IMPROVEMENTS IN PAVING OR COVERING AND CONSTRUCTING ROADS, WAYS, AND OTHER SURFACES
Year: 1842

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
DOTCHIN, of Myrtle Street, Hoxton, in the County of Middlesex, 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 Thirteenth day of October, in the sixth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Samuel Dotchin, my exors, admors, and assigns, Her especial licence, full
power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Samuel Dotchin, my
exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Samuel Dotchin, my
exors, adñiors, 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, the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PAVING
OR COVERING AND CONSTRUCTING ROADS, WAYS, AND OTHER SURFACES," commu-
nicated to me by my son, Samuel Dotchin, Junior, recently deceased; in
which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Samuel
Dotchin, shall cause a particular description of the nature of the 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Samuel Dotchin, do hereby declare that the nature of the 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
hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thercon (that is
to say) :-
The Invention consists in combining a series of blocks of the peculiar
construction or shape hereafter described, when paving. or covering and
constructing roads and ways and footpaths and other surfaces, requiring
similar paving or covering. And in order that the Invention may be most
fully understood and readily carried into effect, I will proceed to explain the
figure or shape of block used, whether the same be of wood or of other
material suitable for such purposes. Each block of the combination of
blocks is of the same figure or shape, or part of the same figure or shape,
where a whole block of the figure cannot be introduced. The figure of the
block used, according to the improvements in paving or covering, and the
combination of a series of which constitutes the novelty of the Invention,
consists of six sides or faces, and an upper and a lower surface; and each of
the six sides or surfaces of a blockis equal in dimensions. The sides of a block
.are not perpendicular to the top and bottom surfaces, but are inclined thereto,
each succeeding surface inclining in an opposite direction. By combining a
series of blocks of this figure when paving or covering roads and other
surfaces, each block will be supported by three contiguous blocks, and each
block will give support to three other contiguous blocks; hence a very secure
pavement or covering and making of roads and ways may be obtained by a
combination of blocks of the figure above explained.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
are
Figure 1 represents part of a road or way paved or covered with a combi-
nation of wood blocks of the figure or shape above explained, part of the
surface being formed with cross cuts for foothold, in order to show that,
when desired, the upper surfaces of the blocks may be grooved in the manner
shown, or in any other direction desired; and it will be seen that there
many angular openings in the pavement which may be filled with asphalte.
Grit or other material or materials may be used. In making the road or
way to be paved or covered according to the Invention, care is to be observed
in getting the sub-surface well rammed and even on the surfaces, to receive
the paving. The footpaths are shown to be covered with tiles of the same
gure as that above described; the left-hand side being similar in shape,

page_text: though not in depth, to the blocks which cover the roadway. The footpath
at the right-hand side is paved or covered with tiles, each of six sides; but in
place of having the sides on the upper surface of different lengths, all the
sides of the figure on the upper surface are equal, as is shown.
Figure 2 shows a plan of one of the blocks, and Figure 3 shows a side
view thereof; the plan showing the block encompassed in a circle, to in:licate
that the block may be cut out of a circular piece of wood or timber of the
size shown.
I would remark, that I am aware that it has before been proposed to use
wood blocks of each six sides, as a means of paving roads or ways; and I
mention this circumstance in order to state that I do not claim the use of
blocks of wood or other material each with six sides generally, but only when
the sides are caused to incline in opposite directions, in order that each block
may support and be supported by surrounding blocks.
Having thus described the nature of the Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I would wish it to be understood that
what I claim, is the combining a series of blocks of the figure above described,
when paving or covering and making roads or ways, or other surfaces, as
above explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Dotchin, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-three