IMPROVED METHODS OF FORMING THE GROUND FOR ROADS AND PAVEMENT, AND ALSO OF PAVING OR REPAIRING OLD PAVEMENT AND ROADS
Year: 1816

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
WOODHOUSE, of Bromsgrove, in the County of Worcester, Civil Engineer,
send greeting..
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third, by
His. Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date. at
Westminster, the Ninth day of April, in the fifty-sixth year of His reign, did
give and grant unto me, the said John Woodhouse, my exors, admors, and
assigns, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I,
the said John Woodhouse, my exors, adñññors, and assigns, 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 "IMPROVED METHODS OF FORMING THE GROUND FOR ROADS AND
PAVEMENT, AND ALSO OF PAVING OR REPAIRING OLD PAVEMENT AND ROADS;" in
which Letters Patent there is contained a proviso, obliging me, the said John
Woodhouse, under my hand and seal, to 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 His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said recited Letters
Patent, as in and by the same (relation being thereunto had) may more
fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Woodhouse, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention
is described as follows (that is to say) :-
The making use of a greater power for ramming down the new surface of
any stone paving or pitching than has hitherto been made use of or in prac-
tice for that purpose. The reducing any street, road, way, or court, or other
paved or pitched surface that has become uneaven or irregular, by ramming
down the whole surface by such powerful rammer as shall bring the whole to
a regular even face, taking up such parts only as are more below the general
surface than about two inches, and repitching the stones, after putting in a
sufficient quantity of gravel or sand, that when the whole is rammed down it
may be of equal surface and bearing with the rest. The ramming the surface
of the ground, in case of making a new road, to give it a greater degree of
solidity than it otherwise would have, thereby to enable it the better to support
the materials of which the surface of the road is to be formed. The breaking
of the stones, for the making or repairing of roads, to a given size, by artificial
or mechanical power. The repairing of old roads in general, by ramming or
striking the large stones or high, parts, with a force that will break the large
stones, and reduce the high parts equal to the other parts of the road; but if
necessary to break up the road to a given depth to form a regular foundation
to receive the materials for the surface of the road, this may be performed
various ways by artificial and mechanical powers, but in general I should
prefer a set of chissels fixed in a set of stampers, described herein-after, in the
machine, to be worked by steam or any other power.
The method in which I effect the above purposes is by having a machine
so constructed as to work one or more stampers of such a weight, and
length of stroke, according to the nature of the case, to ram down the
surface operated upon to any assignable degree of solidity, so as to give
it power to support the greatest weights that can or may be likely to bé
brought upon it without sinking under it. This machine may be variously
constructed, and worked by any natural or artificial power, but in general
I prefer steam; and in order to give a general idea of my method, I
shall describe such a machine as will be generally useful for the ramming
down new paving or pitching, or the reducing of old to an even surface;
the ramming the ground for new roads; the breaking of stones for roads;
the leveling of old roads, and breaking up the same, if necessary. The
whole machine will be placed upon a carriage, supported by wheels, which
will consist of a steam engine or machine, worked by manual labour or any other
power, of sufficient power to give motion to a set of stampers; in this case the

page_text: number will be eight, and will cover a width of nine feet, each stamper being
thirteen inches and a half wide, three hundredweight, and to be lifted three
feet high twelve times in a minute, by means of a shaft and set of lifters, in
manner of an oil mill; at the same time the whole machine will by the same
power be moved progressively backwards or forwards with such speed as to
suit the work.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Woodhouse, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixteen.
Inrolled the Eighth day of October, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and sixteen.