IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SEA WALLS, QUAYS, JETTIES, PIERS, AND ROADWAYS, IN THE RECLAMATION OF LAND IN THE FORMATION OF DOCKS, RESERVOIRS, BASINS, AND COAST HARBOURS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Buss, of 56, High St., Shoreditch, in the
County of Middlesex, M.D., for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF SEA WALLS, QUAYS, JETTIES, PIERS, AND ROADWAYS, IN
THE RECLAMATION OF LAND IN THE FORMATION OF DOCKS, RESERVOIRS, BASINS,
AND COAST HARBOURS."
Sealed the 24th September 1867, and dated the 5th April 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Buss at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th April 1867.
I, HENRY BUSS, of 56, High St., Shoreditch, in the County of Middlesex,
M.D., do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SEA WALLS, QUAYS, JETTIES, PIERS, AND ROADWAYS, IN THE
RECLAMATION OF LAND IN THE FORMATION OF DOCKS, RESERVOIRS, BASINS, AND
COAST HARBOURS," to be as follows:-
The fixing firmly to the bed of a river or sea beach, or elsewhere, of two
parellel runs of iron foot rails; the precise mode of fixing must depend upon
the nature of the beach. The space inclosed between such foot rails to be

page_text: of the full width of the required sea wall; each foot rail is grooved on its
upper edge, into this groove is run the tongue of an upright iron stile, which
is also grooved at both its edges; into the groove of the foot rails is run the
edge of an iron plate panel, which is likewise slid into the groove of upright
stile; these stiles and panels are kept together by top longitudinal rails which
are also grooved to receive the tops of the aforesaid panels & stiles. The
stiles are secured both to foot & top rails by bolts or otherwise; transverse
& oblique rods connect together and secure the panel walls in position;
these panel walls may be either vertical to the floor and parallel to each other,
or inclined at any desired angle to each other; panel and stile may thus be
quickly added in succession after the foot rails are fixed, and the whole secured
by internal appropriate framing for any desired length down to low-water
mark; finally the space included between the two panel walls will be filled
up with concrete. The filling up with concrete will keep pace with the
advance of the iron panel walls, provision to be made for temporarily excluding
the water at flood tide from flowing in at the open end, so that it may not
interfere with the solidification of the concrete. Now as this description of
wall can only be put together during the time between high & low water
expedition will be an important element in its construction, accordingly the
panels and stiles should be of uniform size, so as avoid all delay in their
seelection for fitting together. As the advancing pier reaches deeper water
the pier must gradually augment in height; this will be accomplished by
gradually increasing the height of the foot rails till it becomes necessary
to use middle rails, this the stiles being grooved at both edges will accomplish
by being placed horizontally. Thus the lower groove of such stile will
receive the top ends of the lower series of panels and upright stiles, while
its upper groove will have a second story of panels & stiles slid into
it; these latter being in their turn secured by the top rails and properly
bolted as above described, and so on for as many stories of panels and stiles
as the height of the wall may require. All iron work should be coated
with a marine paint, so as to render it impervious to the water's action till the
concrete shall have hardened into a solid rock. These panel walls of concrete
will be suitable for the projection of piers from the coast to low-water mark;
beyond low-water mark, that is in deep water, the further prolongation of
such piers or sea wall will be best effected by floating out to it one of the
pyramid floating vessels described in a previous application for a Patent
dated the 11th of January 1867, upon which I have obtained Provisional Pro-
tection, attaching this to the end of said pier, and then filling it with concrete,
as described in the aforesaid application for a Patent for my pyramid sea

page_text: walls, & so continuing to add these pyramids for any desired length in deep
water. But for any distance between low-water mark and the land the aforesaid
panel concrete wall is preferable for economy and expedition, and may also
be extended at right angles, that is parallel to the coast line, and so continued
to any length till it unite with a similar sea wall of panel concrete, projected
from a distant point of the coast to low-water mark, and in this way include
and reclaim all the beach between the 2 distant panel concrete piers, the
sea wall at low-water mark, and the coast line. Then the land thus reclaimed
may either be kept for the purposes of tillage, or panel concrete walls may be
constructed as before mentioned to constitute roadways for streets, squares, or
other building uses, or to form quays for inclosing docks, basins, reservoirs,
& the like.
The merits which I claim for this Invention are the greater simplicity,
economy, expedition, & durability in effecting the ends proposed than by any
other plan hitherto made public for such purposes.
1st, simplicity, in the walls so created consisting of only the iron jackets
with suitable framing & concrete.
2nd, economy, in the nature and cheapness of the materials employed.
3rd, expedition, in the rapidity with which these iron panels walls filled with
concrete may be constructed.
4th, durability, in the homogeneous nature of the solid concrete, when
hardened, being more enduring than by any other plan for constructing such
walls with bricks or with separate blocks of masonry.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Buss in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th September 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
Buss, of 56, High Street, Shoreditch, in the County of Middlesex, M.D.,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her.
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Henry Buss, Her special licence that I, the said Henry Buss,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as 1, the said Henry
Buss, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree

page_text: 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF SEA WALLS, QUAYS, JETTIES, AND PIERS, IN THE RECLAMATION OF
LAND IN THE FORMATION OF DOCKS, RESERVOIRS, BASINS, AND COAST HARBOURS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Henry Buss, 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 Henry Buss, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement
The fixing firmly to the floor of a river or sea shore or elsewhere of two
parallel runs of iron foot rails. The precise mode of fixing must depend upon
the nature of the shore; the space enclosed between such foot rails to be of
the full width of the required sea wall. Each foot rail is grooved on its upper
edge, into this groove is run the tongue of an upright iron stile which is also
grooved at both its edges. Into the groove of the foot rails is run the edge
of an iron plate panel which is likewise slid into the groove of upright stile.
These stiles and panels are kept together by top longitudinal rails which are
also grooved to receive the tops of the aforesaid panels and stiles. The stiles
are secured both to foot and top rails by bolts or otherwise. Transverse and
oblique rods connect together and secure the panel walls in position. These
panel walls may be either vertical to the floor and parallel to each other or
inclined at any desired angle to each other. Panel and stile may thus be
quickly added in succession after the foot rails are fixed, and the whole
secured by internal appropriate framing for any desired length, down to low-
water mark. Finally the space included between the two panel walls will be
filled up with concrete. The filling up with concrete will keep pace with the
advance of the iron panel walls, provisión to be made if necessary for
temporarily excluding the water at flood tide from flowing in at the open end
so that it may not interfere with the solidification of the concrete.
Now as
this description of wall can only be put together during the interval
between high and low water, expedition will be an important element in its

page_text: construction, accordingly the panels and stiles should (for definite lengths) be
in series of uniform size so as to avoid all delay in their selection for fitting
together. As the advancing pier reaches deeper water the pier must gradually
augment in height; this will be accomplished by gradually increasing the height
of the foot rails till it will become necessary to use a taller series of panels and
stiles; thus by increasing the height of foot rails and also of panels and stiles,
the advancing wall will grow to such a height as may require a top series of
panels and stiles run into the groove of middle horizontal rails. The whole
to be adequately sustained by internal framing to prevent the iron plating
being forced in at high water till filled up with concrete and to prevent its
being forced out by the expansion of the concrete during' its solidification.
All the external iron work should be coated with a marine paint so as to
render it impervious to water's action till the concrete shall have hardened
into a solid rock. These panel walls of concrete will be suitable for the pro-
tection of piers from the coast to low-water mark. Beyond low-water mark
that is in deep water, the further prolongation of such pier or sea wall will
be best effected by floating out to it one of the pyramid floating vessels of my
previous patent (No. 79, January 11th 1867), attaching this to the end of
said pier and then filling it with concrete as described in the aforesaid Patent
for my pyramid sea walls, and so continuing to add these pyramids for any
desired length in deep water. But for any distance between low-water mark
and the land the aforesaid panel concrete wall is preferable for economy and
expedition, and may be extended at right angles, that is parallel to the coast
line, and so continued to any length till it unite with a similar sea wall of
panel concrete projected from a distant point of the coast to low-water mark,
and in this way include and reclaim all the shore between the two distant
panel concrete piers, the sea wall at low water, and the coast line; then the
land thus reclaimed may either be kept for the purposes of tillage, or panel
concrete walls may be constructed as before explained to constitute roadways
for streets, squares, or other building uses, or to form quays for inclosing
docks, basins, reservoirs, and the like.
The merits which I claim for this Invention are the greater simplicity,
economy, expedition, and durability in effecting the ends proposed than by any
other plan hitherto made public for such purposes.
First, simplicity, in the walls so created consisting of only iron jackets with
suitable framing and concrete.
Second, economy, in the nature and cheapness of the materials employed.
Third, expedition, in the rapidity with which these iron panel walls filled
with concrete may be constructed.

page_text: Fourth, durability, in the homogeneous nature of the solid concrete when
hardened being more enduring than by any other plan for constructing such
walls with bricks or with separate blocks of masonry.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Buss, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Tenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
H. BUSS. (L.S.)