IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF DRIDGED, ABVALS, AND INVOED.
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Kochs, of 2, Dartmouth Street, Great
Queen Street, Westminster, Civil Engineer, Theodor Reuter, of the
same Place, Civil Engineer, and Olaus Henrici, Ph. D., of 40, Aylesford
Street, Grosvenor Road, County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF DRIDGED, ABVALS, AND INVOED.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Kochs, Theodor
Reuter, and Olaus Henrici at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 29th March 1866.
We, EDWARD KOCHS, of 2, Dartmouth Street, Great Queen Street,
Westminster, Civil Engineer, THEODOR REUTEB, of the same Place, Civil
Engineer, and OLAUS HENRICI, Ph. D., of 40, Aylesford Street, Grosvenor
Road, County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BRIDGES, ARCHES, AND Roors," to be
as follows:-
This Invention consists in building bridges, arches, and roofs as skeleton
structures. The characteristic and novelty of the said skeleton structures

page_text: are specified in the following two points :-Firstly, skeleton structures are
composed of single members, bars or rods of suitablo section and suitable
material, which only meet at their extremities, where they are connected by
a single round bolt; continuous beams are therefore never used in skeleton
structures, because these, as the accompanying Drawings plainly show, are
all composed of independent members only, similar to a flat link chain
sometimes employed in constructing suspension bridges; secondly, the single
members are so arranged that the whole structure is one rigid body, in which
the position of each connecting point of the members amongst the others is
unchangeably fixed. Thus a triangle composed of three single bars connected
at their extremities by three round bolts is completely rigid, while a quadrangle
likewise composed of bars is not rigid without introducing one diagonal.
The purpose contemplated by the above adjustment is to dispenso with
superfluous rods or members, and so arrange the material throughout the
structure that the most favourable conditions for bearing a maximum strain
with least weight of material, and for distributing the various strains per inch
most uniformly, may be arrived at, and which is demonstrated to be the caso
by the accompanying Drawings. The advantages obtained by this Invention
are,-
Firstly, the most favourable use of material throughout the structure, by
which economy and lightness are secured.
• Secondly, these structures can be erected on a larger scale than others.
Thirdly, these structures require less labour in making, in packing, in
transport, and in erection or re-erection. Bridges as shown in Tablo I.
and II. can be erected from the piers without scaffolding by adding bar by
bar.
Fourthly, these structures will admit better adaptation for the employment
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Kochs, Theodor Reuter, and Olaus Henrici in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 29th September 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, EDWARD
KOCHS, of 2, Dartmouth Street, Great Queen Street, Westminster, Civil
Engineer, THEODOR REUTER, of the same Place, Civil Engineer, and OLAUS
HENRICI, Ph. D., of 40, Aylesford Street, Grosvenor Road, County of
Middlesex, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said Edward Kochs, Theodor Reuter, and Olaus Henrici, Her special
licence, that we, the said Edward Kochs, Theodor Reuter, and Olaus Henrici,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Edward
Kochs, Theodor Reuter, and Olaus Henrici, our 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 BRIDGES, ARCHES, AND
Roors,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Edward Kochs,
Theodor Reuter, and Olaus Henrici, our executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under our, or one of our, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain 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 Offico within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Theodor Reuter, on behalf of myself
and the said Edward Kochs and Olaus Henrici, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,.
and to the figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention consists in building bridges, arches, and roofs as skeleton
structures. The characteristic and novelty of the said skeleton structures are
specified in the following two points-Firstly, skeleton structures according
to our improvements are composed of independent bars or members of such
material and of such section as are suitable to resist the force acting on them,
they meet only at their extremities, where they, whether in tension or com-
pression, are connected by a single bolt. Continuous members are therefore
never used in these skeleton structures, they are all at the connecting points
jointed by one bolt. Secondly, the single members are so arranged that the
whole structure becomes one rigid body in which the position of each
connecting point of the various members is unchangeably fixed... Thus a
triangle composed of three single bars connected at their extremities by three

page_text: bolts is completely rigid, whilst a quadrangle composed of bars similarly
connected at their extremities is not rigid, but will be so by introducing one
diagonal bar. A girder formed entirely of independent members arranged
according to our improvements is likewise completely rigid, The materia
employed in these structures may be wrought iron, cast iron, steel, or wood
The parts in tension if made of steel or iron may be composed of flat o
round bars, hoop iron, wires, or chains. The parts in compression if not
cast may be composed of rolled or flat bars stiffened by angle or T iron, or
the flat bars may be braced together in usual ways, The purpose con
tem Inted in this system is to arrange the material throughout the structure
so that the most favourable condition for bearing a maximum strain with the
least weight of material may be arrived at. This is the object sought in these
structures because we find that by the mode of connection no bar is exposed
to a bending force, but only to tension or compression in the direction of its
longitudinal axis, which is the most favourable condition possible. By simple
calculation the different strains or forces acting in the various members may
be fixed with the utmost exactness, and sections chosen of such members
adapted to the greatest strain of the different loads occurring in any of such
members, and the structure obtained will possess in all its parts equal
strength.
In order to prevent bending of the parts in the main girder all cross
girders rest on or are suspended from the bolts of the connecting points, like
wise the main girders rest at the main supports on the connecting bolts.
The advantages obtained by this Invention,―
Firstly, the most favorable use of material throughout the structure, by
which economy and lightness are secured with the capability of erecting
structures on a scale of greater magnitude,
Secondly, these structures require less labour in making, and are readily
packed, transported, and erected; all the parts can be finished and the
whole work completely put together at the factory, no rivetting being
cessary in such erection; afterwards the whole structure can be disjointed
into proportionally small parts suitable for any mode of transport, and may be
readily re-erected without the necessity of skilful labour as all parts are com-
plete in themselves. Bridges according to the arrangements shown by
Figs. 8 to 7 may be erected from the piers without scaffolding by simply
adding bar to bar progressively.
Thirdly, these structures are better adapted for the employment of steel
than other systems.

page_text: facility for security and strength to such points, whilst in other systems the
connecting points are generally the weakest parts.
But that the Invention may be better understood we will by the aid of
the accompanying Drawings proceed to describe means pursued by us in
carrying the
same into effect.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows an elevation of a beam bridge about 100 feet span arranged
according to our Invention; Figure 2 illustrates a bow-string girder of about
90 feet span. In both of these bridges the top or compression members are
composed of seven links or bars, and the bottom member of six links or bars.
Figure 3 represents a suspended bridge of about 200 feet span, and Figure 4
a trussed one of the same span, the top and bottom members in both bridges
are here composed of 16 links or bars; Figure 5 shows a swing bridge of
about 150 feet span, consisting of 14 links or bars in top and bottom.
members; Figures 6 and 7 represent a suspended and trussed bridge of about
400 feet span, each similar to Figures 3 and 4, but the longitudinal members
A, B, are here curvilinear, and consist each of 30 links or bars. The girders
in the structures, indicated by Figure 3 to 7, are fixed in two points C, C, at
each end, and may therefore, as already mentioned before, be erected without
the necessity of employing scaffolding. Figure 8 represents an arch or
principal for a dome roofing of about 90 feet span, composed in its upper
line D of 11 links and bars, and in its bottom line E of 10 links or bars.
Figure 9 shows another form of roof of about 120 feet span, and it consists
of 8 links or bars in its top line D, and 7 in its bottom line E. Figure 10
shows a perspective view of a connecting point for adjoining ends of bars;;
a, b, of a bottom member is a suspended bridge, and showing also a cross
girder 9 suspended by a strap f from the bolt e. Figure 11 shows a corre-
sponding connecting point of top members of a trussed bridge, where the cross
girder g is supported by a bracket f¹ from the bolt e. Figures 12, 13, 14,
and 15 show front elevation, side elevation, and top view of the various parts
connected together as the connecting points F, G, H, and I, of a girder of
tho character of those indicated by Figures 1 and 2. In these Figures a, b,
and a, b, represent parts of the top or bottom longitudinal members; e, d,
and e, d, represent parts of the inclined or angular members. These
members or bars are all connected by a bolt e, and they are kept together
by the washers h, i, and tho small screw bolts k, l; the bars m show one

page_text: method of bracing the struts together. Figure 12 shows a connecting point
in the series of the top members. A distance or separating piece n is used
for keeping the bars to a corresponding distance with the corresponding parts
of the bottom members. Figures 13 and 14 show connecting points of the
bottom members with the fixtures of the cross girders 9; each cross girder g
is suspended by a strap f from a bolt e, and it is jointed to the strap by a
single bolt at each end of the cross girder. If the centre of the bolt o is
in the neutral axis of the cross girder, and the neutral axis forms a right
line, the points of suspension of the cross girder will not move, although the
cross girder might be bent by a load placed on it, and therefore the strap f
will not be exposed to a horizontal force. This mode of suspension it will be
desirablo to adopt in using skeleton cross girders, such as shown by Figuro 13,
but the advantage is the same in using plate or other cross girders, such as
shown by Figure 14. Figure 14 gives a connecting point of a bottom
member at one end of a girder, similar to that shown by Figure 1 or 2. It
also shows how one end of such a bridge may be made moveable by a
pendulum p, which readily admits of small and sudden movements, and it
shows how a suspended cross girder g may be suspended in the space required
for the action of such a pendulum, whereby a double advantage is gained.
These pendulums may rest freely in planed grooves 9, or they may have a
guider, or they may be jointed at their bottom ends, the same as at their top
ends e, or they may be suspended, as shown in Figure 15, which illustrates a
connecting point of two girders a, b. The bolte is here suspended by a strap 8
from the upper bolt t, which rests in two cast-iron brackets u bolted to the top
of the pier. Figure 16 represents a skeleton cross girder for a single line railway
bridge, and it is arranged so that the points of suspension may not move when
the cross girder is loaded, as mentioned before. The brackets v for supporting
the longitudinal connection or rails x rest on the same bolt y, which connects
the bars. Figure 17 represents a skeleton cross girder for a three-line
railway bridge where the rails with the whole roadway are likewise resting on
brackets w, supported by the bolts of the connecting points.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention of improvements in the
construction of bridges, arches, and roofs, and means which we adopt in
carrying the same into effect, we wish it to be understood that what we
'claim is,
Firstly, the adaptation or combination of parts whereby bridges, arches,
and roofs may be obtained (as skeleton structures) connected together in
manner substantially as shown and described.

page_text: And, secondly, we claim the methods of connecting and supporting parts of
bridges, arches, and roofs, substantially as shown and described in respect of
Figures 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15.
In witness whereof, I, the said Theodor Reuter, on behalf of myself
and of the said Edward Kochs and Olaus Henrici, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
THEOD. REUTER. (L.s.)