Improvements in the Construction of Girders.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Nov., 1893-Accepted, 16th Dec.,
1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Girders.
We, WILLIAM STEAINS VAUGHAN of the City and County of Newcastle-upon-
Tyne, Engineer, EDWARD RICHARDS of Leeds in the County of York, Steel
Works Manager, and WILLIAM MARTIN SCOTT of Headingley, Leeds in the
County of York, Steel Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:—
This invention relates to the production of girders beams or the like, particularly
those of large sizes, by a novel and economical method of construction consisting
in rolling the top and bottom "flanges" of the required sections and sectional areas
in rolls specially cut and rivetting them to the "web" which is either an ordinary
rolled plate or may have special edges rolled upon it.
The method of construction is adapted to any form of girder whether of I or of
box section and whether the "web" or "webs" may be one or more solid plates or
be formed of "lattices" of suitable sections.
In producing girders of great depths for large spans, carrying heavy loads, such
as are frequently required for bridge work, building construction and other branches
of engineering practice the limit of depth of web and width of flanges to which they
can be produced, (without involving very great expense,) by rolling the web with
the top and bottom "flanges" solid, is often exceeded and, even within that limit,
the sectional areas of the top and bottom "flanges" require to be increased by
rivetting to them "flitch" plates the punched or drilled holes in which seriously
"which is in tension. Girders can
diminish the strength, especially of the "flange
also be produced in much longer lengths than can be attained by rolling them with
the "web" and "flanges" solid.
"
When girders are built up of a web-plate "with top and bottom "flanges
formed of one or more "flitch" plates to make up the required sectional area,
rivetted to it by angle irons the same loss of strength is involved by loss of material
in the rivet holes.
Another expedient for increasing the effective depth of very large girders is to
flange" but this involves a
rivet two or more I girders together "flange" to "
great waste of material in the two "flanges" which are rivetted together, because
this material is where it is of little or no use, as in the case of two girders,
near to the neutral-axis and there is also to consider the extra expense of
punching or drilling rivet holes and then rivetting the connecting "flanges'
together.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
"
in which we propose to carry
in which we propose to carry
we will now proceed to describe the manner
our invention into practical application with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
Fig. 1 shews our invention in one form in which the top and bottom
"flanges" F F are rolled of the required sectional area, each having formed upon
it a vertical rib or ledge L to which the "web" plate W is rivetted.
66
Fig. 2 shews another form in which two ribs or ledges L L' are rolled upon the
flanges "FF with a space between them which space is, when first rolled,
necessarily slightly tapered outward but, by a subsequent rolling process, is made
parallel to receive an ordinary rolled "web" plate as shewn.
Fig. 3 shews the ribs or ledges L L' with the space between them tapered as
first rolled and the "web" plate rolled with thickened and tapered edges.

page_text: Fig. 4 shews the application of our invention to "box-girders" the "webs "W
of which may either be formed of "lattices" or of plates having man holes for
access to hold up the rivets. Girders constructed according to our invention will
be stiffened laterally by angle or other section bars as indicated by faint lines on
drawings.
"
Figs. 5 & 6 shew portions of a section of a built up girder as now generally
made, consisting of a web plate W rivetted by angle irons to a flange" F com-
posed of one or a series of "flitch" plates intended to illustrate the extent to which
the material in the "flanges" is diminished by the rivet holes besides the extra cost
of punching or drilling and rivetting which is involved.
It will be seen by Fig. 5 that for every hole drilled or punched and a rivet
inserted according to our method of construction there are three, and by Fig. 6
in which the flange is composed of three flitch plates instead of one there are
five.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
"
The improvements in the construction of girders consisting of rivetting the
"web" plate or plates, or their equivalent in "lattice" girders, to top and bottom
'flanges" rolled of required sectional areas and each having a vertical rib, or ribs,
to which the "web" plate or plates, or their equivalent, is, or are, rivetted, with
the objects herein before stated and substantially as described and, in some forms,
shewn on the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 4th day of November 1893.
T. J. DANSON, F.I.P.A.,
Chartered Patent Agent, Agent for Applicants.