Improvements in the Construction of Buildings.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Jan., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 31st Oct., 1891-Accepted, 5'h Dec., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Buildings.
1, HENRY PELLERIN DE LASTELLE, of 23 Boulevard de Strasbourg, Paris,
France, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an improved construction of buildings wherein these
are provided with a metal framework forming the skeleton of the building,
whereby the interiors of the rooms are capable of being made of an arched or
ogival form.
-
Between such arched or ogival inner surfaces and the floor above and the outer
walls are provided air spaces whereby the interior of the rooms are protected
against sudden changes of atmospheric temperature.
The walls are constructed in the ordinary manner, and they may be made with
or without air spaces in their thickness, all the said air spaces being hermetically
closed so as not to subject the air therein to circulation, but means are provided,
such as stoppered openings, whereby the air in the said spaces can be renewed from
time to time, and whereby, should circumstances require it, antiseptic materials
can be introduced for destroying any hurtful germs that may penetrate into the
said spaces.
Chimney flues may be made to pass through the said spaces for heating the
layers of air therein, and consequently also the interior walls of the rooms.
For effectually ventilating the ground floor rooms and at the same time pre-
venting the vitiated air from these from ascending into the rooms of the upper
floors, I admit the fresh air through suitable openings at the floor level, and
I provide at the centre of the arched ceiling one or more openings leading into
horizontal channels formed in the space above the ceiling, which lead to external
ventilating tubes passing up to the roof. The rooms in the upper floors may be
ventilated in the same manner, and at the top floor the discharge flue for the
vitiated air may pass up vertically to a ventilating cowl on the roof.
The ceilings of the rooms being made of arched or ogival form of small
thickness by means of the before described iron framework, spandrils of considerable
size will be formed between the upper face of such arched ceilings and the bottom
of the floor above, and these spandrils will constitute the before mentioned air
spaces containing a considerable body of air which will effectually prevent the
transmission of infectious effluvia or germs through the upper floor to the rooms
above. The arched form of the ceilings will also prevent the occurrence of any
dead air spaces in the room, which are beyond the reach of the ventilating currents,
such as occur in ordinary rooms with flat ceilings.
Dated this 31st day of January 1891
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Buildings.
1, HENRY PELLERIN DE LASTELLE, of 23, Boulevard de Strasbourg, Paris,
France, 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 :-
My invention relates to an improved construction of buildings wherein these are
provided with a metal framework forming the skeleton of the building, whereby
the interiors of the rooms are capable of being made of an arched or ogival form.
J
021

page_text: .
Between such arched or ogival inner surfaces and the floor above and the outer
walls are provided air spaces whereby the interior of the rooms are protected
against sudden changes of atmospheric temperature.
The walls are constructed in the ordinary manner, and they may be made with
or without air spaces in their thickness, all the said air spaces being hermetically
closed so as not to subject the air therein to circulation, but means are provided,
such as stoppered openings, whereby the air in the said spaces can be renewed
from time to time, and whereby, should circumstances require it, antiseptic materials
can be introduced for destroying any hurtful germs that may penetrate into the
said spaces.
Chimney flues may be made to pass through the said spaces for heating the
layers of air therein, and consequently also the interior walls of the rooms.
For effectually ventilating the ground floor rooms and at the same time pre-
venting the vitiated air from these from ascending into the rooms of the upper
floors, I admit the fresh air through suitable openings at the floor level, and I provide
at the centre of the arched ceiling one or more openings leading into horizontal
channels formed in the space above the ceiling, which lead to external ventilating,
tubes passing up to the roof. The rooms in the upper floors may be ventilated in
the same manner, and at the top floor the discharge flue for the vitiated air may
pass up vertically to a ventilating cowl on the roof.
The ceilings of the rooms being made of arched or ogival form of small thickness
by means of the before described iron framework, spandrils of considerable size
will be formed between the upper face of such arched ceilings and the bottom of
the floor above, and these spandrils will constitute the before mentioned air spaces
containing a considerable body of air which will effectually prevent the transmission
of infectious effluvia or germs through the upper floor to the rooms above. The
arched form of the ceilings will also prevent the occurrence of any dead air spaces
in the room, which are beyond the reach of the ventilating currents, such as occur
in ordinary rooms with flat ceilings.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings shews a cross section of a building con-
structed according to my above described invention. The interior of the ground
floor room is made with the upper part of rounded, arched or ogival form as
shewn.
The fresh air is admitted from the outside by means of lateral openings at
the bottom of the walls. The vitiated air escapes by openings X situated at the
centre of the vaulted ceiling, which openings communicate with passages terminating
in external flues.
On the upper floor the fresh air is admitted from the bottom in the same way,
and the vitiated air escapes at the top of the arched ceiling through the tube T
which rises above the roof. Near the ceiling are opening sashes 1. By this
means the ventilation of both floors is rendered as complete as possible. With
the arched or ogival form of the ground floor ceiling the dead spaces in the
angles, that are not cleared by ventilation, are avoided, and the ceiling of the
ground floor and the floor of the upper room are by this construction separated
by hollow spaces.o communicating by openings a with the outer air, instead of the
above named parts being in contact as usual; the rooms are thus protected
against the infection by close contact to which they are liable by the ordinary
construction.
The transverse ventilation is obtained by lateral bays and the longitudinal
ventilation by suitably placed windows in the gable ends while the upward
ventilation is obtained by the chimney and by the openings OX and T above
mentioned. The openings O, in the case where the heating is effected by stoves,
extend into the upper floor and are formed in one with the stove flue, extending
with the same above the roof.
By means of these arrangements not only is the ground floor effectually ventilated
but also the total quantity of vitiated air, or nearly so, instead of penetrating into
the upper rooms, is conveyed away through the roof.

page_text: The water used in washing the rooms is discharged through shoots b, the
openings of which are formed with siphon traps for preventing the entrance of bad
gases or smells.
Figs. 2 and 3 shew respectively a cross section and external elevation of a group
of two buildings with ground floor and first floor, as above described, both joining
on to a central building which is shewn in section at Fig. 2. This building, which
is of a single storey, with arched or vaulted ceiling, is constructed with an almost
flat roof, in order to leave the two gable ends of the side buildings free, and
allow the longitudinal ventilation to be effected at the top of the ceiling as
described.
The rectangular central building has laterally two annexes which serve the one,
to contain the stair cases and domestic offices, surgery &c. the other for the offices
or the directors or superintendents rooms and the like.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The herein described improved construction of buildings with arched or ogival
ceilings to the rooms arranged so as to fulfil the conditions set forth.
Dated this 31st day of October 1891.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.