224 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



[JutT, 



of the size of llie desired pipe, and the space between it and the outer beini; 

 of the diameter intended to be given to the case of the pipe, and form in the 

 middle of the space between tlie two cylinder a ring of oblong or square 

 jilcces of wood from three inches thick to 4 or 5 wide, building one upon the 

 other after tde manner of bricks, and cementing them together by any of the 

 four compounds before mentioned in a hot and fluent state ; when this ring 

 lias been completed, I fill up the spaces between the two cylinders outside of 

 the ring with any of the four compounds aforesaid in a hot and fluent state 

 after this compound has cooled the cylinders are withdrawn, when a com- 

 plete pipe remains perfectly smooth on both surfaces; where pipes of very 

 large dimensions are required, the internal rings may consist of two sets of 

 wooden blocks side by side, and they may be further strengthened by vertical 

 tie rods terminating at both ends in nuts and screws. 



Casks, tanks, cisterns, garners, and other vessels of capacity are formed of 

 prisms of wood, and put together with one of the four compoundsin a similar 

 way to forming the pipes. 



For large blocks for wharfing, the construction of decks, &c., I combine in 

 the manner following one or other of the four compounds previously men- 

 tioned with pieces of wood previously prepared with linseed oil, suiphate of 

 copper, or some other anti-dry-rot composition in order to preserve the same 

 from decay, I employ for the purpose of moulding the block cast iron frames 

 of a quadrangular form, having a recess or grove at one end and a projecting 

 piece at the other, adapted to fit into that groove mortice and tenon fashion ; 

 I pour into this mould any of the four compounds before described in a hut 

 and fluent state, while it is yet hot I place in it a layer of pieces of the pre- 

 pared wood, taking care to have them perfectly dry, and so shaping and ar- 

 ranging as they may be kept within about J incli of the mould all round, I 

 then cover this layer of wood with a coaling of the compouml, and set in 

 that coating a second layer of piecas of wood laid with the grain the reverse 

 way to the first, and I proceed until the Ijlock has acquired its required thick- 

 ness, after which I fili up the quarter of an inch or thereabouts left vacant 

 all round with the compound, which gives a good finish to the block on its 

 outer surface ; when several blocks so formed are laid down end to end the 

 tenon pieces of the one take into the hollow or morticed parts of the other. 

 Apertures may be left for the purpose of connecting them by ties transversely 

 at suitable places. 



For railway sleepers or other like purposes I use or other of the four com- 

 pounds before mentioned, combined with wood in the same way as the blocks 

 before described, and when such planks are used for railway sleepers they 

 may have a hoU -w space in the centre or any other more convenient part 

 which may be used for passing of gas, telegraphic w ires, &c., the wood should 

 in this instance also be previously prepared with some anti-dry-rot composi- 

 tion. While in a hot and fluent stale it is filled into an iron hollow rail, 

 which is raised a little above the rest of the rail in order that the wheels of 

 the carriages may take the bearing upon it; should it be found in practice 

 that the compound is unequal to the friction to which it is exposed, the grove 

 may be half filled with it, and a rail ol iron bevelled off at the sides dovetail 

 fa hion laid on the top of it, the cork compound would in that case form a 

 sort of elastic cushion on which che iron rail would rise and fall as acted on 

 by any superincumbent pressure. The same material may be used for roofing 

 and flooring. 



CONSTRUCTION OF BUILDINGS. 



Francis Higginson, of Rochester, lieutenant in her Majesty's navy, and 

 EnwARD RoBEHT CoLES, of the same place, merchant and ship-owner, for 

 *^ certain Improvements in the construction of buildings generally.'^ — Granted 

 Nov. 21, 1844 ; Enrolled May 1845. 



The improvements consist in the substitution of iron for wood in joists, 

 girders and other parts of buildings in the following manner : joists are made 

 of cast or rolled iron, T shaped, and of any required length, with a dovetail 

 projection all of one size at each end, made to fit into flanged mortices 

 cast on the iron girders and bonding sockets. The iron girders, of propor- 

 tionate strength, are likewise xshaped, butreversed, and have flanged dove- 

 tail mortices cast on each side of them, one foot or eighteen inches apart, as 

 may he necessary, to receive the ends of the joists. The iron bonding sockets 

 arc of the size and shape of a brick, cut off angularly before, cone shaped, 

 and cast hollow; tlie shorter side has a like dovetail mortice to receive the 

 joists. The short iron trimmer joists compass the chimneys in the usual 

 manner, fitting by dovetail ends into mortices cast on the principal trimmer, 

 at one end, and into the bonding sockets, built into the house wall, beside the 

 chimneys, at the other. The usual arch for the support of the hearth being 

 provided for by iron bearing-pieces fitting in mortices between the short 

 trimmer joists, with an iron plate to uphold the bed of mortar under the 

 hearth stone ; thus rendering the whole framework of the floor perfectly in- 

 dependent of support from the stack of chimneys, the entire isolation of 

 which obviates all danger of that sinking which occasionally takes place Irom 

 their greater weight in chimney stacks recently erected. The wells or open- 



ings for staircases, are formed by iron trimmers cast with dovetail mortices 

 on them to receive the joists, and may be obtained of any required form, size, 

 or description. Additional means of support being provided, when requisite, 

 by iron pillars with a screw in the centre of the lower end, fitting into a 

 female screw socket, drilled into the trimmer beneath — a tenon or projicting 

 piece, at the upper end of the pillar, entering a recess, cast or drilled to re- 

 ceive it, in tlic trimmer of the floor above. Breast. trimmers for shop-fronts, 

 gateways, and other purposes, may be cast with the mortices for the joists on 

 the inside ; and any description of ornamental device, name, or entablature 

 without— trussing spans, to support great weights of superstructure, being 

 likewise, where requisite, annexed. And when the non-transmi sion of sound 

 between different apartments is required, however near, as a substitute for the 

 usual filthy and destructive method of pugging, slight sheet iron, or tin cases, 

 fitting in bre.adlh and depth, between the iron joists, are inserted ; which 

 cases, when made, are supported internally from collapse by strong iron up- 

 right wires ; and the atmospheric air within being displaced by passing a 

 body of steam into them— upon hermetically sealing, and allowing the steam 

 to condense, a sufficient approximation to a perfect vacuum is obtained to 

 prevent the transmission of either heat or sound, Unlike the mould and 

 and saw-dust now used, adding little to the superstruclural weight, and 

 effectually preventing extended combustion, should even the wooden floors 

 and furniture of one apartment be ignited and destroyed. 



In cases where the floors are intended to be of wood, a groove is run along 

 beneath the upper arms of the patent iron T joist, to receive an iron bracket. 

 The floor planks being laid, and temporarily cramped, or shored down, upon 

 the iron joists, a projecting, square-headed, shouldered screw is inserted by a 

 spanner, through the upper arm of the bracket, into the lower surface of the 

 floor plank, which is thus efl'ectually secured to the joist. It being noticed, 

 that should the boards shrink, they may be forced together and the inter- 

 stices filled up by one piece in any convenient position, in consequence of the 

 brackets moving along the grooves in the joists, and each plank being se- 

 cured independently of the others. The unsigbtliness of a shrunken floor is 

 thus not only remedied, but as no nail holes are visible, the screws beneath not 

 perforating the entire thickness of the plank, one unbroken surface is pre- 

 sented, which for the purposes of cleanliness and appearance is alike desirable. 

 Magazine or warehouse floors, for goods liable to spontaneous combustion, 

 may however be laid of either metal, slate, or stone, rivets being substituted 

 for screws in attaching such to the iron joists beneath — which joists are of 

 many forms as well as that specified, when applied to different uses. 



As respects internal ceiling and plastering, these iron joists admit of the 

 common lath being used ; in which case, to hold the lathing nails, a small 

 fillet of wood is inserted into a recess formed to receive it in the lower edge of 

 the joists. But as it is desirable that decay as well as fire should be provided 

 against, perforated common tin, or thin galvanized iron plates, being punched 

 full of holes, or rosed, like the nose of a watering pot, with the rough side 

 towards the plaster, are substituted for the laths, to which the mortar, being 

 applied by the usual process, forces itself through the perforations, and keys 

 at the back of the plate in precisely the same manner it would do between 

 laths. One half the ordinary labour, time, and material are in this instance 

 likewise saved, two coats of plastering only being required — and the same 

 sound-transmitting ceiling and wall surfaces preserved. These plastering 

 plates are attached by means of pins cast in the joists, or a small double- 

 ended iron key passing through them edgeways, into mortices in the 

 iron joists and battens adapted to walls ; being by a spanner afterwards 

 turned across the entering orifice, and thereby effectually and immoveably 

 annexed. A house thus constructed cannot be destroyed by fire, and has but 

 little tendency to decay ; w hilst the expense of erection, taking all items into 

 consideration, does not exceed that of the present method of building with 

 perishable and inflammable materials. 



CLASS VENTILATION'. 



Bbnjamin Baillie, of Henry-street, in the county of Middlesex, glazier. 

 See, for *' Improvements in regulating the ventilation of buildings.'^ — Granted 

 Nov. 25, 1844 ; Enrolled May 24, 1845. 



This invention consists in arranging narrow plates of glass in combination 

 with a flat sliding plate of glass, the whole of which are connected together 

 by means of a suitable frame, and attached to that part of a window frame 

 or sash best calculated for ventilating the room. The nature of this invention 

 will he more readily understood on referring to the engravings, in which 

 fig. 1 shows a front view and fig. 2 an edge view or transverse section 

 of this improved ventilator, a a are the narrow plates of glass or "louvres," 

 the whole being supported by means of a suitable frame in an angular posi- 

 tion ; in front of these plates, and in the same frame, is attached a plate b, 

 which is also of glass, and is capable of being moved up and down by means 

 of cords c c, which pass over guide pullies e e, and down the side of the win- 

 dow frame and round a pulley similar to a blind rack, or the same may pass 

 round a suspended pulley, so that by pulling at the cord in a similar manner 

 to drawing up a blind the sliding plate b, can be raised or lowered so as to 



