Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd July, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Nov., 1896-Accepted, 12th Dec., 1896
1, HENRY JOHN LAWSON, Engineer, of 40 Holborn Viaduct, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a new class of structures which may be used as
dwelling houses, or for shops, public halls, or for other purposes, the special
feature of them being that although they are not portable structures in the sense
of an ordinary travelling caravan or the like which assumes substantially the form
of an ordinary road vehicle and can be drawn by ordinary horse traction, they are
nevertheless capable of being moved about more especially by power contained
within themselves.
To obtain the objects which I have in view, the fabric must be strong and capable
of standing strains, such as houses and similar buildings are not ordinarily
subjected to, but as the special construction of these buildings forms the subject of
another patent it will be sufficient for my present purposes to state that the framing
may be of steel or other tubing and that the power is intended to be provided by
one or more motors of any suitable description, whether steam, oil, electric or
other, contained within the building itself, which also is provided with the necessary
gearing or other means by which the power of the motor can be applied for the
purpose of moving the building. The motor may either be a permanent fixture
in the building and adapted or not to be employed for useful purposes where
power is needed in or in connection with the building, or the building may be
adapted to receive when necessary a motor which can be applied to it so as to
provide the necessary power. Preferably the motor would be contained in a
suitable room or space in the bottom of the structure and adapted to move the
structure either by means of gearing of any suitable description operating upon
road wheels, rollers or equivalent appertaining to the building or it might operate
by means of one or more wire or other ropes or equivalent which could be temporarily
secured to trees, or portable anchors or the like which would be fixed in advance of
the building and upon the rope being wound up by the motor would draw the
building along.
As it is no part of this invention to move the structure rapidly from place to
place but merely to provide it with means for moving it slowly the motor would
be geared down so as to gain power at the expense of speed..
It will therefore be understood that the buildings forming the subject of this
invention are real substantial structures adapted in all important respects to serve
the purposes of a house or other building such as would ordinarily be constructed
of brick-work or masonry, but combining with these features of stability the
necessary cohesion of its parts and general strength and capability of resisting the
effects of shocks and strains to which ordinary buildings are not subject; and in
addition to these special features provided with power by which it can move from
place to place.
H. J. LAWSON.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: 1, HENRY JOHN LAWSON, Engineer, of 40 Holborn Viaduct, in the County of
Middlesex, 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:-
This invention relates to a new class of structures which may be used as dwelling
houses, or for shops, public halls, or for other purposes, the special feature being
that although they are not portable structures in the sense of an ordinary travelling
caravan or the like which assumes substantially the form of an ordinary road
vehicle and can be drawn by ordinary horse traction, they are nevertheless
capable of being moved about more especially by power contained within
themselves.
To obtain the objects which I have in view, the fabric must be strong and
capable of standing strains, such as houses and similar buildings are not ordinarily
subjected to, but as the special construction of these buildings forms the subject of
another patent it will be sufficient for my present purposes to state that the framing
may be of steel or other tubing and that the power is intended to be provided by
one or more motors of any suitable description, whether steam, oil, electric or
other, contained within the building itself, which also is provided with the necessary
gearing or other means by which the power of the motor can be applied for the
purpose of moving the building. The motor may either be a permanent fixture in
the building and adapted or not to be employed for useful purposes where power
is needed in or in connection with the building, or the building may be adapted to
receive when necessary a motor which can be applied to it so as to provide the
necessary power. Preferably the motor would be contained in a suitable room or
space in the bottom of the structure and adapted to move the structure either by
means of gearing of any suitable description operating upon road wheels, rollers
or equivalent appertaining to the building or it might operate by means of one or
more wire or other ropes or equivalent which could be temporarily secured to
trees, or portable anchors or the like which would be fixed in advance of the
building and upon the rope being wound up by the motor would draw the building
along.
As it is no part of this invention to move the structure or automotive house
rapidly from place to place but merely to provide it with means for moving it
slowly the motor would be geared down so as to gain power at the expense of
speed.
It will therefore be understood that the buildings forming the subject of this
invention are real substantial structures adapted in all important respects to serve
the purposes of a house or other building such as would ordinarily be constructed
of brick-work or masonry, but combining with these features of stability the
necessary cohesion of its parts and general strength and capability of resisting the
effects of shocks and strains to which ordinary buildings are not subject; and in
addition to these special features provided with power by which it can move from
place to place.
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 :-

page_text: 4. A house capable of travelling by its own power as distinguished from a
caravan or similar vehicle adapted to be drawn by horse or other independent
power.
H. J. LAWSON.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicant.