IMPROVEMENTS IN CAIBSONS AND BRIDGES TO BRIDGE ACROSS THE Entrances to GravVING Docks, WET Docks, HARBOURS. RIVERS, OR ESTUARIES.”
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Walter Robert Kinipple, of No. 3, Westminster
Chambers, Victoria Street, in the City of Westminster, and
Greenock, N. B., for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CAIBSONS AND
BRIDGES TO BRIDGE ACROSS THE Entrances to GravVING Docks, WET Docks,
HARBOURS. RIVERS, OR ESTUARIES.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Walter Robert Kinipple
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 17th October 1874.
I, WALTER ROBERT KINIPPLE, of No. 3, Westminster Chambers,
Victoria Street, in the City of Westminster, and Greenock, N. B., do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CAISSONS AND BRIDGES TO BRIDGE ACROSS THE ENTRANCES TO GRAVING DOCKS, WET
DOCKS, HARBOURS, RIVERS, OR ESTUARIES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in caissons and bridges
to bridge across the entrances to graving docks, wet docks, harbours,
rivers, or estuaries.
Tn the Specification of a former Patent granted to me on the Oth

page_text: September 1870 (No. 2444), was described the forming a caisson to slide
endwise into and out of a covered recess at the side of the entrance to
a graving dock, wet dock, harbour, river, or estuary.
My present improvements relate to caissons arranged to work in this
manner: I construct the caisson with two parallel lines of keels on its
under side to rest upon two rows of rollers placed on the floor of the
cassion chamber and berth, and of sufficient strength to carry the
weight of the caisson with safety. The rollers are provided with
flanges, between which the keels are received, and the keels are formed
of varying widths in such manner that when the caisson is across the
entrance and closes it, the narrow portions of the keels are resting upon
the rollers, and the caisson is then free to slide towards either the inner
or outer invert and stop groin faces. When the caisson is drawn back
the wider portions of the keels coming between the flanges of the
rollers bring the caisson keels directly over the centre of the rollers, and 1
also bring the caisson away clear of the meeting faces, and thus prevent
abrasion of the faces whilst the caission is in movement. The ends
of the caisson are bevilled horizontally, but are plumb vertically, or they
may be battered as is usual with other caissons. The inner face of the
caisson is of less width than the outer, in order that by running the
caisson a short distance back into its chamber and allowing the caisson
to float high enough to clear the invert or cill the caisson may be turned
round and floated out for repairs, or the caisson after being thus floated
out may be turned round to bring its broader face against a stop on the
outer side of the entrance. In this position it will serve as a cofferdam
for the purpose of giving access to the caisson chamber, and to the
inner and outer inverts for repairs.
By constructing a caisson as above described the usual battered sides
of an entrance may be dispensed with, and a saving of about 10 feet in
width of entrance be thereby effected.
To prevent mudding up of the chamber I place emptying and filling
culverts at each end of the caisson berth for the purpose of flushing and
cleansing the chamber of mud or deposit.
I place an ordinary caisson floating door, lock gates, or other obstruc-
tion across the mouth of the caisson chamber for the purpose of g
excluding the water from the chamber when the main caisson is under
repair.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Walter Robert Kinipple in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 16th April 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WALTER
ROBERT KINIPPLE, of No. 3, Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street,
in the City of Westminster, and Greenock, N. B., send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Walter Robert Kinipple, Her
special license that I, the said Walter Robert Kinipple, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Walter Robert
Kinipple, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
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 "Iμ-
PROVEMENTS IN CAISSONS AND BRIDGES TO BRIDGE ACROSS THE ENTRANCES TO GRAVING
Docks, WET DOCKS, HARBOURS, RIVERS, OR ESTUARIES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Walter Robert Kinipple, 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 Walter Robert Kinipple, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say :—
This Invention has for its object improvements in caissons and bridges
to bridge across the entrances to graving docks, wet docks, harbours,
rivers, or estuaries.
To the Inaaifination af n
Datant

page_text: endwise into and out of a covered recess at the side of the entrance to
a graving dock, wet dock, harbour, river, or estuary.
My present improvements relate to caissons arranged to work in this
manner: I construct the caisson with two parallel lines of keels on its
under side to rest upon two rows of rollers placed on the floor of the
caisson chamber and berth, and of sufficient strength to carry the
weight of the caisson with safety. The rollers are provided with
flanges, between which the keels are received and the keels are formed
of varying widths in such manner that when the caisson is across the
entrance and closes it, the narrow portions of the keels are resting upon :
the rollers and the caisson is then free to slide towards either the inner
or outer invert and stop quoin faces. When the caisson is drawn back
the wider portions of the keels coming between the flanges of the
rollers bring the caisson keels directly over the centre of the rollers and
also bring the caisson away clear of the meeting faces, and thus prevent
abrasion of the faces whilst the caisson is in movement. The ends of
the caisson are bevilled horizontally but are plumb vertically, or they
may be battered as is usual with other caissons. The inner face of the
caisson is of less width than the outer in order that by running the
caisson a short distance back into its chamber and allowing the caisson 1
to float high enough to clear the invert or cill the caisson may be turned
round and floated out for repairs, or the caisson after being thus floated
out may be turned round to bring its broader face against a stop on the
outer side of the entrance. In this position it will serve as a cofferdam
for the purpose of giving access to the caisson chamber, and to the inner
and outer inverts for repairs.
•
By constructing a caisson as above described the usual battered sides
"

page_text: Having thus described the nature of my Invention I will proceed to
describe more fully the manner of performing the same,-
Figure 1 (Sheet 1) shews a longitudinal elevation of a caisson mounted
upon keels and rollers, as above described; Figure 2, a transverse section
of the caisson with keels and rollers; and Figure 3, plan of deck and of
the body of the caisson with bevilled ends, also of the keels under the
bottom of the caisson and of the rollers fixed to the floor of the chamber.
A is the caisson; B, the covered caisson chamber; C, an endless
chain for moving the caissons into and out of the chamber. The caisson
is formed with two parallel lines of keels (which act as ballast when the
caisson is afloat), the unde sides of which keels rest upon two rows of
rollers e, e, e, e, placed on and secured to the floor f,f,f, of the caisson
chamber or berth, and are of sufficient strength to carry with safety the
entire weight of the caisson when it is in the chamber laid dry and
under repair. The rollers e, e, e, e, are provided with stout flanges
between which the parallel keels a, b, c, d, are received; these keels are
formed of varying widths, as shewn on Drawing between a and b, and c
and d, in such manner that when the caisson is across the entrance and
closes it, the narrow portions of the keels are resting upon the rollers,
and the caisson is then free to slide towards either the inner or outer
invert and stop quoin faces G', G³. When the caisson is set in motion
and drawn back into the chamber the wider portions of the keels at h, h,
coming between the flanges of the rollers bring the caisson keels
directly over the centre of the rollers, and also bring the caisson away
clear of the meeting faces, and thus prevent abrasion whilst the caisson
is in movement.
The ends of the keels are of wedgo form and rounded to facilitate
entry between the flanges of tho rollers during the travelling of the
caisson. The inner face G¹ of the caisson is of less width than the outer
face G³, in order that by running the caisson a short distance back into
its chamber, and allowing the caisson to float high enough to clear the
invert or cill the caisson may be turned round and floated out for repairs,
or the caisson after thus being floated out may be turned round to bring
its broader face against a stop j, j, on the outer side of the entrance, in
this position it will serve as a cofferdam for the purpose of giving access
to the caisson chamber, and to the inner and outer inverts G³, G³, for
repairs,

page_text: By constructing a caisson as above described its sides may be parallel
with each other, and the usual battered ends of a caisson, or the sides of
an entrance may be dispensed with, and a saving of about ten feet in
length of caisson or width of entrance at coping level be thereby
effected.
To prevent mudding up of the caisson berth and chamber I place
emptying and filling culverts N, N, one at the ond of the caisson berth
and the other at the end of the chamber for the purpose of flushing and
clearing the berth and chamber of mud or deposit. I also fix ordinary
pronged rakes or scrapers for stirring up during the operation of scouring
out. I also raise the deposits and accumulations from the floor of the
chamber by ordinary scoups or dredger buckets, which may be attached
to the ends of the caisson with means for working and raising the
scoups or buckets when the caisson is in motion, or by independent
means.
I place at O, O, an ordinary caisson floating door, lock gates, or other
obstruction across the mouth of the caisson chamber for the purpose
of excluding the water from the chamber when the main caisson is under
repair.
Figure 4, Sheet 2, shews a side elevation, and Figure 5 a transverse
section of a bridge arranged to slide upon keels and rollers in a similar
manner to that above described into and out of a covered chamber. A
is the sliding bridge; B, the covered chamber into which the bridge can
be withdrawn; C, an endless chain by which the bridge can be drawn
⚫ to and fro.
The parallel keels are fixed to the under side of the framework of the
bridge, and the rollers may be carried by piles, cylinders, or other means.
At each time the bridge is opened, scrapers, dredger buckets, and other
appliances may be arranged and worked by the bridge when in motion,
or independently, for the purpose of keeping the roller track clear of a
mud and other deposits.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that what
I claim is,―
First. The combined arrangement for closing and bridging across a
the entrances to oraving docks wat dooks harbours rivers on actuarios.

page_text: substantially as herein-before described and illustrated on Sheet 1 of the
Drawings annexed.
Second. The combined arrangement of travelling bridge, substan-
tially as herein-before described and illustrated on Sheet 2 of the
Drawings annexed.
Third. The construction of caissons with vertical ends bevilled hori-
zontally, substantially as described.
Fourth. The construction of caissons with keels to run on rollers laid
on the floor of the chamber, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Walter Robert Kinipple, have here-
unto set may hand and scal, this Thirteenth day of April, in the
year of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-
fivc.
WALTER ROBERT KINIPPLE. (L.S.)