US988064A - Protection for rackwork of ferry-slips. - Google Patents

Description

F. W. BACON.

PROTECTION FOB. RAGKWORK 01 FERRY SLIPS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 5, 1910 Patented Mar. 28, 1911.

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FREDERIC W. BACON, OF ENGLEWOOD, NEW JERSEY.

PROTECTION FOR. BACKWOBK OF FERRYTSLIPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 28, 1911.

Application filed. July 5, 1910. Serial No. 570,330.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FnEDERIo BACON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Englewood, in the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Protection for Rackwork of Ferry-Slips, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to means for protecting the rack work of ferry-slips against the weather in order to increase the life of the rack work in question, and consists of a sectional curtain peculiarly arranged and supported, so that on the one hand, it will not interfere with the varying and irregular movements of the piles, stringers, buffer beams, etc., which vary under different conditions and at difierent times, and on the other hand so that the curtain itself will not be displaced, racked, twisted or torn by such movement.

The problem in question is unique and ditlicult. Ferry slips are peculiar structures which difier from all others. The converging walls of the slip are necessarily made of wooden piles connected together by stringers to produce a structure strong and firm enough to resist the impact of the boats, and at the same time having a resilient character so as to yield sutficiently to such impact. Therefore steel and masonry cannot be employed in similar structures, but the parts must be of wood. As commonly constructed, there is a main row of piling carry ing a Sheathing of planks against which the boats strike. Behind the first row is arranged one, or more, supplementary rows of piling set at suitable distances from each other. The piles in each row should be connected together by buffer-beams. Spaces should be left between the piles of one row and the bufi'er-beams of the next to permit the necessary movement. The rows of rear piles are commonly shorter, and sometimes lighter, than the front rows, but no unvarying plan can be designed suitable for all locations, on account of the difierent depths and conditions of the water, varying at different seasons or hourly as in tide waters, the variation in the weight and power of the boats, etc. Generally speaking, conditions have gradually become more exacting owing to the demands on the capacity of ferry lines and the consequent increase in the size of boats and engines.

The rack-work is expensive to build and maintain and has become almost yearly more expensive owing to the use of larger boats and the increase in the price of lumber. Any means that would increase the life of the structure, or tend to diminish the required repairs, would be of great value, and many attempts have been made with those ends in view to protect the rack work from the weather. Large sums have been spent for chemical treatment of the beams and piles without much success; furthermore such treatment diminished the necessary resiliency. Protective planking has been spiked in place, but such coverings have proved failures for they were racked and torn loose, and, when in position, interfered with the free and necessary movement of the various parts of the structure.

After long observation and practical study of the problem on the ground, I have devised a protective means which has proved successful in practical use for a year and has already proved its great value in protecting the rack-work. My means of protection consists in a series of'frames covered with any suitable water-shedding material, each frame being supported by a series of flexible hangers connected to the main piles at their tops and to the frame below its upper edge. The frames adjacent to their upper edges preferably rest on and are connected to cords applied to the upper ends of the main piles, and below rest on cords spiked to the piles of one of the supplementary rows. I have thus produced a sectional, protective curtain so supported that it is free to move with relation to the piles, and freely to permit the various movements of the piles, such as the progressive movement produced when the boat enters the slip and rubs along the sheathing on the main piles.

In the drawing herewith illustrating my invention the reference numerals of this description are used to indicate the various parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a vertical cross section of a ferry-slip wall showing the form and peculiar arrangement of my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view with portions broken away. Fig. 8 shows in plan one of the curtain frames.

In the figures, 1 indicates the piles of the main row connected by the stringers 2, which carry the sheathing 3, and also connected by the bufi'er-beams 5. As shown, 6 is the second row of piles connected by its buffer-beams (3; and 8 the third row having bufl'enbeams 9.

15 indicates the frame of my sectional curtain covered with any suitable water shedding material 16, for instance planking, corrugated iron, etc. The curtain is connected to the main piles and supported on the sup plementary piles and might be directly so connected and supported, but I prefer the particular arrangement shown in which upper and lower cords are interposed between the curtain and the piles.

17 are hangers secured adjustably by nuts 1.8 (so that the hangers are removable) to a cord 19 preferably applied to the beveled ends of the main piles so that it cannot pull away. The upper edge of the frame rests against this cord. The hangers are connected to the frame at suitable points 21, some distance below its upper edge, and should be provided with the flexible portion 20, so as to permit the free movement of the curtain in all directions. The curtain sections rest below, and are free to slide on, the cord 22 bolted to one set of the supplementary piles.

23 indicates merely the foot-way and 24: a hand rail.

As aforesaid, my peculiar protective curtain has already proved its value in pro tecting the rack-work from injury by the weather, particularly from the alternate effect of rain and the drying and steaming effect of the sun. Protection against fire is also of importance. The curtain sections should not be too long, for, if so, they would be racked by the varying movement of the rack work.

Having described my invention what I claim is,

1. A structure of the character described, consisting of at least two independent series of piles, the various series being arranged adjacent and in such relation to each other that a water-shedding curtain connected to one series will extend over the others, and in combination therewith the water-shedding curtain connected to one series and resting on at least one other series and adapted to move with the first series independent of the piles of the various other series.

:2. In a structure of the character described, the combination with at least two series of piles, the various series being arranged adjacent and in abutting relation, of a water-shedding curtain arranged to cover and protect the various series, said curtain being connected to one of said series and resting on another of said series.

3.1n a structure of the character described, the combination with a plurality of rows of piling, said rows being adjacent, substantially parallel and varying in height, of a series of water-shedding curtains said curtains being connected to one row and resting on a second row, to which the curtains are not connected, and being arranged to extend over and protect all the rows of piling.

4. In combination with the rack-work of ferry slips composed of a row of main piles and of supplementary rows of shorter piles arranged outside the main row and substantiall 1 parallel thereto, the piles of each row being substantially of equal length and the outer row being the shorter and the piles of each row being connected together, but independent of the piles of the other rows, said main row having its upper ends inwardly beveled, of cords secured to said beveled ends, a series of water-shedding curtains arranged to cover the rack-work each curtain resting on said upper cord and also on a row of supplementary piles and a series of hangers for connecting each curtain to the main piles.

5. In the rack-work of ferry slips composed of a row of main piles and of supplementary rows of shorter piles arranged outside the main row and substantially parallel thereto, the piles of each row being substan tially of equallength and the outer row being the shorter and the piles of each row being connected together but independent of the piles of the other rows, said main row having its upper ends inwardly beveled, a continuous row of upper cords set and secured on the said beveled ends, a row of lower cords secured to the upper ends of the outer and shortest row of piling, a series of curtains continuously arranged to cover the rack-work, each curtain resting at about its upper edge on the upper cord and adjacent to its lower edge on the lower cord and consisting of a frame and a water-shedding covering on the frame, and a series of metallic hangers for connecting each curtain to the main piles, each hanger being provided with a flexible portion, substantially as described and shown.

6. The combination with the rack-work of ferry slips composed of a row of main piles and of supplementary rows of shorter piles arranged outside the main row and substantially parallel thereto, the piles of each row being substantially of equal length and the outer row being the shorter and the piles of each row being connected by bufier-beams and having a limited freedom of movement independent of the other rows, said main row being provided on its inner face with connecting stringers and a covering of sheathing and having its upper ends inwardly beveled, of a continuous row of upper cords secured to said beveled portion, a row of lower cords secured to the upper ends of the outer and shortest row of piling, a series of curtains continuously arranged to cover the rack-work, each curtain resting at about its upper edge on the upper cord and 7 adjacent to its lower edge on the lower cord and consisting of a frame and a watershedding covering on the frame, and a series of metallic hangers for connecting each curtain to the main piles, said hangers being connected to the curtain a uniform distance below its upper edge and detachably connected to the upper cord by a nut fitting the hanger upper end, and each hanger being provided with a flexible portion, substantially as described and shown.

7. The combination with the rack-work for ferry slips consisting of a plurality of rows of piling of different heights, said rows being adjacent and substantially parallel and the piles of each row being connected by buffer beams and the main row being longer and having sheathing on its inner face, of a series of water shedding curtains connected to the upper ends of the piles of the main row by a series of flexible hangers and resting on at least one series of the shorter piles to move freely on the latter, said curtains being arranged in a continuous series to protect the rack work from the weather.

8. In a structure of the character described the combination with a plurality of rows of piling, said rows being adjacent and substantially parallel and the piles of each row being connected by beams, of a series of curtains composed each of a frame and of a water shedding cover, said curtains being connected to one row and resting on another row, to which second row they are not connected, and being arranged in a continuous series to cover and protect the piles and the beams.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERIC W. BACON.

WVitnesses:

J. B. MILLWARD, M. L. BRESLIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. 0.

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