Year: 1886

page_text: I THOMAS LEMAN MATTHEWS HARE of 31 Essex Street Strand in the County
of Middlesex, Patent Agent do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:
The object of my Invention is the construction of a flooring for bridges for
pedestrian vehicular and railway traffic and the supports of floors or other structures
where from the nature of the country the difficulty of transport or other causes it
is imperative that the material used in such structures shall be obtainable from an
ordinary source or be converted into any required shape by ordinary means and
the whole of such material as light as is consistent with strength and efficacy.
For this purpose I first fix ordinary girders of sufficient strength under the
flooring or supports now proposed to be patented but I do not claim protection for
any such girders.
Upon the girders and at right angles to them I place suitable lengths of rolled
channel iron the sides of the channels being made at an angle with the bottom less
than a right angle.
The channels are placed parallel with each other in the direction of their length
or as nearly so as circumstances will permit and the number of such channels and
the distance between them depends upon the circumstances of construction of the
bridge or flooring and across the interval from channel to channel I place plates of
rolled iron the convexity or "spring" of such rolled iron depending upon the
circumstances of construction of the bridge or flooring thus in cases where a
heavy weight is expected the channels will be closer and the convexity or spring
less than in cases where the weight is light.
I make the joints of such channels with the rolled iron in one of the ways shewn
in Figures 2. 3 and 4.
Having constructed such flooring in the way described it is ready for the concrete
or other method of forming the upper portion of the roadway or flooring and in

page_text: the case of a railway the sleepers for the rails would be placed on such concrete or
other method of forming such roadway, but I do not claim protection for such
concrete roadway the same being only shewn for purposes of illustration.
Where the flooring or support is joined to the sides of the bridge or to the walls
of any building I use a bent rolled iron fastened by angle iron in the way shewn
at "a" and "b" in Figure I.
In the greater number of cases where floorings or supports are constructed in
the manner now claimed by me the side joints last explained together with the
weight of channels, rolled iron segments and concrete (if such is used) is sufficient
for the purpose of bedding the whole down on the main girders, and this method
possesses the additional advantage of giving to the flooring or support power to
use freely the law of expansion and contraction by heat.
I claim however where necessary the right to fasten the channels before explained
to the girders beneath them by rivets or any other suitable method.
Figure I. shews the general application of my Patent to the construction of a
flooring or support.
Figures II and III are detached views of the joint of channel iron and rolled
iron by a lap joint.
Figure IV shews the same, when a butt joint with straps is adopted.

page_text: in Bridges and Buildings.
I THOMAS LEMAN MATTHEWS HARE of 31 Essex St. Strand in the County of
Middlesex Patent Agent 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:—
.
The object of my Invention is the construction of a flooring for bridges for
pedestrian, vehicular, and railway traffic and also the construction of the supports
of floors, or other structures where from the nature of the country the difficulties
of transport or other causes, it is imperative that the material used in such
structure, shall be obtained from an ordinary source, or be converted into any
required shape by ordinary means, and the whole of such material as light as is
consistent with strength and efficacy.
For this purpose I first fix ordinary girders of sufficient strength under the
floorings or supports now proposed to be patented but I do not claim protection
for any such girder.
In one application of my Invention I place upon such girders and at right angles
to them suitable lengths of rolled channel iron Fig. 1a the sides of the channels
being made at an angle with the bottom less than a right angle.
Another illustration of my Invention is seen at Fig. 2. where instead of channel
iron I use iron chairs Fig. 2c the upper portion of which is V shaped at or nearly
a right angle. In these chairs I place an angle iron, the angle of which corresponds
and fits into the chair.
The description in the following paragraphs, applies as well to the said angle
iron as to the said channel iron.
The channels or the angle irons are placed parallel with each other in the direction
of their length or as nearly so, as circumstances will permit and the number of such
channels, or angle irous and the distance between them depends upon the circuin-
stances of construction of the bridge or flooring, thus in cases where a heavy
weight is expected the channels or angle irons will be closer, and the, and the
convexity or "spring" less than in cases where the weight is light.
Upon these channels or angle irons I place plates bent by ordinary means into
the required degree of convexity.
I make the joints of such channels with the rolled plates in one of the ways
shewn in Figs. 3. 4. and 5. and of such angle iron with the rolled plates on the
upper portion and with the chair on the lower portion in the way shewn in Fig. 2
and 6.
Having constructed such bridge or flooring in the way described it is ready for
the concrete or other method of forming the upper portion of flooring or roadway
and in the event of a railway, sleepers for the rails would be placed on such concrete
or other method of forming such roadway but I do not claim protection for such
concrete roadway the same being only shewn for purposes of illustration.

page_text: Where the flooring or support is joined to the sides of the bridge or to the walls
of any building I use a bent rolled iron fastened by angle iron in the way shewn
in Fig. 1b.
In the greater number of cases where floors or supports are constructed in the
manner claimed by me the side joints lastly herein before referred to together with
the weight of channels angle irons rolled iron segments and concrete (if such is
used) is sufficient for the purpose of bedding the whole down on the main girders
and the method possesses the additional advantage of giving to the flooring or
support undisturbed contraction or expansion by heat.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The construction of Floors, or the supports of Floors in Bridges and Buildings
by the use of girders channel iron and bent plates in the manner herein before
described and referred to in the accompanying drawings.
2. The construction of Floors, or the supports of Floors, in Bridges and buildings
by the use of girders angle irons and bent plates in the manner hereinbefore
described and referred to in the accompanying drawings.
3. The undisturbed contraction and expansion under the laws of heat.