CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE Con- GTRUCTION OF HOUSES AND OTHER BUILDINGS, WHEREBY A CONSIDERABLE EXPENCE WILL BE SAVED IN THE ERECTION THEREOF, AND THE GAME RENDERED MORE DURABLE AND SECURE FROM FIRE
Year: 1809

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
NORTON, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Builder, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third, in and by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twentieth day of June, in the forty-ninth year of His reign,
for Himself, His heirs and successors, did give and grant unto me, the said
Charles Norton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, His especial licence,
full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Charles Norton, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, by myself and themselves, or by my and
their deputy or deputies, servants or agents, or such others as I, the said
Charles Norton, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE Con-
GTRUCTION OF HOUSES AND OTHER BUILDINGS, WHEREBY A CONSIDERABLE EXPENCE
WILL BE SAVED IN THE ERECTION THEREOF, AND THE GAME RENDERED MORE DURABLE
AND SECURE FROM FIRE," within that part of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland called England, the Dominion of Wales, and Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, in such manner as to me, the said Charles Norton, my
executors, adininistrators, and assigns, or any of them, should in his or their
discretions seem meet; in which said Letters Patent there is contained a
proviso that if I, the said Charles Norton, should not particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand

page_text: and seal, and cause the same to be inrolled in the High Court of Chancery
within two calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent, that then the said Letters Patent, and all liberties and
advantages whatsoever thereby granted, should utterly cease, determine, and
become void, as in and by the said Letters Patent (relation being thereunto
had) will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the
Charles Norton, do hereby describe and ascertain the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by the Plans or
Drawings hereunto annexed, and as follows (varying the same nevertheless in"
size, according to the nature of the building to be erected) that is to say:-
My Invention consists principally in constructing arches over the rooms of
a house or other building, instead of the cicling joists as at present used, and
in the substitution of iron or other metal, instead of timber, for the principal
and inferior bearings of houses or other buildings, thereby rendering such
houses or buildings more durable and secure from the extension of fire, and
in covering roofs upon a more economical plan than has, hitherto been
Adopted.
Fig. 1 is a room twelve feet square, the boundry walls of which are nine
inches thick, from which an eliptic groin arch is turned of brick or stone (sce
Fig. 2), with an iron chain bar or bandage (passing round and united at the
corners and ends of the girders or principal bearers, Fig. 3 and 4, which cross
each other in the centre, forming a butment for the arch. This kind of floor...
will not only prevent fire from communicating to other apartments, but will
constitute-a-sound.cicling to the room underneath. A, the iron bandage pass-
ing round the arch; B,, the wood joist for the floor; C, bricks eighteen inches
long, nine inches broad, and four and a half inches thick, with cavities or
holes in them to reduce their weight...
Fig. 2 is a section of the arch to the floor above described. A, bricks with
cavities in them; B, the chain bar or bandage to the arch.
Fig. 3 is an iron girder or bearer. A, cavities to receive, common wood
joists; B, the screws that secure the cross girders (Fig. 4); C, a cavity to
admit of the bandage.
Fig. 4 is the cross girder or bearer. A, the joint, where it is secured to
Fig. 3; B, the place for the hearthstone; C, the cavity for the bandage.
Fig. 5 is a naked floor with iron joist. A, dovetail notches for the trimmer
joist, against which is turned a common brick arch for the hearth stone; B,
au iron girder or bearer...
Fig. 6 is an iron book-or-dog in its full size to confine the boards of the

page_text: floor to the joist. A, the flat surface of the floor; B, the dowl drove into the
edge of the board; C, the hook or dog drove on the dowl, which confines the
boards to the joist, and should they sink they may be drove together at any
time with a wedge, without taking up the floor.
5 Fig. 6 a. D, a full-sized iron joist; E, the timber fixed to the side of
the joist for the floor, and laths for the cieling to be nailed to.
Fig. 7 is the girder to the iron floor. A, the bond timber; B, the notches
for the iron joist; C, the bar to which the cieling joist will be fixed; D, a
provision for a bandage, if an arch is required; E, a provision for the butment
of a common arch for a brick instead of a timber partition.
Fig. 8 is a double rib'd principal rafter. A, common bond timber to which
the principal is fastened by dovetail wedges and screws; B, the iron gutter;
C, the flange or rib by which the different lengths are fastened together; D,
slate to inake good from the eaves to the gutter, fastened with nails or screws
into wood plugs in the cross bars or laths, and also to the side flange of the
gutter; E, a common stone blocking course; F, the top rib of the principal
where the cross bars or laths are dovetailed; G, the lower rib on which the
support or bracket belonging to the cross bars or laths rests, and by applying
a wedge will constitute a truss to the cross bars or laths (see Fig. 12); H,
boxes or recesses cast to the top of the principal to receive the hips and middle
rafter fastened by hooks or dovetails (as N); I is the edge of the slate
describing their lap; K, a narrow slate rose above the slope of the others to
hide the gutter which receives the water from the slates above, and prevents
it dropping at the eaves; L, the gutter; M, the projection of the eaves,
under which is a pannelled soffit (see Fig. 11).
Fig. 9 is the naked roof. A, a common blocking course; B, the gutter;
C, the flange for piccing it; D, the principal rafter (see Fig. 8); E, the
cross bars or laths (see Fig. 12); F, the holes for wood plugs to nail or
screw the slates to; G, troughs under that part of the slates where they are
joined to receive what moisture may escape through the cement at the joint.
Fig. 10 is the side of a roof covered with slate of a large size, each slate
being grooved on the edge and jointed or joined with cement or lead. A, an
iron ridge covering.
Fig. 11 is a soffit under the eaves with slate pannels (see Fig. 8, letter M).
Fig. 12 is the cross bar or lath bearing from one principal to another.
A, notches for the receiving troughs; B, the brackets or supports from the
lower rib of the principal rafter (see Fig. 8); this cross bar or lath may be
made of iron, copper, brass, or any other mixed metal, or may be made wood.
Fig. 13 is part of a principal rafter for a large span (the number of ribs

page_text: may be increased according to the extent of the span), and put together in
parts joined by flanges with screws and burs. A, the rib for the cieling
joists; B, the centre flange or joint screwed together; C, the dovetails for the
cross bars or laths; D, the rest for the bracket or support.
Fig. 14 is the flange for screwing the principal for the large span together.
Fig. 15 is a double rib'd frame for a chimney, put together at the corners
with wedges or screws. A, a box or groove cast to the frame to receive a hip
or principal rafter; B, the flat side of the frame; C, the raking side; D, part
of a principal rafter; E, an iron gutter; F, the slate.
Fig. 16 is part of a hip or principal rafter (see Fig. 15, letter A). A, the
box cast to the frame round the chimney; B, a hook to fasten the hip or
rafter to the box or frame round the chimney.
Fig. 17 is a hip and valley. A, the hip side; B, holes for wood plugs in
the hip gutter flange for the slates to be fastened to; C, the cross bars or
laths; D, the holes for the plugs for the slates; E, troughs; F, the hip or
gutter troughs to which the other troughs are connected; G, wood plugs to
fasten the same to the hips or vallies; H, the vally side, with the same
finishing as the hip side.
Fig. 18 is an iron principal for a flat roof, the top edge of which is hollow.
A, notches on each side for receiving troughs (see Fig. 19); B, the covering,
which may be of Yorkshire flags or strong slates grooved on their edges, and
filled with lead or cement over the troughs; C, the rib for the cieling joist ;
D, a cavity for an iron bandage, if an arch is required; E, common bond
timber; F, a trough to receive all the leakage that may escape through the
joints of the flags or slates.
Fig. 19 is the flat roof. A, the principal hollow bearers; B, the small
troughs under the joints of the flags or slates; C, holes to drain the moisture
into the principal hollow bearers; D, the flag or slate covering described in
Fig. 18, letter B.
Fig. 20 is a common brick arch. A, the form of the bars to support the
arch, secured at each end by rods screwed with burs at the end.
Fig. 21 is an iron joist for a floor. A, brackets or supports from B, B, B.
Fig. 22 is an iron girder where no arch is required. A, the joists; B,
brackets or supports for the joist; C, mortices for fastening the cieling joists;
D is intended for a truss in a wide span.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Norton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and nine.
CH NORTON. (L.S.)

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Nineteenth day of August,
in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid Charles Norton came before our
Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above written. And
also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the
Statute in that case made and provided.