IMPROVEMENTS IN PAVING STREETS, ROADS, AND OTHER PLACES
Year: 1843

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
HARVEY, of Basing Place, Waterloo Road, in the County of Surrey, Timber
Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain bearing date at
Westminster, the Fourteenth day of January, in the sixth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
James Harvey, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said James Harvey, my executors, administrators, and assigns, and
such others as I, the said James Harvey, my executors, administrators, 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 mentioned, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PAVING STREETS, ROADS,
AND OTHER PLACES," being partly a communication from a foreigner residing
abroad; in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, obliging me, tho
said James Harvey, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particu.
larly to describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in
Her 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

page_text: by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large
appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
James Harvey, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being
had to the Drawings hereunto annexed and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention may be divided into two parts, and consists, firstly, in
cutting or shaping blocks of wood or other suitable materials into various
forms, which, when combined together, will tend to support each other and
thereby constitute or produce or firm and compact mass, from which one block
or part cannot easily be detached from its place without disturbing the whole
mass. Solidity and firmness are further obtained by forming or preparing the
substratum upon which the blocks are placed in a peculiar manner, as here-
after described. I will further observe, that certain of the blocks hereafter
described may be beneficially employed in paving the sides of wells, shafts, or
tunnels, and for the formation of the arches of bridges, also for making
aqueducts and viaducts and other constructions where arches or considerable
strength are required.
The Invention consists, secondly, in the construction or arrangement of
machinery to be employed in the formation of certain of the blocks hereafter
described, which blocks cannot be very conveniently cut into the required shape
by means of the apparatus generally employed for this or similar purposes.
The several Figures in Sheet I. of the accompanying Drawings represent
various views of several new forms of blocks.
Fig. 1 represents a plan view, and Fig. 2 a side view, of an assemblage of
blocks constituting a portion of a road, street, or way. In these Figures it
will be seen that the ends of the blocks are inclined, and each block rests upon
the back of the one immediately before it, and the ends of the blocks in each
row incline in opposite directions to those immediately adjoining. Each row
of blocks is connected to the contiguous ones by means of dowels which are
inserted into sockets formed in the sides of the blocks, and the several blocks
of each particular row are retained in their relative positions by dowels or rods
inserted into grooves or channels formed in the ends of each block, as seen at
a, a, in the side view, Fig. 3. From this arrangement of parts it will 'be
perceived that every block is supported in some degree by all the contiguous
oues, while at the same time it also takes its share of supporting them, and in

page_text: order to make this construction of paving even more firm and solid, the blocks
are placed upon a number of longitudinal sleepers b, b. It will be perceived
upon referring to Fig. 3, which represents one of these blocks separated from
the rest, that certain grooves or cavities c, c, are made on the under side of the
blocks for the purpose of securing them more firmly in their proper places
on the longitudinal sleepers, and preventing them from slipping.
Fig. 4 is
a detached view of another of these blocks; shewing an improved mode of
grooving the upper surface to prevent horses and other animals from slipping,
which mode of grooving may be applied to any other form of block. Fig. 5
is a plan, and Fig. 6 a side view, of another description of block; the upper
part of it is formed into a hexagon, the sides of which are equal, and the lower
part is also formed into a hexagon with three large and three smaller sides.
In laying down a pavement with these blocks the lower portions of each form
shoulders d, d, upon which the upper parts of the adjoining blocks rest; there
is also on the upper surface of each block a circular projection e, for the
purpose of giving a firm foot hold to horses and other animals. Another form
of block is represented in plan and side views at Figures 7 and 8. It is madė
out of a cylinder of wood or other material, and in the upper half of it two
recesses f, f, are formed diametrically opposite each other, by means of the
machinery hereafter described. In the lower half of the block two similar
recesses are made, and these are situated beneath each of the entire portions
9, 9, of the upper part of the block. In forming pavements with these blocks
(as shown at Fig. 9), the entire or projecting portions g, g, and h, hi, are received
into the upper and lower recesses of the adjacent blocks, and thus each block
supports and is supported by those around it. Fig. 10 is a plan view of the
modification of the above block, with eight recesses in it instead of four; and
Fig. 11 is a plan view of part of a pavement constructed with these blocks.
This block may be still further modified by making three rows of recesses
around it, four in each row. Fig. 12 is a plan, and Fig. 13 a side view, of
another form of block which is also made out of a cylindrical piece of wood
or other material, part of it being cut away somewhat similar to the block
represented in Figures 7 and 8, but with this difference, that the shoulders
so formed are plane surfaces in place of being curved, and the blocks are
combined together in the same manner as those above referred to, as shewn
in the plan view, Fig. 14.
Figures 15 are are plans, and Figures 16 side views, of two forms of
blocks i and j, which are to be used in combination for the purpose of
paving the sides and bottoms of wells, shafts, tunnels, galleries of mines,
aqueducts, reservoirs, &c., and for forming bridges, viaducts, &c., as well

page_text: as for paving roads and streets. A side view of part of an arch constructed-
with those blocks is shewn at Fig. 17, and it will be seen that they are
placed alternately, as indicated by the letters i and j upon them. The
blocks employed for paving the vertical sides of the arches of bridges, &c.
are similar to the blocks i and j, but their sides 1, 1, are made parallel instead
of gradually inclining towards each other. The intermediate blocks which
connect the vertical sides with the arch have one side inclined like the blocks i
and j, and the other side formed like the sides of the lower or side blocks.
Fig. 18 is a plan of the top; Fig. 19 a side view; and Fig. 20 a view of the
bottom, of another form of block which is to be used for the same purposes as
the blocks represented in Figures 15 and 16.
Figures 21 represent various methods of cutting and grooving the upper
surfaces of blocks for pavements so as to leave projections and indentations
therein for the purpose of affording a firm foot-hold for horses and other
animals. The peculiar forms of blocks described in this Specification may
be made out of wood, stone, metal, cement, composition, or any other suitable
material. The machinery which I employ for the formation of certain of
the before-mentioned blocks is shewn in Sheet II. of the accompanying
Drawings. It is also applicable to the construction of the block shewn and
described in the Specification of a Patent which was granted to me on the
Second of June, One thousand eight hundred and forty, at Figures 28, 29,
and 30 in the Drawing thereto annexed.
The machine which I shall now proceed to describe has to perform three
different operations; this first is for the purpose of cutting, turning, or forming
the rough log of wood into a regular shape or form; by the second operation the
log is divided into sections of the required length; and by the third the hollow
parts which form the shoulders of the block are cut out. The machine is
composed of a cast-iron or strong wooden framing, upon which is mounted a
frame furnished with a set of clamps for holding the log of wood firmly in a
horizontal position, and a moveable cutting tool or instrument is made to
traverse the machine in a similar manner to the cutting tool of a self-acting
lathe, for the purpose of shaping the rough log and reducing it to a uniform
diameter. There is, secondly, a shaft furnished with cutters for making or
forming the recesses in the sides of the blocks shewn at Figures 7, 8, 9, 10,
and 11 in Sheet I. of the Drawings. A third part of the machine consists of a
framing which carries several straight cutters or chisels, equal in number to
the sections into which the log is to be divided. This framing advances against
the wood whilst the latter is revolving, and the cutters or chisels belonging
thereto then cut away part of the wood so as to leave the circular projections

page_text: (which have been before described and shewn) on the upper surface of the
blocks. When the log has been thus prepared it is afterwards cut into
separate blocks by means of straight or circular saws.
In the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1 represents a front elevation, Fig. 2
a plan view, and Fig. 3 an end view, of the machine; the other Figures
represent different parts of the machine detached. The log of wood is held in
the machine by clamps a, a, the peculiar construction and arrangement of
which is best seen in the detached views, Fig. 4. The clamps are formed in
two parts 1 and 2, the parts 1 being connected to the shafts 1 and u*, and the
parts 2 are fixed to the log of wood by projecting points b, b, Fig. 4. The
parts 2 of the clamps are fastened to the log of wood by driving the points b, b,
into its ends by one or two blows of a hammer. The log is then placed in the
machine, as seen in Figures 1 and 2, and those parts of the clamps which are
affixed to it are brought into contact with the parts 2 by moving the end of
the shaft u towards the log. This is effected by turning the handle v, which
gives motion through the bevel wheels w, x, to the hollow screw shaft y,
through which the shaft u passes. This shaft y turns in stationary bearings,
and communicates motion to a nut, connected to the shaft u by parallel
rods 3. The log is cut into a cylindrical form by a chisel c, which is
mounted in a carriage, and traverses along the machine in the same manner
as the cutting tool of a self-acting lathe, and while the cutting tool is
traversing along the machine (a slow motion being communicated to it by
means of the long screw shaft d), the log of wood is kept continually revolving
by means of a band or strap, which communicates motion to the pulley e.
The log having by this means been reduced to the proper dimensions, the
next operation is to divide it into sections, and at the same time form the
circular projections seen in the several Figures in Sheet I. This is effected
by means of a set of knives or cutters g, g, mounted in a moveable framing,
not seen in Figures 1 and 2, but shown detached at Figures 5, 6, and 7.
These knives or cutters are set at distances corresponding to the length or
height of the proposed blocks, and as the log is kept revolving the cutters
are brought to bear against it, and thereby cut away the wood to the proper
depth to form the circular projections. The next operation is to cut out the
cavities which form the shoulders of the block. This is effected by a series of
rotary cutters mounted upon a shaft h, carried by a moveable framing i, i,
which turns upon a centre at j, and advances the cutters against the wood;
but in this instance the wood is stationary, and the cutter shaft is made to
revolve by communicating rotary motion to the pulley k upon it. Fig. 8
shews a front view and transverse section of one of these cutters; it consists of

page_text: is pushed back and the
two side plates 2, with sharp cutting edges, between which a broad chisel or
cutter m is secured; n, n, are sharp points which clear away the chips and
prevent the cutter from becoming clogged or impeded in its action. It must
now be understood that the cutter frame turns upon a centre at j, and that as
the cutters act upon and cut away the wood, the workman takes hold of the
rail 0, and draws the frame forward until the recess is cut deep enough. Two
stops prevent the workman from drawing the frame too forward, and thereby
cutting away too much. When one set of recesses is formed the cutter frame
log turned round one-third of a revolution, if three
recesses are required, and one half if two only are required; and in order that
this may
be effected with facility and correctness a small ratchet wheel p, with
six teeth is affixed to the axis on which the log is mounted. The fly wheel
and ratchet are shewn detached at Figures 9, and a pall or click 7 is applied
to the ratchet wheel to prevent the log from turning the wrong way. In this
manner the three recesses of the upper part of the block are formed, and the
three opposite ones on the lower part must then be made. In order to do this
the cutters must be slidden or shogged sideways to act on a different part of
the log. This is effected by means of the lever 1, which is connected to the
cutters, and turns upon a centre s, whereby the cutters may be moved laterally
when required. When all the cavities or shoulders are made, the long con-
sisting of perhaps three, four, or six different blocks, is taken out of the machine
and cut up into the separate blocks of the form seen at Figs. 10, or of any
other form that may have been desired.
I claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent,-
Firstly, the various forms and constructions of blocks herein described,
together with any modifications of the same.
Secondly, the modes herein shown of cutting and grooving the upper sur-
faces of blocks for pavements in order to secure a firm foot-hold for horses
and other animals.
+
Thirdly, the machinery, represented in Sheet II. of the accompanying
Drawings, for cutting or forming certain of the blocks herein-before men-
tioned.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Harvey, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of July, One thousand eight hundred
and forty-three.
JAMES (L.S.) HARVEY.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Fourteenth day of July, in the
seventh year of the reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, the said James
Harvey came before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknow-
ledged the instrument aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and
specified in form above written. And also the instrument aforesaid was
stamped, according to the tenor of the Statute made in the fifty-fifth year of
the reign of His late Majesty King George the Third.