Improvements in Material suitable for Paving and for Covering Floors, Decks and other Surfaces.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements in Material suitable for Paving and for Covering
Floors, Decks and other Surfaces.
I, GEORGE POWELL, of 115, Newgate Street, in the City of London, Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to the manufacture of a comparatively cheap
material suitable for paving, and for covering the floors of railway and road vehicles,
the decks of ships and other surfaces, and it has for object to provide a material for
these purposes that shall afford a good foothold, shall offer considerable resistance
to wear, and the wearing surface of which can be kept clean with less. labour than
a plain surface.
Paving or covering material for these purposes, is, according to this invention,
made of a layer of suitable substance, such as a compressed mixture of powdered.
cork and boiled linseed oil secured upon a backing that is preferably flexible and
composed of fabric such as buckram or canvas or the like the said layer of material
being formed on its face or wearing surface with a series of grooves or channels
which may be produced by rolling, moulding, cutting, grinding or otherwise, and
which may be arranged either parallel to each other and extending in a transverse,
longitudinal or diagonal direction, or which may intersect each other at any suit-
able angle. These grooves, which impart a corrugated, fluted or like appearance
to the wearing surface, serve as receptacles into which dirt can pass from the wear-
ing surface, and also as gutters for leading away rain or other water. The grooves
preferably merge into the wearing surface by curved surfaces so as to avoid the for-
mation of sharp edges which would be liable to chipping, breakage, or rapid wear.
Paving or covering material of the kind described can be made in the form of
slabs, sheets or blocks of various sizes and may in some cases be strengthened or
stiffened by a layer of suitable material, for example a compressed mixture of
cork and boiled linseed oil, applied to the underside of the canvas or other backing.
The improved paving or like material may be wholly or partly covered with a
substance such as paint, tar or the like, that will render its upper or lower or both
upper and lower surfaces impervious to moisture.

page_text: Improvements in Material suitable for Paving and for Covering
Floors, Decks and other Surfaces.
I, GEORGE POWELL, of 115, Newgate Street, in the City 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 has reference to the manufacture of a comparatively cheap
material suitable for paving, and for covering the floors of railway and road vehicles,
the decks of ships and other surfaces, and it has for object to provide a material for
these purposes that shall afford a good foothold, shall offer considerable resistance
to wear, and the wearing surface of which can be kept clean with less labour than
a plain surface.
Paving or covering material for these purposes, is, according to this invention,
made of a layer of suitable substance, such as a compressed mixture of powdered
cork and boiled linseed oil secured upon a backing that is preferably flexible and
composed of fabric such as buck-ram or canvas or the like, the said layer of
material being formed on its face or wearing surface with a series of grooves or
channels which may be produced by rolling, moulding, cutting, or otherwise, and
which may be arranged either parallel to each other and extending in a transverse,
longitudinal or diagonal direction, or which may intersect each other at any suit-
able angle. These grooves, which impart a fluted or like appearance to the wear-
ing surface, serve as receptacles into which dirt can pass from the wearing
surface, and also as gutters for leading away rain or other water. The grooves
preferably merge into the wearing surface by curved surfaces so as to avoid the
formation of sharp edges which would be liable to chipping, breakage, or rapid wear.
Fig. 1 illustrates a piece of material formed according to this invention. 1 is
the flexible backing of buckram or other suitable fabric and 2 the layer of a com-
pressed mixture of powdered cork and boiled linseed oil. 2° are the grooves which
may conveniently be formed, after the material has been made, by means of a
cylinder or rotary planing machine, the knives or cutters of which are formed with
recesses at regular intervals, the projecting portions between the recesses being
of a form corresponding to the contour of the grooves to be cut. The material
is securely fastened to the bed or table of the planing machine by means of clamps
which grip the edges of the material and of the table.
If desired, the material may be grooved in the course of manufacture by being
passed, whilst in a soft condition, through a rolling machine, the roller of which
has the desired pattern or design formed in relief upon it.
Paving or covering material of the kind described can be made in the form of
slabs, sheets or blocks of various sizes and may in some cases be strengthened or
stiffened by a layer of suitable material, for example a compressed mixture of cork
and boiled linseed oil, applied to the underside of the canvas or other backing.
Fig. 2 shows a piece of material strengthened in this way; it is composed of two
layers of fabric backed material cemented together, back to back, the face of the
upper layer being grooved.
Fig. 3 shows a piece of material similarly constructed but with the back of the
top layer cemented to the face of the lower layer.
The improved paving or like material may be wholly or partly covered with a
substance such as paint, tar or the like, that will render its upper or lower or both
upper and lower surfaces impervious to moisture,

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
Paving or covering material made of a layer of suitable substance, such as a com-
pressed mixture of powdered cork and boiled linseed oil, secured to a suitable back-
ing and formed on its face or wearing surface with a series of grooves or channels
substantially as hereinbefore described for the purpose specified.
Dated this 20th day of December 1907
For the Applicant,
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.