US34474A - Improvement in construction of foundations for light-houses, piers - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS BAIL, OF NEV HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN CONSTRUCTION 0F FOUNDATIONS FOR LIGHT-HOUSES, Pil-IRS,l &c.

Specification forming part of Letters 'Patent No. 34,474, dated February25, 1662.

To all whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, LOUIS BAIL, of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented anew and useful improvementin the construction of foundations forlight-houses and other structures which are tobebuilton sand or on sand-beaches washed by the ocean, the invention also being applicable to the construction of cofferdams used in the construction of the foundations of piers and abutments beneath the water-surface; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, makingapart of this specification, in which- Figure l is a detached perspective view of one of the segment-plates pertaining to my invention; Figs. 2 and 3, verticalI sections of my invention, taken on the line cc, Fig. 6; Fig. 4, a detached perspective view of one of the segment-plates shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 5, a plan or top view of my invention; Fig. 6, a vertical section of the same, taken in the line y y, Fig. 5 g Fig. 7, a perspective sectional view of the same with coffer-dam; Fig. 8, a top or plan view of coer-dam; Fig. 9, an elevation of a light-house constructed according to my invention.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This invention consists in the employment or use of cast-iron plates of segment form provided at their concave side with flanges to admit of the insertion of bolts to secure the plates together, and thereby form a strong metal cylinder, which, while in the coursegof construction, is gradually filled with concrete or other suitable material.

The object of the invention is to obtain a ready means whereby foundations for lighthouses and other structures, as well as coerdams, may be built of a -material previously prepared, and which may be conveniently transported and expeditiously put together to form the foundation or structure suitable for sandy foundations.

To enable others skilled in the art to fully understand and construct myinvention, Iwill proceed to describe it.

A represents segment-plates of cast-iron, which are cast with flanges auf at their inner concave sides, the top and bottom flanges a projectinghorizontally from the edges of the plates, while the anges a at the ends of the plate proj ect obliquely from. the plate forming radii with the cylinder, which is formed by the connecting of the several plates together. These flanges a a are clearly shown in Figs. l and 4, and it will be seen by referring to these figures that the flanges are provided with bolt-holes b. The segmentplates A may be galvanized or covered with a coat of pitch-tar or other suitable substance to prevent oxidation. The plates A are laid in tiers one over the other and secured together by screw-bolts o, Water-proofcement, leather, or india-rubber strips being placed between the joints to prevent leakage. In constructing, for instance, a foundation for a light-house Where a @offer-dam is required, the first tier of plates for the latter are laid on the beach, which is dry at low water. This coffer-dam, (designated by A', Figs. 7 and 8,) beingonly a temporary structure, may be comparatively light, and when sunk to the usual depth its interior is kept dry by means of a suitable pump. The foundation is then commenced by laying the lower tier of plates A, which have sharp lower edges d, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. This lower tier of plates may be thicker or heavier than the upper ones when several tiers are secured together. The hollow cylinder thus formed will gradually sink by its own gravity and the sand is removed from within the cylinder. This excavating or removing of the sand can be done by Inanual labor assisted by a common suction-pump, or by a centrifugal pump or other means. As the excavating proceeds the progress of building the foundation continues, the structure gradually sinking under the accumulating weight, and in order to keep the structure vertical the excavating is performed at` 111e most elevated side, so as to favor the settling of the structure at that point, and in this way, by the aid of a plumbline only, the foundation may be kept perfectly vertical.

If necessary, iron bars may be placed Within the cylinder to serve as braces, thel ends of said bars resting on the flanges a. These flanges a. also serve as supports for scaffolding for the Workmen.

Vhen the cylinder has reachedafirmfoundation and is sufficiently high above the surface of the beach, it is filled in with concrete or with stone. When these cannot be conveniently had, layers of sand and iron bottoms vmay be alternately laid up to the surface of the cylinder. The iron bottoms may also be laid with the concrete when the latter is used. I do not, however, confine myself to any particular material or manner of lling in the cylinder.

In certain cases where materials are not at hand or in the Vicinity of the locality of the structure to be erected the whole edifice may be constructed of the segment-plates.I This would be advantageous in the construction recess f, as shown in Figs. V3 and 4, so that when the plates are connected` together the recesses f of one row or tier of plates may receive the lips e of the row or tier immediatelyabove it. This may render the connection of the plates rather more secure than it otherwise would be.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is*

Constructing the foundations and other portions of light-houses, Cotter-dams, and other similar structures of cast-iron segment-plates A, provided at the inn er or concave sides with anges a a to receive screw-bolts c, for the purpose of securingthe plates together to for-m a cylinder, and then lling the cylinder with concrete, stone, or other suitable material,

substantially as set forth. y

Louis BAIL. Witnesses:

J oHN D. CANDEE, E. I. SANFORD.

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