Improvements in the Construction of Pier and other Gangways.
Year: 1895

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Pier and other Gangways.
I, ALEXANDER BLACK, of Kempock, Gourock, in the County of Renfrew,
North Britain, Joiner, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to certain improvements in the construction of gangways
for passenger or other traffic between vessels and quays, piers, or wharves, and is
for the purpose of imparting greater strength generally lessening the risk of injury
to those parts which are most liable to be damaged, and providing easier; safer,
and more expeditious means of passage between vessels and quays, piers, or
wharves, than can be obtained by gangways of the construction now in use.
One improvement consists in attaching to one end of the gangway, by means of
hinges of iron, brass or other suitable metal, a timber platform or flap and hand-
rails with two upright standards at the extreme end of the platform attached to
and moving freely in, the handrails and longitudinal runners of the platform by
means of binges or bolts of iron, brass, or other suitable metal, the platform being
adjustable and kept in position as required by a linked chain, bolt and hook
fastened on each side of the platform and gangway or by quadrants or other
suitable means, the gangway and platform, together, thus providing at all states
of the tide a continuous floor and handrail between the vessel and the quay, pier
or wharf.
Another improvement consists in the two longitudinal side runners of the
gangway, which may be either of timber, iron, or timber with an iron flitch plate,
being bolted to the ends of angle or Tirons, or irons of other suitable section,
which are placed across the gangway at suitable distances apart, and to which the
flooring is secured by bolts or screws, this application of transverse irons imparting
greater strength to the gangway than is obtained by the timber cross runners
commonly in use, and enabling the timber portions of the gangway to be renewed
and fitted with facility when required.
Another improvement consists in fastening the upright standards at the sides of
the gangway to the inside of the two longitudinal side runners, instead of to the
outside as is the usual practice, the standards according to this arrangement being
fastened to the inside faces of the runners and secured by iren plates bolted to the
runners and standards, by which arrangement the standards are rendered less liable
to injury than they are when placed on the outside of the runners.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.'
Improvements in the Construction of Pier and other Gangways.
1, ALEXANDER BLACK, of, Kempock, Gourock, in the County of Renfrew,
North Britain, Joiner, 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in the construction of gangways for
passenger or other traffic between vessels and quays, piers or wharves, and is for
the purpose of providing easy, safe and expeditions means of passage between
vessels and quays, piers or wharves, of imparting greater strength generally, and
·lessening the risk of injury to those parts of the gangway which are most, liable to
damage.
The invention will be more readily understood by referring to the accompanying
drawings, Figures 1 and 2 of which are a plau and part sectional elevation of the
gangway constructed in accordance with my invention.
Referring to the said drawings the two longitudinal runners A, which may be
.either of timber, iron or a combination of timber and iron are attached by bolts
and puts to cross bearers of angle or T iron B, which are provided with close ends
to admit of fixing to the longitudinal runners A as shown on Figure 2. On these
cross bearers the flooring C of the gangway rests and is secured thereto by bolts
or screws.
This application of cross bearers of iron imparts strength to the gangway, and
enables the timber portions to be renewed and fitted with facility.
On the inside of the longitudinal runners A 1 fix, at suitable distances apart,
upright standards of timber or other material D to which the runners A are
checked and secured by iron straps and bolts E, by which arrangement the
standards D are rendered less liable to injury than they are when fixed on the
outside of the runners A as hitherto.
On one end of the gaugway I form a timber platform or flap F, composed of
longitudinal runners with iron cross bearers f¹ and flooring as herein before
described. The longitudinal runners f of the platform or flap F are attached to
the runners A of the main portion of the gangway by strong iron hinges G placed
under the runners A and and secured by bolts passing through the runners as
shewn.
The platform F is provided with a timber or other standard H on each side,
placed at the end and kept in position against the side of the runners by iron
straps and bolts and made to move freely on a pin which passes through the
runners standards H and straps h the, knees of the straps h being placed
sufficiently far apart, and the flooring f* cut as shown to admit of the free motion
of the standards H.
Timber handrails J are carried between the tops of the end standards H.and the
ends of the handrails K of the main portion of the gangway, the joints being
formed by hinges L of brass or iron with sockets into which the timber handrails J
and K and standards H are inserted and fixed.
The handrails J of the platform F are fitted with sleeves M of brass or iron,
made to slide over the hinge connecting the handrails K and J when the gangway
is horizontal, and to slide down the handrails J of the platform F when angled and
kept in such positions by a steel spring working in a groove.
The platform F is provided with a linked chain N, at each side, one end of
which is fixed to an iron ring or eye n secured to the bottom runners f as shewn,
and enabling the platform F to be adjusted to the angle required by attaching
the chains to hooks n' fastened through the upright standards D and stays Qas
shewn.

page_text: For the protection of the hinges G from damage by the swinging of the gangway
between the centre wheels and the ends of the platform runners when the
gangway is horizontal, iron bearers P are fixed by bolts to the underside of the
longitudinal runners A, which bring the gangway to a rest before the ends of
the platform runners touch the ground.
By the addition to the gangway of the hinged platform F and handrails J a safe
and easy passage between vessel and quay is obtained at all states of the tide, and
the gangway being capable of fixing in a horizontal position may be used as a
horizontal gangway throughout its whole length if desired.
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 :-
1. In pier and other gangways, the angle or T iron cross bearers B to connect.
the longitudinal runners A, and support the flooring C of the gangway, substantially
as hereinbefore described and shewn in the accompanying drawings.
2. In pier and other gangways, the upright standards D secured to the inside of
the longitudinal runners A, substantially as hereinbefore described and shewn in
the accompanying drawings.
3. In pier and other gangways, the hinged platform F, standards Ḥ and
handrails J having sliding sleeves M and springs, substantially as hereinbefore
described and shewn in the accompanying drawings.
4. In pier and other gangways, the adjusting chains N, substantially as herein-
before described and shown in the accompanying drawings.
5. The general arrangement, construction and combination of parts forming my
improved gangway for pier or other traffic, substantially as bereinbefore described.
and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 26th day of February 1896.
-
JOHNSONS,
115 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicant's Agents.