Stru
Year: 1886

page_text: We, RUDOLPH AUGUST STOFFERT of 4 West Regent Street, Glasgow, Lanarkshire,
Contractor for Ironwork and Fireproof Structures, and THOMAS DYKES of 65 West
Regent Street, Glasgow, aforesaid, Architect, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows :-
The girder will be made of steel or other metal, and may be employed for com-
bination with, and support of, wooden or concrete floors, platforms or like structures ;
and for carrying masonry or brickwork, and various general loads, rested either
wholly, or in part, upon the top and the bottom flange, or on both flanges
simultaneously.
The girder will consist of an upper and a lower flange of T section, either made
solidly so of a piece or built of suitable parts to insure such T shape. These T shaped
flanges will be connected together and retained at the required distance apart by
means of upright straps or distance-pieces of flat bar, channel, or T, but preferably of
section. Such upright straps or distance-pieces of whatever section-will have
the flat bearing surfaces at their ends in all cases joggled to fit over the web of the
girder flange which they abut-and in each case to bear on and be fitted to the
outer surface of web of T shaped girder-flange. By this construction considerable
stiffness will be imparted to the girder structure. Where of T or L section, these
upright straps or distance-pieces will have one, and where of channel section-two
projecting wings or leaves lying away from the web of T girder-flange, and butted
and fitted between the inner surfaces of the tables of these T girder-flanges, in order
to keep such tables apart, and to insure stiffness to the structure generally.
The upright straps or distance-pieces may be arranged in pairs, back to back, at
required distances apart in the longitudinal direction of girder, on opposite sides of
Tflange web, or they may be arranged singly to alternate, on opposite sides of
girder, with the immediately adjacent upright strap or distance-piece, right and left,
in the direction of the length of girder.
The arrangement may also in some cases be such as to have one immediately
adjacent upright strap or distance-piece on the same side, and the other immediately
adjacent upright strap or distance-piece, on the opposite side of girder. Under what-

page_text: ever disposition of upright straps or distance-pieces, these will in all cases, have their
ends connected at the web of girder T flanges by means of diagonal bracing-straps or
pieces of any suitable section, but preferably of L section. That is to say, one end of
each diagonal bracing-strap or piece will be attached (by rivets or bolts, or otherwise)
to the girder T flange web at the lower end of one upright strap or distance-piece
while having its other end similarly attached at the upper end of one adjacent
upright strap or distance-piece, either on the same, or on opposite side of girder
Tflange-web, according as the upright straps or distance-pieces are placed back to
back on reverse sides of girder, or otherwise, as above described.
These diagonal bracing-straps or pieces, where of other than flat bar section, (as in
the case of the upright straps or distance-pieces) will have one or more projecting
wing or leaf lying away from the plane of girder T flange-web, and they may either
be arranged in pairs to cross or pass each other diagonally on opposite sides of girder,
or as a variation; only one diagonal bracing-strap or piece may be employed to
connect the required coupled sets of single, or (as the case may be) paired and back-
to-back upright straps or distance-pieces.
Where the diagonal bracing-straps or pieces do not, on opposite sides of girder,
cross or pass each other, each such diagonal bracing-strap or piece will be arranged to
alternate on opposite sides of girder with, and to lie at a reverse angle to, the adjacent
diagonal bracing-strap or piece, right and left on either side of girder, in its
longitudinal direction."
The diagonal bracing-straps or pieces may either have their ends flat and fitted to
the ends of the upright straps or distance-pieces, or their ends may be joggled to fit
over the ends of the upright straps or distance-pieces and the contiguous portions of
web of T girder-flange, where greater stiffness is desired for the girder structure.
Between each group of upright straps or distance-pieces which are connected
diagonally (as above described) there may be spaces or openings left through the
girder web for the introduction of wooden or metallic joists or bars; or in other
modifications, these openings or spaces may be omitted, and the series of upright and
diagonally connected bracings be placed closely together and made continuous in the
length of girder.
Girders constructed according to the foregoing description are designed to develope
a large degree of stiffness, and resistance to strain, and to be light and simple in
construction, with each corresponding constructional part capable of being inter-
changed.
Dated this 20th day of May 1886.

page_text: Improvements in the Construction of Girders.
We, RUDOLPH AUGUST STOFFERT, of 4 West Regent Street, Glasgow, Lanarkshire,
Contractor for Iron Work and Fireproof Structures, and THOMAS DYKES of 65 West
Regent Street, Glasgow, aforesaid, Architect, 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 present Invention has reference to, and has for its object, the production, in
iron, steel, or other suitable metal; of an improved construction of lattice-braced.
girder, primarily intended and designed for employment for combination with and
support of timber, or metallic joists or bars, applied transversely for the formation
respectively of wooden, or fireproof floors, roofs, and other like and analogous
structures.
The improved girder will consist of an upper and a lower flange or boom each in
one piece or length and of T section-either solidly so in a piece, or built of suitable
separate bars to insure such practically single length or bar of T section-connected.
together, retained at the required distance apart, and stiffened by means of vertical
straps or distance-pieces, and co-relative diagonal bracing-straps.
These vertical straps or distance-pieces shall, in every case be made to bear against
and upon the outwards-facing surfaces of the central web member of the T shaped
girder flanges or booms herein before described, and may be arranged in pairs,
coupled back to back at required distances apart in the longitudinal direction of, and
along opposite sides upon, the T flange web; or instead of being so placed back to
back they may be arranged singly along opposite sides of girder so as to alternate
with the immediately adjacent vertical strap or distance-piece, right and left in the
longitudinal direction of the girder; or be varied so as to have one immediately
adjacent distance-piece on the same side, and the other immediately adjacent distance-.
piece upon the reverse side of the central web of the girder T flange or boom.
The vertical straps or distance-pieces-whichever way arranged-in addition to
having a flat surface or leaf bearing upon and secured to the central web member of
T shaped girder flanges or booms, shall preferably be of section, or of such section
as shall have one or more feather or leaf lying away from the plane of central web
member of the T shaped girder-flange, butted, fitted, and secured in such manner as
to simultaneously bear against the inner surfaces of the horizontal table members of
girder T flanges, to keep said table members apart, to effectively stiffen them, and to
impart important rigidity to the girder structure generally.
Under whatever modification as to number and disposition; the hereinbefore

page_text: described vertical straps or distance-pieces will, by means of rivets, bolts, or other-
wise, at their ends, be connected together, and to the web of girder ▼ flanges or
booms, by means of diagonal bracing-straps which may be of flat bar section, but will
by preference be of a section corresponding to the vortical distance-pieces in respect
of having a leaf lying away from the plane of the flat surface which bears upon the
ends of the vertical distance-pieces.
Such diagonal bracing-straps, in general, will, on opposite sides of girder, pass or
cross each other diagonally; and-with or without intermediate washers or packing
pieces be secured to each other at their point of intersection about the centre of
girder depthwise.
The ends of these diagonal bracing-straps will, along both sides of girder, be butted,
fitted and secured to contiguous vertical distance-pieces, right and left, in such
manner that one end of each diagonal bracing-strap will be attached (by rivets or
bolts or otherwise) to the central web of T shaped girder flange or boom, at and
through the lower end of one vertical distance-piece, while having its other end
similarly attached at the upper end of one adjacent vertical distance-piece which lies
either on the same or upon opposite sides of the web of girder T-flange or boom,
according as the vertical distance-pieces happen to be disposed back to back in couples,
along both sides of the girder, or otherwise under the variations hereinbefore
described.
As a modification of the girder which, along both sides of the central web member
of the T shaped flange or boom, has the vertical distance-pieces disposed back to back,
and the diagonal bracing-straps crossing each other back to back diagonally, we may,
as herein before described, have the vertical distance-pieces arranged singly to alternate
along opposite sides of girder T flange central web, and in addition, instead of
arranging the diagonal bracing-straps to cross each other back to back, we may other-
wise arrange them to alternate (on reverse sides of the central web member of
Tshaped girder flange or boom) with, and to lie at a reverse angle to, the contiguous
bracing-strap, right and left on either side of the girder in its longitudinal direction.
Between each group of vertical distance-pieces which are connected diagonally
(after the methods hereinbefore described) there will be spaces or openings left
through the girder web for the introduction of wooden or metallic bars for the
purposes hereinbefore indicated. For the convenient introduction of such joists or
bars, the upper T flange or boom of girder may be temporarily removed, and there-
after be permanently re-fitted and secured when the joists or bars are properly fitted
to the girder.
Girders constructed in accordance with the foregoing description will have the
upper and lower T shaped girder flanges or booms, respectively, made to be in one
piece or length, thus making in each flange, only one bar to handle. To these
individual bars of T shape, and on the outwards facing surfaces of their central web
member, the vertical distance-pieces will be fitted and secured and at same time be
made to butt against the inner faces of the horizontal table member of the T shaped
girder flange or boom. The diagonal bracing straps in turn will, under the inner
surfaces of the horizontal table of T girder boom be fitted and butted to the ends of
the vertical distance-pieces, and through such, be secured to the central web of girder
Tflange or boom; all in such manner as to simultaneously insure a vertical and
lateral stiffness and rigidity in the girder structure, unattainable by the employment
of mere straight. flat bars for the vertical distance-pieces, and of similar flat bar
diagonal bracing straps which are, as in common practice, introduced betwixt two
separate bars built T wise to constitute girder flanges or booms.
Where a maximum strength of girder with a minimum extent of rivet shear is
desired, we may, in any modification of our improved girder, joggle the ends of the
vertical distance-pieces, and, in some cases, also the diagonal bracing-straps; though,
with what is obviously the same girder to all practical intents, we may vary this
subsidiary detail of manufacture and make the ends of the bracings-vertical and
diagonal to be straight.

page_text: In order to the proper understanding of our Invention we hereto append a sheet of
illustrative drawings, in which the same reference letters apply to corresponding parts
in the several figures.
Figs. 1 and 2 are vertical cross sections of the improved girder A, B, d, b, shewn
respectively with and without wooden joists (j) fitted in combination therewith; the
girder being approximately equal in depth to the wooden joists (j) supported by it.
Fig. 3. shews part side clevations of the improved girder having the wooden
joists (j) shewn in cross section and as fitted between the T flanges or booms A, B,
and introduced into spaces or openings through the girder web betwixt the back to
back vertical distance-pieces (d). Their relative diagonal bracing-straps (b) are
shewn as having a leaf or feather lying away from the plane of the central web
member of the Hanges or booms A, B, and as crossing each other, back to back, on
opposite sides, while being attached to each other at their point of intersection about
centre of girder depthwise.
Figs. 4 and 5 are same as Figs. 1 and 2, except that the ends of vertical distance-
pieces (d) are shewn as manufactured to pass round and clasp the edges of central
web of girder T flanges or booms A, B.
Figs. 6 and 7 are sketch views shewing the improved girder A, B, d, b, as having
the wooden joists (j) fitted to and passed through it transversely, all as shewn in
strictly geometrical side elevation at Fig. 3.
Figs. 8 and 9 shew the method of fitting joists (j) to girders which require to be
greater in depth than the said joists (); coddings or blocks (c) constituting a solid
bearing, being introduced underneath the wooden joists (j) to make up the difference
in respective depths, and to readily afford means for casing in-as for example by
means of lath and plaster, or wood linings-the portion of girder projecting below
the underside of wooden joist (j). In Fig. 9 a filling-in piece (f) is shown to
preserve the continuity of the wooden joist (j) and at same time to afford means for
efficiently securing the flooring boards over the table member of girder flange or
boom A.
In an employment of the improved girder, and as herein before stated, instead of
wooden joists, metallic bars, of any suitable section, may be fitted to pass through the
spaces betwixt the vertical distance-pieces. Such metallic bars may be combined
with concrete or composite material in the formation of fireproof floors or like
structures.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is :-
First. The improvements in lattice-braced girders for the employments specified,
and as herein described and illustrated.
Second. An improved girder consisting practically of one length or bar of
T sectional shape for its top flange or boom, and another like bar for its bottom
flange or boom; such being connected together at intervals and stiffened by means of
vertical distance-pieces, preferably of section, yet of any other section consisting of
two or more leaf members lying at an angle to each other; said vertical distance-.
pieces being (along both sides and upon the outwards-facing surfaces of the central
web member of T flanges or booms) disposed in pairs back to back, their ends being
either straight or formed to pass round and clasp the edge, as well as the greater
surface of the central web of T flange or boom, such vertical distance-pieces being
connected in sets or groups by means of back to back diagonal bracing-straps of flat
bar T, or section; spaces or openings being left between each grouped and
diagonally connected sets of vertical distance-pieces; all substantially as and for the
purposes herein described in reference to, and shewn on the accompanying drawings.
Third. An improved girder having T sectional shaped top and bottom flanges or
booms connected together and stiffened by means of vertical distance-pieces of
Lsection having ends either straight or formed to fit round the edge and main surface
of central web member of T flanges; such vertical distance-pieces being arranged

page_text: singly along opposite sides of girder-flange web, in such manner as to alternate with
the immediately adjacent vertical distance-piece right and left; or else have one
immediately adjacent vertical distance-piece on the same side, and the other imme-
diately adjacent vertical distance-piece upon the reverse side of the central web of
girder T flange or boom in its longitudinal direction; such vertical distance-pieces
being connected together in sets at their ends by means of diagonal bracing-straps of
flat bar or section arranged along opposite sides of girder-to alternate with and to
lie at a reverse angle to, the contiguous corresponding diagonal bracing strap right
and left on either side of the girder in its longitudinal direction; spaces or openings
being left between such grouped and diagonally connected sets of vertical distance-
pieces; all substantially as and for the purposes herein described and specified.