Improvements in and relating to Apartment Houses.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Applicati 1, 18th Dec., 1894-Accepted, 9th Feb., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Apartment Houses.
I, MARTIN LOUIS UNGRICH, of 515 West Forty-second Street, New York,
in the County of New York, State of New York, United States of America,
Inventor, 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 contemplates certain new and useful improvements in apartment
houses.
The generally recognized and adopted plan of apartment or tenement houses
now observed in nearly all large cities presents many objectionable features,
notably, the conspicuous location of water closets; the want of privacy in the
halls or approaches to the several apartments; waste of plumbing material, as
well as exposure thereof and liability to freeze, resulting in leakage and consequent
damage to plastering, carpets, etc.; inaccessibility to pipes when repairing is
necessary; the liability of damage or destruction of all apartments in case of
fire in any portion of the building; and impossibility of obtaining large rooms
on ground floors suitable for stores, and the like, on account of stairways,
elevator lifts, water-closets, and the like precluding any rearward extension of
the ground floor rooms.
The object of my invention is to overcome all of these objections and to
construct a building of increased accommodations, which, while conforming strictly
to the building regulations, shall present a maximum number of good size apart-
ments, well lighted and airy, and all provided with halls or approaches more or
less private; and in which the water-closets shall not be in close proximity to
living rooms, and are located in private hallways; and also in which a minimum
quantity of drainage apparatus necessary, the danger of freezing thereof is
avoided, and in case of fire in any part of the building the remaining portion
or portions thereof including the stairway may be cut off from the burning part
by fire-proof doors, the said stairway being entirely enclosed by fire-proof walls
allowing a safe ingress and egress in case of fire.
The invention comprises the novel features of construction, substantially as
bereinafter fully set forth and particularly pointed out in the claims.
In the accompanying drawing a
=-
Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of an apartment house constructed.
in accordance with my invention.
Figure 2 is a ground plan view.
Figure 3 is a second or upper story plan view.
Referring to the drawing, A designates the house or building proper; a the
side-walls thereof; a' the rear wall; a² and a two approximately parallel central
walls; and a a transverse wall extending from the side-walls to the central
walls a' and a³. This transverse wall a divides the back or rear portion of the
building off from the front or forward portion thereof. Above the first or ground
floor, the space between the two central walls a' and a forms two courts a', the
stairway B for the front portion of the building leading centrally up through these
courts between the two central walls.
On the ground floor of the building between the central wall a² and the opposite
side-wall is one large room 6 while between the walls a³ and the adjacent side-wall

page_text: of the building is a corresponding large room b¹. These rooms are suitable for
stores, and being extended back to the rear portion of the building afford
uninterrupted space. They may be extended to the rear wall of the building,
if desired, by forming suitable openings in the transverse wall. These large
store rooms have front entrances at 6. Near its rear end the room b¹ opens
into the rear extension C of the main hall D. The latter ball is located
between the central walls a² and a³ and access is had thereto from the front of
the building at d. The walls a and a above the first story have deflections
at d', which unite in a forward extension leading to the front of the building.
The stairway B leads from this main hall D up through the courts as before
stated, and opens into a transverse main hall E on the next floor above.
Adjoining the bottom of the stairway B two or more steps lead down to the
extension C of the main ball and through an arched opening e' in wall a to
the rear portion of the building, a stairway B' at the end of said hallway leading
to an upper main hallway E'. The opening e' in wall a³ may be closed by a
fire-proof sliding door F in case of fire, thus protecting the hallway and stairs.
When not in use this door fits in a pocket or opening in said wall. The rear
portion of the building is composed of two sets of apartments F and F. In
cach set the rooms are indicated by f and the private hallways by f³ the latter
opening from the main hallway E At the rear end of the latter is a water-
closet and adjoining this, running the full height of the building, is an elevator
well or shaft in which is a "lift" or elevator for the use of the occupants
cf the rear of the building for hoisting fuel, provisions, furniture, etc. In this
well or shaft are located the soil pipe, the vent-pipe and the supply-pipe f®.
Said well or shaft is heated by a coil at the lower end thereof, allowing heat
to ascend therein, preventing freezing of the soil and supply-pipes and aiding
ventilation. Each apartment in the rear has a separate and independent hallway,
insuring privacy to the occupants' rooms.
Above the first story the front portion of the building, on each side, has three
separate sets of apartments G, G¹ and G, the two sets G and G', having four
rooms each, designated, respectively, by g and g', while the apartments G have,
each, three rooms designated respectively, 9² and g². The transverse main hall E,
into which the stairway B opens, at its ends opens into two private hallways H, H',
running longitudinally of the building. From each of these halls access is had
through doors g* and 9' to apartments G, through doors and g' to apartments G¹
and through doors 9" and 9 to the rooms of the inner apartments G³. Opposite the
ends of the transverse main hall E and between the apartments G and G' are
two sets of water-closets h which serve the three sets of apartments, and in rear
of these water-closets are two wells through which are passed the soil pipes A,
parallel with which are the vent-pipes and supply-pipes . At the bottom of
each well is a heating coil I, for supplying hot air thereto, thereby avoiding
danger of the pipes freezing. The hot-air ascending these wells will serve to
draw off the odors of the water-closet compartments and promote ventilation
through the tops of said wells. In the outer walls of these wells are stationary
lights. Extending perpendicularly down through the building between the
central walls is a shaft i wherein is a "lift" or elevator for the service of the
occupants of the front part of the building. Access is had to this "lift" from
each hallway E through openings in the front wall or partition of said shaft and
light is supplied thereto from the rear court through corresponding openings in
the rear wall. The transveise main hallways E may be closed on either or both
sides of the stairway by sliding fire-proof doors J fitted in the walls a³ and a³,
the same as described for the first floor. The alcoves are indicated by j and the
fire-escapes by j¹.
The requirements of building regulations in various cities are generally that all
apartment houses over sixty-feet in height must be constructed after the so-called
fire-proof" plan. By means of my invention a comparatively fire-proof building,
outside of the requirements of the building regulations, can be constructed with a
66

page_text: maximum number of rooms and without incurring the expense of a building
conforming strictly to the "fire-proof" plan. As shown in Figure 1 the front or
forward portion of my improved apartment house is five-stories, while the back or
rear portion thereof is provided with six stories. This is done with but little
sacrifice in the height of each story and without any material increase in the beight
of the building at the rear. The usual extra height of large store-rooms on the
ground floor is divided up among the several stories in the rear portion of the
building and each of the stories being made of slightly less height than those in
front I am enabled to provide six stories of suitable proportions at the rear of the
building.
The advantages of my invention are apparent to those skilled in the art to which
it appertains and it will be specially observed that the house or building is divided
into independent front and rear portions, the only communication between which is
through the main hallway on the ground floor; that in case of fire the apartments
on either side of the front portion of the building can be safely cut off from
communication with those on the other side, and by closing over both fire-proof
doors on any floor or landing the stairway and front elevator shaft will be securely
protected, allowing of free escape. Then again by my improvements a greater
number of rooms are provided for the forward apartments and without the sacrifice
of space or light. It will also be noted that each apartment in the rear of the
building has a separate private hallway while in the front of the building one
private hallway serves for three apartments, thus insuring greater privacy than
where the rooms of each apartment open into a main hallway. Then again by
passing the drain, vent and soil pipes down a well access can be readily had thereto
for purposes of repairing, etc. and by heating said well danger of freezing is avoided
and thorough ventilation is insured.
In the construction of an apartment house as herein-described great saving of
expense is effected, especially in the plumbing, since the soil pipes from each side
and rear of the building can all be connected to one common drain-pipe. It will
also be noted that the stairways, elevator shafts and water-closets are so located
that there is nothing to preclude the large rooms on the ground floor from being
extended back any desired distance, and an uninterrupted floor space is thereby
obtained.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inveu-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. An apartment house having independent front and rear portions, central walls
and a transverse wall leading from the rear ends of said central walls, a main hall-
way being located between said central walls, a forward stairway leading from said
hallway in the front portion of said building and a second stairway leading from
the rear of said hallway to the said rear portion of said building, substantially as
set forth.
2. The apartment house herein-described having a central main hallway, central
walls between which said hallway is located, front and rear stairways, upper main
lalls into which said stairways open, and private hallways leading from said main
hallways to the front and rear apartments, substantially as set forth.
3. The apartment house herein-described having a central hallway, two central
walls between which said hallway is located, a front stairway between said walls,
upper transverse main halls into which said stairway opens, and fire-proof doors or
slides in said central walls for cutting off said stairways from one or both sides of
said transverse main halls, substantially as set forth.
4. The apartment house herein-described having a central hallway, two central
walls between which said hallway is located, a front stairway between said walls,
and a shaft also between said walls for a "lift" or elevator, substantially as set
forth.
5. The apartment house herein-described having a central hallway, two central

page_text: walls between which said hallway is located, a stairway between said walls, an
upper main hallway transverse to said former hallway and into which said stairway
opens, two longitudinal hallways at right angles to said transverse hallway, and a
series of apartments with which said longitudinal ballways connect, substantially as
set forth.
6. The apartment house herein-described having a central hallway, a stairway
leading from the rear end of said hallway, an upper main hallway into which said
stairway opens, two separate hallways leading from said main hallway, and two sets
of apartments with which said separate hallways respectively connect, substantially
as set forth.
7. The apartment house herein-described having a central hallway, a stairway
leading from the rear end of said hallway, an upper main hallway into which said
stairway opens, the water-closet at the rear of said upper hallway, a lift or elevator
shaft adjoining said water-closet, two separate hallways leading from said main
hallway, and two sets of apartments with which said separate hallways respectively
connect, substantially as set forth.
8. The apartment house herein-described having water-closets, an air well in rear
of said water-closets, and soil, vent and supply pipes located in said air-well,
substantially as set forth.
9. The apartment house herein-described having water-closets, an air-well in
rear of said water-closets, a heating medium at the lower end of said air-well,
and soil, vent and supply-pipes located in said air-well, substantially as set
forth.
10. The apartment house berein-described baving front and rear portions, a
central hallway, two central walls between which said hallway is located, a
transverse wall connected to said central walls, a front stairway between said
central walls, a second stairway in rear of said transverse wall, main hallways
leading from both of said stairways, separate hallways at angles to said main
hallways, and separate apartments communicating with said separate hallways,
substantially as set forth.
11. The apartment house herein-described having front and rear portions,
central hallway, two central walls between which said hallway is located,
transverse wall connected to said central walls, a front stairway located between
said central walls, a "lift" or elevator shaft also located between said central
walls, upper main transverse hallways onto which said stairway opens, doors
connected to said central walls for closing over said upper transverse hallways,
longitudinal hallways at right angles to said transverse hallways, separate
apartments leading from said longitudinal hallways, a stairway leading from said
central hullway in rear of said transverse wall, main hallways onto which said
rear stairway opens, separate hallways leading from said latter main hallwaye, and
separate apartments communicating with said separate hallways, substantially as
set forth.
Dated this 18th day of December 1894.