IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING THE ROADWAYS, PLATFORMS, OR FLOORS OF BRIDGES AND OTHER STRUCTURES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Preston White, of 12, Furnival's Inn,
Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING
THE ROADWAYS, PLATFORMS, OR FLOORS OF BRIDGES AND OTHER STRUCTURES."
Scaled the 25th May 1869, and dated the 8th December 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Preston White
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 8th December 1868.
I, GEORGE PRESTON WHITE, of 12, Furnival's Inn, Civil Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CONSTRUCTING THE ROADWAYS, PLATFORMS, OR FLOORS OF BRIDGES AND OTHER
STRUCTURES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in constructing the
roadways, platforms, or floors of bridges and other structures. In con-
structing the roadways or platforms of bridges I employ corrugated
wrought iron or steel plates, rivetted together to the required width,
laid with the corrugations extending across. the roadway or platform
from side to side. The corrugated plates are curved or arched upwards
to the contour of the roadway, and at either side of the roadway or

page_text: platform their edges are supported by angle irons which are tied together
by tie bars of T iron, or iron of other form, or transverse girders passing
from one angle iron to the other underneath the corrugated arch.
Longitudinal bearers or supports, which may advantageously be of
timber so as to avoid a too great rigidity, are introduced between the
arched plates and the ties. The roadway or platform is thus as it were
trussed, the upper member of the truss being the arch of corrugated
metal, and the lower the tie hars or transverse girders, and the longi-
tudinal bearers or supports sustain the arched plates at intervals inter-
mediate of the width of the span. The surface water will by this
arrangement flow readily off and keep the road metalling dry. By this
arrangement a maximum of strength will be obtained with a minimum
of materials; for suspension bridges, it is believed this form of roadway is
peculiarly applicable, as a rigid platform will be obtained, which is a
great desideratum in such structures.
Other platforms and floors may be similarly constructed, the corrn-
gated metal being arranged to form a stiff arch, on which the concrete
or other filling is directly supported.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Preston White, in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 8th June 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
PRESTON WHITE, of 12, Furnival's Inn, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said George Preston White, Her special
licence that I, the said George Preston White, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George Preston White,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agrec
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
usc, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain

page_text: and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING THE ROADWAYS, PLATFORMS, OR FLOORS OF
BRIDGES, AND OTHER STRUCTURES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said George Preston White, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inveu-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause tho
saune to be filed in the Great Seal Patout Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE,, that I, the said George Preston White, 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 thereof, that is to say:
This Invention has. for its object improvements in constructing the
roadways, platforms, or floors of bridges and other structures. In con-
structing the roadways or platforms of bridges I employ corrugated
wrought iron or steel plates, rivetted together to the required width,
laid with the corrugations extending across the roadway or platform
from side to side. The corrugated plates are curved or arched upwards
to the contour of the roadway which is laid directly upon them, and at
either side of the roadway or platform their edges are supported by
angle irons, which are tied together by tie bars of T iron, or iron of
other form, or transverse girders passing from one angle iron to the
other underneath the corrugated arch. Longitudinal bearers or supports,
which may advantageously be of timber so as to avoid a too great rigidity,
are introduced between the arched. plates and the ties. The roadway
or platform is thus as it were trussed, the upper member of the truss
being the arch of corrugated metal, and the lower the tie bars or trans-
verse girders, and the longitudinal bearers or supports sustain the arched
plates at intervals intermediate of the width of the span. The surface
waters will by this arrangement flow readily off and keep the road metalling
dry. By this arrangement a maximum of strength will be attained with
a minimum of materials; for suspension bridges, it is believed this form
of roadway is peculiarly practicable, as a rigid platform will be obtained,
which is a great desideratum in such structures.
Other platforms and floors may be similarly constructed, the corru-.
gated metal being arranged to form a stiff arch on which the concrete or
other filling is directly supported.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a transverse section of a bridge constructed according to
my Invention; a, a, are two side girders of the bridge, they are connected
together by transverse ties b, b, which may conveniently be angle or T
irons of sufficient stiffness. The angle irons a' which form the foot of the
girders a,a, also serve to support the arch of corrugated plates c, c, these
are stiff iron or steel with broad corrugations, as the Drawing shows;
they are rivetted together in the manner shown at Figure 2, which is
a plan of a portion of the bridge.
Figures 3 and 4 show parts of a transverse section drawn to a larger
scale. On either side of the arch a flat bar c' is rivetted to the corrugated
iron, which is a ready way of giving to the corrugated plates a fair
continuous bearing on the angle irous a. Holes or notches are formed
in the bar cat intervals so that the water which drains freely down
the corrugations to the sides of the arch may freely escape; d, d, are
longitudinal bearors of timber introduced between the ties and arch,
which are connected by bolts passing through the timber; e is the con-
crete, gravel, or road metal laid directly upon the corrugated metal arch
which is merely protected from oxidation by a thin coating of Portland
cement, asphalte, pitch, or other waterproof cement.
Figure 5 is a portion of a longitudinal section taken through one of
the blocks d. An isometrical view of the complete bridge is shewn at
Figure 5. In the same way platforms or floors of buildings may be con-
structed as is indicated in Figure 6, the concrete or cement of sufficient
thickness to form the floor being laid directly on the arch of corrugated
plates. Barracks in tropical countries may very conveniently be closed
in in this manner, the arch supporting a sufficient thickness of carth to
exclude the heat and form a platform useful for exercise and other
purposes. Figure 7 shows a similar arrangement, applied where railways
or subways pass under streets.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that what I
claim is, the constructing the roadways, platforms, or floors of bridges by
laying the concrete, gravel, or other similar road making material on an

page_text: arch of corrugated iron or steel plates laid with the corrugations extend-
ing across the roadway, platform, or floor, the sides of such arch being
supported on angle irons, tied together with transverse ties with which
also the arch is connected at points intermediate of the width of the
span, as described.
I also claim the constructing in a similar manner the roadways,
platforms, or floors of other structures.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Preston White, have hereunto
set my hand and scal, this Fourth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-ninc.