Anchorage of cables

Claim 1

In a bridge construction having support cable means including a plurality of tension members, an anchorage system for anchoring one end of said cable means relative to a structural bridge component and for simultaneously tensioning said members, said cable means extending through an opening in said bridge component, a concrete anchorage block, anchor heads having a plurality of spaced passages extending outwardly of one end wall of said block, a plurality of hollow tubes in registry with said passages extending therefrom and terminating at an end wall of said anchorage block lying opposite said one end wall, said tubes being in mutual contact at said opposite end wall, a first bearing plate lying against said opposite end wall and having a central opening, said tension members extending through said tubes and through said passages, means securing said tension members to said anchor heads, a tubular sheath extending from said opposite end wall through said central opening of said first bearing plate and encasing said tension members, a second bearing plate having a central opening through which said sheath extends and bearing against said structural bridge component, said bearing plates being in spaced apart parallel relationship, extendable means acting between said bearing plates for spacing them a predetermined distance apart to thereby simultaneously tension said members as said anchorage block is shifted away from said second plate, and a plurality of spacers having a length equal to said predetermined distance being disposed between said plates for maintaining said predetermined distance.

Claim 5

A method of anchoring one end of a support cable means and for tensioning the tension members thereof relative to a structural bridge component of a bridge construction, comprising the steps of forming a concrete anchorage block with a plurality of hollow tubes embedded therein and with a plurality of anchor heads in registry with said tubes and extending outwardly of the end wall of said block, said anchor heads having passages spaced apart in a predetermined pattern and said tubes extending from said passages and terminating at an end wall of said block lying opposite said one end wall, said tubes at said opposite end wall lying in mutual contacting relationship in said predetermined pattern, extending a tubular sheath through an opening in said bridge component, threading said tension members through said sheath, said hollow tubes and said passages, seating said block against a confronting end of said sheath, temporarily maintaining confronting bearing surfaces on said block and said component in parallel spaced apart relationship and perpendicular to the central axis of said sheath, securing ends of said tension members to said anchor heads and temporarily stressing said members while said bearing surfaces are maintained in said spaced apart relationship, moving said bearing surfaces apart a predetermined distance for simultaneously applying a predetermined stressing force to said tension members, and fixing said bearing surfaces apart at said predetermined distance.

Claim 6

A method of anchoring one end of a support cable means and for tensioning the tension members thereof relative to a structural bridge component of a bridge construction, comprising the steps of forming a concrete anchorage block with a plurality of hollow tubes embedded therein and with a plurality of anchor heads in registry with said tubes and extending outwardly of the end wall of said block, said anchor heads having passages spaced apart in a predetermined pattern and said tubes extending from said passages and terminating at an end wall of said block lying opposite said one end wall, said tubes at said opposite end wall lying in mutual contacting relationship in said predetermined pattern, extending a tubular sheath through an opening in said bridge component, threading said tension members through said sheath, said hollow tubes and said passages, seating said block against a confronting end of said sheath, temporarily maintaining confronting bearing surfaces on said block and said component in parallel spaced apart relationship and perpendicular to the central axis of said sheath, securing ends of said tension members to said anchor heads and temporarily stressing said members while said bearing surfaces are maintained in said spaced apart relationship, moving said bearing surfaces apart a predetermined distance for simultaneously applying a predetermined stressing force to said tension members, and fixing said bearing surfaces apart at said predetermined distance.