IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING PORTABLE HOUSES AND BUILDINGS
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Frederick Bielefeld, of Wellington
Street North, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention
..PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Frederick
Bielefeld at the office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 1st October 1852.
I, CHARLES FREDERICK BIELEFELD, of the Strand, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING PORTABLE HOUSES AND BUILDINGS'
as follows:-
to be
This Invention has for its object the construction of houses and
buildings suitable for emigrants, and consists of a mode of forming such
buildings in parts or panels which will go readily together without
requiring skilled workmen. The front, back, and end of a house or
building are made up of panels of a rectangular form, framed in wood,
and externally covered with iron, plain or corrugated, and by preference
galvanized; and on the inside the frames or panels are covered with
papier maché or thick paper or wood, or other suitable material; the

page_text: spaces between the inner and outer coverings, excepting so much as is
occupied by the framing, being air spaces, which will tend to keep the
building warm the panels go together by means of pilasters grooved
to receive them. The parts of the ground plate or framing go together
in squares, and fix to each other by screws and nuts; the floor is made
in parts of a square form, the boards being fixed to the joists, and the
ground plate a frame is notched out to receive the joists. The upright
panels enter between the floors and a fillet fixed to this ground plate.
The roof is. made in rectangular parts by framing or connecting the
rafters at top and bottom, so that when the pents of a roof are brought
together, and are placed to the proper inclination, they are fixed by screws,
and are retained from strutting by means of tie-bars or rods. The frames
of rafters are externally covered with iron (corrugated or plain), by pre-
ference galvanized, and where a horizontal ceiling is not to be used, then,
on the interior, by papier maché, wood, or other suitable material; the
ceiling is also made in panels; the partitions are also made in panels,
and go together by means of pilasters, in like manner to the ends, front,
and back of the building; and in making partitions it is preferred to
cover the frames with papier maché on both sides; and in this manner
may partitions be made for the interior of ships or vessels, but other
materials may be employed for covering the framed panels for the
Dortable buildings.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Charles Frederick Bielefeld, in the Great Seal
Patent Office, on the 30th March 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
CHARLES FREDERICK BIELEFELD, of Wellington Street North, Strand,
in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of October in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the sixteenth year
of Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Charles Frederick Bielefeld, Her special licence that

page_text: I, the said Charles Frederick Bielefeld, my executors, administrators
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles Frederick Bielefeld,
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 CONSTRUCTING PORTABLE HOUSES AND BUILDINGS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Charles Frederick
Bielefeld, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 calender months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Frederick Biclefeld, do
hereby 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
the following statement thereof (that is to say):
This Invention has for its object the construction of houses and
buildings suitable for emigrants, and consists of a mode of framing such
buildings in parts or panels which will go readily together without
requiring skilled workmen. The front, back, and ends of a house or
building are made up of panels of a rectangular form, framed in wood,
and externally covered with iron (plain or corrugated), and by preference
galvanized; and on the inside the frames or panels are covered with
papier maché or thick paper or wood, or other suitable materials; the
space between the inner and outer coverings (excepting so much as is
occupied by the framing) being air spaces, which will tend to keep the
building warm; the panels go together by means of pilasters grooved
to receive them. The parts of the ground plate and framing go together
in squares, and fix to each other by screws and nuts; the floor is made
in parts of a square form, the boards being fixed to the joists, and the
ground plate or frame is notched out to receive the joists. The upright
panels enter between the floors and a fillet fixed to the ground plate.

page_text: The roof is made in rectangular parts by framing or connecting the
rafters at top and bottom, so that when the, parts of a roof are brought
together and are placed to the proper inclination, they are fixed by screws,
and retained from strutting by means of tic-bars or rods.. The frames or
rafters are externally covered with iron (corrugated or plain), by prefer-
ence, galvanized, 'and when a horizontal ceiling is. not to be used, then,
on the interior, by papier maché, wood, or other suitable materials; the
ceiling is also made in panels; the partitions are all made in panels,
and go together by means of pilasters, in like manner to the ends, front,
and back of the building; and in making partitions it is preferred to
cover, the frames with papier maché on both sides; and in this manner
may partitions be made for the interior of ships or vessels, but other
materials may be employed for covering the framed panels for. the
portable buildings. In carrying out my said Invention; the great object
to be kept in view, by the workman is, that the house or building shall
be composed of as few main pieces as may be, and that each main piece
shall be made up in the form of a panel, and for the front, back, sides,
and interior partitions, each panel is made hollow; and I prefer in all
cases papier maché for the interior lining or surface, because it is not
liable to shrink in hot climates.
..
.
In the specification of a former patent granted to me, I described
means of making very large sheets of papier maché, or a composition in
the nature thereof; and I prefer the use of such preparation for the interior
linings of all panels, though other linings may be used; and I prefer to
place such preparation between two sheets or surfaces of strong.canvas
or woven fabric, as by such means the desired strength of papier maché
may be obtained with much less thickness of papier maché than if the
canvas be dispensed with, and the use of the canvas facilitates the
fixing of the linings to the framed panels. I find that in making
portable houses, in order to have as few parts as may be, and yet be within
the dimensions which can be conveniently received and stowed on board
ship, that the panels may be about twenty-one feet long, and eight
feet high; and I form framed openings for doors or windows, in the
panels; and I find that for a small house of two rooms, say fourteen
II::
.: 1

page_text: feet in length, fourteen feet deep, and eight feet six inclies high, that the
front and back and ends may each be formed of one panel. Each
panel I frame together, using the sill or ground plate (by. preference of
oak) for the bottom of the panel. The ends and intermediate parts
of the sill:or ground plate is prepared to receive the ends of the house,
so that the two parts of the sill or ground plate may go together, and
fix with bed screws, and also for receiving the ends of the sill or ground
plate of the partition. To each sill or ground plate I fix the bottom
rail, having such a series of uprights as may be necessary to give the
desired strength, using diagonal framings to keep the whole strong and
firm, and on the uprights I fix the top plate, all which will be well under-
stood by a carpenter; I then apply the exterior covering, for which I
usually apply galvanized sheet iron, which I nail to the wood frame,
excepting at the openings for door and windows, and at the upper parts
of these plates, near the roof, I have numerous small holes for the outer
air to pass freely into the interior of the hollow panel. I would, how-
ever, remark, that the papier maché may, if well painted, be used in place
of iron for the external covering of the panels. In coating or covering
the interior of the panels I apply, as before stated, by preference, papier
maché rolled between two surfaces of strong canvas, and I nail it on to
the framed panel before it is quite dry, so that in drying, by the slight
shrinkage it undergoes, it will cause it to become tight and even at all
parts, more completely so than if the papier maché were first dried, and
then fixed, and in this state I place the whole in a drying room; and dry
the papier maché, and before sending out the panels.I paint them well.
At the angles I place pilasters or plates, to cover the joint where two
panels come together, and fix the same by screws. In making a parti-
tion for the interior, I proceed in the same manner, excepting that I
coat or cover both sides with papier maché, though other materials may
be used, but I believe not with so much advantage. In making the
outside doors, I prefer them to be hollow, and covered on both sides in
the same way as described for the panels constituting the front, back,
and sides. In constructing the floor, it is made in panels of the sizes
of the rooms, or in quarters, or in halves, in such manner that the end

page_text: means.
of the joists will rest on the sills or ground plates in notches to receive
them, and the joists will be combined together by nailing the boards on
to them. In constructing the roof I make the parts in panels
whether the roof be angular or curved, and I make such panels hollow,
in order to facilitate ventilation, and also to keep out the sun's heat by
the interposed air in the hollow panel, and also to keep out cold by like
If the roof is to be angular I make two panels, and cover
them on the outside with sheets of galvanized iron, and on the underside
with papier maché; and I connect the two panels at the upper part by
screws, and have a trough-like ridge to cover the joint, and I make an
opening or openings through the ceiling into the hollow roof; and at the
eaves, or under parts which project over the upper plate of the front and
back, I make a number of openings; and in the interior I can, if desired,
have means of closing the openings through ceiling. The rafters of
the roof are to be prepared, rest on, and be fixed to, the top plates of the
building by screws or otherwise, and the space between the inner and
outer coverings of the panels of the roof may be left more or less open
at the eaves, as may be wished. When a flat ceiling is desired with
an angular roof, then I have a panel on purpose for the ceiling, to fix
in the roof by screws. When a curved roof is formed, then I can make
it of one or more panels in length, and of the depth of the house. If
more than one panel is used for a roof, I, in such case, can cover the
the joint with a batten or otherwise, and in such roofs I have covered
with iron exteriorly, and interiorly with papier maché; but both at the
inside and out they may be covered with papier maché between canvas,
well coating the outside with white lead and painting. From the above
description, a workman will understand that the peculiarity of the Inven-
tion consists of constructing a portable house or building of a combination
of panels formed to go together readily, the panels being hollow,
except those constituting the floor; and a workman will also readily
understand, that if the dimensions of the house or building is to be
larger, that is, where the length or width is greater, than can conveniently
be shipped if made in one panel for each side, two or more panels
may be made as above described, and suitable to be combined by bed

page_text: screws at the sills and top plates, and the joints covered by pilasters or
plates fixed by screws.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Frederick Bielefeld, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of March
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-three.
CHARLES BIELEFELD. (L.S.)
Witness, B. GOBEY.