IMPROVEMENTS IN ROADS AND OTHER WAYS, AND IN THE PREPARATION OF BLOCKS OF WOOD SUITABLE FOR SUCH ROADS AND WAYS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Llewellyn Light, of No. 5, Great
Winchester Street, in the City of London, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROADS AND OTHER WAYS, AND IN
THE PREPARATION OF BLOCKS OF WOOD SUITABLE FOR SUCH ROADS AND
WAYS."
Sealed the 28th May 1875, and dated the 28th November 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Llewellyn Light
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 28th November 1874.
I, CHARLES LLEWELLYN LIGHT, of No. 5, Great Winchester Street,
5 in the City of London, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROADS AND OTHER WAYS, AND IN
THE PREPARATION OF BLOCKS OF WOOD SUITABLE FOR SUCH ROADS AND WAYS," to
be as follows:-
This relates to improvements in roads and other ways, and in the
O`preparation of blocks of wood suitable for such roads and ways.

page_text: According to my Invention I divide cubes or blocks of wood by one
or more diagonal cuts from one face to the opposite face, or nearly so,
that when the picces are separated after the cutting or dividing one portion
of each piece is thicker than the other portion. The thinner or narrower
portion or end of each piece is intended for laying uppermost to form the
surface upon which vehicles may travel, the thicker or larger portion of
the piece or block serving to rest upon asphalte, wood planking laid
diagonally or otherwise, or upon concrete stuff, or other dressing or
substructure.
The main part of my Invention consists in cutting or dividing cubes :
or blocks of wood by a diagonal cut or severance that one end shall be
thicker than the other, the thicker end to form the base and the thinner
the wearing 'surface, the object being that when one block or piece is
laid the vertical side (broadest or narrowest) is, so to speak, abutted
against by the inclined side of the neighbouring block or piece, by which
a space is left varying in width from the upper edges to the lower edges
of two adjoining blocks, which space can be filled in wholly or partially
by gravel or other material. Any number of such diagonally cut or
severed blocks or pieces can be used and arranged athwart the road or
other way to be paved, or they may be arranged in diagonal order or
otherwise to ensure good foothold for animals passing over the surface.
I prefer to lay my blocks or pieces of wood upon an asphalte or
bitumen foundation or substructure and without a layer or sublayer
of planking, the Invention being applicable to roads and ways other
than those over which horses and vehicles travel.
2
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles Llewellyn Light in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 28th May 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
LLEWELLYN LIGHT, of No. 5, Great Winchester Street, in the City of 3
London, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in .the

page_text: thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Charles Llewellyn Light, Her
special licence that I, the said Charles Llewellyn Light, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Oharles
Llewellyn Light, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROADS OR OTHER WAYS, AND IN THE PREPARATION OF
BLOCKS OF WOOD SUITABLE FOR SUCH ROADS AND WAYS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Charles Llewellyn Light, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and scals, 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
Scal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Llewellyn Light, do hereby
declare the nature of my 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 :-
This relates to improvements in roads and other ways, and in the
preparation of blocks of wood suitable for such roads and ways.
According to my Invention I divide cubes or blocks of wood by one or
more diagonal cuts from one face to the opposite face, or nearly so, so
that when the pieces are separated after the cutting or dividing one
portion of each piece is thicker than the other portion. The thinner or
narrower portion or end of each piece is intended for laying uppermost
to form the surface upon which vehicles may travel, the thicker or
larger portion of the piece or block serving to rest upon asphalte or wood
planking laid diagonally or otherwise, or upon concrete stuff or other"
dressing or substructure.
The main part of my Invention consists in cutting or dividing cubes
or blocks of wood by a diagonal cut or severance that one end shall be
thicker than the other, the thicker end to form the base, and the thinner
the wearing surface, the object being that when one block or piece is
-
.

page_text: Figure 6 shows a number of these divided blocks arranged as before
with the broader ends downwards and the diagonally cut side of one
part against the straight side of the next part upon a substructure of
planking with the spaces c filled with rubble as before.
Figure 7 shows another modification of my divided block in which
it is divided into the two parts by a curved cut in a diagonal direction
from a to b, which is effected by means of a band saw. The divided
block is shown at Figure 8.
All my blocks are so cut that the surface upon which the traffic
passes is cross grains of the wood.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,
constructing roads and other ways with blocks of wood divided into
two parts by a diagonal cut and so arranged that the broader ends
of the diagonally cut pieces are placed upon the substructure, and
the narrower ends at the surface of the road, and with the diagonal
side of one part of the cut block against the straight side of the
other part of the cut block as herein-before described, and as shown in
the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Llewellyn Light, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of May,
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.