US536680A

US536680A - Truss-bridge

Info

Publication number: US536680A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1895-04-02
Anticipated expiration: 1912-04-02

Description

y zsheets-sheet 2. G. M. AVERY.

TRUSS BRIDGE.-

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

COLBY M. AVERY, OE ROCKFORD, ASSIGNOR TO FREDERICK C. AUSTIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TRUSS- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 536,680, dated April 2, 1895.

Application filed January 8, l. 8 94.

.To all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, CoLBY M. AVERY, a

citizen of theUnited States, residing at Rockford, in the county of Winnebago and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Truss- Bridges, of which the following is a specification.

In a truss-bridge characterized by my invention, inclined end or batter posts, and top ro chords, are formed by tubes. These tubularmembers are connected' by socket pieces, thereby providing a tubular structure which can be easily put together. The end or batter-posts are each formed by aconple of tubes arranged to diverge downwardly. The two tubes of such posts are coupled at their lower ends by adouble socket piece, and at their. upper ends are coupled together by alsocket piece which also serves to couple them with 2o the adjacent end of one of the topy chords.

In this connection I also provide suitable tension rods, and double beams. By the foregoing arrangement of tubular truss, I produce an exceedingly strong and simple construcz 5 tion, and avoid the numerous bars and plates of iron riveted together by small pieces, as commonly found in prior bridges.

By spreading the batter-posts at their lowerends, I provide a powerful bracing against 3o both wind and water, and secure great. stiffness and durability. I Each tube employed in this truss isdesirably formed of a single piece" of metal rolled into tubular form and welded along the seam, and if desired I can insert 3 5 smaller tubes within the main tubes and secure them in place by washers, thereby further strengthening the structure without increasing the diameter of the main tubes.

Further matters of improvement are here- 4o inafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings,-Figure l represents in perspective a truss bridge embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a section through one of the piles. Fig. 3 is a section through one of the double cross-beams. Fig. 4 shows in perspectivealonger bridge having intermediate panel-posts.

As a preferred arrangement, the foundation at each end of the bridge is formed by a set 5o of piles consisting of seamless metal tubes A,

Serial No. 496,117. l (No model.)

which are driven into the ground'to a suitable depth and then lled with cementor concrete as indicated in Fig. 2 in which a is understood to denote a filling 0f such character. By such arrangement the piles can be readily driven to any desired depthinto the ground,

`and then conveniently filled so as to render a pony-truss having inclined end or batter posts B, top-chords C, and lower chords D. Each end or batter-post is formed byacouple of connected tubes b arranged to diverge downwardly from their upper ends. Said 7o tubes are connected at their upper and lower ends, respectively by socket-pieces E and E. Each socket-piece E is adapted to provide a double socket for the lower ends of the two tubes of the batter-posts in which Way, said tubes are firmly coupled in pairs at their lower ends. Where piles A are employed, caps a are fitted upon the top ends thereof, and the socket-pieces E are secured upon cross-beams `or rails F, which latter are in turn secured 8o upon the caps a.

The upper chords C consist of tubes, and these are united at their ends with the upper inclined batter-posts by means of socketends of the pieces E. Each socket-pieceE is adapted to provide a triple socket, whereof two of the sockets are allotted to the two battenpost tubes, while the third is allotted to an end of one of the chord-tubes C.

Where a longer bridge is desired, the truss 9o can be further braced by any desired number of panel-posts F as in Fig. Il. These panel posts are constructed like the batter posts B and are at Atheir lower ends secured upon the intermediate cross-beams F by means of socket-pieces E', adapted to form double sockets for the ends of the tubesf in the same way that the corresponding socket pieces at the end of the bridge are constructed. With such arrangement the tubular sections of the roo upper chord C illustrated in Fig. 4 are connected together by a socket piece G adapted to form six sockets, two of which are allotted to the tubular chord section, while the remaining four, are allotted to the upper ends of the tubes F of the panel posts. These tubes F are understood to diverge downwardly and are ottherwise constructed like the tubes of the end or batter posts B.

The suspension rods H have their upper ends conveniently secured to the socketpieces, while their lower ends are connected with the cross-beams. It will be seen that a truss of this character involves extreme simplicity and great strength and that the tubes which are rolled and welded so as to be seamless, can be made of any desired thickness without objectionably increasing their external diameter; also, that the truss does not involve the use of members forming recesses or angles inaccessible to paint and hence by calking the joints between the tubes and socket pieces with lead, the entire superficial area of the posts can be painted so as to avoid rust and impairment of the truss. The truss can also be extended to any desired length and can be easily and rapidly put together, and when thus put together it will be comparatively light and exceedingly strong.

My invention also contemplates separating the cross-beams as best illustrated in Fig. 3 in which a couple of cross-beams F are made of channel iron and bolted together and at the same time separated by washers, whereof one of said washers fis illustrated in Fig. 3. Vith such arrangement the suspension rods can pass down between the channel irons. This separation of the channel irons permits dust from the platform portion of the bridge to pass down between them, instead of accumulating, and in this way I prolong the life ofthe bridge it being a well known fact that where the cross-bars are set closely together, the dust will accumulate upon them and not only tend to rust the parts, but also rot the planks overhead.

What I claim as my invention is 1. A truss-bridge having single top-chords,

duplex end batter-posts, and socket pieces connecting the said chords and posts.

2. A truss-bridge having single top-chords, duplex end batter-posts, duplex panel-posts and socket pieces connecting the said chords, batter-posts and panel-posts.

3. A truss-bridge having single-top-chords, duplex downwardly inclined end battenposts, and socket-pieces connecting the said chords and posts at the point Where the latter dip.

4t. A truss-bridge having single top-chords, duplex divergent end batter-posts, and threeway sockets connecting the said chords and posts.

5. A truss-bridge comprising a pair of single top-chords, divergent end batter-posts, three-way socket-pieces connecting the said chords and posts, tubular piles having their upper ends provided with caps, cross-beams secured to the caps, and socket-pieces secured to the cross-beams and to the lower ends of the batter-posts.

6. A truss-bridge comprising a pair of single top-chords, divergent end batter-posts,

three-way socket-pieces connecting the said chords and posts, tubular piles having their upper ends provided with caps, cross-beams secured to the caps, socket-pieces secured to the cross-beams and to the lower ends of the batter-posts,and duplex panel-posts connected with the top-chords and with intermediate cross-beams.

7. A truss-bridge comprising a pair of single top-chords divergent end batterposts, three-way socketpieces connecting the said chords and posts, tubular piles having their upper ends provided with caps, cross-beams secured to the caps, socket-pieces secured to the cross-beams and to the lower ends of the batter-posts, six-way sockets carried by the chords, and duplex panel-posts secured to the latter sockets and to the intermediate cr0ss beams.

COLBY M. AVERY.

Witnesses:

BETA M. WAGNER, CHAs. G. PAGE.