IMPROVEMENTS IN AND " RELATING TO MARINE AND FLUVIAL STRUCTURES TO SERVE AS FOUNDATIONS FOR THE ERECTION AND SUPPORT OF FORTS PIERS JETTIES BRIDGES AND " OTHER SIMILAR STRUCTURES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Garrett Tongue of the firm of Tongue and Birkbeck
Patent Agents and Engineers of 34 Southampton Buildings Chancery Lane
in the County of Middlesex for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN AND
"
RELATING TO MARINE AND FLUVIAL STRUCTURES TO SERVE AS FOUNDATIONS
FOR THE ERECTION AND SUPPORT OF FORTS PIERS JETTIES BRIDGES AND
"
OTHER SIMILAR STRUCTURES A communication to him from abroad by
Charles James Keenan of Paris France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Garrett Tongue at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th August 1882.
JOHN GARRETT TONGUE, of the firm of Tongue and Birkbeck Patent Agents
and Engineers of 34, Southampton Buildings Chancery Lane in the County
of Middlesex, "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO MARINE AND FLUVIAL
STRUCTURES TO SERVE AS FOUNDATIONS FOR THE ERECTION AND SUPPORT 0x
" A communi-
FORTS PIERS JETTIES BRIDGES AND OTHER SIMILAR STRUCTURES
cation to me from abroad by Charles James Keenan of Paris France.
Maritime and fluvial structures which have been constructed up to the present
time may be classified under two principal heads with regards to the character of
their foundations.
In one case they lie on the bottom of the sea or river either directly or through
the agency of piles. Such are piers jetties and booms. In the other case they
float on the surface. of the water such for example are floating ferries pontoons and
buoys.
It is the combination of these two systems which constitutes the object of this
invention being akin to the first system on account of its stability and to the
second in the simplicity of its installation

page_text: Suppose a body air and water tight lighter than water for instance tanks full
of air and plunged into water to a certain distance from the bottom and if
these tanks are held down by cables or chains attached to the bottom by anchors
or by weights of an adequate weight it is clear these bodies will have a tendency
to come up to the surface being actuated by the well known force of ascension
which operates in an opposite direction to that due to their weight. Thus
according to this invention advantage is taken of the opposition of two distinct
forces to obtain a basis on which a superstructure can be raised.
Again suppose these air tight bodies suspended in an inert or quiet portion
of the water which position can easily be realized in a river or lake as also in the
sea by keeping it beneath the zone of motion of the waves. Under these
circumstances these bodies will occupy a fixed position which will depend upon the
length of the cables or chains which connect it with the earth at the bottom
moreover it will be capable of bearing a load equal to its force of buoyancy minus
its own weight and that of the cables or chains."
By this means a hydrostatic basis will have been obtained with an ever constant
level which may be considered as a submerged raft on which to raise a super-
structure rising above the level of the water. In practice it will be advantageous
to connect together several tanks by cross-pieces or girders so as to form a platform
on which the superstructure may be raised
Such is the new and distinctive character of this invention the following being
examples of the manner of putting the same in practice.
A submarine construction of the above character may consist of four or more
caissons bound together by tie-pieces and held down by cables or chains or
articulated links which in their turn are secured to the bottom by anchors or by
weights. These caissons are made of plates of iron or steel which are riveted
together.
Upon these floating caissons which are thus held down under water are raised
structures of iron plate bound together by straight and oblique cross-pieces.
Upon these pillars which emerge above the surface of the water a platform is
laid down which serves as a basis for the ultimate structure which is to be built
thereon.
The application of this system to the construction of a bridge such as would be
required over a river of great depth or with a loose or non resisting bottom by
means of caissons which are used to support the piles of an iron bridge.
A caisson or caissons may be arranged so as to support a fixed ball of metal or
other material set up in the open sea and easily seen by passing vessels. This ball
is thus above and independent of the waves and in consequence of the fixity of its
elevation or level it will serve to show the height of the tide from the height it is
above the level of the sea.
Moreover it may be combined with a flag the staff of which may rest on a float
which will rise and fall with tho water. The varying height of the flag above the
fixed ball will show the height of the sea above low water level
In certain cases the caissons in place of being metal may consist of water tight
boxes or barrels or simpler still of logs of light wood or india rubber bags or skins
or leather or canvas bags and in fact of any material and volume whatever which
possesses floating properties.
Thus this invention consists ;
First in the use of coffers caissons or any other floating bodies whatever held
down under the surface of the water by ties or other fastenings holding on to the
bottom by means of anchors weights or any other means so as to constitute a
hydrostatic basis for supporting any required structure such as a raft platform
bridge landing stage or other similar structures.
Second, the option of connecting together of several of these caissons or
submerged floats so as to constitute either below or above the surface of the

page_text: water a platform on which may be raised any required structure by the utilization
of the opposition between the upward force due to the tendency of the float to
rise to the surface and the downward force due to the connection with the soil.
Third, The application of these caissons forming a hydrostatic basis for all kinds
of structures whether marine or fluvial at a greater or less height above water for
the support of piles of bridges without foundations for fixed buoys signals and
other like works or purposes.
Fourth The capability of making these floats forming a hydrostatic basis for
structures of all kinds and sizes out of iron steel wood india rubber and any other
suitable material

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Garrett Tongue in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th February 1883.
"
JOHN GARRETT TONGUE of the Firm of Tongue and Birkbeck Patent Agents
and Engineers of 34 Southampton Buildings Chancery Lane in the County
of Middlesex IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO MARINE AND FLUVIAL
STRUCTURES TO SERVE AS FOUNDATIONS FOR THE ERECTION AND SUPPORT OF
FORTS PIERS JETTIES BRIDGES AND OTHER SIMILAR STRUCTURES." A communi-
cation to me from abroad by Charles James Keenan of Paris France.
Maritime and fluvial structures which have been constructed up to the present
time may be classified under two principal heads with regard to the character of
their foundation.
In one case they lie on the bottom of the sea or river either directly or through
the agency of piles. Such are piers, jetties and booms. In the other case they
float on the surface of the water such for example are floating ferries, pontoons and
buoys.
It is the combination of these two systems which constitutes the object of this
invention being akin to the first system on account of its stability and to the second
in the simplicity of its installation.
Suppose a body air and water tight lighter than water for instance tanks full of
air and plunged into water to a certain distance from the bottom and if these tanks
are held down by cables or chains attached to the bottom by anchors or by weights
of an adequate weight it is clear these bodies will have a tendency to come up to
the surface being actuated by the well known force of ascension which operates in
an opposite direction to that due to their weight. Thus according to this invention
advantage is taken of the opposition of two distinct forces to obtain a basis on which
a superstructure can be raised.
Again suppose these air tight bodies suspended in an inert or quiet portion of
the water which position can easily be realized in a river or lake as also in the
sea by keeping it beneath the zone of motion of the waves. Under these
circumstances these bodies will occupy a fixed position which will depend upon the
length of the cables or chains which connect it with the earth at the bottom more-
over it will be capable of bearing a load equal to its force of buoyancy minus its
own weight and that of the cables or chains.
By this means a hydrostatic basis will have been obtained with an ever constant
level which may be considered as a submerged raft on which to raise a super-
structure rising above the level of the water. In practice it will be advantageous
to connect together several tanks by cross-pieces or girders so as to form a
platform on which the superstructure may be raised.
Such is the new and distinctive character of this invention the following being
examples of the manner of putting the same in practice.
Figures 1 and 2 show in elevation and plan a submarine construction of the
above character which may consist of four or more caissons A bound together by
tie-pieces a a and held down by cables or chains b b or articulated links which in
their turn are secured to the bottom by anchors c c or by weights d d. These
caissons are made of plates of iron or steel which are rivetted together.
Upon these floating caissons which are thus held down under water are raised
structures B B of iron plate bound together by straight and oblique cross-
pieces e, e Upon those pillars which emerge above the surface of the water a
platform C is laid down which serves as a basis for the ultimate structure which is
to be built thereon.

page_text: Figure 3 shows the application of this system to the construction of a bridge
such as would be required over a river of great depth or with a loose or non
resisting bottom by means of caissons A A which are used to support the piles DD
of an iron bridge.
Figure 4 represents a caisson or caissons which is or may be arranged so as to
support a fixed ball E of metal or other material set up in the open sea and easily
seen by passing vessels. This ball is thus above and independent of the waves and
in consequence of the fixity of its elevation or level it will serve to show the height
of the tide from the height it is above the level of the sea.
Moreover it may be combined with a Bag F the staff of which may rest on a
float which will rise and fall with the water. The varying height of the flag above
the fixed ball will show the height of the sea above low water level.
In certain cases the caissons in place of being metal may consist of water tight
boxes or barrels or simpler still of logs of light wood or india rubber bags or skins
or leather or canvas bags and in fact of any material and volume whatever which
possesses floating properties.
Having thus described the nature of the invention, communicated to me from
abroad and the manner of performing or carrying the same into practice it must be
clearly understood that no claim is made to any of the parts separately which are
well known and in common use, But what I claim on behalf of the said Charles
James Keenan is;
First. The improved arrangement application and use of coffers caissons or any
other floating bodies whatever held down under the surface of the water by ties or
other fastenings holding on to the bottom by means of anchors weights or any
other means so as to constitute a hydrostatic basis for supporting any required
super structure such as a raft platform bridge landing stage or other similar
structures, substantially in the manner hereinbefore described and represented in
the drawings hereto annexed.
Second. The connecting together or combination of several of these caissons or
submerged floats so as to constitute either below or above the surface of the water
a platform on which may be raised any required super structure by the utilization
of the opposition between the upward force due to the tendency of the float to rise
to the surface and the downward force due to the connection with the soil
substantially in the manner and for the purpose hereinbefore described and illustrated
by the drawings hereto annexed.
Third. The improved arrangement and application of these caissons forming a
hydrostatic basis for all kinds of super structures whether marine or fluvial at a
greater or less height above water for the support or piles of bridges without
foundations for fixed buoys signals and other like works or purposes substantially
in the manner herein before described and represented in the drawings hereto
annexed.
In witness whereof I the said John Garrett Tongue have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Twenty eighth day of February in the year of our Lord
One thouound sight hundred and nighter than