IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BUILDINGS, ARCHES, BRIDGES, AND SUCH LIKE STRUCTURES, AND IN THE FLOORS OF BUILDINGS, AND FLOORS IN OTHER SITUATIONS
Year: 1867

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Samuel Parr and Alfred Strong at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on
the 27th September 1867.
We, SAMUEL PARR and ALFRED STRONG, both of College Hill, Cannon
Street, in the City of London, Architects and Surveyors, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
BUILDINGS, ARCHES, BRIDGES, AND SUCH LIKE STRUCTURES, AND IN THE FLOORS OF
BUILDINGS, AND FLOORS IN OTHER SITUATIONS," to be as follows:-
The object and intention of these improvements is to cover or enclose,
divide or floor buildings and open spaces with materials of different kinds
combined together in a novel manner for ensuring strength and economy in
the construction, and for rendering them fireproof, and further to construct
arches and bridges and such like structures of greater strength with less
materials than at present used.
The following are examples of the means we propose to employ for
effecting the above objects. As regards the roofs of buildings we propose
to construct them as follows:-The framework of the roof being principally
of metal constructed upon the most approved plan we proceed to cover the
same in the following manner :-We first fix a wood centre to the frame-
work by any convenient means, the said centre being made the desired shape,
and covered with sheet metal if necessary. Upon these centres we arrange
and dispose metallic or earthenware tubes or half tubes in combination with
concrete, or we form a coating of concrete only, in which case we mix together

page_text: ballast, broken brick, or pottery and Portland cement in varying proportions
according to the strength required, and this concrete we lay or spread on the
wood centre or not as required to the desired thickness, the outer surface
being worked into shape as in plastering. Where half round tiles or half
tubes are used they might simply be laid on the wood centre, and their outer
surfaces be covered with liquid or semi-fluid cement or fine concrete; then
apply a coating or covering of ordinary concrete to make up the required
thickness. Cylinders or tubes may be laid in the above manner and be
similarly covered. We propose to so fix and dispose some of the tubes of the
roof or covering as that they may be used as ducts for the passage of air,
water, gas, or smoke when required. We also propose to fix the chimney
pots on the roof, and thus dispense with chimney shafts. We propose to
form openings for windows by employing curbs of wood, iron, or terra cotta
to receive the sash frames or skylights; and we further propose to bed iron
fastenings in the concrete for attaching internal or external framings. In
some cases we propose to form flues in the solid cement covering by inserting
a core therein of the required size and shape. In using short tubes of an
hexagonal or other geometrical sectional form we propose to lay or dispose
them with their sides at right angles to the roof, the said tubes being previously
dipped in liquid or semi-fluid cement and so united. These tubes when laid
on a centre as before stated are to be filled with sand to within one inch of
the top or thereabouts; concrete is then to be laid over the top of the tubes,
and the vacant space over the sand be filled therewith. When the concrete
is set the centre may be removed and the sand will fall out, leaving the tube
hollow; and as regards the vertical sides and internal divisions of buildings
or floors we propose to make them also of tubes of an hexagonal or other
geometrical sectional form filled in either partially or entirely with concrete,
and then cemented over or not according to the surface required. We also
propose to stamp the cement whilst in a plastic state with any desired pattern
or device so as to form bosses, or we affix separate bosses thereto. The above
may be made in the form of panels, and flue bricks of suitable shape be
affixed to the said panels where desired.
The foregoing modes of construction apply also to the arches of bridges and
other structures.