1879.] On Most General Problems in Continuous Beams. 501 



span, and the ordinate of the figure ALLLB, shows at any point to 

 a given scale the intensity of the load ; that is, the amount of load per 

 foot of the beam at that place. Divide the space ALLLB into any 

 convenient number of spaces by vertical lines, and assume that the load 

 on KF, for instance, is not a distributed load, but a single one, acting 

 through the centre of gravity of the area FL'L'F, and numerically 

 equal to the total load on FF, and similarly with the other parts, so 



that now the span has concentrated loads 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Draw GK 

 representing the loads to a given scale, and join the points S with any 

 point 0, as shown in the figure. We shall call GK our force polygon, 

 as usual, and we now proceed to draw our link polygon, drawing A'oB" 

 parallel to OK, 5'4' parallel to OS, &c. Then A'5'4'3'2'1 , ;B° is our 

 link polygon for concentrated loads, and for the real loading we must 

 draw a curve through A' L^Jj.L+B' . Producing A'd we shall find 



