IM- PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FOUNDATIONS FOR PIERS, BRIDGES, AND BUCH LIKE STRUCTURES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Emerson Dowson, the younger, and
Alfred Dowson, both of Victoria Street, Westminster, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineers, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FOUNDATIONS FOR PIERS, BRIDGES, AND
BUCH LIKE STRUCTURES."
Sealed the 16th November 1869, and dated the 19th May 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Emerson
Dowson and Alfred Dowson at the Office of the Commissioners
of Patents, with their Petition, on the 19th May 1869.
We, JOSEPH EMERSON DOWSON, the younger, and ALFRED Dowson,
both of Victoria Street, Westminster, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FOUNDATIONS FOR PIERS, BRIDGES, AND
SUCH LIKE STRUCTURES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements applicable to the
construction of foundations used in building piers, bridges, and other such
like structures, and consists in methods of strengthening or increasing
their bearing surfaces, and thereby preventing their tendency to sink

page_text: or settle or to leave the perpendicular under the superincumbent load
they are destined to support.
As an example of the Invention, where iron tubes, caissons, or
cylinders are sunk deeply into the bed of a river or elsewhere to form
the foundation of the structure, we propose to apply bearing or base
plates beneath the bottom edge of the cylinder, caisson, or tube, such
plates being formed with a flat under surface, the upper surface, which
is passed under the cylinder, caisson, or tube, being oblique or in form of
a wedge or otherwise, and terminating in a plane surface for the support
of the cylinder, caisson, or tube, immediately within which a flange of
Liron on the base plate bears against the internal surface of the
cylinder, caisson, or tube, and the horizontal portion of the flange is then
bolted to a corresponding flange formed on the interior of the cylinder,
caisson, or tube, and thus the two are firmly secured together, or they
may be secured together in any other convenient manner. The base plate
may be strengthened by webs when the webs are placed on that portion
of the base plate which is intended to extend outwards beyond the external
surface of the cylinder, caisson, or tube by webs of any convenient form,
and we propose to pass the same through corresponding apertures cut in
the bottom of the cylinders, caissons, or tubes. It will be understood
that the cylinders, caissons, or tubes to which these improvements are
applicable may be of any section or form and built up in any series of
divisions or segments, the object being the same under all circumstances.
Another example consists in forming the cylinder, caisson, or tube
with a series of horizontal slots or apertures at a suitable elevation from
the bottom, through which the bearing plates are inserted. The webs
may be extended the entire length of the plates, and corresponding
apertures formed in the cylinder, caisson, or tube beneath its internal
flange, and communicating with the horizontal apertures admit the
free passage of the bearing plates which are bolted to the cylinder,
caisson, or tube in any convenient manner as first stated. The curve or
outline of the flanges on the plates are to be made to suit the internal
form of the cylinder, caisson, or tube, and where the plates are not
required to be applied entirely around the bottom of the cylinder, caisson,
or tube their sides may be parallel, but when they are to be placed edge
to edge around the entire base of the cylinder, caisson, or tube their sides
will form radii to a centre or be so otherwise formed as to ensure their
fitting together.

page_text: By this Invention it is obvious that such an extent of bearing
surface may be presented to the cylinders, caissons, or tubes by the
application of the base plates that the weight of the structure will not
cause them to settle, and they can be made to support that weight
independent of any concrete, masonry, or other fitting. The bearing.or
base plates, as they project beyond the external surface of the cylinder,
caisson, or tube, will also considerably assist to prevent the cylinder,
caisson, or tube from being forced from the perpendicular owing to the
resistance of the solid ground above them.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Joseph Emerson Dowson and Alfred Dowson
in the Great Scal Patent Office on the 19th November 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOSEPH
EMERSON DOWSON, the younger, and ALFRED Dowson, both of Victoria
Street, Westminster, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineers,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nintecuth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-niuc, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Joseph Emerson Dowson and Alfred
Dowson, Her special licence that we, the said Joseph Emerson Dowson
and Alfred Dowson, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as we, the said Joseph Emerson Dowson and Alfred
Dowson, our 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 THE CONSTRUCTION OF FOUNDATIONS FOR PIERS, BRIDGES, AND
SUCH LIKE STRUCTURES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the
said Joseph Emerson Dowson and Alfred Dowson, our executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one
of their hands and scals, should particularly describe and ascertain the

page_text: nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the samo 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 Alfred Dowson, do hereby declare
the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by tho
following statement:-
Our Invention relates to certain improvements applicable to the
construction of foundations used in building piers, bridges, and other
such like structures, and consists in methods of strengthening or
increasing their bearing surfaces, and thereby preventing their tendency
to sink or settle or to leave the perpendicular under the superincumbent
load they are destined to support.
.
As an example of the Invention, where iron tubes, caissons, or
cylinders are sunk deeply into the bed of a river or elsewhere to form
the foundation of the structure, we propose to apply bearing or base
plates bonoath the bottom edge of the cylinder, caisson, or tube, such
plates being formed with a flat under surface, or with one or both
surfaces curvilinear or diagonal to the basc line, the upper surface,
which is passed under the cylinder, caisson, or tube, being oblique
or in form of a wedge or otherwise, and terminating in a plane surface
for the support of the cylinder, caisson, or tube, immediately within
which a flange of L iron or other form of iron on the base plate bears
against the internal surface of the cylinder, caisson, or tube, and the
horizontal portion of the flange is then bolted to a corresponding flange
formed on the interior of the cylinder, caisson, or tube, and thus the
two are firmly secured together, or they may be secured together in
any other convenient manner. The base plate may be strengthened by
webs of any convenient form, and when the wehs are placed on that
portion of the base plate which is intended to extend outwards beyond
the external surface of the cylinder, caisson, or tube we propose to pass
the same through corresponding apertures cut in the bottom of the
cylinders, caissons, or tubes. It will be understood that the cylinders,
caissons, or tubes to which these improvements are applicable may bo
of any section or form, and built up in any series of divisions or
segments, the object being the same under all circumstances,

page_text: Another example consists in forming the cylinder, caisson, or tube
with a series of horizontal slots or apertures at a suitable elevation from
the bottom through which the bearing plates are inserted. The webs
may be extended the entire length of the plates, and corresponding
apertures formed in the cylinder, caisson, or tube beneath its internal
flange, and communicating with the horizontal apertures admit the free
passage of the bearing plates which are bolted to the cylinder, caisson,
or tube in any convenient manner, as first stated. The curve or outline
of the flanges on the plates are to be made to suit the internal form of
the cylinder, caisson, or tube, and where the plates are not required to
be applied entirely around the bottom of the cylinder, caisson, or tube
their sides may be parallel; but when they are to be placed edge to edge
around the entire base of the cylinder, caisson, or tube their sides will
form radii to a centre, or be so otherwise formed as to ensure their fitting
together.
By this Invention it is obvious that such an extent of bearing surface
may be presented to the cylinders, caissons, or tubes by the application
of the base plates that the weight of the structure will not cause them
to settle, and they can be made to support that weight independent of
any concrete, masonry, or other filling. The bearing or base plates, as
they project beyond the external surface of the cylinder, caisson, or
tube, will also considerably assist to prevent the cylinder, caisson, or tube
from being forced from the perpendicular owing to the resistance of
the solid ground above them.
This Invention is also applicable to the purpose of anchoring or
mooring the chains of suspension bridges.
In order that our Invention may be more clearly understood we refer
to the annexed Drawings.
The first example is shewn by Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, in which Fig. 1
is a plan of cylinder with one base plate; Fig. 2, an inside elevation of
part of cylinder; Fig. 3, a section of the same; Fig. 4, a plan of the
base plate and Fig. 5, a section of base plate shewing attachment to
cylinder.
The second example is shewn by Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10; Fig. 6
being a plan of cylinder with one base plate passing through grooves in
the cylinder; Fig. 7 being an inside elevation of part of cylinder; Fig. 8
is a section of the same through the line A, A; Fig. 9 is a plan of the

page_text: base plate; and Fig. 10 is a section of the base plate shewing attachment
to cylinder.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, we would remark that we
do not restrict ourselves to the precise details or configuration of parts
which we have expressed and shewn, as the same may obviously be
modified or varied according to circumstances without in any degree
departing from the principles on which the Invention is based; but
what we claim and desire to be secured to us by the heroin in part
recited Letters Patent are, the improvements in the construction of
foundations for piers, bridges, and such like structures, consisting in the
application of bearing or base plates to cylinders, caissons, or tubes,
substantially as herein specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Dowson, have hereunto sct
my hand and scal, this Eleventh day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
Witness,
C. F. Cox,
S. Com'. R.N.,
New Brighton,
Cheshire.
A. DOWSON. (L.S.)