US435492A - Method of and apparatus for supporting and lowering foundations of buildings - Google Patents

Description

No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. L. P. FRIESTEDT. METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING AND LOWERING FOUNDATIONS 0P BUILDINGS. No. 435,492. Patented Sept. 2, 1890.

(No Model.)

L. P. PRIESTEDT.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING AND L OWERING FOUNDATIONS 0F BUILDINGS.

Patented Sept. 2, 1890. W

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UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

LUTHER P. FRIESTEDT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING AND LOWERING FOUNDATIONS OF BUILDINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 435,492, dated September 2, 1890.

Application filed May 20, 1890. Serial No. 352,444. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUTHER P. FRIESTEDT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in a Method of and Means for Supporting and Lowering the Foundations of Buildings, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, that will enable others to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a temporary foundation for supporting large buildings by taking the entire weight from off the foundation proper, whereby the same may be strengthened or extended down to any desired depth.

The invention consists in sinking a number of well-holes or shafts down into the earth along, parallel to, and on each side of the permanent foundation-walls, and then building up a temporary foundation from the bottom of these wells and supporting the weight of the structure thereon. The earth may then be removed from underneath the old or permanent foundation until the excavation has reached the required depth. Then the new part of the old or permanent foundation may be built up from the bottom of the excavation until it joins and becomes an integral part of the old foundationwalls. The temporary foundation may then be removed and the different excavations filled in solidly. The well-holes for the temporary foundation will be preferably of a cylindrical form and of a diameter in accordance with the weight of the structure to be supported, the required diameter of the supporting-columns being placed therein. The necessity for an improvement of this kind may arise when a tunnel is to be run under abuilding or block of buildings for the passage of street or other cars, or when necessary to extend downwardly or lower the old foundation-walls for the purpose of strengthening the same, or for the purpose of supporting a greater weight when additional stories are to be placed on the structure, or for any purpose whatsoever when it is necessary to excavate below the foundationwalls of any structure.

In the drawings, Figure l is a sectional end elevation showing the temporary foundation and the relative posit-ion thereto of the original permanent foundation-walls and the new part joined thereto. Fig. 2 is a broken-away plan showing the different steps in their order of progression in building up the temporary foundation; Fig. 3, a vertical section of one of the well-holes ready to receive the supporting-columns; and Fig. 4: is an elevation of a building, showing the course of a tunnel and the bottom line of the old foundation.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a number of well-holes or shafts arranged at intervals along the respective sides of the permanent foundation wall or walls B, the relative position of which is shown in Fig.1.

In sinking the shafts for the temporary foundation the excavationwalls will be backed and prevented from caving in by inserting a sheet-metal cylinder or employing other well-known means to guard against quicksand. hen the shaft or shafts have reached the desired depth, a foundation block or bottom B is formed or cast therein, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. This block may be composed of cement, broken stone, or any other material or composition suitable for the purpose. The vertical timbers O O, forming the supporting-columns, are next lowered into the well-holes or shafts, the lower ends resting on the foundation-blocks, as shown, the upper ends just projecting above the mouth of the shafts, as shown in Fig.1. The timbers O C will usually be square-in crosssection, and any number may be used. The sides of the timbers adjacentto the permanent foundation-walls will be provided with the horizontal planking-pieces a, and the spaces around the other sides of the columns filled in with sand, earth, or other material to retain said columns in a true perpendicular position. The horizontal timbers D D are placed on top of the vertical timbers O G and run parallel to the foundation-walls. Next in their order come the transverse timberblocks a, the longitudinal timbers a the transverse blocks a the series of j ack-screws a, the longitudinal cap-timbers E, resting on top of the screws, the transverse girders F, the longitudinal plates of, laid at intervals on top ofthe first series of girders, and the conipanion girders G, resting on top of said plates. The companion series of girders F and G pass through openings made in the old walls, their respective ends resting on the temporary foundation on each side of the permanent foundation wall or walls, as shown in Fig. 1. The temporary foundation is further strengthened by the diagonal brace-timbers H H, the upper ends of which have a bearing against the outer edges of the timbers E and the under side of the lower girders. The opposite ends of these braces bear against the inclined jack-screw b, which in turn rests on the foundation-block b. The weight of the building being transferred to the temporary support by a proper use of the jack-screws, that portion of the old foundation-walls 6 as indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 1, below the temporary transverse girders may be removed and an excavation made down to the depth it is intended to lower the permanent foundation.

b represents the bottom line of the new part of the old foundation.

1) b are uprights placed against the planking on the supporting-columns of the temporary foundation. The screws d bear against said uprights, and the respective ends of the transverse braces d bear against said screws. These braces are arranged at intervals, as shown in Fig. 1, and provide additional strengthening features when the earth is removed from between the two parallel rows of shafts. When the excavation between the temporary foundation-line is completed, the new part of the old wall may be run up and the work of lowering the foundation completed with facility.

In running atunnel under a river for streetcars the entrance must start in a number of blocks from each side, thus necessarily pass ing under a number of buildings and below some of the foundation-walls. The descent or grade from each side or the ends of the tunnel being gradual, all of the foundationwalls need not be lowered to the same depth, but in accordance with the steps (1 as shown in Fig. 4.

g represents the bottom line of the tunnel, g the top, and g the line of the old foundation in Fig. 4.

I do not confine myself to the precise arrangementshown for building up or constructing the temporary foundation, but may make such changes as practical working may require without departing from the spirit of my invention.

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

1. The method herein described of lowering the foundation of buildings, which con-.

sists in first sinking a number of parallel rows of well-holes or shafts along each side of the respective foundation-walls proper, next building up a temporary foundation from the bottom of saidshafts to the requiredheight, and then connecting said parallel temporary foundations at the top by transverse girders or beams passing through the permanent foundation-walls, whereby the building may be temporarily supported and the permanent foundation lowered to any desired depth, substantially as described.

ing through the permanent foundation-walls,

next transferring the weight of the building from the permanent to the temporary support, then excavating between the temporary walls, and lowering the old permanent walls to the required depth, substantially as set forth.

3. The method herein described for transferring the weight of buildings from their permanent foundation to a foundation of a temporary character,which consists in first sinking a number of well-holes or shafts on each side of the permanent foundation-walls, next casting or forming a foundation-block in the bottom of said shafts, next placing supporting-columns in said shafts, the lower ends resting on the foundation-blocks and the upper ends projecting above the mouths of the respective shafts, next connecting the tops of said columns by transverse girders passing through the permanent foundation,next transferring the Weight from the permanent to the temporary foundation, next excavating and lowering the permanent foundation-walls to the desired depth, and finally removing the temporary support and filling in the excavation, substantially as set forth.

4. In a means for transferring the weight of buildings from a permanent to a temporaryfoundation, the combination,with the permanent wall or walls, of a number of wellholes or shafts sunk each side of and running parallel to said wall or walls, the foundationblocks placed in the bottom of said shafts, the supporting timbers or columns placed in said shafts and resting their lower ends on said foundation-blocks, the longitudinal timbers resting on the projecting ends of the vertical timbers, the transverse blocking, the next course of longitudinal timbers, the next trans verse blocks, the system of jack-screws, the longitudinal cap-timbers, the lower series of transverse girders, the longitudinal plates resting thereon, and the upper series of companion girders, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination of the permanent foundation-walls,the well-holes or shafts excavated on each side of the same and running parallel therewith, and the temporary foundations built up from the bottom of said'shafts to and supporting the building at a point above the surface of the ground,whereby that part of the old wall below the top of the temporary support may be removed and the permanent foundations lowered, substantially as described.

6. The combination of the permanent foundation-walls, the well-holes or shafts', the temporary foundation built up therefrom, the uprights bearing against the adjacent faces of 1c the temporary supporting-columns, the transverse braces located therebetweeu, and the diagonal braces, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

LUTHER P. FRIESTEDT. Witnesses:

L. M. FREEMAN, L. B. COUPLAND.

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