IMPROVEMENTS IN CAISSONS AND BRIDGES TO BRIDGE ACROSS THE ENTRANCES
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Walter Robert Kinipple, of No. 1, Westminster
Chambers, Victoria Street, and Greenock, N.B., for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CAISSONS AND BRIDGES TO BRIDGE ACROSS THE ENTRANCES
Sealed the 17th January 1871, and dated the 9th September 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Walter Robert Kinipple
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 9th September 1870.
I, WALTER ROBERT KINIPPLE, of No. 1, Westminster Chambers,
Victoria Street, and Greenock, N.B., do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CAISSONS AND BRIDGES TO BRIDGE ACROSS
THE ENTRANCES TO GRAVING DOCKS, HARBOURS, RIVERS, OR ESTUARIES," to be as
follows:-
:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in caissons and bridges
to bridge across the entrances to graving docks, harbours, rivers, or

page_text: estuaries. For this purpose I support a caisson or an open framework
suitable for forming a bridge in such manner that it may readily be
slid endwise into or out of a covered recess on one side of the entrance,
so as when thus drawn back to be out of the way. Or for bridges of
large spans the framework may be divided into two sections, each half
being drawn into a chamber on either side of the opening. The caisson
or bridge I arrange to be carried on rollers or trollies to run along rails
laid across the bed of the entrance; and in order that the weight upon
these rollers or trollies may not be too great I provide the caisson or
bridge with air chambers below the low water level, so that the weight
may be reduced to any extent desired. Caissons thus made capable of
sliding readily into and out of a recess at the side of an entrance to a
dock or harbour may, when they have been moved into position across
an entrance, be, if desired, wedged or keyed against stop faces by means
of cam levers, screws, or otherwise. The caisson or bridge I also form
so that it may be readily disconnected, unballasted,-and-floated-away-
for repairs, as with other ordinary caissons. An endless chain or other
suitable mechanism may be employed for moving the caisson or bridge
into or out of its recess. In order that the roadway across the top of
such a caisson or bridge may (when the caisson or bridge has been
moved out of its recess) be brought level with the roadway above the
recess from which it was moved I form the upper part of the caisson or
bridge with a roadway supported on each side by a series of levers
forming a parallel motion, and on the lower arms of the levers I apply
counterbalance weights to balance the roadway. In order to raise the
roadway when the caisson or bridge has been moved across the entrance
I cause the roadway at the latter part of the movement of the caisson
or bridge to come against curves or inclines, by which it is caused to
turn upwards on the parallel levers, and similarly when the caisson or
bridge is moved back into its recess I cause the roadway to come against a
curves or inclines to turn it down into its lowest position. The lever
arms are continued above the roadway, so that when the lever arms are
upright and the roadway is in its highest position they form a railing
on either side of the roadway.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Walter Robert Kinipple in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 8th March 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WALTER
ROBERT KINIPPLE, of No. 1, Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, and
Greenock, N.B., send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Walter Robert Kinipple, Her special
license that I, the said Walter Robert Kinipple, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Walter Robert
Kinipple, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times. thereafter
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 CAISSONS AND BRIDGES TO BRIDGE ACROSS THE ENTRANCES
TO GRAVING DOCKS, HARBOURS, RIVERS, OR ESTUARIES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Walter Robert Kinipple, 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 Walter Robert Kinipple; 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 caissons and. bridges
to bridge across the entrances to graving docks, harbours, rivers, or
estuaries. For this purpose I support a caisson or an open framework
suitable for forming a bridge in such manner that it may readily be
slid endwise into or out of a covered recess on one side of the entrance,

page_text: so as when thus drawn back to be out of the way. Or for bridges of
large spans the framework may be divided into two sections, each half
being drawn into a chamber on either side of the opening. The caisson
or bridge I arrange to be carried on rollers or trollies to run along rails
laid across the bed of the entrance; and in order that the weight upon
these rollers or trollies may not be too great I provide the caisson or
bridge with air chambers below the low water level, so that the weight
may be reduced to any extent desired. Caissons thus made capable of
sliding readily into and out of a recess at the side of an entrance to a
dock or harbour, may, when they have been moved into position across
an entrance be, if desired, wedged or keyed against stop faces by means
of cam levers, screws, or otherwise. The caisson or bridge I also form
so that it may be readily disconnected, unballasted, and floated away
for repairs, as with other ordinary caissons. An endless chain or other
suitable mechanism may be employed for moving the caisson or bridge
into and out of its recess. In order that the roadway across_the_top_of_
such a caisson or bridge may (when the caisson or bridge has been
moved out of its recess) be brought level with the roadway above the
recess from which it was moved I form the upper part of the caisson or
bridge with a roadway supported on each side by a series of levers
forming a parallel motion, and on the lower arms of the levers I apply
counterbalance weights to balance the roadway. In order to raise the
roadway when the caisson or bridge has been moved across the entrance
I cause the roadway at the latter part of the movement of the caisson
or bridge to come against curves or inclines, by which it is caused to
turn upwards on the parallel levers, and similarly when the caisson or
bridge is moved back into its recess I cause the roadway to come against
curves or inclines to turn it down into its lowest position. The lever
arms are continued above the roadway, so that when the lever arms are
upright and the roadway is in its highest position they form a railing
on either side of the roadway.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention I will proceed to
describe more fully the manner of performing the same.
Figure 1 shews a longitudinal section, and Figure 2 a transverse
section of a caisson constructed as above described in such manner that
it can be drawn sidewise into and out of a covered recess at one side of
the entrance, and with a rising and falling platform, which when the

page_text: caisson has been drawn across the entrance rises level with the roadway
above the recess.
A transverse section of the upper part of the caisson on a larger scalc
is shewn at Figure 3. The caisson is mounted on trollies a, a, which
run upon rails laid across the bottom of the entrance. The lower part
of the caisson up to the deck b forms an air-tight compartment, and
into the upper compartments above this deck water can be admitted
through valves at c, c, fitted on each side of the caisson. When the
water is to be kept out of the dock the valves on the outer side are
opened and those on the inside are closed, and vice versa. (By admitting
more or less ballast into the air compartments of the caisson below the
water-tight deck the trollies can be relieved of the weight of the caisson
to any extent desired.) d is the covered recess into which the caisson
can be drawn; it may be drawn into and out of this recess by an endless
pitch chain, as shewn in the Drawings, or by a rack and pinion, or by
direct hauling from each end, or by other suitable means. In the
arrangement shewn in the Drawing the ends of the yoke or draw bar
are attached at e to the lower line of the pitch chain, and when the
caisson is to be drawn into the recess the driving shaft f is turned to
the left, and to close the caisson the shaft is turned to the right. is
the rising and falling platform mounted at the top of the caisson, as
above described, on a series of levers g¹ forming a parallel motion, and
counterbalanced by two kentledge boxes h, h, which hang down within
the caisson. The levers ¹ on each side of the rising and falling platform
are continued up above the platform, and form a railing on either side
of the roadway. The platform is shewn to be raised level with the
platform or roadway over the recess, and locked between the curved
plates and ¹, which I call the rising and nosing plates. When the
caisson is drawn into its recess rollers at the ends of the girders under
the rising and falling platform bear against the nosing plate ¹; the
railing then folds down, and the platform descends until it rests upon
blocks which are sufficiently low to allow of the whole of the platform
together with the railings which have then been folded down to pass
under the platform which covers the recess. When the caisson is to be
closed it is drawn across the entrance until the rollers at the ends of
the girders under the rising and falling platform meet the rising
plate k. The platform then rises up to its proper level, as shewn in the
Drawings.

page_text: Figure 4 shews a longitudinal section, and Figure 5 a transverse section
of a framework having a rising and falling platform combined with it
in a similar manner to that above described, and capable of being drawn
into and out of a covered recess similar to that for the caisson. The
framework is also carried upon rollers which run on rails, and is formed
with water-tight compartments to lighten the weight upon the rollers,
and also allow of the bridge being floated away for repairs. When the
weight of the bridge is not considerable, and where used otherwise
than for bridging across water, the water-tight compartments may be
dispensed with.
A sliding bridge constructed as above described is applicable for
bridging across estuaries, entrances to harbours, and for bridging across
other openings.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that what
-I-claim-is,
1. The combining a rising and falling platform carried by parallel
motion levers with a caisson which can be drawn into and out of a
covered recess, substantially as herein described.
2. The combining a rising and falling platform carried by parallel.
motion levers with a framework forming a sliding bridge, and which
can be drawn into or out of a covered recess, substantially as herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Walter Robert Kinipple, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Second day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
WALTER ROBERT KINIPPLE. (L.S.)