IMPROVEMENTS IN GIRDERS FOR RAILWAYS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Enoch Shufflebotham, of Acock's Green, in the
County of Worcester, Gun Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN GIRDERS FOR RAILWAYS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES."-A communication
from abroad by John King, of Lemberg, Galicia, Austria, Civil
Engineer.
Sealed the 6th June 1865, and dated the 30th December 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Enoch Shufflebotham at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
30th December 1864.
I, ENOCH SHUFFLEBOTHAM, of Acock's Green, in the County of Worcester,
Gun Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN GIRDERS FOR RAILWAYS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows :―
The said Invention relates to such girders for railways and for other
purposes as are composed of top and bottom members, and end stauncheons,
the said parts being connected together by diagonal struts and ties, the object
of the said Invention being to facilitate the putting together of the parts of
the girder, and to dispense with when desirable the use of rivets.
The said Invention consists, firstly, of the following manner of framing the
diagonals. Each of the diagonals acting as the struts consists of two bars,
whilst each of those acting as the ties consists of one bar, the said tie bars
passing between the two bars of the struts. The said ties and struts are

page_text: bolted together at their junctions by means of cast-iron patera plates on each
side, the said patera plates being cored out to fit on to the diagonals forming
the said ties and struts.
The said Invention consists, secondly, of the following manner of fixing the
ends of the diagonals to the top and bottom members of the girder. The
bottom ends of the diagonals are provided with a box or shoe bolted to the
bottom member of the girder. The bottom of this shoe or box is made either
of cast or wrought iron, and the sides of wrought-iron. plates bolted to the
said bottom. A space is left between the lower ends of the diagonals and the
bottom of the box or shoe, which space is filled in with iron cement, and
the said box or shoe bolted to the diagonals with bolts and nuts. The upper
ends of the diagonals are made to pass through a double-webbed girder of
cast or wrought iron, provided with cross webs and portable blocks, which
blocks are kept up close against the wrought-iron diagonals by introducing a
packing of cast-iron cement into the space provided, the diagonals and strut
bars being bolted to the double-webbed girder with one bolt and nut.
The said Invention consists, thirdly, of the following manner of making the
stauncheons at the extreme ends of the girder. These stauncheons are made
of wrought-iron plates, each stauncheon being composed of two nearly parallel
plates, and fitted up with one top distance piece, the said distance piece having
flanges for connecting the said piece to the upper member of the girder. At
mid height of the stauncheon a cast-iron distance piece is fitted in the said
piece, forming seats for the diagonal struts and tie bars, and at the bottom of
the stauncheon a cast-iron base plate provided with flanges is situated, to
which base plate the wrought-iron stauncheon plates are rivetted or bolted.
The said Invention consists, fourthly, of the following manner of fixing the
cross joists of the girder. The cross joists are passed through between the
diagonals, acting as the struts and tie bars, and are slung up to them by cast
or wrought-iron bearers resting on the said struts and tie bars. On these
bearers the joist takes its bearing, thereby causing the weight to pass through
the axis of the girder. When the girders are made in pairs they are con-
nected together by cast-iron distance tubes and bolts and nuts. By this
method of constructing girders the whole of the parts may be connected
together by screw bolts and nuts, which is a great convenience. in places
where rivetting cannot be conveniently effected.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Enoch Shufflebotham in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
26th June 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ENOCH
SHUFFLEBOTHAM, of Acock's Green, in the County of Worcester,. Gun Maker,.
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of December, in the year of our Lord"
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Enoch Shufflebotham, Her special licence that J,. the said. Enoch Shuffle-
botham, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Enoch Shufflebotham, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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
GIRDERS FOR RAILWAYS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES," a communication to me
from abroad by John King, of Lemberg, Galicia, Austria, Civil Engineer,
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Enoch Shufflebotham,
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 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 Enoch Shufflebotham, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :—
The said Invention relates to such girders for railways and for other
purposes as are composed of top and bottom members and end stauncheons,
the said parts being connected together by diagonal struts and ties, the object
of the said Invention being to facilitate the putting together of the parts of
the girder, and to dispense with when desirable the use of rivets.
The said Invention consists, firstly, of the following manner of framing the
diagonals. Each of the diagonals acting as the struts consists of two bars,

page_text: whilst each of those acting as the ties consists of one bar, the said tie bars
passing between the two bars of the struts. The said ties and struts are
bolted together at their junctions by means of a cast-iron plate on each side,
the said plates being cored out to fit on to the diagonals forming the
said struts.
The said Invention consists, secondly, of the following manner of fixing the
ends of the diagonals to the top and bottom members of the girder. The
top and bottom ends of the diagonals are provided with a box or shoe, one
end of this shoe is prepared with an abutment to receive the diagonal bars
acting as struts, and the other end is prepared with a mortice to receive the
end of the diagonal bar acting as the tie. A space is left between the ends
of the diagonals and the bottom of the box or shoe, which space is filled in with
iron cement, and the said box or shoe bolted to the diagonals with bolts
and nuts.
The said Invention consists, thirdly, of the following manner of making the
stauncheons at the extreme ends of the girder. These stauncheons are made
of wrought-iron plates, and fitted up with one top distance piece. The said
distance piece having flanges for connecting the said piece to the upper
member of the girder. At mid height of the stauncheon a cast-iron distance
piece is fitted in the said piece, forming seats for the diagonal struts and tie
bars, and the bottom ends of the stauncheon plates are bolted to a cast-
iron base.
The said Invention consists, fourthly, of the following manner of fixing the
cross joists of the girder. The cross joists are passed through between the
diagonals, having an iron bearer underneath sitting transversely on the tie
bars. This bearer is made with a raised part in the middle of its length, to
ensure the weight from the cross joists to pass through the axis of the girder.
When the girders are made in pairs they are coupled together by cast-iron
distance tubes, and bolts and nuts. By this method of constructing girders
the whole of the parts may be connected together by screw bolts and nuts,
which is a great convenience in places where rivetting cannot be conveniently
effected. Labour and materials in the construction of large bridges are
economized, and the transport of girders to distant parts is greatly facilitated ;
they can also be erected by any ordinary workman without crane power, and
can be made for less cost than bridge girders of the ordinary kind.
Having explained the nature of the said Invention, I will proceed to
describe with reference to the accompanying Drawing the manner in which
the same is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents an end elevation, Figure 2 a side elevation, and

page_text: Figure 3 a vertical transverse section of a double girder constructed according
to the said Invention; Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7, represent portions of the same,
as herein-after described.
a, b, are the top and bottom members of the girder respectively; c is one
of the end stauncheons. Those of the diagonals which act as struts are
marked d, each of the said struts consisting of two bars, that is, of four in the
double girder, all of which are marked d. Those of the diagonals which act
as ties are marked e, and consist of a single bar situated between the two
struts constituting a pair, as seen on a large scale in Figures 4, 5, and 6;
ff, are cast-iron plates, by which the ties and struts are bolted together at
their crossing by means of screw bolts and nuts. Each of the said plates is
cored out to fit on the diagonals, as best seen in Figures 1 and 3. When the
girders are made in pairs, as represented in Figures 1, 2, and 3, cast-iron
distance tubes g are fixed between them. When single girders are made, the
plates fonly are required on each side the crossing.
Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7, represent one of the shoes in which the top and
bottom ends of the diagonals d, e, are fixed to the top and bottom members
a, b, of the girder. Figures 4 and 6 are end elevations of the said shoe;
Figure 5 is a sectional elevation, and Figure 7 is a plan of the same. The
elevations, Figures 4 and 6, are taken on the sides of Figure 5, on which
they are respectively situated. The bottom of the shoe or box may be made
of cast iron, and the sides of wrought iron, or the shoe may be made wholly
of cast iron, and in one piece, as represented. The manner in which the
struts and ties engage with and are bolted to the shoe will be understood by
an examination of Figures 4, 5, and 6. The space between the ends of the
bars and shoe is filled up with cast-iron cement, indicated by chequered lines
in the Drawing. Similar shoes are employed for securing the ends of the
diagonals at mid height of the stauncheons at the ends of the girder, that is,
at the points indicated at h, in Figures 1 and 2. The stauncheons are each
made of two wrought-iron plates c, c, with flanges at top for connecting them
with the upper member a of the girder, and cast-iron distance plates i are
fixed between them at their top and middle. The middle distance plate
contains one of the shoes herein-before described for receiving the ends of
the diagonal bars. The plates c, c², are bolted at their bottom ends to a cast-
iron base plate k.
The manner of fixing the cross joists is represented in Figures 2 and 3.
The said joists pass between the diagonals d, e, and are supported on iron
bearers m, which latter sit immediately on the angle formed by the diagonals,
as best seen in Figure 2. The bearers m have a raised part n formed in the

page_text: middle, to ensure the weight of the cross joists being equally divided between
the pair of girders.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not
limit myself to the precise details herein described, as the same may be varied
without departing from the nature of the said Invention; but I claim as the said
Invention of improvements in girders for railways and for other purposes,―
Firstly, the construction and arrangement or combination of the parts
described and represented in the accompanying Drawing for framing the
diagonals of girders.
Secondly, the construction and arrangement or combination of the parts
described and represented in the accompanying Drawing, for fixing the ends
of the diagonals to the top and bottom members and the end stauncheons of
the girder.
Thirdly, the construction and arrangement or combination of the parts
described and represented in the accompanying Drawing of the end staun-
cheons of the girder.
Lastly, the arrangement or combination of the parts described and repre-
sented in the accompanying Drawing for fixing the cross joists of the girder.
In witness whereof, I, the said Enoch Shufflebotham, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
ENOCH SHUFFLEBOTHAM. (L.S.)