AN IMPROVEMENT IN IRON PAVEMENTS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane. in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN IRON PAVEMENTS."-A communication
from abroad by Baron Otto dos Granges, of the City of St. Louis,
Missouri, United States of America.
Sealed the 4th October 1860, and dated the 14th May 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 14th May 1860.
T, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN IRON PAVEMENTS," to be as follows:―
This Invention of an improvement in iron pavements consists in the
construction of cast-iron blocks for pavements in which cach block bas a
number of similar upright six-sided cells, and a base of quadrangular form,
beyond the sides of which the upper parts of the said cells project horizontally
in such a manner, that when the quadrangular bases of a number of blocks are
laid close together, the said projecting parts of the cells of each block fit
between the cells of and lap over the bases of the adjacent blocks, and thus "

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filerl
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 14th November 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66. Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Edward Newton, Her special license that I, the said
William Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said William Edward Newton, 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 IMPROVEMENT IN IRON PAVEMENTS," being
a communication from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that 1,
the said William Edward Newton, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, 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 William Edward Newton, 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, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention of an improvement in iron pavements consists in the con-
struction of cast-iron blocks for pavements in which each block has a number
of similar upright six-sided cells, and a base of quadrangular form, beyond the
sides of which the upper parts of the said cells project horizontally, in such a
manner, that when the quadrangular bases of a number of blocks are laid

page_text: close together, the said projecting parts of the cells of each block fit between
the cells of and lap over the bases of the adjacent blocks, and thus make all
the blocks mutually supporting, so that nono can sink without the neighbouring
ones on all sides of it going down with it.
In the accompanying Drawings Figure 1 is a plan of one of the blocks;
Figure 2 represents portions of several blocks illustrating the mode in which
they are fitted together; Figure 3 is a vertical section corresponding with
Figure 2, taken in the direction indicated by the line x, x, of that Figure;
Figure 4 is a vertical section in the direction indicated by the line y, y,
of Figure 2. Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in
the several Figures.
.
a, a, are the quadrangular bases of the blocks; b, b, the webs which form
the six-sided cells; c, c, and d, d, portions of the webs of the outer cells which
project horizontally beyond the sides of the square bases. The blocks may be
about one foot square, or more or less, and of about two inches or more or
less in depth. The bases a, a, may be of about half the depth of the blocks,
and the webs b, b, are of the whole depth thereof, except the portions d, d, of
the outer webs which project beyond the sides of the base, and the portions e, e,
immediately adjacent to and on the top of the base. The upper part of the
perimeters of the blocks above their square bases consists of series of pro-
jections and recesses of corresponding forms. The union of the blocks is
effected by simply placing them together, so that the projections d, d, on the
upper parts of the sides of each enter the recesses in the upper parts of the
sides of the next one, and the projections d, d, of each lap over the buses of
the adjacent ones, and by this means a perfect lock is made, and a joint that
is as strong as any part of the block, and no one can sink without either
breaking or causing the adjacent ones on all sides of it to sink with it, and
these again are supported in a similar manner.
The great merits of this construction of the blocks consist, firstly, in the
six-sided form of the cells, by which continuous straight lines are avoided, and
a good foothold for horses is thereby obtained, and the greatest possible
strength is obtained with a given amount of metal.
And, secondly, in the locked joint being obtained by no other contrivance
than the position of the cells.
Having now described this Invention of "An Improvement in Iron Pave-
ments," and having explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I
claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent, as aforesaid,―
First, the division of the blocks of cast-iron pavements into a number of
similar six-sided cells, as herein described.
:

page_text: I also claim forming the joints between the blocks in the manner above set
forth, so as to render them mutually supporting by the position of the cells in
the perimeters of the blocks, without the use of any contrivances not belonging
to the uniform construction of the blocks.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)