IMPROVEMENTS IN THE FORMATION OF EMBANKMENTS, SEA WALLS, BREAKWATERS, AND OTHER SIMILAR CONSTRUCTIONS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Offices for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE FORMATION OF EMBANKMENTS, SEA
WALLS, BREAKWATERS, AND OTHER SIMILAR CONSTRUCTIONS."-A communi-
cation from abroad by Frederic Glover, of Bonn, in the Kingdom of
Prussia.
Sealed the 1st August 1865, and dated the 10th February 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th February 1865.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE FORMATION OF EMBANKMENTS,
SEA WALLS, BREAKWATERS, AND OTHER SIMILAR CONSTRUCTIONS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention is based upon the principle of assisting nature to silt up or
cause to aggregate together sand, shingle, or earthy matters, which are con-
stantly shifting by the action of the winds and waves, thereby creating
obstructions in navigation by blocking up old channels and creating new
ones.
The object of the Invention is to cause the sand or earthy matters to accu-
mulate together in such places as may be determined on, so that embankments
breakwaters, sea walls, or the foundations for such structures may be
gradually formed by the action of the sea in a perfect and economical

page_text: manner. In order to effect this object a framework of wood consisting of
long baulks of timber connected together with cross-pieces, or a framework of
wood and iron is constructed and is sunk on the spot where it is desired to
form the embankment or other work, care being taken that the framework is
firmly fixed on the ground and prevented from sinking in. This spot must be
in some situation where the wash of the sea is continually moving about the
sand, shingle, or earthy matters, the main object being to catch these earthy
matters and keep them stationary in one spot. By the motion of the waves the
sand and earthy matters will be washed over the framework, and in a short time
will, by accumulating, fill up the spaces between the baulks of the framework.
When this is done a second framework of similar construction must be sunk
on the first and firmly secured thereto; but the sea face or outer side of the
second framework must be a little in the rear of the first, so that the face
may be formed at the proper slope to resist the action of the waves. When
this second framework has become filled by the silting up or accumulation of
sand and earthy matters, a third framework must be sunk and secured, and
then a fourth, and so on, until, by continual accumulation of the earthy
matters the embankment is raised to about high-water mark. Care must be
taken that the sea front of every successive framework shall be a little in
the rear of the framework immediately beneath it, so as to preserve the
proper slope. By judiciously placing and securing these frameworks at
points where there is an apparent tendency to form shoals, such, for instance, as
at the entrance of harbours, the shoal may be converted into a useful embank-
ment or breakwater, and by thus increasing the scour the navigable channel
will be deepened, widened, and straightened, and a safe and commodious
harbour may be formed in place of a shoaling estuary or inlet with constantly
shifting banks.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 10th August 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
- WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the

page_text: said William Edward Newton, Her special licence that I, the said William
Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said William Edward Newton, 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 "Iк-
PROVEMENTS IN THE FORMATION OF EMBANKMENTS, SEA WALLS, BREAKWATERS, AND
OTHER SIMILAR CONSTRUCTIONS," being a communication from Frederick Glover,
of Bonn, in the Kingdom of Prussia, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said William Edward Newton, 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 William Edward Newton 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, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):
It is well known that when the sea breaks over or encroaches on dry land
it washes the surface away and leaves a bank or shoal which is sometimes dry
at low water, but is always an obstruction to navigation. In some cases, such
as in estuaries and some exposed parts of the coast where there are ever-.
changing currents according to the state of the weather or the prevailing winds,.
these banks or shoals are constantly changing and shifting their positions, so,
that the navigable channels between them are constantly changing, and some..
times become entirely blocked up until by a change in the wind or the current:
either the old channel becomes cleared out again or a new channel is formed
by the descending stream from the land. This is notably the case at the mouth
of the Mersey, and at other places, where there are thousands of acres of
submerged sand or shoals constantly exposed to the action of the winds and
waves. An immense quantity of the sand and earthy matters. which were
formerly washed from the land is always floating about and constantly forming
deposits and banks at various places. Now if this sand could be prevented
from shifting about from time to time, not only could the land be recovered
and secured by very simple engineering operations, but the channel would bo
kept clear for navigation.,

page_text: The object of the present Invention is to cause the sand or earthy matter to
accumulate together in such places as may be determined on, so that embank-
ments, breakwaters, sea walls, or the foundations for such structures may be
gradually formed by the action of the sea in a perfect and economical manner.
This object may be of course be effected by enclosing any desired tract of
submerged land by means of piling, or by constructing a wall or embankment
of masonry, but these are very costly and tedious operations, which are
exceedingly liable to be materially interfered with, and the structure perhaps
considerably damaged by storms.
The present Invention is therefore based upon the principle of assisting nature
to silt up or cause to gradually accumulate the sand, shingle, or earthy matters
which by the action of the winds and waves are kept constantly shifting about,
thereby creating obstructions in navigation as before mentioned by blocking
up old channels and creating new ones. In order to facilitate the accumulation
of this sand or earthy matters, and to retain it in position when it has been
caught, the Inventor proposes to construct a framework of wood consisting of
long baulks of timber connected together with cross-pieces, or the framework
may be constructed partly of wood and partly of iron. The framework,
constructed in the manner herein more particularly explained and shewn
in the Drawings, is sunk on the spot where it is desired to for.n the
embankment or other work, care being taken that the framework is firmly
fixed on the ground and prevented from sinking into the sand. The spot to
be operated upon must be in some situation where the wash of the sea
is continually moving. about the sand, shingle, or earthy matters, the main
object being to catch these earthy matters and keep them stationary in one
spot. By the motion of the waves the sand and earthy matters will be washed
over the framework, where a portion of them will be deposited, and in a short
time by accumulating in the framework the sand will fill up the spaces
between the baulks of timber.
The framework which I prefer to employ for the purpose is shewn in the
accompanying Drawings. It will be seen that it consists of a number of
shallow horizontal frameworks placed one on the other, as shewn in plan at
Fig. 1, and in section at Fig. 2. These separate shallow horizontal frame-
works are shewn detached in plan at Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. A suitable'
spot for commencing operations having been selected, the first shallow wooden
framework shewn at Fig. 3 is sunk and secured in situ by means of crutched
piles, such as that shewn at Fig. 9.
Fig. 10 represents in profile the first framework sunk and secured in its
place, and supported by the crutched piles a, a. When one shallow frame-

page_text: work has been sunk and secured in its place, as shewn at Fig. 10, and a
sufficient time has been allowed to admit of an accumulation of sand or earthy
matter therein, a second framework, shewn at Fig. 4, and of similar con-
struction, must be sunk on the first, and firmly secured thereto, as shewn at
Fig. 11. A third framework, such as that shewn at Fig. 5, is then sunk and
secured on the second, but the sea face or outer side of the third framework
must be a little in the rear of the one below it, so that the face may be formed
at the proper slope to resist the action of the waves. When this third frame-
work has become filled by the silting up or accumulation of sand and earthy
matters, a fourth framework, shewn at Fig. 6, must be sunk and secured,
and then a fifth, Fig. 7, and so on until by continual accumulation of the
carthy matters the embankment is raised to about high-water mark. Care must
be taken that the sea front of every successive framework shall be a little ini
the rear of the framework immediately beneath it, as shewn at the sectional
view, Fig. 2, so as to preserve the proper slope. By judiciously placing and
securing these frameworks at points where there is an apparent tendency to
form shoals, such, for instance, as at the entrance of harbours or estuaries,
the shoal may be converted into a useful embankment or breakwater, and by
catching and retaining the loose sand, shingle, or earthy matters that are
constantly shifting about the scour of the current will be increased, and the
navigable channel will be deepened, widened and straightened, and a safe
and commodious harbour may be formed in place of a shoaling estuary or inlet
with constantly shifting banks. It will of course be understood that any
number of these shallow frameworks may be piled one on the other according
to the depth of the water, and the retention of the sand in the framework may
be assisted by placing faggots or hurdles in the interstices of the framework,
and securing them down in any convenient manner. A solid enibankment
having thus been raised above, high-water mark, the sea face may be revetted
with or protected by masonry built up on the framework behind and firmly
pinned or
dowelled together, so as to prevent it from being moved by the
action of the waves. The embankment having thus been protected from the
scour of the sea it may be built upon, and further secured in any known
manner.
Having now described this Invention of "Improvements in the Formation
of Embankments, Sea Walls, Breakwaters, and other similar Constructions,
and having explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I claim as
the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid the formation of
embankments and other similar works such as those above-mentioned by
means of shallow open frameworks placed and secured one upon the other

page_text: from time to time, as the sand accumulates therein, so that the sand and
other earthy matters may be caught and retained within the frameworks as
they are built up, and thus in time form a solid embankment up to high-
water mark as herein set forth.
In witness whereof I, the said William Edward Newton have here- 5
unto set my hand and seal the Tenth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
Witness
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane..
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)