Improvements in and connected with Means for Carrying Vehioles, Merchandize, and Passengers between Shores or Banks Separated by Water.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Dec., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 17th Sept., 1894-Accepted, 10th Nov. 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Means for Carrying Vehioles,
Merchandize, and Passengers between Shores or Banks Separated
by Water.
I DANISY MARTIN of 15 Rue des Halles, Paris, in the Republic of France,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
This invention relates to a novel manner of crossing a strait, an estuary, or a
river, by a railway train, as well as by other vehicles, and by foot passengers,
whether the tide is running or not.
The invention consists in a bridge formed of a suitable number of piers, joined
together, or crowned at the top, by a large open-work girder (which does not
impede free passage of the water), furnished with rails, and situated as much below
the level of the water as will clear the draught of the heaviest ships.
On the rails laid on the upper part of the girder or girders of such a bridge, runs
a carrying car, which tranships from one bank to the other the trains or other
means of transport, as well as foot passengers. This car (solidly resting by its
wheels on the lines of rails fixed to the upper part of the girder) supports, by a
trellis-work frame, a platform situated above the water, on which platform the
railway and other carriages are run, and which also carries packages of merchandize
and foot passengers.
The car takes somewhat the form of the boats of passage known as ferry-boats,
with this difference, that as it rolls instead of floating, it must be towed or pulled.
by means of a cable, or actuated by a machine situated on board.
In order that the banks of the passage to be crossed should be free, the car
enters, at each of the ends of the line, into locks with sluice gates, which are
preferably double, and capable, in case of repairs, of being transformed into dry
docks, and of presenting a great extension of quays for docks or general
warehouses.
The girder of the bridge is formed of interchangeable parts, so as to allow of
replacement and repairs, in case of wear or of structural defects.
The car contains a chamber large enough to give a base sufficiently solid to resist
auy 'overturning movement, and high enough for people to walk about with ease.
This chamber communicates by wells furnished with stairs, with the upper part of
the car, the base of which, placed high enough above the level of the water, is
arranged to withstand the force of the waves, without resisting them.
The upper part of the boat is strong and watertight, and is so arranged, that if,
from any cause, the girder should give way, the car would float by reason of air
chambers wherewith it is provided.
'
By the aid of the lower chamber, traversed by the various axles furnished with
the necessary number of smooth wheels, or toothed wheels gearing into a rack; the
weight or pressure of the car upon the rails may be increased or diminished, by
letting more or less water into this chamber, and in the lower part by means of the
compressed air generated on the car.
Tanks or wells for water, in which work the wheels in contact with the rails, are
unk through the upper and lower walls of the air chamber, and allow of these parts
being inspected; the inspection of the packing and grease boxes may be made from
the interior of the lower chamber.

page_text: The submarine bridge may be utilized for supporting pneumatic tubes for the
passage of despatches, or small packages, for electric cables, or conduits for water
or gas.
Dated this 13th day of December 1893.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in and connected with Means for Carrying Vehicles,
Merchandize, and Passengers between Shores or Banks Separated
by Water.
I'DANISY MARTIN of 15 Rue des Halles, Paris, in the Republic of France,
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 :-
My improvements (which are illustrated diagrammatically in the accompanying
drawing) consist of a bridge of piles, arches and hollow piers B' the top or platform of.
which is provided with rails B (smooth or toothed) situate a sufficient distance
below the surface of the water so that ships of the heaviest tonnage may be
navigated over the same, without any danger, and upon which bridge, combined
with the end piers a &b (furnished with doors, not shewn) which can thereby be
transformed into dry chambers, a transporting carriage X travels, the lower part of
which carriage containing a certain number of air chambers R, is submerged
the upper part of which containing also air chambers, emerging from the water,
is made in the form of a viaduct with handrails and large platforms, lines of rails
and foot bridges, to receive railway trains upon said rails, also carriages, freight,
animals and other objects and foot passengers for crossing or traversing from one
bank to the other of a river or a lake or a strait.
The end piers a b being. provided above with rails (which make joint with those
carried on the top of the bridge. below, the sea level) are bordered by quays and
warehouses and the upper rails of the travelling carriage are at exactly the same
height as the line of rails upon either bank whether single or double track.
...
Hollow piers furnished with doors, to enable them to be transformed into dry
chambers for the purposes of repairs are similarly disposed (at each end) of the
piers or bridges of approach.
The platform of the bridge below the surface of the water, can be made large
enough for two travelling carriages to move simultaneously one one way and one
the other. Each transport carriage can be drawn from bank to bank by a cable or
may carry itself the necessary motive power for its movement by actuating a
suitable number of wheels.
:
The axles of the wheels I traverse water tight stuffing boxes and the lower air.
chambers R are likewise water tight and communicate with the upper platform of
the transport carriage by shafts P in which are disposed staircases or lifts, said
shafts P as well as the platform being sufficiently high out of water to be
unaffected by the waves. The transmission of motion to the axles of the wheels.
may be effected from the top of the platform of the carriage either mechanically'
or electrically by any known means or by machinery placed in the lower air
chambers R. The top of the bridge, for the purpose of repairs may be constructed
with interchangeable floating parts.
Other lower air chambers communicating by a tube with the outside water may
be made to contain, besides ballast, should it be necessary, a greater or less quantity:
of water, according to the degree of stability or adherence which it is thought
desirable to give to the transport carriage: X as circumstances require and which
can likewise be made to float. The chambers being all made watertight except as

page_text: regards the tube above mentioned, the level can be varied and consequently the
quantity of water introduced, by means of air more or less compressed.
Between the two lines of ordinary smooth rails sufficiently wide apart to prevent
any overturning and upon which run the wheels which have smooth tyres may be
placed a toothed rack into which gear pinions strengthened by lateral cheeks.
These pinions advance at the same rate of speed as the wheels.
The upper part of the transport carriage X forming the railed-in viaduct takes
the form of a shell having air chambers which are watertight so that if by any
circumstance the carriage no longer rests upon the bridge, it cannot in any case
siuk: This upper part of the transport carriage is connected to the lower submerged
part, not only by the shafts having stairs or lifts, but also by openwork piers or
uprights, preferably cross-tied, so as to offer the least possible resistance to the
water.
The box N (see Fig. 4) attached to the trusses A' which support the rail, is one
of a set of air boxes, which, by their buoyancy, tend to hold up the rails, under the
carriage weight, between the piers of the bridge.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim, is:-
As a means of transit between two shores or banks, a submerged bridge carrying
rails, a transport carriage or carriages constructed as explained; running upon the
said rails between docks situated at either end of the bridge, and arranged to
receive vehicles, passengers, or merchandize, to be transported, substantially as
described.
Dated this 15th day of September 1894.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.