An Improved Method or System of Fireproofing Buildings and the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Jan., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 9th Oct., 1897-Accepted, 20th Nov., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method or System of Fireproofing Buildings and the
like.
I, JOHN FERGUSON of 70 Denton Street in the City of Carlisle, in the County of
Cumberland do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the improved construction of floors and walls of build-
ings and the like, by a combination of iron or steel joists or supports (with or without
the use of iron or steel rods, wire or hoop iron; and tubes, made of fireclay, terra-
cotta or other fire-resisting material suitable for my purpose; and concrete used
as a key, bond, or joint, and with or without a thickness of hair felt, slagwool,
or other sound-proofing material on the top, bottom, or within the thickness of
the floor, wall, or any support covering.
In order to attain this end, I make tubes substantially as shewn in the figures
marked A B C D E on the accompanying drawing, these being fitted together
to said joists or supports as may be found best in practice.
I do not confine myself to the size or thickness of A B C D E or any part of
them as shewn to scale, but may make any or all of them larger or smaller as
suits my purpose.
The outside of these tubes may be formed with projections or recesses, in order
to "key" the plaster or concrete and the inside may have struts and projections
of similar or any suitable material at any part for the purpose of strengthening
or otherwise said tubes.
In the formation of a floor or wall or encasing a girder or other support, I may
use a quantity of any one of these tubes by themselves, or a quantity of any two,
or three, or the whole of them in combination, as is found most suitable for my
purpose.
The tube A may also be made without the grooves a¹² or either of them, and
may be of any other suitable shape that is convenient or best.
The tube B may also be made without the grooves b', b, or either of them, and
22 may be of any other suitable shape that is convenient or best;
a¹ a² bb may be of any suitable shape to rest upon any support which I may
use.
The front of tube C shewn at cl may be made of any suitable
form a convenient background for cornices or other plasterwork.
of a different shape for the reception of the concrete "key."
suitable shape to rest upon any support I may use.
suitable length.
may be
shape, so as to
may also be
may be of any
made of any
The tube D may have different shaped ends to those shown at 1,, for receiving
the concrete which forms the joint between two tubes 1 when placed nearly or
exactly end to end.
The tube E may have different shaped internal or external projections than
that shewn on accompanying drawing.

page_text: I also, if I think necessary, or it is required, use a covering, or thickness of hair
felt, slagwool or other sound-proofing material, on, in, under or about the floors
walls or girder or other support coverings, formed by the use of a quantity of
tubes A B C D or E or any of them, with the object of deadening the sound
between rooms or places.
I may also use any arrangement of hoop iron, wire or iron rods in combination
with said joists, tubes, concrete and hair felt, slagwool or other soundproofing
material.
Where iron is mentioned I may use steel or any metal or other suitable support
which is in use at present, or may be discovered or invented in the future that is,
or may be suitable for my purpose.
Dated this Fifteenth day of January 1807
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method or System of Fireproofing Buildings and the
like.
I, JOHN FERGUSON of 70 Denton Street in the City of Carlisle, in the County of
Cumberland, Fireproofing Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion 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 the improved construction of floors and walls of build-
ings and the like, and in the protection afforded to iron steel or other joists,
stanchions pillars or columns which are used for carrying or forming the same.
In order to attain this object, I form what are hereafter called tubes, in fire-
clay, terracotta, or other fireproof or fireresisting material substantially of the
shape set forth in the figures ABCDE on the drawings left with the Provisional
Specification.
The outside and inside of these tubes A B C D E may have projections or recesses
for the retention of the plaster & concrete, and for the purpose of strengthening
the tubes, and they may be larger or smaller, and thicker or thinner in any part
than what is shewn to scale.
The tube A may also be made without either or both of the grooves A¹ A² and A³
may be of quadrant or any other suitable shape to form a "key."
The tube B may also be made without the grooves B₁ B and 132 may be of
quadrant or any other suitable shape to form a 'key."
*
The front of tube C shewn at CI may be of a straight curved or a curved and
straight shape, so as to form a desired backing for cornices or other plasterwork.
C may be of any suitable shape to rest upon any support I may use and C+ may
be of any length.
The tubes D & E may have differently shaped recesses in which to place the
concrete which forms the joint.
In the formation of a floor, I erect a temporary scaffold and place upon this a
number of tubes A with the groove A² resting upon adjacent joists, this leaves
an opening or joint in the centre which is filled with concrete; or I may introduce
a line or lines of tubes B between two parallel or nearly parallel lines of tubes A,
thus making two or more joints or openings, which are filled with concrete.
The temporary scaffolding is then taken down & any desired finish placed on
the top or bottom.
In the formation of a wall, a suitable number of tubes shewn in plan at D and

page_text: of any convenient depth are placed end to end, and over each other, and the open-
ing or joint filled with concrete.
In the protection afforded by my system to main or constructional girders, I
use a suitable quantity of tubes C with the groove C³ resting upon the bottom
flange on each side of the girder, these are kept in position at the top by the
tubes A or A B when formed as a floor and the bottom is held to its place by
concrete being filled in.
When protecting pillars, stanchions or columns, I use the tube shewn in plan
at E, and these tubes being of any required depth, I build them over each other
filling in concrete on the internal projections or joints shewn thereon.
I also if necessary use a covering or thickness of hair felt silicate cotton or other
soundproofing material, on, in, under or about the floors, walls, girder, pillar,
stanchion or column protections formed by the use of a number of tubes A BCDE
with the object of deadening the sound between rooms or places. I may also
use any arrangement of hoop iron, wire, iron or steel rods in combination with
said joists, tubes, concrete, pillars stanchions or columns and any soundproofing
material.
Where joists, girders, pillars, stanchions or columns are mentioned, it is intended
that these shall be made of iron, steel, wood or any other suitable material.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
1. In the formation of a floor, the combination of joists, concrete and tubes A
or Bor A & B substantially as described.
2. In the formation of a floor, the combination of joists, concrete and tubes C
substantially as described.
3. In the formation of a wall, the combination of tubes 1) with concrete, sub-
stantially as described.
4. In the protection from fire of a pillar, column or stanchion the combination
with them of tubes E with concrete substantially as described.
5. In the erection of a building, the combination of tubes A B C D E respec-
tively and conjointly, with joists, girders pillars, stanchions and columns, to form
the floors, walls and upright supports of the building substantially as described.
G. In the formation of a floor or wall or the protecting from fire of a pillar,
stanchion, or column, or other upright support, the combination of a thickness
of hair felt, silicate cotton or other soundproofing material, with the tubes ABCDE
and concrete, substantially as described, for the purpose of deadening the sound
between rooms or places.
7. In the formation of a floor or wall or the protecting from fire of a pillar,
stanchion, column or other upright support, the combination of hoop iron, wire,
iron or steel rods with the tubes ABCDE and concrete, substantially as described,
with or without the thickness of hair felt silicate cotton or other soundproofing
material.
Dated this Eighth day of Ontahan 1007