CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PANELLING AND FRAMING, APPLICABLE FOR ALL BUILDING PURPOSES, CABINET WORK, AND OTHER SIMILAR USES
Year: 1843

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, STEPHEN
GEARY, of Hamilton Place, King's Cross, in the County of Middlesex,
Architect and Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Thirteenth day of October (One thousand eight hundred
and forty-three) in the seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her
heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Stephen Geary, Her
especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said
Stephen Geary, my exors, aditiors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Stephen Geary, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of
years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within England, Her Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, Her Islands of Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, and also
in all Her Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, my Invention of
CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PANELLING AND FRAMING,
APPLICABLE FOR ALL BUILDING PURPOSES, CABINET WORK, AND OTHER SIMILAR
USES;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso obliging
me, the said Stephen Geary, to particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by
an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, and to cause the same to
be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters

page_text: Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more
fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Stephen Geary, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described
in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the Draw-
ings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is
to say:
My Invention consists in, or has reference to, the principles of construction,
and also to the forms respectively of the individual component parts, together
with the modes of their arrangement in the several combinations of metal
and timber or woodwork, as herein-after described, that is to say: - As
regards my application of the same to the objects and intentions set forth in
and by the title of the Letters Patent granted to me as herein-before recited,
the particular nature and intention of my said Invention carried into practice
being the construction, formation, and fixing of framing and panelling in
metal and in wood, either separately and simply, or in combination with
each other, and applied as joists, roofs, floors, ceilings, partitions, inner or
outer doors, staircases, and other building purposes, in order to the preserva-
tion of life and property from fire, and also to the protection of property from
housebreaking. I declare the following Specification of my said Invention in
its several parts, and their forms and combinations, truly to set forth and
describe the mode of carrying the same into practical effect, reference being
had to the accompanying Drawing with its explanatory letters and figures,
which Drawing I declare to belong to and form part of my said Specification,
that is to say :-
The Figure 1 of the Drawing represents in a transverse vertical section end
views of joists of iron or other metal, marked A, A, A, A, A, and B, B, B, B, B,
meeting, and being joined together with lapped rabbats at C and C, thus
forming a fireproof framing of metal between the flooring boards of the upper
floor or story of a building and the ceiling of the under or next lower floor.
D, D, D, D, D, D, are pieces of timber let into and through the thickness of
the joist in an endwise direction for the purpose of nailing or otherwise
fastening thereto flooring boards, marked E, E, on their upper edges, and also
the laths marked F, for the ceiling next beneath.
The Figure 2 represents in a transverse vertical section end views of joists
of metal, A, A, A, and B, B, B, constructed of a different form, meeting and
being joined together in the centre by lapped rabbats marked C, C, forming
a fireproof framing between the contiguous floors or stories of the building,

page_text: and on which the flooring boards D, D, are fastened by screws, as shewn at
E, E, E. The laths for the ceiling of the floor or story next beneath are
fixed to the ceiling joists in the same manner as described with reference to
the Figure 1, by the pieces of timber marked C, C, C; E, E, representing
the ceiling laths.
Figure 3 represents in a transverse vertical section an end view of metal
joists, formed on another modification of the constructions described in the
Figures 1 and 2, also effecting the purpose of a fireproof metal framing and
a fireproof casing between the contiguous floors or stories of a building.
The joists are composed of upright standards or bearers A, A, A, the lower
ends of which are formed into a lateral projecting flanch, forming a base or
foot B, B, B, on the extreme edges of which C, C, with a quantity of bearing
sufficient for firmness, are laid and supported metal plates D, D, which have
their edges turned up to form a lap, as shewn in the Drawing at E, E, or
such plates, their edges not being turned up into a lap but left plain,
have those edges inserted into grooves formed in the projecting bases or
flanches of the standards A, A, A, as shewn in the Drawing at F, F. In
both these cases the flooring boards are fastened down upon the joists, by
being nailed or screwed to the pieces of timber G, G, G, let into the upper
part of the standards A, A, A, after the manner described in the Figures
1 and 2. For the metal plates here described, as regards the Figure 3, there
may be substituted tiles, or other plates or slabs of any incombustible sub-
stance, which in all such cases will thus compose a fireproof ceiling to the
floor or story next immediately beneath.
Figure 4 represents a transverse vertical section and end view of joists of a
different form A, A, A, A, as shewn in the Drawing, and having in its upper
and lower spaces C, C, C, C, picces of timber fixed, and to which the flooring
boards and ceiling joists are to be fastened after the manner described in the
Figure 1, and there marked D, D, D, D, D, D.
Figure 5 represents in a transverse vertical section an end view of a joist
of different form, for admitting a fireproof casing between the floor of one
story of a building and the ceiling of the story immediately beneath it; such
fireproof casing is composed of metal plates, tiles, slates, slabs of stone, or other
incombustible substances, inserted in grooves formed between the upper and
lower ends of the joists, as shown in the Drawing at B. In this modification
the pieces of timber C, C, are also fixed after the manner as shewn in the
Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, for the attachment of flooring boards D, D, and
ceiling joints E, E. When the circumstances of the building require addi-
tional precaution, I also make the joists of the form shewn in the Drawing

page_text: at A, to receive two metal plates or two courses of tiles or other incom-
bustible substances, as shewn in the Drawing at B*, B°. Under circum-
stances requiring further precautions, I also form an arch of brickwork
between the joists, as shewn in the Drawing at G, G, making the middle
portion of each joist of form proper to afford bearings for the abutments of the
arch, as shewn in the Drawing at H, H.
Figure 6 represents an horizontal transverse section of a fireproof framing or
partition, composed of metal standards placed vertically, and which are con-
tinued through the entire height of the intended partition, and are fitted into
a metal cill and headpiece by mortice or otherwise. A groove x, x, is formed
in each of such standards to receive a metal plate B, or a plate or slab of any
incombustible material; midway between such metal standards there is inserted
a standard of timber, marked C, C, C, in the Drawing, for receiving the laths
for plastering, or for attaching thereto battens to receive canvassing, papering,
or other known and customary modes of covering for such partitions in the
ordinary arrangements of building. Either a single or a double metal plate
is then to be introduced, as shewn at B* in this Figure of the Drawing.
Figure 7 represents in an an horizontal section another modification of a
fireproof metal framing, in which A, A, are metal standards, having grooves
a, a, formed on each opposite inner side to receive metal plates B.
And on
each opposite outer side an angular groove is formed to receive upright
timbers C, C, to which are attached the battens for canvassing, or other of
the known and ordinary modes of covering. These metal standards are to be
fitted into a metal cill and head, as shewn in the Figure marked 7*, and in
the two sections marked Figure 7**.
Figure 8 represents in front elevation a fireproof door, composed of a plate
of sheet iron or other metal about one eighth of an inch in thickness, and of
the entire superficial area of the door. The styles of the door are formed
of wood, marked A in the Drawing, and are screwed on thereto; the heads
of such screws must be screwed up flush, so as not to appear to view when
the door is painted or veneered over. For the interior doors of dwelling
houses or buildings generally, I form the door of one entire plate of metal,
but for the exterior doors of dwelling houses, or buildings requiring an
especial security, I prefer and use in practice two separated plates of metal,
as shewn in the Figures 10 and 10%, the Figure 10 representing a transverse
vertical section of such a door, and the Figure 10° an horizontal section of
the same.
The Figure 9 is an horizontal section of the door represented by the

page_text: The Figure 9* is a transverse vertical section of the same, the correspond-
ing parts in each being marked with the same letters of reference.
The vertical and horizontal sections of an exterior door shewn in the
Figures 10 and 10* are both drawn to a larger scale than the front elevation
of the door in the Figure 8. The parts marked A, A, represent the wood
styles. B, B, the metal plates. C, the open space between them, operating
as an air chamber. The screw bolts marked D, by which the wood styles
are attached to the double plates of the door, shewn in the Figures 10 and 10*,
I make with bearing shoulders to receive the metal plates. I leave the air
chamber C open at the upper and lower sides of the door, but I close or fill
up the ends or vertical sides with wood. In hanging such doors I use a piece
of flat bar iron to pass up through the entire height of the jambs on both
sides, and dogged or otherwise fastened into the head and cill of the partition
or wall, for the purpose of forming a hanging style and stop to the door, or
that a piu-hook be let into the wall a proper distance for receiving the hinges.
The hinges should be very powerful, self-acting, rising, or spring hinges, in
order that in all cases the doors may close firmly and perfectly without
assistance, so that all communication between the apartment in which an acci-
dental fire commences and an adjoining apartment shall be effectually cut off,
and thus the fire be prevented from spreading. The mortises for the locks
of such doors are to be cut out of the style in the single or interior door, and
in the double or exterior door the lock is to be fixed between the double
plates thereof.
The Figure 11 represents a skeleton or frame made of wrought or cast iron
to form a staircase, the iron treads of which are marked A; the risers are
marked B. C, C, is an iron brace bar to strengthen the frame. D, D, and
E, E, are respectively the wood casings for the treads and risers.
Figure 12 represents the front elevation of a dwelling house, to which is
fixed at the level of each story a safety iron balcony, marked A, the under
part of which forms a ladder hung on bolt hinges marked B; the balcony has
an iron floor through its entire length. At the end marked C there is a
trapdoor which slides along the floor, or opens and falls back on a hinge, for
the purpose of forming an escape to the ladder, which is suspended under the
floor of the balcony, and, when required, is let down to the balcony next below
it, landing by a chain and pulley, and so proceeding from story to story until
a safe retreat is effected to the ground. This mode of ascent and descent is
also practically applicable to the various operations of building.
Figure 13 represents a horizontal
marked A, and the ladder, marked B.
plan of the bottom of the balcony
C, shews the position of the trapdoor.

page_text: Figure 14 represents the front elevation of a dwelling house furnished with
a safety iron balcony of different construction, it is marked A in the Draw-
ing; it is composed of an inner and moveable or travelling balcony which is
suspended by chains, marked B, within a skeleton frame or balcony marked C.
The suspending chains B work on strong spring rollers. The skeleton
frame C has no bottom. When it is desired to descend, as in the case of
fire, the person escaping places himself in the inner moveable balcony, and
with the aid of a single guide rope which is fixed to the moveable balcony,
and passes over the upper rail of the fixed skeleton balcony, he descends by
his own gravity, regulating the rate of his descent by the guide rope. A
second or auxiliary guide rope is fixed by one end to the under side of the
moveable balcony, and at the commencement of the operation its other end
is thrown into the street, where an assistant, or the bystanders, draws the
moving balcony over the impeding projections of the house, or guides it to
the front of any other window. When the moveable balcony has reached the
ground, and it is relieved from the weight which operated its descent, it
reascends by the action of the spring rollers to its original position.
Figure 15 represents a horizontal plan of the balcony, marked A. The
spring rollers are marked B.
Figures 16 and 17 represents ground or horizontal plans of houses, shewing
the proper places of safety doors, partitions, and joists, for the purpose of
forming a fireproof house for the preservation of life. The staircase is of
iron as described; the inner walls are of brick, or formed of metal-plate
framed partition, with iron plate interior doors to each apartment. The
exterior doors are constructed of double-plate framing, and the shutters of the
windows to the lower stories and basement.
Figure 18 represents a system of lathing, marked A, composed of iron
hooping laths nailed upon the ceiling joists marked B. If the joists be con-
structed of timber its under side is to be lined with sheet iron, projecting one
or two inches beyond the width of the joist. This mode of lathing is prac-
tically applicable to all ceilings and partitioning.
I claim as of my Invention the construction and application of pannelling
and framing as herein particularly described and represented composed of
metal, wood, or other suitable material, either singly or combined together.
In witness whereof, I, the said Stephen Geary, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-four.
STEPHEN (L.s.) GEARY.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Thirteenth day of April, in
the year of our Lord 1844, the aforesaid Stephen Geary came before our
said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Thirteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-four.