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HistoricBridges.org Encyclopedia

Historic Bridge Patents

Original Patents

Click on a patent name to download the PDF file of that patent.

In addition, a 4mb ZIP file is available that contains a bunch of patents (in PDF format) retrieved during a search on Google for "Improvement in Bridges." This random collection of bridge patents will be of interest to those wishing to see patents for bridge designs that have long since been demolished, or even for patented designs which were never built.

Also, for further detail and research, a detailed report was written by David Guise to outline truss bridge patents. It is an extensive and useful resource.

Patent Inventor Bridge Company (Most Closely Associated) Date Number Significance
Thomas Moseley Bowstring Bridge Patent 1857 Thomas Moseley Moseley Iron Building Works of Boston, Massachusetts February 3, 1857 16572 Outlines distinctive details in remaining Moseley bowstring truss bridges.
Thomas Moseley Bowstring Bridge Patent 1866 Thomas Moseley Moseley Iron Building Works of Boston, Massachusetts October 23, 2866 59054 Outlines distinctive details in remaining Moseley bowstring truss bridges.
Thomas Moseley Bowstring Bridge Patent 1870 Thomas Moseley Moseley Iron Building Works of Boston, Massachusetts May 31, 1870 103765 Outlines distinctive details in remaining Moseley bowstring truss bridges.
David Hammond Bowstring Patent 1873 David Hammond Wrought Iron Bridge Company of Canton, Ohio February 11, 1873 135802 Describes the unique construction details of a Wrought Iron Bridge Company bowstring.
Bottom Chord Connection Detail F. C. Lowthorp   June 30, 1857 17684 F. C. Lowthorp
Cast Iron Diagonal and Vertical Member Intersection F. C. Lowthorp   February 19, 1867 62278 F. C. Lowthorp
Wrought Iron Bridge Company Bowstring Patent 1876 Job Abbott Wrought Iron Bridge Company of Canton, Ohio November 21, 1876 184490 Describes the unique construction details of a Wrought Iron Bridge Company bowstring.
Wrought Iron Bridge Company 1876 Truss Bridge Patent David Hammond Wrought Iron Bridge Company of Canton, Ohio November 21, 1876 184520 Describes the unique construction details of one of the earliest Wrought Iron Bridge Company trapezoidal truss bridges.
Wrought Iron Bridge Company Wrought Iron Girder 1876 Patent David Hammond Wrought Iron Bridge Company of Canton, Ohio November 21, 1876 184522 Describes the unique construction details of the earliest Wrought Iron Bridge Company built-up beams.
Wrought Iron Bridge Company Wrought Iron Post 1876 Patent David Hammond Wrought Iron Bridge Company of Canton, Ohio November 21, 1876 184521 Describes the unique construction details of the earliest Wrought Iron Bridge Company built-up beams.
Strauss Bascule Bridge Patent Joseph Strauss Strauss Bascule Bridge Company June 20, 1911 995813 Outlines the key features in a "Strauss type" bascule bridge.
Suspension Bridge Tower Construction Joseph Strauss   September 22, 1936 2054995 Here, Strauss patented his design for the Golden Gate Bridge's towers.
Page Bascule Bridge Patent John Page   June 16, 1903 731321 Defines the Page bascule bridge type.
Marsh Arch 1912 James Marsh Marsh Engineering Company of Des Moines, Iowa August 6, 1912 1035026 Describes the unique construction details of a Marsh Arch type bridge.
March Arch 1921 James Marsh Marsh Engineering Company of Des Moines, Iowa August 23, 1921 1388584 Describes the unique construction details of a Marsh Arch type bridge.
Joseph Davenport Bowstring Patent 1867 Joseph Davenport Massillon Bridge Company of Massillon, Ohio December 24, 1867 72611 Describes the unique construction details of a Massillon Bridge Company bowstring.
Joseph Davenport Bowstring Patent 1868 Joseph Davenport Massillon Bridge Company of Massillon, Ohio September 22, 1868 82388 Describes the unique construction details of a Massillon Bridge Company bowstring.
T. B. Mills / King Bridge Company - Bridge Piers Theodore B. Mills King Bridge Company of Cleveland, Ohio October 15, 1872 132307 Describes the unique construction details of cast iron piers often seen with King bowstrings.
King Bridge Company Zenas King Bowstring Patent 1866 Zenas King King Bridge Company of Cleveland, Ohio September 25, 1866 58266 Describes the unique construction details of a King Bridge Company bowstring.
King Bridge Company Zenas King Bowstring Patent 1874 Zenas King King Bridge Company of Cleveland, Ohio August 25, 1874 6026 Describes the unique construction details of a King Bridge Company bowstring.
Oliver Perry and William Allen Bowstring Patent Oliver Perry and William Allen Allen, McEvoy and Company of Beloit, Wisconsin October 24, 1871 120319 Closest associated patent with the Moneek "Eureka" Bridge in Iowa
Wendel Bollman Truss Patent 1852 Wendel Bollman   January 6, 1852 8624 Defines the Bollman truss configuration.
Albert Fink Truss Patent 1854 Albert Fink   May 9, 1854 10887 Defines the Fink truss configuration.
W. O. Douglas Berlin Iron Bridge Company Lenticular Truss Bridge Patent 1878 William Douglas Berlin Iron Bridge Company of East Berlin, Connecticut April 16, 1878 202526 Defines the Lenticular truss configuration.
Parker Patent Truss Bridge Charles Parker National Bridge Company of Boston, Massachusetts February 22, 1870 100185 Defines the Parker truss configuration and also the distinctive details of "Parker Patent" type bridges.
Post Truss Bridge Simeon Post Watson Manufacturing Company of Paterson, New Jersey June 16, 1863 38910 Defines the Post truss configuration.
William Johnson Patented Tension Control Devices William Johnson WM Cowin of Lambertville, Pennsylvania November 29, 1870 109628 Defines the unique tension control devices found on William Cowin's bridges.
Avery and Bartholomew Truss Bridge Patent 1877 Oliver Avery and Caleb Bartholomew Groton Bridge Company of New York, New York April 3, 1877 189170 Defines the unique bowstring truss design composed of railroad rails.
Avery and Bartholomew Bridge Pier Patent 1877 Oliver Avery and Caleb Bartholomew Groton Bridge Company of New York, New York April 3, 1877 189171 Patented pier design to go with the  bowstring patent.
Colby Truss Bridge Patent 1877 Ellery Colby Groton Bridge Company of New York, New York February 20, 1877 187513 Offspring patents from the Avery and Bartholomew Patents.
Colby Bridge Pier Patent 1877 Ellery Colby Groton Bridge Company of New York, New York April 3, 1877 189020 Offspring patents from the Avery and Bartholomew Patents.
Samuel Reeves Phoenix Column Patent 1862 Samuel Reeves Phoenix Bridge Company of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania June 17, 1862 35582 Defines the Phoenix column built-up beam type.
Edwin Thacher Truss Bridge Patent Edwin Thacher Wrought Iron Bridge Company of Canton, Ohio January 13, 1885 310747 Defines the Thacher truss configuration.
Hugo A. F. Abt Bascule Truss Bridge Patent Hugo A. F. Abt American Bridge Company of New York, New York October 25, 1921 1394519 Defines the Abt Bascule Bridge type.
George Pegram Truss Bridge George Pegram Edge Moor Bridge Works of Wilmington, Delaware March 24, 1885 314262 Defines the Pegram truss configuration.
Joseph Henszey Bowstring Bridge Joseph Henszey   June 22, 1869 91745 Defines the Henszey Bowstring design.
Pratt Truss Patent 1844 Thomas Pratt and Caleb Pratt   April 4, 1844 3523 Defines the Pratt truss configuration.
Whipple Arch Bridge Patent Squire Whipple   April 24, 1841 2064 Defines the "Whipple Arch" Bowstring Truss Bridge
Waddell A-Frame Truss Bridge Patent John A. L. Waddell J. A. L. Waddell November 13, 1894 529220  
Sherman Bridge Type Patent Evrett Sherman   May 11, 1877 191552 Defines the "Sherman Patent" bridge type.
Howe Truss Patent 1844 William Howe   August 3, 1840 1711 Defines the Howe truss configuration.

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