US911628A - Lift-bridge. - Google Patents

Description

B. SWENSSON: LIFT BRIDGE.

v APPLIOATION PIVLYED DEO- 9, 1907. Patented Feb' 9,

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Hmm/raf? A7V/fA .Smm/550% y E. SWENSSON.

, LIFT BRIDGE. APPLIOATION FILED DBo.9,19o7.

Patented Feh.'9,ll909.

4' SHEETS-SHEET 3.

E. SWBNSSON.

LIFT BRIDGE. APPLICATION FILED DEO. 9,1907.

Patented Feb.4 9, 1909.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

lflll/fl L UNMSM ,54; Mai/vers Enric swENssoN, or MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

- LIFT-BRIDGE.

. Specification of Letters Jiatent.

Patented Feb.` 9, 1909.

. Application IedDGcember 9, 1907. Serial No. 495,697. N l

To all 'whom it. may concern: y v

Be it known that I, ERIC SwENssoN, of Minneapolia Hennepin' county, Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improveniente in Lift-Bridges, of Which the llowing is a specification.

f The object of my invention is to provide 1.a lift bridge to'take the place of an ordinary draw or swing bridge, a lift bridge in its fundamental urposeI and uses similar to other lift bri ges already constructed and in operation, but of a new type vastly more simple and economical.

rLong experience has shown that lack oi room and many .other difficulties impossible to specify' herein, with types of lift bridges so far constructed, leadto complicated,

troublesome and expensive designs. This is avoided by using my invention, the.

gyratory llift bridge, the designs Jfor thisy type of bridge in all cases becoming exceedingly simple and economical.

My invention consists generally in a l bridgespan of any ordinary type and having i trunnions, which rest on and are anchored in two .stationary towers, one at each end a suitable roadway, this bridge ,span being.

at each end, by means of vertical arms of proper construction, suspended on` two .of the' bridge. Thus, by -means oi suitable machinery I swing the entire bridge span around ia horizontal, longitudinal axis lso that when the bridge is open, the movable bridge span occupies a raised, .inverted position, with sufiicient clearance above the water level to 'allow the largest vessels to pass beneath the inverted span. To reduce the power necessary 'for moving tl e bridge, to an absolute minimum, I provide countervweights so that the movable part the bridge is perfectly vbalanced around the center line of the trunnions. i

Further,.the invention consists in .various /constructions and combinations, altas .hercinaiter fdescribe'd and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanyingdrawings, forming part of this specilication, Figure lis a side elevation partially in section, of a gyratory lift bridge embodying my invention and View illustrating the movable span Iswung to its inverted position to admitfiree passage of the largest vessels. Fig. 3 is a vertical portion of the operating mechanism, viz: ,f

the circular rack and the corresponding operating pinion. Fig. 5 is a sectional view illustrating thewedges for transferring the load to the abutment. Fig. 6 is a detail View taken on the line substantially at right angles to the section line oi Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a detail view'of the gear mechanism for operating the wedges. Fig. 8 is a detail view illustrating a means for locking the bridge. l

-My invention consists, generally speaking, ina bridge span havingv trusses or plategirders as main carriers and a floor construction for the roadway, suitable for the .demandsl of any particular case, and not differing materially from well-known modes of bridge construction. The span, .I will indicate by reference numeral 2, Aand the roadway by numeral 3.

4 re'resents the abutments atl each end of the ridge.

Instead of resting the span 2.directly. upon the abutments as is usual in fixed bridges I. provide two su-spensory frames 5 of suitable construction, one at each end oithe spanand Isuspend these .frames in trunnions 6 which are anchored or supported .in upright towers 7. The frames 5 and the iixed towers are portal formed so as to admit the roadway and give necessary clearance for same. The frames 5 may turn on the-trunnions secured in the towers or the trunnions may. be secured in the frames and jo'urnaled in the towers. These towers thus carry through the trunnions, the entire dead load of the span.

,Heavy steel castings 8 su port the trunniilsin the towers and the bearing surfaces of tirotrunnions in the frames 5, are suitably cushioned. jIn the upper parts of the frames 5 I provide counter weights 9'oi suitable material and arranged to act as lcounter balances for the entire lower portionol the span. These Weights are' so adjusted that the entire moving bridge is perfectly balanced around the centerline of the trunnions. 'lliis balancing ol' the bridge wi-llbe so perfect that only sullicient power to overcome Wind .pressure-and friction will be necessary to open or close thebrdge.

T U 1 l bil(r I 1`ll" l() o operate t ie m zwe, prox 1( c rac \s' l clrcular' 1n form and arranged to mesh wlth operatlng pnnons 11 winch are connected through a suitable reduction gearing 12 with motors 13 or other suitab.e prime movers. I

.have illustrated the mechanism l'or operating the bridge at one end en y, but it will be un derstood that a similar apparatus is generally provided at. theppposite end. lhe motor and thegear mechanism is arranged within a suitabe inclosure 14 which may form the bridge-operators dwening. Suitable l'riction ra have not thought necessary to illustrate, are provided in connection with the gearing 12 and., the attendant can by means et' this gearing and brake mechanism, open and close the bridge easiy and quickly.

Itor a small bridge an operating mechanism,at one end on.y may be provided, while for larger structures a similar apparatus is preferably provided at each end.

For small boats which do not require much clearance, I may raise the bridge only 'a short distance, while lor the larger boats the span may be swung to a completely inverted position. Also, 'depending on the size of vesse.s required to pass under a given bridge, may placethe trunnions or towers oil suitable height. InA this way, the invention can be adapted to any given condition of tratiic.

Under the ends of the main carriers I provide wedges or other suitable devices for the purpose of transferring, when the bridge is elosed,'all live load-directly from the bridge span down to the abutment, instead of,

transmitting it through the frames .5 and the trunnions and then through the upright towers to ,the abutments. l

16 represents the wedges having dovetail recesses 1,7 therein to tit correspondingly sha ed seats on the abutments. 'l'hese We ges are mounted onrods 18 having right and left hand threads in a hub 19 that is provided with a beveled gear 20. A similar gear 21 meshes with the gear 20 and is secured on a shaft 22. A gear 23 is mounted on said shaft and meshes with a pinion 24 on the shalt of an operating motor 25. By means of this mechanism the wedges are moved back and forth for the purpose ol supporting` the bridge directly upon the abutments and transmitting the live load thereto instead of allowing the load to'be transmitted through the frames 5 to the trunnions and towers. For the purpose oll locking the bridge I provide a plate 26 having a socket 27 to receive a bolt 28 on the armature 29 of a solenoid 3Q. The current being applied to this solenoid its armature will be withdrawn and the bolt disengaged from the socket to release the bridge.

I'do not Wish to be conned to the structural frame of this bridge or to the mechanisrnyshown for operating it, as both may be modified in various ways to Suit dilierent conditions. Various means may also be es ol' ordinary construction which'` employed for transmitting the live load to the abutments and preventing the bridge from swinging under wind pressure.

I claim as my invention :4-

1, A bridge of the class describedcomprising a span having a road-way and towers having portals forming eontinuations of said road-way on which towers the said span is journaled, counter weights for said span and means for swinging said span laterally to an inverted position to open the bridge.

2. A hlt bridge comprising a span' pro vided with a roadway and having trames at each end with portals theretln'ough, and

towers having portals, trunnions supporting said trames on said towers, counter balance weights mounted on saidi'rames above said trunnions and means l'or swinging said span to an inverted position.

3. A bridge oi the class described, comprising a span having a roadway, frames at each end ot' said s nm provided with portals and towers also having portals, trunnions supporting said frames` on said towers, counterlbalance' weights. carried by said frames and means for wedging said span to transfer the live load to the abutments and resist wind pressure, substantially aarde scribed.

4. A bridge of the class described com- 1' rising'ra span having a' road-way, towers raving ortals leading to said road-way and on whici towers the said span is journaled and means for swinging said span on its axis to an inverted position'to open the l idge "5. A bridge of the class described, comprising a movable span with suspcnsory trames at each end oll the same, and lixcd towers at each end ol the bridge, whereon said span is suspended and journaled, and means l'or swinging said span around a horizontal, longitudinal axis to an open inverted position, substantially as described.

6. A bridge of the class described, comprising a movable span with sus )ensory frames at each end ol same, and fixe towers at each end of the bridge, whereon said span is suspended and journaled, counter-balance weights to balance said movable span around the center line ci the journals or trunnions, and means for swinging said span sidewise around the said center line to an open, inverted position, substantially as described.

7. A lift bridge, comprising a movable span provided with a roadway and with portal formed sus ensory frames at each end of said span, an( Iwith liXed, portal-formed towers at each end, trunnions sup )orting said frames on said towers, counter alance weights mounted on said frames above said trunnions, and means for swinging said span around the axis of said trunnions to an open inverted position, substantially as described. v 8. A bridge of the class described, com

Wind pressure, substantially as described.

my hand this 29th -oleyof October 1907.

ERIC SWENSSON. [L. s]

Witnesses ALFR. CARLssoN, LOUIS SAGERSTACK.

ments, and means forlooking said span to the abutments or iixed towers, thus preventing the bridge from unduly opening under In witness whereof; I have hereunto 'set

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