Improvements in Floors, Passages, and the like, and in Blocks therefor.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 13th June, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 13th Mar., 1900-Accepted, 28th Apr., 1900
A. A
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Floors, Passages, and the like, and in Blocks
therefor.
I, CÉSARE SPIGHI, of Via Guelfa 10, Florence, Italy, Engineer and Architect,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This new block is intended for paving or covering rooms, passages, galleries,
public places, etc., and is composed of a plank of wood having on its lower sur-
face a block also in wood. The lower part and the body of these blocks is
covered with a layer of asphalt, mastic, cement, plaster or other analogous
material; this material is applied into all the lower parts of the black so that
it will be solidly united together and will prevent the plank of wood and the
block warping. I have by numerous experiments ascertained that asphalt, when,
applied in a boiling condition to wood, adheres thereto in such a manner that
it can be no longer detached, and this invention is based upon this principle,
and with such invention by piercing holes specially formed through the wood
which forms the body of the block, the asphalt by passing therethrough will
attach itself to the lower part of the layer of wood which forms the plank of
the brick, thus, as above stated preventing the wood from warping. The inven-
tion is further based upon the novel and characteristic idea of uniting the wood
to the asphalt or to the mastic with the object of constructing a block which may
be set by means of mortar in the same way as ordinary bricks constructed of
cement, baked clay, marble or other analogous material.
This brick possesses all the advantages of wood paving with the advantages
of paving made of bricks of cement, baked clay, etc., and removes the defects of
the two systems of paving above named.
Paving in wood is the system most generally employed, on account of its
appearance, as well as for its cleanliness, and the facility of retaining heat in
the rooms in which it is employed, wood being a bad conductor of heat; but
it has the following disadvantages:
Ist. The cost of paving floors by this system is very great, for, for such
paving, planks of a certain width, or small planks connected together by a casing,
are necessary, and very careful work is required by the joiner in constructing
the whole flooring.
2nd. The planks warp very easily when in use.
3rd. A great space in height is requisite for the planks must be placed upon
special joists, which in their turn are situated upon the ceiling.
4th. On account of the necessity of placing the planks upon joists, there exists
beneath the flooring a large empty space, which provides room for the nests
of animals, and which produces a great noise when walking over the flooring.
The paving formed of bricks of cement, baked clay, marble, has the advantage
of facility in placing same in position, and of being supported directly upon the
ceiling by means of a simple layer of mortar or plaster.
The wood blocks covered with asphalt, mastic, cement, which form the subject
of the present application for patent, have all the advantages of wood paving,

page_text: for the body of the paving is entirely of wood, and it can be polished and con-
structed of wood of different colours and designs, so as to impart thereto any
desired ornamentation. It is also a bad conductor of heat. At the same time
it has none of the disadvantages of wood paving, for wood covered with asphalt,
mastic, etc., cannot warp; there is no need to leave any space beneath same,
and consequently there is no noise when one walks over it; and animals cannot
build their nests therein. At the same time it possesses all the advantages of
paving formed of bricks of cement, or baked clay, for the reason that an ordinary
mason can place these bricks covered with asphalt in position in a very short
time, without requiring the assistance of a joiner. As these bricks can be applied
directly upon the ceiling by means of a simple layer of mortar or plaster, the
space lost by this system is reduced to about from 3 to 4 centimetres. The
bricks covered with asphalt have also the advantage of comparative impermea-
bility, but which may be rendered absolute, by employing for placing them in
position and connecting them together mineral tar or asphalt.
By reason of their special construction they are much lighter than bricks
formed of cement, marble, baked clay, etc., which gives them the advantage of
enabling a flooring to be employed having a body of a less costly kind; and
finally the paving constructed of wooden bricks covered with asphalt costs very
much less than that constructed wholly of wood.
The wooden bricks covered with asphalt may be constructed of any forms and
sizes, and the asphalt or mastic may be of any kind or nature. As an example
Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawing show in section, and Figs. 3 and 4
in plan, two means of carrying out this invention. To the wooden plank A
which is to be situated in the upper part of the block, and which is to constitute
the surface of the pavement, there is applied a commoner block of wood B pro-
vided with holes and openings C C of any form, being larger near to the plank
of wood A than at the bottom, so that if asphalt or mastic is supplied upon the
said block of wood, after it hardens it constitutes the cover D D (Figs. 5 and 6)
over the whole of the underside of the block, and this asphalt or mastic having
penetrated through the inclined holes CC and having adhered to the upper part
of the brick, it can no longer become detached therefrom.
The upper part A which is of a finer quality of wood, should project slightly
beyond the covering of asphalt as shown in Figs. 5 and (which represent the
complete bricks in section and in plan) for the purpose of being able to place the
bricks close against each other, and form a continuous flooring.
The spaces which are formed between the lower parts of the bricks are filled
with mortar, plaster, or cement, or with asphalt or tar, which serves to hold
the bricks all connected together and adhering to the layer of mortar or plaster
placed upon the ceiling, the whole as shown at E in Fig. 7, which represents a
section of the complete paving or flooring.
In this figure it will be seen that the bricks Fare placed on the mortar, and
the latter is placed directly upon the ceiling G, which is directly supported by
the joists H.
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Floors, Passages, and the like, and in Blocks
therefor..
I, CÉSARE SPIGHI of Via Guelfa 10, Florence, Italy, Engineer and Architect.
do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the same

page_text: is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:
This new block is intended for paving or covering rooms, passages, galleries,
public places, etc., and is composed of a plank of wood having on its lower sur-
face a block also in wood. The lower part and the body of these blocks is
covered with a layer of asphalt, mastic, cement, plaster or other analogous
material; this material is applied into all the lower parts of the block so that
it will be solidly united together and will prevent the plank of wood and the
block warping. I have by numerous experiments ascertained that asphalt, when
applied in a boiling condition to wood, adheres thereto in such a manner that
it can be no longer detached, and this invention is based upon this principle,
and with such invention by piercing holes specially formed through the wood
which forms the body of the block, the asphalt by passing therethrough will
attach itself to the lower part of the layer of wood which forms the plank of
the brick, thus, as above stated preventing the wood from warping. The inven-
tion is further based upon the novel and characteristic idea of uniting the wood
to the asphalt or to the mastic with the object of constructing a block which may
be set by means of mortar in the same way as ordinary bricks constructed of
cement, baked clay, marble or other analogous material.
This brick possesses all the advantages of wood paving with the advantages
of paving made of bricks of cement, baked clay, etc., and removes the defects of
the two systems of paving above named.
Paving in wood is the system most generally employed, on account of its
appearance, as well as for its cleanliness, and the facility of retaining heat in
the rooms in which it is employed, wood being a bad conductor of heat; but
it has the following disadvantages:
1st. The cost of paving floors by this system is very great, for, for such
paving, planks of a certain width, or small planks connected together by a casing,
are necessary, and very careful work is required by the joiner in constructing
the whole flooring.
2nd. The planks warp very easily when in use.
3rd. A great space in height is requisite for the planks must be placed upon
special joists, which in their turn are situated upon the ceiling.
4th. On account of the necessity of placing the planks upon joists, there exists
beneath the flooring a large empty space, which provides room for the nests
of animals, and which produces a great noise when walking over the flooring.
The paving formed of bricks of cement, baked clay, marble, has the advantage
of facility in placing same in position, and of being supported directly upon the
ceiling by means of a simple layer of mortar or plaster.
The wood blocks covered with asphalt, mastic, cement, which form the subject
of the present application for patent, have all the advantages of wood paving,
for the body of the paving is entirely of wood, and it can be polished and con-
structed of wood of different colours and designs, so as to impart thereto any
desired ornamentation. It is also a bad conductor of heat. At the same time
it has none of the disadvantages of wood paving, for wood covered with asphalt,
mastic, etc., cannot warp; there is no need to leave any space beneath same,
and consequently there is no noise when one walks over it; and animals cannot
build their nests therein. At the same time it possesses all the advantages of
paving formed of bricks of cement, or baked clay, for the reason that an ordinary
mason can place these bricks covered with asphalt in position in a very short
time, without requiring the assistance of a joiner. As these bricks can be applied
directly upon the ceiling by means of a simple layer of mortar or plaster, the
space lost by this system is reduced to about from 3 to 4 centimetres. The
bricks covered with asphalt have also the advantage of comparative impermea-
bility, but which may be rendered absolute, by employing for placing them in
position and connecting them together mineral tar or asphalt.
By reason of their special construction they are much lighter than bricks

page_text: formed of cement, marble, baked clay, etc., which gives them the advantage of
enabling a flooring to be employed having a body of a less costly kind; and
finally the paving constructed of wooden bricks covered with asphalt costs very
much less than that constructed wholly of wood.
The wooden bricks covered with asphalt may be constructed of any forms and
sizes, and the asphalt or mastic may be of any kind or nature. As an example
Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing filed with the Provisional Specification show in
section, and Figs. 3 and 4 in plan, two means of carrying out this invention.
To the wooden plank A which is to be situated in the upper part of the block,
and which is to constitute the surface of the pavement, there is applied a com-
moner block of wood B provided with holes and openings CC of any form, being
larger near to the plank of wood A than at the bottom, so that if asphalt or
mastic is supplied upon the said block of wood, after it hardens it constitutes
the cover DD (Figs. 5 and 6) over the whole of the under side of the block,
and this asphalt or mastic having penetrated through the inclined holes CC
and having adhered to the upper part of the brick, it can no longer become
detached therefrom.
4
The upper part A which is of a finer quality of wood, should project slightly
beyond the covering of asphalt as shown in Figs. 5 and 6 (which represent the
complete bricks in section and in plan) for the purpose of being able to place
the bricks close against each other, and form a continuous flooring.
Figs. 8 and 9 on the sheet of drawings filed with the present specification
illustrate a block with a modified form of the grooves which serve to cause the
wood to become firmly attached to the asphalt.
The spaces which are formed between the lower parts of the bricks are filled
with mortar, plaster, or cement, or with asphalt or tar, which serves to hold the
bricks all connected together and adhering to the layer of mortar or plaster
placed upon the ceiling, the whole as shown at E in Fig. 7, which represents a
section of the complete paving or flooring.
In this figure it will be seen that the bricks F are placed on the mortar, and
the latter is placed directly upon the ceiling G, which is directly supported by
the joists H.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed. I declare that what
I claim is:
A block for pavements or floorings the characteristic feature of which is that
its upper part is formed of wood and its lower part of asphalt, mastic, cement,
plaster, or other analogous material, so that it can be laid like a brick of cement
or baked clay, whilst the pavement or flooring presents a wooden surface, .sub-
stantially as specified.