Improvements in Earthworks for the Banks of Rivers, Artificial Waterways, and the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Sept., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 17th May, 1897-Accepted, 13th June, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Earthworks for the Banks of Rivers, Artificial
Waterways, and the like.
I, HANS RABITZ, of 7 Scharnhorststrasse, Berlin, in the Empire of Germany,
Architect, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In designing earthworks more especially such as are employed for the banks
of artificial waterways, rivers and the like, an earthwork facing has been sought
which would resist all exterior influences and suit all conditions as efficiently as
possible. Such earthworks as heretofore constructed have uot however met
the requirements, notwithstanding the great care taken and the enormous sums
expended in the endeavour to achieve the object in view. Earthwork facings
of the kind to which this invention relates are held in position by means of long,
embedded iron rails, which are fastened by strong grappling-irons, driven into the
earth.
It has been found that, in order to obtain an efficient and durable earthwork
facing of the above kind, the embedded rails must be subjected to an efficient
tension in the direction of their length. To obtain such stretching effect by
employing ordinary means, would however, entail considerable expense.
According to this invention the above object is attained in such a way that
the flat iron rails, placed edgewise, are grappled, not at the place where two
longitudinal rails cross each other, but centrally between such points of orossing.
After the rails have been laid and grappled, each two crossing rails are gripped by
simple fork-shaped spikes or the like, placed flat and then connected one to the
other by means of a rivet or a screw. In this manner a very high tension is
produced in the rails, and this tension will impart to these earthwork facings
the greatest rigidity, safety and durability owing to the immovable position of the
constituent rails, and the effective strain which each rail is subjected to by
concussions or when the earth-work is shaken.
The grappling-irons are preferably first driven into the earth and after a layer
of beton of a suitable thickness has been placed thereon, the rails are inserted
into corresponding forks of the grappling-irons. After the rails hare thus been
connected to the grappling irons, so that they can neither be lifted off the latter
nor be turned down, two crossing rails are laid flat at the point of crossing by
means of simple lever devices, and are so connected by rivets or screws, that
their flat position is firmly secured. The rails are then corrugated so that flat
portions will alternate with edgewise portions. At the points where the edges
of the rails are turned outward instead of the flat portions the outer edges of
the rails are forced from a straight line into a curved line; this condition
evidently produces a tendency to elongate the outer fibres of the rail-faces, so
that an extremely efficient and constant tension is obtained.
For the purpose of engaging the rails, the grappling. irons are proferably made
fork shaped at their tops so that the rails may be inserted edgewise from above.
Above the rails a cotter or pin is driven through the fork-shaped head of the
grappling iron, which cotter or pin holds the forked ends together and provents
the rail from sliding out of the fork when the central part is turned down.
After the rails have been fixed in the manner herein described, the desired

page_text: thickness of boton, in which a wire gauze or circular iron netting is inserted is
laid on.
Dated this 1st day of September 1896.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Earthworks for the Banks of Rivers, Artificial
Waterways, and the like.
1, HANS RABITZ, of 7 Scharnhorststrasse, Berlin, in the Empire of Germany,
Architect, 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:-
In designing earthworks more especially such as are employed for the banks of
artificial water-ways, rivers and the like, an earthwork facing has been sought
which would resist all exterior influences and suit all conditions as efficiently as
possible. Such earthworks as heretofore constructed have not however met the
requirements, notwithstanding the great care taken and the enormous sums
expended in the endeavour to achieve the object in.view.
Earthwork facings of the kind to which this invention relates are held in position
by means of long, embedded iron rails, which are fastened by strong grappling-
irons, driven into the earth.
•
It has now been found that, in order to obtain an efficient and durable earthwork
facing of the above kind, the embedded rails must be subjected to an efficient
tension in the direction of their length. To obtain such stretching effect by
employing ordinary means, would however, entail considerable expense.
According to this invention the above object is attained in such a way that the
flat iron rails, placed edgewise, are grappled, not at the place where two longi-
tudinal rails cross each other, but centrally between such points of crossing. After
the rails have been laid and grappled, each two crossing rails are gripped by simple
fork-shaped spikes or the like, then placed flat and connected one to the other by
means of a rivet or a screw. In this manner a very high tension is produced in
the rails, and this tension will impart to these earthwork facings the greatest
rigidity, safety and durability owing to the immovable position of the constituent
rails, and the favourable distribution of strains to which each rail is subjected by
concussions or when the earthwork is shaken.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 represents a plan of an artificial earthwork facing of this kiud.
Figure 2 is a cross-section thereof and
Figures 3, 4 and 5 represent details hereinafter referred to.
The grappling-irons a are preferably first driven into the earth and after a layer
of beton b of a suitable thickness has been placed thereon, the rails are inserted
into corresponding forks of the grappling-irons a. After the rails o have been
connected to the grappling irons, so that they can neither be lifted off the latter
nor be turned down, two crossing rails are laid flat at the point of crossing by
means of simple lever devices, and are so connected by rivets or screws or similar
fastenings that their flat position is firmly secured. The rails are then in the
shape of an undulating string in which flat portions will alternate with edgewise
portions. When turning parts of the rails standing on edge down Hat the outer
edges of the rails are forced from a straight line into a curved line; this condition

page_text: evidently produces a tendency to elongate the outer fibres of the rail-faces, so that
an extremely efficient and constant tension is obtained.
For the purpose of engaging the rails c the grappling irons a are preferably
made fork shaped at their top d so that the rails may be inserted edgewise from
above, Figures 3 to 5. Above the rails a cotter or pin fis driven through the
forkshaped head d of the grappling iron, which cotter or piu holds the forked onds
together and prevents the rail from sliding out of the fork when the central part
is turned down.
After the rails have been fixed in the manner herein described, the desired
thickness of beton, in which a wire gauze or circular iron netting g is inserted, is
laid on.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A facing for the banks of water courses, the characteristic feature of such
facing consisting in the arrangement of rails o placed on edge and connected by
grappling-irons; the said rails being twisted flat at their orossing points and
thereby distorted relatively to each other and rivetted or sorewed together, but
held in their position on edge at the intermediate places between the crossing
points, by means of the grappling irons a.
2. A constructional form of the fortified earthwork liuing or facing ascertained
in the first claim, in which the heads of the grappling irons are made fork shaped
so as to receive the rails edgewise, the forked ends being connected to each other
by means of a pin or cottar arranged immediately above the rail, substantially as
and for the purpose described.
3. An earth-fortification or facing for banks of water courses, substantially as
described and illustrated in the drawing.
Deted this 7th day of May 1807
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.