IMPROVE- MENTS IN SUSPENSION BRIDGES AND OTHER STRUCTURES IN WHICH GIRDERS. ARE EMPLOYED
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Edward Whiting, of Victoria Street, in the
City of Westminster, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SUSPENSION BRIDGES AND OTHER STRUCTURES IN WHICH GIRDERS.
ARE EMPLOYED."
Sealed the 7th January 1868, and dated the 10th July 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Edward Whiting at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with bis Petition, on the
10th July 1867.
I, JAMES EDWARD WHITING, of Victoria Street, in the City of Westminster,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN SUSPENSION BRIDGES AND OTHER STRUCTURES IN WHICH GIRDERS
ARE EMPLOYED," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in jointing to each other the ends of only the upper
chords of two diagonally braced girders, so that each has its top chord in
tension; the two girders are inclined to one another so as to form one of the
stiffened chains of a suspension bridge. Similarly two other girders form the
second chain. The outer ends of the top chords are fastened to chains passing
over supports, and held back by anchoring or otherwise. Between the
stiffened chains the roadway is supported and braced in the usual manner, or
it may lie on cross beams which hold the girders apart at top, while the lower-
booms are brought together and united at the bolt heads, or otherwise; or
the two systems may be employed together. These girders are adapted by

page_text: their nature for the part they bear, and the deflections will be less wavy than
in ordinary stiffened suspension bridges. By my mode of construction saving
in material will be effected.
My mode of construction also applies to other structures in which girders
are employed, more particularly to roofs covering large areas, in which case
the diagonals of the girders might form the rafters.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Edward Whiting in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 10th January 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, JAMES
EDWARD WHITING, of Victoria Street, in the City of Westminster, Civil
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her reign.
did, for Herself, Her heirs, and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
James Edward Whiting, Her special licence that I, the said James Edward
Whiting, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said James Edward Whiting, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 SUSPENSION BRIDGES AND OTHER STRUCTURES IN WHICH GIRDERS ARE
EMPLOYED," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Edward
Whiting, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly 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 James Edward Whiting, 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 statement:—
My Invention consists in connecting by a binge or other flexible joint the

page_text: ends of the upper chords of two diagonally braced girders, so that each girder
may have its top chord always in tension, and these girders are constructed so
that this may be the case, and they are inclined to one another at an angle
properly chosen according to the proportions of the structure and the require-
ments of the case as to moving and fixed loads, and as to the girders being
free to adapt themselves to changes of length consequent on changes of
temperature and strain. The two girders thus binged will form one of the
stiffened chains of a suspension bridge. Similarly two other girders will form
the second chain. The outer ends of the top chords are fastened either by
chains or other connectors passing over supports, these being connected to
chains held back by anchoring or by other suitable arrangements. Where
the necessities of the case require that the bridge or structure be made with
more than one span, there it will be requisite to secure together the outer
ends of the top chords of one system to those of the next adjoining, and to
support the junction by piers, columns, or otherwise. Between the stiffened
chains the roadway is supported and formed in the usual manner; or it may
be supported by trestles or otherwise on the cross beams which hold the
girders apart at top, while the lower chords or booms are brought together
and united at the bolts which connect the diagonals with the lower chords, or
by lashings or otherwise, according to the nature of the materials of which the
girders are constructed, thus rendering in effect each pair of girders whose
top chords are parallel one V-shaped girder; or the roadway may be supported
upon, between, or pendant from two syste:ns of such V-shaped girders.
Girders constructed and arranged as aforesaid, and combined in the
formation of structures as herein-before described, are adapted by their nature
for the office they have to fulfil, namely, to make the structure stiff, and in
the case of bridges to render the deflections less wavy than in ordinary
stiffened suspension bridges, even when the upper and lower chords and the
tie diagonals are formed of flexible materials. And by this Invention economy
of material and facility of construction are insured.
From what has been already stated it will be obvious that my improve-
ments can be applied to any structures in which girders can be used having
their top chords in tension, and are particularly useful in the construction, of
roofs covering large areas, in which case the diagonals of the girders might
form the rafters.
Having thus particularly described the nature of the said Invention, I will
now proceed to describe and ascertain in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, which I shall do by referring to the Drawings accompanying this
Specification, by the words, figures, and letters following, that is to say :-

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS,
and the Invention illustrated thereby.
Figure 1 is an elevation of a suspension bridge constructed in accordance
with my said Invention.
A D B, B DA, are girders diagonally braced, as shewn, their top chords
consist of wire cables having their ends united together by a bolt at B. The
outer ends at A, A, are united to links L, L, resting on rollers (see dotted
circles) which are supported on the towers T, T, and are held back by the
chains C, C, which again pass over masonry and are secured to the anchoring
plates P, P, buried in the ground. The cross beams on which the road-
way R, R, with its parapet girders rest are supported by the suspending
rods S, as shewn. Each of the top chords A B, BA; is made sufficiently
strong to bear the greatest strains due to the girder partly loaded, of which it
is the top chord, and furthermore such scantling is added as would be required
for an inclined chain lying along that top chord and supporting the other
girder fully loaded. The curves of these upper cables and the angle between
the tangents to the said curves at B being also chosen according to the
requirements of the case; but it will be necessary to take care that the
stability of the curvature or line of direction of the upper chord be such that
it will be sustained by the diagonal bracing and fixed weights.
.
Figure II. represents a temporary staging for a platform or bridge in course
of construction. C, C, C, C, is a suspension cable thrown over the space in
which the staging is required; A D B, B D A¹, represents the girders to
form the staging, which are constructed with spars for diagonals, and with the
upper and lower chords flexible so as to fold together if necessary, as shewn,
near A. The girders are hung to blocks H which run on the suspension
cable C, as shewn, so as to run out when the towing rope T is wound upon
the winch W. The towing rope passes over a pulley on one of the sheer
poles P, as shewn.
When drawn into the position required the outer
ends A', A, of the girders will be at P, P, supported by the poles, and tied
back to the holdfasts of the cable C, which cable may then be slackened until
it is again required to assist in the removal of the staging.
Figure 111. represents the temporary structure completed and carrying a
platform p on trestles t.
A D B,
Figure IV. represents the section of a roof covering a large area.
B D A¹, are two girders jointed so as to make an angle at B. The
diagonals of the girder A, B, form the principal rafters carrying the purlins
and common rafters and the roofing material of the portion of the roof

page_text: between A and B. The upper chord B, A', of the girder B, D', A', forms
the rafter of the sloping part B, A', and is connected to a link resting on and
uniting the pillars P, P, braced together as shewn; the other end of the link is
united to the end A" of the upper chord of the next sloping girder A", D", B".
The portion of the roof from A" to A is roofed similarly to the corresponding
portions already described. The outer ends A, A, of the top chords of the
horizontal girders A, D, B, and B, D, A, are connected to wall plates
resting on walls, and held back at intervals by chains and anchoring as
shewn. Care must be taken that the weights of the sloping parts are sufficient
to counterbalance uneven loading by snow or otherwise on the horizontal parts
of the roof, or weights may be hung at B and B to produce the initial tension
required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I hereby declare
that I claim the Invention as set forth in the outset of this Specification
thereof by the words preceding the words "Having now particularly described
the nature of the said Invention, I will now proceed to describe and ascertain
in what manner the same is to be performed," it being understood that I do
not claim any exclusive right or privilege as regards the constituent details
herein described when not combined and used as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Edward Whiting, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of January, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-eight.
Witness,
ALEX. P. WRIGHT,
Secretary to the
J. E. WHITING. (L.S.)
Inventors' Patent Right Association, Limited,
Patentee's Agents.