IMPROVEMENTS IN ARRANGING, PLANNING, AND CONSTRUCTING DWELLING HOUSES.
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Ellis, of Seacombe, in the County of
Chester, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ARRANGING, PLANNING,
AND CONSTRUCTING DWELLING HOUSES.'
"
Sealed the 16th December 1873, and dated the 11th October 1873.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Ellis at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th October 1873.
I, JOHN ELLIS, of Seacombe, in the County of Chester, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ARRANGING,
PLANNING, AND CONSTRUCTING DWELLING HOUSES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in arranging, planning, and
constructing dwelling houses with a view to the prevention of smoke, the
saving of fuel, better ventilation, better sanitary arrangements, economy
of space, economy in cost of building, together with increased strength
and less risk from fire.

page_text: Dwelling houses arranged, planned, and constructed according to this
Invention consist in placing the chimney and fire-places or flues in the
centre of the building, the fire-places in connexion with the rooms being
placed and built in the angles of the rooms with their backs to the
central chimney. The flue in connexion with each firc-place is fitted
with a door or damper at the back of the grate. The flues are taken
direct into the chimney, or in some instances where passages are required
between the back of the fire-place and the chimney for entrance to the
various rooms the flues may be carried up one or more stories and then
turned into the chimney, or have descending flues and pass the smoko
under the floors into the chimney. The chimney may be constructed
with separate flues for each fire-place, or may contain one main fluo
only, as circumstances may require. The flues may be carried up direct
over the fire-places and arched under roof in the form of a dome, and a
central chimney built up from the dome above the roof, leaving the
central space in the house free for passages.
The chimney may be built up a good height above the roof to secure
a good draught. At the bottom of the chimney a door or entrance may
be fixed for cleaning and gaining access. In some instances access may
be had through the ash grids in connexion with the fire-places.
Tlie division walls of the house may be built up forming buttresses
and adding strength to the chimney to enable the chimney to be built a
considerable height with safety.
By the before-mentioned system of building with a central chimney
perfect prevention of smoke is obtained, also great saving of heat, as
the chimneys are all in the interior of the house.
A supply of cold air may be admitted solely for the use of the fire by
allowing same to pass through hollow cornices round the rooms
through tubing which leads from a grating in the outer wall and enter
the flue about the breast of the chimney, thus preventing draught in a
room caused by the rush of air from every crevice to the fire.
A means of escape for foul air is provided for by separate flues in the
chimney, the foul air entering an opening near the ceiling of the room,
provided with a door and perforated plate, and escaping near the top of
the chimney underneath the weathering or cap of chimney.
By
this system. of central chimney the temperature throughout the
whole house is raised when only one fire is used. There is also a great

page_text: advantage caused from refraction of heat caused by the shape of the
rooms.
This system offers great facility to architects, as it is capable of a
great variety of internal arrangement and planning, also in the selection
of aspect of the various rooms, all the exterior walls being left for the
admission of light and air and for ornamentation.
This system is well adapted for dwelling houses in towns, as houses
may be built four or more in a block, allowing a free circulation for the
air round each block, the block occupying the same or even less area
of land than at present; also unsightly back projections and passages
with their attendant evils in the obstruction of light and air; also
difficulty and danger of bad drainage is overcome as the drains need not
pass through or under the house. All drains being kept on the outside
risk of bad gases escaping from defective drains through the floors is
thus obviated.
When houses are built with the tenements in flats one over the other
to centralize the population access can be had by an outside staircase or
by one in the centre of the building round the centre chimney.
Danger from fire is greatly reduced by the houses being built in blocks.
instead of in rows; also from their requiring no trimmer joist or other
timbers near the fire-place, the hearth flags covering the angle between
the two walls.
In the improvements or depreciation of neighborhoods the houses may
be converted from one into four, or four or more houses may be converted
into one by simply altering partitions walls and breaking out and building
up doorways.
. Dwelling houses built according to this Invention may be designed in
keeping with any style of architecture, and may be built square, rec-
tangular, pentagon, hexagon, heptagon, or octagon in shape and form.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Ellis, Her special licence that
I, the said John Ellis, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said John Ellis, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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 ARRANGING,
PLANNING, AND CONSTRUCTING DWELLING HOUSES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Ellis, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under or their, or one of their hands and
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 John Ellis, 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 :-
'
This Invention relates to improvements in arranging, planning, and
constructing dwelling houses with a view to the prevention of smoke,
the saving of fuel, better ventilation, better sanitary arrangements,
economy of space, economy in cost of building, together with increased
strength and less risk from fire.,
Dwelling houses arranged, planned, and constructed according to this
Invention consist in placing the chimney, fire-places, and flues in the
centre of the building, the fire-places in connexion with the rooms being
placed and built in the angles of the rooms, in most cases with their
backs to the central chimney. The flue in connexion with each fire-
place is fitted with a door or damper at the back of the grate. The-flues
are taken direct into the chimney, or in some instances, where passages
are required between the back of the fire-place and the chimney for

page_text: entrance to the various rooms the flues may be carried up one or more
stories and then turned into the chimney, or have descending flues and
pass the smoke under the floors into the chimney. The chimney may
be constructed with separate flues for cach fire-place, or may contain
one main flue only, as circumstances may require. The flues may be
carried up direct over the fire-places and arched under the roof in the
form of a dome, and a central chimney built up from the dome above
the roof, leaving the central space in the house free for passages.
The chimney may be built up a good height above the roof to secure
a good draught. At the bottom of the chimney a door or entrance may
be fixed for cleaning and gaining access.
In some instances access may
be had through the ash grids in connexion with the fire-places.
The division walls of the house may be built up forming buttresses
and adding strength to the chimney to enable the chimney to be built a
considerable height with safety.
By the before-mentioned system of building with a central chimney
perfect prevention of smoke is obtained; also great saving of heat, as
the chimneys are all in the interior of the house.
A supply of cold air may be admitted solely for the use of the fire by
allowing same to pass through hollow cornices round the rooms or
through tubing, which leads from a grating in the outer wall and enters
the flue about the breast of the chimney, thus preventing draught in a
room caused by the rush of air from every crevice to the fire.
A means of escape for foul air is provided for by separate flues in the
chimney, the foul air entering an opening near the ceiling of the room
provided with a door and perforated plate and escaping near the top of
the chimney underneath the weathering or cap of the chimney, or
through dormers if a tower with a slated roof.
By this system of central chimney the temperature throughout the
whole house is raised when only one fire is used. There is also a great
advantage caused from refraction of heat caused by the shape of the
rooms.
This system offers great facility to architects, as it is capable of a great
variety of internal arrangement and planning; also in the selection of
aspect of the various rooms, all the exterior walls being left for the
admission of light and air and for ornamentation.

page_text: This system is well adapted for dwelling houses in towns, as houses
may be built four or more in a block, allowing a free circulation for the
air round each block; the block occupying the same or even less area of
land than at present; also unsightly back projections and passages with
their attendant cvils in the obstruction of light and air; also difficulty
and danger of bad drainage is overcome, as the drains need not pass
through or under the house. All drains being kept on the outside risk
of bad gases escaping from defective drains through the floors is thus
obviated.
When houses are built with the tenements in flats one over the other
to centralize the population access can be had by an outside staircase or
by one in the centre of the building round the centre chimney.
Danger from fire is greatly reduced by the houses being built in blocks
instead of in rows; also from their requiring no trimmer joist in most
instances or other timbers near the fire-place, the hearth flags covering
the angle between the two walls.
In the improvements or depreciation of neighorhoods the houses may
be converted from one into four, or four or more houses may be converted
into one by simply altering partition walls and breaking out and building
up doorways.
Dwelling houses built according to this Invention may be designed in
keeping with any style of architecture, and may be built square, rec-
tangular, pentagon, hexagon, heptagon, or octagon in shape and form.
The before being the nature, object, and purposes of this my Inven-
tion, I will now proceed to describe more in detail how the same
may be carried out into practical effect, and for that purpose I have
hereunto attached three Sheets of Drawings marked with figures and
letters of reference corresponding with those in the following explana-
tion. Like letters and figures in the various views are used to denote
similar parts :-
Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a part sectional elevation of a dwelling house
constructed according to my Invention, showing the central chimney,
fire-places; and flucs. The flues in this instance enter into one main
chimney.
Figure 2, Sheet 1, is a part sectional elevation of a dwelling house
T
LE
alimu

page_text: fire-places, and flues. The chimney in this instance is divided into
distinct flues for each fire-place.
Figure 4, Sheet 1, is a front elevation showing four small houses with
adjacent wash-houses, with the central chimney constructed according
to my Invention. Figure 5, Sheet 1, is a plan of same.
Figures 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12, Sheets 2 and 3, illustrate my Inven-
tion as applied to different class of dwelling houses.
Figure 13, Sheet 3, illustrates a plan of laying out land in dwelling
houses for tenements for the working classes, constructed according to
my Invention.
Upon reference to the Drawings it will be seen that A is the central
chimney; B, fire-places of the rooms on the different floors; O, flues;
D are passages for entrance to the various rooms, the flues being carried
up one or more stories and then turned into the chimney, as shown at
Figure 1. In Figure 2 the flues are shown descending, and they pass
under the floors into the chimney. In Figure 3 the chimney is con-
structed with separate flues for each fire-place. E is a soot chamber,
through which access may be gained to the chimneys for cleaning and
other purposes. F, Figures 1, 2, and 3, are flues in connexion with
hollow cornices, which may pass round the room to admit of the escape
of foul air. Fresh air may be admitted solely for the use of the fire by
allowing the same to enter the flue about the breast of the chimney,
which may be done by distinct flues or pipes provided for that purpose.
The flues are all provided with doors or dampers at the back of the
grates so that each fluc can be shut off from communication with the
main chimney.
The Drawings from Figures 4 to 12 inclusive illustrate a variety of
•

page_text: Upon reference to Figures 8 and 9, Sheet 2, it will be seen that
dwelling houses for working classes can be constructed according to this
Invention with compactness and at the same time allowing for a free
circulation of air round each block, and also allowing for a perfect
system of drainage and sanitary arrangement.
Dwelling houses constructed according to this Invention are capable
of a great variety of planning and internal arrangement, as will be
understood; also the central chimney and flue system affords great
facilities for free ventilation without draughts; also the central chimney
affords great advantages for heating buildings by hot air, hot water, or :
similar systems, as hot air chambers can be placed in connexion with the
chimney for heating purposes; also cisterns and tanks for supplying bot
water for heating or general domestic purposes can be placed in or round
the chimney; also fresh air can be caused to pass through a coil of pipes
or tubes fixed in the spaces at the back of the grates and in proximity :
to the central chimney. Hot water can also be obtained by using a coil
of pipes in a similar manner.
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature, object, and
purposes of this my Invention, and described and illustrated how the
same may be put into practical effect, I would have it understood that I a
do not limit myself to the plans or arrangements for carrying out my
Invention as shown in the Drawings accompanying this Specification, as
the same may be endlessly altered without departing from my Invention,
but what I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as
aforesaid is,-
Firstly. The improvements in the construction of dwelling houses by
the adoption of one central or main chimney applicable to all kinds and
classes of dwelling houses, substantially in the manner and for the
purposes described and illustrated in the beforegoing Specification and
Drawings.
Secondly. The improved central chimney system shown and described
at Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings, substantially in the manner
as set forth and described in the beforegoing Specification.
2
3
Thirdly. The improved central chimney system shown and described
at Figure 2 of the accompanying Drawings, substantially in the manner 8
as set forth and described in the beforegoing Specification.

page_text: Fourthly. The improved central chimney system shown and described
at Figure 3 of the accompanying Drawings, substantially in the manner
as set forth and described in the beforegoing Specification.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Ellis, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
Witness,
FREDERICK JOHN.CHEESBROUGH,
of 15, Water Street,
Liverpool.
JOHN (L.S.) ELLIS.