IMPROVEMENTS IN CAISSONS AND FOUNDATIONS FOR BRIDGES, PIERS, AND OTHER STRUCTURES UNDER WATER
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Edwards, of No. 4, Park Road Villas,
Battersea, in the County of Surrey, Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CAISSONS AND FOUNDATIONS FOR BRIDGES, PIERS, AND
OTHER STRUCTURES UNDER WATER."
Sealed the 24th August 1860, and dated the 2nd March 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Edwards at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with bis Petition, on the
2nd March 1860.
I, GEORGE EDWARDS, of No. 4, Park Road Villas, Battersea, in the County
of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CAISSONS AND FOUNDATIONS FOR BRIDGES, PIERS, AND OTHER
STRUCTURES UNDER WATER," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in the use of a caisson, with a bottom of sufficient
strength to carry the required superstructure, such bottom having formed in
it a number of holes corresponding with the number of piles intended to be
driven or worked into the ground, such holes being also of the size of the piles
in their cross section. The holes or sockets, for the piles are provided with
stuffing boxes packed with an india-rubber ring, or other elastic packing, to
prevent the water from entering the caisson, which is thereby rendered
water-tight..

page_text: In some cases I prefer to use piles screwed throughout, in which cases the
holes or sockets should have an internal screw formed in them, so as to form
the nuts for the piles; and when the ordinary piles, or those with a screw only
at the point for passing into the ground are used, the said holes or sockets
need only be cast cylindrical.
The cuisson may be made in water-tight compartments, in order to facilitate
the sinking of the same to its required depth by letting water into some of
these compartments while the remainder are empty. But the caisson may be
otherwise constructed, and sunk to its required depth.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Edwards in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th August 1860.
TO ALLTO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
EDWARDS, of No. 4, Park Road Villas, Battersea, in the County of Surrey,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight bundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said George Edwards, Her special license that I, the said
George Edwards, my executors, administrators, or such others as I, the
said George Edwards, my 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN CAISSONS AND FOUNDATIONS FOR BRIDGES, PIERS, AND OTHER STRUCTURES
UNDER WATER," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George
Edwards, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same 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 George Edwards, do, hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following

page_text: statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
My Invention of "Improvements in Caissons and Foundations for Bridges,
Piers, and other Structures under Water," consists in the use of a caisson, with
a bottom of sufficient strength to carry the required superstructure; such
bottom having formed in it a number of holes corresponding with the number
of piles intended to be driven or worked into the ground, such holes being also of
the size of the piles in their cross section. The holes or sockets for the piles are
provided with stuffing boxes packed with an india-rubber ring, or other elastic
packing, to prevent the water from entering the caisson, which is thereby
rendered water-tight.
. In some cases I prefer to use piles screwed throughout, in which cases the
holes or sockets should have an internal screw formed in them, so as to form
the nuts for the piles; and when the ordinary piles, or those with a screw
only at the point for passing into the ground are used, the said holes or sockets
need only be cast cylindrical.
The caisson may be made in water-tight compartments, in order to facilitate
the sinking of the same to its required depth by letting water into some of
these compartments, while the remainder are empty. But the caisson may be
otherwise constructed, and sunk to its required depth.
Having thus stated the nature of the said Invention, I will proceed to
describe more particularly in what manner the same is to be performed by the
aid of the accompanying Drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a plan or horizontal view, Fig. 2 a longitudinal section,. and
Fig. 3 an end elevation, of a bridge pier, being a structure of the kind
referred to as structures to which my Invention is applicable; Figures 4, 5,
6, and 7 are sections; and Figures 8, 9, 10, and 11 are plans of some of the
different forms of piles which are applicable to my Invention. a, b, c, d,
represents the caisson of the form required by the pier, which may be made of
iron, wood, or any other material preferred, and its sides may be either used
temporarily or permanently, as required; b, c, is the base of the caisson,
having in it the holes or sockets e, through which are screwed the piles f;
9 are the plates of the stuffing box, which tighten the packing h; i are levelling
discs or feet, which are screwed down by the shafts k, passing through the
guides and the nut m; n are screws for detaching the levelling apparatus when
the piles are driven. By this means the case may be made and kept level
before and during the driving of the piles; o are partitions dividing the caisson

page_text: into five compartments, in each of which is a valve p for the introduction. of
water for the purpose of sinking and balancing the caisson during the driving
of the piles and other operations, which partitions may either be used tem-
porarily or permanently, as required; 7 is a pile screwed. throughout; and
intended to be driven by being turned through the socket r, s, forming the nut
in the bottom of the caisson; t is a cylindrical pile intended to be driven by
turning the screwed shaft u, which passes through the nut v, and which nut
being attached to the caisson, causes its weight to bear on the pile, and force
it into the ground; w are square and round piles intended to be driven by
blows, or otherwise.
.
In some cases the piles have à disc form at or near their foot, so as to
prevent their entering into or beyond a given distance through the solid
ground. Any of these, or other shaped piles, which I employ may be made of
wood or iron, or of both combined, hollow or solid, and of any form suitable
for the foundation required; while the thread or worm of the piles may be of
any form preferred.
:
My mode of immersing and fixing the caisson is as follows:-I construct
the caisson in any convenient place at the side of the river or water where it
'is intended for, and when sufficiently finished I insert the piles, or their shoes,
in their holes or socket, and the whole caisson being then water-tight, . I
launch it, or otherwise place it in the water, where it floats. I then tow the
'caisson to its required site, and lower it to the bottom by letting the water
into one or more of the compartments. I then screw the levelling apparatus
till it raises the caisson to its intended level, and afterwards procced to drive
the piles by any convenient process. On the piles being driven, they may be
cut off and secured to the bottom by means of the cover plate x, and the water
being pumped out, the caisson may be filled with masonry, concrete, or any
other material preferred.
I would remark that in some cases the caisson may be closed at the top in
order to admit of the employment of compressed air for driving the piles,
particularly when the piles used are hollow cast-iron piles of large dimensions,
and open at the bottom.
.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I do hereby declare that what I claim
as of my Invention is, the caisson of any required form, with holes in the
bottom thereof, through which piles are driven for the purpose of either
supporting it or retaining it in place; such holes or sockets for the pilés being
provided with stuffing boxes and packing to make the caisson water-tight, as
herein-before described. Also, in combination with the caisson, the use of

page_text: piles screwed throughout, and passing through female screws or nuts, as
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Edwards, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty-eighth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
GEORGE EDWARDS. (L.S.)