IMPROVEMENTS IN FORMING ROADS AND OTHER WAYS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Lonsdale Bradley, of No. 5, Park Place,
Regent's Park, in the County of Middlesex, Cement Manufacturer,
and Joseph Speight, of the Firm of Arthur Speight and Sons, of
Leeds, in the County of York, Paviors and Contractors, for the
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Lonsdale Bradley and
Joseph Speight at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 17th July 1872.
We, LONSDALE BRADLEY, of No. 5, Park Place, Regent's Park, in
the County of Middlesex, Cement Manufacturer, and JOSEPH SPEIGHT,
of the Firm of Arthur Speight and Sons, of Leeds, in the County of
York, Paviors and Contractors, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FORMING ROADS AND OTHER WAYS," to be
as follows:
The surface of the road or way according to our Invention is obtained
by blocks of wood with the endway of the grain thereof uppermost, but

page_text: such separately considered is not claimed by us. The blocks are in size
for ordinary town roads, 7 inches by 2½ inches on the upper surface
and 6 inches deep, but about 7 inches by 3 inches at the lower surface
or base thereof, the difference in size extending about halfway of the
depth of the blocks.
These dimensions will however vary according to circumstances,
depending on the nature of the road, the traffic on it, and other
circumstances.
These blocks are applied on a bed of concrete formed of bituminous
cement or other cement or asphalte, and in most cases we employ that
class of cement in the manufacture of the concrete for which I, the said
Lonsdale Bradley, have obtained Provisional Protection, dated the 1st of
May of the present year, No. 1307, so as thereby to obtain a solid
foundation for the wood. This bed of concrete is laid on a properly
levelled and rolled surface to a depth varying generally from 3 inches
to 9 inches, depending on the character of the traffic.
By the form of the blocks adopted we obtain grooves or recesses
between them on their upper surfaces, and to a part of their depth;
into which grooves or recesses we apply a fine concrete composed
of "chats" or "shingle" with asphalte or bitumenous cement mixed in 2
proportions that will give to the mass that consistency which will afford
solidity and tenacity to the whole, but which will vary in different cases.
We also saturate the blocks before use by steeping them in hot tar,
creosote, or other kyanizing substance.
"6
Roads or ways thus formed require no boards" for foundations, no a
"nailing together," no laths between the courses, whilst increased foot-
hold is obtained with solidity to the blocks by the extended area of their
lower surface or base..
Increased facility is also obtained in removal and replacement in
case of repair or other attention to gas, water, or other pipes, or for a
other purposes.
Thus we secure greater solidity to the road surface, with increased
durability firmer foothold. arrest of decay. evenness of surface. with

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Lonsdale Bradley and Joseph Speight in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 17th January 1873..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, LONS-
DALE BRADLEY, of No. 5, Park Place, Regent's Park, in the County of
Middlesex, Cement Manufacturer, and JOSEPH SPEIGHT, of the Firm of
Arthur Speight and Sons, of Leeds, in the County of York, Paviors and
Contractors, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria; by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said Lonsdale Bradley and Joseph Speight,
Her special license that we, the said Lonsdale Bradley and Joseph
Speight, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
we, the said Lonsdale Bradley and Joseph Speight, our executors, admi-
nistrators, 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 FORMING
ROADS AND OTHER WAYS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we,
the said Lonsdale Bradley and Joseph Speight, our executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under our or their hands and seals,
or under the hand and seal of one of us or them, 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 Lonsdale Bradley, on behalf of
myself and the said Joseph Speight, 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 in and by the following statement
thereof, that is to say :-
The surface of the road or way according to our Invention is obtained
by blocks of wood with the end way of the grain thereof uppermost; but
such separately considered is not claimed by us. The blocks are in size

page_text: for ordinary town roads, 7 inches by 2½ inches on the upper surface
and 6 inches deep, but about 7 inches by 3 inches at the lower surface
or base thereof, the difference in size extending about half way of the
depth of the blocks, as is indicated at a¹ in the accompanying Drawing,
which represents by Figure 1 a plan view, by Figures 2 and 3 two
opposite side views, and by Figure 4 an end view of one of such
blocks a.
The dimensions of such blocks will however vary according to
circumstances, depending on the nature of the road, the traffic on it,
and other circumstances.
Figure 5 shews a section of a portion of road, and Figure 6 a plan of
the same with a series of these blocks a arranged together on a bed of
concrete b, which we form of bituminous cement, or other cement or
asphalte, and in most cases we employ that class of cement in the manu-
facture of the concrete for which I, the said Lonsdale Bradley, have
obtained Her Majesty's Letters Patent, dated the 1st day of May 1872,
No. 1307, so as thereby to obtain a solid foundation for the wood. This
bed of concrete is laid on a properly levelled and rolled surface to a
depth varying generally from 3 inches to 9 inches, depending upon the
character of the traffic that it is intended to bear and the nature of the
subsoil.
By the form of the blocks adopted we obtain grooves or recesses a¹
between them on their upper surfaces, and to a part of their depth,
into which grooves or recesses we apply a fine concrete composed
of "chats" or "shingle" with asphalte or bituminous cement mixed in
proportions that will give to the mass that consistency which will afford
solidity and tenacity to the whole, but which will vary in different
cases.
When applying our Invention to wet or undrained roads we also
saturate the blocks before use by steeping them in hot tar, creosote, or
other kyanising substances.
0
Roads or ways thus formed require no "boards" for foundations, no
"nailing together," no laths between the courses, whilst increased foot-
hold is obtained with greater solidity to the blocks by the extended area
of their lower surface or their base.
Increased facility is also obtained in removal and replacement in
case of repair or other attention to gas, water, or other pipes, or for
other purposes.

page_text: Thus we secure greater solidity to the road surface, with increased
durability, firmer foothold, arrest of decay, eveness of surface, with
economy of construction, and other advantages.
Having thus described our Invention, and means which we adopt in
carrying the same into effect, we would have it understood that what
we claim is, the forming of roads and other ways by the use of blocks of
the form stated and applied on a bed of concrete in manner substantially
as described.
.
In witness whereof I; the said Lonsdale Bradley, have hereunto
set my hand and scal, this Fifteenth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
LONSDALE BRADLEY. (L.S.)