Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Oct., 1886.
Complete Left, 21st July, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 6th Sept., 1887.
under Water.
I FRIEDRICH HERMANN POETSCH of Sudenburg Magdeburg in the Empire of
Germany Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as
follows:-
My Invention relates to the building around the working place of a wall consisting
of columns of cement and of the aqueous material or the water between the several
columns which is frozen to make the wall water tight.
According to my invention boring pipes are sunk into the ground somewhat deeper
than the required shaft or the like and when these pipes are sunk deep enough a
bottom plate and a central tube are inserted. Freezing pipes (preferably U shaped)
are also inserted and the boring pipes are then filled with cement or the like in the
form of cylinders or blocks or in other suitable form to make a column in each of the
pipes. The boring pipes are then drawn out from the ground so that only the columns
of cement or other material and the bottom plate and central tube and freezing pipes
remain in the ground and finally the central tube is screwed off from the bottom plate
and likewise drawn out in order to be used again for the succeeding columns.
It is obvious that by means of the before described method and of the small expense
for sinking pipes and tubes a great number of columns of cement or other suitable
material can be built around the place at which a shaft is to be sunk or a bridge pillar
or a tunnel or the like is to be built each of these columns being provided with a
bottom plate and with freezing pipes.
I then unite the freezing pipe or pipes of one column with that or those of the other
column and so on and pass a refrigerating medium (as for example a solution of
chloride of calcium) through the united system of freezing pipes whereby the water
contained between the columns becomes frozen and unites all the columns into a firm
and resistant wall which protects the inner space against lateral pressure.

page_text: If such a combined wall of columns and frozen material can be based on a watertight
strata then a special closing for the bottom thereof may be dispensed with.
If however such water tight strata be not available it is necessary to excavate the
ground under water and to close the bottom by means of large blocks of rock and
beton.
the
Outside and inside of the wall of columns and of frozen material I dispose rings at
upper board.
It is obvious that within such a wall shafts bridge pillars tunnels or the like can be
built with all security without the necessity for compressing the air.
The columns can be disposed horizontally vertically or at any desired angle in
accordance with the work required.
After the building has been finished the frozen wall is thawn up and the freezing
pipes may be drawn out from the solid columns in order to be used again.
Dated this 21st October 1886.
J. HENRY JOHNSON,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Agent for the said F. H. Poetsch.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and Apparatus for Sinking Shafts, Building
Foundations, Tunnels, Canals, or the like in Aqueous Strata or
under Water.
I FRIEDRICH HERMANN POETSCH of Sudenburg Magdeburg in the Empire of
Germany Civil Engineer 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 :-
My Invention relates to improvements in and apparatus for sinking shafts building
foundations, tunnels canals or the like in aqueous strata and has for its object the
building around the working place of a vertical inclined or horizontal wall consisting
of columns of cement and of the aqueous material, or the water between the several
columns which aqueous material or water is frozen to complete or perfect the wall.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed to
describe the same more particularly reference being made to the annexed sheet of
drawings in which the same letters indicate the same parts in all the figures,

page_text: Figure 1 shows in cross sectional plan the arrangement of the boring pipes around
the working place A.
Figure 2 represents in a longitudinal section three of the boring pipes and the
manner of joining the U shaped freezing pipes contained in them.
Figures 3 to 5 show in longitudinal section the columns of cement or other solid
material with the freezing pipes and bottom plate after the boring pipe has been
removed.
Figure 6 represents in vertical section some of the cylinders of cement constituting
the above mentioned columns.
In carrying out the sinking of a shaft in a vertical or in an inclined direction, or in
building a horizontal tunnel or other under ground work according to my Invention
I proceed in the following manner :
After having determined the dimensions of the object to be made I calculate the
necessary number of pipes which in the present case are indicated by c¹ to c28 in
figure 1 of the drawing.
These pipes are sunk into the ground somewhat deeper than the required shaft or
the like will finally have to reach, the pipes c¹ c² 3 cl and c¹ being first sunk in the
ground.
When these pipes are sunk deep enough the bottom plate a³ (Figures 2 and 3) and
the iron or metal tube a is inserted into the pipe c¹ (Figure 2) and the shaped freezing
pipes b b (preferably U shaped) are inserted into the pipe c¹ and the latter is then
filled with cylinders or blocks d d of cement or of other resistent material, (Figure 6)
which in their position one above the other, make a column.
The boring pipe c¹ Figure 1 is drawn out from the ground so that only the
cylinders d d of cement or other material and the tube a with the U shaped freezing
pipes bb remain in the ground and finally the tube a is screwed off from the bottom
plate a and likewise drawn out in order to be used again at the following pipe c²
(Figure 2).
I then use the boring pipe c! (drawn out from the ground as above mentioned) for
the bore hole c (Figure 1) and sink it into the ground whilst I introduce into the
boring pipe c¹ the tube a provided with a new bottom plate a and U shaped pipes b b
and the blocks d d. Then the boring pipe c¹ and guiding tube a are drawn out from
the ground and used for subsequent bore holes.
It is obvious that by means of the before described method and of the small expense
for sinking pipes and tubes a great number of columns c¹ to 2 of cement or other
suitable material can be built around the place on which a shaft is to be sunk or a
bridge pillar tunnel or the like is to be built each of these columns being provided
with a bottom plate a² and with the U shaped freezing pipes b b.
I then unite one of the U shaped pipes 6 6 of one column with the second pipe 6 of
the subsequent column and so on, and pass a refrigerating medium for example a
solution of chloride of calcium or other liquid of a very low freezing point at a
temperature under zero C. through the united system of the U shaped pipes (as
indicated by arrows ef) by means of a pump connected with the terminal pipes of the
above mentioned system.
By this means the water or quick sand or other aqueous strata contained between
the columns c' to 26 (Figure 1) becomes frozen and unites all the columns into a firm
and resistant wall which protects the inner space against lateral pressure.
If such a combined wall of columns and frozen material can be based on a water
tight strata then a special closing for the bottom thereof may be dispensed with.
If however such water tight strata be not available it is necessary to excavate the
ground under water, and to close the bottom by means of large blocks of rock and
bêton.
Outside and inside of the wall of columns and of frozen material I dispose the
rings g and h (Figure 1) at the upper part.
It is obvious that within such a wall shafts, bridge pillars, tunnels or the like can be
built with all security without the necessity of compressing the air.

page_text: In case of tunnelling, the pipes and columns are disposed horizontally or nearly so,
when a canal is to be built they are disposed vertically and they can be arranged at an
angle to the vertical or horizontal or in any required direction in accordance with the
work to be done.
After the building has been finished the frozen wall is thrown up and the freezing
pipes are drawn out from the solid columns in order to be used again as far as
possible.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is-
Improvements in or connected with the sinking of shafts, or the building of bridge
pillars, tunnels, canals or foundations of all kinds in aqueous strata or under water,
consisting in sinking pipes into the water or into the aqueous strata and filling in
these pipes with solid blocks of cement or other suitable material so as to form coluinns
in number and position corresponding to the cross section of the object to be built and
the use therewith of freezing pipes or means for circulating a freezing medium in
order to obtain a tight or perfected wall by freezing the aqueous strata or water
between the columns substantially as hereinbefore described.