Improvements in Bearings
Year: 1899

page_text: I, ALFRED WESTWOOD, of S, Horseley Heath, Tipton, in the County of Stafford,
Foreman, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be as follows:-
My invention has for its object improvements in bearings for girders, beams,
trusses and the like which allow such girders, beams, trusses and the like con-
structions to expand and contract with very great freedom without bringing
undue strain upon the abutments walls or other structures upon which the
ends rest.
My improved bearings consist of three portions or parts to form a set sufficient
for one end of a girder beam or the like viz: First: the bearing plate which
rests upon the abutment or wall which is constructed with a sufficiently large
base surface to distribute the necessary pressure over a sufficiently large surface
of the wall whether stone brick work or other material. Upon the centre of
the plate a transverse circular trough is formed which in depth forms about a
semi circle; the edges of this trough are supported by plates or ribs running
down to the base plate to stiffen it. Second: is an intermediate piece or crescent
shaped bearing block which is turned to accurately fit the semicircular trough
but of more than a semi circle so that its edges rise above.the edges of the trough.
Then the upper side of this intermediate piece is troughed
curve
than
less
a
to al
concentric
is the top plate
semi circle. Third:
or the like the
for fixing to the under side of the girder, truss
a transverse swell
underside of which plate has
or enlargement which
is curved to accurately fit into the trough of the intermediate piece and is also
capable of moving therein. When expansion or contraction takes place in the
girder beam truss or the like resting upon these bearings the intermediate or
crescent shaped bearing block or piece is caused to slide in the lower plate trough
in the contrary direction of the movement of the upper plate with an easy sliding
motion so that the girder beam or the like moves with perfect freedom without
bringing undue strain upon the abutments.
1000
Improvements in Bearings for Giruers, beams, frustra
I, ALFRED WESTWOOD, of 8, Horseley Heath, Tipton, in the County of Stafford,
Foreman, do hereby declare the nature of my said-invention and in what manner
Price 81

page_text: the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
My invention has for its object improvements in bearings for girders, beams,
trusses and the like which allow such girders beams trusses and the like con-
struction to expand and contract with very great freedom without
undue strain upon the abutments walls or other structures upon which the
ends rest.
My improved bearings consist of three portions or parts to form a set sufficient
for one end of a girder beam or the like viz: First: the bearing plate which
rests upon the abutment or wall which is constructed with a sufficiently large
base surface to distribute the necessary pressure over a sufficiently large surface
of the wall whether stone, brickwork, or other material. Upon the centre of
the plate a transverse circular trough is formed which in depth forms about a
semicircle, the edges of this trough are supported by plates or ribs running
down to the base plate to stiffen it. Second:-is an intermediate piece or crescent
shaped bearing block which is turned to accurately fit the semi-circular trough
but of more than a semi circle so that its edges rise above the edges of the
trough. Then upper side of this intermediate piece is troughed to a
concentric curve less than a semi circle. Third: is the top plate
for fixing to the under side of the girder, truss or the like the
-underside-of-which-plate has a transverse swell or enlargement which
is curved to accurately fit into the trough of the intermediate piece and is also-
capable of moving therein. When expansion or contraction takes place in the
girder beam truss or the like resting upon these bearings the intermediate or
crescent shaped bearing block or piece is caused to slide in the lower plate trough
in the contrary direction of the movement of the upper-plate-with-an easy sliding
motion so that the girder beam or the like moves with perfect freedom without
bringing undue strain upon the abutments.
In order that my invention may be more clearly understood and easily carried
into practical effect I have appended-hereunto-a-double-sized sheet of drawings
illustrating an example of the same but it must be clearly understood that the
principal may be applied to structural purposes generally which are subjected to
variation from expansion and contraction and to deflection and vibratory action.
Figure-1 is a broken off side elevation of a girder or beam G with its left end
mounted upon an abutment B with my bearing plates Dand 1) and my crescent-
shaped bearing block A between as they would appear in a medium temperature.
Figure 2 is a similar elevation to Figure with the same parts shewn but
with the girder G is here supposed to have expanded in length thus moving the
relative position of D to A and A to D.
Figure 3 is a part end or side elevation and part section of the bearing plates 1)
and D and of the crescent shaped bearing block A as seen at Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a cross sectional view of the bearing plates and crescent shaped
bearing block as seen at Figure 1.
My improved bearings consists of three portions or parts D D and A to form
a set sufficient to support one end of the girder or beam G or the like viz.-
First The bearing plate D which rests upon the abutment or
wall B or any suitable support constructed with a sufficiently large
base surface to distribute the necessary pressure over a sufficiently large
surface of the wall whether stone brickwork or other material. Upon the centre
of this plate D the transverse circular trough is formed which in depth forms
about a semi-circle. The edges of this trough are supported or strengthened
by the ribs d³ running to the base of the plate to stiffen it as clearly shewn on
the drawings. Second:-The intermediate piece or crescent shaped bearing
block A having flanges a¹ which is turned on its underside a² to accurately fit
the concave portion or trough but of more than a semi-circle so that its
edges a arise above the edges: dd of the trough . The upper side a of this
bearing block A is troughed or hollowed out to form a concentric curve less than

page_text: a semi-circle as clearly shewn. Third :—the top plate D' which is fixed to the
underside of the girder G or the like. The underside of this plate D is formed
with the transverse swell or enlargement d curved to accurately fit into the
trough or concave portion of the intermediate piece or bearing block A and
is capable of moving therein. The edges of this swell or enlargement are pre-
ferably supported by the ribs d. When expansion takes places in the girder,
beam, truss, or the like which rests upon these bearings the intermediate piece or
bearing block A is caused to slide in the trough d in the lower plate D in the
contrary direction of the movement of the upper plate D with an easy sliding
motion as clearly shewn at Figure 2 so that the girder G or the like moves with
perfect freedom without bringing undue strain upon the abutments. When con-
struction takes place in the girder or the like the movement of the bearing
block A is in the contrary direction to that shewn at Figure 2. It will of course
be obvious that the plates D and D¹ may be exchanged in regard to their positions
with a similar effort.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
CLAIMS.
First: The improvements in bearings for girders, beams trusses and the like
of the hollowed bearing plate 1) the rounded bearing plate D¹ and the intermediate
bearing block A rounded and hollowed substantially as herein set forth and as
shewn upon the accompanying drawings.
Second-In combination with bearing plate such as are
claim the intermediate bearing block A having one side a
side a hollowed substantially as herein set forth and as
panying drawings.
the subject of the first
rounded and the other
shewn on the accom-
1
1000
ALFRED WESTWOOD,
By George Barker,
Fellow of The Chartered Institute of Patent Agents,
Agent for Applicant, 77, Colmore Row, Birmingham.