IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PUBLIC HOUSES AND OTHER HOUSES OF ENTERTAINMENT
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Muir, of the Britannia Works, in the City
of Manchester, and of No. 10, John Street, Adelphi, in the City of.
Westminster, Machinist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Muir at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 2nd
January 1865.
I, WILLIAM MUIR, of the Britannia Works, in. the City of Manchester, and
of Number 10, John Street, Adelphi, in the City of Westminster, Machinist,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF PUBLIC HOUSES AND OTHER HOUSES OF ENTERTAINMENT," to be
as follows:-
The nature of my Invention consists in constructing the whole of the front
of public houses and other houses of entertainment of plate glass, to enable
persons outside to see those within. Ingress and egress passages of not more
than two feet wide are provided to admit customers, but to prevent the
entrance of females with steel crinolines. A space is left between the front of
the house of entertainment and the footpath of not less than three feet wide,

page_text: under which passes a heated flue; this space affords shelter and warmth to
destitute poor during the night. When the house is closed at night and on
Sundays, a public fountain, provided with a filter, supplied with water from
the house, is turned on for the benefit of the public.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Muir in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th
June 1865.
"
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
MUIR, of the Britannia Works, in the City of Manchester, and of No. 10,
John Street, Adelphi, in the City of Westminster, Machinist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Muir, Her special license that I, the said William Muir, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Muir, 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 PUBLIC HOUSES AND OTHER HOUSES OF ENTERTAINMENT," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Muir, my executors
or administrators, 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 Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Muir, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement (that is to say).:-
The nature of my Invention consists in constructing the whole of the front
of public houses and other houses of entertainment (where men and women
mix indiscriminately together) of plate glass, to enable persons outside. to see

page_text: those within. Ingress and egress passages of about two feet wide are provided
to admit customers, but to impede and prevent, as far as is possible, the
entrance of females wearing steel crinolines. A space is left between the
front of the house of entertainment and the footpath of not less than three feet,
wide, under which passes a heated flue; this space is intended to afford
shelter and warmth to destitute poor during the night. When the house is
closed at night and on Sundays, public fountain, provided with a filter,.
supplied with water from the house, is turned on for the benefit of the
public.
B
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood, and readily
carried into operation, I will proceed to describe the two accompanying Sheets
of Drawings, reference being had to the figures and letters marked thereon.
On Sheet 1, Fig. 1 is a ground plan, and Fig. 2 an elevation, of a public
house or other house for public entertainment, situated, by preference, at the
corner of a street, and constructed according to my improvements. a repre- .
sents the bar or counter for the sale of wines, spirits, or other articles of con-
sumption; b, the space in front of the bar or counter; and c, the plate glass.
front; d, d, are the ingress doors and passages; and e, e, the egress doors and-
passages; these doors are also made chiefly of plate glass, consequently the
whole interior is visible to persons passing in front of the building, and will to
a great extent check drunkenness and the indecent behaviour of the persons
obtaining refreshment. The doors and passages are made of about two feet
in width, to prevent, as far as possible, the entrance of females with extensive
steel crinolines. At each end of the counter or bar is a watercloset marked f,
and beyond are the usual parlour, kitchen, or other rooms and offices, and to
which access is obtained by the door i. In front of the house of entertainment.
is the covered way or footpath g, of not less than three feet wide, under which
passes a que, which is kept warm during the night, after the closing of the
house, by any convenient means, to afford shelter and warmth to destitute
poor. When the house is closed at night and on Sundays or at other times,
the fountains placed at h, h, are supplied with pure or filtered water from the
house, for the benefit of the public. It will be seen that no communication
exists between the space occupied by the public and the remainder of the
house, and consequently at the time for closing the house no person can be
secreted in any back parlour or other part of the premises. By thus shutting
off the public from the private part of the house, a fruitful source of temptation
for evading the law is removed, and the police in going their rounds can see
immediately that the house is clear.
Fig. 3 represents the plan of another house of public entertainment con-

page_text: structed according to a modification of my Invention. This house is supposed
to be in a row with other houses; the various parts are disposed rather
differently to those described in reference to Fig. 1, but they are designed and
arranged for the same objects, and they are marked with corresponding letters
of reference.
Fig. 4 represents the plan of another house of public entertainment con-
structed according to my Invention, and designed for a chess saloon or segar
divan, where men and women mix indiscriminately together.
Fig. 5 represents the plan of another house of public entertainment con-
structed according to my Invention. This house is supposed to form part of
a' crescent or row of houses.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention of improvements in the
construction of public houses and other houses of entertainment, and described
several modes of carrying the same into operation, I wish it to be understood
that I do not limit myself to the details given, and that I make no claim to
any of the elements or separate parts of the Invention; but I claim the
combinations and arrangements of the various parts described, forming, public
houses and other houses of entertainment, whereby public decency is
promoted, and the comfort and shelter of homeless poor is in part provided
fór, as herein-before described, and shown in the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Muir, have hereto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of June, One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-five.