Improvements in Ceilings.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Dec., 1899-Accepted, 3rd Feb., 1900
Improvements in Ceilings.
I, ROBERT BOLTON RANSFORD, of 41, Waldegrave Road, Upper Norwood, in the
County of Surrey, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (which
has been communicated to me from abroad by The Basel Mission Tile Works, of
Mangalore, India,) and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of this invention is to provide a durable and fireproof lining for ceilings
which, being also a non-conductor of heat, will tend to equalise the temperature of
a chamber or dwelling, or roof.
The invention consists of solid or hollow slabs of burnt clay, plain or ornamented
or glazed, which are supported on the ceiling rafters of wood or iron by means of
mouldering of burnt clay held to the ceiling rafters and covering or protecting
them.
Referring to the annexed drawings, Figure 1 represents the under side of a portion
of a ceiling to which the invention has been applied. It shows solid slabs with a
decorative device on them and a moulding adapted to suit the style of the decorative
work. Figure 2 is a cross section of Figure 1 and Figures 3 and 4 relate to modi-
fications of the mouldings. Figure 5 shows a ceiling portion with hollow slabs and
Figure 6 relates to a ceiling in which each slab is also hollow and composed
furthermore of three separate parts.
In Figures and 2, A designs the ceiling rafters and B the ornamented solid slabs
of burnt clay, which compose the ceiling. Each of these slabs rests upon mouldings
of burnt clay b slid over battens a attached to the sides of the ceiling rafters A by
means of nails or otherwise. Thus the battens a in combination with the moulding b
form the supports for the ceiling slabs. The burnt clay mouldings bare formed so
as to constitute with the supporting mouldings of the adjacent slabs a fireproof
envelope covering and protecting the battens a as well as the lower part of ceiling
rafters A.
In Figure 3, the cross section of the burnt clay mouldings b¹ differs from that
of the mouldings of Figure 1; this depends merely on the decorative device on the
slabs; moreover, the battens a are not attached to the rafters A on a level with their
under faces, as in the arrangement of Figures 1 and 2.
As it will be seen from Figure 4, the slabs rest upon flat mouldings 62 attached
by means of nails, screws or otherwise, directly to the under-faces of the ceiling
rafters A and of the transversal battens a fixed thereto.
It results that the use of mouldings not only protect the framing, but give also an
artistic finish to the joints of the slabs or panels.
In the ceiling of Figure 5 the slabs B₁ are hollow, that is to say, provided with
inner longitudinal or transversal channels.
Instead of being of one piece, the slabs may also be constituted of several pieces
adjusted together.
Figure 6 shows such an embodiment with three pieces only.
The middle
piece B° rests by its withdrawn edges on the bevelled edges of the side pieces B°.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. Improved fireproof ceiling consisting of solid or hollow slabs of burnt clay, plain
or ornamented or glazed and constituted of one or several pieces adjusted together,
said slabs being supported on the ceiling rafters by means of mouldings of burnt clay
held to the ceiling rafters and covering or protecting them, substantially as
described.
2. A fireproof ceiling, consisting of solid or hollow slabs of burnt clay constituted of
one or several pieces and supported on the ceiling rafters by means of mouldings
of burnt clay slid over battens on the sides of said ceiling rafters and enveloping
the lower part thereof, and the said battens, substantially as described.
3. A fireproof ceiling consisting of solid or hollow slabs of burnt clay constituted
of one or several pieces and supported on the ceiling rafters by means of mouldings
of burnt clay fixed directly to the underfaces of the rafters and of transversal battens
attached to the latter, substantially as described.
Dated this 15th day of December 1000