Improvements in or relating to Paving-blocks and Slabs.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Dec., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 12th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 14th Nov., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Paving-blocks and Slabs.
J, MORLAND MICHOLL DESSAU, of 45 Weymouth Street, in the County of London,
Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to paving-blocks and slabs, its object being the production of
a composite paving-material possessing many advantages including and additional to
those of wood-block paving, without the defects of the latter.
It is practically impossible to free the ordinary wood-paving blocks from the
moisture which, retained in the inner part of each one, results in the decay and
deterioration thereof and of any pavement wherein it is incorporated; moreover such
blocks are too light to hed themselves properly in the concrete or other layer on
which they are usually placed.
A composite paving-block or slab according to this invention comprises a wooden
portion and a body, filling, or backing of cement or other weather-resisting material
preferably heavier than wood.
For instance, a hole is bored into or through a wooden block and filled with
cement; or two intersecting passages can be made in a block and similarly filled.
Or a wood layer can be backed with a layer of the weather-resisting material.
In either case
a wood facing to receive the wear of traffic is afforded. The
wooden portion of the block may be of any suitable cross section, as for example
triangular or triangulated, or with one side flat and the other curved inward or
outward in an arc; it is preferably ridged, corrugated, grooved, flanged, or provided
with projections or with countersunk holes, or otherwise formed so that the com-
ponent parts of the block are retained in secure engagement with each other.
Openings may be made in the weather-proof material to carry off any moisture
which may get into the block through the wood.
Such composite blocks can be completely freed from moisture before they are
laid, and thereafter will absorb but very little, and they have the additional advantage
in that they bed themselves well in a road.
As an alternative instead of making separate blocks I may lay upon the road a bed
of the weather-proof material, and form depressions therein to receive the wood facings
such as referred to above.
Dated this 11th dox of December 1895
Improvements in or relating to Paving-blooks and Slabs.
I, MORLAND MICHOLL DESSAU of 45 Weymouth Street in the County of London,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
This invention relates to paving-blocks and slabs its object being the production

page_text: of a composite paving material possessing many advantages including and additional
to those of wood-block paving, without the defects of the latter.
It is practically impossible to free the ordinary wood-paving blocks from the
moisture which, retained in the inner part of each one, results in the decay and
deterioration thereof and of any pavement wherein it is incorporated; moreover
such blocks are too light to bed themselves properly in the concrete or other layer on
which they are usually placed.
A complete paving-block or slab according to this invention comprises a wooden
portion and a body, filling or backing of cement or other weather-resisting material
preferably heavier than wood.
In the accompanying perspective drawings
Figures 1 to 10 illustrate ten forms of composite paving block or slab according
.to this invention.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
In the form illustrated in Figure 1 a wooden block A has a hole B bored
through it which is filled, with a cement core. C.
In the modification illustrated in Figure 2 the block A has intersecting passages BB¹
formed in it, and filled with a weather-resisting. material C.
The blocks or slabs shown in Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 are each constituted
by a body of cement, artificial,stone or other weather-resisting material one face
of which is covered with a wood facing A' to receive the wear of traffic. The
facing A may be of any suitable cross section and preferably is flat on the side
on which it receives the wear of traffic for instance it may be a facing of triangular
section with a flat side uppermost as shown in Figure 3, or a facing with one
side flat and the other side convex as in Figure 4, or with one side flat and the
other side concave as in Figure 5, or grooved with a single triangular groove as
in Figure 6, or flanged at the edges on the side opposed to the body of weather-
resisting material as in Figure 7, or provided with a longitudinal central projection A²
as in Figure 8, or with alternate transverse ridges and furrows as in Figure 9.
desired the wooden portion of the composite block may be divided in the manner
indicated by chain lines as in Figure 1, so that the upper portion, in that view
which is intended to receive the wear, may when worn be separated from the lower
portion and have a new unworn section substituted for it.
If
In the modification illustrated in Figure 10 the wooden portion may be divided
into two sections A and Aas shown which are dovetailed together for like, purposes,
E being the dovetails.
The facings are preferably, made with projections or counter-sunk portions or are
otherwise formed so that the component, parts of the block or slab are retained¡ in
engagement with each other, as for instance in the examples illustrated.
Such composite blocks or slabs can be completely freed from moisture, before, they
are laid and thereafter will absorb, very little and they have the additional advantage
in that they bed themselves well in a road.
Openings D such as are shown in Figure 9 may be made in the weather-proof
material to, carry, off any moisture which may get into it through the wood.
The wooden facings or portions such as are herein before described instead of
having the weather-proof filling or backing attached to them before they are laid
down may be placed upon the surface of a bed preferably of weather-proof material,
formed on a road for instance to receive them, and have weather-proof material in
a fluid form floated or otherwise delivered into the cavities beneath or within them,
and allowed to harden and affix itself to them subsequently.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. A composite paving-block or slab comprising a wooden portion and a filling
of cement or other weather-resisting material with or without drainage openings,
substantially as described.

page_text: 2. A composite paving-block or slab comprising a wooden facing and a body or
backing of cement or other weather-resisting material with or without drainage
openings substantially as described.
3. A composite paving-block or slab comprising a wooden portion and a filling
of cement or other weather-resisting material, the tread part of the wooden portion
being removable from the filling, substantially as described.
4. A composite paving-block, substantially as described and illustrated in Figures 1.
and 2, or 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 10th day of October 1896.
MORLAND M. DESSAU.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicant..