Improvements in and relating to Walls, Ceilings, and Partitions, and in Slabs therefor.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, '21st Dec., 1892-Accepted, 11th Feb., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Walls, Ceilings, and Partitions, and
in Slabs therefor.
I, MOSES SAMELSON, of 364 West 117th Street, in the City, County and State
of New York, United States of America, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to improvements in decoration and finish for the walls
partitions and ceilings of buildings and other structures.
The reason of the present systems employed for decorating and finishing walls,
partitions and ceilings being unsatisfactory is because they are all designed for the
rigid attachment of the decoration or finish to the walls partitions and ceilings or to
the frame work of studding, beams &c. whereby any movement of such walls or
frame work caused by expansion, contraction, or settlement is communicated direct
to such decoration or finish and the obvious result is that ugly fissures cracks, and
breakages appear on the elaborate decorative work or fine finish which may have
cost a great deal of money and labor to produce.
The object of my invention is to provide a means of ornamenting or finishing
walls, partitions, and ceilings whereby such ornamentation or finish may be applied
as soon as the buildings are erected, or at any time thereafter without the slightest
danger of its cracking or becoming otherwise injured through contraction, expansion,
or settlement, which are so liable to injure all other forms of decoration or wall,
partition and ceiling finish now in use. Furthermore, my invention provides for fire
proofing the walls, partitions and ceilings to which it is applied, no inflammable
materials being required in its erection, and it provides for the dry decoration at
the buildings of all such work. With these ends in view my invention consists in
forming decorative or plain sections or blocks of any size and shape out of any
suitable substance (preferably fire-proof), such as mortar, plaster of paris, or
cement, moulded into suitable metallic frames which are constructed as will be more
fully hereinafter described.
Referring to the drawings in which like letters of reference indicate similar parts
in the different figures.
Figure 1 is a plan view of one form of my improved hangers to which are attached
the decorative or fire proof sections.
Fig. 2 is a vertical horizontal sectional view taken on lines 1-1 and 2-2 of
Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is an end view of the hanger looking in the direction of the arrow
Fig. 2.
Fig. 4. represents a front elevation of the studding to which is attached a series
of hangers having two courses of decorative or fire proof sections attached
thereto.
Fig. 5 is a detail view of a button secured to a corrugated strip which is cast in
the cement for attaching the section to the hanger.
Fig. 6 is a plan view of a portion of ceiling showing the manner of securing the
hangers to the sleepers and also the locking or finishing plate.
Fig. 7 is a detail side elevation of one form of button having a spiral spring for
supporting the section of ceiling.
Fig. 8 is a plan view on an enlarged scale of two sections of decorative or fire
proof wall showing more clearly the concave and convex meeting edges.
Fig. 9 is an edge view of the same.
Fig. 10 is a central vertical section taken through a section of my improved fire
proof wall, showing clearly the manner of attaching the corrugated strip to the
Die 1

page_text: metallic frame and also the way in which the plaster, cement or other fire proof
substance conforms itself to the shape of the said frame.
Fig. 11 is a piece of sheet metal having an opening stamped out, and which is
adapted to be turned up at the dotted lines in constructing another form of my
hanger.
Fig. 12 is a plan view of the hanger after it has been turned up into shape.
Fig. 13 is an end view of the same.
Fig. 14 shows a sectional edge view of two fire proof sections with ordinary
tongue and groove meeting faces.
Fig. 15 shows a similar view with V shaped meeting faces.
...
Fig. 16 shows a partly sectional view of the beams and floors defining clearly the
hangers and springs for supporting the sections of fire proof ceiling, and,
Fig. 17 shows a side elevation of a button having a modified form of flexible
shank for supporting the ceiling sections.
Fig. 18 is an inverted plan view of a section or block showing grooves for receiving
wedges.
Fig. 19 is a perspective view of a wedge.
Fig. 20 is a side elevation showing a portion of wall with section secured thereto
and wedge in position.
Fig. 21 is an inverted plan view of a section or block showing plug holes.
Fig. 22 is a transverse sectional view of Fig. 21, taken on line xa, and,
Fig. 23 is an edge view of the button with flexible shank shown in Fig. 17...
I will now proceed to describe my improved hangers and the manner of applying
them to the studding or brick seams of the sides of the room and the beams or brick
seams of the floor above to form the walls and ceiling.
'
The form shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 16 consists of a hanger A of any
suitable metal provided with a longitudinal slot a adapted to receive the head of a
metallic button B which button is for supporting the sections or blocks of decorative or
fire proof substance C. In the ends of said casting A are formed square openings
or apertures & through which a nail or screw is inserted and driven into the studding
or beams or into the seams of the walls. The nail or screw before being driven into
the studding, beams, or wall seams is inserted through a hole b¹ in a flat strip or
piece of metal D, which is provided for the purpose of preventing such nail or
screw from passing all the way through the openings.b. As will be seen these
openings or apertures are considerably larger than the heads of the nails or
screws employed; the purpose of which will be more fully hereinafter described.
Another form of hanger is shown in Figs. 11, 12, and 13, the hangers here
being stamped out of sheet metal, and turned up at the dotted lines & forming
the necessary flanges for holding the buttons of the decorative or fire proof block
or sections.
The form of supporting buttons which I may use for hanging, the ceiling
decorative or fire proof blocks or "sections is shown clearly in Figs. 7 and 16.
The stem of the button which is secured in said block or section is in the form
of a spiral spring, such spring being of sufficient strength to support the said
block and section and at the same time possessing the required amount of elas-
ticity or resiliency to allow of any sagging and vibration of the beams without
any corresponding movement being communicated to the said sections.
The form of button which I prefer to use for the wall sections is provided
with a straight stem or shank and this as well as the spiral spring stem used
with the ceiling sections I secure to the respective sections in the following
manner-
The stems or shanks of these buttons are secured at their points to a corru-
gated strip or piece of metal e having holes f, and in turn said corrugated strip
or piece is preferably soldered to the inner edges of a metallic frame g as at h.
Into this frame is run the cement, plaster of paris, or other decorative or fire
proof substance in a liquid state thereby filling up the frame, and binding closely
around the corrugated strip and through the holes f. It is obvious that I may

page_text: also place other strips of metal or other material crosswise in the frame g for
the purpose of strengthening the hold of the cement &c. in carrying out my
invention.
The edges of the frame 9 are either formed straight, concave or convex,
tongued and grooved, or are formed V shape or otherwise adapted so that one
section will fit into another to form a neat and clean joint. The joint may be
made invisible if desired by water marking with the milk of plaster of paris, or
cement, or the material used.
The object of forming the openings or apertures in the hangers A so much
larger than the heads of the nails or screws is to allow any settling of the walls
or studding or sagging of the beams, or lateral movement of either to occur
without its being communicated to the decoration on the walls or ceilings, thus
preventing any cracking or damage to the decoration which heretofore has always
resulted, especially in new buildings or other structures. It will be seen that in
securing the hangers A to the studding or brick seams for the side walls the
nails or screws are placed at or near the top of the openings or apertures b,
which allows said wall or studding to settle to as great an extent as is likely
to occur in practical use without interfering with the decoration on the walls, or
cracking, or injuring them in any way. In securing the hangers to the beams or
brick seams of ceilings I prefer to place the nails or screws directly in the centre
of said openings or apertures b which will allow of lateral movement in any direction
without cracking or injury to the ceiling in any way.
Another form of flexible shank for the buttons used in suspending the ceiling
sections or blocks to the beams is that shown in Fig. 17, where said shank is seen to
3 consist of two parts i and j pivoted together by pin k, and adapted to close toward
each other in the manner of a hinge by the action of any sagging of the beams. In
practice I prefer this form of shank on account of its being more easily adjusted.in
setting up the ceiling.
Before proceeding further I wish it clearly understood that I do not limit myself
to any particular shape in which to make the fire proof or decorative sections as
their shape in the case of decorative work will probably depend entirely upon the
design of the decoration employed. It will be observed that in putting-up a ceiling
after the walls have been finished it is necessary by my system to have what I please
to term a finishing block or section, as there would be one block or section which
could not be adjusted in the manner already described.
This finishing or last section I adapt to fit in by securing two or more catches
or spring bolts 7 similar to what are known as cupboard catches, to the under side
of said finishing block or section. After all the other blocks or sections are in
place the finishing block or section is placed in position and pushed upwards, when
the bolts of said catches will lock over the edges of the adjoining blocks or sections
and hold said finishing block or section firmly up in position.
In order that the decorative sections before referred to may not be split or
injured by driving nails or screws into them to secure moulding, base boards,
trimming, &c. in place I provide the hole m which as will be seen tapers outwardly,
and plugs n adapted to fill said openings and to bear at one end against the wall or
studding. It is intended that all nails or screws shall be driven into these plugs
whereby it is very evident that the effect of the outward tapering of the hole and
plug in connection with the driven nail or screw will be to prevent the driven nail
or screw from splitting the section or block, the action of driving the nails or
screws into the plugs tending to force said plugs out at the larger end of the holes,
until the ends of the plugs come in contact with the wall, partition, or studding.
The continued, driving action upon the nails or screws will then cause the wedges to
be drawn more tightly, within the holes. It is obvious that these plugged holes,may
be formed in the sections or plates wherever they will be required for driving
nails or screws into the walls or partitions, it being my intention to have all
auch details arranged when the design for decorating certain walls or partitions
is being constructed. The different sections or blocks may be suitably numbered

page_text: or marked to ensure those having the plugged holes being set up in their proper
places.
鲁
"
Another important detail of my invention is the means which I employ for
preventing the series of sections forming the decoration or plain finish from having
any tendency to give inwardly upon pressure being applied, such as that which
would be caused by a person leaning against the wall. The device, employed is
shown in Figs. 18, 19, and 20, and consists of the groove o formed in the rear side
.of the section, the wedge.p with tongue q being adapted to slide into said groove
and to form a connection between the section and the wall or studding, thereby
furnishing the section with ample power of resistance from outer pressure.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in, what manner the same is to be performed,. I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A new system of forming decorative or plain finish for walls partitions and
ceilings of buildings, comprising sections or blocks having attachments adapted to
engage with hangers, said hangers secured loosely to the walls; beams, studding or
seams, for the purpose of preventing any movement of the walls partitions and
ceilings by contraction, expansion, or settlement from being communicated to the
said sections or blocks, substantially as set forth.
"
2. A section or block comprising a metallic frame, a corrugated and perforated
strip or strips of metal within said frame, and a metallic button, together with
plaster, cement or other like substances, forming when combined by the process
of moulding, a substantially united and rigid body, as and for the purposes
described.
3. A section or block for the decoration or plain finish of walls, partitions and
ceilings of buildings, consisting of a frame containing cement, or other like
substance and having edges either straight, convex or concave, tongued or grooved,
V shaped or otherwise adapted to fit closely against another like section, substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
4. A section or block for walls, partitions and ceilings having a button attach-
ment on one side to engage with a hanger fastened where desired on the walls,
partitions or ceilings in the seams, studding, or beams, substantially 'as and for the
purpose set forth.
"
5. A section or block for walls and partitions provided with a button attach-
ment on one side to engage with a hanger on the walls, partitions, or studding, said
button provided with a shank by which it is secured to the section or block, the
point of said shank having a strip secured thereto at right angles, as and for the
purpose set forth.
6. A section or block for ceilings with a button attachment on one side for attach-
ment to the beams, said button provided with a flexible shank by which it is secured
to the section or block, the point of said flexible shank having a strip secured thereto
at right angles, as and for the purpose described.
'
7. A button attachment having a flexible shank, for securing ceiling" sections
or blocks to the beams or brick seams, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
8. The combination with sections or blocks for walls, partitions, and ceilings of
buildings, of a hanger provided with a longitudinal slot to receive the button
áttachment of the sections or blocks to support same, said hanger having one or
⚫ more openings through which screws or nails are passed to secure same to the'
studding, beams, or brick seams, the said openings being sufficiently large to permit
free vertical movement of the screws or nails on the studding and seams, or lateral
movement of those on the beams without affecting the position of the hangers,
substantially as shown and described.
9. A locking section or block for wall, partition and ceiling decoration ór
plain fiuish, said block being provided with spring catches on its edges enabling
it to be held in position when pushed into its opening, substantially as set forth. '

page_text: 10. A section or block for wall and partition decorative or plain finish, said block
having tapering holes m, together with plugs n adapted to fit in said holes, sub-
stantially as and for the purpose described.
11. A section or block for wall and partition decoration or plain finish, said block
5 having grooves o together with wedges p having the tongue q, the tongue of said
wedge adapted to slide into the groove o to effect a contact between the section and
the wall or studding, substantially as and for the purpose described.
Dated this 21st day of December 1892.
F. W. BARKER,
Applicant's Agent.