IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BREAKWATERS, RETAINING WALLS, AND OTHER LIKE STRUCTURES."
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Horatio Townsend Beamish of Spyhill House,
Queens Town Ireland, Civil Engineer for an invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BREAKWATERS, RETAINING WALLS, AND OTHER
LIKE STRUCTURES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Horatio Townsend
Beamish at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th April
1882.
GEORGE HORATIO TOWNSEND BEAMISH of Syphill House Queens Town Ireland,
Civil Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BREAKWATERS
RETAINING WALLS AND OTHER LIKE STRUCTURES
"
My said Invention relating to improvements in the construction of Breakwaters,
Retaining walls and other like structures consists in forming them so that they
are perfectly solid and bound together as one mass as far as lateral or side thrust
is concerned but so that any vertical settlement of any one part of the structure
can take place without affecting the other parts.
The peculiar form and arrangement of the said constituent parts of which my
improved structure is built is shewn in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing.
Figure 2 shews a structure built of these parts according to my Invention.
On these bricks or pieces A which may be constructed of any convenient known
materials or ingredients according to the nature and requirements of the structure
are formed suitable projections a so as to be capable of being arranged to
embrace or interlock with other similarly formed bricks or pieces as represented
at Figure 2
In this manner a construction is formed possessing great advantages and novelty
and will be seen to consist of series of vertical or approximately vertical columns
of such brickwork each said columns, being sufficiently free to allow for vertical
settlement or subsidence while the projections or tongues a formed on the said
bricks or pieces A effectually prevent any lateral or transverse separation.
The forination of such structures as herein referred to capable of resisting such
tendencies to transverse separation through a more or less constant application of

page_text: horizontal force or pressure to which such structures are subjected is, comparatively
an invaluablo achievement in civil Engineering science
Upon reference to the tracing it will be at once understood that owing to the
peculiarly strong united or interlocked nature of the elements of construction it is
rendered almost impossible to carry away or separate any individual course of such
brick work and therefore if any lateral displacement is to occur, it can only bo
effected by a force of sufficient inagnitude to move or destroy the whole structure
bodily. On the other hand it will be clearly seen that when any local sinking
or settlement of the soil or foundation occurs at any part of the foundation
the vertical columns of bricks or blocks are sufficiently free to allow the one part
to subside without any general disturbance or settlement of the structure bodily.
The blocks or pieces A may be conveniently formed of Concrete which material
is particularly suitable for subaqueous or marine constructions. The machine in
which they are made may be generally like ordinary machines for a like purpose
but provided with moulds of the requisite forms to give the wing pieces.
It will also be observed that according to my Invention any required super-
structures may be carried over very uneven ground n subsequent local settlement
only taking place over any unstable or irregular portions of the foundation until a
sufficiently solid and stablo base is obtained

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said George Horatio Townsend Beamish in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 7th October 1882.
GEORGE HORATIO TOWNSEND BEAMISH of Spyhill House Queens Town Ireland
Civil Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BREAKWATERS
RETAINING WALLS AND OTHER LIKE STRUCTURES "
My said Invention relating to Improvements in the construction of Breakwaters
Retaining walls and other like structures consists in forming them so that they are
perfectly solid and bound together as one mass as far as lateral or side strain is
concerned but so that any vertical settlement of any one part of the structure
can take place without affecting the other parts.
The peculiar form and arrangement of the constituent parts of which my
improved structure is built are shewn in figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing in
plan and side and end view.
Figures II. III and IV shew in front elevation and plan respectively a structure
built of the said constituent parts according to any Invention.
These Blocks or picces A (which may be made of any convenient known
materials or ingredients according to the nature and requirements of the structure)
are so formed as to be capable of being arranged to embrace or interlock with
one another as represented at figure II III and IV and in dotted lines in
Figure 1.
In this manner a structure is formed possessing great advantages and novelty
and will be seen to consist of series of vertical or approximately vertical columns of
such Blocks each said column being sufficiently free to allow for vertical settlement
or subsidence while the projections and recesses a formed on the said Blocks or
pieces A effectually prevent any lateral or transverse separation and also form a
check to the passage of sand through the joints of the structure.
The achievement of such a formation of structure as herein referred to capable of
adjusting itself to an uneven settlement of foundation and also of resisting such
tendencies to transverse separation (through a more or less constant application of
horizontal force or pressure to which such structure might be subject) is of the
highest value
Upon reference to the Drawing it will be at onco understood that owing to the
peculiarly strong united or interlocked nature of the elements of construction it is
rendered almost impossible to carry away or separate any individual course of such
structure and therefore if any lateral displacement is to occur it can only be
effected by a force of sufficiout magnitude to fracture the blocks or destroy the
whole structure bodily On the other hand it will be clearly seen that when any
local sinking or settlement occurs at any part of the foundation the vertical
columns of blocks are sufficiently free to allow the one part to subside without any
general disturbance or settlement of the structure bodily particularly in the case of
Breakwaters where the vibration caused by the Sea will materially assist the
columns to settle independently.
The Blocks or pieces may be conveniently formed of Concrete which material is
particularly suitable for subaqueous or marine work.
The machines in which the blocks are made may be generally like ordinary
machines for a like purpose but provided with moulds of the requisite forms.
It will also be observed that according to my Invention any requisite super-
structure may be carried over very uneven ground any subseqt:ent local settlement
only taking place over any unstable or irregular portions of the foundation until a
sufficiently solid and stable base is obtained.

page_text: The plant and manner of setting the blocks may be similar to that in general
use for a like purpose such as Jib or Derrick Cranes
In carrying a structure over uneven ground it will only be necessary to level
the bed of the lowest block of each column which may be done with dry rubble
wedges or other well known means, The structuro as it progresses becoming
independent of the bed of any individual column
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to no by the bereinbefore in part
recited Letters l'atent is.
The improvements in the construction of breakwaters retaining walls and other
like structures consisting in constructing them of component parts formed and
combined together substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in tho
accompanying Drawings
In witness whereof I the said George Horatio Townsend Beamish have to this
my Specification set my hand and seal the third day of October in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.