AN IMPROVED PAVEMENT
Year: 1884

page_text: I, ARTHUR PIMM 3 Playfair Road Southsea, Hants Gentleman do hereby declaro
the nature of my invention for" AN IMPROVED PAVEMENT" to be as follows:-
For the manner of forming a flat surface or "crust" of iron or other material
over the road for pavement in somewhat like character to ice on water.
Also for system of veins, slote's and holes in blocks of any material to act as a
cullender paving for surface drainage.
The pavement can be formed to many different patterns and their component
parts made of any strength or desired dimensions to suit first cost, weight of load,
local circumstances, or the views of persons adopting them. They can be built to
any gunge (say 6 ft.), or to the whole width of road if desired, and either with or
without a guide flange at the outside edges.
The "6 ft way" mentioned can be formed either of all iron, or the wheel tracks
(of any width) of iron, and the centre part paved with wood or other material for
horse tracks.
The pavement is designed for use of the new modes of locomotion, such as pedal-
power cycles, and all descriptions of vehicular traffic, and horse power can be used
on it; it is principally intended for flat-tyre wheels, and mechanical motive power,
but flanged tramway systems can at the same time be formed on it, either by groove,
or by step-rail, and both step and groove be on the same block if required.
The pavement is formed of " veined blocks" of cast-iron pierced with slote's and
holes and placed in proper position on the road, with dowels in ends, and the blocks
screw-bolted together with flat-bodied bolts through the alote's.
The wearing face of single-vein blocks is four times reversible, and those with
several veins two sides reversible, there are slote's on all four sides, so placed as to
allow of screw-bolts properly fitting when fixed on the road.
The "one-vein" blocks are formed square on their outside faces, and their length
either cubiform or oblong, which gives a flat surface for road, and a flat underpart
for bearing on the earth, also flat sides to joint together.
Flat blocks can be made with several veins parallal with each other.
The veins can be formed either circular, oval, or other shape, to act as a water-
Course,
Each bearing face can be case-hardened, and formed either smooth, or corrugated

page_text: The blocks can also be formed of other material than iron, such as manufactured
stone, Ferrumite, Rock-concrete, Stonewaro, vitrified or other brick-earth, or any
material formed to shape.
The iron blocks can be honey-combed or recessed in some of their parts to reduce
weight of iron.
Fish-plates can be bolted to joints of blocks, at outside edge of ways if required.
The "veins" can bo laid either parallal with, or transverse of the road, and the
water empty into arteries, or under drains at required distances.
On such pavement properly cared for there will be little, if any, dust or slush, and
will be easily cleansed by flushing with water.
Dated this 4th dev of Ontabor 1001
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, ARTHUR PIMM, of 3 Playfair Road, Southsea in the County of Hants,
'Gentleman do hereby, declare the nature of my invention for "AN IMPROVED
PAVEMENT" and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement and accompanying
Drawing (that is to say) :-
- This invention relates to ordinary roads used by vehicles of different kinds, and
it has for its object a novel method of forming the surface or "crust" of such roads,
so that a hard, smooth, and solid floor is formed for the passage of wheeled vehicles,
such as carriages, carts, or "cycles" of different kinds propelled by manual or other
power; the usual dust and slush of roads are to a great extent, avoided; tractional
resistance is greatly lessened so that the power of horses or other motive power
required is largely reduced; and the roads are durable, not expensive, easily laid
maintained and cleansed, and from the novel method of construction described they
are always kept well drained and dry on surface.
In order to put my invention in operation I form upon the road a flat surface of
iron or other sufficiently hard and durable material as hereinafter described, this
surface consisting of a sufficient number of blocks or rails of any suitable length,
preferably rectangular in cross section so that they can readily and easily bo
reversed when desired, and the blocks having longitudinal openings or passages
completely through them so that when they are laid together side by side upon
foundations properly prepared for them, and are fastened together in the manner
hereinafter described, their upper face forms a strong, hard, smooth, and durable
"surface, either covering the whole width of road, or laid so as to form either wheel
tracks or ways at a suitable distance, apart and the whole pavement beint
-permeated by channels through the blocks, into which all rain or other surface
1 171

page_text: water drains through slots or openings formed into them through the surface and
sides of the blocks.
The pavement can be formed either permanent or removeable.
In the accompanying drawing, which is in illustration of my invention Figure 1
represents one side of an iron block of the kind just described, a, a, a, being holes
communicating with the internal passage through the block. Figures 2a, 2b, 2c,
and 2d, represent some of various shapes of cross sections which may be given to
the block shewn in figure 1.
In figure 2a, the shape is square the passage through the block being circular,
and holes being shewn at b to receive the ends of dowel pins (such as that shown
in figure 11) by which the blocks are fitted together end to end and made to retain
their proper position. In figure 2b is shewn a similar block, but cores or openings
are made through its corners to reduce the quantity of iron, the dowel pins (of the
shape in section shewn in figure 10) fitting into these openings.
In figure 2c, the opening or passage through the block is shewn either octagonal
or circular but having similar cores or openings through its corners, whilst in
figure 2d the shape of the passage is the same but the corners are solid and
provided with holes to receives round dowel pins as in figure 2a.
In figure 1 the surface of the block is shewn slightly roughened or it can be
corrugated in any form and to any extent that may be desired.
It is evident that in the forms of block described and shown, the blocks may be
turned as they become worn and a different surface used, until the whole four
surfaces are worn out and in this way very great economy is effected.
These blocks are especially suitable to form the surface or crust of roads on which
the wheels of ordinary vehicles only are to pass, but where flanged wheels are to be
used such as those of tramcars, I use the arrangements shewn in figures 3, 4, 5,
and 6, figure 3 shewing the block divided by a vertical central partition o for its
full length, a recess or groove being formed along the block at d and e, to receive
the flange of the wheels.
.
This form of block can only be reversed once when worn, and the sides may
consequently be made thinner and lighter as they are not subject to wear.
Figure 4 is a block, having the grooves d and e at the edges instead of at the
centre, the central division c being omitted, and the block can be made four times
reversible. Figure 5 is a similar block, but instead of the groove c, a projecting
step-rail e is used for the flange wheel to run upon.
Figure 6 is the same block with a narrow flange d as a guide for wheels on out-
side rail, and can be formed with the four sides reversible.
The blocks shewn in figures 3, 4, 5, and 6, are all provided with end holes for
dowel pins, and with slots or openings from their sides to the central drain pipe or
channel. In figure 7 a similar block is shewn of somewhat greater thickness, so
that it can be made of artificial stone brick, earth, concrete, or other material of the
like kind, instead of iron.
Larger flat blocks as shown in figure 8 with a number of parallel tubes formed in
one piece can be made either of metal or of artifical stone or other material and
used between the wheel tracks or on other parts of the road as desired-the wheel
tracks being formed to carry the weight of heavy loaded vehicles with wheels
adjusted to proper guage, the other portion of track-way could be formed of less
strength and cost to carry lighter loaded vehicles of less guage between wheels,
such as bicycles, tricycles, and other machines of the like kind.
In figure 8 the longitudinal passages may be circular or of other desired shape,
and slots or other openings are formed through their upper and lower surfaces into
the passages through them. Slots are also made at their sides as shewn at ƒ by
which each of the compound blocks shewn at Figure 8 may be bolted to other
adjoining slabs by means of flat bodied bolts shown at figure 12, or fish plates may
be used, or clips, studs, or dowels, as shewn in figures 13 and 14.
These bolts and other devices may also be applied to connecting blocks when
made with separate pipes as already described and shewn,

page_text: Instead of the improved pavement being made wholly of metal, or of artificial
stone, cement, or concrete, as described, it may be made of partly one, and partly of
the other material, metal being preferably used where the greatest strength is
required, and the wearing face of the iron may be chilled or case hardened, so as
the better to resist wear, or the entire surface or any portion of the road may bo
formed permanently of cement, artificial stone, asphalte, or analogous material
having the drain channels formed through it, and openings a into these channels
from the surface.
The improved hollow tubular pavement is laid on any suitable and properly
prepared foundation, and as the drain pipes which it contains at once carry off rain
or other water, the roads do not require to be made as convex in transverse section
as is usually the case but may be nearly or quite level from side to side. The drain
pipes may be arranged either longitudinally or transversely on the road and suitable
receptacles or channels are arranged at intervals into which they dischargo.
I prefer that the slots and openings in the bottom of the pavement, should be
stopped or plugged before the pavement is laid.
The shape, size, and material of the parts forming the improved pavement may
be varied more or less to suit the different circumstances in which it is to be used.
Upon the improved pavement more especially with mechanical motive power
there will be little dirt, and it can be easily cleaned by flushing with water and
using a twisted wire rod when necessary.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declaro that what
I claim is
1. The improved pavement consisting of blocks of metal or other suitable
material, fitted together and capablo of being reversed when necessary, or formed
permanent, substantially as described and shewn.
2. The combination with such pavement of passages forming pipes or drains,
slots or openings into such passages from the surface and sides of the blocks, and
the methods of fastening the blocks together by dowels, bolts, clips, studs, and
plates, substantially as described and shewn.