IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BRIDGES, AQUEDUCTS, AND ROOFINGS
Year: 1848

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
WARREN, of Montague Terrace, Mile End Road, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, and WILLOUGHBY THEOBALD MONZANI, of Saint James Terrace,
Blue Anchor Road, Bermondsey, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Fifteenth day of
August, One thousand eight hundred and forty-eight, in the twelfth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, tho said James Warren and Willoughby Theobald Monzani, our exors,
adiñiors, and assigns, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that we, the said James Warren and Willoughby Theobald Monzani,
our exors, adiñiors, and assigns, or such others as we, the said James Warren
and Willoughby Theobald Monzani, our exors, admors, or assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during
the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, our Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BRIDGES,
AQUEDUCTS, AND ROOFINGS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso,
that we, the said James Warren and Willoughby Theobald Monzani, or one of

page_text: us, should cause a particular description of the nature of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in
writing under our hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us,
to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited 5
Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will
more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, we, the said
James Warren and Willoughby Theobald Monzani, do hereby declare that
the nature of our said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to 1
be performed, are fully described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and
to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say :-
Our Invention consists, first, of a mode of constructing bridges by combining
plates, bars, or rods inclined to each other, in such manner as to support a 1
roadway at their lower or upper ends, or at both ends.
Secondly, our Invention consists of combining triangles at their bases one
to another and at their apices, by horizontal bars, rods, or plates, so as to
construct bridges, aqueducts, and roofs.
Thirdly, our Invention consists of combining open plates of frames inclined
to each other, and transversely across the bridge, aqueduct, or roof, as here-
after explained.
And, fourthly, our Invention consists of a mode of combining plates or bars
placed at angles to each other, and connected horizontally at top and bottom,
as hereafter explained.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure No. 1; the construction of this bridge is by means of a series of
plates, bars, or rods, of cast or wrought iron, arranged angularly and in such
manner that, with their connections, triangular forms are produced, the upper
part of each triangle forming longitudinal compression bars a, a; the lower
part of the triangles are connected together by means of longitudinal tension
plates, bars, or rods b, b, b, also shewn in detail; or connecting links C or D,
may be used, the whole secured together by means of transverse bolts or rods
E, E, at top and bottom of the triangle, as represented in Figure No. 1º, in
transverse section, also representing a bridge with three girders, but two, three,
four, or five girders may be adopted as required. By this mode of construc-
tion, a bridge is made capable of carrying either one or two roadways, one at
Я

page_text: top and one at the bottom, as is shewn in the Drawing; F, F, representing
the hand rails.
We would remark in respect to this construction of bridges, that it has
heretofore been proposed to construct bridges by bars placed at angles, and
connected horizontally by other bars at top and bottom; but in such case the
parts were so combined as to only allow of a roadway midway between the
horizontal bars; and the peculiar feature of novelty in this part of our Inven-
tion consists of so combining the parts that a roadway may be constructed at
top and bottom, or both.
The manner of securing the rods or plates forming the triangle is also very
different.
Figure No. 2 shews a bridge constructed according to the second part of
our Invention. This bridge consists of a series of open cast-iron triangular
frames, connected together at the lower ends or apices by means of the tension
plates a, a. In some cases we may prefer having each tension plate sufficiently
long to secure the apices of two or more angles, as shewn in detail k, k, or
connecting links b, or C in detail; or by means of screwed bolts or rods, as
represented in detail D, D; or by means of short bolts and nuts securing the
tension plates to the apices, and the transverse bolts placed directly above them,
as represented in detail j. The section of this bridge also is represented
having three girders; but, two, three, four, or five may be used, as required,
the upper ends of the triangle being locked together by any suitable means,
such as pin joints, as represented in detail E, E, and F, F, or by hollow cavities
being cast in the framing, and pieces of wrought iron being laid in lengthwise
in the said cavities, as represented in detail h; i shewing an end view of the
abutment at h, and the cavity, which may be square or round, for the piece
of wrought iron to be placed in, the whole being secured together by means of
transverse bolts or rods 9, 9, at top and bottom, as shewn in section and detail.
This bridge is also capable of carring a roadway at top or bottom, or both, if
required; H, H; representing the hand rails.
:
Figure No. 3 shews another mode of constructing a bridge according to the
second part of our Invention. This bridge is constructed by means of a series
of wrought-iron triangles, the upper ends being secured to the compression bars.
by means of hooking on to the ends of the cross bolts, which are curved or
straight, as at a in the section; or, in case of adopting tubes, then by means of
bolts inserted into the interior of the tubes, as shewn in detail at B. The
compression bars are represented at C, C, with different joints. The compres-
sion tubes are shewn at D, D, and are similar in detail to h in Figure No. 2,

page_text: and more fully describe there. In case the tubes are used, steadying bars or
rods will be used at certain distances, as at a in the section. The lower ends
of the triangles are secured by hooking on to the cross bolts or rods, and over-
laying each other, as at E in detail. The roadway of this bridge is constructed
at the bottom. This construction is peculiarly applicable for light bridges for
foot passengers.
Figure No. 6 shows another arrangement of bridge according to this part of
our Invention, and when only one roadway is used will be found a very excel-
lent construction, by means of cast-iron open triangles secured at the top by
means of pieces of wrought iron placed in the hollow cavities made to receive
them, and bolts or forelocks passed through them and the cast-iron angles, as
described in detail h, h, h; i, shewing the section of the abutment. They may
also be secured by means of the joint, as described in detail, Figure No. 2,
E, E, F, F. The lower ends or apices may be secured in the same manner as
represented in the different details in Figure 2, a, b, c, d, g, j, k, by means of
plates, rods, or bolts extending from anglo to angle, and secured to the angles
by means of screwed bolts and nuts. The apices are so constructed as to have
a bracket, saddle, or recess upon which the transverse girder k rests, as shewn
in detail l.
Section No. 6 represents the transverse and upright girders, with stays cast
on them, and secured to the transverse girders by means of screw bolts; the
transverse cross rods are also here fully described.
Figure No. 4 shews a bridge constructed according to the third part of our
Invention. The construction of this bridge is by means of a series of cast-iron
framings, as shown in section, placed transversely and in angular positions with
each other, as a, a, Figure No. 4, secured at the top by means of the bolts
b, b, b, b, as shewn in the section, and at the lower ends by means of the screw
bolts or rods C, C, all the bolts having screwed nuts to them, by which the
bridge may be readily adjusted to its required curved or straight line. The
upper ends of the transverse cast-iron frames D, D, (as shewn in Figure No. 4,
also in section and detail,) are kept apart or separated by the compressing bars
or girders E, E. The roadway is placed on top of the girders E, E. A road-
way might also be made or carried at the bottom, if required. F, F, are the
hand rails.
Figure No. 5 shews a bridge constructed according to the fourth part of our
Invention. The construction of this bridge is by means of a series of plates or
bars of wrought or cast iron a, a, placed in angular positions, secured to the
compression rail at top by means of bolts b, b, as represented in detail, the

page_text: compression rails C, C; being made of hollow half-round cast iron, with flanges
at each end, or any other suitable form, to receive the bolts b, b, as shewn in
detail. The plates a, a, are, secured at the bottom by means of bolts D, D,
passed through the ends of the plates and the cast-iron compression rails, as
shewn in detail. The spread of the angle plates is regulated by means of
longitudinal screwed bolts or rods, with nuts, as shewn in detail L, L. E, E,
are supporting rods, secured at the upper ends by the bolts and bearing blocks
F, F, and the lower ends secured to the lower part of the bridge at G, G, to
eye bolts or sockets. The roadway is at the bottom of the bridge, built on
transverse cast-iron girders, as represented at H in detail and section. J, J,
are steadying bolts, of a straight or curvilinear form, connected to the bridge
at F, F, in Figure No. 5, and sectional view, by screwed nuts.
K, K, are
longitudinal wooden girders resting on the flanges of the transverse girders, as
represented in detail in sectional view, upon which the roadway is constructed.
We would remark that although we have described only the construction of
bridges, yet it will be evident to engineers that aqueducts may be constructed
in like manner, waterways being constructed in place of roadways, and in like
manner roofs may also be constructed. And we would state that we do not
confine ourselves to the details herein described, so long as the peculiar
character of any part of our Invention be retained; but what we claim is,―
First, the mode of constructing bridges and aqueducts by combining plates,
bars, or rods inclined to each other, in such manner as to support a roadway
or waterway at top or bottom, or both, as described.
Secondly, we claim the combining triangles, and forming them into bridges,
aqueducts, and roofs, by connecting their bases to each other and their apices
by means of plates, bars, or rods, as herein described.
Thirdly, we claim the construction of bridges, aqueducts, and roofs by
combining frames angularly to each other, an placed transversely of the
length of such bridge, aqueduct, or beam of a roof.
And, fourthly, we claim the mode of constructing bridges, aqueducts, and
roofs, by combining bars or plates placed angularly to each other, and connected
at top and bottom, as last herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Warren, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-nine.
JAMES (L.s.) WARREN.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Fifteenth day of February, in
the year of our Lord 1849, the aforesaid James Warren came before our
said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Fifteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-nine.