light iron bars about
9 inches apart and these carry a layer of bricks laid with sufficient camber to hold
up under a weight in the manner of a flat arch. Concrete is then filled in over the
bricks to a depth of about 4 inches. The fluid fine concrete flows into the open
joists between the bricks and interstices between the brick and iron and binds the
whole together in a solid mass.
If the floor is finished with boards in the usual manner the boards are nailed to
the concrete without the use of aleeper joists or fillets.
A special concrete is then necessary. I use a mixture of fine coke burnt clay
and broken brick which makes a tough concrete that will hold nails.
DL: dose of March 1885

page_text: I, JULIUS HOMAN of N° 17 Gracechurch Street in the City of London, Civil
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FIRE PROOF FLOORS and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
"
The object of this invention is to make a strong flat and cheap fire proof floor
having a small depth and without the use of the ordinary wood centering now
employed.
I use iron joists, light iron bars, bricks and a special kind of concrete.
In forming this fire proof floor I'take the ordinary rolled iron joists or girders
and fix them about 2' 0" apart. I then place on the lower flanges light iron bars
about 9 inches apart and these carry a layer of bricks laid with sufficient camber
to hold up under a weight in the manner of a flat arch. Concrete is then filled in
over the bricks to a depth of about 4 inches. The fluid fine concrete flows into the
open joints between the bricks and interstices between the brick and iron and binds
the whole together in a solid mass.
If the floor is finished with boards in the usual manner the boards may be nailed
to the concrete without the use of sleeper joists or fillets.
A special concrete is then necessary. I use a mixture of fine coke, burnt clay or
broken brick which makes a tough concrete that will hold nails.
In order that my said invention may be more fully understood and readily carried
into effect I will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a section, and Figure 2 a plan of a floor constructed in accord-
ance with my invention. In Figure 2 parts of the layers of which the floor is
composed are removed in places so as to show the construction.
A, A are the ordinary iron joists or girders fixed about two feet apart. B, B, are
light iron bars by preference of a 1 section, their ends, which may be slightly bent
as shewn in figure 1 to make them bed more firmly, rest on the lower flanges of
the joists A. C, C, are bricks laid in cement. Before being set in position they are
placed upon the flanges of the _ section bars but in laying the middle ones are
raised so as to form a flat arch as shown. In this way no centering is required in
constructing the floor. D is concrete which is filled in above the flat brick arches.
E is the layer of plaster on the under side of the floor forming a ceiling, and F, F
are boards above the concrete.
To prevent the transmission of noise by walking or otherwise I sometimes place
on the upper side of the concrete and between it and the boards a layer of ashes,
sand, sawdust or the like.
When it is desired to provide room for gas or water pipes on the underside of floors,
the iron laths supporting the flat brick arch may be replaced with wood fillets

page_text: about 3" deep notched to the flanges of the iron joists and forming an air space
that may be used for ventilation pipes or other purposes. A counter ceiling may
be fixed to the wood fillets or the usual lath and plaster ceiling may be attached in
the ordinary manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. The improvements in the construction of fire proof floors consisting in the use
of transverse bars laid on the lower flanges of the joists which carry flat brick
arches covered with concrete substantially as described.
2. My fire proof floors substantially as described.