Improvements in Appliances for Lifting, Lowering, Launching, and Erecting Bridges, Viaducts, and other similar Structures in Iron, Steel, and Timber.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Mar., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 15th Sept., 1890-Accepted, 15th Nov., 1'90
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Appliances for Lifting, Lowering, Launching, and
Erecting Bridges, Viaducts, and other similar Structures in Iron,
Steel, and Timber.
EDWARD WILLIAM IVES, GERALD BARKER Civil Engineers, 1 Westminster Chambers
London S. W. do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention has for its object to provide for the transmission of bridges, piers,
viaducts girders, or similar structures across a stream canal, river, road, railway,
buildings or vehicular traffic or pedestrian traffic or along the same & in such a manner
as to dispense with what are commonly called derricks, cranes, shear legs, gauntrys,
scaffolding, staging, piling or other similar appliances.
Our invention consists of a pair or more of trussed triangular or other girders,
supported by a pair or more of similar girders, placed at right or other angles to them,
the latter girders, resting upon portions of the structure or upon temporary supports
& having openings or windows in them to allow of the whole or portions of a structure
passing through to be launched or projected into position.
The launching or projecting of a span or portion thereof to be performed at such
a height & in such a manner as shall not interfere with the traffic of the road, railway,
river &c. passing underneath. The said whole or portion of the structure resting
upon, or being slung from, travellers, bogies trucks, or similar vehicles, running on
rails or channels supported on or by the first mentioned trussed triangular or other
girders.
Dated this 1st dow of March 1800
EDWARD WILLIAM IVES.
GERALD BARKER.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Appliances for Lifting, Lowering, Launching, and
Erecting Bridges, Viaducts, and other similar Structures in Iron,
Steel, and Timber.
We, EDWARD WILLIAM IVES and GERALD BARKER both of No. 1 Westminster
Chambers London, S.W. 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:—
Our invention has for its object the providing of facilities for the transmission of
bridges, piers, viaducts, girders or similar structures across or along a stream, canal,
river, road or railway, or across or along buildings or other places where there is
vehicular or pedestrian traffic, and in such a manner as to dispense with what are
commonly called derricks, cranes, shear legs, gauntrys, scaffolding, staging, piling or
other similar appliances.
Referring to the accompanying sheet of drawings and to the figures and letters of
reference marked thereon :-
Figure 1 is a side view, and
Figure 2 an end view of our improved appliance in position ready for launching or
projecting a span of an overhead viaduct; in these two figures, the columns or
uprights CC that support the one end of the appliance are shown as being placed
beyond or on the outside of the columns or piers G for supporting the super-
structure.
Figure 3 is a side view, and
Figure 4, an end view (the reverse end to that shown in Figure 2) of the appliance

page_text: in the act of launching a span of an overhead viaduct ; in these two figures, the
columns or uprights CC are shown as being placed on the inner side of the columns
or piers G for supporting the superstructure.
The appliance consists of a pair, or more, of trussed triangular, or other girders A A,
so constructed and connected together as to form one long framework or staging, as
seen in the drawing, the length of the staging being of course regulated according to
circumstances. This framework or staging is sustained at its one end by any con-
venient or suitable means-such as columns, or uprights (C and crossbeam B-and
its other end is supported by means of a pair, or more, of girders C which rest, either
on the portion of the structure last completed, or on special supports. The girders C',
as will be seen from the drawing, form as it were a built up collar or yoke having
stays c directly connecting it. with the aforesaid framework or staging A, and
wheels c¹, or like suitable means, by which the collar or yoke (and with it the staging)
is supported on the portion of the structure last completed. The framework or
staging A and the collar or yoke ("are so arranged in regard to one another that
openings or windows, as it were, D, are formed or provided, into or through which the
whole or portions of a structure may pass. The drawing shows one span, riveted
complete, of an overhead viaduct passing through the opening or window.
The framework or staging aforesaid supports, on a set of rails or channels, any
desired or suitable number of travellers, bogies, trucks or similar vehicles E, upon or
from which latter rest or are slung, in a suitable manner, preferably by means of
ropes, chains, etcetera, e e, the whole or portions of the structure to be placed in
position.
In using our improved appliance in the construction of a bridge, viaduct or other
similar structure, the span or spans FF for the same are supposed to be all riveted up
complete, with coat of tar and paint, ready for going into position on their supporting
piers GG; the first span being got into position either by means of our improved
appliance or else by any convenient or suitable means. If for getting the first span
into position our improved appliance be made use of, the framework or staging A will
be sustained at both its ends by columns, or uprights, and crossbeams such as B.
When the first span of the bridge, viaduct or other similar structure is finally in
position, our improved appliance is then brought into regular operation.
The columns, or uprights, and crossbeam being portable (that is capable of being
moved along on interchangeable foundation plates or on rails H H) they are brought
along or moved forward into a position at or about where the supporting columns G G
(Figure 3) will be.
The moving forward of the columns, or uprights CC, and crossbeam B, will bring
along with them the framework or staging A seeing, as has been previously
described, that its one end is sustained by the columns, or uprights, and crossbeam B,
and its other end is supported by the collar or yoke Cresting and capable of rolling
forward, by means of wheels c¹ on the portion FI F1 of the structure last completed.
When our improved appliance has thus been brought forward and into position,
that is into the position shown in the drawings, it is already for use in lifting,
launching and lowering into position, on its supporting columns G G, the next
span or spans in order of erection. This span is brought by any suitable means
(in the drawing a trolley I is shown) along the already completed portion of the
bridge, viaduct or other similar structure, until its front end is in position for, or
is just, entering through the opening or window D, in entering which it may be
assisted by one or more of the travellers or winches E E (as in Figure 1) by
which it is slung or upon which it is rested. The span being now in position
for passing properly through the opening or window D it is (unless such has
already been done, as just previously mentioned) made secure to the ropes,
chains, etcetera, ee of the travellers or winches E E. When this has been done, the
ropes, chains, etcetera of the travellers or winches are tightened, so as to let the
span clear its trolley (though it might also be allowed to rest as much or as long
as possible on the trolley so as to distribute its weight on the trolley as well as
on the travellers or winches); the travellers or winches are then traversed or

page_text: worked in any convenient or suitable way, along their rails or channels, carrying
along with them the span which is to be placed in position as shown in Figure 3.
When the span has come into its position over the columns G G to support it,
the travellers or winches, E E are then brought to work and lower the span into
position.
This completes one cycle of operations of our improved appliance, as the ropes,
chains, etcetera, e e of the travellers or winches E E have only to be released from the
span when the appliance will be all ready and in a position for being moved forward
as at start, and for the same series of operations to be gone through with the next span
in order of erection, and so on.
Whilst we have described and shown the best way known to us of carrying our
invention into effect, we wish it to be understood that we do not thereby desire it to
be supposed that we confine ourselves to the exact details or form described and shown,
as it will be evident that the elements or principle forming our invention could be
ehabodied in details or forms other than those described and shown and which would
be more suited to the varying circumstances and conditions. For instance, the
framework or staging A might be formed in a different manner, or the means or
method for moving it into position could be varied, or again the opening or window D
could be effected otherwise than as shown, and yet our invention would be made
use of.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. An appliance for lifting, lowering, launching or erecting bridges, viaducts or
other similar structures in iron, steel or timber, consisting of a framework or staging
such as A A formed of suitably trussed or other girders, adapted to be moved forward
in advance of the structure in course of erection, and so constructed, supported and
arranged that, when so advanced, the succeeding portion of the structure may be
passed along it, from the part already erected and placed in position by means of
suitable travellers mounted on said staging, substantially as described.
2 In appliances for lifting, lowering, launching or erecting bridges, viaducts or
other similar structures in iron, steel or timber, a portable framework or staging, such
as A A having a collar or yoke, such as CC, through which a span or other portion of
the structure may be launched into position by means of travellers on the staging and
by which one end of the staging may be supported upon that part of the structure
already erected, substantially as described.
3. The general arrangement and construction of the parts forming together and in
their entirety the improved appliance for use in lifting, lowering, launching or erecting
bridges, viaducts or other similar structures in iron, steel or timber, substantially as
described and shown.
Data 1 101
1000
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, and London, Patent Agents.