A NEW CONSTRUCTION OR CONSTRUCTIONS, AND COMBINATION OR COMBINATIONS OF METALLIC BLOCKS FOR THE PURPOSES OF FORMING CAISSONS, JETTIES, PIERS, QUAYS, EMBANKMENTS, LIGHT- HOUSES, FOUNDATIONS, WALLS, OR SUCH OTHER ERECTIONS TO WHICH THE SAID METALLIC BLOCKS MAY BE. APPLICABLE
Year: 1827

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD.
BARNARD DEEBLE, of Saint James Street, Westminster, in the County of.
Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth
did, by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing
date at. Westminster, the Twelfth day of July, One thousand eight hundred
and twenty-seven, in the eighth year of His reign, give and grant unto me,
the said Edward Barnard Deeble, His especial licence that I, the said Edward
Barnard Deeble, my. executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Edward Barnard Deeble, my executors, administrators, or
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and law-
fully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "A NEW CONSTRUCTION OR
CONSTRUCTIONS, AND COMBINATION OR COMBINATIONS OF METALLIC BLOCKS FOR THE
PURPOSES OF FORMING CAISSONS, JETTIES, PIERS, QUAYS, EMBANKMENTS, LIGHT-
HOUSES, FOUNDATIONS, WALLS, OR SUCH OTHER ERECTIONS TO WHICH THE SAID
METALLIC BLOCKS MAY BE. APPLICABLE;" in which said Letters Patent there is
contained a proviso obliging me, the said Edward Barnard Deeble, by an

page_text: instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and
ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, and to cause the same to be enrolled in His said Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said in part recited Letters: Patent, reference being
thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Edward Barnard Deeble, do hereby declare that the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are parti-
cularly described and ascertained in and by the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and the following description thereof (that is to say) :-
--
My said metallic blocks are hollow frames or boxes, made either in a
square, oblong, angular, or poligonal form, and they may be made more or less
thick, as from half an inch to one or more feet, according to the strength and
gravity required in them. I make them of various shapes, suitable to the
uses they are intended for, and either form one or more solid or hollow
dovetails or dovetailed tongues and grooves upon them, as may be required,.
to combine and fit them together in the most substantial manner.
I shall now proceed to afford some examples of the different forms given to
these metallic blocks, and of the various mode of combining them, by referring
to the Drawing which, as aforesaid, is affixed to this Specification, and in which
said Drawing Figure 1 represents a block adopted to the construction-of
straight-lined erections, such as bankings exposed to the action of water, to
the interior of heavy works, in the shapes of cross-forts or bracings, to the
formation of buttresses to be buried in the earth, and therefore it has dovetails
made at its ends only. A being the tongue, and B the groove, and its form.
admitting of its application to few other purposes beyond those described.
Figure 2, on the contrary, represents a block capable of a most extensive appli-
cation, it having a dovetail tongue A at one of its ends, a dovetail grove B at
its other end, and likewise other dovetail grooves B, B, formed in its sides.
Figure 3 affords an example of a mode of combining the block shewn in.
Figure 2, and Figure 4 another of the union of the block shewn in Figure 1,.
with other blocks, similar to those shewn in Figure 2. Figure 5 represents
two of the blocks shewn in Figure 1 as combined or united together by.
means of a double dovetailed hollow key, represented separately in Figure 6.
Figure 7 exhibits three of the blocks shewn in Figure 2 as united by the.
dovetail tongues and grooves at their ends, and additionally strengthened by
means of the hollow semicircular bars C, C, C, C, with dovetail grooves in
them which receive into them the half dovetailed tongues formed on the sides,

page_text: and at the ends of the block. One of these bars is shewn separately in
Figure 8. Figure 9 represents a block made in a radiated form, and which is
applicable to the construction of circular or carved erections, such as are shewn
in Figures 10 and 11; in the former of which, Figure 10, a block similar to
that shewn in Figure 2 is combined with a radial block, the form of which is
changed accordingly, and as represented singly in Figure 12 and in Figure 11.
One of the blocks shewn in Figure 1 is combined with two of the radial
blocks in the manner before described in the references to Figure 7. Figures
13 & 14 represent two angular blocks adapted to the construction of straight-
lined erections in the manner shewn in Figure 15, they being employed
alternately, so that the outer ends D, D, D, of those blocks resembling that
shewn in Figure 13 may form bevelled edges on the front of the erections,
whilst the dovetailed grooves E, E, formed upon the back by the shape given
to the block shewn in Figure 13, afford an opportunity of adding cross-forts or
braces thereto when required. Figure 16 is a square block with a rectangular
gap formed in one of its sides, and having also a rectangular tongue and
groove formed within the angular gap, which, when the blocks are combined
in the manner shewn in Figure 17, perform the office of dovetails, and firmly
unite them together. Figure 18 is a hexagonal block with rectangular tongues
and grooves formed upon and within its exterior. These will combine, as
shewn in Figure 19, or upon a more extended plan, so as to form foundations
for lighthouses or other similar erections.
Figure 20 shews another angular block intended for straight-lined erections,
and in which both the outer and inner faces of the walls will be made plain,
or without any projecting ribs or grooves. Each of these blocks have a dove-
tail tongue and groove made in and upon two of their faces, which combine
them firmly together in the manner shewn in Figure 20. Figure 21 repre-
sents the front of a block, the sides of which are formed of straight and
curved lines, and having a dovetail groove, and two half dovetailed tongues,
which adapt it to combine in the manner shewn in Figure 22; other blocks
similar to that shewn in Figure 23, with straight bottoms, being employed to
form the bottom or foundation tier. These blocks are intended to be laid in an
inclining or sloping direction, or tending towards the centre of a pier or other
erection to be formed with them, and as shewn in Figure 24,, their sides being
also cast open in order to save metal, and to allow the grouting with which
they are to be filled to diffuse itself on all sides within them, so as to form the
whole into a solid mass, fit for the construction of piers, jetties, or other like
works.
Figure 25 represents the manner of arranging and combining my said

page_text: 'metallic blocks so as to form a caisson or coffer dam for the purpose of
excluding the water during the erection of piers for bridges and other similar
erections. In this case I can employ the blocks shewn in Figures 1 and 2,
with the assistance of the acute-angular block shewn in Figure 26, and the
obtuse-angular one shewn in Figure 27, to which the blocks, Figures 1 and 2,
may be affixed by the dovetail grooves made in the ends of the acute and
obtuse-angular blocks, Figures 26 and 27, to receive them, other blocks being
also employed as cross-forts between the two walls of the caisson to strengthen
and support them, as shewn in Figure 25; after which the interval between
the two walls may be filled up with clay, grouting, or other fit and proper
materials, as usual.
Figure 28 is the section of a sloped bank made battering towards the sea
more or less according to the situation where it is to be applied. The metallic
blocks of which it is to be composed, being of much greater breadth than
usual, may require to have two or more dovetail grooves made in them, as
shewn at F, F, by which to connect the adjoining blocks. I generally prefer,
in building walls with these blocks, to make them break joint as shewn in the
buttress G, which is erected at the back or on the land side of the sea wall.
In order, as before said, to save metal in casting these blocks, I can inake
their sides of open work, either similar to the three blocks shewn at H, H, H,
in Figure 29, the dovetail grooves B, B, B, in their fronts and ends, or of any
other convenient figure.
I find the sling or tackle shewn in Figures 30, 31, and 32, convenient
in raising or lowering these metallic blocks. It consists of two strong bars,
I and J, united together at their centres by means of a stout pin of metal,
secured by means of a screw or rivet, so as to allow the bars I and J to
turn thereon. To these bars the four ropes or cords K, K, K, K, are
attached by means of eyes affixed in the bars, two of them being secured by
lashings with thimbles in the usual manner, and the other two by means of
adjusting screw swivels L, L, Figures 30 and 32. The bars I and J, when
crossed at right angles, are applied with their exterior ends placed beneath
four projecting studs, which are cast withinside the blocks to receive them,
and as shewn at M, M, M, M, in the plan, Figure 31, and the upper ends of
the ropes K, K, K, K, are lashed to the three rings N, which are hung upon
a compound sheave, affixed by its rope to another sheave, not shewn in the
Drawing, but which is supported in the usual and well-known manner by
means of shears or otherwise. In order to disengage the cross bars I and J
from their places underneath the studs M, M, M, M, I have contrived the
following means:-0, 0, represent two bars of metal jointed together at P,

page_text: and hinged to one end of each of the two bars I and J. A ring Q is affixed
to the joint P, to which a rope R is secured, which is passed over a pulley
affixed to one of the legs of the shears above, and descends within reach of the
person or persons guiding the block into its place. In Figure 30 the two bars
O, O, are seen lying horizontally, and forming one straight and inflexible line,
which tends to keep the bars I and J in their proper position, or crossed at
right angles to each other, as above mentioned; but upon pulling the rope R
the bars O, O, are raised, forming an angle more or less great, and the bars
I and J are caused to form an obtuse and an acute angle with each other,
as shewn in Figure 32, and by dotted lines in the plan, Figure 31, and can
then be readily disengaged from the block.
I have thus described various forms and applications of my said metallic
blocks, not intending, however, to limit myself to the employment of those par-
ticular forms and applications only, but to avail myself of every other shape
they will admit of, so as to be combined either by solid or grooved dovetails,
or in some cases by means of tenons and grooves; and I also claim the power
of applying them or combining them together horizontally, vertically, or in
inclined positions, according to the various purposes they are intended for, so as
to form caissons, jetties, piers, quays, embankments, lighthouses, foundations,
walls, or such other erections as the said metallic blocks may be applicable to.
I shall generally prefer to make them of cast-iron, but do not mean or intend
hereby to confine myself to the employment of that material only, but to avail
myself of the use of any other fit and proper material or combinations of mate-.
rials; and I hereby claim the liberty of making them with sides and ends to
them only, or with tops or bottoms, or both tops, bottoms, sides, and ends to
them with solid or hollow dovetails, tenons, or grooves formed within or upon
them, for the purpose of combining them together, and either with or without
the use of plain, square, or dovetail keys. I likewise claim the power of making
their sides, ends, tops, or bottoms, solid or with open work as may be required.
And, in order to save metal, I also claim the liberty of driving piles or stakes
within or around the blocks when necessary, to give them a firmer hold upon
the bottoms of harbours, rivers, or other places, where they may be applied in
place of blocks of stone.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Barnard Deeble, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and twenty-eight.
EDWARD BARNARD (L.s.) DEEBLE.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twelfth day of January, in
the year of our Lord 1828, the aforesaid Edward Barnard Deeble came
before our said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the
Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified,
in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped
according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose..
Inrolled the Twelfth day of January; in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and twenty-eight.