US2344772A - Narrow foldable bridge - Google Patents

Description

March 21, 1944. A. HEIDENREICH NARROW FOLDABLE BRIDGE Filed April '8, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR rnm m m a T m a Y ms f I A March 21, 1944- A. HEIDENREICH NARROW FOLDAB'LE BRIDGE Filed April 8, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 21, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT "OFFICE NARROW BRIDGE Application April 8,, 1940, Serial No.-328,47.4 In Argentina March .1, 1910 7 Claims.

This invention relates to a narrow foldable bridge to be used at places where either a natural or an artificial obstacle would hinder individuals, animals or things from crossing, and particularly to be used for passing over unstable surfaces, ravines, channels, excavations, etc.., such as limited extensions of water, swamps, san'dy grounds, snow, 'morasses, etc.

More particularly the invention has for its object a narrow bridge permitting the crossing ofia river, channel, brook or lake in a manner such as is afforded by a military pontoon bridge.

The invention comprises, essentially, a series of girders suitably interconnected by a jointlink in :such a way as to space them parallelly apart for a limited space in their unfolded condition and, vice versa, to hold .them together in their folded condition. A series of plates :ishingedly and successively arranged between the said girders to cooperate with these in forming a surface 01' floor to be used :as a pathway. Inifolding the narrow bridge these plates are lifted thereby permitting the girders to be juxtaposed and --reducing the bulk of the object to a minimum. In this manner the conveyance, storage and quick erection :of the bridge at any desired place is facilitated.

When this bridge is laid over an extension of water and reasons ofstability'would make it necessary for the same 'to be supported at intermediate points, the same may be laid-over rafts, pontoon-s, floating bodies or other equivalent means capable of supporting the same on said liquid. In the caseof shallowwaters'orinundated plots of land, other kinds of supports such "as posts, piles, abutments, piers, sleepers, etc., may be employed-for the same purpose.

In order that the invention may be easily 'put into practice it is'shown byway 'o'f'examplein the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. '1 is a fragmentary side view 'in section alongtheline -IJ f 'Fig. *2 *of one type of bridge the girders of which have for their .joint link'a series of arms arranged in a'scissor-like manner, the bridge being shown'in its unfolded condition; Fig. 2 'isa plan view "of the bridge describ'edin the-foregoing figure; V

Fig. 2a is "a schematic "plan view showing the joint link of this type of bridge;

Fig. 3 "is "a sid'eview of the same bridge in its folded condition? Fig.4 "is adetail sectional view along A-B o'f Fig-i2 on anen'larged scale;

Fig. 5 'is a longitudinal section along the line 0-1) "of 2.

The construction according .to the vmodel illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 consists of the girders I each of which is composed of two similar elements spaced apart by means of the spacers 2. Spaces 2 are formed between the elements.

To the upper edges of the girders l formed and arranged in the same order as these therearesecured the plates 3 by means of the hinges 4 so as to allow them to swing over the upper portion, .as may be seen from Figs. v1 and 3. The width of these plates 3 should be such as (to permit the plates to fill the gap between each successive ,pair of girders when the apparatus is unfolded. The said plates 3 may have their ends provided with extensions forming a sort of wing (as 'i-ndicated by 3 in Eig. 2) adapted to remain extended or be turned about hinges.

To the first and the last girder -l oi the series there are hingedly secured, one Jinthe same man her as the other, the plates '3 which constitute the approach ramps of the bridge and .may .eventually serve as the walls of a box to enclose the apparatus in its folded condition, as may be inf'erred from Fig. 3.

In the type of bridge illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, thegirders 'l are interconnected by two sets of pivoted arm's 55aoperating in the spaces 2". The arms .of each set are so pivoted to each other and to the girders as to function in the manner of lazy tongs, as shown in Fig. 12. For example, successive girders may be interconnected by two pairs of intersecting arms 5-511, as shown in Fig. 2a. The arms of .each pair .are pivoted together at their point of intersection, as shown at '8. The outer end of each of the intersecting arms is pivoted to oneof thegirders .by means of a fixed pivot, as shown .at Ba. The inner end of each of the intersecting arms pivots around a pin 6b which slides at its ends in slots! provided in the upper and lower elements of the glider '(see also Fig. 4). On each girder (except the end ones) two arms will, of course, The pivoted .at 5a and two arms will be pivoted at Eb, asshown in Figs. .2 and 15. Thus it will be seen that the pivoted arms forming the two lazy tongs are extensible in a horizontal plane which is parallel to the upper plane of thegirders.

A chain '8 extends-along the side of thelbridge and is connected to each of .theplates .3.near that end ofthe plate w'hichis remoteifromtheh'inge'fl.

Aslide 5b is attached to the underside of-two successive girders at any point whereit is desired to reinforce the bridge. Each slide hasanelongated slot 50. One end of the slide maybe I'fastened to the underside of one .glrderby a ipinliii,

and a pin 60 on an adjacent girder engages in the slot c and assists in holding the slide in place. These slides do not interfere with the folding and unfolding of the bridge but they serve to limit its extensibility.

In using the narrow bridge over an extension of water a series of floating bodies a (Fig. 1) is arranged thereunder at suitable intervals. The girders I will simply rest on or be suitably secured to these floating bodies, as the case may be, so as to assure the stability of the apparatus on the surface of the water and cause the same to stand the loads passing over the same. The floating bodies may be applied also under'the Wings 3 (Fig. 2) in order to impart the apparatus a greater floating capacity.

If so demanded by the circumstances, one or more of the apparatuses described may be used, either one by the side of the other, or one following the other, or both arrangements combined in one, this depending on the length and the width itis desired-to impart the path-way constituted by these'means. e

To immobilizeand confine the narrow bridges during their use they are moored by means of cables, ropes, anchors, etc.

' In order'to make the use of the apparatus safer this may be provided with railings made of stanchions 9 and ropessa (Figs. 1 and 2), in the manner'as arranged for on certain vessels. The railings may be made also to form a whole with the narrow bridge to which eifect it Will be sufficient for the ends of each girder I to perpendicularly. receive the corresponding uprights which will then be interconnected by means of a system of extensible arms similar to 5 and 511 (Fig. 2a) or by means of cables, ropes, etc.

The operation'is as follows:

To fold the apparatus all that is necessary is to lift all'of the plates 3 by pulling the chain 8 or by means of a simple manual operation;

Thereupon the girders I may be brought to a closely adjacent relationship, this being an easy task since the arms 5 interconnecting the same facilitate this operation. As is obvious, the folded apparatus will represent an appreciable reduction of 'its extension-for which reason it may readily be conveyed'and stored at any appropriate place. Ties and wrapping material may be used to better bundle it.

' As mentioned above, the narrow bridge may be used also in connection with unstable surfaces, such as swamps and morasses, as well as on compressible plots of land or on treacherous ground or on ditch-furrowed tracts of land; in all and any of these cases it will permit the passage of vehicles without exposing them to the danger involved by soils of this nature.

I claim:

1. A narrow foldable bridge comprising a series of substantially horizontally disposed girders arranged in parallel and successive relationship,

an extensible series of arms connecting the said girders, said series of arms comprising a pair of crossed arms located between each pair of girders and pivotally connected together where they cross, the ends of the crossed arms being pivotally connected to the girders between which the crossed arms are located and the connections between the ends of the arms and the girders permitting movement of the girders toward and away from each other and allowing relative movement longitudinally of the girder between the ends of the two arms connected to such girder, the said arms of the series being disposed at a level lower than that of the upper plane of the girdersand being extensible in a plane parallel to said upper plane of the girders, and a plate hinged to the upper portion of each of said girders.

2. A narrow foldable bridge comprising a series of substantially horizontally disposed girders arranged in parallel and successive relationship, an extensible series of arms connecting the said girders, said series of arms comprising a pair of crossed arms located between each pair of girders and pivotally connected together where they cross, the ends of the crossed arms being pivotally connected to the girders between which the crossed arms are located and the connections between the ends of the arms and the girders permitting movement of the girders toward and away from each other and allowing relative movement longitudinally of the girder between the ends of the two arms connected to such girder, the said arms of the series being disposed at a level lower than that of the upper plane of thegirders and being extensible in a plane parallel to said upper plane of the girders, a plate hinged to the upper portion of each of said girders, and plates movably secured to the opposite initial girders of the bridge providing approach ramps.

3. .A narrow foldable bridge comprising a series of substantially horizontally disposed girders arranged in parallel and successive relationship, an extensible series of arms connecting the said girders, said series of arms comprising a pair of crossed arms located between each pair of girders and pivotally connected together where they cross, the ends of the crossed arms being pivotally connected to the girders between which the crossed arms are located and the connections between the ends of the arms and the girders permitting movement of the girders toward and away from each other and allowing relative movement longitudinally of the girder between the ends of the two arms connected to such girder, the said armsof the series being disposed at a level lower than that of the upper plane of. the girders and being extensible in a plane parallel to said upper plane of the girders, and a plate hinged to the upper portion of each of said girders, all of the said plates being connected to tensioning means secured thereto at a point remote from the hinged connection.

4. A narrow foldable bridge comprising a series of substantially horizontally disposed girders arranged in parallel and successive relationship and provided at a level lower than that of the upper plane of the girders with a series of interconnecting arms having a lazy tongs configuration extensible in a plane parallel tosaid upper plane of the girders and on an axis perpendicular to the axis of each of the said girders, said series of arms comprising a pair of crossed arms located between each pair of girders andpivotally connected together where they cross, the ends of the crossed arms being pivotally connected to the girders between which the crossed arms are located and the connections between the ends of the arms and the girders permitting movement of the girders toward and away from each other and allowing relative movement longitudinally of the girder between the ends of the two arms connected to such girder and a plate hinged to the upper .portion of each of said girders.

5. A narrow foldable bridge comprising a series of substantially horizontally disposed girders arranged in parallel and successive relationship and provided at a level lower than that of the.

upper plane of the girders with a series of interconnecting arms having a lazy tongs configuraq tion extensible in a plane parallel to said upper plane of the girders and on an axis perpendicular to the axis of each of the said girders, said series of arms comprising a pair of crossed arms located between each pair of girders and pivotally connected together where they cross, the ends of the crossed arms being pivotally connected to the girders between which the crossed arms are located and the connections between the ends of the arms and the girders permitting movement of the girders toward and away from each other and allowing relative movement longitudinally of the girder between the ends of the two arms connected to such girder, each of the said girders being composed of two superposed spaced but connected members, the space between said members serving as the housing for the ends of the said interconnecting arms, and a plate hinged to the upper member of each of said girders.

6. A narrow foldable bridge comprising a series of substantially horizontally disposed girders arranged in parallel and successive relationship and provided at a level lower than that of the upper plane of the girders with a series of interconnecting arms having a lazy tongs configuration extensible in a plane parallel to said upper plane of the girders and on an axis perpendicular to the axis of each of the said girders, said series of arms comprising a pair of crossed arms located between each pair of girders and pivotally connected together where they cross, the ends of the crossed arms being pivotally connected to the girders between which the crossed arms are located and the connections between the ends of the arms and the girders permitting movement of the girders toward and away from each other and allowing relative movement longitudinally of the girder between the ends of the two arms connected to such girder, reenforcing elongated plates connecting at least one pair of adjacent girders secured at one end to one of the said pair of girders and slidably secured to the other of said pair, and a plate hinged to the upper portion of each of said girders.

7. A narrow-foldable bridge comprising a series of substantially horizontally disposed girders arranged in parallel and successive relationship, a series of connecting arms having a lazy tongs configuration connecting said girders, said series of arms comprising a pair of crossed arms located between each pair of girders and pivotally connected together where they cross, the ends of the crossed arms being pivotally connected to the girders between which the crossed arms are located and the connections between the ends of the arms and the girders permitting movement of the girders toward and away from each other and allowing relative movement longitudinally of the girder between the ends of the two arms connected to such girder, said arms of the series being extensible in a horizontal plane, a plate hinged to the upper portion of each of said girders, and a railing mounted on said girders and comprising rigid uprights mounted on the girders and a flexible cable connecting the upper ends of the uprights.

ALFREDO HEIDENREICH.

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