IMPROVEMENTS IN PAVING OF FORMING THE SURFACE OF STREETS OR ROADS, PRINCIPALLY . PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Hill, of Bartholomew House, Bartholomew
Lane, in the City of London, Stockbroker, and Leslie Crassweller
Hill, of 22, Ryder Street, in the Parish of St. James, in the City
of Westminster, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN PAVING OF FORMING THE SURFACE OF STREETS OR ROADS, PRINCIPALLY
.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Hill and Leslie
Crassweller Hill at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 1st September 1873.
We, JOHN HILL, of Bartholomew House, Bartholomew Lane, in the
City of London, Stockbroker, and LESLIE CRASSWELLER HILL, of 22,
Ryder Street, in the Parish of St. James, in the City of Westminster,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PAVING OR FORMING THE SURFACE OF STREETS OR. ROADS,

page_text: PRINCIPALLY ADAPTED FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF TRAMWAYs,” to be as
follows:-
The objects which more or less are sought by these improvements are
the lightening of draught and the lessening of noise consequent upon or
resulting from the construction of tramways of asphalte or other
material, and the obtaining increased facility for the passage of ordinary
vehicles, especially when crossing at an angle or askew. Also by the
use of granite, wood, or other paving between the tramways to insure
good foothold to the horses. Also to lessen the obstruction caused by
alteration of pavement and to obviate the necessity for specially con-
structed tramway carriages.
The said improvements embrace and consist in the combination result-
ing from the laying down or applying (in portions of a street or road) of
wheelway trams or strips or facings of asphalte, the said wheelway
trams or strips or facings either resting in or being supported by or upon
or not resting in or being supported by or upon troughs or plates of iron
or wood or other material, and such wheelway trams enclosing between
each pair a horseway paving of granite or wood or other material..
In carrying the Invention into practice it is intended to apply the
asphalte, as a continuous flat or slightly curved slab or facing or tram or
wheelway without rail or groove by any approved means of laying
asphalte, toothing it in or not toothing it in with the intermediate horse-
way and the outside paving, and supported by or resting in or upon a
trough or plate of iron, wood, or other material, or not so supported.
And in each case it is intended that a concrete or other suitable foun-
dation should be provided. And when the entire width of the road is
being constructed, or more than the widths necessary to the wheelway
trams are being constructed, it is desirable that a uniformly solid
foundation be made for the said entire width or partial width as the case
may be.

page_text: London, Stockbroker, and LESLIE CRASSWELLER HILL, of 22, Ryder
'Street, in the Parish of St. James, in the City of Westminster, Civil
Engineer, send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said John Hill and Leslie Crassweller Hill, Her
special licence, that we, the said John Hill and Leslie Crassweller Hill, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
John Hill and Leslie Crassweller Hill, our 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 PAVING OR FORMING THE SURFACE
OF STREETS OR ROADS, PRINCIPALLY ADAPTED FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF TRAMWAYS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we; the said John Hill and
Leslie Crassweller Hill, our executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing, under our, 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 we, the said John Hill and Leslie Crasweller Hill
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
The objects which more or less. are sought by these improvements are
the lightening of draught and the lessening of noise as consequent upon
or resulting from the construction of tramways of asphalte and the
obtaining increased facility for the passage of ordinary vehicles over
such tramways, especially when crossing at an angle or askew. Also by
the use of granite, wood, or other paving between the tramway to insure
good foothold to the horses. Also to lessen the obstruction caused by
alteration of paving and to obviate the necessity for specially constructed
tramway carriages.
Tina.

page_text: The said improvements embrace and consist in the combination result-
ing from the laying down or applying (in portions of a street or road) of
wheelway trams or strips or facings of asphalte, the said wheelway trams
or strips or facings cither resting in or being supported by or upon
troughs or plates of iron, or wood, or other material, and such wheelway
trams enclosing between cach pair a horseway paving of granite, wood,
or other material.
'
In carrying the Invention into practice it is intended to apply the
asphalte as a continuous slab or facing, or tram or wheelway, cither flat
ör slightly curved upwards or downwards and without rail or groove by 1
ány approved means of laying asphalte supported by or bedded in ör
upon troughs or plates of iron, wood, or other material.
tr.
In some cases the asphalte is to be laid in or upon the troughs or
plates after the troughs have been placed in their proper position in the
road, and in other cases the asphalte is to be laid in or upon the troughs 1
or plates before they are so placed. The troughs or plates, when of
wood, may be conveniently of clm or deal boards, rough sawn, roughly
nailed or spiked together, and as adapted for the streets of the metropolis.
and its suburbs under present circumstances.
We consider the following dimensions of the troughs will be found 2
suitable, namely, about eight to twelve inches wide and three to four
inches deep (but these dimensions are subject to variation) and that the
asphalte may stand slightly proud of this depth. The lengths to be
about four to ten feet, and the ends, if desired, to be provided with a lip
or lap or rough socket to join up one with the other.
The troughs or plates, when of iron, may be conveniently cast to the
above or any other approved dimensions, the scantling being as small as
consistent with the material, but we should prefer to employ wrought
iron plates about one-eighth of an inch in thickness simply bent to tho
above form, that is to say, with flat bottom or bent with a slightly
curved bottom, the seating or foundation for them being prepared to
correspond. The wrought iron should be payed over with tar in the
usual manner of protecting this material.
The troughs or plates may also be formed of plates rivetted together,.
but this will probably be found too costly.
When the asphalte is laid in or upon the troughs or plates before these
are placed in position it may be found desirable sometimes to unite or
2
3

page_text: properly join up the ends of the asphalte surfaces of the several lengths
as laid with the troughs either by the use of the material itself or by
pitch. In all cases a concrete or other suitable foundation should be
provided. And when the entire width of the road is being constructed,
or more than the widths necessary to the wheelway trams are being
constructed it is desirable that a uniformly solid foundation be made for
the said entire width or partial width, as the case may be.
The horseway paving between the asphalte wheelways may be laid in
any ordinary approved manner, according to the nature of the materials
employed.
When laying the asphalte wheelways in the midst of or between
existing pavings, or when altering or repairing but little more than the
surface to be so laid or repaired will require to be disturbed and reinstated
or made good.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, we claim the paving or
forming the surface of streets or roads or part or parts of such surface
by constructing them with or laying down therein wheelway trams,
strips, or facings of asphalto in combination with horseway pavings of
granite, wood, or other material, the said asphalte wheelway trams,
strips, or facings either resting in or being supported by or upon troughs
or plates of iron, wood, or other material.
In witness whereof I, the said John Hill, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-
four.