Improved Means for Protecting the Banks of Rivers and Streams against Erosion.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Feb., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Nov., 1893-Accepted, 9th Dec., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by GIOVANNI VILLA, of No. 80, Corso Vercelli,
Milan, in the Kingdom of Italy, Builder.]
Improved Means for Protecting the Banks of Rivers and Streams
against Erosion.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agent,
45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to means for protecting banks of rivers and streams
against the erosion caused by the water. The improved means are more practical
and ensure greater durability than those which have heretofore been employed,
such as for instance the jetties and gabions consisting either of faggots or of wire
filled up with pebbles which necessitate a great expense and fulfil their object ouly
for a limited period, apart from the fact that the result in the case of jetties is never
certain.
The improved means comprise a resistant and flexible covering sunk into the
bottom of the river or stream and fixed against the bank so that it offers a great
resistance to the water; as moreover the side exposed to the water constitutes a
smooth surface it facilitates the flow of the water and thus shields the banks of the
river or stream against the erosive action of such water.
This covering has usually a width of 2 or 3 metres and a suitable length and
extends from the bottom of the river or stream to the top of the bank. It is
composed of a number of rows of prismatic pieces of terra cotta or cement, the
dimensions of which vary according to circumstances, such rows being traversed
each by two or more wires and connected by means of small joists of wood. In
this manner a flexible covering is formed which is secured to the top of the bank
by the aid of wires fastened to trees or to piles expressly driven into the
ground.
The construction of this covering is effected from the barge or boat at the point
which is to be protected; when it has been constructed for a length of about one
metre it is put in the water and sunk, being held against the bank of the river or
stream to be protected; while the iron wires are always fixed against the barge or
boat the construction is continued by threading the prisms on to them so as to form
a row, connected at the same time with the small joists of wood, until the covering
is terminated, the latter being made of a width of from 2 to 3 metres and of a
height which extends from the bottom of the river or stream to the upper extremity
of the bank where the said wires are fixed to trees or piles.
A series of coverings arranged in the above described manner, and all united
together at the lower end by a wooden cross piece may cover a bank of any width
and length according to their natural arrangement without presenting any
projecting points to the water so as to protect the banks from any possible
erosion.
2000

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Protecting the Banks of Rivers and Streams
against Erosion.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent
Agent 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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:-
This invention relates to means for protecting the banks of rivers and streams
against the erosion caused by the water. The improved means are more practical
and ensure greater durability than those which have heretofore been employed,
such as for instance the jetties and gabions consisting of faggots or of wire filled
up with pebbles, systems which necessitate a great expense and which fulfil their
object only for a limited period, apart from the fact that the result in the case of
jetties is never certain.
The improved means comprise a resistant and flexible covering or shield sunk
into the bed of the river or stream and fixed against the bank so that it offers a
great resistance to the water; moreover the side exposed to the water constituting
a practically smooth surface facilitates the flow of the water and thus shields the
banks of the river or stream against erosive action.
This covering has usually a width of 2 or 3 metres and is of suitable length and
extends from the bed of the river or stream to the top of the bank.
In the accompanying drawing,
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a shield, and
Figure 2 a transverse section of one of the prismatic pieces.
The cover or shield is composed of a number of rows of prismatic pieces of terra
cotta or cement a a, the dimensions of which vary according to circumstances, the
said rows being traversed each by two or more wires b b and connected row by row
by means of small joists c c of wood. In this manner a flexible shield or covering is
formed which is secured to the top of the bank by means of wires fastened to trees.
or to piles or the like driven into the ground.
The laying of this covering or shield is effected from a barge or boat at the point
which is to be protected. When a length of about one metre has been made it is
put in the water and sunk, being held against the bank of the river or stream to be
protected. The wires being always fixed against the barge or boat the construction
is continued by threading the prisms on to the said wires so as to form a row, the
prisms being connected at the same time with the small joists of wood, until the
requisite length of covering is made, the covering or shield being made of a width
of 2 to 3 metres and of a height extending from the bed of the river or stream
to the top of the bank where the said wires bare fixed to trees, piles or
the like.
A series of coverings or shields arranged in the above described manner, may be
united together as in Figure 1 at the lower end by a wooden cross piece d thus
covering banks of any depth and length according to their natural contour without
presenting any projecting points to the water thus protecting the banks from any
possible erosion.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
A cover or shield for the banks of rivers and streams, characterized by a series
of terra-cotta or cement plates a connected with each other by means of wires b
the longitudinal layers of which, separated from each other by narrow strips of

page_text: wood c, are held together at the bottom of the river by a wooden bar d, while they
are fixed at the top of the bank by wires fastened to trees, piles or the like driven.
into the bank.
Dated this 3rd day of November 1893.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.