Improvements in and connected with Fire Proof and Ventilating Floors.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Jan., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 16th Oct., 1895-Accepted, 16th Nov., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Fire Proof and Ventilating
Floors.
I, CHARLES MAJOR, of The Patent Tile Works, Bridgwater, in the County of
Somerset, Brick and Tile Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
My invention has for its object to construct fire proof and ventilating floors so
that the metal girders usually employed in such structure are more effectually
protected than heretofore, and means may be provided for ventilating the
apartments either above or below or both above and below a floor constructed
according to my invention.
According to my invention I form blocks or lintels of clay concrete or other
suitable material with tubular horizontal passages therein and on the ends of these
lintels I provide grooves or recesses for the reception of the flanges of two adjacent
metal girders by which the said lintels are to be supported. These grooves or
recesses are stepped the lower part being sufficiently deep to admit of the lintel
being moved longitudinally on the flange of one of the girders so that the opposite
end of the said lintel can be passed upwards into position between the two girders
then by a longitudinal movement of the lintel in the reverse direction the lintel
will descend slightly and the portions of the grooves or recesses which are not so
deep will engage the flanges of the two girders and prevent any longitudinal move-
ment of the lintel. These lintels may be made of any suitable size and when
several of them are placed side by side to form a floor the passages therein coincide
and form continuous passages extending from one end to the opposite end of the
floor in a direction parallel to the girders by which they are supported, and the
said passages may open into the outer air at either one or both ends to admit of
the passage of cold air for cooling the rooms above and below the floor, or heated
On the
air may be introduced into the said passages for heating the said rooms.
upper surface of these lintels under cut projections are formed, which serve as keys
which are embedded in the concrete filled in between the girders and which covers
the whole to a depth required to complete the floor. The underside of the lintels
may also be provided with undercut projections to hold the plaster coating of the
ceiling to the apartment below the floor. Openings may be made through the
concrete above the lintels corresponding to openings or perforations formed on
the top of the passages in the lintels thereby forming a communication through
the passages between the apartment above the floor and the external air to admit
fresh air to the apartment, or the said passages may be made to communicate with
air heating flues or the like so as to conduct heat to the apartment. Similar
holes or perforations may be provided in the bottom of one or more of the tubular
passages in the lintels and through the plaster ceiling below, through which
perforations and tubular passages vitiated air from the apartment below the floor
can pass into the outer air. Lintels made of clay in the form of girders with
broad bases or bottom flanges have been proposed for use in the construction of
ventilating floors the said lintels being arranged side by side with their bottom
flanges in contact and their ends resting on the flanges of two contiguous supporting
girders. Between the vertical webs of each two contiguous lintels au arch is

page_text: formed of corrugated iron the ends of which rest on the flanges of the supporting
girders thus forming a chamber between each two contiguous lintels and these
chambers are in communication with each other by holes or passages made in the
vertical webs of the lintels other holes or perforations being provided in the bottom
flanges or bases of the lintels communicating with the apartment below. Floors
constructed with lintels such as described would not afford the necessary protection
from fire as it is obvious that in case of fire raging in the room below the floor,
the flames would enter through the holes or perforations in the bases of the lintels
into the chambers hetween the said lintels and have access to the flanges of the
supporting girders.
According to my invention in order to overcome this defect I dispense with the
corrugated iron arches and in place thereof I provide on the vertical webs of these
girders shaped lintel openings of any suitable shape the corresponding openings
in the several lintels coinciding with each other and in these openings I provide
correspondingly shaped tubes which extend from the web of one lintel to the
web of the contiguous lintel so that when the spaces between the lintels are
fitted in with concrete or the like these tubes form contiguous passages, for air,
parallel to the main girder by which the lintels are supported. Openings from
.the apartment above and also. from the apartment below, may be made to com-
municate with these longitudinal passages for ventilating purposes as in the
arrangement first described whilst in case of fire occurring in the apartment below
and entering these passages it cannot have access to the supporting girders as
they are entirely protected by the concrete or like filled in between the lintels.
Dated this 16th day of January 1895.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Fire Proof and Ventilating
Floors.
I, CHARLES MAJOR of The Patent Tile Works, Bridgwater, in the County of
Somerset, Brick and Tile Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention has for its object to provide blocks or lintels for the construction
of fireproof and ventilating Hoors so that the metal girders usually employed in
such structure are more effectually protected than heretofore and the said lintels
being so shaped that they can be readily placed in position on the supporting girders
from beneath the said girders.
According to my invention I form blocks or lintels of clay concrete, or other
suitable material preferably with tubular horizontal passages therein for the purpose
of ventilation and at the ends of these lintels I provide undercut projections grooves
or recesses for the reception of the flanges of two adjacent metal girders by which
the said lintels are to be supported. These grooves or recesses are stepped the
lower portions of the said recesses being sufficiently deep to admit of the lintel
being moved in their longitudinal direction on the flange of one of the girders so
that the opposite end of the said lintel can be passed upwards into position between
the two girders then by a longitudinal movement of the lintel in the reverse direction,
the lintel can be lowered slightly so that the portions of the grooves or recesses
which are not so deep will engage the flanges of the two girders and prevent any
longitudinal movement of the lintel the said under cut projections then resting on
the flanges of the girders.

page_text: I will further describe my invention with reference to the accompanying
drawings
Figure 1 of which represents in vertical section a portion of a fireproof floor
constructed with lintels made according to my invention.
Figure 2 illustrates the mode of placing the lintels in position and Figure 2 is
an end elevation of two of the lintels placed side by side.
Figures 3 and 4 represent in side elevation and plan respectively a portion of
floor constructed with lintels of another form as hereinafter described.
a
Referring to Figures 1. 2 and 2ª A are ordinary metal girders of I section
supported at their ends on piers or on the walls of the building and B are lintels
constructed according to my invention by moulding in clay, concrete or other
suitable fire resisting material. Each lintel is made of a length to reach from centre
to centre of the lower flanges of two contiguous girders. A and is formed at its
ends with stepped or underent projections a to admit of readily placing the said
lintels in position as hereinafter described. These lintels may be made solid and
of any suitable width (preferably about 9 inches) but I prefer to form them with
horizontal openings or passages b as shewn which when several of the lintels are
placed side by side to form a floor coincide and form continuous passages extending
from one end to the opposite end of the floor in a direction parallel to the girders A
by which the said lintels are supported, and the said passages b may open into the
outer air at either one or both ends to admit of the passage of cold air for cooling
the rooms above and below the floor, or heated air may be introduced into the said
passages for heating the said rooms. On the upper surface of these lentils are formed
under-cut projections c which serve to key the lintel to the concrete d filled in
between the girders and which covers the whole of the upper sides of the lintels
and the metal girders A to the depth required to complete the floor. The under
sides of the lintels are also preferably provided with under-cut projections e to
hold the plaster coating forming the ceiling to the apartment below the floor.
To admit cold or heated air from the passages b into the apartment above the
floor, openings are made through the concrete d above the lintels, corresponding
openings or perforations g being also formed in the top of the said passages in the
lintels, thereby forming a communication between the external air or with heating
flues as the case may be and the apartment above the floor. Similar holes or
perforations may also be provided in the bottom of one or more of the tubular
passages 6 in the lintels, which are not provided with the openings through which
perforations i vitiated air from the apartment below the floor can pass into the
passages b and thence into the outer air. The lintels may be placed in position on
the girders A from below by first inserting one end of the lintel so that the lower
flanges k of one of the supporting girders will enter the deep part 1 of the under-cut
projection a on the said end of the lintel as shewn in Figure 2 which will admit of
the projection a on the other end of the lintel being raised passed the bottom flange
on the adjacent supporting girder A, then by a longitudinal movement of the lintel
in the direction of the arrow in Figure 2, the lintel may be lowered so as to cause
the flanges on the two adjacent girders A to engage in the portions of the
undercut projections a on the ends of the lintel as shewn in Figure 1 in which
position the lintels are securely held by the concrete filling d.
g
I am aware that lintels made of clay in the form of girders with broad bases,
or bottom flanges have been proposed for use in the construction of ventilating
floors the said lintels being arranged side by side with their bottom flanges in
contact and their ends resting on the flanges of two contiguous supporting
girders an arch being formed between the vertical webs of each two contiguous
lintels the said arch being formed of corrugated iron plate the ends of the plate
resting on and the arch springing from the flanges of the supporting girders thus
forming a chamber between each two contiguous lintels. These chambers between
the several lintels communicate with each other by holes or passages made in the
vertical webs of the lintels other holes or perforations being provided in the bottom
Hanges or bases of the lintels communicating with the apartment below. Floors

page_text: constructed with lintels such as described would not afford the necessary protection
from fire, it being obvious that in case of fire raging in the room below a floor so
constructed, the flames would pass through the holes or perforations in the bases of
the lintels into the chambers between the said lintels and have access to the flanges
of the supporting girders.
According to my invention in order to overcome this defect in floors constructed
with girder shaped lintels as shewn in Figures 3 and 4 I dispense with the
corrugated iron arches and in place thereof I provide in the vertical webs C of
these girders shaped lintels, openings 6 of any suitable shape the corresponding
openings in the several lintels coinciding with each other and in these openings
I insert correspondingly shaped tubes 63 which extend across the base c³ from the
web of one lintel to the web of the next adjacent lintel so that when the spaces
between the lintels are filled in with concrete or the like, these tubes form
contiguous passages for air, parallel to the main girders A by which the lintels
are supported. Openings from the apartment above and also from the apartment
below may be made to communicate with these longitudinal passages for ventilating
purposes as in the arrangement first described whilst in case of fire occurring
in the apartment below and entering these passages it cannot have access to the
supporting girders as they are entirely protected by the concrete or the like, filled
in between the lintels.
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. Blocks or lintels for use in the construction of fire proof floors the said blocks
or lintels being made of clay concrete, or like fire resisting material of sufficient
length to extend from the longitudinal centre line of one supporting girder to the
centre line of an adjacent supporting girder and having at their ends stepped under-
cut projections or recesses to permit of the said blocks or lintels being placed in
position on their supporting girders from beneath the said girders and to prevent
them when in position from moving longitudinally substantially as hereinbefore
described.
2. Blocks or lintels for use in construction of fire proof and ventilating floors
substantially as herein before described and illustrated by Figures 1, 2 and 2ª of
the accompanying drawings.
3. Lintels for use in the construction of fire-proof and ventilating floors sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by Figures 3 and 4 of the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 16th day of October 1895.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.