IMPROVEMENTS IN FORMING AND DRIVING PILES FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF PIERS, JETTIES, VIA- DUCTS, BRIDGES, OR OTHER WORKS WHERE PILES ARE USUALLY EMPLOYED
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Leggett Budden, Merchant, of 48, Fenchurch
Street, in the City of London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FORMING AND DRIVING PILES FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF PIERS, JETTIES, VIA-
DUCTS, BRIDGES, OR OTHER WORKS WHERE PILES ARE USUALLY EMPLOYED."-
A communication from abroad by Woodford Pilkington, Civil Engineer,
of the Cape of Good Hope.
-
Sealed the 4th January 1860, and dated the 2nd November 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Leggett Budden at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2nd November 1859.
I, JOHN LEGGETT BUDDEN, Merchant, of 48, Fenchurch Street, in the City
of London, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN FORMING AND DRIVING PILES FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF PIERS, JETTIES, VIA-
DUCTS, BRIDGES, OR OTHER WORKS WHERE PILES ARE USUALLY EMPLOYED," to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the construction of piles
used in the construction of piers, jetties, viaducts, bridges, or other similar
works, and in the method of driving or fixing the same.
For this purpose
piles are formed or constructed according to this part of the Invention
of rods or bars of iron, either round, square, or of any other suitable
shape, combined with a solid pointed shoe or foot, which is driven into
Price Sd

page_text: the earth by means of an independent ram or punch as hereafter described.
Each pile may be formed by combining several of these rods or bars,
according as the piles are required to be of triangular, square, or polygonal
form. The ends of the piles, where they enter the ground, are forned by
bending the lower end of each rod employed to form the pile and drawing it.
to a point; the cluster of rods forming the pile being kept in shape at the
point by welding, or by fixing the points in a "shoe," or by ring ferrules
driven over the ends of the rods and piles constructed as above described, may
for distinction be termed "solid-footed skeleton piles."
For the purpose of driving a pile constructed according to this Invention, a
solid foot is placed in the conical part of the bottom of the pile where the
rods or bars are bent, and tapered towards the point; this foot is made either
of hollow cast iron, or of hard wood, or other suitable material. This solid foot
is for the purpose of receiving the blow of the "monkey" from the "pile
engine," and the driving force is communicated by means of a ram or punch
which fits in the space between the rods or bars of the pile, and is removed
when the driving is completed, and a centre rod or bar is substituted after the
driving ram or punch is withdrawn, and this centre rod or bar is fixed in
combination with the other rods forming the pile, by which a central bearing
on the solid foot is obtained for receiving the weight of the superstructure.
13
After being driven, the pile is rendered rigid by metal discs, plates, or bars
formed with holes, which slide over the ends of the rods or bars forming the
pile, and are fixed at suitable distances by "keys or wedges. If required,
the piles may be lengthened by adding rods or bars on to the ends of the
rods or bars forming the piles, and fixing them by "coupling boxes" and
wedges, or keys, in the same manner as mill shafting is frequently connected
The superstructure is fixed on to the top or other part of the piles by coupling
boxes (or other suitable means), which serves either for coupling the bars or
for bearing the superstructure as required. The superstructure may be made
of angle iron, T-iron, plates, or other formes of iron, used separately or in
combination with wood in the manner commonly known and practised.
This Invention is also applicable for forming piles for viaducts or other
works on rocks where ordinary piles cannot be driven.
For this purpose
holes are bored in the rocks of suitable depth to receive the ends of the rods or
bars separately, the upper part of the pile so cominenced being completed by
connecting the several rods forming a pile in the manner before described by
means of metal discs or plates and couplings, by which a skeleton pile of great
stability will be obtained.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditious of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Leggett. Budden in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 2nd May 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
LEGGETT BUDDEN, Merchant, of 48, Fenchurch Street, in the City of London,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Leggett, Budden, Her special licence that I, the said John
Leggett Budden, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said John Leggett Budden, 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 law-
fully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FORMING AND DRIVING PILES FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF
PIERS, JETTIES, VIADUCTS, BRIDGES, OR OTHER WORKS WHERE PILES ARE USUALLY
EMPLOYED," a communication from abroad by Woodford Pilkington, Civil
Engineer, of the Cape of Good Hope, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said John Leggett Budden, 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 John Leggett Budden, 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 fol-
lowing staiement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the construction of piles
used in the construction of piers, jetties, viaducts, bridges, or other similar
works, and in the method of driving or fixing the same. For this purpose
piles are formed or constructed according to this part of the Invention of
rods or bars of iron either round, square, or of any other suitable shape, com-
bined with a solid pointed shoe or foot, which is driven into the earth by
means of an independent ram or punch as hereafter described. Each pile

page_text: may be formed by combining several of these rods or bars according as the
piles are required to be of triangular, square, or polygonal form. The ends
of the piles where they enter the ground are formed by bending the lower
end of each rod employed to form the pile, and drawing it to a point; the
cluster of rods forming the pile being kept in shape at the point by welding
or by fixing the points in a "shoe," or by ring ferrules driven over the
ends of the rods and piles constructed as above described, may for distinction
be termed "solid-footed skeleton piles."
For the purpose of driving a pile constructed according to this Inven-
tion, a solid foot is placed in the conical part of the bottom of the pile where
the rods or bars are bent and tapered towards the point; this foot is made
either of hollow cast iron or of hard wood, or other suitable material. This
solid foot is for the purpose of receiving the blow of the "monkey" from the
"pile engine," and the driving force is communicated by means of a ram or
punch which fits in the space between the rods or bars of the pile, and is
removed when the driving is completed, and a centre rod or bar is substituted
after the driving ram or punch is withdrawn, and this centre rod or bar is
fixed in combination with the other rods forming the pile, by which a central
bearing on the solid foot is obtained for receiving the weight of the super-
structure.
After being driven, the pile is rendered rigid by metal discs, plates, or bars
formed with holes, which slide over the ends of the rods or bars forming the
pile, and are fixed at suitable distances by "keys" or wedges. If required, the
piles may be lengthened by adding rods or bars on to the ends of the rods or
bars forming the piles, and fixing them by "coupling boxes," and wedges or
keys in the same manner as mill shafting is frequently connected. The super-
structure is fixed on to the top or other part of the piles by coupling boxes
(or other suitable means), which serves either for coupling the bars or for
bearing the superstructure as required. The superstructure may be made of
angle iron, T-iron plates, or other forms of iron, either used separately or in
combination with wood in the manner commonly known and practised.
This Invention is also applicable for forming piles for viaducts or other
works on rocks where ordinary piles cannot be driven. For this purpose
holes are bored in the rocks of suitable depth to receive the ends of the rods
or bars separately; the upper part of the pile so cominenced being completed
by connecting the several rods forming a pile in the manner before described by
means of metal discs or plates and couplings by which a skeleton pile of great
stability will be obtained.
And in order that the Invention may be most fully understood and readily

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
"
Figure 1 shows a vertical section of part of a pile constructed according to
this Invention, showing the independent ram or punch in the position for
driving the pile; Figure 2 shows a vertical section of the pile, when driven, tho
driving ram or punch being removed, and a central rod inserted and combined
with otherrods formingthe pile bymetaldiscs or plates; this Figure also shows
a mode of adapting a superstructure of iron to piles of this description, which
of course may be greatly varied and forms no part of this Invention; Figure3
shows a 'horizontal section of this pile. a, a, are a series of four rods united
at their lower ends by welding together, and thus forming them into a point
to be driven into the ground; is a solid foot of wood or iron placed in the
conical space formed by the united ends of the rods, and on this solid foot the
lower end of the ram or punch crests whilst the pile is being driven, and the
upper end of this ram or punch c receives the blow from the falling weight or
"monkey" of the "pile engine," and thus communicates the force to the solid
foot of the pile. The series of rods a are retained in position whilst driving
the pile by the discs or plates d, which are slid over the rods, and keyed in
position, as shown, serving as guides to support the ram in a vertical position
whilst driving the pile. When the pile is driven home, the ram or punch. c is
removed, and a central rod a' is inserted in its place, and secured in position
with the other rods a by the metal discs or plates e, slid over and fixed to the
rods by keys, wedges, or other fastenings, the plates e either being substituted
for the plates d, or placed over them, as shown in Figures 2 and 2*; the
insertion of the central rod a' forms a central bearing on the solid foot, and
gives great strength and stability to piles of this construction; or in place of
the rod a¹; a cast-iron tube of suitable strength may be employed. Figures 4
and 5 show horizontal sections of piles constructed according to this Iuvention,
having other numbers of rods forming the cluster, and combined together by
discs or plates e of suitable form. Figure 6 shows a vertical section of another
mode of forming a solid foot to a pile of this description,by casting iron on to
the ends of the rods a, which are flattened or otherwise enlarged at the ends,
to prevent them from drawing out whilst driving the pile, or the shoe may be
cast separate, with dovetail recesses to receive the enlarged or dovetail ends of
the rods a, which may be secured by a plug or filling piece.
Figure 7 shows another mode of forming skeleton piles suitable for the
construction of viaducts, or other works on rocks where ordinary piles cannot

page_text: be driven. In carrying out this part of the Invention, holes of suitable depth
and size are first bored in the rocks to receive the ends of the rods or bars a
separately, which are to form a cluster of a pile, and when the desired number
of rods or bars for forming a pile have been placed in position, discs or plates e
having a series of holes corresponding with the number of rods or bars forming
the pile are slid over them, are secured at suitable distances apart by key
wedges or other fastenings, and a series of such piles may be combined
together by tie bars or other connections, as shewn by the horizontal section
at Figure S of a series of piles constructed according to this part of the
Invention. The rods or bars employed for forming piles according to this
Invention may have additional lengths added thereto in the course of forming
driving a pile by coupling the ends together, as shown at f, Figure 7, or by
other convenient means, thus affording great facility for driving or con-
structing piles of any length for carrying viaducts or other structures of great
elevation.
Having thus described the nature of the Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I do not confine
myself to the exact details herein shown and described, as the same may be
greatly varied without departing from my Invention; but what I claim is,―
First, the forming a pile by means of a series of metal rods or bars
united or combined at one end, so as to form a solid foot to a skeleton pile,
and driving the same by meaus of an independent ram or punch, as herein
described.
1 also claim the mode of constructing skeleton piles, and fixing the same on
rocks or other parts where ordinary piles cannot be driven, as described in
respect to Figures 7 and 8.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Leggett Budden, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this First day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE.
JOHN L. BUDDEN. (L.S.)