AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR PACKING SECURING BLOCKS LAID FOR PAVING AND FOR OTHER LIKE PURPOSES
Year: 1872

page_text: AND
LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London,
for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR PACKING
SECURING BLOCKS LAID FOR PAVING AND FOR OTHER LIKE PURPOSES."-A
communication from abroad by Benjamin B. Hotchkiss, of the
City and State of New York, United States of America, Civil
Engineer.
Sealed the 23rd April 1872, and dated the 2nd February 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 2nd February 1872.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR PACKING AND
SECURING BLOCKS LAID FOR PAVING AND FOR OTHER LIKE PURPOSES," a communi.
cation, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a machine for tightly driving and packing
cement, gravel, stones, and other substances between the blocks of a

page_text: pavement or of foundations for buildings and other similar con-
structions. The said machine is more especially designed for use
in the construction of the improved wood pavement described in the
Provisional Specification deposited with the application for Letters
Patent, bearing date the 2nd day of February, A.D. 1872, No. 345.
The chief object of my present Invention is the more secure fixing
and binding together of the blocks of the said pavement upon their
foundation, so that they shall form one solid and homogeneous mass.
Hitherto in the construction of wood pavements where a packing of
cement or the like has been used between the blocks, it has been
customary to simply fill in the spaces with the said cement or other
substance. Consequently the blocks are liable to become loose and be
displaced, and the solidity and uniformity of the pavement is thereby
quickly destroyed. When stone, gravel, or other like substances are used
as packing, it is difficult to pack or drive the same by the means ordinarily
used with the required tightness and uniformity to produce the per-
manent binding of the blocks together throughout the surface of the
pavement. I have therefore devised for this and 'similar purposes a
machine constructed as follows: -
.
A frame of metal or other suitable material is 'mounted on wheels of
'convenient size to move easily upon the surface of the pavement. On
the aforesaid frame I mount a hammer or weight, which is pivotted or
otherwise so attached to the frame that it may be conveniently swung
within or upon the said frame. In combination with the said hammer
or weight I arrange an eccentric or cam for raising the same.
I prefer that the hammer or weight should be placed between the
wheels and should project beyond them at the front of the machine,
while at the rear 'thereof there is a handle or lever whereby the machine
is moved and the hammer is controlled. The wheels 'must be broad
enough to run upon the surface of the pavement without being caught
in the spaces between the blocks.
A bar or plate, either connected 'to the frame or detached therefrom
and of 'the proper thickness to enter and fit the spaces to be packed,
is placed under the hammer in such a position that the said hammer
when dropped will strike the upper edge of the said plate.
In using my 'improved machine 'the space between the blocks is filled
t

page_text: or partially filled with the stone, gravel, or other packing; then the
aforesaid bar or plate is placed upon the packing, and the hammer is
put in operation. As the packing is driven down in the said space
the machine is moved forward over it, the hammer striking the plate,
which is moved along in the space till the stone, gravel, or other
substance is evenly packed or driven down from end to end of the
said space. Then the plate or bar is raised and inserted in a fresh.
space or used upon a further quantity of the packing in the same
space, and so on till the packing of the entire pavement is accom-
plished.
By this means it will be obvious that the stone, gravel, or other
substance can be driven and wedged between and into the wood blocks
with such regularity that the structure of the pavement will be
uniformly solid throughout its entire area, and moreover the operation
of packing will be much more expeditiously and economically performed
than has heretofore been practicable. .
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 27th July 1872.
.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special licence
that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake, 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
"

page_text: "AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR PACKING AND SECURING BLOCKS LAID FOR PAVING
AND FOR OTHER LIKE PURPOSES," a communication to me from abroad by
Benjamin B. Hotchkiss, of the City and State of New York, United
States of America, Civil Engineer, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said William Robert Lake, 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 William Robert Lake, 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 accom-
panying Drawing forming a part of this Specification :-
This Invention relates to a machine for tightly driving and packing
cement, gravel, stones, and other substances between the blocks of a
pavement or of foundations for buildings, and other similar con-
structions. The said machine is more especially designed for use in
the construction of the improved wood pavement described in the
Specification of other Letters Patent, bearing date the 2nd day of
February, A.D. 1872, No. 345.
The chief object of my present Invention is the more secure fixing
and binding together of the blocks of the said pavement upon their
foundation, so that they shall form one solid and homogeneous mass.
Hitherto in the construction of wood pavements where a packing of
cement or the like has been used between the blocks, it has been
customary to simply fill in the spaces with the said cement or other
substance. Consequently the blocks are liable to become loose and
be displaced, and the solidity and uniformity of the pavement is
thereby quickly destroyed. When stone, gravel, or other like sub-
stances are used as packing, it is difficult to pack or drive the
same by the means ordinarily used with the required tightness and
uniformity to produce the permanent binding of the blocks together
throughout the surface of the pavement. I have theretofore devised
for this and similar purposes a machine constructed as shewn in the

page_text: accompanying Drawing, in which Figure 1 is a plan of the said
improved machine; Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same.
Figure 3 is a plan, and Figure 4 a side elevation of the said machine
slightly modified in its construction.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the Drawing.
A frame a of metal or other suitable material is mounted on wheels b,
of convenient size to move easily upon the surface of the pavement.
The frame carries a hammer or weight c.. In combination with the
said hammer or weight I provide a lever d for raising the same. This
lever has a cam d', which is arranged to take under the catch e on the
frame. By depressing this lever the hammer will be raised to the
position shown in dotted lines, Figure 2; the cam d is then drawn
from under the catch e, and the hammer drops. The curved bar e¹ of
the catch may be pivotted in different positions on the frame to vary
the stroke of the hammer. f is an additional weight, by using or
removing which the effect of the hammer is increased or diminished.
I prefer that the hammer or weight c should be placed between the
wheels b, and project beyond them at the front of the machine, while
the handle, or lever d, whereby the machine is moved and the hammer
controlled, is at the rear. The wheels must be broad enough to run
upon the surface of the pavement without being caught in the spaces
between the blocks A.
A. bar or plate h, either connected to the frame a or detached
therefrom, and of the proper thickness to enter and fit the spaces to be
packed, is placed under the hammer c in such a position that the said
hammer when dropped or tripped will strike the upper edge of the said
plate.
In using this improved machine the space between the paving blocks
is filled or partially filled with the stone, gravel, or other packing;
then the aforesaid bar or plate h is placed upon the packing and
the hammer c is put in operation. As the packing is driven down
in the said space the machine is moved forward over it, the hammer c
striking the plate h, which is moved along in the space till the stone,
gravel, or other substance is evenly packed or driven down from end
to end of the said space. Then the bar or plate h is raised and inserted
in a fresh space, or used upon a further quantity of the packing in

page_text: the same space, and so on till the packing of the entire pavement is
accomplished.
.
.'
By this means it will be obvious that the stone, gravel, or other
substance can be driven and wedged between and into the wood
blocks with such regularity that the structure of the pavement will 5
be uniformly solid throughout its entire area, and moreover the
operation of packing will be much more expeditiously, and econo-
mically performed than has heretofore been practicable.
.
In Figures 3 and 4 the machine is shewn without the curved bar
and catch. In this modification the hammer is made fast to the lever, 1
and in using the machine after raising the hammer the said lever is
released suddenly from the hand to allow the hammer to fall. This
construction is simpler than that shewn in Figures 1 and 2, and will
be found very efficient in many cases.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated 1
to me by my foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing
the same, I wish it understood that I claim,—
First. A hammer or weight mounted on wheels and arranged and
operating in combination with a lever and with a bar or plate placed
below the said hammer, as herein set forth for the purposes specified.
Second. The combination with the said hammer and lever of the
contrivances whereby the said hammer when raised to the proper height
will be automatically released and dropped, as herein set forth for the
purpose specified.
2
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here- 2
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of July, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
two
Witness,
CHAS. J. GOOCH.
W. ROB³. LAKE. (L.S.)