IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FLOORS AND ROOKS FOR BUILDINGS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Moreland, the younger, of 3, Old Street,
St. Luke's, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Moreland at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th March 1867.
I, RICHARD MORELAND, the younger, of 3, Old Street, St. Luke's, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FLOORS AND ROOKS FOR BUILDINGS," to be
as follows:-
I construct floors in the following manner:-I take a number of wrought-
iron girders and place them at convenient distances apart, and I fix them
either on main girders or I build. them into the walls of the building, and on the
upper or lower flange of the girders I place at given and suitable intervals bow
and string wrought-iron lattice or bow and string web plate girders, the upper
flange of which may be elliptical or be an arc of a circle in outline, the lower
flange may either be straight or curved; the top and bottom flanges of the
lattice girders being connected together with vertical and diagonal braces and
rivetted together at the connections; the ends of these lattice girders may be
fixed, bolted, or screwed to the girders which support them, and I propose in
some cases to use additional tie rods for the supporting girders; I also plac
е

page_text: along the edges of the supporting girders and between the lattice girders bricks,
angle irons, or other material, which I rivet or lay on the flange of the sup-
porting girder to ensure the equal and level bearing of the edge of the corru-
gated iron, as herein-after described. I prefer a brick of an angular shape
shewing the projecting edge corbelwise. On the upper or curved surface of
the lattice girders I then lay sheets of corrugated iron or other material in as
long lengths as possible, and form them into a continuous sheet by allowing the
sheets to alternate, or, as it is more commonly termed, to break joint, and by
bolting or rivetting the edges of the sheets together; I also secure the ends
of the corrugated sheets which touch the wall by bent dog bolts or cramps,
which are bolted or rivetted to the corrugated iron and built into the wall
between the supporting girders." The curve of contrary flexure of the corru-
gated iron may be varied both in shape, size, and form, so that the greatest
strength possible may be produced. The corrugated iron plates, if required, I
connect to the lattice girders with rivets or bolts. I place the flutes of the
corrugated iron at right angles to the lattice girders and on the
upper surface
of the corrugated iron. I then lay concrete composed either of shingle or brick
rubbish mixed with lime or Portland or other cement or brickwork in mortar
or cement. I either lay the concrete level or concentric to the curve of the
lattice girders, and then cause the floor to be laid with joists and flooring
boards in the ordinary manner; I also propose in some cases to bring the con-
crete up to or above the level of the supporting girders, cementing the surface,
so that the floor boards may be dispensed with. The ceiling joists are then
notched, cramped, bolted, or otherwise fixed into or on the lower part of the
lattice girder, and the ceiling is lathed and plastered in the usual way. For
the purpose of forming an air-spaced flue for hot air or other heating purposes
sheet iron or corrugated sheets are also placed in the lower flange of the lattice
girder and covered with concrete or other material. For the purpose of
ventilating rooms with this arrangement I have apertures constructed in the
ceiling at convenient positions, which may be decorated at pleasure; these
apertures are constructed so that they rise above the ordinary level of the
ceiling; thus the vitiated air may be drained into the air space, which is
supposed to be connected with a special flue in the wall.
The air space thus formed and included in this construction may be utilized
for the following purposes:-Asa non-conductor of sound, as a non-conductor
of heat if enclosed, it may be prepared for ventilation by connecting the space
with flues constructed or inserted in the walls of the building or otherwise, or
as a method of heating the floor by converting the air space into a hot-air flue.
The floor, as before described, may be utilized as a roof, and may be paved

page_text: or covered on the surface with tiles or otherwise; the position of the gutters
corresponding with the supporting girders.
Ialso intend that should I require metal columns or supports for the flooring
or for supporting anyother portion of buildings, theyshall be constructed with
an additionalsupport internally,so that an included air space maybe retained,
and in the event of fire or impact destroying or cracking the outer column the
inner one is sufficiently strong to support the load. The annular space may
be filled with non-conducting substances. The flooring herein-before described
can be used for the purpose of constructing both the upper and lower floor
of fireproof rooms.
The sides of the room being constructed of corrugated or flat iron or steel
betweentwosurfacesof iron or steel, concrete or other non-conducting material
is enclosed, then there is an air space, and again two surfaces of iron or steel,
with concrete or non-conducting material between. Suitable apertures are
made in the ceiling and floor for the purpose of taking vitiated or damp air
from the room, or in the floor to take away water which in the event of fire
occurring in other portions of the building may happen to run into the room.
The entrance to the room may be by a suitable air-tight manhole or doors of
similar construction. It is intended that throughout the construction suitable
andcapacious air spaces may be included, which shall or shall not be connected
with the adjacent rooms.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Moreland in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
26th September 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
RICHARD
MORELAND, the younger, of 3. Old Street, St. Luke's, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Richard Moreland, Her special licence that I, the said Richard Moreland,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Richard
Moreland, 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

page_text: Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUC
TION OF FLOORS AND ROOMS FOR BUILDINGS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Richard Moreland, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
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 calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Richard Moreland, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
I construct floors in the following manner:-I take a number of wrought-
iron girders, either bow and string lattice girders or bow and string web plate
girders, and I place them at convenient distances apart, and I fix them either
on main girders if a large area is to be covered, or I build them into the walls
of the building when the area is smaller. When main girders are used I
support the bow and string girders on the upper or lower flange of the main
girders. The upper flange of the bow and string girders may be elliptical or
an arc of a circle in outline, the latter is preferred; the lower flange may either
be straight or curved; I prefer that it should be straight. The top and bottom
flanges of the lattice girders are connected together with vertical and diagonal
braces rivetted at the connections. Where main girders are employed the
ends of the lattice girders may be fixed, bolted, or screwed to the girders,
which support them; and in some cases I use additional tie rods to stay the
supporting girders. I also place along the edges of the supporting girders
and between the lattice girders bricks, angle irons, or other material, which I
rivet or lay on the flange of the supporting girder to ensure the equal and
level bearing of the edge of the corrugated iron, as herein-after described. I
prefer a brick of an angular shape showing the projecting edge corbelwise.
On the upper or curved surface of the lattice girders I then lay sheets of
corrugated iron or other material in as long lengths as possible, and form
them into a continuous sheet, by allowing the sheets to alternate, or as it is
more commonly termed to break joint, and by bolting or rivetting the edges of
the sheets together. I also secure the ends of the corrugated sheets which
touch the wall by bent dog bolts or cramps, which are bolted or rivetted to the
corrugated iron, and built into the wall between the supporting girders. The
curve of contrary flexure of the corrugated iron may be varied both in shape,
size, and form, so that the greatest strength possible may be produced. The

page_text: corrugated iron plates may be connected to the lattice girders with rivets or
bolts, but it is not usually required. I place the flutes of the corrugated
iron at right angles to the lattice girders, and on the upper surface of the
corrugated iron. I then lay concrete composed either of shingle or brick
rubbish mixed with lime or Portland or other cement, or brickwork in
mortar or cement. I either lay the concrete level or concentric to the
curve of the lattice girders (the former is preferred), and I then lay the
floor with joists and flooring boards in the ordinary manner.
A transverse vertical section of a floor thus constructed is shown at
Figure 1 of the annexed Drawings. a, a, are the main supporting girders
resting either on the end walls of the building or on columns or both; b, b, are
lattice girders resting on the lower flanges of the girders a and bolted to
them; c, c, are plates of corrugated galvanized iron resting on the girders b;
they are rivetted together so as to form continuous sheets of the same length
as the building, and of the width required to reach from one main girder to
another; d, d, are bricks resting on the bottom flanges of the main girders,
they furnish a continuous support to the edges of the sheets c, c; angle
irons may be used in lieu of these bricks; e, e, is concrete laid upon the
corrugated sheets c, so as to form massive fireproof arches thereon; f,f, are
sleepers laid on the concrete, and which receive upon them light flooring
joists g, on which a floor h is laid.
According to my Invention also I in some cases bring the concrete up to
or above the level of the supporting girders, cementing the surface, so that
the floor boards may be dispensed with. This arrangement is clearly shown
in Figure 2 of the Drawings.
Where a ceiling is required the ceiling joists are notched, cramped, bolted,
or otherwise fixed into or on the lower part of the lattice girders, and the
ceiling is lathed and plastered in the usual way. A ceiling thus constructed
is shown at Figure 1. A convenient way for fixing the battens i for the
ceiling laths is to notch them at their ends to receive the lower flanges of the
bow and string girders; the battens then drop at once into their places and the
laths k are nailed to them. According to my Invention also for the purpose of
forming an air space or flue for hot air or other heating purposes, sheet iron
or corrugated iron or other sheets are also placed in the lower flange of the
lattice girder, and covered with concrete or other material. This arrangement
is shown at Figure 3. 1, 1, are corrugated galvanized iron sheets laid on the
lower flanges of the girders a, and m, m, are layers of concrete laid over these
sheets, by which means flues or spaces n, n, are enclosed. For the purpose of
ventilating rooms with this arrangement I have apertures constructed in the

page_text: ceiling at convenient positions, which may be decorated at pleasure. These
apertures are constructed so that they rise above the ordinary level of the
ceiling; thus the vitiated air may be drained into the air space, which
should be connected with a special flue in the wall. In Figure 4 this
arrangement is clearly represented, and Figure 5 is a plan of the girders
and some other parts.
The air space thus formed and included in this construction may be
utilized for the following purposes:-As a non-conductor of sound, as a non-
conductor of heat if enclosed, it may be prepared for ventilation by connecting
the space with flues constructed or inserted in the walls of the building or
otherwise, or as a method of heating the floor by converting the air space
into a hot-air flue. The floor, as before described, may be utilized as a roof,
and may be paved or covered on the surface with tiles or otherwise, the
position of the gutters corresponding with the supporting girders A roof
thus constructed is shown at Figure 6. The arrangement is the same as in
Figure 1, except that the flooring boards and their supports are dispensed
with, and gutters o and paving p are laid immediately upon the concrete.
When great strength is required, as for casemates, or strong floors required
to resist great heat or violence for a long period, I sometimes employ a
double construction, as is shown at Figure 7.
According to my Invention also, should I require metal columns or supports
for the flooring or for supporting any other portion of buildings, they are
constructed with an additional support internally, so that an included air
space may be retained; and in the event of fire or impact destroying or
cracking the outer column, the inner one is sufficiently strong to support the
load. I make the outer column usually of a cylindrical form, and I place
about two-thirds of the material of the compound column in it. The inner
column is made sufficiently strong to support the entire weight temporarily,
and then guarded from external violence. The space between the two
columns may be loosely filled with non-conducting material.
the
According to my Invention also in constructing strong rooms I employ for
upper and lower floors an arrangement such as is shown at Figure 2, or
it may be such as is shown at Figure 7, and the sides of the room I construct
of corrugated or flat iron or steel; between two surfaces of iron or steel
concrete or other non-conducting material is enclosed, then there is an air
space, and again two surfaces of iron or steel with concrete or non-conducting
material between. The entrance to the room may be by a suitable air-tight
manhole or doors of similar construction to the sides of the room.
A horizontal section of a portion of the side of a strong room thus con-

page_text: structed is shown at Figure 8. a, a, and b, b, are two angle-iron frames,
and a, a, b, 6', are corrugated iron or steel plates fixed upon them
respectively on either side; a², a2, and 62, 62, is concrete filled in solid
between the plates a', a¹, and b¹, b¹; c is an air space between the two parts
structed is shown at Figure 8. a, a, and b, b, are two angle-iron frames,
and a, a, b, 6', are corrugated iron or steel plates fixed upon them
respectively on either side; a2, a², and 62, 63, is concrete filled in solid
between the plates a', a¹, and b¹, b¹; c is an air space between the two parts
the construction.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Moreland, have hereunto set my
hand and seal. this Twenty-sixth day of September in the year of
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Moreland, have hereunto set my
hand and seal. this Twenty-sixth day of September in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
RICHARD MORELAND, JUNIOR. (L.S.)