THE CONSTRUCTION OF PORTABLE HOUSES, OR PORTIONS THEREOF, OUT OF PARTS WHICH MAY BE USED FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Gregory Kane, of the City of Dublin, Camp
Furniture Manufacturer, for an Invention for "THE CONSTRUCTION
OF PORTABLE HOUSES, OR PORTIONS THEREOF, OUT OF PARTS WHICH MAY
BE USED FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
Sealed the 3rd November 1858, and dated the 10th May 185%.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Gregory Kane at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 10th May 1853.
J, GREGORY KANE, of the City of Dublin, Camp Furniture Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "THE
CONSTRUCTION OF PORTABLE HOUSES, OR PORTIONS THEREOF, OUT OF PARTS
WHICH MAY BE USED FOR OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in the construction of packing cases or boxes
of wood, or any other suitable material, in such a manner that the
four sides, the top, and the bottom can be taken wholly or partially
asunder, and when so taken asunder can be used for forming portions
of the side walls, floor, roof, or partitions of portable houses. I
propose
to join the parts composing the boxes by hinges, metal clamps, or any
other suitable mode. These parts when applied to the construction of
a portable house may be either hinged with the ordinary ruled joints,

page_text: or the parts may be fitted into grooved storey posts, and rabited in
the joints, or connected in any other way used in carpentry or metal
work."
Any number of boxes may be used in forming a house according to
the size of the boxes, and of the required house, and it is not necessary
that every part of the house should be composed out of the constituent
parts of boxes. The roof, for instance, may consist of waterproof tent
covering, metal or other suitable material. Some of the boxes I would
propose to make with double sides or false bottoms to receive the
window sashes or frames. The boxes may contain furniture for the
house or any other merchandize.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Gregory Kane in the Great Seal Patent Office,
on the 7th November 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
GREGORY KANE, of the City of Dublin, Camp Furniture Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of May, in the year
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the sixteenth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Gregory Kane, Her special license that I, the
said Gregory Kane, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Gregory Kane, 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 Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention of "THE CONSTRUCTION OF PORTABLE
HOUSES, OR PORTIONS THEREOF, OUT OF PARTS WHICH MAY BE USED FOR OTHER
PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Gregory
Kane, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner; the same was to be performed, and cause the

page_text: 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 Gregory Kane, do hereby declare
the nature of my sd Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement (that is to say):
My Invention of "the construction of portable houses, or portions
thereof, out of parts which may be used for other purposes," has
reference to the construction of the main parts of such houses out of
materials or parts which have served beforehand the purpose of con-
taining merchandise, or articles required in the construction or furnish-
ing of such houses, or to be used therein, or other articles which it
may be convenient to carry abroad.
And my Invention consists, in the first place, in forming and con-
structing the materials, or parts out of which the houses are to be
made, in such a manner as to admit of their being used as packing
cases when suitably put together, and eventually opened out or taken
to pieces, and re-arranged to form the main parts of portable houses.
And my Invention consists in the second place, in converting such
materials or parts into habitable dwellings, by re-constructing them on
a suitable foundation, and combining with them such parts as may be
found desirable in order to render them complete and commodious..
In carrying into effect the first part of my Invention I unite the
several portions required to form the top, bottom, and sides of the
packing case by means of hinges, clamps, or other suitable modes of
fastening, and I regulate the dimensions of such portions according to
the dimensions of the parts of the house into which they are to be
converted. Some of the cases may be made with double sides or false
bottoms to receive the window sashes or frames, and this would be the
more necessary when it is intended to furnish the parts required to
construct a portable house with a shop front.
I do not confine myself to the number or size of cases to be used in
the construction of a house, but I may here remark, that a house con-
taining a parlour or living room, fourteen feet by ten feet, a bed room
ten feet by ten feet, and a kitchen five feet by five feet, with a porch.

page_text: might have its walls made out of eight cases, of six feet four inche
in length, by two feet six inches in width and depth.
And in converting such cases into houses or parts of houses
proceed as follows:-I first place on the ground a plinth or base of
strong scantling, grooved throughout on the top edge, for the purpose
of receiving the lower part of the walls of the house which are tu
consist of the cases opened out. I then proceed to lay down the joists
that are to support the floor; these are connected together by hinges; a
foundation or base being thus prepared, the end wall of the house,
consisting of the top and bottom, and two sides of one case opened out,
is fixed in its place in the groove intended to receive it. The dimen-
sions of this wall will be ten feet in width and six feet four inches in
height. The opposite end wall may be formed in a similar manner. The
front of the house being twenty-four feet, two similar walls may be placed
in the groove of the plinth at right angles to the end walls, and fixed to
them at the angle formed by the walls coming together by means of
iron knees. By this arrangement there will be an opening of four feet,
for the entrance to which may be adapted a porch, constructed out of
two sides of one open casc. Thus there will have been consumed
one case for each of the end walls, and one for each of the front
walls, with half a case for the porch, making four cases and a half.
Then the two back walls may be placed in their grooves, and fixed in
like manner to the front walls, leaving an open of four feet, which may
form the entrance way into the kitchen. Thus six cases and a half
will have been used, and one and a half will be left to form the
remaining three sides of the kitchen, which is five feet square.
The floors may be formed out of the ends of cases, such as those
above described, which will be in squares of two feet six inches each,
and these may be screwed or otherwise suitably fastened to the joists, or
the floors may be composed of pieces of different sizes. The roof may
be formed of any waterproof tent covering, or of metal or of any other
suitable material; and a chimney with flues into it may be constructed
of metal. The doors may be made to slide in grooves formed in the
strong foundation pieces, and the windows may be hung in grooves or
casings formed in suitable spaces in the walls.
S

page_text: These spaces for windows are made in one side of several of the
boxes previous to their being completed: for a house of the size described
I would propose four windows, two in the bed room and two in the
living room, these would be two feet six inches in height by fifteen
inches in width, until the packing cases arrive at their destination; each
space is fitted with a panel, which can be afterwards used as a shutter
when the sash is hung in its place.
I have thus described a mode by which my Invention may be carried
into effect; but I would here remark, that it is not confined to such
mode, as it is obvious that the form and dimensions both of the
backing cases and of the portable houses may be varied. I would also
remark, that I have not thought it necessary to describe any arrange-
ments of fittings that may be required, all these being distinct from
the main fabric of the house to which my Invention alone relates.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that I do not
claim as of my Invention any of the parts abovo described, except for
the purposes described; but what I do claim as of my Invention is,
First, the formation and construction of packing cases in such a
manner as, to admit of their being afterwards converted into the main
parts of portable houses; and
Secondly, the construction of such houses out of such parts raised
upon a foundation frame, and combined with suitable portions of detail
required to make them habitable and commodious, as described.
In witness whereof, the said Gregory Kane has hereunto set his
hand and affixed his seal, this Fifth day of November, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
Signed, sealed, and delivered
in the presence of
JOHN NICH TUBBS,
GREGORY KANE. (L.S.)
No. 29, Stafford Street.