US1212452A - Concrete culvert or bridge. - Google Patents

Description

S- C. CALDWELL.

CONCRETE CULVERT 0R BRIDGE. APPLICATION FILED AUG-23, 19m.

1,212A52. Y Patented Jan.16,1917.

SMITH C. CALDWELL, 0F ROBERTS,

MONTANA.

CONCRETE CULVEBT OR BRIDGE.

Application filed August 23, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, SMITH C. CALDWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Roberts, in the county of Carbon and State of Montana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Concrete Culverts or Bridges, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to concrete constructions and particularly to culverts or small bridges formed of concrete blocks, the term concrete as here used and as hereafter used being designed to include blocks formed of any initially plastic material.

The general object of this invention is to provide a structure of the character indicated which is formed of a plurality of blocks having, when erected, interlocking engagement with each other so as to provide a solid and substantial construction not requiring mortar or other like material for filling the joints between the blocks and binding the blocks to each other.

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction of this kind which by the use'of additional side blocks, bottom blocks and top blocks, may be used for relatively long culverts, bridges, or like constructions, in other words, a construction which is built out of units having interlocking engagement with each other.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character formed as described and having end pieces or dirt guards interlocking with the side blocks and securely locking all the parts in engagement with each other.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the completed culvert constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig.- 3 is a top plan view of the construction shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 1 is an inside face view of one of the end pieces or dirt guards, the legs being broken away; Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. l; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the side blocks; Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the bottom blocks; and Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one of the auxiliary bottom blocks.

In Fig. 6 I have illustrated one of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 16, 1917.

Serial No. 116,512.

side blocks, this block being designated 10. The block has the form of a relatively thick slab formed at its ends with the ears 11 which are somewhat less in depti than the depth of the block, the inner faces 12 of the ears being inclined diver-gently with relation to each other toward the outer face of the block. In otl er words, the ears define between them a dovetail recess.

The main bottom block 13 as illustrated in Fig. 7 also has the shape of a rectangular slab having dovetail recesses 11 at its ends, the walls 15 of these recesses being disposed in planes at right angles to the faces of the block. In addition to the main bottom block 13, I provide the end bottom blocks 16, one of which is illustrated in Fig. 8. Each has the form of one longitudinal half of the main bottom block 13, and each is provided at its end with an ear 17 having an outer angularly disposed face 18.

The top block 19 has a form approximately the same as the bottom block and the same width as the bottom block, but is longitudinally rounded and is provided at its end with a dovetail recess :20 whose opposite side walls are perpendicular to the under faces of the ears on each side of the dovetailed recess.

The dirt guards or end blocks 21 are formed as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 5. Each is formed with a transversely extending upper portion and downwardly extending legs 22, the transverse upper portion being thicker than the legs so as to form inwardly projecting flange. 23. At the junction of each leg with the transverse middle portion of the block there is form-ed a recess 2&, the end wall 25 of this recess being inclined toward the inner and toward the middle of the block.

In Figs. 1,2, and 3 I have shown the culvert assembled. In assembling the culvert, the bottom block 13 is first laid with the auxiliary bottomblocks 16 along side of it. The side blocks are then disposed in a vertical position with their curved'inside faces facing each other. There are two side blocks on each side of the culvert with their ends abutting. The abutting ears 11 of each pair of side blocks are inserted in the dovetailed recesses 141 and interlocked therewith, while the outer ear of each side block is engaged with the beveled ear 17 of the auxiliary end block 16. It will thus be seen that the four side blocks and the three bottom face of the blockblocks are interlocked with each other. The

side blocks are further engaged with each other by means of the top block 19, the upper abutting ears 11 of each pair of side blocks being inserted in the dovetailed recess 20 of the upper block 19. The end blocks, or dirt guards, are then disposed in position, the blocks being disposed with their flanges 28 facing inward and abutting against the top block 19 in which case the upper ends of the outer cars 11 will extend upward, engage in the recesses 24 and abut against the end walls 25 of these recesses, the legs 22 fitting down outside the side blocks. The culvert is then completed and dirt or other material may be filled in between the dirt guards or end blocks. It will be seen that a culvert of this character has its parts all interlocked and that it is impossible to disconnect the blocks of which the culvert is formed except by lifting upward the top block 19. When this is removed and the end blocks or dirt guards removed, it is possible to remove the side blocks from the bottom blocks, but it is impossible to do this unless the top block is removed, and inasmuch as this block is subjected to the weight of the superposed earth, it is obvious that there is no likelihood of the culvert structure becoming disassembled.

It will be noted that the top block 19 interlocks with the side blocks so as to resist any outward movement of the side blocks and that this outward movement is further resisted by the interlocking engagement between the bottom blocks and the side blocks. t will of course be obvious that the end blocks or dirt guards also act to hold the side blocks in a vertical position and that the pressure of earth on these dirt guards or end blocks cannot shift them from their interlocking engagement with the side blocks.

lVhile I have illustrated a relatively short section of culvert, forming in fact a complete unit, yet it is obvious that a relatively long culvert or bridge may be formed by as sembling a greater number of units. It is also obvious that the principle of my construction may be used for other structures than culverts or small bridges.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A culvert construction comprising side blocks formed at their extremities with dovetailed recesses, the recesses being defined on each side by cars having relatively divergent inner faces, the faces diverging toward the outer face of the block, a main bottom block having dovetailed recesses in 1ts ends, a top block having dovetailed recesses in its ends, the bottom and top block being adapted to engage with the abutting ears of the side blocks and interlock with said ears, auxiliary bottom blocks adapted to be disposed on each side of the main bottom block and having ears engaging in the recesses of the side blocks and interlocking therewith, and end blocks, each comprising a main transversely extending portion formed upon its inner faces with a transversely extending flange, there being downwardly extending legs on each side of said main portion, the face of the main portion opposite the flange being formed at the junction of the legs with recesses adapted to receive the outer upper ears on the side blocks, the inner end walls of the recess being inclined to correspond to the inclination of the inner faces of the ears on theside bloc rs, whereby to interlock the end blocks with the side blocks.

2. A culvert construction comprising side blocks formed at their extremities with dovetailed recesses, the recesses being defined on each side by ears having relatively divergent inner faces, the faces diverging toward the outer face of the block, a bottom block having dovetailed recesses in its ends, and a top block having dovetailed recesses in its ends, the bottom and top block being adapted to engage with the abutting ears of the side blocks and interlock with said ears.

3. A culvert construction comprising side blocks formed at their extremities with dovetailed recesses, the recesses being defined on each side by ears having relatively divergent inner faces, the faces divergmg toward the outer face of the block, a main bottom block having dovetailed recesses in its ends, a top block having dovetailed recesses in its ends, the bottom and top block being adapted to engage with the abutting ears of the side blocks and interlock with said ears, and auxiliary bottom blocks adapted to be disposed on each side of the main bottom block and having ears engaging in the recesses of the side blocks and interlocking therewith.

In testimony whereof l hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

SMITH C. CALDWELL. Witnesses H. G. Pnovrnsn, H. A. LUECK.

(Jepies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D C.

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