CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN PAVING OR COVERING STREETS, ROADS, AND OTHER WAYS;
Year: 1839

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, J, ROBERT
CAREY, of Breadgar, near Sittingbourne, in the County of Kent, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-ninth day of January, in the second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Robert Carey, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said Robert Carey, my exors, adññiors, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Robert Carey, my exors, admors, or assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN PAVING OR COVERING STREETS, ROADS, AND OTHER WAYS;" communicated
to me by a certain foreigner residing abroad, in which said Letters
Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Robert Carey, shall cause
a particular description of the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the
same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Robert Carey, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to
the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon
(that is to say)—
The Invention relates to the application and combination of certain forms
of blocks of stone, wood, or other suitable material in the paving or covering
of roads, streets, and other ways, and in order to give the best information in
my power, that the invention may be readily carried into effect, I will describe
the Drawings hereunto annexed, and the figures and letters marked thereon.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 represents a plan of part of a paved or covered surface of a
street, road, or way, constructed according to the Invention. Figure 2 is an
edge view thereof. Figures 3, 4, and 5, being various views of separate blocks.
In each of these Figures the same letters indicate similar parts, and such
paving or covering consists of the combined use of three separate forms of
blocks constructed or formed of any suitable material for the paving
of roads, streets, or such other ways. The block A is larger at or about
the middle of its length at the line 1, 1, and is of a quadrangular figure;
the upper and lower ends of this block 2, 2, and 3, 3, being of less dimensions
than at 1, 1, as is clearly shown at Figure 3; hence, supposing this block to be
closely surrounded with blocks having concave surfaces, the reverse in figure;
or shape of those produced by the slopes 1, 2, and 1, 3, the block A would
be immoveable, and I would remark that although I have shown the block A,
to have angular surfaces, produced by the lines 1, 2, and 1, 3, yet it will be
evident that a like result would be produced, so long as the diameter of an
intermediate point between the top 2 and the bottom 3 of the blocks A
existed, whether the surfaces, or sides of the blocks were produced by angles or
curved lines, so long as the surrounding blocks had the reverse surfaces of A
in like manner to what has been before stated.
The blocks B offer surfaces
seen that the intermediate
block B is smaller than the
the reverse of the surfaces of A, for it will be
diameter between the top and the bottom of the
ends or upper and lower surfaces of the blocks B; the upper and lower
surfaces of the block B corresponding in dimensions with the larger diameter
of the block A and the smaller diameter of the block B corresponds with the
dimensions of the upper and lower ends of the block A, all which will readily

page_text: be traced in Figure 4 of the Drawing. The block C differs in con-
struction to the blocks A and B, and may be said to be composed partly of
the surfaces of each, as will be seen in Figure 5, for two opposite sides of the
block C are formed similar to two opposite sides of the block A, the other
two opposite sides being formed similar to two opposite sides of the blocks B,
and it should be remarked that all four sides of the blocks A correspond
with each other, and such is the case with respect to the sides of the
blocks B; but the blocks A and B differ in their construction, and the
angles or inclined or curved surfaces of the one are convex and the other
concave, having, however, such relation to each other that they will fit
accurately together, all which is clearly shown in the Drawing, and their mode
of going together will be readily understood on examining Figure 1, where
several of the sides of blocks A, B, and C, are shown combined together, and
it will be seen that owing to the nature of the figures of the three blocks
when they are combined together, the combination will be such, that each
block will be surrounded by six blocks, which will retain such block from
movement upwards or downwards, and retain the surface complete, owing to
the circumstance of each block being so formed in respect to its neighbouring
blocks, as to receive support from and give support to each other. In addition
to which circumstance no block can be driven out of its place when once
properly placed. The formation of the proper surfaces for receiving pavement
being well understood, as well as the necessary formation of the footways,
gutters, and other necessary parts of roads and ways being well understood,
I have not thought it necessary to enter into any description thereof in this my
Specification; but it should be remarked, that for the sides of the road it
will be necessary to have half blocks to come against the gutters in order to
make the surface complete.
In conclusion, I would remark, that although I prefer the combination at
all times of the three figures or formations of blocks above described, at the
same time I do not confine myself thereto, as a very good roadway or pave-
ment may be formed from rectangular blocks, having each only two sides
formed with concave and convex surfaces, as herein explained, leaving the other
two opposite sides plain; by this means the blocks running transversely across
the road, street, or way, would mutually support each other, and prevent any
particular block sinking; but the only support they would receive in a direction
lengthwise of the road, street, or way would be the plain surfaces of each other.
In using wood for a pavement, I prefer that the grain should be vertical, and
that each block should have a groove formed in the upper surfaces, to give

page_text: the horses foot-hold, to prevent slipping, and when the blocks are of large
dimensions, and of stone, or other suitable material, I also recommend like
grooves for the same purpose.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Carey, have hereunto set my
the horses foot-hold, to prevent slipping, and when the blocks are of large
dimensions, and of stone, or other suitable material, I also recommend like
grooves for the same purpose.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Carey, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of July, One thousand eight
hundred and thistu ning