AN IMPROVED PAYEMENT
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Austin Goodyear Day, of Seymour, Connecticut,
United States of America, now of No. 8, Southampton Buildings,
London for the Invention of " AN IMPROVED PAYEMENT"
Sealed the 17th February 1871, and dated the 24th August 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Austin Goodyear Day
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 24th August 1870.
I, AUSTIN GOODYEAR DAY, of Seymour, Connecticut, United States
of America, now of No. 8, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for “AN IMPROVED PAVEMENT,"
to be as follows:
The nature of my said Invention consists in combining with asphaltum
or bitumen and coal tar such metallic ores as in their natural condition
have sulphur united with them, or metallic oxides with sulphur added
to them, and also sometimes acids, and then subjecting this compound
to a vulcanizing heat. I prefer that after the materials have been
thus treated they should have sand, gravel, or broken stone mixed with
them.

page_text: In practising my said Invention I prefer to take about two parts of
asphaltum or bitumen and about one part of coal tar, or similar pro-
portions of other equivalent hydrocarbons, and combine them together
in any suitable vessel or receptacle at a temperature sufficiently high
to bring them into quick fusion after all watery vapour has been expelled
from them. I do not, however, limit myself to these proportions, as
the ratio of the ingredients may be considerably varied acccording to
their purity and the character of the pavement required. When the
compound is not thin enough or hardens too quickly I add to the mass
either light or heavy coal or petroleum oil, the amount of which will
depend upon its quality and that of the asphaltum and tars, and upon
the nature of the pavement desired. Usually, however, from five to
fifteen pounds of oil to every one hundred pounds of asphaltum will
suffice. I next vulcanize the hydrocarbons in the compound by com-
bining with the other materials herein specified such metallic ores as in
a natural state have sulphur united with them, or metallic oxides with
sulphur added to them. The purpose of these substances is to harden
the mass, and in using them I prefer them to be in a finely pul-
verized condition. I may employ finely pulverized iron pyrites, and in
that case no additional sulphur may be needed. The quantity of the
ores, oxides, or pyrites may be varied, but I have found that an aggregate
of these ingredients equal to about from one-fifth to one-third of the total
weight of the hydrocarbons will operate well in practice. The amount
of sulphur required is, about from 3 to 10 per cent. of the asphaltum
or bitumen and coal tar. To assist the chemical combination of these
materials I add to them acid in the proportion preferably of from three
to fifteen ounces to every one hundred pounds of the asphaltum cm-
ployed, though the quantity of the acid will usually depend upon its
quality and upon the quantity and quality of the hydrocarbons and the
metallic ores or oxides used in the compound, and also upon the nature
of the pavement required. I find that for this purpose sulphuric acid
is preferable, but nitric or muriatic acid will answer the purpose.
I sometimes add a quantity of vegetable oil (preferably cotton seed
oil) to increase the elasticity of the pavement and otherwise improve the
same.
To perform the vulcanization I heat the compound in a suitable heater
or-boiler to a temperature of from about 300° to about 350° Fahrenheit, and
continue the heating for a time long enough to effect the transformation

page_text: or vulcanization of the hydrocarbons under the influence of the sulphur,
acids, and the metallic ores or oxides. The time of heating in each
specific case will vary according to the quality of the materials used
and the character of the pavement required, and will be readily
determined by the experience of the workman, but from half an hour
to an hour and a half will generally suffice. When the change
produced by the chemical action of the sulphur becomes manifest I
withdraw the fire or remove the mass from the boiler, and then by
preference mingle with the materials by rapid manipulation sand, clean
gravel, broken or pulverized stone, or finely pulverized earth, one part
of the compound being generally found to unite and hold in commixture
from three to six parts of the silicious material, so as to form a hard
and compact mass, which possesses a certain degree of clasticity as
well as tenacity and firmness, and the product is thereby well adapted
to all the requirements of a pavement for street and other thoroughfares.
The compound will become hard as soon as it is laid, and roads or walks
prepared with it may be used immediately.
My improved pavement presents at all times a smooth and uniform
surface, and offers a good foothold for animals. It may also readily be
mended after it has been broken up for repairing gas or water pipes, or
from other causes, inasmuch as at a higher temperature than that at
which the pavement is prepared the new material will solder to the old
and leave no trace of the mending.
This improved pavement may be laid upon any suitable foundation,
such as sand rammed hard, gravel, or concrete. If the latter be used
its surface should be quite dry before my compound. is laid upon it,
otherwise the watery vapour escaping from it may impair the value
of the work.
If desired in some cases the sand, gravel, or other silicious or carthy
material may be omitted from my compound, and the latter laid down
without it, but I prefer to have it present.
Any suitable tools and apparatus may be used for the laying down of
this improved pavement...

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Austin Goodyear Day in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 23rd February 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, AUSTIN
GOODYEAR DAY, of Seymour, Connecticut, United States of America,
now of No. 8, Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-fourth
-year-of-Her-reign, did,-for-Herself,-Her-heirs-and-successors,-give_and_
grant unto me, the said Austin Goodyear Day, Her special licence that
I, the said Austin Goodyear Day, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Austin Goodyear Day, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED
PAVEMENT," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Austin
Goodyear Day, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
· NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Austin Goodyear Day, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
:-
My said Invention relates to a paving compound consisting essentially
of asphaltum or other similar hydrocarbon, iron, and sulphur com-
bined together in suitable proportions, either with or without acid, and
subjected to a vulcanizing heat, as herein-after described.
In making the said compound I may use either asphaltum or any
other similar bituminous substance, coal tar or pitch, with the iron and
sulphur, or I may use any suitable bituminous substance or substances
with the coal tar or pitch, or with both together in combination with

page_text: the other materials of the compound. After these materials have been
vulcanized I mix with them sand, gravel, broken stone, or some other
silicious or carthy material.
In practising my said Invention I may take about two parts of
asphaltum or bitumen and about one part of coal tar, or similar pro-
portions of other equivalent hydrocarbons. When bitumen is not
advantageously obtainable I may omit it altogether from the compound,
and use an additional quantity of coal tar or pitch. I combine these
substances in any suitable vessel or receptacle at a temperature suffi-
ciently high to bring them into quick fusion after all watery vapor has
been expelled from them. I do not, however, limit myself to these
proportions, as the ratio of the ingredients may be considerably varied
according to their purity and the character of the pavement required.
When the compound is not thin enough or hardens too quickly I add to
the mass either light or heavy coal or petroleum oil, the amount of
which will depend upon its quality and that of the asphaltum and tars
and upon the nature of the pavement desired. Usually, however, from
five to fifteen pounds of oil to every one hundred pounds of asphaltum
will suffice. I next vulcanize the hydrocarbons in the compound by
combining with the other materials herein specified such iron ores as
in a natural state have sulphur united with them (with or without an
additional quantity of sulphur), or oxides of iron with sulphur added to
them. These substances harden the mass, and I prefer to use them in
a finely pulverized condition. I sometimes employ finely pulverized
iron pyrites, and in that case no additional sulphur may be needed. The
quantity of the iron oxides and pyrites may be varied, but I have found
that an aggregate of these ingredients equal to about from one-fifth
to one-third of the total weight of the hydrocarbons will answer well
in practice. The amount of sulphur required is about from 1 to 6
per cent. of the asphaltum or bitumen and coal tar or pitch. To assist
the chemical combination of these materials I add to them acid in the
proportion preferably of from three to fifteen ounces to every one
hundred pounds of the asphaltum or equivalent substance employed,
though the quantity of the acid will usually depend upon its quality
and upon the quantity and quality of the hydrocarbons and the iron
ores or oxides used in the compound, and also upon the nature of the
pavement required. I find that for this purpose sulphuric acid is the
best. I sometimes add a quantity of vegetable oil (preferably cotton seed

page_text: oil) to increase the clasticity of the pavement and otherwise improve
the same.
To perform the vulcanization I heat the compound in a suitable
heater or boiler to a temperature of from about 300° to about 350°
Fahrenheit, and continue the heating for a time long enough to effect
the vulcanization of the hydrocarbons. The time of heating in each
specific case will vary according to the quality of the materials used and
the character of the pavement required, and will be readily determined
by the experience of the workman, but from half an hour to an hour
and a half will generally suffice. When the change produced by the
chemical-action-of-the-sulphur becomes manifest I withdraw the fire or
remove the mass from the boiler, and then mingle with the compound-
heated sand, gravel, broken stone, or finely pulverized earth, together
or separately, onc part of the compound being generally found to unite
and hold in commixture from three to six parts of the silicious or earthy
material, so as to form a hard and compact mass, which possesses a
certain degree of elasticity as well as tenacity and firmness, and the
product is thereby well adapted to all the requirements of a pavement
for foot walks or roadways. Before mixing the silicious or earthy
material with the compound the latter, if too hard to be conveniently
laid, may be thinned or softened by the addition of a further quantity
of coal tar. The compound will become hard soon after it is laid, and
roads or walks prepared with it will be ready for use in a very short
time.
My improved pavement presents at all times a smooth and uniform
surface, and offers a good foothold for animals. It may also readily be
mended after it has been broken up for repairing gas or water pipes or
from other causes, inasmuch as at a higher temperature than that at
which the pavement is prepared the new material will solder to the old
and leave no trace of the mending.
This improved pavement may be laid upon any suitable foundation,
such as sand rammed hard, gravel, or concrete. If the latter be used its
surface should be quite dry before my compound is laid upon it, other-
wise the watery vapour escaping from it may impair the value of the
work. Any suitable tools and apparatus may be used for the laying down
of this improved pavement.
My improved paving compound may also be advantageously used for
subaqueous walls and foundations, and for other similar work.

page_text: Having thus fully described my said Invention, and shown how the
same may be conveniently and advantageously carried into practice, I
claim, a pavement made with a compound in which the materials herein
specified are combined and vulcanized in the manner set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Austin Goodyear Day, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
Witness,
W. ROB. LAKE.
AUSTIN G. DAY.
(L.S.)