IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MILLS OR MANUFACTOR.ES, WAREHOUSES, AND OTHER BUILDINGS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Woodhouse, of Bolton, in the County of
Lancaster, Architect, and John Gordon M Minnies, of Farrington,
near Preston, in the said County, Cotton Spinner, for the Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MILLS OR MANUFACTOR.ES,
WAREHOUSES, AND OTHER BUILDINGS."
Bealed the 26th January 1869, and dated the 30th July 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Woodhouse
and John Gordon McMinnies at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 30th July 1868.
We, GEORGE WOODHOUSE, of Bolton, in the County of Lancaster,
Architect, and JOHN GORDON MCMINNIES, of Farrington, near Preston, in
the said County, Cotton Spinner, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MILLS OR
MANUFACTORIES, WAREHOUSES, AND CTHER BUILDINGS," to be as follows:-
Our Invention refers, firstly, to the construction of buildings in which
arches are required. For this purpose we employ girders stretching
from bay to bay, or other such division or compartment, and from these
girders we spring the arches built in any ordinary manner; or, according

page_text: to another part of our Invention, which consists in forming the said
arches by the use of tiles, brick, or similar articles manufactured to
the required shape and dimensions, these tiles may constitute an arch
in one piece, or there may be two or more pieces, and if desired a
key may be inserted. If fireproof buildings be required, concrete or
other such usually employed substance may be placed on the arches.
In order when desired to obtain a wooden floor we adapt joists to the
girders, and to which boards may be secured.
Secondly. We use a combination of cast and wrought iron consisting
of cast beams and wrought girders. The beams extend across the mill,
being supported by the walls with intervening pillars. Upon these
beams, and below their top surface, we form steps for the reception of
the ends of the girders, which are then secured to the beams by angle
irons.
We have above spoken of our Invention as referring to buildings in
which arches are required, but the above-described construction of iron-
work may be used to support a flat floor.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Woodhouse and John Gordon McMinnies
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th January 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, GEORGE
WOODHOUSE, of Bolton, in the County of Lancaster, Architect, and
JOHN GORDON MCMINNIES, of Farrington, near Preston, in the said
County, Cotton Spinner, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of July, 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 us, the said George Woodhouse and John Gordon
M*Minnies, Her special license that we, the said George Woodhouse
and John Gordon M Minnies, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as we, the said George Woodhouse and John Gordon
M'Minnies, our 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

page_text: Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Iu-
vention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MILLS OR MANUFACTORIES,
WAREHOUSES, AND OTHER BUILDINGS," upon the condition, amongst others,
that we, the said George Woodhouse and John Gordon McMinnies,
by an instrument in writing under my hands and seals, or under.
the hand and seal of one of us, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said George Woodhouse and John
Gordon McMinnies, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement and
accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-
64
but
Our Invention refers, firstly, to the construction of buildings in which
arches are required. For this purpose we empty girders stretching from
bay " to "bay," or other such division or compartment, and from
these girders we spring arches built in any ordinary manner;
another part of our Invention consists in forming the said arches of
tiles, brick, or similar moulded article manufactured to the required
shape and dimensions in one piece or in two pieces, with the addition if
desired of a central portion or key.
Another part of an Invention consists in the use of cast-iron beams
and wrought-iron girders. The beams extend across the building, and
are supported by the walls with intervening pillars; upon these beams
and below their top surface we form steps or brackets for the reception
of the ends of the girders, which are then secured to the beams by
angle irons.
This part of our Invention may be used with the first-mentioned
portion thereof, or may be adapted for the support of flat slabs or
boards.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 shews a plan view of a portion
of a cotton mill or other such building constructed according to our
improvements; and Fig. 2 is a section shewing particularly the first part
of our Invention, and to which we will now particularly refer, reserving
certain points of constructlon in the ironwork to be hereafter
described.

page_text: The end walls of the building are shewn at a provided with wall
plates c, d, upon which the extreme ends of the girders e rest.
These
girders are at convenient lengths carried by beams f, or for the purpose
of that part of our Invention now to be described they may be walls,
arches, or pillars.
From one of these girders to another we spring arches of ordinary
brick or stone work, as at 9, 9, Fig. 2, and if the building is desired
to be fireproof we cover the arches with a bed of concrete h. A
flag or timber floor may be laid in any usual manner. The Drawing
shews a series of joists i supported by the tops of the girders, but with
a stratum of concrete between the surfaces, and upon these joists is
the flooring k.
The arches as above described are built of brick work in the usual
manner, but according to another part of our Invention we form them
of two blocks moulded in earthenware, concrete, or other such material,
as shewn at 1, 1, 1, the outward end of each block abutting against a
girder; or instead of using two blocks we construct the arch in these
moulded pieces, the additional are being adapted to the centre, and
constituting a key.
The next part of our Invention is shewn at Figs. 1 and 2 before
referred to, and also in the detached views upon an outlayed scale,
Figs. 3, 4, 5. At fare cast-iron beams carried at their ends by the
walls, and supported at intervals by pillars, as at m. Upon the sides
of these beams are formed steps or brackets n, upon which the ends of
the girders e are placed, and by which they are therefore supported.
To the sides of the girders are bolted angle irons o, o, which angle irons
are bolted to the beams f. The ends of the outside girders are placed
in recesses formed in wall plates c, d, as seen in the detached view,
Fig. 6, and to which they are bolted by angle irons p on each side, and
the beams, girders, and wall plates are therefore bound together in one
framework.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of our said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire
it to understood that we claim as secured to us under the above in
part recited Letters Patent,-
Firstly. The use of girders stretching from bay to bay, or other such
division, for the support of arches springing therefrom.

page_text: Secondly. Constructing arches of two moulded blocks, or of two of
such blocks, with a central portion constituting a key.
Thirdly. The use of wrought-iron girders supported by cast-iron
beams, and the method described of fitting the same together.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Woodhouse, hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine,
GEORGE WOODHOUSE. (L.S.)