IMPROVED MEANS OF FACILITATING PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Stéphane Clément François Gachet, Professor, of the City
of Paris, in the Republic of France, for the Invention of "IMPROVED MEANS
OF FACILITATING PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Stéphane Clément François
Gachet at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th May 1877.
STÉPHANE CLÉMENT FRANÇOIS GACHET, Professor, of the City of Paris, in the
Republic of France. "IMPROVED MEANS OF FACILITATING PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC."
The object of this Invention is to facilitate pedestrian traffic by the construction
of raised and covered footways running parallel with and contiguous to the houses
or shops, and also for crossings, especially where such parts are crowded and often
blocked by vehicular traffic, rendering the passage of such places dangerous.
These footways or stages are strongly and lightly constructed, and are capable of
being increased or decreased as desired, some of the parts being movable for tho
purpose; that is to say, they may be made to extend or be withdrawn as a bridge
in any required direction with the least possible amount of friction of the moving
bodies; this is effected by an endless chain of rollers in cast or wrought iron passing
round an iron or other block or bracket of an elliptical or oblong form, having the
upper surface perfectly straight for a distance equal to the length of an arm or link,
each end of which serves as an axis to a roller, so that in any position of the rollers
one at least will always be on the level or straight surface of the block. The number
of rollers as well as the dimensions may vary to suit requirements. This arrange-
ment is specially intended to facilitate the notion of the movable stages, so that
they may be increased or decreased as desired. The block or bracket and rollers
may be attached to the stage to be moved, or the stage may move on them.
The roof is formed of ribs of wood or iron bolted together in segments, and
strengthened by laminated ribs above and below; the whole retained in shape by
forked tie rods and king bolts, and a ridge and furrow with water gutters running
longitudinally the length of each furrow; these gutters are connected with light
bars, tying one to another transversely.
The roof windows are opened or closed by a lever screw to each roof light or sash,
and when opened or closed (or in notion) causes the top ridge end of such lights to
n. 11

page_text: part from each other in an upward and outward line until they assume a vertical
position.
One of the characteristic features of the Invention is its independence of any
existing structure; yet this does not preclude its adaptation to or combination
with pre-existing edefices of the most diversified nature, or which may be hereafter
raised.
At suitable points in the stages or galleries, of which there are two or three, one
above the other, lodges or partitions are erected; these may be used for stalls for
the sale of various articles, or as refreshment counters.
The stages communicate one with the other by steps and landings. The first
row of supports is a sufficient distance from the shops to admit the uninterrupted
light of day to the ground floors. Small foot bridges communicate with the houses,
and connect corresponding floors.
Basements and cellars are made beneath the old pavement, and may be used for
various public services; for instance, water supply, gas, telegraph wires, or for
pneumatic and other purposes.
The structure is perfectly sheltered, being glazed above and laterally by movable
screens.
The whole edefice is so constructed as to admit the light thoroughly, so as not
to darken the shops, and lightness and elegance of form is combined with durability
and strength.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Stéphane Clément François Gachet in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 12th November 1877.
"
STÉPHANE CLÉMENT FRANÇOIS GACHET, Professor, of the City of Paris, in the
Republic of France. IMPROVED MEANS OF FACILITATING PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC."
The object of my Invention is to facilitate pedestrian traffic in public thorough-
fares by the construction of raised and covered galleries or footways running along
the pavements parallel with the shops and contiguous thereto, as also for crossings,
especially where such parts are crowded and often blocked by vehicular traffic,
rendering their passage dangerous.
These galleries or stages are lightly and strongly constructed of iron framework,
or iron and wood combined, the footways being capable of increasing or decreasing
at will, some of the parts being movable for the purpose; that is to say, they may
be made to extend or be withdrawn as a bridge in any required direction, with the
least possible amount of friction of the moving bodies; this is effected by an endless
chain of rollers in cast or wrought iron, passing round an iron or other block or
bracket of an elliptical or oblong form, having the upper surface perfectly straight
for a distance equal to the length of an arm or link, each end of which serves as an
axis to a roller, so that in any position of the rollers one at least will always be on
the level or straight surface of the block. The number of rollers as well as the
dimensions may vary to suit requirements. This arrangement is especially suited
to facilitate the notion of the movable stages, so that they may be increased or
decreased, as desired. The block or bracket and rollers may be attached to the
stages to be moved, or the stage may move on them.
The roof is formed of ribs of wood or iron bolted together in segments, and
strengthened by laminated ribs above and below, the whole retained in shape by
forked tie rods and king bolts, and a ridge and furrow with water gutter running
longitudinally the length of each furrow; these gutters are connected with light
bars, tying one to another transversely.
The roof windows are closed by a lever screw to each roof light or sash, and when
opened or closed (or in motion) causes the top ridge of the sun lights to part from
each other in an upward and outward line until they assume a vertical position.

page_text: .
One of the characteristic features of the Invention is its independence of any
existing structure; yet this does not preclude its adaptation to or combination
with pre-existing edefices of the most diversified nature, or which may hereafter be
raised.
With reference to the accompanying Drawings a few examples of the
characteristic features of the Invention will clearly demonstrate the nature of
the Invention.
Figs. 1 to 10 and 11 to 18 represent the edefice running along the street in front
of the shops or houses; Fig. 1 is a transverse section of the system; Fig. 2, a front
elevation; Figs. 3 and 4 and 4bis are plans.
Figs. 5, 6, and 7 (Fig. 5 being a transverse section following the line A, A,) are
modifications of which the structure is susceptible.
Fig. 8 is a section at B, B, of Fig. 9.
•
Fig. 10 is an elevation and longitudinal section of a gallery, with a pavilion
facing the houses.
Fig. 11 is a section at C, C.
Fig. 12 represents a front view of elevations and sections slightly differing.
Fig. 13 is a plan.
Fig. 18, a plan of the arrangement where two streets meet; Fig. 17 is an
elevation.
Figs. 14, 15, and 16 are sections following the lines D, D, E, E, F, F.
Figs. 20 and 21 are a plan of a crossway where the construction is above the road-
way in a longitudinal sense, as shown by Fig. 19, which is a section at G, G, in
which represents the rafters supporting the flooring.
Figs. 22 to 26 show in sectional elevation (Figs. 22, 23, and 24) varieties of the
central structures between two roadways.
Figs. 25 and 26 are plans at H, H, and I, I, of Fig. 24.
In the Drawings in plan the open spaced lines represent the highest parts, and
the close lines show lower portions of the structure.
When the structure is established above a footway running along the shops or
houses, Figs. 1 to 18, the row of uprights s, the nearest to the houses M, are
sufficiently distant therefrom to allow the clear daylight to reach the ground
floors.
The new pathway or gallery borne by a number of rows of supports, deterinined
by the size and nature of the materials employed, extend to a variable height.
Small bridges put it in communication with the corresponding floor or story, as
shown by p, Fig. 1, in dotted lines.
The plan, Fig. 3, shows a bridge with steps; Fig. 4bis, shows a kind of landing placed
at a height of two mètres above the space between the houses and the floor of the
structure, reached by stairs placed longitudinally; another staircase starting from
the landing reaches a mètre higher. The space a and the next part d of the con-
tiguous floor are covered or glazed V; the other part e is covered by a lodge or space
covered laterally.
The space or gallery e (unclosed space) of the Figs. 1 and 2 may, if desired, be
occupied by the lodge or pavilion L, and the gallery occupy its place in the
space f, as in Figs. 5, 6, and 7.
The upper lodges and galleries and terminal terraces communicate with the inter-
mediate floors or with the houses by stairs or foot bridges.
Fig. 11 shows a transverse section of the stairs and a foot bridge; the elevation,
Fig. 10, and a longitudinal section of the same, represent two of these bridges in
combination with a pavilion facing the houses.
In Figs. 5 and 7 the dotted lines illustrate an enlargement of the intermediate
floor, the floor of the space d above the space a separating the. houses. At night
this enlargement may be increased and extend to the houses by means of movable
pieces.
The spaces a, b, c, comprised between the intermediate floor and the ordinary
pavement may be open to the public, or be shut off for various purposes, and be

page_text: more or less closed.
street to the houses.
These several enclosures are divided by the passage from the
Basements and cellars are made below the old footway, Figs. 1 to 23, and are
useful for various public services, water, gas, telegraph tubes, pneumatic, and other
purposes.
Demi-basements may be established similarly disposed to those d, e, Figs. 8, 11,
and 23.
The multiplicity of the new foot passages not only comprise upper floors or
galleries, but stairs also and landings leading to tunnels, if necessary or advan-
tageous.
When required foot bridges extend from the spaces b and c to the houses parallel
with the spaces & above described; and the same for the landing of the Fig. 4bia,
and for the opening; in the plan and Fig. 23.
The structure being perfectly sheltered renders it easy and convenient for placing
stalls for the sale of various articles.
In Figs. 24 to 20, V represents covered ways which, with the foot bridges, face
the houses.
In Fig. 1 one may imagino the sides of the windows or shutters at the sides of
the space d, and the bridges.
In Fig. 5 the pavilion L of the space e has its show windows or stalls towards the
footway d, unless its whole length is occupied by a café or restaurant, or unless the
intermediate floor is enlarged to support it by columns. In the same Fig. 5, and in
Fig. 11 the gallery of the space may have its stalls towards d. In the same Figure
the lodge L of the space e presents fronts towards d. The spaces and dimensions
available for such purposes would naturally be much greater than can be conceived
by the Drawings only. Thus the arrangement described in Figs. 19, 20, and 21 are
susceptible of the employment of spare room, the same as is described for Figs. 24,
25, and 26.
The large shutter, the lodges, and the rows of glass screeus or shutters leave
little to be done to completely close, if desired, any length or any footway in the
structure.
I claim, the construction of footways or galleries herein described for pedestrian
traffic, such structures being specially characterized by their independence of any
foreign structure, and capable of application to an unlimited area of the public
footway, and without definite form, for spaces, promenades, gardens, and so forth;
they occupy the principal part and reign throughout, leaving the necessary openings
for lighting the ordinary roadway, of which a part is left free for vehicular traffic,
whilst considerable portions are appropriated to various purposes, and are
alicnable.
In witness whereof, I, the said Stéphane Clément Fraçois Gachet, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
STÉPHANE CLÉMENT FRANÇOIS GACHET. (L.S.)