IMPROVEMENTS IN PARQUET FLOORING
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Achilles Damman and Andrew Cassard, of Brussels, in
the Kingdom of Belgium, Manufacturers, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN PARQUET FLOORING."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Achilles Damman and
Andrew Cassard at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th
June 1881.
ACHILLES DAMMAN and ANDREW CASSARD, of Brussels, in the Kingdom of
Belgium, Manufacturers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PARQUET FLOORING."
Our said Invention, relating to what is known as parquet flooring, consists in
certain improvements in the construction of the said flooring, as hereinafter
described. Parquet flooring as heretofore constructed is usually laid upon ground
sills or ashler joists, which involves the formation of hollow spans, which become
filled with vitiated atmosphere, and in case of fire produce a corresponding number
of currents of air tending to accelerate combustion.
When the parquet flooring is laid directly upon the ground, according to another
mode heretofore practised, this arrangement is also attended with disadvantages;
for example, the wood rapidly deteriorates in consequence of its exposure to
damp.
The parquet flooring constructed according to this Invention is not open to these
objections, and is capable of being laid with great facility. This improved flooring
is laid directly upon the ground or upon the vaulting, and does not require any
ground sills or ashler joists, being composed of panels of oak or other suitable wood
applied by means of a water proof substance to solid or hollow blocks or backs of
any convenient form and dimensions.
Parquet flooring constructed according to this Invention is composed of threo
parts, viz. :-
First. A part consisting of stone, cement, terra-cotta, or the like, forming the
base of the panel.
Second. A layer of waterpoof material, such as bitumen, gutta percha, asphalte, or
other analogous substance connecting the base to the upper part.

page_text: Third. A covering of oak or other suitable wood worked into any desired pattern,
such as mosaic or tesselated designs, or simply a plain surface.
In carrying out our said Invention the improved flooring is composed of panels
or blocks of any suitable form and dimensions, consisting of a base of stone, coment,
terra cotta, or the like, and a covering of wood forming the floor proper, provided:
on its under surface with dovetailed grooves, which covering is connected to the
base by means of a layer of waterproof material, such as bitumen, gutta percha,
asphalte, or the like, interposed between it and the said base, and filling the
dovetailed grooves herein before referred to.
The base or under portion of the panels is provided with conical holes for the
reception of the surplus waterproof material, and with circular grooves for the
reception of any excess of the mortar or cement upon which the panels are bedded,
and thus preserves the wood from being affected by the cement.
The wood coverings of the panels are joined together by grooves and tongues_of
wood or zinc, or other metal, the said grooves being cut as low as possible in order
to present a considerable thickness of wood on the exposed side.
The stone or other material forming the base of the flooring is laid upon the
ground or upon the vaulting, the surface of which is suitably prepared by providing
a bed of mortar or other suitable material, which enters the grooves or recesses in
the base, and thereby holds the latter securely in position.
The blocks or panels may be of rectangular, octagonal, lozenge, square, or other
suitable shape, and either solid or hollow, of any desired thickness according to
the purpose to which they are applied.
The said blocks may be connected together laterally by tongues and grooves or
their equivalents, or simply by means of grooves, as hereinafter described. When
the tongue and groove system is adopted the blocks are provided on two sides with
half round or square teeth, and on the two other sides with grooves or recesses for
the reception of the said teeth or adjoining blocks; but when grooves are employed
alone the excess of cement or mortar on which the blocks are laid runs into the
grooves, thus constituting so many holdfasts, binding all the blocks or squares
together.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Achilles Damman and Andrew Cassard in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 3rd December 1881.
ACHILLES DAMMAN and ANDREW CASSARD, of Brussells, in the Kingdom of
Belgium, Manufacturers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PARQUET FLOORING."
Our said Invention, relating to what is known as parquet flooring, consists in
certain improvements in the construction of the said flooring, whereby it is rendered
fire proof and damp proof, and the operations of fixing it in position are facilitated,
as hereinafter described.
Parquet flooring as heretofore constructed is usually laid upon ground sills or
ashler joists, involving the formation of hollow spaces, which become filled with
vitiated atmosphere, and in case of fire produce a corresponding number of currents
of air, tending to accelerate and promote combustion..
-
In other cases the parquet flooring is laid directly upon the ground, but this
arrangement is also objectionable; for example, amongst other disadvantages the
wood rapidly deteriorates in consequence of its exposure to damp.
The improved fire proof and damp proof parquet flooring constructed according
to our said Invention is not open to these objections, and is capable of being laid
with great facility.
This improved flooring is laid directly upon the ground or upon a masonry of
vaulting, and does not require any ground sills or ashler joists, it being composed
of panels of oak or other wood, cemented by means of a water proof substance to
solid or hollow blocks or slabs of stone, cement, terra cotta, or other suitable
materials, and of any convenient form and dimensions.
The parquet flooring constructed according to our said Invention is composed of
three parts, vis. :—
First. A part consisting of stone, cement, terra cotta, or the like, forming the
base or support of the panels.
Second. A layer of waterproof material, such as bitumen, gutta percha, asphalte,
or other analogous substance connecting the base to the upper part.
Third. A covering of oak or other suitable wood inlaid or worked into any
desired pattern, such as mosaic or tesselated designs, or simply presenting a plain
surface.
And in order that our said Invention may be fully understood, we shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to
the several Figures on the annexed Sheets of Drawings, the same letters of referenco
indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing represents a plan of the underside of one
of the blocks or slabs forming the base or support of the improved flooring.
Figure 2 is a plan of the upper side of a portion of the parquetry or wood
covering, which is laid upon the blocks or slabs illustrated in Figure 1, and forms
the floor proper.
Figure 3 is a vertical section of the improved flooring, indicating the relative
position of its various component parts, and showing the joint between two
adjacent blocks or slabs, the section of the said blocks being taken along the
line 1-2, Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a vertical section drawn to a smaller scale of the improved flooring
illustrating the mode of applying the said flooring directly to the surface of the
ground; and
Figure 5 is a similar view showing the flooring laid upon masonry.
The improved flooring is constructed with blocks or slabs A of stone, cement,

page_text: terra cotta, or the like, forming a base or support for a covering B of wood forming
the parquetry or floor proper. This covering is provided on its under surface with
dovetailed grooves, and is connected to the base or blocks A by means of a layer C
of waterproof material, such as bitumen, gutta percha, asphalte, or the like
interposed between the wood and the said baso and filling the dovetailed
grooves D.
The base blocks A are provided with taper or conical holes F for the reception of
the surplus waterproof inaterial C, and with circular grooves E for the reception of
any excess of the mortar or cement upon which the blocks aro bedded, as herein-
after described.
By interposing the blocks between the wood and the mortar or cement the wood
is preserved from being affected by the latter.
The wood panels or coverings of the blocks are joined together by grooves and
tongues G of wood, or zinc or other metal, the said grooves being cut as low as
possible in order to present a considerable thickness of wood on the exposed side.
The blocks A of stone or other material forming the base of the flooring are laid
upon the ground, as shown in Figure 4, or upon the masonry of vaulting H, as
shown in Figure 5, the surface of the said ground or masonry being suitably
prepared by providing a bed I of mortar, cement, or other suitable material, which
enters the grooves or recesses E in the base blocks A, and is thereby enabled to
hold the latter securely in posititn.
The base blocks A may be of rectangular, octagonal, lozenge, square, or other
suitable shape, and either solid or hollow, of any desired thickness, according to tho
purpose to which they are to be applied.
The said blocks may be connected together laterally by tongues and grooves or
their equivalents, or simply by means of grooves, as hereinafter described. When
the tongue and groove system of joining is adopted the blocks are provided on two
sides with half round or square teeth or tenons, and on the two other sides with
recesses or mortices for the reception of the teeth or tenons on the adjacent blocks;
but when grooves are employed alone in the example illustrated in the Drawing
the excess of cement or mortar on which the blocks are laid runs into the grooves,
thus constituting so many holdfasts, binding all the blocks or slabs together.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, we would observo in conclusion that what we consider to be novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein before in
part recited Letters Patent is,―
The improved parquet flooring, consisting of parquetry laid upon blocks or slabs
of terra cotta, stone, cement, or other like materials, with the interposition between
the parquetry and the said blocks or slabs of waterproof material, substantially as
herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said Achilles Damman and Andrew Cassard,
have to this our Specification set our hands and seals, the Second day of
December, One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
ACHILLES DAMMAN. (L.S.)
ANDREW CASSARD.
(L.S.)