IMPROVEMENTS IN PAVING ROADS, STREETS, AND OTHER PLACES
Year: 1843

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
BISHOP, of Poland Street, Westminster, Jeweller, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Eighth day of December, in the seventh year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said John
Bishop, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I,
the said John Bishop, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said John Bishop, my exors, admors, 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 PAVING ROADS, STREETS, AND OTHER PLACES;"
in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that I, the said John
Bishop, 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 Her 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
Bishop, do hereby declare that the nature of my Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and ascertained in
and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings

page_text: hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon (that is
to say):-
The Invention relates first to combining a series of blocks, each of the same
size and of a peculiar shape or form as herein described. Figure 1 represents
a plan, and Figures 2 and 3 two side views, of a block constructed of the shape
required for carrying out the Invention; and it is important to their combining
correctly together so as to form part of a complete surface, as shewn in plan
and edge view at Figure 4, that each block should be of the same size, except-
ing at the sides of a road or way where filling pieces will be required. Each
block consists of an upper and under surface a and b, and have a similar
appearance to what would be produced if two equal sized blocks were fastened
across each other; and in making these blocks it is necessary that the length
from (1) to (1) should be as much greater than the length from (2) to (2) as
the blocks lap over each other, otherwise in the going together at the two ends
of several such blocks the joints would not be correct, for it will be seen
that in combining the blocks, as is shewn at Figure 4, that the blocks are not
laid side to side and end to end, but that the blocks combine into a surface by
partly going side to side and partly side to end, and in no case do the ends
(2), (2), come against similar ends of neighbouring blocks, but on the contrary
the end of each block at (2), (2), comes against part of the side (1), (1), of a
block, and the remaining portion of that side (1), (1), of a block has the side
(1), (1), of a neighbouring block combined therewith; and this peculiar com-
bination results from using all the blocks of a similar size, and also from
forming the side (1), (1), in such relation to the end (2), (2), of the same and
all other blocks, that the length of the side is greater by the overlapping
parts. And I am particular in calling attention to these circumstances,
because I am aware that blocks somewhat similarly undercut or overlapping,
as shewn at Figure 1, have been proposed to be used, but not being of equal
sizes one with another, they were not capable of producing the combination of
blocks, Figure 4; and further it will be seen, that in order to produce the com-
bination, Figure 4, that the blocks must be undercut only to a limited extent,
that is, that the overlapping must in all cases be less than one-half of the
breadth of the blocks, that is, less than one-half of the least dimensions of
the upper surface; and it is the combined arrangement of blocks extended
over the required surface for covering a road or way which constitutes the
peculiarity of my Invention.
This combination of blocks will be found particularly applicable when
paving roads or ways with wood, but the same may also be employed when
other material is used; and it is not necessary that the blocks should be right

page_text: angle blocks, as blocks with other angles may be used provided the peculiar
construction above described be retained.
Figure 5 shews various views of the blocks of other angles than right
angles; and Figure 6 shews several of such blocks combined together, so as to
form part of a pavement. There are two constructions of blocks in this
arrangement, which are each of the same size and have the same angles, but
they incline in opposite directions, as is shewn at a, b, and a¹, b¹.
The second part of my Invention consists of an improved construction of
cast metal gutter.
Figure 7 shews a plan of the upper surface, roughed so as to offer a proper
surface to stand on; Figures 8 and 9 shew edge views; and Figure 10 shews
an end view of the same; and the gutter is shewn as applied to a pavement at
some of the previous Figures. is the part into which the water flows from
the pavement; the upper and rougher surface overhangs and covers the part z.
This arrangement or construction of gutter will be found useful with different
descriptions of paving blocks, the blocks being bevilled off next where they
come against the metal curb and gutter, as will readily be understood on
examining the Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Bishop, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eighth day of June, in the year of our Lord One thou-
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Eighth day of June, in the
year of our Lord 1844, the aforesaid John Bishop 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.
Enrolled the Eighth day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and forty-four.