A NEW OR IMPROVED TIDAL WEIR to be as follows:
Year: 1884

page_text: I, WILLIAM WEBB of 17 Heath Road Twickenham in the County of Middlesex,
Cabinet Maker do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for "A NEW OR
IMPROVED TIDAL WEIR to be as follows:-
"
The object of my invention is to provide means whereby the water of rivers is
not allowed to wholly run away to waste as is now the case, in some parts of the
Thames for example; and for this purpose I according to my Invention at certain
times, when required provide a new or improved tidal weir so as to keep back a
certain quantity of the water, sufficient for preserving the tidal parts of rivers in
navigable and healthy conditions. I build of stone, iron, concrete, or of a com-
bination of such or other materials a certain number of buttresses across the river
at such distances apart as may be found suitable and in accordance with the width
of the river. These buttresses are made and provided with cut waters, and they
should be built of such a height that the top shall be above the height of all floods
or tide levels. The space between the buttresses is occupied, as hereafter described,
at certain times by what I may call floating or semi-floating pontoons. The height
of the pontoons is regulated according to the depth of water required to be kept in
the upper water of the river. These pontoons are slightly dome shape on the top
surface and arched on one side, in the latter case to more effectually resist the
pressure of the water against them; the opposite side of the pontoon is or may be
provided with a curved projecting flange over which the water runs freely and
when the water is rising under the flange it compresses the air therein and imparts
a certain amount of buoyancy to the structure.
The pontoons are preferably made in watertight compartments with man holes
or hatchways for entering to clean them out or for repairs or other purposes and
these manholes or hatchways should be provided with short shafts so that water
cannot enter the compartments and closed with covers when necessary. Each
pontoon at one end swings from one buttress and abuts against the next buttress at
the other end. This I accomplish by connecting to the buttresses a very strong
upright rod or guide extending from one end to the other; on this rod is mounted
and free to move from end to end a shackle or ring which latter is linked to the
pontoon and in such manner that as the water rises or falls so the pontoon travels
up or down the rod.
Supposing the water to be low and the pontoons shut; as the tide rises and the
pontoons float they will automatically swing open and come against a pile or stop

page_text: erected in the river and as the water continues to rise the pontoon follows and rises
with the water; the pontoon is provided at its outer or loose end with an arm
carrying a roller which as the pontoon rises travels up a guide plate in the stop
pile thereby guiding the pontoon in its ascent up the pile. The guide plate does
not extend the whole length of the pile for the reason as hereafter explained.
When the tide is at its full flood the pontoon will of course have travelled up the
buttress rod and pile stop, to near the top thereof; the tide ebbing the pontoon
descends same, guided at its outer end by the roller and so on till it reaches the end
of the plate on the pile, the roller is then free and the pontoon likewise; the tide
then carries the pontoon back to between the buttresses where it falls with the
water till it touches the ground: no more water can then run away and the upper
water above the pontoon is kept to the depth of the pontoon itself which thus
forms a weir or a series of weirs across the river while the surplus water, if any,
will run over, and so on automatically at each succeeding tide. The pontoons do
not close at all when there is no scarcity of water because they do not descend
below the guide plate on the pile stop the position of the guide plate is regulated
as circumstances may require. During floods the pontoons may be unshackled
from the buttresses and towed away till again required.
The bed of the river on both sides of the weir, I make of concrete or other
suitable materials a foundation or bed with suitable fall from the upper to the
lower stream.
ว
In the space between the buttresses I form a sill to receive the floating pontoon
when closed, this sill is level from buttress to buttress and in this sill I form a drop
with a curve in the bel so that the bottom of the pontoon when down on the sill
shall project over the drop or curve to about one fourth of the width of the bottom
of the pontoon, this is also to provide means for lifting up or floating the pontoon
from the bottom at the rise of the tide.
Adjoining the weir I build a lock or locks which is or are available for passing
boats, barges, and vessels when a scarcity of water takes place, but when there is
plenty of water in the river the tide flows and ebbs through the lock or locks as if
the same did not exist, thereby causing no obstruction whatever to the trattic in
the river.
The lock gates may be opened and closed in the ordinary way or they can be
worked by hydraulic pressure the power obtained from a turbine at the side of the
weir to raise the water to the height necessary to obtain the required pressure the
gates may swing or be made to rise and fall in a well provided at the bottom of
the look for that purpose.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION,
I, WILLIAM WEBB of 17 Heath Road Twickenham in the County of Middlesex
Cabinet Maker do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for "A NEW OR
IMPROVED TIDAL WEIR" 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 to provide means whereby the water of rivers is
not allowed to wholly run away to waste as is now the case, in some parts of the
Thames for example, and for this purpose I according to my Invention at certain
times, when required provide a new or improved tidal weir so as to keep back a
certain quantity of the water sufficient for preserving the tidal parts of rivers in
navigable and healthy conditions. I build of stone, iron, concrete or of a combination
of such or other materials a certain number of buttresses across the river at such
distances apart as may be found suitable and in accordance with the width of the
river. These buttresses are made and provided with cut-waters, and they should
be built of such a height that the top shall be above the height of all floods or tide
levels. The space between the buttresses is occupied as hereafter described, at
certain times by what I may call floating or semi floating pontoons. The height of
the pontoons is regulated according to the depth of water required to be kept in the
upper water of the river. These pontoons are slightly dome shape on the top
surface and arched on one side in the latter case to more effectually resist the
pressure of the water against them; the opposite side of the pontoon is or may be
provided with a curved projecting flange over which the water runs freely and
when the water is rising under the flange it compresses the air therein and imparts
a certain amount of buoyancy to the structure.
The pontoons are preferably made in watertight compartments with manholes or
hatchways for entering to clean them out or for repairs or other purposes and these
manholes or hatchways should be provided with short shafts so that water cannot
enter the compartments and closed with covers when necessary. Each pontoon at
one end swings from one buttress and abuts against the next buttress at the other
end, this I accomplish by connecting to the buttresses a very strong upright rod or
guide extending from one end to the other; on this rod is mounted and free to
move from end to end a shackle or ring which latter is linked to the pontoon and
in such manner that as the water rises or falls so the pontoon travels up or down.
the rod.
The pontoon is provided at its outer or loose end with an arm carrying a roller
which as the pontoon rises travels up a guide plate in the stop pile thereby
guiding the pontoon in its ascent up pile. The guide plate does not extend the
whole length of the pile for the reason as hereafter explained.
Supposing the water to be lower and the pontoons shut; as the tide rises and
the pontoons float they will automatically swing open and come against a pile or
stop erected in the river and as the water continues to rise the pontoon follows and
rises with the water. The bed of the river on both sides of the weir, I make of

page_text: concrete or other suitable materials a foundation or bed with suitable fall from the
upper to the lower stream.
In the space between the buttresses I form a sill to receive the floating
pontoon when closed this sill is level from buttress to buttress and in this sill
I form a drop with a curve in the bed so that the bottom of the pontoon when
down on the sill shall project over the drop or curve to about one fourth the width
of the bottom of the pontoon, this is also to provide means for lifting up or
floating the pontoon from the bottom at the rise of the tide.
Adjoining the weir I build a lock or locks which is or are available for passing
boats barges and vessels when a scarcity of water takes place but when there is
plenty of water in the river the tide flows and ebbs through the lock or locks as if
the same did not exist thereby causing no obstruction whatever to the traffic in
the river.
de
I..
The lock gates may be opened and closed in the ordinary way or they can be
worked by hydraulic pressure the power obtained from a turbine at the sido of the
weir to raise the water to the height necessary to obtain the required pressure the
gates may swing or be made to rise and fall in a well provided at the bottom of
the lock for that purpose.
The accompanying drawings illustrate the manner in which my Invention may
be conveniently carried into effect. Figure 1 is a general view in plan of my new
or improved tidal weir with lock adjoining same constructed according to my
Invention also shewing small lock and rollers between the large lock and pontoons.
Only one set of rollers is shewn but any required number may be applied as
circumstances may require Figure 2 is a front view and Figure 3 is an end view
of same these two latter figures shew one of the pontoons opened.
In practice this would not occur but it is shewn so in the drawing in order to
indicate that the sill of the bed is distinct and separate from the pontoon.
Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 are views of some of the parts in detail to
be referred to hereafter: similar letters of reference refer to like parts in all the
Figures A, A, A shew the weir buttresses three of these buttresses are shewn in
the drawing but any other number may be used according to the width of the river
or according to the nature or situation of the place where the improved weir is to
be built. B, B, shew the pontoons or the automatically acting floating weirs, one
of these weirs is shewn detached in horizontal section at Figure 4 and in vertical
transverse section on line a, b, of Figure 4 at Figure 5 in order that the details of
its construction as I prefer to make same, may be clearly understood, a, a, are the
manholes which may be closed by caps, screwed or bolted thereon and acting as air
tight stoppers; bb, are the sluices for allowing silt of mud sand or other extraneous
matter to pass off by saine when necessary.
b¹, b¹, shew the curved top surface of the pontoon weir against the projecting
flanges of which the rising water acts and thereby materially assists in causing the
weir to rise with the tide, C, C, are the rods guides or columns running parallel
with the buttresses A up and down which the rollers or hinges from which the
pontoons are swung are free to travel; one of these columns with rollers is shewn
detached in plan at Figures 7 and 8 and part elevation in Figure 9 and in side
elevation at Figure 10 which also shews one of the buttresses A seen in Figure 2;
DD are the hollow piles against which the pontoon weirs B B come when the
said weirs swing open; c, c, are tho guide plates upon the piles and d d are the
roller guides on the pontoon weir ends which slide up and down upon the guide
plates c as the pontoon weir rises and falls with the tidal water of the river, which
guides d allow of the opening and closing of the weir automatically at the required
time and as do the gates of the lock act in a similar manner automatically through
the guide plates and stops shewn at Figures 11, 12 and 13 so that when the wors
close, the lock gates do so as well, thereby impounding the water at the same level
at the weir as in the lock. In the automatic opening and closing arrangement for
thoclock gates as shown at Figures 11, 12 and 18, B B are the lock gates which

page_text: correspond with the pontoon weirs marked, with similar letters. In the small lock
only a single gate at each end is shewn. c, c, are the guides or guide plates or
guide chambers and d d are the guides or floats which latter are secured in position
by the lever latebes d¹ and so that as the water falls and with it the guides or
Hoats & the lever latches d' move from the position shown at Figure 13 to that
shewn at Figure 11 and when the water rises so do the guides d from the
position shewn at Figure 11 to that shewn at Figure 13 thus when the guides d
are in the position shewn at Figure 11 the lock or pontoon gates are free to close
automatically and to occupy the position shewn in the full lines at Figure 1 but
when the float & rises to the position shewn at Figure 13 the latches d' enter
corresponding notches in the gates B (which have been swung by the rising tide)
and thereby prevents the gate from again closing until the water falls to the level
at which the pontoon weirs close as before described. f shews the water passages
for the entrance and oxit of water to the floats d. At Figures 2 and 3 I have
shown one of the pontoon weirs B just raised from its bed and opened. I prefer
to make the lock gates curved and with correspondingly curved recesses in the lock.
itself to receive the gates when the latter are open and the gates should not come
close to or touch the sides of the lock in order that when the tide falls the water
may get easily behind the gates and the walls of the lock and thereby facilitate the
automatic closing of same.
When the tide is at its full flood the pontoon or pontoons B will have travelled
up the buttress rod C and pile stop D to near the top thereof; the tide ebbing the
pontoons B descend same guided at outer end by the roller d and so on till it
reaches the end of the plate c on the pile D the roller & is then free and the
pontoon B likewise; the tide then carries the pontoon B back to between the
buttresses where it falls with the water till it touches the sill S on the bed no
more water can then run away and the upper water above the pontoon is kept to
the depth of the pontoon itself which thus forms a weir or a series of weirs across
the river while the surplus water, if any, will run over and so on automatically at
each succeeding tide. The pontoons and lock gates B do not close at all when
there is no scarcity of water because the pontoons B do not descend below the
guide plate c on the pile stop neither do the guides or floats d unlock the
latches ; the position of the guides c and d is regulated as circunstances may
require. During floods the pontoons may be unshackelled from the buttresses and
towed away till again required The dotted lines in Figure 1 shew chains that
marked having a counter balance weight at the end to assist in opening and
closing the pontoons. The chain is attached at one end to the pontoon B it
passes round pulley and round another pulley 13 at the pile D; the chain then
passes up outside the pile over another pulley at the top of same and down
through the pile with a counter weight m attached to the end as shown at
Figures 1 and 3 The chain is fastened to the top of pontoon and to the bed of
river at n while at the pulley it runs through an eye on same and is fastened to
the bed of river at the point n.
By my Invention an adequate supply of water is maintained above the automatio
weir while at the same time the water supply below the weir is not less than if
the automatic weir did not exist because the superfluous water still continues to
flow over the automatic weir as it does over the permanent or fixed weir above
some water only being retained instead of being allowed as now to wholly run
away in fact the automatic weir really holds back some of the tidal water which
has passed it in its upward course and consequently there will be as much water
to flow over the automatic weir as over the tixed weir as will be understood by
reference to Figure 5 while retaining water above the automatic weir as and for
the purposes before explained. The automatic weir therefore causes no reduction
of water at localities in the tidal portion of the river below it.
The whole structure may be made if desired of iron or of a combination of
materials such as of wood iron stone and concrete.

page_text: 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
First. An automatic tidal weir or lock or a series of such weirs and locks for
holding back or impounding when required sufficient water for keeping tidal
rivers navigable and in a healthy condition all operating substantially as set forth.
Second. The particular construction and arrangement of the pontoon weirs and
gates together with the means employed for rendering the same automatic in
action by the flowing and ebbing of the tide all substantially as herein before
described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
BREWER & JENSEN,
For the Applicant.