Improvements in Floating Structures for Use as Theatres, and for other like purposes.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Sept., 1895-Accepted, 14th Mar., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Floating Structures for Use as Theatres, and for
other like purposes.
I, CARL GEORG RODECK of Hamburg, Mühlenstrasse 6, in the German
Empire, Engineer and Captain of Balloonists 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 a building for swimming play-houses of the kind
of theatres, ball-houses, circuses and the like to be erected on any place of the
surface, be it far from or near the bank, of any flowing or still-standing water,
connected with the bank by a bridge or swimming freely in the water. The basis
or foundation of the said building consists of pontoons fixed directly to one another,
whereby the horizontal sectional form of the latter is chosen thus, that the
pontoons may be grouped in various manners without interspace, determinating
different forms of the floating building erected thereon.
For this purpose I prefer mostly pontoons of regular polygon-form. At the
same time the constructing-pieces for the walls and the roof of the building are
preferably chosen thus, that without altering work they may be used to erect
buildings of any basis determinated by the arrangement of the pontoons.
To be more easily understood the accompanying drawing shows in
Fig. 1 a floating building in longitudinal section, the form of which has been
chosen ad libitum ;
Fig. 2 shows the basis or foundation of the building, whereas
Fig. 3 represents an example of the connection of pontoons lying one against
the other, making a stiff construction of the whole.
In the arrangeinent of the floating building shown in Fig. 1 several pontoons,
for the purpose of forming a water-basin in the interior of the building, have been
sunk in the water, to which eud, as is known, it is only necessary to fill the
pontoons to be sunk, or a part of them, with water, which, when the water-basin is
to be removed, will be pumped out again. The means necessary to join the
pumping-apparatus with the pontoons for the sinking and lifting of the same may
be fixed permanently to the latter.
As pumping apparatus a single pump and as means of communication with the
pump any known fittings may be employed.
The sunk pontoons may be fastened to the other pontoons, in order to form a
stiff foundation for the building by means of joint-pieces serving to couple the
pontoons lying in the same beight.
Instead of sinking some of the pontoons for the purpose of receiving a water-
basin in the interior of the building-basis, the same effect could be obtained by
omitting some pontoons; for the coupling of the regular formed pontoons, lying
directly side to side without interspace between them also allows a stiff and solid
foundation-frame for the erection of the building.
In the figural representation of my invention three sorts of pontoon-forms are
shown, namely square ones p in the interior part, and triangular ones p' p₁ on
the end-parts of the basis. However the horizontal section of all pontoons
could be triangular or rhombohedral; but in order to save joining-work, pontoons
of the largest size are preferred for the interior of the building.
".

page_text: In taking some of the pontoons from the breadth and fastening them to the
length of the basis of the building, this basis, and therefore also the building
erected upon it, will be placeable in a water of a smaller bed than formerly,
and in taking some of the pontoons from the length and adjusting them to the
breadth of the basis of the building, this basis will obtain a form giving a
greater stability to the swimming building and so being best suitable for the
stand-still of the building in a moved water.
As mentioned above it is profitable to choose the constructing-pieces of the
walls and roof in form and length thus that all parts of the building can be
used unalterated for the various building-forms and that means for the fastening
of the rods bearing the roof to the pontoons may also be used for the holding of
constructing-pieces connecting the pontoons one to another. So for instance
Fig. 3 shows the said connection made by rods placed into sockets h, the latter
being fastened in any manner to the pontoon-body (p); in such a case it suffices
to draw a lash lover two rods g, which belong to two neighbouring pontoons,
and then, to make the joining of the latter stiff, the lash I may be secured in place
on the rods g by means of fastening-rings or female screws (in the latter case of
course the rods g must partially have a screw winding).
"
Into the same sockets, which serve to take up connection-rods also rods of a
longer kind may be stuck, which are employable as supports for the roof, as may
be seen by a and b in Fig. 1 and 2.
From Fig. 1 it is evident, that equal basis-forms of the pontoons lying directly
side to side make it possible to employ diagonal and horizontal strut-beams (as for
instance) in equal size and form between vertical supporting beams standing on
one determinated place of each pontoon, because such vertical beams are always
of the same distance from one another when the pontoons of the same dimensions
are fixed together as aforesaid. To strut two neighbouring vertical beams on
two pontoons of different basis-dimensions, and for the erecting of the roof-part
above a larger interior pontoon-division (which is no doubt always to hand) it is
always possible to employ respectively the same constructing-pieces, as for instance
the rods d and e.
For the purlins any pieces may be used, which are connected to one another in
any manner, and for the covering of the roof any roofing material now generally in
use may be employed for any roof-sizes.
In order that parts, which belong to the coupling of the pontoons, cannot hinder
the movement of persons on the pontoon-basement of the building, each pontoon may
be covered with a wooden lid, which is cut out to embrace projecting parts
of connecting-pieces, and so becomes of itself a part of a quite even floor of the
building.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and the manner in which the same may be carried out, I would observe in
conclusion that what I consider to be new and original and therefore claim as the
invention secured to me by the herein before stated Letters Patent is:
1. A floating building, the basis of which may be formed by many pontoons of
equal or of various forms brought firmly in connection with one another.
2. Forms of the pontoons mentioned under 1, which, when the latter are
transported and coupled firmly together, give a floor without gaps.
3. Means for connecting a pumping apparatus with the pontoons for the purpose
of sinking and lifting the latter in filling the same with and emptying the same
from water.
.
4. The combination of the pontoons mentioned under 1 with constructing-pieces,
which may be used with every basis of the building to form side parts and to bear
the roof.
5. The forming of a stiff foundation-frame for the erection of the building by
the coupling of regular formed pontoons lying directly side to side without

page_text: interspace between them, for the purpose of receiving a water-basin in the interior
of the building-basis.
.
1905
CARL GEORG RODECK,
Applicant,
By F. H. Haase,
Agent for Applicant.