IMPROVEMENTS IN PAVEMENTS AND FLOORS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE ALSO TO STAIRS AND STEPS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Saunders, of Croydon, in the County of
Surrey, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PAVEMENTS
AND FLOORS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE ALSO TO STAIRS AND
STEPS."
Sealed the 4th August 1863, and dated the 11th February 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Saunders at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th February 1863.
I, ROBERT SAUNDERS, of Croydon, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PAVEMENTS AND FLOORS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE ALSO TO STAIRS
AND STEPS," to be as follows:-
My improvements consist in using double angle iron, or iron or other hard
metal bent or rolled, so as to form a trough or receptacle, which I fill with
wood or other material, or partly with wood and partly with other material;
and I prefer (though I do not confine myself thereto) to make the surface
of wood to overlap the top edges of the metal; or I can use the wood thus
shaped without the trough or receptacle; and I cause each of the troughs
or receptacles so filled as aforesaid to have spaces between them when laid
down, in order to facilitate surface drainage; or I fill up the spaces between
some of the said troughs or receptacles with wood. Or I can place wood
blocks or timbers close together, connecting them by iron or metal, so as to

page_text: form a mass or masses of pavement of equable surface, and this would be
well adapted for carriageways. And I would sometimes place sleepers beneath
the said troughs or receptacles filled as aforesaid, or use brickwork, stonework,
or cement in substitution for the sleepers.
As an illustration of the manner in which I propose to make these pave-
ments, I would state that for a footway I use blocks or pieces of wood of this
shape placing a number of these blocks end to end together, so as to
make one continuous length bound together, if thought requisite secured by
iron or metal bands, or secured in an iron or metal trough of this kind, and
I
bolted, pinned, or otherwise secured
together. The lengths of paving thus
made are then to be laid down on a
firm and solid subway of concrete or
the like material, or upon sleepers of wood or iron. The lines of paving are
to be laid so as to leave narrow open spaces between each line communicating
with the openings below that result from the adoption of the form above
described, as thus, ; so that drainage may be thoroughly effected.
For the carriageway I use several square or other blocks of wood, or other
similar material, bound together by sheet iron placed at the bottom, and
turned up and secured by nails, bolts, or otherwise, so as to fasten together
several blocks and form a mass of pavement; and the whole surface of a road
or way may be made up of a number of such masses. I also propose to have
small pieces of iron or other hard metal driven into the surface of the paving
of the carriageway to facilitate foothold.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Saunders in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th August 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
SAUNDERS, of Croydon, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the 11th day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Robert Saunders, Her special licence, that I, the said Robert Saunders,

page_text: my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert
Saunders, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN PAVEMENTS
AND FLOORS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE ALSO TO STAIRS AND STEPS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Robert Saunders, 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 Robert Saunders, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
(Part No. I.) My improvements consists in using double angle iron, or iron
or other hard metal bent, rolled, or otherwise prepared, so as to form a
trough or receptacle, which I fill with wood or other material; and I prefer
(though I do not confine myself thereto) to make the surface of the wood to
overlap the top edges of the metal; or I can use the wood thus shaped
without the trough or receptacle; and I cause each of the troughs or recep-
tacles so fitted as aforesaid to have spaces between them when laid down, in
order to facilitate surface drainage. Or I can place wood blocks or timbers
together, connecting them by iron or metal connections, so as to form a mass
or masses of pavement of equable surface. And I would sometimes place
sleepers beneath the said troughs or receptacles filled as aforesaid; or I use
brick work, stonework, or cement in substitution for the sleepers..
As an illustration of the manner in which I propose to make these pave-
ments, I have to state that for a footway I use blocks or pieces of wood of
greater width at the top than at the bottom, and these blocks I place side by
side or end to end together, so as to form a continuous line of paving firmly
bound together, when thought desirable, by iron or metal bands, or secured in
an iron or metal trough bolted, pinned, or otherwise fastened together. The
lengths of paving thus made are to be laid down upon a firm and solid subway
of concrete, brickwork, or the like material, or upon sleepers of wood or of
iron; and the lines of paving are to be laid so as to leave narrow open spaces

page_text: between each line communicating with the openings below, which result from
the adoption of the form of block above described, (or from arranging blocks
or pieces of other forms, so as to have the same effect,) whereby drainage will
be thoroughly effectuated. For carriageway pavements I use blocks of any
suitable form or shape, whether square or otherwise, and whether of wood or
other similar material, forming them however into lines or masses, bound
together by sheet or other iron, or secured together in any analogous manner;
and the sheet or other iron at the bottom of the said blocks may be turned
up or not turned up around the same, and be secured by nails, bolts, or other-
wise, thus fastening the several blocks together in a firm compact mass of
pavement; and the whole surface of a road or way may be made up of a
number of such masses. Further, into the surface of the pavement I some-
times, if desired, drive or secure small pieces of iron or other hard metal, but
so as to allow the same to protrude beyond the surface to afford foothold to
the horses or draught animals traversing thereof.
(Part No. II.)-Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, I
now proceed to more particularly describe and ascertain in what manner the
the same is to be performed, which I shall do by reference to the accom-
panying Drawings by the words, figures, and letters following, that is to
say:-
Fig. 1 shews a section of a number of blocks with parts of the same
widened at top arranged in the troughs aforesaid; Fig. 2 shews a similar
section of a number of blocks, of equal width and thickness throughout, placed
in the troughs as aforesaid; Fig. 3, plan view of the footway pavement com-
posed of blocks fitted in the troughs aforesaid, each trough being placed
between the upright irons of my sleepers, as shewn; Fig. 4, sectional view
thereof; Fig. 5, plan view of a foot pavement composed of a number of long
blocks or pieces, timbers or battens, fitted upon brick work, or upon sleepers of
iron, or other suitable material, with spaces between the same for facilitating
drainage; Fig. 6, view of same at A, B, Fig. 5; Fig. 7, side view of same
kind of pavement mounted upon brickwork instead of sleepers; Fig. 8 is a
plan view of the sheet of iron or other suitable hard metal forming a a foun-
dation plate, on which a series of blocks (see dotted lines) are secured or
placed, for securing which nails may be driven through from the bottom into
the wooden blocks so as to hold the wood to the plate (as shewn at Figs. 10
and 12); Fig. 9 is a view of the upper surface of a carriage pavement of
blocks secured upon a foundation plate, such as described; Fig. 10, sectional
elevation thereof; Fig. 11 and 12, similar views of blocks of hexagonal forms.
(Note.) I may here observe, that although for the better illustration of my

page_text: Invention I have shewn in the Drawings hexagonal a square blocks, yet my
Invention is equally applicable to blocks of other forms.
It will be observed by reference to the said Drawings that the letter a is
placed at various positions thereon, but wherever placed it denotes brickwork
or sleepers; c, denotes tie rods passing through and securing the blocks in
position; and d, collars on the said tie rods, the said collars being of whatever
thickness may be deemed sufficient to keep the lines of long blocks or battens
sufficiently far apart, and leave the spaces required between the said lines;
e, foundation plate; f, nails for securing the same to the blocks; g, studs of iron
or hard metal driven into the surface to afford foothold; h, iron or metal
binders; i, the metal troughs for the blocks, as before described; k, the
uprights of my sleeper iron for securing in position the troughs or lines of the
pavement or footways; I, orifices for insertion of lifting tool when taking up
pavement. Although I have shewn the long blocks or battens secured together
by tie rods the same might be dispensed with, if desired.
(Part No. III.)-Having now particularly described and ascertained the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
I hereby declare that I claim the improvements in pavements and floors, which
improvements are applicable also to stairs and steps, as herein described at
the First Part of my Specification thereof (commencing where marked Part
No. I. and terminating where marked Part No. II).
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Saunders, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this 8th day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
5
ROBERT SAUNDERS. (L.B.)
Witness,
GEORGE MARSHALL.