IMPROVEMENTS IN MAKING OR MENDING TURN- PIKE OR COMMON ROADS
Year: 1837

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
MACNEILL, of Parliament Street, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS His late most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Eleventh day of January, in the seventh year of His
reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Macneill, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege and autho-
rity, that I, the said John Macneill, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said John Macneill, my exors, adññors, or assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MAKING OR MENDING TURN-
PIKE OR COMMON ROADS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso
that I, the said John Macneill, shall cause a particular description of the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be inrolled in His said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in part
recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had,
will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the
said John Macneill, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention, and.

page_text: the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
My Invention consists of an improved method of applying iron in the
construction of roads, as will be hereafter fully described. I proceed, when
making a new road, to obtain a suitable surface, and bring the same to a
condition for laying on gravel or broken stones of various descriptions suitable
for making a strong hard surface for the passage of carriages and horses, as
has heretofore been practised in making roads; but in place of completing
the upper surface of the road with gravel or broken stone, or a combination of
gravel or broken stone as heretofore, I apply a quantity of pieces of wrought or
cast iron mixed with broken stone, for the purpose of making a more hard and
complete surface to roads. The pieces of iron may be of any shape that will
bind in the road, but I prefer cubes of about one inch. The quantity of iron
to be used with the broken stone or gravel will vary, depending on the degree
of hardness and strength desired to be obtained to the surface of the road.
Having laid the road with broken stone, as heretofore practised, whether for a
new road or an old one, I lay the pieces of iron in such manner that they shall
be from one inch to three inches from each other, depending on the strength
required. By this means, when by rolling the surface or by the ordinary
traffic, the surface of the road has become consolidated, such surface will for
the most part be composed of pieces of iron, which, by oxydizing and other-
wise, will bind fast with the other materials of the road, and produce a much
harder and more solid surface than when broken stone or gravel alone is used.
I would remark, that I am aware that attempts have been made to use iron
in large blocks to pave roads in the place of and in like manner to the
blocks of granite commonly employed, though, I believe, without success.
My Invention does not, however, relate to paving of roads with blocks of iron,
but only to the use of iron in dimensions assimilating to the broken stone or
gravel with which it is combined.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that what I claim
is the mode above described of combining iron with ordinary road-making
materials, for giving solidity and strength to roads as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Macneill, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight bundred and thirty-seven.
JOHN (L.S.) MACNEILL.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Eleventh day of July, in the
year of our Lord 1837, the aforesaid John Macneill came before our said
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.