IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUC- DATAR AD STRUCTURES THE CONSTRUCTION OF HOUSES AND OTHER BUILDINGS OR STRUCTURES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Walton, of Staines, in the County
of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUC-
DATAR AD STRUCTURES
Scaled the 5th March 1869, and dated the 11th December 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Walton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 11th December 1868.
I, FREDERICK WALTON, of Staines, in the County of Middlesex, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF HOUSES AND OTHER BUILDINGS OR STRUCTURES," to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the construction of
houses and other buildings or structures.
I construct a light building requiring comparatively unskilled labour in
its construction, and but little foundation, and which is very dry and
warm, in the following manner :-I take a number of iron bars or sheets,
about to inch thick, the edges of which are turned up by a pair of
rollers, and I place them horizontally one over the other, separating

page_text: them from each other by placing short cast-iron pipes or tubes between.
The pipes are arranged vertically one over the other, and either through
or alongside of each vertical line of tubes a long bolt is passed through
all the sheets of iron, and screwed up tight. A rib or bar of wood is
then bolted on to the flanged edge of the iron sheets, and then the
frames so constructed can be lathed and plastered, or it can be covered
with iron, wood, or felt. When plaster is used wickerwork hurdles
may be used instead of laths to receive the plaster. Where wood is
cheap I prefer to use wood battens, in place of the iron bars, and in such
case blocks of concrete with holes through them, or earthenware tiles, or
blooks of wood may be substituted for the cast-iron tubes before-mentioned.
Instead of leaving intervals between the blocks to be closed by lathing
and plastering or otherwise, the spaces between the battens may be
entirely filled by the blocks, such blocks may be cast in cement and sand
or gravel, they are made hollow for the sake of lightness and cheapness,
and passages are formed through them for the bolts. In such a structure
the intermediate battens may be omitted. Or a very light structure
affording an efficient protection from the weather may be obtained by
making the blocks of cork dust or sawdust and plaster of Paris or cement.
Earthenware tiles- may be used instead of blocks to fill in the spaces
between the battens, the tiles may be made hollow and tongued and
grooved to lock the one into the other.
Another method of construction is to form a frame of iron plates
and blocks, or battens and blocks, held together with bolts as above
described, and to fill the spaces between the battens with a composition
such as plaster and cork dust, or it may be with concrete in a soft
state which is allowed to harden in its place.
I also construct chimney shafts for manufactories and lighthouses
in the following manner :-Cast-iron tubes having flanges cast on their
ends so that the one will fit into the other are placed vertically, and
three or more lugs are cast around their circumference, with holes
through to receive a long bolt, which is first screwed securely into an
ashlar, or brick and cement foundation, and passes upwards through
the lugs to the extremity of the chimney, where a nut is screwed on,
and so the strain of lateral pressure is brought to bear on these bolts.
The quantity and thickness of the bolts being adjusted to the strains
to which the structure may be subjected.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Frederick Walton in the Great Scal Patent Office
on the 11th June 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME,. I, FREDERICK
WALTON, of Staines, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent,. bearing date the Eleventh day of December, in the
year: of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in
the thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant. unto me, the said Frederick Walton, Her
special licence that I,,the said Frederick Walton, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or. such others as. I; the said. Frederick Walton,
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;
sc, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
OTHER BUILDINGS,"
"IMPROVEMENTS IN. THE CONSTRUCTION OF HOUSES AND
upon the condition. (amongst others) that I, the said Frederick
Walton, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or. their, or one of their hands 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 Frederick Walton, do hicreby.
declare the nature of the said. Invention, and in. what manner the
same is to be performed,. to. be particularly. described. and ascertained in.
and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the construction of.
houses and other buildings.or-structures..
I construct a light building requiring only comparatively unskilled
labour in its erection, and but little foundation, and which is very dry and
warm in the following manner :-I take a number of narrow planks and
place them horizontally one over the other, separating them the one
from the other by placing at intervals blocks or. short uprights.between
them. These blocks may be of wood or a moulded. brick. or drain pipe.

page_text: In this way a frame of the desired dimensions is produced, the blocks
being arranged in vertical lines, and the frame being firmly bound
together by long bolts passing from top to bottom of it. Each bolt is
passed close alongside of or it may be through a vertical line of blocks:
The frame may be lathed and plastered on both sides, or wickerwork
hurdles may be fixed upon it to receive the plaster, or it may be planked
or otherwise closed. In place of wood planks and blocks other materials
may in some localities be advantageously substituted, thus for the
planks sheet iron bent to a trough-like form or otherwise may be used,
and for the blocks lengths of iron tube may be substituted. I take a
number of iron bars or sheets about to inch thick, the edges of which
are turned up by a pair of rollers, and I place them horizontally one
over the other, separating them from each other by placing short cast-
iron pipes or tubes between. The pipes are arranged vertically one_over
the other, and either through or alongside of each vertical line of tubes
a long bolt is passed through all the sheets of iron and screwed up tight.
A rim or bar of wood is then bolted on to the flanged edge of the iron
sheets, and then the frame so constructed can be lathed and plastered,
or it can be covered with iron, wood, or felt. When plaster is used
wickerwork hurdles or wire gauze may be used instead of lathis to
receive the plaster. Blocks of concrete with holes through them or
earthenware tiles or blocks of wood may be substituted for the cast-iron
tubes afore-mentioned. Instead of leaving intervals between the blocks
to be closed by lathing and plastering, or otherwise, the spaces between
the battens may be entirely filled by the blocks, such blocks may be
cast in cement, in sand, or gravel, they are made hollow for the sake of
lightness and cheapness, and passages are formed through them for the
bolts. In such a structure the intermediate battens may be omitted.
Or a very light structure affording an efficient protection from the
weather may be obtained by making the blocks of cork dust or saw-
dust and plaster of Paris or cement. Earthenware tiles may be used
instead of blocks to fill in the spaces between the battens; the tiles
may be made hollow and tongued or grooved to lock the one into the
other.
Another method of construction is to form a frame of iron plates and
blocks, or battens and blocks, held together with bolts as above de-
scribed, and to fill the spaces between the battens with a composition
such as plaster and cork dust, or it may be with concrete in a soft state
which is allowed to harden in its place..

page_text: In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings here-
unto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is an elevation of part of the frame of a building constructed
according to my Invention; a, a, is a wooden sill which may frequently
rest directly on the soil if it be first prepared by well ramming it, but
I prefer to place it on brick, stone, or concrete piers, and to asphalt
them on the top. On this sill the flooring joists b, b, are fixed; c, c, arc
the planks placed parallel the one with the other, and kept apart by the
blocks d, d. The openings for windows and doors are obtained by using
short planks c¹ (not allowing them to run through), as the Drawing
shows; e, e, are the screw bolts and nuts by which the parts of the
frame are drawn firmly together; these bolts pass from the sill plate a
to the roof plate f.
Figures 2 represent a portion of a similar frame constructed of iron in
the manner already stated. Fillets of wood are fixed at the edges of the
horizontal iron plates to receive the laths and plastering, or other
methods may be resorted to for closing the frame as already described.
Figures 3 show a moulded block, it may be of cork dust or sawdust
and plaster or of concrete adapted to fill the openings in the frame; it is
made with a lip or overlap which covers the blocks d. Or moulded
blocks of this sort may be substituted for the blocks d, the bolts e passing
through them.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that what
I claim as my improvements in the construction of houses and other
buildings or structures is, the combination of the planks or pieces c,
blocks d, and bolts e, substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Walton, have hereunto
set my hand and scal, this Third day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand cight hundred and sixty-nine.
FRED. WALTON. (L.S.)