Recent Building Patents

Progress, Volume XII, Issue 7, 1 March 1917, Page 907

Recent Building Patents

Flushing Cistern.—A patent, No. 2,195, has been taken out by G. Hodges and H. Jackson. To minimize noise and avoid the use of valves, the inlet cock is placed near the bottom of the cistern and the syphon bell is connected by a pipe to a push button which releases the air lock to start the action. The inlet cock 3 is closed by the ball float 4 when the water flow's over the weir 6 and fills the chamber 5. A pressure on

the button 13 then releases the air from the bell 11 to start the syphon, the water being drawn from the chamber 5 through the pipe 16. An orifice 17 controls the depth of water hich can be drawn from the chamber 5, and a pipe 14 admits air to the bell to stop the syphon when the water in the cistern falls below the required level.

Angle Cover Plates.—A patent, No. 1,970, has been taken out by J. Rose, of Victoria. To replace the usual staff stops for internal or external angles of weatherboard structures a cover-plate is creased longitudinally and provided with upper

and lower wings. For re-entrant angles the sides of the plate form an obtuse angle, and for exterior angles an acute

angle. The lower wings 7, Bof a cover,are placed under the upper wings 4, 5 of the lower cover and nailed to the board.

Water Heater.—A patent No. 38,113, has been taken out by Jas. Lowe, Engineer of Auckland. The heater is formed with a water-container forming the sides and top of the com-bustion-chamber, in which and above the heat-generating means are a number of approximately horizontal water-tubes. The water-container is provided with an inlet, and a connection communicating with the approximately horizontal tubes, all

of which discharge their contents through a common wateroutlet pipe. Any suitable form of burner may be employed, and removable end cover-plates are fitted to the device. A suitable outlet-flue is provided, either through the top of the water-container or through the top of the cover when same is employed.

Cooler.A patent, No. 38229, has been taken out by T. Coulthard Mullions, Architect of Auckland. It consists of pumice concrete, reinforced or otherwise, and has a dished lid, the rim of which dips into an annular well, from which passages extend to the bottom of the vessel. The bottom of the vessel

has a scalloped flange, and the bottom and lid are perforated for passage of air. A frame or cylinder in the interior of the

vessel has shelves for holding articles or produce which it is desired to keep in a fresh state.

Concrete Wall Construction. —A patent, No. '58,208, has been taken out by John O’.Driscoll, builder, of Lauder, Otago. It comprises collapsible boxing adapted to engage with and cover the ends of staggered blocks first erected as columns in

the wall and at the corners thereof. While the said boxing does not extend to the inner corners of the wall, it may be filled with and retain concrete for a sufficient distance and depth to complete that section of the wall between the columns engaged by the boxing.

Reinforced Concrete Wall. A Patent No. 18,263 has been taken out by A. J. McKee of New South Wales. This invention is to facilitate the construction of walls sheet metal standards are erected on concrete or bricks piers, and

are connected by longitudinal rods covered with corrugated wire netting. Angle pieces E are riveted to the standards E and have perforated flanges to receive the longitudinal rods B.

Metallic Wall Framing, —A patent No. 871 Class 81.2 has been granted to W. D. Henderson of Cal, U.S.A. This invention relates to a framework for partitions, &c., in which lugs 2, formed by cutting the channel iron bearers 1, are riveted to the web of the standard 3.

A lateral brace 7 supported by a pin 9 has an aperture 8 to receive the standard 3, and the bearers are nailed to the floor and ceiling structures.

In a modification L-section bearers are provided with interlocking lugs on the over-lapping flanges. A further modification describes clips bent to embrace transverse channel iron. In a further modification twin standards are held by clamps 41 having a pivoted bloekplate 47 which has thumbpieces 49 and a locking projection 52.

Concrete Building Construction.— A patent, No. 38,082 has been taken out by John Knowlson, Sanitary Plumber, of Miller street. West Melbourne, Victoria. According to this invention, hollow concrete walls and the like are formed by means of moulds constructed of reinforced-concrete slabs or sheets connected at their contiguous sides and erected in two (or more) parallel sections, spaced a predetermined distance apart, the joints being sealed with cement or concrete, and the cavities finally filled in with liquid cement, liquid concrete of fine gauge, or plastic concrete according to the width

of the cavity, to form a solid united construction, said moulds forming a permanent part of the wall. The ceilings, which may be made strong enough to be used as floors for a superstructure, arc each formed of similarly connected sheets or slabs, laid in a single section on and fixed to the inner mould-sections of the walls or partitions, the liquid or plastic concrete, finished with a cement surface if desired, being laid on the sheets to the desired depth and so as to unite preferably with the concrete or cement in the wall or partition cavities. The ground floor may be somewhat similarly constructed, and

the walls, footings, floors, and ceilings of concrete united in a solid construction. The invention also includes an improved means of connecting the reinforced concrete sheets to form buttjoints, and furthermore means for bracing and plumbing the spaced sections and adjusting the width of the cavity bet ween same. The cheapness and expedition in construction will be evident, as the sheets may be made at the factory and only require' to be transported to the work and coupled together in position, which work does not necessitate special skilled labour. The ■ sheets, by reason of their somewhat coarse surfaces, enable finishing coats of plaster or the like for interior wall-surfaces to be applied and keyed without preparatory rendering or cementing, while the exterior surfaces are readily adapted for spraying or splashing with a finishing coat of cement, liquid cement, concrete, or rough-cast mixture.