Talk:Ringos Mill Covered Bridge

Bridge Type

Copying this insertion from the article verbatim and in the original format. RevelationDirect (talk) 00:27, 17 October 2022 (UTC)

'''''''Ringo's Mill is NOT a Burr truss. The definition of it and several other bridges as a "Burr truss" was proposed by Vernon White in a paper he wrote titled "A Treatise on the Burr Family of Trusses." Vernon had determined that the "multiple kingpost" truss was an unarched variation of the Burr and this information has been used frequently to describe these trusses in Kentucky. Vernon was a sociologist and had no formal training in structure. His treatise is generally accepted as flawed and not well researched.

The specific improvement that Burr advanced in bridge design was to place the roadway BETWEEN the arches as opposed over them. As the triangle is the most sturdy structure in engineering, use of the simple multiple kingpost was sensible in stiffening the arch.

The statement "Patent bridges were the 'bread and butter' of early engineers who typically received one dollar per linear foot of bridge construction for use of the patented design." is an overstatement. Burr rarely received royalties for use of his design. The premise of "one dollar per foot..." is specific to Ithiel Town who designed the Town lattice truss. Town was an astute businessman and had agents who sold his design for one dollar per foot. He charged two dollars per foot in penalty if it was discovered that a bridge builder had used his design without authorization. ''''Robert W. M. Laughlin''''''''''''''' User:KyCoveredBridge