A NEW METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING A SELF-SUPPORTING FIREPROOF ROOF, AND OTHER PARTS OF BUILDINGS, WITH BRICKS AND TILES FORMED FROM AN IMPROVED MACHINE
Year: 1844

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
GRIMSLEY, of Oxford, Sculptor, 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 Fourteenth day of May, in the seventh year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Thomas Grimsley, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and autho-
rity, that I, the said Thomas Grimsley, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, and such others as I, the said Thomas Grimsley, my executors, admi-
nistrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times during the term of years therein mentioned, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales,
and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in all Her Majesty's Colonies and
Plantations abroad, and in the Islands of Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney, Sark,
and Man, my Invention of "A NEW METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING A SELF-SUPPORTING
FIREPROOF ROOF, AND OTHER PARTS OF BUILDINGS, WITH BRICKS AND TILES FORMED
FROM AN IMPROVED MACHINE;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a pro-
viso obliging me, the said Thomas Grimlsey, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause
the same to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within two
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited
Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more
fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Thomas Grimsley, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being
had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say) :-
I construct the
My new or improved method of constructing the roofs and other parts of
buildings, so as to render the same fireproof, and at the same time self-support-
ing, consists, in constructing or erecting upon the side walls, at convenient
intervals, a number of narrow and separate arches or spans, or rather strips of
arches, extending across the space intended to be covered.
arches of bricks moulded into the required form, so that each brick or block
may fit accurately into the place for which it is intended; and in order to
secure each brick or block it has a tenon feather or protection formed on one
of its ends, which projection fits into corresponding mortices or recesses made
on the end of the adjoining block. The external sides of the bricks or blocks
which form the arches, have also grooves made in them, so that when the arch
or brick rib is completed, a narrow groove runs along each side of it, and the
spaces between the arches or ribs are filled by peculiarly formed tiles, which,
by fitting into the grooves on the sides of the arches or ribs, and also into
grooves formed on the sides of each other, are supported by the arches, and
also sustain each other. The inner portions or edges of the arches or ribs are
or may be ornamented in any manner, such as forming or beading cornice or
other device thereon, thereby, when the roof is completed, giving it a very neat
and elegant appearance. In order, however, to give the best information in
my power, and to make my Invention more clearly understood, I have shewn,
in the accompanying Drawings, various views illustrating the mode of carrying
out my Invention in constructing a roof, supposing the same to represent the
roof of a church or building in the Gothic style.
Fig. 1, Sheet 1, represents a sectional view of a roof constructed upon my
improved plan, and ornamented with cornices and tracery work in the Gothic
style; Fig. 2 is a side elevation, shewing the external appearance of the roof,
when completed. A, A, are the side walls, built of brick or stone in the ordi-
nary manner. a, a, are blocks or bricks, made of clay or brick earth moulded
in any convenient manner, and afterwards burnt or baked in the usual way.
The bricks or blocks are ornamented with a corbel head or other device from
which the arch springs, as shewn in the Figure. On the upper end of the
block a, a tenon feather or projecting piece is made, as seen by dots in the
Figure, and this feather fits into a corresponding recess made in the lower

page_text: end of the second block b, b, which forms a continuation of the arch or rib.
The block b, b, is also furnished with a tenon or feather which fits into a recess
made in the block c, c, immediately above. Another block d, d, behind the
block c, c, is cemented to the latter, and retained in its place on the wall by
a projection on its under side, as seen by dots in Fig. 1. Both the blocks
c and d have feathers or tenons 2, 2, also on their sides, for the purpose of
taking or fitting into recesses in the adjoining blocks, and thereby forming a
firm and compact cornice of sufficient strength and solidity to support the
roof, and to resist any outward thrust. The fourth block e, e, is one of larger
dimensions, and carries at its outward side a portion of the gutter f. The
form of this block will be best understood by inspecting Fig. 3, which repre-
sents a plan view of the block detached. All these blocks, strictly speaking,
constitute part of the wall, although they also carry (internally) portions of
the arch or rib which is exposed to view inside the building. The other blocks
above fit one above another, so as to complete the arch or rib, as shown in
Fig. 1, and a plan or edge view of one of these blocks is shewn in the
detached Figure 4. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a portion of the roof on an
enlarged scale, and taken in the line 1, 2, of Fig. 1. Each of the blocks, it
will be seen, is furnished with a tenon feather or projecting piece 2 at one
end, and a recess, socket, or mortice at the other, so that when the blocks are
placed in their relative and proper positions, and properly cemented together
with Roman or other strong cement, they constitute a stiff and rigid rib or
arch. The notches, recesses, or grooves g, g, on each side of the block or
brick, seen best in Fig. 5, form, when the blocks are arranged in their proper
places, a long groove along each side of the arch or rib, as seen at 9, Fig. 1.
In this groove the tiles are fitted in the manner hereafter described; or in
place of tiles, slabs of slate, plates of galvanized iron, or other suitable mate-
rials may be employed by fitting them in the grooves g, 9, as will be well under-
stood. If it is thought desirable to ceil the roof inside, then proper rafters
for carrying the laths and plaster must be employed. For this purpose I make
notches h, h, on each side of the blocks, which, when brought together, form
sockets into which the ends of rafters or joists i, i, Fig. 5, are inserted, and the
laths for the plastering nailed thereto in the usual manner, as is well under-
stood; or, if preferred, the ceiling may be formed of tiles connected together
in a similar manner to that hereafter described in reference to the outward
covering; but the lath and plaster will be something lighter. The point or
inner end of the blocks is ornamented so as to present the appearance of an
ornamental rib or cornice when the blocks are united. The arches or ribs
may be placed at any convenient distance apart, according to the size of the

page_text: four feet.
tiling in.
roof and the taste of the builder; but the distance I prefer is from three to
When two arches or ribs have been turned, I then commence
The tiles I employ are shewn at Figs. 6 and 7, the former repre-
senting a plan view, and the latter an edge view. Fig. 8 represents a sec-
tional view of three tiles connected together as they would be when forming
part of a roof. The lower half of each tile is furnished with a groove, as at k,
and the upper end with a feather edge, as at 7; but tiles of any other form,
if constructed on the self-supporting principle, may be employed. In com-
mencing the operation of tiling, I begin on one side at the bottom, as at B,
Fig. 2, first taking a tile of half the usual size, or rather a section of a tile,
which is made for this purpose, as shewn at B; then I take another half tile,
such as those shewn at C, and commence therewith the dripping eave. I
continue arranging the tiles in the order represented by the Figures in Fig. 2,
taking care to cement them well together with Roman cement at all the
joints, especially in the grooves made along the sides of the arches, and by
working upwards I ultimately arrive at the point of the roof, which I firmly
secure by means of the ridge tiles m, m, which are properly and securely
cemented with Roman cement, as will be understood by any intelligent
builder. By this means I am enabled to produce a very light, inexpensive,
strong, and "perfectly watertight roof, without any timber, except such as is
required to support the ceiling, when any ceiling is required; but such timber
does not in any way assist in sustaining the roof.
In Sheet II. I have shewn my method of constructing ornamental chimney
shafts, and also the coping of walls. These erections are constructed upon
somewhat the same principle as the roof above described; that is, I employ
moulded bricks or blocks, which are furnished with projecting feathers or
tenons and sockets or mortices, whereby they are held together, as shown in
the Drawing. The chimney shaft is partially represented in Sheet II. at
Figures 9 and 10, as being ornamented with moulded tiles, one of which is
shewn detached at Fig. 11. It will be seen, on referring to this latter Figure,
that each tile is furnished with a feather edge on two of its sides, and a groove
on each of the others, so that when a number of them are brought together,
and properly set in Roman cement, in the manner that has been described in
reference to the roof tiles, they firmly secure the whole mass together.
Figures 12 and 13 represent a portion of a wall with a moulded coping, the
section of which shows three blocks or bricks. The method of arranging
these is so clearly shown in the Drawing, and the application of my Invention
to constructing the jambs and heads of windows, doors, tracery, and other
parts of buildings is so evident, that it will be unnecessary to enter into

page_text: any further detail. The bricks and tiles I employ for the purposes above
mentioned are moulded in any convenient apparatus in which pressure can be
applied to bring out the ornaments sharply, and they are afterwards burnt in
the usual manner, as above mentioned. I prefer the clay to be as stiff as it
can possibly be worked, and I have found it advisable, if not absolutely neces-
sary, that the moulds should be supplied with exactly the proper quantity of
clay, to effect which object with certainty and facility I have constructed the
machine or apparatus shown in Sheet III. This machine or apparatus consists
of a rectangular box of any convenient size, and furnished with moveable
sides and ends, so that when the box has been filled with clay, and properly
trodden or rammed down, the contents may, by removing the sides and ends,
be cut away in proper quantities, according to the purpose for which the clay
is required. Fig. 1 represents a horizontal sectional view of the machine, and
Fig. 2 a side elevation, with all the several parts in their proper places, and
ready to receive a charge of clay; Fig. 3 is another side elevation with the
moveable sides and ends removed, and showing the clay all ready to be
cut away from the mass in proper quantities in the manner hereafter ex-
plained. Fig. 4 represent one of the moveable sides detached from the
machine, and Fig. 5, one of the moveable ends, also detached; Fig. 6
is a plan or horizontal view of Fig. 2, and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of
the top framing which holds the moveable sides and ends in their places
during the operation of filling the machine. Fig. 8 is an end view of the
machine with the moveable sides and end removed; and Fig. 9 is a plan or
horizontal view, shewing the manner of cutting the clay into lumps or pieces
of the proper quantity. a, a, a, a, are four upright posts firmly fixed in the
wooden framing b; and c is a piece of timber which forms the bottom of the
box, and is supported upon transverse pieces d, d, d. All these parts are
firmly fastened together in any convenient manner, the bottom piece c project-
ing above the side framing b, as seen in Fig. 3. The moveable sides e, e, have
long vertical slits made therein, as seen in Figures 2 and 4; and when they
and the moveable ends are placed in the spaces f. f, and g, g, Fig. 1, the
former rest upon the transverse pieces d, d, d, and both sides and ends are
held securely by the top framing h, h, which is shewn detached at Fig. 7.
Previously, however, to putting on the top framing, a number of wires i, i, i,
Fig. 9, are passed down the vertical slits made in the moveable sides, and laid
across the bottom piece c of the apparatus. Two other wires j, j, are laid
lengthwise along the bottom, and when the framing h, h, is properly placed,
the box is filled with clay, and trodden or rammed down hard. The framing

page_text: h, h, is then removed, and the wires j, j, are drawn up, and thereby made to
cut away the clay from the sides e, e. The other wires i, i, i, are then drawn
up, and the clay is cut into portions, as shewn in Fig. 3. This having been
done, and the moveable sides and ends removed, two moveable bars or rods
k, k, Figures 3 and 8, are placed in the vertical grooves made in the upright
posts a, a, as seen in the latter Figure. These bars or rods are held up by
pins 1, 2, which are inserted into holes made in the posts a, a, for that purpose.
When the bars or rods k, k, are placed, a wire or other cutter is run along
the top of them, in order to cut away and remove any superfluous clay, and
reduce the mass to a regular cube. This having been done, the pins 1, 1, are
taken out, and the bars k, k, moved down another hole, when the same opera-
ation of passing a wire or cutter along their upper edge and through the mass
of clay is performed, for the purpose of cutting a layer of clay. Then the
bars are moved down another hole, and the operation repeated, and so on
until the whole mass is cut up into cubes of the required size. The cubes or
lumps of clay are taken from the machine, and placed in the moulds, where
they are brought by pressure into the required shape, such as is shown at
Figures 3, 6, and 7, in Sheet I. It is evident that this machine may be
employed for cutting up clay into cubes for other purposes, I do not therefore
intend to confine myself to the use of it for the purposes above described only.
Having now described my Invention, and the manner of carrying the same
into effect, I wish it to be understood that, although in order to make my
Invention more easily understood, I have in the foregoing description described
many things that are not new, yet I do not mean or intend to claim them as
of my Invention, nor do I intend to confine myself to the precise form,
arrangement, and proportion of the parts herein shewn and described, as it is
evident that they must be varied in these particulars according to the nature
of the building to be constructed, and a variety of other circumstances; but
I hereby declare the Invention secured to me by the hercin-before in part
recited Letters Patent to consist, in the first place, in constructing roofs of
buildings, by substituting, for ordinary ribs or rafters, a series of arches or
strips of arches, made of bricks, stones, or other incombustible materials,
the spaces between which ribs being filled up by tiles, slabs, plates, or other
suitable means, so as to complete the roof without woodwork, in the manner
above described.
I also claim the constructing the other parts of buildings in the manner
shewn and described in reference to Sheet II.
I further claim the use of a machine or apparatus constructed in the