Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 14th June, 1887.
Complete Left, 18th Oct., 1887
Complete Accepted, 18th Nov., 1887
I, THEODORE VILLARD, of 138 Boulevard Malesherbes, Paris, in France, Director
of Public Works, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
My invention has for its object a new and improved construction of locks, in which
the requirements for safe navigation are especially satisfied and which is particularly
applicable to very high lifts and to locks of great size as may be required for the
passage of seu going ships.
According to my invention the complete lock will consists of a chamber with two
gates, said gates being entirely removable at each operation of opening. They will be
made in the form of a closed caissoon placed when closed nearly in a vertical position
and hinged, at their upper end, on shafts or otherwise. They can thus be lifted from
the vertical position to a horizontal one, the movement being imparted to them by
chains fixed near their lower ends. The walls between which they move are vertical,
and when down, the gates rest on a sill, against which their weight and the pressure
of the head of water holds them, making the joint water-tight. No fixed or moveable
part belonging to the gate is thus permanently situate below the water.
The gate is suspended by its hinges and by the lifting chains, to an iron structure
which forms a bridge across the lock, when in its place. This bridge rests upon
rollers or wheels, allowing it to be withdrawn on one side of the lock. When the
gate is lifted, it is entirely above the masonry of the lock, and can, through the
sideway movement of the bridge, be displaced laterally, leaving the lock entirely free
for the entrance or exit of ships. The weight of the gate bearing on the bridge
being of necessity very heavy, the bridge is made sufficiently long so that the gate
may have left the lock entirely before the projecting part of the rolling structure
has left the opposite edge of the lock. The weight therefore never bears on the
temporary cantilever which the bridge forms while being rolled.
The machinery for lifting the gate is carried by the moveable bridge, and consists
in hauling gear, preferably hydraulic. A series of hydraulic cylinders are placed
horizontally on the top of the bridge which makes a platform. The piston heads

page_text: carry the pulley or pulleys of a system of sheaves round which the lifting chains pass.
The pressure within the cylinders is produced by pumps placed in an adjoining engine
house, with a steam engine and boilers, the whole of which are placed on the bridge.
A watertank and accumulator are also situated near.
Movement is imparted to the bridge by means of a shaft placed underneath the
structure. This shaft carries suitable grooved barrels, upon which are wound the
ends of two chains in opposite directions. One of these is fixed near the edge of
the lock, and the other near the far end towards which the bridge retires when coming
away from the lock. Rotation of the shaft in one sense therefore advances the bridge
by hauling on the chain, and rotation the other way draws the bridge away from
the lock.
The gate may be either made in one piece, or else it may be divided vertically into
two or more parts, working separately, or again it may be divided horizontally.
Passage of water from the lock chamber to the lower reach, or from the upper reach
into the chamber is provided for by canals reserved within the masonry. These
I propose to close by means of vertical cylinders, resting upon horizontal valve seats,
and moving within wells slightly larger than the cylinders. These are carried at
the top by hydraulic pistons, which can be connected with the hydraulic machinery
on the bridge. No opening of the valves being necessary unless the gate is upon
its sill, the pipes with water pressure will always present themselves near their
connections when useful, and moreover will form an interlocking system, through
which safety from error will be procured against working the valves at any in-
opportune moment.
1007

page_text: Improvements in and Connected with LOCKS for Canals, DOCKS,
and similar Structures.
I, THEODORE VILLARD of 138 Boulevard Malesherbes, Paris, France, Civil 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 invention has for its object to provide a new and improved construction of
locks, in which the requirements for safe navigation are especially satisfied and which
is particularly applicable to very high lifts and locks of great size, such as may be
required for the passage of sea-going ships.
Fig. 1. of the accompanying drawings represents one end of a lock in longitudinal
section, with its bridge.
Fig. 2. is also a longitudinal section representing a device for subdividing the gate
shown in fig. 1.
Fig. 3. is a transverse view of the bridge and gate, in section through the lock; and
Fig. 4. is a plan of the bridge and machinery.
According to my invention a complete canal lock will consist of a chamber and two
gates for the in and outlet of ships, said gates being entirely removable at each
operation, instead of turning as usual on a heel-piece or post fixed at top and bottom.
The two end blocks of masonry contain the sills S for lodging the gates, and the
conduits for the sluices or valves. Their upper surfaces have a series of rails, the use
of which will hereafter be explained. The walls situated between the two principal
blocks are built much the same as any ordinary lock, they limiting the chamber in
which the ships ascend or descend from one reach to another through the influx of
water.
In other cases, such as a dock, a single gate may be used, which is constructed
similarly to each of the two gates of a canal-lock.
Each gate A. (Fig. 1 & 3) consists of a rectangular caissoon, sufficiently large to
be strong enough against the pressure of the head of water which is to bear upon it.
The caissoon is made up of horizontal girders of wrought iron or steel, covered by a
skin sufficiently thick and proportioned to the pressure. The gate will generally
occupy when closed, a slightly inclined position. It is mounted at its upper end on a
shaft or a series of hinges B. B. which arrangement allows it to pivot on a fixed axis
while being lifted. Rotation round these shafts or hinges allows the gate to assume a
horizontal position entirely clear above the upper level of the masonry blocks.
The gate is made to rise by traction on one or more chains C. C. fixed at their
lower end near the bottom of the gate. At the top the chains pass over guide rollers
turning on horizontal axes and are then attached to the traction machinery. This
may consist of ordinary crabs, but I prefer to employ hydraulic pressure cylinders D. D.
with plungers and multiplying sheaves forming a kind of hydraulic pulley block, as
shown by Figs. 1, 2, 3 & 4.

page_text: The machinery just described is carried by a wrought iron or steel bridge E., which
crosses the lock over the gate. This bridge rests on a series of wheels F. F. which
run on rails f. placed on the masonry of the lock, so as to insure a rapid lateral
displacement of the whole.
The length of the bridge is sufficient to allow the fore end to cross the opening of
the lock before the weight of the suspended gate acts as on a cantilever.
This heavy weight will therefore not require to be balanced and moreover the
loads on the wheels will not be so great as if the gate were simply advanced beyond
the edge of the masonry.
The hind part of the bridge makes a platform G. (Fig. 4) upon which is placed the
machinery for working the whole. It may consist of a steam engine P. and boilers P¹,
actuating a set of hydraulic pumps Q. for the elevating gear which lifts & lowers
the gate.
Next to the small building which encloses the machinery is a tank (not shown in
the drawing) holding the water for the hydraulic machinery, and an accumulator H.
to regulate the pressure and to retain it for purposes accessory to the principal
function of the gear.
The same engine, or else a small special engine, produces a haul upon chains or
cables (not shown in the drawing) fixed below the bridge, upon the masonry surface,
and intended to carry the bridge backward and forward as required for the service
of the lock. The gate being suspended from the bridge must necessarily be elevated
into its highest position before the bridge can move.
The preceding description is sufficient to show that if the lock has a very great fall,
boats of minor description, or whose masts and funnels are low, can go in and out,
passing beneath the lifted gate, and without any necessity for displacing the bridge.
If the ships have higher masts, the gate must be removed by rolling back the bridge
before they can pass. The rolling is, however, an operation which takes but little
time and which causes therefore but very slight delay and no inconvenience.
The gate has been hitherto supposed to be built in a single piece. I propose,
however, to make it in two or three separate pieces, leaving between them vertical
joints. In this case their lines of contact must be covered by some watertight
substance such as india-rubber, gutta percha or vulcanised fibre.
The pressure of the water on the several parts of the gate will then no longer be
transmitted chiefly or exclusively to the sides of the lock, but an important part
thereof will be supported by the upper axles on which the door hinges.
The division of the gate into several parts, two or more in number can also be made
by horizontal joints as shown it Fig. 2. In this case each lower part N. of the gate
will be separately hinged to the bridge by the help of intermediate girders O.
The joints will again be made watertight as in the preceding case.
A special
advantage will arise from this arrangement, insomuch as the filling of the lock can
be commenced as soon as the first or lower part is put into its place, and the operation
can be progressively performed before the whole of the gate is lowered. Reciprocally
the upper section of the gate can be elevated while the lock is emptying and as soon
as the corresponding depth of water has disappeared.
As will be understood from this description, one of the most important features in a.
lock gate will be here satisfactorily realized, inasmuch as no mechanism or parts liable
to get out of order exist beneath the surface of the water. The gate is a plain piece of
work which is let down on to its sill the shape of which is also of the simplest and
presents no part liable to get out of order. Should an accident happen to any part of
the gate, repair is easy when lifted up, and the gate can even be exchanged for a new
one in a very short time if any greater repair be found necessary.
The passage of water to or from the inside of the lock, when the gates are closed,
I propose to secure by the following device. Canals of suitable dimensions I. I. are
built into the masonry walls. They are closed at a certain point by sluices or
valves K, which simply consist of a vertical cylinder, moving up and down in a
well of slightly larger dimensions.
'
In its closing position this cylinder rests on a circular metal ring K¹, which
E

page_text: encircles the opening I' of the canal forming the exit of the water.
The pressure
on this ring therefore solely results from the weight of the cylinder and not from
the head of water. The opening of the valve is effected by lifting the cylinder,
when the water will flow through the annular space thus prepared, into the canal
leading to the lower level.
The cylinder can be lifted by a common crab or winch, but I propose to fix it to a
hydraulic cylinder, the pressure in which is produced by the machinery on the bridge,
that is to say by the same engine and pump which furnish pressure water for working
the gate. The same accumulator may also serve for both purposes. The valves can
only be worked whilst the bridge is closed & the gate on its seat; therefore the com-
munication of water pressure need only be established when the bridge is in that
position. Moreover, the joining of the pipes R. communicating the hydraulic pressure
to the cylinders K' which operate the valves, makes a real interlocking apparatus,
which will prevent any untimely movement of the bridge before the water has attained
its proper level through the working of the valves.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
First. In canal locks, dock gates or similar structures, a gate adapted to be lifted
entirely out of the water at each operation.
Second. In canal locks, dock gates or similar structures, a gate, adapted to turn
on a horizontal axis situated at or near the top of the gate and arranged in such a
manner, that the entire gate can be lifted out of the water at each operation.
Third. In canal locks or similar structures, a gate composed of two or more sections,
separated from each other by vertical or horizontal joints, each section being adapted
to be separately and entirely lifted out of the water by turning on a horizontal axis or
otherwise.
Fourth. In canal locks or similar structures, the combination of a gate, single or in
sections, substantially as specified, with a bridge carrying the gate or gate sections
and rendered moveable sideways, in such a manner that the lock entrance may be
wholly cleared, and the gate deposited on land for repairs or changes when required.
Fifth. The combination of a gate or gate sections, with hydraulic pressure cylinders
and accessories, adapted to lift the gate, substantially as described.
Sixth. In canal locks, dock gates or similar structures, the combination of vertical
cylinder valves, with means for operating them by hydraulic pressure substantially as
described.
Seventh. In canal locks, dock gates or similar structures, the combination of a gate
or gates, with a vertical cylindrical valve or valves, and means for operating the gate
or gates and the valve or valves by hydraulic pressure separately, but from the same
source substantially as described.
Eighth. The general construction and arrangement of canal locks, dock gates or
structures for similar use, substantially as herein before described and illustrated in
Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.
Ninth. The method of operating the gates of canal locks, docks and similar
structures, substantially as described and illustrated.
TH. VILLARD.
Fairfax & Wetter,
433, Strand, London,
Agents for the Applicant.