Im- PROVEMENTS IN PAVING OR FLOORING FOR THE STALLS OF STABLES AND OTHER SURFACES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Lee Norton, of Belle Sauvage Yard,
Ludgate Hill, in the City of London, for the Invention of "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN PAVING OR FLOORING FOR THE STALLS OF STABLES AND OTHER
SURFACES."
Scaled the 12th September 1871, and dated the 22nd July 1871,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Lee Norton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 22nd July 1871.
I, JAMES LEE NORTON, of Belle Sauvage Yard, Ludgate Hill, in the
City of London, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PAVING OR FLOORING FOR THE STALLS OF STABLES AND OTHER
SURFACES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in paving or flooring
for the stalls of stables and other surfaces.
My improvements are applicable especially where it is desirable that
water or liquid should be able to pass away freely through the paving or
flooring, or where it is desirable that dust and dirt should fall through,

page_text: leaving the surface of the paving or flooring comparatively clean. The
paving or flooring is prepared in sections, each consisting of a metal
frame in which cells open at the top are formed. The cells are filled
with asphalte or such like composition to form the surface to receive the
traffic or tread, or the cells may be filled with pieces of wood with the
end grain exposed, or with moulded blocks, bricks, or tiles. Between
the cells there are openings in the frame for the passage of moisture or
dust or dirt. These openings are contracted at the top by projecting
lips so that any matter entering between the lips will fall clear through,
or the openings may be formed in the bricks, blocks, or other filling of
the cells in place of in the frame which receives and holds them. The
frames may be made of cast iron, but I prefer to make them of wrought-
iron bars rolled to form and fixed together. The paving or flooring is
laid upon bearers between which are receptacles for the matter passing
through the openings.
In paving or flooring the stall of a stable I arrange the paving frames
to turn upon hinges or joints, and the receptacles beneath them I line
with cement. In these receptacles I place dry earth or other absorbing
or deodorising material to absorb and deodorise the urine and liquid
passing through the paving or flooring, and this is changed from time
to time, the paving or flooring frames being raised on their hinges or
joints to admit of it. The earth or absorbent after use is a valuable
manure. When the paving or flooring frames are used as stair treads
and in other such like positions I arrange drawers beneath them to
receive the dust and dirt; these drawers are pulled out from time to time,
emptied, and replaced, or the paving frames may be arranged to lift out
or turn upon joints as already described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Lee Norton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 22nd January 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
LEE NORTON, of Belle Sauvage Yard, Ludgate Hill, in the City of
London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of July, in the year

page_text: of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said James Lee Norton, Her special license
that I, the said James Lee Norton, my exccutors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said James Lee Norton, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PAVING OR FLOORING FOR THE STALLS OF STABLES AND OTHER SURFACES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Lee Norton, 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 James Lee Norton, 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 thereof, that is to say :—
This Invention has for its object improvements in paving or flooring
for the stalls of stables and other surfaces.
My improvements are applicable especially where it is desirable that
water or liquid should be able to pass away freely through the paving
or flooring, or where it is desirable that dust and dirt should fall through,
leaving the surface of the paving or flooring comparatively clean. The
paving or flooring is prepared in sections, each consisting of a metal
frame, in which cells open at the top are formed. The cells are fitted
with asphalte or such like composition to form the surface to receive
the traffic or tread; or the cells may be fitted with pieces of wood
with the end grain exposed, or with moulded blocks, bricks, or tiles.
Between the cells there are openings in the frame for the passage of
moisture, or dust, or dirt. These openings are contracted at the top
by projecting lips, so that any matter entering between the lips will
fall clear through, or the openings may be formed in the bricks, blocks,
or other fillings of the cells, in place of in the frame which receives and

page_text: holds them. The frames may be made of cast iron, but I prefer to
make them of wrought-iron bars rolled to form and fixed together.
The paving or flooring is laid upon bearers, between which are
receptacles for carrying off or receiving the matter passing through the
openings.
In the Drawings hereunto annexed I have shewn various metal
paving frames formed with cells to receive filling blocks, and with
openings between the cells for the passage of moisture, or dust, or dirt,
as above described.
Figure 1 shews a plan view, and Figure 2, a section of a paving frame
of cast iron, formed in this manner.
a is the metal frame formed with cells to receive filling blocks b,
which I prefer should be of wood, having the end grain uppermost, and
formed to project above the frame as shewn; but blocks of asphalte,
or brick, or tile, or other suitable material might be used; c, c, are the
openings between the cells; d, d, are flanges around the bottom of
the cells for the filling blocks to rest on. The cells are contracted
at the top by projecting lips e, e, as shewn, so that any matter passing
between the lips may fall clear; f,f, are projections from the sides of
the frame a. These serve as distance pieces, by which when a number
of frames are placed together to form a paving spaces are formed
between the several frames corresponding to the spaces between the
cells.
At Figure 3 is shewn a plan view, and at Figure 4 a section of
another frame of cast iron, in which the spaces c, c, between the cells
are formed in one direction only.
Figure 5 also shews a plan view of a cast-iron frame with the spaces
c, c, running in one direction only. In place of forming projecting lips
e, e, to contract the openings c, c, at the top, the sides of these openings
may incline to one another, as shewn in the sections 6, 7, and 8.
At Figure 7 the filling blocks are shewn to be of asphalte with wood
interposed between them and the flanges d.
Figure 9 shews a transverse section; and Figure 10 a plan of a cast-
iron frame formed with cells, but with no openings c, c, between the
cells. In this case the openings are formed in the filling blocks b,
which in this case I prefer to be formed of tiles.
These openings may
be formed to run in one direction only, or they may be of various forms;

page_text: as, for example, they may be made of the form shewn at Figure 11;
or in place of one opening only being formed through each tile, two
or more openings may be formed through it, as shewn at Figure 12.
When the openings are made in filling blocks themselves the spaces
between the upper parts of the blocks where they project above the
frame may be filled in with cement, or the blocks themselves might
be formed to cover over the ribs or divisions of the metal frames,
so that no spaces are left between the upper parts of the blocks.
At Figures 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17 are shewn various ways in which
the sections of openwork paving may be made of wrought iron. The
frame shewn at Figure 16 is made up of parallel bars of angle iron
rivetted to angle iron end pieces, as is clearly shewn. The angle irons
at the ends should be a little deeper than the other bars, so that when
rivetted onto them their upper edges may be all one equal height.
Figure 17 shews the same frame with its cells filled in with filling
blocks. The frames shewn at Figures 13, 14, and 15 are similar to the
frame shewn at Figure 16 except that the parallel bars of angle iron
are at their ends rivetted to a plate, strip, or bar of iron, so leaving the
cells of the frame open at their ends. In a similar manner the paving
frames may be constructed of wrought-iron bars of other sections.
The frame shewn at Figures 18 and 19 is composed of parallel bars
of angle iron a, a, connected at their ends to wooden bars b, b the ends
of the angle iron bars are let into the wooden bars and are secured
there by screws as shewn.
At Figures 20 and 21 is shewn one way in which my openwork
frames of pavement may be applied to paving the central portion of
the stall of a stable.
a, a, are sections of openworked paving which may be formed in the
manner shewn or in other similar ways as herein described, so that
openings are left between the cells of the sections of paving. I
however prefer that these openings should always run lengthwise of
the stall.
In the Drawing the sections of paving are shewn to be hinged to
wooden bearers b, b, and to be supported at their opposite side by a
central wooden bearer c. These bearers are below the level of the
stable floor, and the space between them forms a receptacle into which
dry earth or absorbent material may be placed to absorb the urine
passing down through the openwork paving. The bottom of this receptacle

page_text: I prefer, to form inclined towards the open end of the stall as shewn,
and it may be cemented as shewn in the Drawing, or lined with brick
or tile or otherwise made impervious to liquid. In place of the frames
being made to turn up on hinges they might be arranged simply to
be lifted out of place whenever it is desired to clean out the receptacle.
In a similar way other surfaces may be paved with the frames of
openwork paving, suitable bearers or supports being provided for two
or more sides of the several frames to rest upon.
At Figure 22 is shewn how the sections of openwork paving may
be employed for the treads of staircases; in this arrangement sliding
drawers a, a, are provided below each of the treads to receive any dust
which may fall through them.
Figure 23 shews another arrangement in which the drawers are
dispensed with, and an incline is formed below the treads on to which
the dust passing through the treads may settle. In this case the treads
are either arranged to to lift out of place or to turn upon hinges, so that
the dust may be swept down into the drawer or receptacle d at the
bottom of the staircase.
Figure 24 shews how the openwork paving may be applied for paving
the footways of roads or streets. a, a, are the openwork sections of
paving; a, a, are bearers of wood or other material laid crosswise of
the footway to support the several sections of paving; b, the kerbstone ;
c, part of the roadway; d, a gutter; e, an inclined plane below the
footway leading down to the gutter; ff, channels cut or left through
the kerbstone at intervals to allow liquid to flow down the inclined
plane into the gutter.
I would remark that I am aware that the treads or steps of stair-
cases have before been made of cast-iron frames formed with cells to
receive filling blocks of wood, but such frames have not previously
been formed with spaces or openings between the cells for the passage
of dust or liquid as herein described.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim
is,—
1. The forming a paving or flooring of metal frames, each divided
into cells to be filled in with blocks of wood or other material, and
with spaces left between the cells for dirt or liquid to fall through,
substantially as herein described.

page_text: 2. The forming a paving or flooring of metal frames each divided
into cells filled in with bricks or other filling blocks having openings
formed through them for dirt or liquid to fall through, substantially as
herein described.
3. The forming the treads of staircases of openwork paving such
as herein described, and with drawers or receptacles below the stair
treads to receive dust or dirt that may fall through.
4. The forming the treads of staircases of openwork paving such as
herein described, and arranged to lift out of place or turn upon joints,
as herein described.
5. The construction of the frames of paving for stair treads and
other surfaces of wrought iron, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Lee Norton, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of January,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
two.
J. L. NORTON. (L.S.)