THE MANUFACTURE OF SUBSTANCES FOR ROAD MAKING AND STREET PAVING, BUCH SUBSTANCES BEING ALSO APPLICABLE FOR FUEL FOR LOCOMOTIVES, STATIONARY, OR PORTABLE ENGINES, HOUSEHOLD AND OTHER GRATES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Wilkinson, Civil Engineer, of 41,
High Street, Marylebone, in the County of Middlesex, for the In-
vention of "THE MANUFACTURE OF SUBSTANCES FOR ROAD MAKING AND
STREET PAVING, BUCH SUBSTANCES BEING ALSO APPLICABLE FOR FUEL FOR
LOCOMOTIVES, STATIONARY, OR PORTABLE ENGINES, HOUSEHOLD AND OTHER
GRATES"
Sealed the 21st May 1875, and dated the 6th. January 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Wilkinson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 6th January 1875.
I, ALEXANDER WILKINSON, Civil Engineer, of 41, High Street,
Marylebone, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "THE MANUFACTURE OF SUBSTANCES FOR ROAD
MAKING AND STREET PAVING, SUCH SUBSTANCES BEING ALSO APPLICABLE FOR FUEL
FOB LOCOMOTIVE, STATIONARY, OR PORTABLE ENGINES, H EHOLD AND OTHER
GRATES," to be as follows:-
-
The first part of the Invention consists in grinding peat or turf in a
mill to a suitable powder. It is then amalgamated with pitch, tar, and
[Price 8d.1

page_text: bitumen in suitable proportions, the solution or compound being well
boiled and stirred together and then allowed to cool. The compound is
then placed into moulds or squares and submitted to powerful hydraulic
pressure to make blocks of the required shape. The blocks thus made
will be found to be very hard and slightly elastic, and fit for road 5
making and street paving in general.
The blocks or squares may be formed with channels or ribs on their
upper faces to prevent horses or foot passengers slipping or falling.
The channels may be of concave or convex form.
In some cases the composition after being well mixed and brought 10
into a plastic condition under the influence of heat may be at once taken
and placed into the moulds or square and then submitted to powerful
hydraulic pressure.
Previous to laying my blocks I make a very solid surface with
concrete or cement. I then cover the ground surface with my com- 1
position, after which I employ hot rollers and stampers to level and
form a hard surface.
To prevent slipping or horses falling down the stampers or rollers used
may be cut with ridges or squares, so that when placed on the paving
they will leave an impression of a hollow or grooved form.
2
The next part of my Invention consists in amalgamating peat ground
fine with plaster, sand, lime, or with Roman or other plastic body as a
cement. The peat in an underground state can be placed into tanks con-
taining a little water or any adhesive liquid, and can then be readily put
under powerful pressure and made thoroughly hard for road or street 2
paving in general.
The next part of my Invention consists in amalgamating peat, ground
or not (or it may be broken up into small or large pieces), with coal
dust, coke dust, or common ashes, the whole being then ground and
mixed thoroughly together. It can then be placed into a tank or box 3
containing a solution made of pitch, tar, and bitumen in suitable pro-
portions. After this the mass is well mixed, and while in the wet or
damp state put into moulds or squares and submitted to hydraulic or
other pressure. After being pressed the blocks or squares will be found
to be very hard and capable of giving out great heat. The blocks thus 3

page_text: made are fit for locomotive, marine, or land engines (portable or
stationary), and also for grates of domestic fire-places, stoves, and for
heating purposes generally.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander Wilkinson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 6th July 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
WILKINSON, Civil Engineer, of 41, High Street, Marylebone, in the
County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Alexander Wilkinson, Her special
licence that I, the said Alexander Wilkinson, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexander Wilkin-
son, 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 "THE MANUFACTURE OF SUBSTANCES FOR ROAD MAKING AND STREET PAVING,
SUCH SUBSTANCES BEING ALSO APPLICABLE FOR FUEL FOR LOCOMOTIVES, STATIONARY
OB PORTABLE ENGINES, HOUSEHOLD AND OTHER GRATES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Alexander Wilkinson, 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 immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Wilkinson, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the

page_text: same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say
The first part of the Invention consists in grinding peat or turf in a
mill to a powder, it is then amalgamated with pitch, tar, and bitumen in
suitable proportions, the solution or compound is then well boiled and ĉ
stirred together and then allowed to cool, the compound is then placed
into moulds or squares and submitted to powerful hydraulic pressure to
make blocks of the required shape. The blocks.thus made will be
found to be very hard and slightly elastic and fit for a road making and
street paving in general.
The blocks or squares may be formed with channels or ribs on their
upper faces to prevent horses or foot passengers slipping or falling. The
chanuels may be of concave or convex form.
In some cases the composition after being well mixed and brought
into a plastic condition under the influence of heat may be at once
taken and placed into the moulds or squares, and then submitted to
powerful hydraulic pressure.
Previous to laying my blocks I make a very solid surface with
concrete or cement, I then cover the surface with my composition, after
which I employ hot rollers or stampers to level the way to form a hard
surface.
To prevent slipping or horses falling down the rollers or stampers used
may be cut with ridges or squares, so that when placed on the paving
they will leave an impression of a hollow or grooved form.
The next part of my Invention consists in amalgamating peat or turf
ground fine with plaster, cand, lime, or with Roman or other plastic
body as a cement. The peat in an unground state can be placed into
tanks containing a little water or an adhesive liquid, and can then be
readily put under powerful pressure and made thoroughly hard for road
or steet paving in general.
The next part of my Invention consists in amalgamating peat ground
or not (or it may be broken up into small or large pieces) with coal
dust, coke dust, or common ashes, the whole being then ground and
mixed thoroughly together, the mixture can then be placed into a tank
or box containing a solution made of pitch, tar, and bitumen in suitable
proportions, after this the mass is well mixed whilst in a wet or damp

page_text: state, put into momias or squares, auu suomitted to myumune or any other
pressure. After being pressed the blocks or squares will be found to bo
very hard and capable of giving out great heat. The blocks thus made
are fit for locomotive, marine, or land engines (portable or stationary),
and also for grates of domestic fire-places, stoves, and for heating
purposes generally.
The next part of my Invention consists in manufacturing railway
sleepers or other blocks from peat or turf ground into a fine powder and
mixed with the before-named compounds of pitch, tar, bitumen, or other
adhesive matters, this compound being then placed into a tank and
thoroughly mixed together by the influence of heat may be readily
pressed into moulds of any size or shape that may be required.
The next part of my Invention consists in the treating of wet peat for
the purposes as before described by grinding and mixing the peat with
Roman, Parian, lime, Portland, or any other adhesive cements, by being
passed through an ordinary peat machine which will thoroughly mix
the mass together, and the compound can then be cut off to any desired
length or form. These blocks being allowed to dry in the air for a short
space of time will be found extremely hard and thoroughly waterproof
and impervious to heat or damp.
The next part of my Invention consists of compressing peat with the
ingredients as before herein described in its wet state into figured
moulds by hydraulic or other pressure, which figures or designs or
pannelling for cabinet and such like uses may be readily pressed
together in a short space of time, and will be found equal to hand
carving, and answer for all kinds of cabinet or building purposes.
The next part of my Invention consists in mixing the peat with the
ingredients as before herein described through the peat machine so as to
form a cement for coating brick walls or other bodies, which cement
will be found to supersede that of lime and air, and dry with greater
rapidity, and render the walls or other bodies impervious to water or
damp, and will be found of greater strength and durability than anything
at present used.
The next part of my Invention consists of heating dry peat in a hot
cylinder until it becomes of a charcoal form, which may be readily
mixed with the refuse of slate and then ground into a powder before the
peat is mixed with the slate, it may be if requisite mixed with pyrites

page_text: or broken glass ground to a fine powder. This mixture will be found
fit for polishing all descriptions of metallic substances.
My Invention further consists in amalgamating peat with slate dust
or ground slate, and mixing them thoroughly together, and after the
blocks being shaped as herein-before described, allowing them sufficient 5
time to dry, they will be found perfectly hard and fit for all kinds of
paving purposes.
I further claim a method of treating the paving blocks or squares
when thoroughly dry and hard and suitable for paving purposes by
making a solution of pitch, tar, bitumen, asphalte, or all or any such 1
like adhesive substances, the above ingredients being boiled.
The paving blocks or squares are dipped into a tank or box containing
the above solution, and in laying the blocks or squares whilst in a
plastic state they are placed on the road when warm so as to form
a solid and close body which will be found to be thoroughly hard and 1
waterproof,
In some cases dry peat ground into a powder may be spread on the
road whilst the solution is in a plastic state, and rolled on with a heavy
roller or other suitable pressure.
The Invention further consists in mixing peat in a ground or an
unground state in a solution of pitch and bitumen dissolved in a tank
or box containing bisulphuret of carbon or naphtha, or it may be
petroleum. When this compound has been thoroughly mixed it can be
removed and moulded or pressed into any desired shape or form. The
compound when pressed into blocks is found to be hard and waterproof,
and fit for road making and paving purposes in general.
The Invention further consists in making a solution of glue, size,
red lead, or other adhesive body by heat, and in placing a quantity of
peat with a proportion of the above solution in a tank or box, and
thoroughly mixing the mass; it can then be removed and placed into a
moulds and pressed into any desired shape or form for use as picture
frames, pannelling, or the like.
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, the
treatment of peat, as herein-before described, and its amalgamation

page_text: with other ingredients for the manufacture of blocks or bodies suitable
for road making, street paving, or its equivalent, also for fuel, as herein-
before set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Wilkinson, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of July One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-five.
Witness,
HY. BULLOOK.
A. WILKINSON. (Ls.)