IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO SUBAQUEOUS STRUCTURES APPLICABLE FOR BREAKWATERS, PIERS, DOCK OR QUAY WALLS, AND THE LIKE
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Lake and Thomas Walmsley Taylor, both of
Queen Street, Cheapside, Engineers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
AND RELATING TO SUBAQUEOUS STRUCTURES APPLICABLE FOR BREAKWATERS,
PIERS, DOCK OR QUAY WALLS, AND THE LIKE."
Sealed the 17th February 1880, and dated the 18th August 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Lake and Thomas
Walmsley Taylor, at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th
August 1879.
- "
SAMUEL LAKE and THOMAS WALMSLEY TAYLOR, both of Queen Street,
Cheapside, Engineers. IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO SUBAQUEOUS
STRUCTURES APPLICABLE FOR BREAKWATERS, PIERS, DOCK AND QUAY WALLS,
AND THE LIKE."
Our said Invention relates to a novel mode of constructing the foundations and
walls of breakwaters, harbours, piers, docks and quays and similar structures, and
is designed to afford the means for carrying on such work in a more expeditious
and less costly manner than has heretofore been practicable.
The said Invention comprises an improved manner of building foundations and
walls for docks, quays, or other structures in deep water without the aid of the
ordinary coffer dams. It also comprises improved means for building such
foundations and other work in tidal waters.
For working in deep water we employ caissons constructed of iron and of oval,
oblong, or other convenient sectional form, and submerge the same at a convenient
and suitable distance apart. After pumping the water from these caissons we
erect within them piers or pillars of concrete or other masonry. After removing
the caissons from these piers we build the wall up between them by the aid of iron
plates, which are of suitable length to extend along the space between two adjacent
piers and overlap the same. These plates are placed at the sides of the said piers
and bolted or otherwise secured to the same in such a manner that they enclose
and keep water tight the space in which the wall between the said piers is to be
built. This space is then pumped dry, and the wall is built therein up to the sides
of the two piers, grooves being formed in these sides to allow the wall 'to be securely

page_text: worked into the same. When this length or section of the wall is finished, the said
plates are removed and placed in like manner to enclose the space between the next
adjacent or any other of the piers, and another length or section of the wall is
built, this operation being continued until the whole of the work is completed.
It will be obvious that our Invention affords the means for 'the building of
subaqueous structures much more rapidly and conveniently than heretofore, and by
dispensing with the ordinary coffer dams we are enabled to greatly diminish the
cost of such works.
In the construction of foundations and walls in tidal waters, we drive piles in
any convenient manner into the bed or bottom, and between these piles we build
piers of slabs or blocks of concrete or other suitable material placed one above the
other. These slabs are secured together by dowels which preferably extend half
through each slab or block. These slabs or blocks have a central open space to
permit excavators to work therein, and is designed to be filled afterwards with any
suitable material which will assist in securing the said blocks together, and
will render.the structure of the pier homogeneous and equal or nearly equal in
strength to a monolith of the same dimensions. When these piers are completed,
we employ iron plates as above described to enclose the space in which the wall is
to be erected between the said piers.
The slabs or blocks are preferably so formed that the sides of the piers which are
to meet the walls, have on them projections and depressions which permit the
material of the wall to bind securely with the sides of the said piers, and form a
united and continuous structure.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Samuel Lake and Thomas Walmsley Taylor in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 18th February 1880.
"
SAMUEL LAKE and THOMAS WALMSLEY TAYLOR, both of Queen Street, Cheapside,
Engineers. IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO SUBAQUEOUS STRUCTURES
APPLICABLE FOR BREAKWATERS, PIERS, DOCK AND QUAY WALLS, AND THE LIKE."
Our said Invention relates to a novel mode of constructing the foundations and
walls of breakwaters, harbours, piers, docks and quays, and similar structures, and
is designed to afford the means for carrying on such work in a more expeditious
and less costly manner than has heretofore been practicable.
The said Invention comprises an improved manner of building foundations and
walls for docks, quays, or other structures in deep water, without the aid of the
ordinary coffer -dams. It also comprises improved means for building such
foundations and other work in tidal waters.
For working in deep water we employ caissons constructed of iron or other
suitable material, and of circular, -oblong, or other convenient sectional form,
and submerge the same at a convenient and suitable distance apart. After pumping
.

page_text: Cacavating for foundations, we erect with them.
piers or pillars of concrete or other masonry. After removing the caissons from
these piers, we build the wall up between them by the aid of iron or,other plates,
which are of suitable length to extend along the space between two adjacent piers,
and overlap the same. Our method of working in deep water is illustrated in
Figures 1 to 7 of the accompanying Drawings..
A, A, are the caissons which may be either circular in horizontal section as shewn,
or square, oval, or any other sectional form that may be found most convenient for
the structure to be built thereby.
We prefer the circular form for the reason that this form requires no cross stays
or struts which have to be used with other forms of caissons to resist the external
pressure of the water on the same.
The said caissons must be of suitable dimensions to permit the work of erecting
the piers to be properly carried on within them.
B, B, are the piers or pillars of stone or other material built within the said
caissons.
C, C, are the aforesaid plates. These plates are placed at the sides of the said
piers, and bolted or otherwise secured to the same in such a manner that they
enclose and keep water tight the space in which the wall between the said piers is
to be built. In Figure 7, we have shewn a mode of making tight joints between
the said plates and the sides of the piers by means of vertical timbers D, and iron
rods E, arranged as shewn. But we may use any other suitable means for ensuring
the same result. After the space between the said piers is enclosed by the plates C,
this space is pumped dry and the wall is built, therein to the sides of the said piers
B, grooves or projections being formed in these sides to allow the wall to be securely
worked into the same. When this length.or section of the wall is finished, the said
plates are removed and placed in like manner to enclose the space between the next
adjacent or any other of the piers, and another length or section of the wall is
built; this operation being continued until the whole of the work is completed. In
Figure 1 the plates C are removed from a portion of the structure to shew the wall
F that has been built within them. The lower wrought iron ring A¹ may be left
in its place when the work is finished.
It will be obvious that our Invention affords the means for the building of
subaqueous structures much more rapidly and conveniently than heretofore, and by
dispensing with the ordinary coffer dams we are enabled to greatly diminish the
cost of such works.
In the construction of foundations and walls in tidal waters, we drive piles if
necessary in any convenient manner into the bed or bottom, and between these
piles we build piers or slabs or blocks of concrete or other suitable material placed
one above the other and united as hereinafter specified. This part of our Invention
is illustrated in Figures 8 to 13 of the Drawings.
B, B, are, the piers; B'. B¹, are the slabs or blocks of which the same are built;
F is the wall between the piers. In constructing the piers B according to this part
of our Invention, no caissons are required to enclose and protect the work, but the
piers themselves serve as caissons within which the excavators can work.
After the piles are properly driven, the foundations of the said piers are
constructed of the slabs or blocks, and the piers are built by placing slabs B¹ one
upon the other as shewn in Figures 8, 9, and 10; the said slabs are secured together.
by dowels G which preferably extend half through each slab or block. The said
slabs or blocks have a central open space to permit excavators to work therein,
which space is designed to be filled with concrete or other suitable material which
will assist in securing the said blocks together and will make them water tight.
B*, B*, represent iron shoes which may be employed if necessary. This mode of
building will render the structure of the pier homogeneous' and equal or nearly
equal in strength to a monolith of the saine dimensions and consisting of the stone
ordinarily used for these purposes. When these piers B are completed, we employ
the iron or other plates as above described to enclose the space in which the wall F

page_text: is to be erected between the said piers as shewn in Figure 9; and by the
aid of these plates the wall is constructed piece by piece between the piers until the
the work is finished as above described. F* represents an iron frame and timber
strutting employed in the construction of this part of the wall and which is removed
when the work is finished.
.
The slabs or blocks B¹ are preferably formed externally as shewn in Figure 9, to
give them the necessary strength at the sides so that they will permit the concrete
or other filling to be tightly rammed or packed therein, and to permit the material
of the wall to bind securely with the sides of the said piers and form a united and
continuous structure throughout the entire extent of the work.
We are aware that slabs or blocks with interior open spaces have been already
used in various kinds of masonry, but they bave been placed loosely one upon the
other and left in this condition. But by dowelling the said slabs together and
filling their interior spaces with cement as above described, it is obvious that we
obtain a superior and totally different result with regard to the strength and
durability of the structure.
.
Having thus fully described our said Invention and the manner of performing
the same, we wish it understood that we claim,-
First. The novel method of constructing subaqueous masonry without the aid of
coffer dams by first erecting piers or pillars by means of suitable caissons, then
securing plates with water tight joints to the sides of the said piers, and removing
the water from the space enclosed by the said plates and then building the wall to
meet the piers within the said enclosed space substantially as specified.
Second. The devices for making water tight joints between the sides of the piers
and the plates which are used to enclose the space wherein the wall is built between
the said piers substantially as set forth, and as shewn in Figure 7 of the Drawings.
Third. The method of constructing piers or pillars for subaqueous structures by
building them of the slabs or blocks placed one upon the other, dowelling, them
together and filling the central spaces thereof with concrete or other suitable
material to render the said piers water tight and homogeneous throughout their
structure, substantially as set forth.
Fourth. A subaqueous structure or a structure built in tidal or other water, and
consisting of the piers constructed as shewn in Figure 10 of the Drawings, and the
intermediate portions of the wall built up to and united with the said piers,
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, we, the said Samuel Lake and Thomas Walmsley
Taylor, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Sixteenth day of
February, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
SAMUEL LAKE.
(L.S.)
THO³. WALMSLEY TAYLOR. (L.S.)