Fire wall

Application filed November 1, 1928. Serial No. 316,512.

This invention relates to improvements in fire Avails, both of the solid and hollow type, having a replaceable facing portion called the replaceable wall. A very important ob5 ject of the invention is to provide a Avail in which headers of refractory material are supported by and enclose and protect metal elements which are anchored in the permanent Avail section, whereby the metal elements io are protected from excessive heat. Other objects are to provide a metal hanger supporting structure for refractory header elements Avhich support a replaceable wall, and to have these hangers supported by refractory ³³ blocks which form part of the permanent Avail; to so connect the refractory elements Avith the metal supporting elements that they may be removed therefrom iii horizontal directions transversely of the headers; to provide a construction whereby each header is not only supported by a metal element but is reinforced by said element and in which the reinforcement extends longitudinally with said header substantially entirely across the 55 inter-wall space, thus providing means Avhereby two adjacently disposed headers each supported by a common metal element are capable of movement toward and away from each other in a direction transverse to N the Avail and headers without exposing the metal support directly to the flame, or in other words, providing a horizontal expansion joint which allows the proper movement but limits longitudinal movements with ref55 . erence to the supports.

Important features of the invention are the use of metal hangers; the enclosing, of the metal hangers with refractory material; the enclosing of the inetal hangers with refractory material as header elements to protect the iron element from the heat; enclosing of the metal elements by header elements which interlockingly engage with the hangers in a manner to only permit disengagement there⁴³ from in a horizontal direction transversely to the headers; the method of connecting blocks of the refractory material as headers, in pairs, to permit transverse but not longitudinal movements; to arrange the header ele55 ments in pairs respective members of which engage the hanger elements, from opposite sides; the employment of key bricks to secure the pairs of hanger protecting header elements against disengagement and therefore to provide a structure in which certain of the 55 header elements can be remoA’ed and replaced Avithout dismantling any substantial portion of the replaceable wall or facing; to so form the hanger protecting header elements that they cooperate Avhen in operative position to so prevent entry of heat between them, and to the inetal hangers; and'to provide locking cooperation between certain courses of the filler bricks and the headers to reduce bulging action of these filler bricks as part of the ³³replaceable Avail in a direction aAvay from the permanent wall. The features of the invention not only include the details of construction but the broader aspects of each feature, irrespective of the constructional details. ^7G

Another important feature of the invention relates to the provision of horizontal expansion joints for that portion of the replaceable Avail which is supported between and by the header elements. ' ⁷⁵

Another feature of the invention which is coincident with that feature which prevents entry of heat in a direction longitudinally of the header elements to the enclosed hanger, includes the arrangement whereby horizon- so tai expansion longitudinally of the Avail is provided between each pair of headers, so that they are free for limited movement in direction of disengagement, but wherein the degree of this movement is not sufficient to S5 permit disengagement of the elements from their hanger..

Features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description of the drawings forming a part of this application, and in said drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view, Avith portions of the elements of the wall removed to more clearly illustrate the construction;

Figure 2 is a plan view substantially on ⁰³line 2—2 of Figure 4;

Figure 3 is a plan section substantially on line 3—3 of Figure 4 ;

Figure 4 is a vertical section substantially on line 4—4 of Figure 2 ;

1,798,331

Figure 3 is a· vertical section substantially on line 5—5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a view of the modification in which the horizontal inter-wall spaces or _Λ channels are made to intercommunicate by vertical passage and is a section which generally corresponds to line 6—6 of Figure 2;

Figure 7 is a plan section on line 7—7 of Figure 6;

pi Figures 8 and 9 are perspective views showing the construction of the right hand headers;

Figures 10 and 11 are perspective views of the left hand headers;

in Figures 12 and 13 show perspective views of the key blocks; and

Figure 14 is a plan, showing how the “soaps” are laid to provide for longitudinal expansion.

2<i The permanent Avail section is generally built substantially in the folloAving manner: A metal base structure is first provided which includes the channel elements 1. This construction has been found extremely efficient •a and is disclosed in my patent, Number 1,663,556. Although these elements have been shoAvn, it Avill be understood that they are not absolutely necessary to the successful use of the present invention. Upon the ele::i^; ments 1 are arranged blocks 5 which may be designated either as socket blocks or as hanger supporting and locking elements. These blocks are of refractory material and each is provided with a recess or socket in its V' upper side. This socket is best shown in

Figure 1 and is generally designated 6. It Avill be seen that, courses of blocks 5 are also used at points intermediate of the irons 1, and these, of course, are supported by and form w the part of the Avail Which lies betAveen and is supported by the elements 1. Each block 5 is capped by a slab brick 7 Avhich closes the recess 6 and forms a pocket. Upon the slab 7 are then laid, for example, alternate ^,f ’ stretcher and header courses, these courses being respectively designated 8 and 9. As shown in the drawing a second course of hanger-supporting socket blocks 5 is laid upon the uppermost stretcher course of ^r·⁰ bricks, and upon these are laid another course of slabs 7. Between this slab and the next element 1 are laid stretcher and header courses substantially in the manner before described.

An important feature of the invention is the use of the blocks 5 as refractory elements for supporting metal hangers. These hangers are generally designated 15 and each Γη this instance has a horizontal portion 16. a clownturned portion 17 as a stop, the elements 16—17 forming a kind of hook. Each block 5' in addition to the recess 6 is provided Avith a doAvnAvardly extending groove or pocket 18 into which the element 17 projects. This construction provides means for secur ing the hanger against movement transversely of the wall, but permits compensatory movements lengtliAvise thereof. Referring to Figure 4, the element 15 has a A^ertical portion which flatly engages the inner face of 79 the permanent Avail. Projecting horizontally from this vertical portion is a lug 20, and beloAV this is a foot 21 having an upturned end 22. The length of this foot is substantially equal to the width or depth of the 75 inter-Avall space so that the refractory headers, later to be described, are reinforced and supported by the metal element across tbe inter-Avall space.

Another feature of the invention is the co manner of enclosing and protecting these reinforcing portions 21 by refractory material, and having the header-forming refractory material removably engaged in a manner to be either assembled or dis-assembled by horizontai movements in a direction longitudinally of the Avail. Referring first to Figures 8, 9, 10 and 11, in which the header elements are illustrated in detail, the header elements are macle in “rights and lefts” and each is formed ro so that it may be connected Avith the hanger element by movements from opposite sides of the hanger toward the hanger. To this end, the element shoAvn in Figure 9 is provided Avith a horizontal groove 25 for receiv- w> ing portion 21 of the hanger, and Avith an upAvard vertical extension 26 for receiving extension 22 of the hanger, thus forming a stop to limit longitudinal motion of the header upon the extension 21. There is also pro- irn vided upAvardly extending grooves or corner notches 27 at that face Avhich abuts the inner surface of the permanent Avail, see Figure 3. to fit the cross-sectionally T-shaped vertical portion of the hanger. The general contour w.> of the Avails of the grooves 25, 26 and 27 is such as to fit the corresponding contours of the horizontal and vertical portions of the metal hangers. While the details of tbe groove and hanger shapes are claimed and are ’: ·' features of the invention there is no intention to be limited to these particular shapes. It is sufficient that respective blocks can be moved from opposite sides toAvard one another and toAvard the hanger to lockingly en- i··, gage the hanger in a manner to limit vertical movements as avc.11 as horizontal movements in a direction lengthwise of the headers. Each header of the pair is provided Avith a shoulder, one designated 30, cooperating with the shoulder 31 of the opposite header, see Figures 8, 9 and 10, 11. Each header is also provided on its bottom with a shoulder shown at 32, which, in this instance, is formed by a portion which projects doAvnAvardly from the ^:-⁵under surface of the header. The provision of shoulders 30—31 and their cooperation are features of the inA’ention. The object is to provide a locked expansion joint which, although it may open as a result of expansion ¹³⁰

1,798,331 will yet protect the horizontal portion ·21 of the hanger, as well as the vertical portion. In -hollow· wall constructions, inter-wall space is, of course, provided.

Pairs of header' elements 23—24 are arranged as well shown in- Figures 3 and 4 in horizontal superposed courses, the pairs beingspaced from one another, and the spaces be- . ing closed by key_v blocks presently to be described.-

The. key block is illustrated in Figures 12 and 13.. Each is of substantially the same length as the header blocks 23 and 24 but each has'means for supporting it as a key block 15 against downward movement in a manner to provide ah expanding joint. The block is provided at the top with lateral projections 40, which makes the outer face of the block generally T-shaped in configuration. Each 20 block is also provided with a projection 41 corresponding to the projections 32 of the header blocks, and for a similar purpose. The blocks are placed as best shown in Figure 1 and it will be seen that when blocks 23, 24 25 and 39 are positioned, separated horizontally disposed wall inter-spaces are provided. However,under some conditions it is desirable to connect these horizontal wall interspaces by vertical passages to provide interso communication between all wall spaces. In this instance, the rear portions of the blocks 39 are removed along dotted line 45, see Figure 13, so, that only that portion of the block having the elements 40 and 41 is used and this is placed substantially as shown in Figures 6 and 7 of the drawing. This construction is also a feature of the invention. All that is necessary to convert a brick 49 is for the workmen to crack off what may be termed the 40 inner portion of each brick 39. As shown in

Figure 1, the whole key block has been used.

Another feature of the invention is the construction of those portions of the replaceable Avail which lie between and are supported by 45 the outer, ends .of the headers 23 and 24.

These bricks in the -present instance are laid as stretchers, and also in the present instance are one brick deep. The main feature of the connection of this portion of the Avail includes so the use of projections 32 and 41 respectively of the headers 23—-24 and 39.

It is desirable to provide expansion joints in the replaceable portion which is exposed to the most intense heat, and yet positively 55 prevent such movements of the bricks as would permit them to be disconnected. Another object and feature is to provide for this expansion and yet prevent hot gases from passing inwardly. For these general 60 purposes, certain bricks of the uppermost course of each inter-header bricks of the replaceable wall are grooved longitudinally as at 50, see Figures 1 and 2. When, the bricks are laid, these grooves 50 are aligned and 65 form a continuous groove longitudinally of the Avail. Within these grooves, the elements 32—42 project as best shown in Figures 4 and 5. The arrangement is, therefore, such that expansion is provided for in all directions both longitudinally and transversely of the ₇₀Avail, and yet the elements are secured so that expansion cannot be sufficient to disconnect any portion of the replaceable wall.

Another feature of the invention is the introduction of bricks which are called “soaps”. 75 These bricks are indicated at 53 and each is corner notched as at 54, the notches cooperating to form a groove which is continuous with the groove 50, see Figure 2, Another feature of the invention is the arrangement go of the bricks 53 so. that expansion spaces 55—56 are provided at regular intervals along the Avail, in this case, for every two grooved bricks of the top stretcher course. The length of all bricks is the same but in building up 85 the Avail one end of one of the bricks 54 is abutted with an adjacent 'groove brick, for example, the inner brick of the two, and the opposite end of the outer brick is abutted Avith the Avail of the brick in the other side. 90 The arrangement is clearly shown in Figures 2 and 14. With this arrangement combined with the arrangement of the header elements 23 and 24, all elements of the Avail are capable of sufficient expansion, but none can become 95 detached as the result of this expansion. At the same time any expansion pressure of gas which would tend to bulge the wall is relieved, while.at the same time the entrance of flame, to melt or deform the metal sup- 100 ports is prevented.

The projections 40 of the blocks 39, in this instance, lie above the top face of the block and the height or thickness of this projection is substantially equal to that of the stretcher ₁₀g course bricks.which are arranged between and supported by the headers. By an inspection of Figure 1, the arrangement of the upper key portions of blocks 39 in relation· to the bricks and as part of the upper: course can be. ob- no served. ; . ^:

The header key elements 39 when removed alloAv the headers 23—24 to be removed from the hangers and thus means is provided Avhereby any portion of. the wall can.be re- 115 placed without disturbing any substantial portion, the elements of which do not need to be repaired or replaced. The. element 40 of the key blocks. 39 as before mentioned prevents downward movement or the keys and 720 also alloAvs for horizontal expansion.

It is also a feature of the invention in some instances, to make the projections 32—41 of such height and the grooves 50 of such depth that expansion joints 57 ,wiU be provided, see 125 Figures 1 and 4.