IMPROVE- * MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FLOATING PIERS AND OTHER ANALOGOUS STRUCTURES FOR EMBARKING AND DISEMBARKING PASSENGERS, ANIMALS, OR MERCHANDIZE
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Hugh Aldersey Egerton, of South Hill Park, Hampstead,
in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVE- *
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FLOATING PIERS AND OTHER ANALOGOUS
STRUCTURES FOR EMBARKING AND DISEMBARKING PASSENGERS, ANIMALS, OR
MERCHANDIZE."
Sealed the 24th November 1876, and dated the 23rd August 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Hugh Aldersey Egerton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd August 1876.
HUGH ALDERSEY EGERTON, of South Hill Park, Hampstead, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman ." IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FLOATING
PIERS AND OTHER ANALOGOUS STRUCTURES FOR EMBARKING AND DISEMBARKING
PASSENGERS, ANIMALS, OR MERCHANDIZE."
The object of this Invention is to connect the stationary part of a pier, wharf,
or quay with a floating platform or landing stage which is capable of rising and
falling with the tide. Hitherto this has been done by means of a bridge of any
convenient length, permanently secured at one end by a hinge joint or other
analogous device to the fixed part of the pier, wharf, or quay, while the other
end of the bridge rests upon the floating platform or stage, and rises and falls
therewith.
It has been found that when the rise and fall of the tide is considerable (say
from 14 to 18 feet) the connecting bridge must be of great length, otherwise the
inclination of the floor of the bridge would be so great that it would be incon-
venient if not dangerous even for foot passengers, and of course it would be totally
out of the question for carriage traffic. Moreover, the bridge would be costly to
construct, and very heavy, as, owing to the great span, very strong girders would
be required. By my improved construction of bridge I am however enabled to
very considerably increase the length or span of the bridge without being obliged
to use heavy iron girders of large section By thus increasing the length of the
rising and falling connecting bridge I am enabled so to reduce the inclination of
the roadway that it can (without inconvenience) be used for carriage traffic, so
that carts, carriages, and other vehicles can be run direct on to the landing stage
or floating platform at any state of the tide.

page_text: Instead of constructing the bridge in one length, as heretofore, I make it in
sections of equal length, say, three, four, or more sections, which are connected by
their ends so as to form a continuous line of roadway, which is supported at all the
points of junction. A convenient way of effecting this object is by means of a
flexible or collapsible system of levers arranged on the principle of the lazy-tongs,
and placed vertically on each side of the roadway.
The topmost joints of these arrangements of levers are secured to vertical piles
driven into the bed of the river or water channel, so that these top joints are fixed
points. The outer ends of the lowermost arms or levers of these lazy-tongs are
connected by links to short standards fixed on the decks of pontoons arranged at
proper distances apart, a position being provided for each pair of lazy-tongs. The
floating pontoons are kept in position by being confined between the vertical piles,
which are provided with vertical slots or guides so placed that a roller or rollers
adapted to each end of the pontoon may work up and down in the guides as the
water rises and falls.
•
The roadway (as has been already mentioned) is supported by the several series
of lazy-tongs arrangements of levers, but as the extent of vertical motion of the
several sections of the roadway must be in proportion to the distance of such parts
from the fixed point or centre of motion on the quay or wharf it follows that the
inoveable connecting bridge must be secured at proportionate points of altitude on
the vertical lazy-tongs arrangement of levers.
In order to prevent any lateral strain on the lazy-tongs one or more of the joints
of each series of levers may be provided with antifriction wheels, which may be
nade to run or work up and down in the vertical guides of the fixed piles. Or
each pair of lazy-tongs may be connected together by means of transverse tie rods,
which will rise and fall with the levers.
It will be understood that the object I have in view is to give an efficient
support to the roadway at different parts throughout its whole length, whatever
may be the level of the water, and that this object is effected by means of devices to
which vertical motion is given to an extent proportionate to the rise or fall of that
part of the roadway to which that particular device is adapted and the distance it
is from the centre of motion; and although I prefer to effect this object by a lazy-
tongs arrangement of levers, as above described, yet it may be effected by means
of chains passed over pullies, or by other equivalent mechanical devices, such as
an arrangement of single levers having a fixed point for a fulcrum for one end,
while the opposite end is allowed to rest on the pontoon.
Vertical supports arranged at proportionate distances along these levers will
support the roadway at different points throughout its length, as in the former
instance, and these vertical supports will rise and fall with the tide to an extent
proportionate to their distance on the supporting levers from their centres of
motion.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said Hugh Aldersey Egerton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd
February 1877.
HUGH ALDERSEY EGERTON, of South Hill Park, Hampstead, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FLOATING
PIERS AND OTHER ANALOGOUS STRUCTURES FOR EMBARKING AND DISEMBARKING
PASSENGERS, ANIMALS, OR MERCHANDIZE."
The object of this Invention is to connect the stationary part of a pier, wharf,
or quay with a floating platform or landing stage, which is capable of rising and
falling with the tide. Hitherto this has been done by means of a bridge of any
convenient length permanently secured at one end by a hinge joint, or other
analogous device to the fixed part of the pier, wharf, or quay, while the other

page_text: end of the bridge rests upon the floating platform or stage, and rises and falls
therewith.
It has been found that when the rise and fall of the tide is considerable (say,
from fourteen to eighteen feet) the connecting bridge must be of great length,
otherwise the inclination of the floor of the bridge would be so great that it would
be inconvenient if not dangerous even for foot passengers, and of course it would
be totally out of the question for carriage traffic Moreover the bridge would be
costly to construct and very heavy, as owing to the great span very strong girders
would be required. By my improved construction of bridge I am however enabled
to very considerably increase the length or span of the bridge without being
obliged to use heavy iron girders of large section. By thus increasing the length
of the rising and falling connecting bridge I am enabled so to reduce the inclination
of the roadway that it can (without inconvenience) be used for carriage traffic, so
that carts, carriages, and other vehicles can be run direct on to the landing stage
or floating platform at any state of the tide.
Instead of constructing the bridge in one length, as heretofore, I make it in
sections of equal length, say, three, four, or more sections, which are connected by
their ends so as to form a continuous line of roadway, which is supported at all
the points of junction. A convenient way of effecting this object by means of
a flexible or collapsible system of levers arranged on the principle of the lazy-tongs,
and placed vertically on each side of the roadway.
In the accompanying Drawings, Figures 1 and 2, Sheet I., are side elevations
of a landing pier or bridge constructed according to my Invention; Fig. 1
represents the state of the bidge or pier at low water; Fig. 2 the state of the
same structure at high water.
A, A, is the platform of the pier or bridge, which is divided into five bays or
sections jointed together at their ends, so as to form one long continuous platform,
one end of which rests upon the fixed masonry B, and the other end on the
floating barge C. The junctions of the platform are supported on cross girders,
which are secured to the joints a, a, a, of the lazy-tongs arrangement of levers D.
The topmost joints b of these arrangements of levers D are secured to vertical
piles E driven into the bed of the river or water channel, so that these top joints b
are fixed points The outer ends of the lowermost arms or levers of these lazy-
tongs D are connected by links to short standards c, c, fixed on the decks of
pontoons c, d, arranged at proper distances apart, a pontoon being provided for
each pair of lazy-tongs D. The floating pontoons d are kept in position by being
confined between the vertical piles E, which are provided with vertical slots or
guides e, so placed that a roller or rollers adapted to each end of the pontoon may
work up and down in the guides e as the water rises and falls
The roadway A, as has been already mentioned) is supported by the several
series of lazy-tongs arrangements of levers D, but as the extent of vertical motion
of the several sections A of the roadway must be in proportion to the distance of
such parts from the fixed point or centre of motion on the quay or wharf B it
follows that the moveable connecting bridge must be secured at proportionate
points of altitude on the vertical lazy-tongs arrangement of levers.
In order to prevent any lateral strain on the lazy-tongs D one or more of the
joints of each series of levers may be provided with antifriction wheels, which may
be made to run or work up and down in the vertical guides e of the fixed piles E.
Or each pair of lazy-tongs may be connected together by means of transverse tie
rods f, which will rise and fall with the levers, as shewn in the enlarged detached
views, Figures 3, 4, and 5, Sheet II.
It will be understood that the object I have in view is to give an efficient
support to the roadway A at different parts throughout its whole length, whatever
may be the level of the water; and that this object is effected by means of devices
to which vertical motion is given to an extent proportionate to the rise or fall of
that part of the roadway to which that particular device is adapted and the
distance it is from the centre of motion.

page_text: Instead of the platform A, A, being made in sections jointed together, as above
described, the platform may be made in one rigid continuous length, but supported
at intervals in the way shewn and described. It will be seen that the platform at
high water, as shewn at Fig. 2, will be nearly horizontal, but that at low water, as
at Fig 1, there is a considerable inclination, that is to say, the whole fall of the tide
(supposing it to be eighteen feet) will give a declivity of eighteen feet in the whole
length of the platform from the fixed point on the quay or wharf B to the floating
dummy C. This declivity may however be reduced to one half, or the platform
may be reduced to one half its length by constructing and arranging the parts in
the way shewn in the two elevations, Figures 6 and 7, Sheet III. In this instance
the platform is so arranged that it is as near as possible in a horizontal position at
about half tide, as indicated by the lower dotted line in Fig. 6. At low tide the
outer end of the platform A will have descended nine fect below the horizontal
line, and the several parts will be in the position shewn at Fig 6; but at high tide
the platform will have risen nine feet above the horizontal line, when the several
parts will be in the position shewn at Fig. 7. This is effected by constructing the
deck of the barge C (on which the outer end of the platform rests) of such a height
as to raise this end of the platform into the horizontal lino at half tide, as indicated
by the lower dotted line in Fig. 6. This however will necessitate alterations in
the method of connecting the platform A to the lazy-tongs D, and these alterations
will be best understood by referring to the enlarged detached views in Sheets II.
and IV. The letters of reference in Figures 6 and 7, Sheet III., being the same as
those on corresponding parts in Figures 1 and 2, Sheet I, the action and functions
of the various parts of the structure will be clearly understood.
Fig. 3, Sheet II, represents one of the pontoons & with the lazy-tongs arrange-
ment of levers D for supporting the platform in the position they would assume
between the vertical guides E at high water, the thick line A representing the
under side of the rising and falling platform; Fig. 4 represents the same parts in
the position they would assume at low water; Fig. 5 is a front elevation of Fig. 4
It has been already explained that the topmost joint b of the lazy-tongs levers D
is fixed to the upper part of the stationary vertical guides E, and therefore neither
rises nor falls with the pontoons. And it will be seen that at Figures 1 and 2 the
platform A is secured to the second joint (2) of the first lazy-tongs D, then to the
third joint (3) of No. 2, and to the fourth joint (4) of No. 3, and so on to the end
of the series; but in the arrangement shewn in Figures 6 and 7 instead of securing
the platform A direct to the joints 2, 3, 4, &c., of the lazy-tongs the platform rests.
upon and is supported by two upright standards h, h, which are jointed by their
upper ends to the under side of the platform, and are connected, as seen best in the
enlarged Figures 3, 4, and 5, by similar joints to the ends of the rocking levers i, i,
which are mounted on one of the joints of the lazy-tongs. In this instance the
rocking levers i are mounted on joint (3) of the lazy-tongs, and therefore the
Figures represent the lazy-tongs arrangement No. 2 from the quay or wharf.
A similar arrangement of rocking levers i and vertical supports h are connected
with joint (2) of No. 1 lazy-tongs, and joint (4) of No. 3, and so on throughout the
series, as shewn at Figures 6 and 7, the vertical standards or supports h, h, being
increased in length accordingly, as is clearly shewn in Figures 6 and 7.
In Sheet IV. I have shewn two modifications of the devices for supporting the
platform A. In Fig. 8 the standards h, h, are jointed to the under side of the
platform, as in the former instance, but their lower ends are jointed to two separate
levers or arms i¹³, , which are mounted on the joint (3) of the lazy-tongs, so that
they work to a certain extent independent of each other; Fig. 9 is a side elevation,
and Fig. 10 an end elevation, of part of a lazy-tongs arrangement, in which only
single standards h are employed on each side. In this instance the single standards
are jointed to the under side of the platform A, as before, but their lower ends are
connected directly to the joints of the lazy-tongs or to the transverse bars f, which
keep the structure in proper gauge.
It will be seen on referring to Figure 10 that the single standards on opposite

page_text: sides of the structure are braced together by means of a cross framing i̟, i̟, which
imparts rigidity and strength to the parts
Having now described iny Invention of "Improvements in the Construction of
Floating Piers and other Analogous Structures for Embarking and Disembarking
Passengers, Animals, or Merchandize," and having explained the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters
Patent as aforesaid, supporting the platforms of floating piers and other analogous
structures on lazy-tongs arrangements of levers, or other equivalent devices,
mounted on floating pontoons which rise and fall with the tide, as herein set forth,
the whole being so arranged and combined that the rising and falling platform
shall be adequately supported throughout its whole length, whatever may be the
state of the tide, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Hugh Aldersey Egerton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twenty-second day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
HUGH A. EGERTON. (L.S.)