IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF ERECTING AND SINKING CYLINDERS FOR PIERS AND FOUNDATIONS, AND IN PONTOONS EMPLOYED FOR THAT PURPOSE
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Robert Austin, of Messrs. De Berguc
& Co., of No. 10, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, for the In-
vention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF ERECTING AND SINKING
CYLINDERS FOR PIERS AND FOUNDATIONS, AND IN PONTOONS EMPLOYED FOR
THAT PURPOSE."
Sealed the 7th October 1871, and dated the 15th April 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Robert Austin
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 15th April 1871.
I, EDWARD ROBERT AUSTIN, of Messrs. De Bergue & Co., of No. 10,
Strand, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF ERECTING AND SINKING
CYLINDERS FOR PIERS AND FOUNDATIONS, AND IN PONTOONS EMPLOYED FOR THAT
PURPOSE," to be as follows:-
My Invention has for its object to facilitate the sinking of metal
cylinders for piers and foundations in waters in which the ordinary

page_text: mode of sinking such cylinders cannot be readily employed. For this
purpose when the cylinders are to be erected in tidal waters I build
up the cylinders in their vertical position upon the shore between
high and low water marks, and I then float them out to their permanent
position by means of pontoons, to which they are suspended by screws
or other suitable known mechanical means for raising the cylinders
from the shore, and then lowering them down to their permanent
position in the bed of the river or other water. Such pontoons I prefer
to construct with two projections or horns, or with a wide open groove,
so that when the cylinder has been built up the pontoon can be
floated against it in such manner that the cylinder shall fit in between
the projections or into the groove, and I then place a girder or bearer
across the groove in front of the cylinder, from which girder, as also
from other girders situated on the sides and end of the groove, the
cylinder is then suspended by lowering screws or chains as described.
Before floating the cylinders out to their position I also propose to
build up concrete, brickwork, or other suitable material in the interior
thereof, in such manner as to leave a free working space at the bottom
of the cylinder, and also an open vertical shaft through the concrete for
gaining access to the bottom space for the purpose of excavating the
bed or bottom when the cylinder is sunk in its place, such excavating
being effected in any suitable known manner by means of dredgers,
pumps, pneumatic apparatus of known construction, or any other
suitable known appliances. The concrete or other material built up
in the cylinders serves as the weight for sinking them as the excavation
proceeds. When the cylinder has been sunk to the required depth
for insuring a secure foundation the before-mentioned interior bottom
chamber is filled in with concrete or other suitable material, as is also
the vertical shaft if necessary. In cases where the cylinders have to
be sunk in non-tidal waters I crcct them on pontoons moored imme-
diately over the positions in which the cylinders are to be sunk, and as
the erection proceeds the cylinders are sunk by lowering tackle. If
desired, the concrete or other material is also at the same time built
up inside the cylinders as before described.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edward Robert Austin in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 13th October 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
ROBERT AUSTIN, of Messrs. De Bergue & Co., of No. 10, Strand, in the
County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
thirty-fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Edward Robert Austin, Her
special licence that I, the said Edward Robert Austin, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward Robert
Austin, 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 THE MODE OF ERECTING AND SINKING CYLINDERS FOR
PIERS AND FOUNDATIONS, AND IN PONTOONS EMPLOYED FOR THAT PURPOSE," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Edward Robert Austin,
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 Edward Robert Austin, 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, reference being had to the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings and to the Figures and letters marked
thereon, that is to say :-
My Invention has for its object to facilitate the sinking of metal
and foundations in waters in which the ordinary mode

page_text: of sinking such cylinders cannot be readily employed. For this purpose
when the cylinders are to be erected in tidal waters I build up the
cylinders in their vertical position upon the shore between high and
low water marks, and I then float them out to their permanent position
by means of pontoons, to which they are suspended by screws or other
suitable known mechanical means for raising the cylinders from the
shore, and then lowering them down to their permanent position in the
bed of the river or other water. Such pontoons may be constructed
with two projections or horns, or with a wide open groove; or I employ
twin pontoons, secured together with a wide space between them, so
that when the cylinder has been built up the pontoon or twin pontoons
can be floated against it in such manner that the cylinder shall fit in
between the projections, or into the groove or space, and I then place
a girder or bearer across the groove or space in front of the cylinder,
from which girder, as also from other girders situated on the sides and
end of the groove or space, the cylinder is then suspended by lowering
screws or chains, as described. Before floating the cylinders out to
their position they are built up with concrete, brickwork, or other
suitable material in the interior thereof, in such manner as to leave a
free working space at the bottom of the cylinder, and also an open
vertical shaft through the concrete for gaining access to the bottom
space, for the purpose of excavating the bed or bottom when tho
cylinder is sunk in its place, such excavating being effected in any
suitable known manner by means of dredgers, pumps, pneumatic
apparatus of known construction, or any other suitable known appli-
ances. The concrete or other material built up in the cylinders serves
as the weight for sinking them as the excavation proceeds. When the
cylinder has been sunk to the required depth for insuring a secure
foundation, the before-mentioned interior bottom chamber is filled in
with concrete or other suitable material, as is also the vertical shaft
if necessary. In cases where the cylinders have to be sunk in non-tidal
waters I crect them on pontoons moored immediately over the positions
in which the cylinders are to be sunk, and as the erection proceeds the
cylinders are sunk by lowering tackle. Or if at the place where the
cylinders are to be sunk the water is liable to become disturbed, I moor
the pontoons in the first instance to a creek where the water is quiet,
and then after having erected the cylinder thereon I bring the pontoons
to the place where the cylinder is to be sunk. If desired the concrete

page_text: or other material is also at the same time built up inside the cylinders,
as before described.
On the accompanying Sheet of Drawings is shewn the arrangement of
apparatus which I prefer to employ for carrying my before-described
Invention into practice.
Figure 1 shews a side elevation, partly in section, of the pontoons
with the cylinder suspended therefrom; Figure 2 shews a plan of the
same; and Figure 3 shews a section of the lower end of the cylinder.
The cylinder A is of usual construction filled in with brickwork or
concrete B, so as to leave an open space C at bottom for working a
vertical shaft D, being also left through the brickwork for gaining
access to the space C. E, E, are twin pontoons, secured together so as
to leave a space F between them by means of ties G, G, at each end,
and by strong girders or bearers H, H, in the middle, which girders, in
conjunction with the cross girders I, I, serve to support the cylinder A.
The cylinder having been built up on the shore, as before described, the
twin pontoons are floated to the cylinder so as to cause this to enter the
space F, the one tie G and girder H having previously been removed so
as to allow the cylinder A to occupy the position indicated. The said
girder and tic are then again fixed in position, and the cylinder is raised
from its bed by means of the raising and lowering tackle. This consists
by preference of four small hydraulic cylinders K, K, fixed on the girders
Hand I, the plungers K' of which have cross heads K³, having eyes or
holes at the ends, as shewn, by which the plungers are connected to
double links L, L. These links are secured by removeable pins L' in the
cross piece L³ to straps M fixed to the lower end of the cylinder; they
have holes L³ at certain distances apart (rather less than the stroke of
the plungers K), and are secured to the cross heads by means of pins N
passing through the holes of both parts. The hydraulic cylinders K are
all connected to a hydraulic force pump O on the one pontoon by means
of a pipe P. The cylinder A having been connected to the plungers K',
as described, these are forced up by the action of the pump so as to raise
the cylinder from its temporary bed, after which the pontoons, with the
cylinder suspended thereto as shewn, are floated to the place where the
cylinder requires to be sunk. For effecting the operation of sinking
pins are in the first place inserted into the holes I in the links L,
which for the time being are situated next above the tops of the girders,

page_text: after which the plungers K'are allowed to descend together with the
cylinder A by opening the escape valves P' on the pipe P. When the
plungers have descended to the bottom of their stroke the before-
mentioned pins in the holes I will have taken a bearing upon the
beds Q fixed on the girders, and will thus support the cylinder A in that
position; the pins N securing the links L to the cross heads K³ arc
then removed, and the plungers are raised by the pump to the holes
next above in the links, to which they are again secured by the pins N;
the plungers are then slightly raised so as to allow the pins resting on
the beds to be removed and inserted in the holes next above, after
which the plungers are allowed to descend as before, and the above-
described operation is repeated until the cylinder A has been sunk down
on to its permanent bed, after which the links L are detached from the
cylinder by removing the pins L' which secure them to the straps M.
When the cylinders have to be sunk in non-tidal waters the lower
part thereof is suspended in the manner described between the pontoons,
after which the upper part of the cylinder is built up, and the cylinder
is then sunk on to its bed, as described.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that
I do not limit myself to the form of pontoons and of the liſting and
lowering tackle shown on the accompanying Drawing, as these may be
variously modified without departing from the nature of my Invention;
but what I claim as the Invention secured to me under the herein-before
in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The method of conveying cylinders for piers and foundations
from the shore were they are erected to the place where they are to be
sunk, and then sinking them by means of pontoons and raising and
lowering tackle arranged and operating substantially as herein-before
described.
Second. Suspending cylinders for piers or foundations by raising and
lowering tackle. in a groove or space in or between pontoons, substan-
tially as and for the purposes herein-before described.
Third. Constructing pontoons for conveying and lowering cylinders for
piers or foundations with a space or groove for the reception of the
cylinder, and with girders or supports for the said cylindor, arranged
substantially as herein-before described.

page_text: Fourth. The combination with the aforesaid pontoons of apparatus for
suspending, raising, and lowering cylinders for piers and foundations,
substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Robert Austin, have here-
unto set my hand and scal, this Seventh day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
EDW. R. AUSTIN. (L.S.)