Improvements in and connected with the Construction of Fireproof Floors.
Year: 1897

page_text: This Print is in accordance with the Original Specification as it stands after
Amendment (under Section 11 of the Patents, &c. Act, 1883) as required by
the decision of the Chief Examiner. of the 22nd day of June 1898.
Date of Application, 22nd Dec., 1897-Accepted, 12th Feb., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (AMENDED).
Improvements in and connected with the Construction of Fireproof
Floors.
I, FRANK HINE WILLIS, of "Redmere," Hotham Road, Putney, in the County of
London, Architect, 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:-
This invention which relates to solid concrete fireproof floors has for its objects
the construction of such floors without the aid of the temporary centering used to
support the concrete until set and to enable the concrete to entirely cover the
bottom flanges of the joists and girders upon which it rests.
These objects I attain by constructing the floor partly of moulded concrete and
partly of loose concrete as shewn by the accompanying drawings in which:-
Fig. 1, represents longitudinal section of two bays of a fireproof floor constructed.
according to this invention.
Fig. 2, is cross section of same.
Fig. 3, is side elevation of one of the pieces of moulded concrete which act as
permanent centering.
Fig. 4 is end view of same.
Fig. 5 is cross section of same.
The same letters denote the same parts in all the figs.
a a a are the usual steel joists which support the floor. b bare approximately
shaped blocks moulded of a fireproof cement concrete and having slots c at the
ends thereof to receive the lower flanges of the joists a upon which the blocks b rest
the said blocks being long enough to reach from joist to joist and to protect the
underside thereof as shown at Fig. 1.
The blocks may be of any suitable section preferably that shewn in the figs.
the vertical portion of the same being dovetail in section as shewn. The blocks b
are thoroughly dried and hard before being used.
To make a floor the blocks b are placed from joist to joist with their lower
portion & downwards and touching each other and the space from the top of the
flanges to the top of the upper flanges of the joists is then filled in with loose
concrete f see Figs. 1 and 2 the weight of the loose concrete being supported by
the blocks b until set thus avoiding the necessity of using temporary centering.
When the loose concrete is set the whole floor is one mass of solid concrete supported
by steel joists or girders the bottom flanges of which are completely covered and
protected by solid concrete.
I do not bind myself to use the particular section of moulded concrete blocks
shewn by the drawings as I may make them of any suitable section but the section
shewn is the best known to me at present.

page_text: By constructing fireproof floors as hereinbefore described the cost of finishing
the soffits or ceilings of such floors is greatly reduced owing to the even under-
surface of the blocks b.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed I wish it to be under-
stood that I am aware of Letters Patent No. 9209 of 1892 and No. 7504 of 1893,
both granted to R. Astley, and I desire to state that I claim nothing described
and claimed in the Specifications of said Letters Patent I declare that what I
claim is:
1. Fireproof floors constructed of solid concrete supported by metal joists or
girders the lower portion of the said concrete being moulded and dried previously
to being placed in position and the upper portion of the concrete being placed
while wet on the lower portion which acts as a permanent centering thereby
entirely dispensing with the use of the temporary wooden centering used for
supporting wet concrete until set.
2. In the construction of fireproof floors the combination of metal joists a, blocks
approximately 1 shaped, of moulded concrete b resting on and covering the under-
side of, the bottom flanges of the joists and loose concrete f resting on the moulded
concrete substantially as herein before specified and for the purposes stated.
3. The construction of solid concrete fireproof floors as hereinbefore specified
and shewn by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 21st day of December 1897.
T. E. HALFORD,
11, Furnival Street, London, E.C., Agent for Applicant.