IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING SUS- PENSION BRIDGES AND VIADUCTS
Year: 1845

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
HEATHCOTE RUSSELL, of Millbank Street, Westminster, Civil Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present' most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent bearing date at Westminster, the Fourth day of Decem-
ber, in the ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Henry Heathcote Russell, my exors, admors,
and assigns, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that
I, the said Henry Heathcote Russell, my exors, adññors, and assigns, or. such
others as I, the said Henry Heathcote Russell, my exors, adiñiors, 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 lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING SUS-
PENSION BRIDGES AND VIADUCTS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a
proviso that I, the said Henry Heathcote Russell, shall cause a particular
description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the .date

page_text: of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference
being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that, in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Henry Heathcote Russell, do hereby declare that the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully
described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference
being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters
marked thereon (that is to say):-
My improvements in constructing suspension bridges consist of a peculiar
mode of applying the main chains (from which the platform is suspended by
means of suspending rods), whereby in place of the chains hanging in curves
from the upper parts of two towers or piers as heretofore, each chain in
passing from the upper part of one tower or pier descends to a much lower
part of the next tower or pier, and the upper chain from such tower or pier
descends to the lower part of the first mentioned, so that the chains procced-
ing from the upper parts of two towers or piers cross each other at an
intermediate position, and respectively descend to a lower position at the
opposite tower or pier, by which means suspension bridges offering greater
stability and freedom will be obtained. The construction of the details of
suspension bridges being well understood by engineers it will not be necessary
for me to enter into any description thereof in this my Specification, and
the engineer may vary the details of construction according to his judgment,
my Invention being confined to the mode of applying the main suspending
chains.
Figure 1 shows a suspension bridge constructed according to my Invention.
In this case the bridge is constructed with only two piers or towers, one on
each bank of a river or other water, or it may be considered to represent
a viaduct across a space where there is no water. A, B, are the two towers or
piers. C, D, represent two of the suspending chains; any required number of
suspending chains may be similarly applied. The chain C being made fast
in the foundation as heretofore, proceeds to the upper part of the tower or
pier A, then descends to the lower part of the tower or pier B, and is made
fast in the foundation; and in like manner the chain D passes from the fixed
point in the foundation to the upper part of the tower or pier B, and then
descends to the lower part of the pier or tower A, and thence into the founda-
tion, where it is made fast, by which arrangement it will be seen that the
chains C, D, cross each other at the point E intermediate of the towers or
piers A, B, at which point they may if desired be connected. The suspending
rods c, c, c, will be seen to be longest next the pier tower A, and they will.

page_text: decrease in length as they approach the tower or pier B, whilst the suspending
rods b, b, are longest near. the tower or pier B, and they are shorter and.
shorter as they recede from that pier or tower; and it will be seen that the
platform in proceeding from either tower to the centre of the bridge is
supported alternately by a long and short rod suspended from the chains: C, D..
Figure 2 shows another suspension bridge, in which, in addition to the
towers or piers A, B, there is a third pier G, but the arrangement of the
chains is similar; but the middle of the chain at E passes through the pier
or tower G, and it may be there fastened. And I recommend that the chains
C and D in the upper part, and also at the lower part of the towers or piers
A, B, G, should be connected together by other chains descending perpen-
dicularly down into the foundations of the piers, and there made fast, thus
making each arch rigid. In other respects the description above given will
apply to this bridge.
Figure 3 shews another arrangement of a suspension bridge constructed
according to my Invention. In this instance the two chains at the outer piers
I, J, come together, and are at the same level and descend into the founda-
tion, such chains being supported by two towers or piers as is shewn; but it
will be seen that in this case the chains cross each other between the two
piers in the same manner as in Figure 1, as will be understood on examining
the Drawing.
Figure 4 shows another construction of suspension bridge according to my
Invention, where several towers or piers are used; but the mode of applying
the chains is the same as described in respect to Figures 1 and 2, and will
readily be understood on examining the Drawing, where it will be seen that
the chains between the towers or piers cross each other in proceeding respec-
tively from the upper part of one tower or pier to the lower part of the
other tower or pier, and in this manner may suspension bridges and viaducts
be made according to my Invention, the number of piers and towers varying
according to the circumstances of the case.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that what I
claim is, the mode of applying the chains of suspension bridges and viaducts,
as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Heathcote Russell, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-six.
HENRY HEATHCOTE (L.S.) RUSSELL.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Fifteenth day of May, in the
year of our Lord 1846, the aforesaid Henry Heathcote Russell came before
our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specifica-
tion 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.
Enrolled the Fourth day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand