AN IMPROVED WOODEN PAVEMENT
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Thomas Hughes, of the Firm of Hughes
and Son, Patent Agents, 123, Chancery Lane, London, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED WOODEN PAVEMENT."-A communication
from abroad by Zoeth Durfee, of Philadelphia, United States of
America.
Sealed the 8th January 1869, and dated the 10th July 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Thomas Hughes
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 10th July 1868.
J, EDWARD THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes and Son, Patent
Agents, 123, Chancery Lane, London, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED WOODEN PAVEMENT," being a com-
munication to me from abroad by Zoeth Durfee, of Philadelphia, United
States of America, to be as follows:-
T
vidis

page_text: along a street or readway with facility, cheapness, and accuracy, and
also in the creation and construction of such a wooden pavement for
streets and roadways as shall be comparatively permanent and durable
by so uniting and combining all its parts, both superstructure and
fonndation,.as to provide against the slipping of the horses' feet, against
noise, against unequal wear, and against rot on or from the top surface,
and against rot and consequent sinking away from below.
The earth of a roadway upon which my improved wooden pavement
of either plan is to be constructed must first be suitably graded in any
of the usual and well-known methods, in order to prepare it for the
reception of such pavement. When the street or roadway has thus been
prepared for the reception of my pavement I then cover the surface of
the roadway or bed with tarred paper, or with hydraulic cement laid
over it about two inches in thickness, or with a cheap flooring of boards
or plank, which may also be covered with tar on one or both sides by
swabbing or by dipping the boards or plank; or any other preventive to
moisture may be used in connection with the said foundation or support,
the object and effect of such foundation being the support afforded such
pavement, and to prevent the absorption of moisture froin the ground
by the wooden blocks.
In further carrying out my Invention I employ two sets of blocks,
or a set of blocks and strips. The one set of blocks, which may be
called the principal set of blocks, forms when the pavement is completed
the wooden surface of the pavement, and the other or auxiliary set of
blocks or strips forms no part of the wooden surface of the pavement,
but determines the size of the groove or channelway between the
principal blocks, which is afterwards to be filled with broken stone,
gravel, and tar. While the principal set of blocks must be of uniform
height and of suitable texture to form a proper surface for the pavement,
the auxiliary set need be of no particular height or texture, but they
must not permanently and entirely fill the grooving intended for the
gravel, broken stone, and tar when the pavement is completed. The
principal set of blocks is cut with parallel sides, lines, or surfaces from
joist or timber about four inches square, or of other suitable shape
and dimensions in cross sections, being made eight inches in length.
The auxiliary blocks may be formed of about half the length of the
others, but they must be of such thickness or cross section as
to form the proper boundary of the groove. The principal blocks

page_text: are placed end upwards upon said foundation or support, and are
arranged both transversely and longitudinally, so that the principal
and the auxiliary blocks shall be arranged alternately in each direction.
By such an arrangement spaces or cells between the principal blocks
are formed, each of the said cells being bounded by four of the principal
blocks. The upper ends of the principal blocks when thus placed
together present a checkered or tessellated appearance, and they will
exhibit the open spaces arranged together in a similar manner. Into
each of these cells a small quantity or layer of coarse salt may be put.
These cells are filled up with small broken stone or coarse clean gravel,
the whole being firmly rammed, so that the upper surface of the mass
shall be firm and level. Next mineral or vegetable tar or pitch is to
be poured over the whole surface of the pavement and into the cells
or cavities containing the broken stone or gravel, so as to penetrate
entirely between the pieces of stone or gravel and cement them together.
The tar penetrating into the squares containing the broken stone or
gravel will cause the masses of the stone to adhere firmly to the
surrounding blocks, and will admit of expansion of the mass by.the
weight of the wheels of carriages in passing over them, such ex-
pansion serving to fill up the space which might otherwise be made
by shrinkage of the wooden blocks. In order to prevent the blocks
from being forced below one another in some of my mades of cor-
structing the pavement, they may be pinned together with wooden
pins extending from block to block. Instead of the broken stone and
tar any other suitable cementing material may be employed in the cells.
I prefer, however, common tar or pitch and gravel or broken stone, as
such in practice has been found to operate to great advantage, and to
be very durable in use, and to present a surface on which it is very
difficult for horses to slip or slide, as is frequently the case in ordinary
pavements when the surface is wet or covered with mud. The auxiliary
strip may be about half the height of the principal block, but it must
not be permitted to fill up the grooves permanently and entirely when
the pavement is completed, or to form any part of the surface of the
pavement.

page_text: or support, and in this mode of construction so arranged as to form
spaces of about one inch in thickness between the rows of principal
blocks.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edward Thomas Hughes in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 8th January 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes and Son, Patent Agents, 123,
Chancery Lane, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, hearing date the Tenth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, Her special
licence that I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward Thomas
Hughes, 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 WOODEN PAVEMENT," a communication to me from abroad
by Zoeth Durfee, of Philadelphia, United States of America, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, 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 Edward Thomas Hughes, 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

page_text: in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings, that is to say :-
The nature and object of this Invention consists in providing a process
or mode of constructing wooden block pavements upon a foundation
along a street or roadway with facility, cheapness, and accuracy, and
also in the creation and construction of such a wooden pavement for
streets and roadways as shall be comparitively permanent and durable
by so uniting and combining all its parts, both superstructure and
foundation, as to provide against the slipping of horses' feet, against
noise, unequal wear, and against rot on or from the top surface and rot
and consequent sinking away from below.
In order that this Invention may be clearly understood I will refer
to the accompanying Drawings, in which Fig. 1 represents a view in
section of the first plan of said pavement; Fig. 2, a plan of the same;
Fig. 3, a perspective view of a section of a modification of the said pave-
ment; and Fig. 4, a perspective view of a section of the said pavement
on the first plan.
The earth of a roadway upon which the improved wooden pavement
of either plan is to be constructed must first be suitably graded
in any of the usual and well-known methods in order to prepare it
for the reception of such pavement. When the street or roadway
has thus been prepared I cover the surface thereof with tarred paper
or hydraulic cement laid over it about 2 inches in thickness, or with
a cheap flooring of boards or plank, which may be also covered with tar
on one or both sides by swabbing, or by dipping the boards or plank; or
any other preventative to moisture may be used in connection with said
foundation or support, the object and effect of such foundation being
the support afforded to the pavement and the prevention of absorption
of moisture from the ground by the wooden blocks. The said foundation
is designated in the Drawing by the letters d, d.
In further carrying out this Invention I employ 2 sets of blocks a
and b, or a set of blocks and strips a and b. The one set of blocks a
which may be called the principal set of blocks forms when the pave-
ment is completed the wooden surface of the pavement, and the other
or auxiliary set of blocks or strips 6 forms no part of the wooden surface
of the pavement but determines the size of the groove or channel way
between the principal blocks which is afterwards to be filled with broken

page_text: stone, gravel, and tar. While the principal set of blocks must be of
uniform height and of suitable texture to form a proper surface for the
pavement the auxiliary set need be of no particular height or texture,
but they must not permanently and entirely fill the grooving intended
for the gravel, broken stone, and tar when the pavement is completed.
The principal set of blocks a is cut with parallel sides, lines, or surfaces
from joist or timber about four inches square or of other suitable shape
and dimensions in cross sections, being made eight inches in length.
The auxiliary blocks 6 may be formed of about half the length of the
others, but they must be of such thickness or cross section as to form
the proper boundary of the groove. The principal blocks are placed
end upwards upon the foundation or support, and are arranged both
transversely and longitudinally, so that the principal and auxiliary blocks
shall be arranged alternately in each direction or run, as seen in the
Drawings. By such an arrangement spaces or cells c, c, c, between the
principal blocks are formed, each of the said cells being bounded by
four of the principal blocks. The upper ends of the principal blocks
when thus placed together present a checkered or tessellated appearance,
and they will exhibit the open spaces arranged together in a similar
Into each of these cells a small quantity or layer of coarse
salt may be put; these cells are filled up with small broken stone or
coarse clean gravel, the whole being firmly rammed, so that the upper
surface of the mass shall be firm and level. Next material or vegetable
tar or pitch is to be poured over the whole surface of the pavement and
into the cells or cavities containing the broken stone or gravel, so as to
penetrate entirely between the pieces of stone or gravel and cement
them together. The tar penetrating into the squares containing the
broken stone or gravel will cause the masses of stone to adhere firmly to
the surrounding blocks and will admit of expansion of the mass by the
weight of the wheels of carriages in passing over them; such expansion
serving to fill up the space which might otherwise be made by shrinkage
of the wooden blocks. In order to prevent the blocks from being forced
below one another, in some of my modes of constructing the pavement
they may be pinned together with wooden pins extending from block to
block. Instead of the broken stone and tar any other suitable cementing
material may be employed in the cells. I prefer however common tar
or pitch and gravel or broken stone, as such in practice has been found
to operate to great advantage and to be very durable in use, and to
-present a surface on which it is very difficult for horses to slip or slide
manner.

page_text: as is frequently the case in ordinary pavements when the surface is wet
or covered with mud. The auxiliary strips may be about half the height
of the principal blocks, but they must not be permitted to fill up the
grooves permanently and entirely when the pavement is completed, or to
form any part of the surface of the pavement.
upon
This Invention may also be carried out in another form, that is to say,
the plan or second modification, seen in Fig. 3. The principal
blocks a are arranged side by side trasversely of the roadway alternately
with strips of board 6 edgewise or vertical, in thickness about one-third
of the principal blocks, placed transversely upon the foundation or
support, and in this mode of construction so arranged as to form spaces
of about one inch in thickness between the rows of principal blocks.
Some of the advantages of this pavement are to be found in the hold
that it offers for the feet of horses, and in the little noise that it produces
while carriages are passing over it, the absence of noise resulting from
the pecular character of the material of which the pavement is com-
posed. The pavement is also very durable, its durability being occasioned
by the friction of the travel over it being produced upon the slightly
elastic extremities of the fibres of the wooden blocks, and by its solidity
and durable material in the filling. Moisture is excluded from the
wood by the materials employed for the support of the blocks, also by
the preventatives, and by the tarry covering which is placed over the
top surface, as herein-before described. The pavement has also the
advantage of great cleanliness in comparison with most other pavements,
because, in the first place, as there is very little wear of its upper
surface very little dirt is likely to form upon it, and such as does form
is quickly removed therefrom by rains and winds.
There is a further advantage with respect to facility, cheapness, and
accuracy in the process or method of forming the channels, grooves, or
receptacles required for the desired filling in by my improved construc-
tion which results from two sets or series of parallel sided blocks,
(or blocks and strips of board), employed as above mentioned, and by
this method of forming such channels, grooves, or receptacles the
parallelism of the same and of the principal blocks forming the
ultimate surface of the pavement, and the uniformity in width or size
and distance one from another of such channels, grooves, or receptacles,
is effected in a cheap, simple, and expeditious manner directly upon the

page_text: prepared foundation resting upon the roadway, and any necessity of
constructing the pavement in portable compartments is avoided.
Having thus described the nature and particulars of the said Invention
I claim, the improved wooden pavement, as herein described and
illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of January,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine.