US144112A

US144112A - Improvement in the construction of tunnels and sewers

Info

Publication number: US144112A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1873-10-28
Anticipated expiration: 1890-10-28

Description

-.TNITEIJ STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE IINOLL, OF sAN FRANCIsCo, CALIFORNIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF TUNNELS AND SEWERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 144,112, dated October 28, 1873; application filed January 17, 1873. i

To all 07mm 'it may concern.' Y

Be it known that I, GEORGE KNOLL, of the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented certain Improvements in the Construction of Tunnels, Sewers, and other arched buildings, of which the following is a specification:

(l.) The iirst part of my invention relates to the construction of a sewer, tunnel, or other arched building, with tongued or grooved bricks pressed to a certain regular shape and curvature, with holes pierced through them for connecting-rods of wood or iron to run into and bind together in such manner that the said bricks can be placed in their order, one upon another, so as to produce a self-sustaining work, and, when the conformation is completed, form a tunnel of great strength, requiring no name-work during its Vconstruction, and little or no mortar when placed in hard grounds, thus insuring a great saving in time, labor, and expense.

(2.) The second part of my invention relates to the construction of metallic adjustable straps placed transversely across the tunnel or sewer so as to answer the purpose of supports for such gas, water, or other main pipes as may be laid within the tunnel, and at the same time serve as braces for the structure itself.

Figure/1 is a vertical transverse section of a sewer embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal elevation of Fig. l with a portion in section. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the adjustable braces for supporting the vmain pipes and strengthening the tunnel. Fig. 5 isa perspective view of a sample brick, tongued, grooved, and pierced, embodying my invention.

S S represent a sewer or tunnel. B B are the bricks composing it, which are made of the same dimensions and of the same pattern, with the exception of the two or three, B B', forming the walls between the semicircular roof and iiooring ct c and a. c', respectively. These bricks before being baked are pressed or stamped and numbered for the curvature required, so as to have a smooth face, f, on which the number is impressed, a tongue on one edge, t, and a groove, g, on the opposite side. A hole, h, is at the same time pierced through each to serve the double purpose of holding the connectingrods r, ofwood or iron, for binding several together, as also to insure a more thoroughly-baked brick, as'

well as allow of a free circulation of air in all construction s wherein such bricks may be used.

In building the structure, the bricks are placed one upon another, edgewise, in a sloping direction, as shown in Fig. 2, so that the groove of each brick sha-ll hold half of the tongues of the two anterior ones, and, consequently, the tongue of eachfits into the half of each groove of the two succeeding bricks. In hard ground it is only necessary for the workman to pile up these bricks as fast as he can handle them, without the employment of any mortar, excepting in the case of a tunnel being used as a sewer-such as S-when an .inner layer of mortar for the flooring, to make all water-tight, may be required.

G C are the cast-iron braces for supporting the main pipes for water, W, and gas, G, &c., and for strengthening the tunnel. They are composed of two pieces, c and c', each of which is provided with projecting bands b b at one end for inclosing the brick-work of the tunnel in the spaces between them, and around the neck n, which rests on the structure. tremities of these pieces slots m are made for holding bolts q q', so that the compound brace C or C can be adjusted to suit the dimensions transversely of the tunnel. The piece c has curved portions z z for the mains to rest ou, and a projection, y, in the center for an eye, c, to be screwed into, so that a pulley can be hooked onto it and suspended therefrom.

Forlaying the mains W, G, Src., the open-V ings or shafts leading to the sewer are inclined so as to have a convenient grade for lowering' and shifting the pipes along and within them. A truck, T, for carrying these pipes, is provided with wheels having curved faces to suit the formation of the base of the tunnel, and is moved along from place to place by power applied to a windlass iixed at any one of the openings or shafts, the windlass-rope d being attached to the truck, and running over two or more pulleys, such as K, suspended from the braces C C.

I claim as my invention-- Near the eX- 1. The' structure S, built with numbered bricks B B', through the bodies of which rods or tubes r r are run longitudinally so as to string several together for pres erving the shape of the structure, substantially as und for the purpose herein set forth.

2. The compound adjustable braces C, provided With necks n n, zmges b b', und curvatures z' z', in combination with the tongued and grooved bricks B B' and longitudinal rods r r, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

GEORGE KNOLL. Witnesses:

ALFRED C. CRANE, LIONEL VARIoAs.