IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE BUILDINGS, SPECIALLY ADAPTED TO CAMPAIGNING PURPOSES
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Langman, of Plymouth, in the County of Devon,
Architect, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE BUILDINGS,
SPECIALLY ADAPTED TO CAMPAIGNING PURPOSES."
Sealed the 24th July 1855, and dated the 9th February 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Langman at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
9th February 1855.
I, JOHN LANGMAN, of Plymouth, in the County of Devon, Architect, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PORT-
ABLE BUILDINGS, SPECIALLY ADAPTED TO CAMPAIGNING PURPOSES;" to be as
follows:-
My Invention consists in constructing a building consisting of two sides and
two ends covered by a sloping roof, and fitted up inside so as to afford sleeping
accommodation by night, the parts forming which may be readily made to
answer as tables and seats by day. The internal arrangements, it must be
understood, will require to be altered when the building is intended for stabling,
In the
or for purposes other than those of berthing troops by day and night.
following description I shall confine myself to the details of a building adapted

page_text: for troops. I form the sides, ends, and roof in separate pieces, all ready for
being put together after having been transported to the spot where the
building is required to be erected. I form all these parts of timber, and join
the planks horizontally by means of a tongue of gutta percha let into a groove
in each side of every plank, and bolt or unite all the planks together by vertical
or inclined beams or joists. In one or both ends I form a door. The manner
in which the sides and ends are held together is as follows:-I screw or
otherwise fix to the sides or ends, as the case may be, several pieces of metal,
each of which terminates in an eye which traverses the end beams or uprights
in the side or end to be secured, and after the eyes have been passed through
the uprights they are securely held by wedge shaped pins. To each of the
ends I secure an angular support for the two flaps which are to form the
sloping roof, and in these supports I fit bulls-eyes or windows and valves for
the purpose of ventilation; these valves are composed of leather weighted on
the outside, placed over holes made in the wood-work so as to allow of the exit
of air and vapours from within, and so as to prevent the entrance of the
weather. The sides of the roof are formed of planking, united as before
described, and are held to the sides of the building, and to the end supports, by
metal eyes and wedge-shaped pins. The planks forming the sides of the
roof run at right angles to the sides of the building, and the gutta percha
tongues terminate in a trough at bottom, whereby water is conducted away
from the building.
Having now explained the construction of the walls and roof, I proceed to a
description of the interior.
I lay down a flooring, and provide sleeping
accommodation along the sides of the building in the form of boards, which do
not protrude so far from the sides as to interfere with a clear space along the
centre from door to door. These planks are supported upon ledges nailed to
the ends, and upon a beading along the side of the walls, and are further held
up by a central support which slides in grooves in the flooring, and on the
under side of the planking. One half of this planking on each side is made so
as to admit of its being readily drawn off the supports, and of its being
placed upon supports nearer the ground, in which position it affords a seat,
while that part of the planking which had not been removed forms a table.
The central supports are so shaped as to sustain the planking when wholly
used for sleeping, or when used for seats and table. The inside of the roofing
is provided with slings for containing the guns and arms of the troops. An
exceedingly convenient and portable, while at the same time strong, building is
thus formed proof against the weather, easily and quickly put together and

page_text: taken to pieces, and requiring neither nails nor screws in order to secure the
various parts to each other. The pins will be tied to the uprights so as not
to be lost, and all that will be necessary to be carried in addition to the
building will be a hammer for the purpose of driving the pins in and out of
the eyes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Langman in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th August 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
LANGMAN, of Plymouth, in the County of Devon, Architect, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Langman, Her special licence that I, the said John Langman,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
John Langman, 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
PORTABLE BUILDINGS, SPECIALLY ADAPTED TO CAMPAIGNING PURPOSES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Langman, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Langman, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say:--
My Invention consists in constructing a building composed of sides and ends,
covered by a sloping roof, and fitted up inside so as to afford sleeping accom-

page_text: modation by night, the parts forming which may be readily made to answer as
tables and seats by day. The internal arrangements, it must be understood,
will require to be altered when the building is intended for stabling, or for
purposes other than those of berthing troops by day and night. In the
following description I shall confine myself to the details of a building adapted
for troops.
Figure 1 represents an end elevation, Figure 2 a cross section, Figure 3
a longitudinal section, and Figure 4 a perspective view, of a couple of such
buildings placed end to end, and with canvas placed between them so as to
form a tent. A, A, are the sides; B, B, the ends; and C, C, the roof, which
I form in separate pieces all ready for being put together, after having been
transported to the spot where the building is required to be erected. I form
all these parts of timber, and join the planks horizontally by means of a tongue
of gutta percha or other equivalent let into a groove in each side of every plank,
and bolt or unite all the planks together by vertical, horizontal, or inclined
beams or joints D, D. E, E, are the doors, which are formed one in each
end of the building. These doors may be made in one piece if desired, or
divided across the centre, as shewn in the Drawings, and the parts are caused
to lap well over each other, so as to exclude wet and dust. The manner in
which the sides, ends, and roof are held together is as follows:-I screw or
otherwise fix to the sides or ends, as the case may be, several pieces of metal
F, F, cach of which terminates in an eye G, which traverses the end beams.or
uprights D, D, in the side or end to be secured. After the eyes have been
passed through the uprights they are securely held by wedge-shaped pins
H, H. To each of the ends B, B, I secure an angular support or gable I,
for the two flaps which are to form the sloping roof C, C, and in these
supports I fit a series of bulls-eyes or windows J, J. K, K, are valves also
placed in the supports for the purpose of ventilation. These valves may be
composed of leather weighted on the outside, placed over holes made in
the wood-work so as to allow of the exit of air and vapours from within, and
prevent the entrance of the weather. Or these valves may be made in the
ordinary manner, and opened or closed by means of cords. The sides of
the roof are formed of planking, united as before described, and are held to the
sides of the building, and to the end supports, by metal eyes and wedge-shaped
pins. Troughs may be placed along the sides of the roof, communicating
with vertical pipes, so as to conduct the water away from the building. L, L,
are inside rafters or studs to give additional support to the roof; and M, M,
iron stay rods to further steady the sides of the building.

page_text: Having now explained the construction of the walls and roof, I proceed to
a description of the interior. I lay down a flooring N, N, which I form of
planks running either the length or breadth of the building. These planks
rest upon light beams .O, O, which have screwed or otherwise fixed to their
under side a number of blocks P, P, which rest upon the ground, and thus
serve to keep the flooring perfectly dry, and admit of a free circulation of air
below the building. To form the sleeping accommodation I place along the
sides of the building boards Q, Q, of sufficient width, but which do not protrude
so far from the sides as to interfere with a clear space along the centre from
door to door. These boards or planks rest upon longitudinal supports R, R,
the ends of which rest upon ledges a, a, fixed to the ends of the building.
These supports may be formed of the ordinary scaling ladders, and I further
hold up the planks by a. central support S, which may, if desired, consist of
boxes or other receptacles. One half of the planking on each side is made so
as to admit of its being readily drawn off, together with the ladder beneath it,
from the ledges a, a, and transferred on to the ledges b, b, in which position
it forms a table, while the other half of the planking, together with its ladder, is
lowered down on to the ledges c, c, nearer the ground, and thus forms a seat.
The inside of the roofing and sides of the building are provided with slings for
containing the guns and arms of the troops. An exceedingly convenient and
portable, while at the same time strong, building is thus formed proof against
the weather, easily and quickly put together and taken to pieces, and requiring
neither nails nor screws in order to secure the various parts to each other.
The pins will be tied to the uprights so as not to be lost, and all that will be
necessary to be carried in addition to the building will be a hammer for the
purpose of driving the pins in and out of the eyes. The addition of the tent,
as shewn in Figure 4, and placed between the buildings, will be found very
advantageous as a covering for cavalry, and also for day accommodation for
the troops.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim as my
improvements in portable buildings is,-
First, the general construction and arrangement of the parts of which the
buildings herein-before described are composed.
Second, the method of fixing the parts of portable buildings together by
means of metal eyes, through which wedge-shaped pins are passed, as herein-
before described, and represented in the Drawings hereunto annexed.
Third, the means of forming the flooring of portable buildings in the

page_text: manner herein-before described, and represented in the Drawings hereunto
annexed.
And, fourth, the fitting up the interior of portable buildings in such manner
that the fittings serve as tables and seats by day, and as supports for bedding
or sleeping accommodation by night.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Langman, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Ninth day of August, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-five.
JOHN LANGMAN. (L.S.)