Iм- PROVEMENTS IN PAVING ROADS, STREETS, OR WAYS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN PAVING ROADS, STREETS, OR WAYS."-A communication
Sealed the 21st August 1868, and dated the 4th March 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville
Clark at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 4th March 1868.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 58, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PAVING ROADS. STREETS, OR WAYS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved system of metallic paving for
roads, streets, and ways. The paving is formed of blocks of cast iron of
about eight inches square, having four or other number of perforations
at their centre for allowing the rain water to run through. The surfaces
of these blocks are further grooved at right angles, said grooves com-

page_text: municating with deeper cross channels, which are inclined so as to
conduct the water to the holes above mentioned. The surface may
further be steeled, if desired. The interior of these blocks are 80
arranged that the ribs at the angles may form duets for the rain water.
This Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, Figure 1
of which shows a plan of one of the improved cast-iron paving blocks;
Figure 2, an under side plan; Figure 3, a central vertical section on the
line 1, 2, Figure 1; Figure 4 a section on line 3, 4, Figure 1; Figure 5
shows in plan a number of these improved paving blocks in combination,
while Figure 6 shows a vertical section of an improved paving block to
be herein-after described. The same letters apply to all the Figures.
a, Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, cast-iron paving block; b, holes made in
the centre of the block for carrying off the water which passes through
to the under side; c, grooves in the upper surface of the block a, uniting
with the four cross grooves d, which are made deeper; e, ribs at the
under side of the block to assist in carrying off the rain water.
I may
also connect the blocks together by casting tongues on two sides of
about half an inch in width, fitting into corresponding spaces made in
the blocks.
In the modified paving block represented at Figure 6, I add a part B
on the under side of the cast-iron block A, fixed thereto by means of
cramps C as seen. In the interstices left between the block A and part B
are placed small pebbles D, through which the rain water runs off from
the surface of the paving, and out at the bottom of the channels in B.
In this manner the water will pass off without carrying the sand with
it. The parts A and B are further strengthened by the addition of four
supports E.
The upper surface of the paving block is also grooved in
order to retain the sand applied thereon.
Further improvements consist, 1st., in steeling the upper surfaces of
these blocks in order to prevent their rapid wear; 2ndly, I may increase
the number of holes for carrying off the water; 3rdly, I may close or
stop the holes in the blocks with any substance through which water
may permeate to permit of its passing off as before described; 4thly, 1
propose to cover the whole surface of the paving with a layer of about
half an inch of sand prepared so as to adhere thereto.
The Invention thus consists in the herein described improvements in
metallic paving blocks, which may be tongued and grooved so as to fit
into each other, if desired.

page_text: It further consists in the addition of a gutter or channel plate fixed
to the under side of the paving block as before described, as also in
steeling the surface, closing the holes with some pervious substance, and
covering the whole with a layer of sand in the manner described.
It will be readily understood that the blocks besides being made
square may have a triangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, or other form,
according to the requirements of the road or way to be laid.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 27th August 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1, ALEXANDER
MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Alexander Melville Clark, Her special
licence that 1, the said Alexander Melville Clark, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexander Melville
Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time, and at all times there-
after 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PAVING ROADS, STREETS, OR WAYS," al com-
munication to me from abroad by Faure Biénez, Merchant, of 29,
Boulevart St. Martin, Paris, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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 per-
formed, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement, reference being had to the Sheet
of Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention relates to an improved system of metallic paving for
roads, streets, and ways. The paving is formed of blocks of cast iron
of about eight inches square, having four or other number of perforations
at their centre for allowing the rain water to run through. The surfaces
of these blocks are further grooved at right angles, said grooves com-
municating with deeper cross channels, which are inclined so as to
conduct the water to the holes above mentioned.
The surface may
further be steeled, if desired. The interior of these blocks is so arranged
that the ribs at the angles form ducts for the rain water.
This Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, Figure I
of which shows a plan of one of these improved cast-iron paving blocks;
Figure 2, an under side plan; Figure 3, a central vertical section on the
line 1, 2, Figure 1; Figure 4, a section on line 3, 4, Figure 1; Figure 5,
shows in plan a number of these improved paving blocks in com-
bination, while Figure 6, shows a vertical section of an improved paving
block to be herein-after described. The same letters apply to all
the Figures.
a, Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, cast-iron paving block; b, holes made in the
centre of the block for carrying off the water which passes through to
the under side; c, grooves in the upper surface of the block a, uniting
with the four cross grooves d, which are made deeper; e, ribs at the
under side of the block to assist in carrying off the rain water.
I may
also connect the blocks together by casting tongues on two sides of about
half an inch in width, fitting into corresponding spaces made in the
blocks.
In the modified paving block represented at Figure 6 I add a part B
on the under side of the cast-iron paving block A, fixed thereto by means
of cramps C, as seen. In the interstices left between the block A and
part B are placed small pebbles D, through which the rain water runs off
from the surface of the paving and out at the bottoms of channels B.
In this manner the water will pass off without carrying the sand with it.
The parts A and B are further strengthened by the addition of four

page_text: supports E.
The upper surface of the paving block is also grooved in
order to retain the sand placed thereon.
Further improvements consist, 1st., in steeling the upper surfaces of
these blocks in order to prevent their rapid wear; 2ndly, I may increase
the number of holes for carrying off the water; 3rdly, I may close or
stop the holes in the blocks with any substance through which water
may permeate to permit of its passing off as before described; 4thly, I
propose to cover the whole surface of the paving with a layer of about
half an inch of sand prepared so as to adhere thereto; 5thly, these
improved paving blocks may be laid, if desired, on cast-iron plates
resting on the soil.
It will be readily understood that the blocks besides being made
square may have a triangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, or other form,
according to the requirements of the road or way to be laid.
Having described the nature of this Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be
protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
The improved metallic paving blocks represented in the Drawing,
which may be tongued and grooved so as to fit into each other if desired,
all as herein-before described.
I further claim the addition of a gutter or channel plate fixed to the
under side of these improved paving blocks as before described, as also
steeling the surface, closing the holes with some pervious substance, and
covering the whole with a layer of prepared sand, all in the manner
described.
In witness whereof I, the said Alexander Melville Clark have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of August,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
eight.
A. M. CLARK. (L.S.)