IMPROVEMENTS IN WALLS AND BUILDINGS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Carrington Sellars, of Birkenhead, in the
County of Chester, Manufacturing Chemist, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN WALLS AND BUILDINGS."
Sealed the 2nd May 1876, and dated the 9th December 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Carrington
Sellars at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 9th December 1875.
I, JOHN CARRINGTON SELLARS, of Birkenhead, in the County of
Chester, Manufacturing Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WALLS AND BUILDINGS," to be as
follows:-
My Invention relates to improvements in and upon that system of
erecting walls and buildings, for which British Letters Patent, No. 2121,
of the year 1875, were granted to me, that is to say, my system of
buiding with hollow blocks or shells of artificial stone or other material,
and filling the same with stones, sand, or like material, either with or
without cement or a binding agent.

page_text: The present improvements have for their principal object, (1), to
reduce the cost of walls and buildings erected mainly of hollow blocks
or shells; (2), to facilitate the erection of walls and buildings of this
class; (3), to make close fitting joints; and (4), to enhance
architecturally the appearance of such walls or buildings.
In carrying my Invention into practice under the first part I employ
in combination with the hollow blocks or shells facing and lining pieces
or either of them made in one or more pieces. These facing and lining
pieces are placed between the ends of the blocks or shells, and as they
can be readily made of different sizes the cost of the erection of a wall or :
The said facing or lining
building of given dimensions is reduced.
pieces and blocks or shells are made to fit together by tongues and
grooves or connected by cementing or otherwise. The space between
the lining and facing pieces is filled in with concrete or other binding
material. The interior surface of the facing and lining pieces may be :
indented, grooved, or otherwise formed so as to afford a better hold for
the concrete or filling.
Under a second part of my Invention I employ in combination with
the said hollow blocks or shells junction pieces, that is to say, after a
course of blocks or shells is laid, whether in accordance with the above
first part or otherwise, flat junction pieces are laid over them in a course.
The junction pieces are by preference overhung at their front edge, and
sometimes on the back so that they overlap the shells, and whilst
making the joint weather tight they serve to provide any desired
ornamental effect; or the said pieces may overhang at the front and
back.
Under a third part I form the hollow blocks or shells in two or more
pieces instead of in one piece as formerly.
Under a fourth part I form the ends of the blocks or shells whether
made in one or more pieces (when employed with facing and lining
pieces or either of them) with the ends having grooves or hollows and
tongues or projections, so that when placed together in position they
bind into and support each other.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Carrington Sellars in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 9th June 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
CARRINGTON SELLARS, of Birkenhead, in the County of Chester, Manu-
facturing Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in
the thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said John Carrington Sellars,
Her special licence that I, the said John Carrington Sellars, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
John Carrington Sellars, 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, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WALLS AND Buildings,”
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Carrington
Sellars, 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 John Carrington Sellars, do-
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying Sheet of illustrative Drawings, and to the figures and letters
marked thereon, that is to say :—
My Invention relates to improvements in and upon that system of
erecting walls and buildings, for which British Letters Patent, No. 2121,
of the year 1875, were granted to me, that is to say, my system of
building with hollow blocks or shells of artificial stone or other material,

page_text: and filling the same with stones, sand, or like material, either with or
without cement or a binding agent.
The present improvements have for their principal object, (1), to
reduce the cost of walls and buildings erected mainly of hollow blocks
or shells; (2), to facilitate the erection of walls and buildings of this
class; (3), to make close fitting joints; and (4), to enhance
architecturally the appearance of such walls or buildings.
In carrying my Invention into practice under the first part, I employ
in combination with the hollow blocks or shells, facing and lining
pieces, or either of them, made in one or more pieces. These facing and
lining pieces are placed between the ends of the blocks or shells, and as
they can be readily made of different sizes the cost of the erection of a
wall or building of given dimensions is reduced. The said facing or
lining pieces and blocks or shells are made to fit together by tongues
and grooves or connected by cementing or otherwise.
The space
between the lining and facing pieces is filled in with concrete or other
binding material. The interior surface of the facing and lining pieces
may be indented, grooved, or otherwise formed so as to afford a better
hold for the concrete or filling.
Under a second part of my Invention I employ in combination with
the said hollow blocks or shells junction pieces, that is to say, after a
course of blocks or shells is laid, whether in accordance with the above
first part or otherwise, flat junction pieces are laid over them in a course.
The junction pieces are, by preference overhung at their front edge, and
sometimes on the back so that they overlap the shells, and whilst
making the joint weather tight they serve to provide any desired
ornamental effect; or the said pieces may overhang at the front and
back.
Under a third part I form the hollow blocks or shells in two or more
pieces instead of in one piece as formerly.
Under a fourth part I form the ends of the blocks or shells, whether
made in one or more nieces when employed with facing and linine

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Under the first part Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrative of my
Invention. a are hollow concrete blocks separated from each other by
facing and lining pieces or jointing; 6 are various forms of plain,
chamfered, and ornamental facing and lining pieces or jointing for plain
ended blocks; care various forms of plain, chamfered, and ornamental
facing and lining pieces or jointing for hollow blocks having tongued
or grooved ends. When it is desired to obtain great economy of con-
struction the facing and lining pieces are made of considerable width so
as to form slabs, as shown at d; this arrangement allows of great
diversity of construction, facilitates the placing of beams or other articles
which penetrate the walls, allows for binding between double walls, as
shown at e, and effects a great saving in cost of construction and
carriage. The interior surfaces of some of the lining or facing pieces d
are shown indented or grooved to allow of the concrete filling obtaining
a better hold.
Under the second part, Fig. 2 is a front view, and Fig. 3 an end
view illustrative of my Invention. a are the hollow blocks separated
from each other by junction pieces; fare plain junction pieces; g are
chamfered; h are ornamental; i shows a modification of overhanging
junction piece for effectually throwing off the rain; and ; shows a
coping piece. It will be obvious that many modifications of the parts
described under the above two heads can be made without departing
from my Invention. Fig. 4 shows the front of a wall combining the
improvements described under Parts One and Two.
Under the third part, Figs. 5, 6, and 7 show three forms of hollow
blocks built up of two or more pieces by the use of segmental blocks
and slabs, circular tanks or walls can be built.
Under the fourth part, Fig. 8 shows hollow blocks whether in one or
more pieces, used in conjunction with facing and lining pieces provided
with tongues and grooves or projections on their ends, so that when
placed in position they fit into and hold each other together.
Fig. 9 is a view of the front of a dwelling-house illustrative of the
various improvements described under my Invention. The walls are
shown built of hollow blocks and lining and junction pieces, as described
under parts one and two. The window heads are formed of hollow
blocks cut to shape and filled in with concrete and stone. The door