IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ROADWAYS, PATHS, AND FLOORINGS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Stephen Henry Emmens, of 8, Old Jewry, in the .
City of London, Scientific Referee, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ROADWAYS, PATHS, AND FLOORINGS.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Stephen Henry Emmens
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 16th August 1872.
I, STEPHEN HENRY EMMENS, of 8, Old Jewry, in the City of London,
Scientific Referee, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ROADWAYS, PATHS, AND FLOORINGS,"
to be as follows:-
.
My Invention consists, first, in an improved method of forming foun-
dations for the surfaces of roadways; and, secondly, in an improved .
method of forming the surfaces themselves.
The object of my improved foundations is to provide a substratum
which shall be impervious to moisture, and which shall distribute the
pressure of passing loads over as large a surface as possible. This I

page_text: accomplish either by laying down a bed of what, I term "ballast
asphalte," or by employing sheets of corrugated iron, the channels of
which are filled with an asphalte composition...
The "ballast asphalte" is composed of about 8 parts of bitumen,.
12 parts of vegetable or coal tar, and 80 parts of burnt clay or bricks t
broken small. The asphalte composition used for filling the channels of
the corrugated iron is produced by a mixture of about 10 parts of vege-
table or coal tar, 10 parts of bitumen, and 80 parts of decomposed
granite or crushed limestone or bricks.
The object of my improved surfaces for roadways is to secure a paving
which, in addition to being extremely durable and waterproof, shall
afford a good foothold for horses. This I accomplish by superimposing
upon the foundation described above, or on any other that may be pre-
ferred, a layer of wooden blocks of any convenient form, with the grain
placed endwise and with the pores charged with asphalte or bitumen:
(instead of with creosote or with tar, as hitherto practical), either by
saturation in vacuo or under pressure; or, instead of using bitumenized
wooden blocks entirely, the roadway may be formed of asphalte slabs
alternatiz with the aforesaid blocks or of asphalte slabs separated from
each other by wooden fillets, bitumenized as aforesaid. The asphalte
slabs may be formed either, of natural asphalte rock, or of compressed
asphalte powder, or of liquid asphalte poured into the spaces between the
fillets. In the latter case the fillets should be pierced at intervals with
holes, so that ties may be formed between the slabs.

page_text: successors, give and grant unto me, the said Stephen Henry Emmens,
Her special licence that I, the said Stephen Henry Emmens, my exe-
cutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Stephen
Henry Emmens, 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 THE CONSTRUCTION OF ROADWAYS, PATHS, AND FLOORINGS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Stephen Henry
Emmens, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Stephen Henry Emmens, 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, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, that is to say :—
My Invention consists, first, in an improved method of forming foun-
dations for the surfaces of roadways, railways, tramways, paths, and
floorings; and, secondly, in an improved method of forming the surfaces
themselves.
In forming foundations I accomplish two objects either separately or
conjointly, that is to say, I provide a substratum impervious to moisture,
and thus ensure increased durability, and I also provide a substratum by
means of which an elastic resistance is offered to a passing load, and
the pressure is distributed over as large an area as may be deemed
advisable. Where the passing loads are inconsiderable, as in the case of
paths and floorings in general, I employ for my foundations a layer of a
bituminous composition, which I term "ballast asphalte," and which is
best formed by mixing together 8 parts of bitumen, 12 of vegetable or
coal tar or pitch, and 80 parts of burnt clay or broken bricks. Other
ingredients may be used, provided a sufficient amount of bitumen or
pitch be employed, but the mixture I have described will be found to

page_text: work best in practice. Where however there is much traffic, or where
heavy loads have to bo supported and their weight distributed over a
large area, I employ as a foundation sheets of corrugated iron, fastened
together by rivets or screws, or other suitable means, and protected
where requisite by a layer on each side of "ballast asphalte," the com- 5
position of which in such cases is preferably as follows:-10 parts of
bitumen, 10 parts of vegetable or coal pitch, and 80 parts of decomposed
granite or crushed limestone, ironstone, or bricks. Furthermore, whero
the area of the road or other surface is sufficiently extended to require
the same, I stiffen the foundation by affixing ribs of angle or T iron 1
transversely to the channels of the corrugated sheets.
As regards my improved surfaces I ensure economy, durability, and
ease of construction or repair, together with the provision of a good
foothold, by employing either wood prepared in a peculiar manner or a
combination of wood and asphalte. The prepared wood is wood improg- 1
nated with bitumen, instead of with tar, creosote, kyanising fluid, &c.,
as hitherto; and the method of such preparation is either to employ a
solution of bitumen in petroleum or some other solvent, when the
ordinary processes of impregnation can be made use of, or to treat dried
and heated wood with melted bitumen in vacuo. By this means great a
durability is conferred upon wood, and owing to its diminished power of
absorbing moisture, there is produced a marked improvement as regards
slipperiness and augmented traction in wet weather.
As for the combination of wood and asphalte, this may be carried out
by the employment of either wooden and asphalte blocks or slabs
arranged alternately, or by asphalte blocks or slabs separated singly or
in groups from each other by fillets of wood or asphalte; also, the said
asphalte blocks or slabs may be formed of the natural rock, of com-
pressed bituminous powder, or of any suitable bituminous compound
moulded into shape when in a liquid or semi-liquid condition.
The following illustrative examples will show the manner of employing
my Invention, though it will of course be understood that my process is
not restricted to these precise instances or details :—
My construction of roadways is represented in the accompanying
Drawings, Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4. Upon properly levelled ground a
layer of ballast asphalte is poured to the thickness of about an inch at
the sides, and increasing towards the middle according to the desired
curvature. While still hot shects of corrugated iron bare laid down

page_text: upon it, and connected together by screws. A further layer of ballast
asphalte c about an inch and a half in thickness is then poured over the
iron and carefully levelled to the curve. When this is set the super-
structure & is proceeded with by the pitching of blocks of prepared wood
with the grain endwise, each block being cemented to the foundation by
a little heated bituminous composition, and each transverse row of
wooden blocks being separated from the next by bands of asphalte e.
Tramways, Figures 5, 6, 7, 8.-Sheets of corrugated iron 6 are pre-
pared with two rails f, f, resting on longitudinal sleepers g, or with a
central rail. h and running plates i, i, attached by screw bolts or other
suitable fastenings. These sheets are laid down on a bed of ballast
asphalte a about an inch thick, and are connected one after the other
in a continuous line. They are then covered with an upper layer of
ballast asphalte c, and the superficies between and on each side of the
rails is filled up with wood d and asphalte pitching e.
Paths, Figures 9 and 10.-Upon a layer of ballast asphalte a about an
inch thick are cemented slabs of asphalte d in rows transverse to the
line of road, the several rows being separated by fillets of wood e,
tapering in thickness so as to form channels for water, mud, &c., to
run off.
Steps, Figures 11 and 12.-Picces of corrugated iron 6 are cut to tho
size required, with the channels running parallel to the steps, and with
a nosing retained in its position by transverse ribs of iron j. The iron is
then covered to the summit of the channels with asphalte, and the
cellular spaces formed by the nosing and ribs are filled up by longi-
tudinal fillets of wood and asphalte alternately, each fillet being cemented
down to the asphalte beneath. Treads are thus formed adapted for either
new or old staircases, and can be made removable, while by the arrange-
ment of fillets above described it is evident that repairs can be easily and
speedily effected.
Floors, Figures 13, 14, and 15.-Sheets of corrugated iron 6 are
connected together and secured to the joists & supporting the floor.
Ballast asphalte is then poured on, and either finished off as the wearing
surface, or covered with squares of asphalte, wood, tiling, or any other
material that may be desired. A very strong flooring is thus obtained,
which has the advantage of being fire-proof as well as impervious to
moisture.

page_text: Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as the dis-
tinctive and essential features of my Invention,—
Firstly. The use of a bituminous foundation in order to preserve the
bearing part of the roadway, path, or floor from the injurious effects of 5
moisture.
Secondly. The employment of sheets of corrugated iron, in the manner
described, as a foundation for roadways, paths, steps, and flooring.
Thirdly. The impregnation of wood with bitumen, and the use of such
wood as a material for pavement, flooring, steps, and sleepers.
Fourthly. The combination, in the manner described, of wood and
asphalte in forming the surfaces of roads, paths, steps, and floorings.
Fifthly. The methods of constructing tramways in the manner sct
forth.
1
In witness whereof, I, the said Stephen Henry Emmens, have here- 1
unto set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of February, One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-threo.
SEDUEN O
TSIרגTיות