Improvements are also in Bridges, Part or Parts of which Applicable for Caissons for Closing or Opening Entrances to Docks or in other Analogous Positions.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Dec., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 10th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 2nd Nov., 1888
Improvements
are also
in Bridges, Part or Parts of which
Applicable for Caissons for Closing or Opening Entrances to
Docks or in other Analogous Positions.
EDWARD WILLIAM IVES, 135 Gerard Street, Derby Civil Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
The first part of my invention has for its object to provide for the transmission of
railway, roadway, or pedestrian traffic over a waterway, without interfering with the
navigation of the said waterway, and in such a manner as to dispense with what are
commonly known as swing, draw, or lift bridges.
This part of my invention consists in placing a pair or more of trussed triangular
or other girders parallel to each other, encasing them with iron or other material so
as to float them, across the waterway at such a height and with such openings through
the triangular girders as will enable snall craft to pass through the Bridge when it is
placed on its bearings, in position to carry the traffic across the waterway. When I
wish to move the Bridge so as to give a clear opening across the waterway for the
passage of large vessels, I lift or lower the Bridge from its bearings by incans of
moveable pontoons worked by a stationary engine or by hydraulic or other motive
power, placed within the Bridge. After the Bridge is taken from its bearings I
connect the Bridge by means of locking bolts to a radial arm or arms, working
freely upon a vertical post. The said radial arm or arms are placed at either corner
of the bridge according to the direction in which I desire to float or move the bridge
clear of the waterway.
Another improvement in Bridges or Caissons to Docks comprised in this invention
has for its object that the whole of the machinery for lifting, lowering, & moving
the bridge or Caissons shall be contained within the Bridge or Caisson and shall float
with it, thus dispensing with heavy foundations or piers and giving a clear and
uninterrupted passage for navigating the waterway or Dock.
Dated this Seventh day of December 1887.

page_text: Improvements in Bridges, Part or Parts of which are also
Applicable for Caissons for Closing or Opening Entrances to
Docks or in other Analogous Positions.
I, EDWARD WILLIAM IVES, of 24, Petworth Street, Battersea, in the County of
Surrey, Civil 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 improvements in bridges; part or parts of which are also
applicable to caissons for closing or opening entrances to docks, canals, rivers,
harbours, or in other analogous positions.
In order that my invention, and the means by which the same may be carried into
practical effect, may be thoroughly understood, I will proceed to describe them in
detail, referring in so doing to the accompanying drawings which are to be taken as
part of this specification and read therewith.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation illustrating the application of my invention to a five-span
bridge.
Fig. 2 is a plan corresponding therewith.
The object of the first part of my invention is to provide for the transmission of
railway, roadway, or pedestrian traffic over a water-way without interfering with the
navigation of the said water-way, and in such a manner as to dispense with what are
commonly known as swing, pivot, draw, or lift bridges.
A, B are a pair of trussed girders of suitable strength, strongly fastened or con-
nected together at their several points of intersection, a, a. There may be more than
the two external pairs of girders according to the dimensions of the bridge and the
load to be carried, but no matter how many pairs are employed, they are to be so
placed as to carry the weight.
The submerged part of a bridge constructed according to my invention is formed
of a series of triangles b, b, which are encased along the bottom, c, the ends d, up the
sides; and along the top, e, up to the superstructure, with a suitable casing, pre-
ferably of metal plates, so as to form a hollow watertight submerged floating
substructure.
This substructure is suitably braced, and displaces almost sufficient water to support
the total dead-weight, leaving only a small portion to be supported by the piers so as
to ensure stability.
Suitable pier-tops, or imposts, f, are constructed upon the substructure.
Under each end of the bridge, (or in designs where there are, for instance, three
arches in which case I may place them in any convenient position), I construct a
pontoon or pontoons G, G; and it is the joint buoyancy of these and the substructure,
that supports the bridge in the same plane as the roadway H.
When the bridge is in position across the stream as illustrated in the accompanying
Figure 1, the substructure is sufficiently low for small craft to pass through the
arches; but to allow large craft to use the waterway, the bridge is swung into a dock
on either side, as next described, leaving the waterway clear from bank to bank and
from surface to bed.

page_text: I is a dock either above- or below-bridge, and in the bank of the stream or canal.
J, J are vertical posts standing back from the parting between bridge and roadway,
and by the side of the latter.
On these posts, radial arms K, K, are adapted to turn and slide. The outer ends
of the latter and the bridge are provided with suitable locking devices by which
either arm can be firmly connected to its respective bridge-side, as may be required
for the purpose of clearing the water-way.
The ends of the bridge are rounded or oblique to allow of the radial action that
necessarily takes place.
When it is required to float the bridge clear into dock, the pontoons G G are
forced downwards by any suitable device until the bridge is floated up from off its
bearings. An arm K, (the one next the dock, if there is a dock both above and
below bridge, into which the bridge is to be floated) is firmly bolted to the bridge,
and the latter either by methods usually applied to dock gates, or by screw propellers
floated into the dock; the arm, K, turning upon its post, J, as a centre, as indicated
by either set of dotted lines in Fig. 2.
The effect of placing the centres of movement back from the parting lines, 1, is
that the bridge will swing clear of the road-parapets, and other adjacent parts, and
return into its position over its bearings without the risk of colliding with any portion
of the approaches.
The second part of my invention relates to the position of the machinery for
controlling the pontoons, and for moving the bridge to and fro between the dock and
its seat.
It has hitherto been the practice to place such machinery either on shore, or within
a pier at any rate, in a stationary position.
Now, according to my present invention, I fix all the necessary machinery, both
engines and pumps, within the floating substructure.
Suitable ventilating and communicating devices are provided for the use of the
engineer. The space required for both engines, pumps, hydraulic accumulators, or
other necessary machinery and accessories, will in the majority, if not in all cases, be
less than that afforded by the size of the substructure. Part of the space may be
used as reservoirs for coal gas as fuel or motive power.
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
1. The combination with the superstructure of a bridge, of a hollow watertight
substructure adapted, in respect of its buoyancy, to support the bridge as set forth.
2. The combination of superstructure, hollow watertight substructure, pontoons,
dock, and radial arms, as set forth.
3. The combination of superstructure, hollow-watertight substructure and
machinery for controlling the movable pontoons and effecting the motion of the
bridge between its seat and dock, as set forth.
Dated this 10th day of September 1888.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Patent Agents,
22, Southampton Buildings, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.