IMPROVEMENTS IN BRIDGES AND APPARATUS " COMBINED
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Morris at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 17th October 1883.
WILLIAM MORRIS of Westminster Chambers Westminster in the County of
Middlesex, Civil Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS IN BRIDGES AND
APPARATUS
"
COMBINED
My Invention relates to improvements in bridges designed for foot passengers,
carriage, railway or tramway traffic across rivers, docks harbours, channels and
waterways of every description, and combined with apparatus whereby the bridge
traffic may be continued at all times without obstructing the river traffic or the
passage through the bridge of the largest vessels navigating the waterway
My invention consists according to one arrangement in constructing a bridge,
having an opening or swing portion to permit of vessels passing up and down the
channel or waterway, with one or more piers placed on each side of, and extending
considerably above, the opening or swing portion-On these piers I place a fixed
bridge at such a height that vessels of all kinds can pass up and down the channel
or waterway unobstructed without lowering their masts and on the land side of
each set of piers I arrange apparatus for the purpose of transferring the passengers
and traffic of all kinds from the low level or swing portion of the bridge to the
high level portion and vice versd This apparatus consists of elevators having
platforms on to which the traffic is passed and which may be arranged in pairs
side by side, one platform being raised whilst the other is being lowered thus
counterbalancing each other Or they may be raised and lowerd simultaneously
in which case they are provided with chains and counterbalance weights-At the
sides and ends of the platforms I may have adjustable guards or sides which are
raised into position on the ascent of the platforms for protecting the vehicular and
passenger traffic-I inay also use specially formed levers (weighted or not) hinged
to the platforms and taking into vertically arranged racks or ratchet bars whereby
any accidental and sudden descent of the platforms would be prevented at any.
point of their travel or I may use any other suitable locking device for this
purpose. The elevators may be worked by steam, hydraulic or other power
By these means the bridge traffic can be carried on continuously during the
time that the opening or swing portion of the bridge is open for the passage of

page_text: vessels whereas with ordinary opening or swing bridges the bridge traffic is stopped
during the passage of vessels.
According to another arrangement I dispense with the upper fixed portion of
the bridge and project a length of bridge at right angles to the main bridge on
each side of the opening or swing portion-From the ends of these projecting
portions of the bridge I sink vertical shafts communicating with a tunnel or
subway below the bed of the channel or waterway and of about the same length
as the opening or swing portion of the bridge-In the vertical shafts I place
elevating apparatus similar in construction to that above described, for the purpose
of continuing the bridge traffic at all times during the passage of vessels through
the opening or swing portion of the bridge
According to another plan I construct a bridge having steep inclines or
approaches at each end and employ combined there with a low travelling platform
or carriage on rails and suitably jointed for enabling it to accommodate itself easily
to the steep gradients on leaving the horizontal portion of the bridge or the
adjoining roadway-This platform which receives the traffic is under the control of
the driver who connects it to an endless travelling chain or rope by which it is
driven over the bridge-On the ascending sides of the latter may be fixed racks
into which pawls attached to the platform would fall; the latter being also provided
with powerful brakes to guard against accidents