Improvements in Sea, River, or other Retaining Walls, Piers, and Breakwaters.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Oct., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 30th July, 1892-Accepted, 10th Sept., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sea, River, or other Retaining Walls, Piers, and
Breakwaters.
I JONATHAN IRELAND of 53 Park Road Blackpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
This invention relates to a new method of constructing sea, river, or other
retaining walls, piers and breakwaters. Hitherto the materials mostly used in the
above named structures, has been stone, granite or concrete.
In my invention I use cast iron plates of requisite thickness and of such form,
that when in position they shall form practically a continuous wall, the joint between
each plate being closed by a midfeather behind which not only closes the joint
between the plates, but acts as a support to the vertical plates forming the outside
wall of the structure.
The manner in which this invention is carried out is as follows. On the top of a
rubber stone or concrete foundation of suitable dimensions I lay cast iron plates of
the required length, width and strength, which are firmly secured to it by means of
bolts with nuts or cottars passing through the plates and foundation- -or the plates
may be fixed on piles. At the ends of each plate about inch more or less, are
flanges running the full width in which are cast bolt holes. When these plates are
in position there will be a space of 1 inch more or less between the flanges according
to the thickness of the midfeather afterwards mentioned, into this space I insert a
vertical cast iron midfeather about the height of the intended wall and having bolt
holes near the bottom and on one or both sides, corresponding with the holes in
foundation and front plates also flanges on each side to rest on the top of the flanges
on foundation plates and against the flanges of front plates, the two plates and
midfeather are then bolted together.
When these are in position I proceed to erect the cast iron front plates which are
of any height required and having flanges with bolt holes about inch more or less
from the vertical edges and running the whole length of the plates similar to the
foundation plates leaving a space between the flanges of the two front plates into
which the side of the vertical midfeather enters and when in position they are
firmly bolted together. It will be seen that the vertical midfeather being fixed
between the flanges of the foundation and front plates and all firmly bolted
together, is the binding, strengthening and supporting medium of the structure, at
same time completely closing the joint between the plates.
Additional plates and midfeathers being added at either or both ends, a
continuous cast iron wall can be made of any length having no wrought iron work
on the exterior which on being backed up behind with either sand, gravel, chalk or
any similar substance will make a sea or river wall practically impervious to the
action of water. In the case of a sea wall I prefer to make the front plates concave
or partly inclined and partly concave, with the concave face to the sea, so that the
incoming waves striking against the wall are turned over and fall on the following
wave, thus breaking its force. The same form of wall having a lip hanging from
the top front, is also well adapted for stopping sand drifting from the shore, the
curved or concave wall with the lip effectually stopping any sand going over, while
the action of the following tide washes away any accumulation of sand at the base.
The same arrangement of plates and midfeathers can be used for loading and
discharging piers or breakwaters, the segmental feature makes their erection much
easier and safer than when stone or concrete is used, any length being able to be
fixed and secured as the state of the weather may permit.

page_text: The arrangement is also applicable to retaining walls, in any situation, and the
parapit walls of railway platforms.
Dated this 30th day of October 1891
JONATHAN IRELAND.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sea, River, or other Retaining Walls, Piers, and
Breakwaters.
I, JONATHAN IRELAND, of 53 Park Road, Blackpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to a new method of constructing sea or river or other walls,
piers or breakwaters. Hitherto the materials mostly used in the above named
structures have been stone, granite or concrete. In my invention I use cast iron
plates of requisite thickness and of such form that when in position they shall form
practically a continuous wall, the joint between each plate being closed by a
midfeather which not only closes the joint between the plates, but acts as a support
to the vertical plates forming the outside walls of the structure.
In order that the invention may be well understood I have hereunto annexed
sheets of drawings.
Figures 1 and 2 are cross sections of a cast iron sea or river wall, the front plates
of the former being partly inclined and partly concave, and of the latter wholly
concave.
Figure 3 is a back elevation of the same kind of wall, shewing the midfeather
in position.
In each of the three figures a is the bottom or base plate, the midfeather,
c and d the front and top plates respectively.
Figure 4 is a cross section of a loading and discharging pier, similarly built with
cast iron plates like the sea or river wall.
Figure 5 is a longitudinal section on the line A B in Figure 4.
Figure 6 is a cross section of cast iron sea wall with the hanging lip for stopping
drifting sand from the shore; this shape of wall is intended for use where the action
of the tide against it, washes away drift sand accumulated at its base.
Figure 7 is a section of cast iron wall intended for use where the action of the
tide cannot be utilised.
The same letters in Figures 4, 5, 6 and 7, viz. a bed respectively refer to the
same parts of the structure, as in Figures 1 and 2, while e Figure 5 shews the spaces
between the midfeathers and outside plates filled in with any convenient material,
and Figures 6 and 7, is the hanging lip above mentioned.
The manner in which this invention is carried out is as follows. On a rubble,
stone or concrete foundation of suitable dimensions I lay cast iron base plates a
Figures: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, of the required length, width and strength, which are
firmly secured to it, by means of bolts and nuts or cottars, passing through the
plates and foundation; these plates may be fixed without bolts in certain cases, or
they may be, fixed on piles. At the end of each plate about inch more or less
from the edge are flanges a¹ running the full width, in which are cast bolt holes.
When these plates are in position, there will be a space of one inch more or less
between the flanges, according to the thickness of the vertical inidfeather after-
wards mentioned, into this space I insert a vertical iron mid feather b, Figures 1, 2,
3,4,5,16, 7, about the height of the intended wall, and having bolt holes near the
bottom and one.or both sides corresponding with the holes in flanges of base and
frontiplates. There is also a flange on each side at right angles to rest on top of
flanges of base plates and against the flanges of the front plates; the two base
plates and midfeather are then securely bolted together. When these are in

page_text: position I proceed to erect the cast iron front plates c Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,
which are of any height required and have flanges c¹ with bolt holes about inch
t
more or less from the vertical edges, and running the whole length of the plates,
similar to the base plates a, leaving a space between the flanges of two front plates
into which the side of the vertical midfeather benters, and when in position they
are firmly bolted together. It will be seen that the vertical midfeather b, being
fixed between the flanges of the base and front plates and all firmly bolted together,
is the binding, strengthening and supporting medium of the structure, at the same
time completely closing the joint between the plates.
Additional plates and midfeathers being added at either or both ends, a
continuous cast iron wall can he made of any length, having no wrought iron work
on the exterior which on being backed up behind with either sand, gravel, chalk or
any other cheap substance will make a sea or river wall practically impervious to
the action of water. In the case of a sea wall I prefer to make the front plates
curved or concave as shewn in Figure 2, or partly inclined and partly concave as
shewn in Figure 1 with the concave face to the sea, so that the incoming waves
striking against the wall are turned over and fall on to the following wave, thus
breaking its force.
The same form of wall having a lip hanging from the top front, as shewn in
Figure 6, is intended for stopping sand drifting from the shore, the curved or
concave or partly inclined and partly concave wall with the lip effectually stopping
any drift sand going over. While the action of the following tide washes away any
accumulation of sand at the base, the lip may be made curved, vertical or inclined
according to the requirements of each situation.
The same arrangement of plates can be used for making loading and discharging
piers or breakwaters see Figures 4 and 5.
The segmental feature makes their erection much easier and safer than when
stone or concrete is used, any length being able to be fixed and secured as the state
of the weather may permit. The spaces or compartments between the midfeathers
and outside plates are filled in solid with either concrete, gravel or any suitable
material, thus making a strong and solid structure, the arrangement is also
applicable to retaining walls in any situation, parapet walls of railway platforms
and other similar structures.
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 :-
1st. Cast iron sea or other walls, piers or breakwaters, having iron midfeathers
fixed between flanges upon the bottom and side plates of the structure and with
their edges covering the joints between such plates substantially as described.
2nd. Cast iron sea or other walls with hanging lips for the purpose of stopping
drifting sand substantially as described
Dated this 18th dev of February 1892