IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY AND OTHER BRIDGES. AND IN THE METHOD OF LIFTING THE SAME AFTER SINKING
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Philip Baker, of Chillington Colliery, Wolver-
hampton, in the County of Stafford, Mining Engineer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY AND OTHER BRIDGES. AND
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Philip Baker at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
16th May 1854.
I, JAMES PHILIP BAKER, of Chillington Colliery, Wolverhampton, in the
County of Stafford, Mining Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY AND OTHER
BRIDGES, AND IN THE METHOD OF LIFTING THE SAME AFTER SINKING," to be as
follows:-
The foundation is provided with squared timber or stone, or other material,
of the required dimensions, according to the size of the bridge. These are
built in the abutment walls or piers of the bridge or viaduct, at right angles
therewith, provided the bridge is carried over on abutment walls, piers, trestles,
"single or double," and project the required distance in front of, the abutment
walls, or piers or trestles, and at the back as well the front piers, or of single
or double trestles, embedded horizontally and at such distances from each other
as is at the time of the erection deemed expedient, on wrought or cast iron
plates, which form rests for the lifting jacks or other like agents. Retaining

page_text: walls are built in front of the projecting pieces of timber, &c., and also at the
ends of the abutment walls, piers, or trestles, the entire length of such walls,
&c., and extend beyond, if required, and are built as near to the rails of per-
manent way as possible or found to be practicable, and are continued up as
high as the sleepers of permanent way, or thereabouts, if constructed over rail-
ways or other public roads, canals, &c., or vice versa. Upon the retaining
walls is embedded a wood frame. This space forms the receptacle for the
trestle, planked over-with loose planking, furnished with an iron ring and staple
at each end, for more--readily removing the- planks, thereby securing the
easiest means of access to the foundation on which the trestle rests that can
possibly be provided for lifting bridges after sinking. The trestle comprises a
frame of wood or other material, having angular and other pieces inserted,
bolted together with straight and angular wrought-iron straps. Upon the
trestles are placed the girders, consisting of wood or iron, extending over and
upon the trestles and abutment walls or piers. The girders in this Invention
extend 4 or 5 feet beyond the abutment walls or piers, or more, if required.
Between each girder there are inserted pieces of timber of about same dimen-
sions, and spiked through girders, if wood girders are used, having also strong
bolts through each girder at or near the ends, bolting each and all firmly
together. Pieces of squared timber are inserted between the abutment walls or
piers, and the trestles attached to the girders suspended loose on round iron
bolts fixed in, the girders, to prevent the vibration endwise of the platform
trestle, &c., as the trestles will generally be about 3 or 4 inches from the abut-
ment walls or piers. The platform consists of wood planking or other material
suitable for the purpose, planked the entire length of the girders. In this
Invention, the planking is fastened down with iron plates with vertical and
horizontal bolts at each end of the platform, that portion extending beyond the
trestles, so as to be easily removed, if required, at the time of lifting, &c.; the
other part is spiked down as usual. The parapet on platform is constructed
of wood, fastened or bolted together with iron bolts through front girders, and
boarded the entire length as usual. At each end of the girders and platform
a nine or fourteen inch wall is built across, from one parapet wall to the
other, about 2 inches off the ends of platform and girders, up to about the
level of the platform. The foundation commenced about 18 inches below
the top of abutment wall; upon this wall a wood plank is embedded in mortar,
thereby preventing the ballast or other rubbish falling in between or amongst
the girders; consequently, no preparatory work is required prior to the lifting
process, excepting the unjointing of the rails on. the platform, fixing it as
free as the bridge of a common weighing-machine; having no connexion

page_text: with any portion of the structure except the trestles, it can therefore at a few
minutes notice be lifted from one inch to four feet, or any reasonable height
required, as the girders only bear slightly upon the abutment walls, &c.
ABUTMENT AND WING WALLS.
In this Invention the abutment wall is furnished with a strong wall plate of
timber, projecting at the ends of abutment walls on a level with the string course,
and bolted down upon the walls with cross-tie pieces, and spiked to wall plates.
These bolts are built in the abutment wall and with wood sills, better known
as holding-down sills and holding-down pins or bolts amongst machinists.
The parapet walls are built as usual upon the string course. In this Invention
the parapet walls are not built the entire length of wing walls, but are shortened
the width of the abutment wall at 'the abutment end, free of the girders and
platform. A guard of sheet iron, about 3 feet wide, is placed in front of the
trestles, level with permanent way, to prevent the hot cokes from the engine fire
box igniting the trestles, &c. when coated with gas tar or other inflammable
material
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James. Philip Baker in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 16th November 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
PHILIP BAKER, of Chillington Colliery, Wolverhampton, in the County of
Stafford, Mining Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said James Philip Baker, Her special licence that I, the said James
Philip Baker, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said James Philip Baker, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at
all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY AND OTHER BRIDGES, AND IN
THE METHOD OF LIFTING THE SAME AFTER SINKING," upon the condition
(amongst others) that. I, the said James, Philip Baker, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascer-.

page_text: tain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to
be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Philip Baker, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say-
My Invention relates to the construction of railway and other bridges or
viaducts, and to the method of lifting the same after sinking.
The foundation is provided with squared timber, stone, or other material, of
the required dimensions, according to the size of the bridge. These are 'built
in the abutment walls or piers of the bridge or viaduct, at right angles there-
with, provided the bridge is carried over on abutment walls or piers and trestles,
single or double, and project the required distance in front of the abutment.
walls or piers and trestles, and at the back as well as the front of the piers, or
of the single or double trestles, being embedded horizontally and at such dis-
tances from each other as is at the time of the erection deemed expedient, on
wrought or cast iron plates, which form rests for the lifting jacks or other
like agents employed for lifting the bridge after sinking. Retaining walls
are built in front of the projecting pieces of timber, stone, or other
material, and also at the ends of the abutment walls or piers and trestles,
the entire length of such walls, piers, or trestles, and extending. beyond, if
required. They are built as near to the rails of the permanent way as
possible or found to be practicable, and are continued up as high as the
sleepers of the permanent way, or thereabouts, if the bridge is constructed over
railways, and up to the surface of the road, &c., or thereabouts, if constructed
over public roads, canals, &c. Upon the retaining walls is embedded a wood
frame: The space formed by the retaining walls forms the receptacle for the
frestle; it is planked over with loese planking, furnished with an iron ring and
staple at each end, for more readily removing the planks, thereby securing the
easiest means of access to the foundation on which the trestle rests that can
possibly be provided for lifting bridges after sinking.
The trestle is as usual composed of a frame of wood or other material, having
angular and other pieces inserted, the whole being bolted together with straight
and angular wrought-iron straps. Upon the trestles are placed the girders,
constructed of wood or iron, and extending over and upon the trestles and
abutment walls or piers.

page_text: The girders in this Invention extend four or five feet beyond the abutment
walls or piers, or more or less, if required; between each girder there are in-
serted pieces of timber of about the same dimensions as the girders, and spiked
or bolted through the girders, if wood girders are used, having also strong bolts
through each girder at or near the ends, bolting each and all firmly together.
Pieces of squared timber are inserted between the abutment walls or piers and
the trestles; these are attached to the girders, and suspended loose on round
iron bolts fixed in the girders, to prevent the vibration endwise of the platform
trestles, &c., as the trestles will generally be about three or four inches from
the abutment walls or piers.
The platform consists of wood planking or other material suitable for the
purpose, planked the entire length of the girders. In this Invention, the
planking at each end of the platform, or that portion extending beyond the
trestles, is fastened down with iron plates with vertical and horizontal bolts, so
as to be easily removed, if required, at the time of lifting the bridge; the other
part is spiked down as usual. The parapet on the platform is constructed of
wood, fastened or bolted together with iron bolts through the front girders, and
boarded the entire length as usual.
At each end of the girders and platform, in this Invention, a nine or fourteen
inch wall is built across from one parapet wall to the other, about two inches
off the ends of the platform and girders, up to about the level of the platform.
The foundation is commenced about eighteen inches below the top of the
abutment wall. Upon this wall a wood plank is embedded in mortar on a
level with the platform, and nearly close up to it, thereby preventing the
ballast or other rubbish falling in between or amongst the girders, and conse-
quently no preparatory work is required prior to the lifting process excepting
the unjointing of the rails on the platform, which is fixed as free as the bridge
of a common weighing machine; having no connection with any portion of the
structure except the trestles, it can therefore, at a few minutes' notice, be
lifted from one inch to several feet, or any reasonable height required, as the
girders only bear slightly upon the abutment walls, &c.
The abutment and wing walls are constructed as follows:-In this Inven-.
tion the abutment wall is furnished with a strong wall plate of timber
projecting at the ends of the abutment wall, on a level with the string
course, and bolted down upon the walls with cross-tie pieces spiked to the
wall plates. These bolts are built in the abutment walls with wood sills,
better known as holding down sills and holding-down pins or bolts amongst
machinists. The parapet walls are built as usual upon the string course.
In this Invention the parapet walls are not built the entire length of the

page_text: wing walls, but are shortened the width of the abutment wall at the abutment
-end, free of the girders and platform: A guard of sheet iron about three feet wide
'is placed in. front of the trestles, level with the permanent way, to prevent the
hot coke from the engine fire box igniting the trestles, &c. when coated with
gas tar or other inflammable material.
Figure 1 of the Drawings annexed is an elevation, partly in longitudinal
section, of a railway bridge constructed according to my Invention; Figure 2 is a
transverse section of the same, partly in elevation; and Figure 3 is a foundation
.plan, partly in, section, of part of the bridge, shewing the position of the line of
rails over which it passes; Figure 4 is a plan of the platform, without the
planking. A, A, are the horizontal timbers built into the abutment walls,
and B, B, are the plates forming the rests for the lifting jacks; C, C, are the
retaining walls, and D, D; is the planking which covers the space formed by
the retaining walls; E, E, are, the abutment walls, and F, F, the wing walls;
G, G, are the trestles, and H, H, the girders; I, I, are the timbers spiked to
the girders, and JJ, are the bolts by which the girders are, bolted together;
K; K, are the pieces of timber introduced between the abutment walls and
the trestles, to prevent, the vibration of the platform; L, L, are the bolts by
which the girders are secured to the trestles; "M is the parapet to the platform,
and N, N, are the parapet walls; 0. 0; are the walls built to support the
overhanging ends of the girders and platform, and P, P, are the planks
embedded in mortar on these. walls; Q; Q, are the timber wall plates to the
abutment walls, 'bolted down with the cross-tie pieces R, R, to. holding-down
sills built into the walls; S, S, are the lines of rails..
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim as of my
Invention is,
First, the construction of the foundations of, railway and other bridges in
such manner as to admit of. easy access being obtained thereto for the pur-
pose of lifting such bridges after sinking, as represented in Figures 1, 2,
and 3 of the Drawings annexed,-and-herein-before-described.---
-
Second, the construction of railway and other bridges with the platform,
girders, and parts in connection therewith, independent of the fixed masonry,
so as to admit of the same being readily lifted after sinking, as represented in
Figures 1, 2, and 4 of the Drawings annexed, and herein-before described.
Third, the construction of railway and other bridges with the platform and
girders, overhanging or extending beyond the abutment walls or piers and
trestles, and with walls to support such overhanging parts and prevent the
ballast or other rubbish falling in between the girders when such bridges are
'

page_text: being lifted after sinking, as represented in Figures 1, 2, and 4 of the Draw-
ings annexed and herein-before described.
Fourth, the construction of the abutment walls or piers of railway and other
bridges with wall plates built thereon, for the purpose of receiving and sup-
porting the platforms of such bridges, as represented in Figures 1, 2, and 4 of
the Drawings annexed, and herein-before described.
And fifth, the construction of the parapet walls of railway and other
bridges in the manner represented in Figure 4 of the Drawings annexed,
and herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Philip Baker, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of November, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-four.
JAMES
HILI
BAKER. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the above-named
James Philip Baker in the presence of
RICH. DALE,
Clerk to Mr. Bolton, Sol",
Wolverhampton.