IMPROVEMENTS IN PAVING ROADS AND OTHER SURFACES WITH WOOD
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills, of the Firm of Harris and
Mills, of 23, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent,
for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PAVING ROADS AND OTHER SURFACES
WITH WOOD." A communication from abroad by Alexandre Trenaunay, of
Neuilly-sur-Seine, near Paris, in the Republic of France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard
Mills at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th December
1880.
BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS, of the Firm of Harris and Mills, of 23,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PAVING ROADS AND OTHER SURFACES WITH WOOD." A communication
from abroad by Alexandre Trenaunay, of Neuilly-sur-Seine, near Paris, in the
Republic of France.
The Invention relates to improvements in paving roads and other surfaces with
wood, and consists in the employment of solidified wood in combination with an
artificial fusible lava and with a plastic coating.
In order the better to explain the improvements, I have represented in the
accompanying Drawings, as examples only, different views of wood pavings arranged
according to the present Invention.
Figure 1 shows a transverse section of a part of a roadway and foot path paved,
as will be hereinafter described.
Figure 2 represents a plan of the same; Figure 3 shows a longitudinal section of
the same.
Figure 4 shows to a larger scale a face view of two paving blocks.
Figure 5 shows a side view of the same.
In these Drawings the same letters of reference indicate like parts.
The paving blocks or slabs a for public ways are made of American fir or deal,
or of similar material, and are cut across the grain of the wood. These blocks are
formed with a groove or recess b at their base across the width of the block, in
order the better to cause them to adhere to the fusible lava or to the hydraulic
mortar on their application upon the ground to be paved. Thus shaped the paving
blocks are coated on their surface with plastic waterproof coating.

page_text: boiler with brick furnace.
First operation. The pitch of wood tar and the mineral tar are dissolved, then
the asphalte is added.
As soon as the solution is complete the pulverized resin is added, and the entire
is heated to about 160 degrees centigrade.
The pulverized stone and the scorice mixed together are added in small quantities,
taking care to thoroughly stir the entire, aud increasing the heat to about 200
degrees. This completed, the mass is sprinkled with pulverized white lime, stirring
this mass until it is rendered homogeneous.
This lava in fusion is poured into moulds in order to enable it afterwards to be
dissolved in a pitch boiler, and the joints of the paving blocks or slabs are then
made on their application on beton.
The plastic coating which is employed to waterproof the paving blocks is
composed as follows:-
Gas pitch or coal tar residue
Coal tar
Mineral "bastenne," a derivative from tar
Mineral oil
Sulphur in powder
Resin in powder
Total
In weight.
25 parts.
25 do.
10 do.
15 do.
15 do.
10 do.
100 parts.
These products are dissolved in a pitch boiler, commencing with the gas pitch,
the coal tar, and the mineral oil. When the same are completely dissolved, the
mineral bastenne" is added, then the pulverized resin, the mixture is gently
heated and thoroughly stirred until a perfect union is effected. This operation
finished the paving blocks or slabs are plunged into the boiler previously well
heated. The blocks or slabs are withdrawn at the end of ten minutes, taking care
to stir them to equalize the coating on their surface; they are then stacked in the
open air, like bricks, in order to solidify them.
The application and placing in position of the said paving blocks or slabs is
made in the following manner :-
The space to be paved being already prepared, levelled and rammed, a first
application on the ground is made of coarse gravel which is wetted and well rammed,
and is of a thickness of about 1 inches; upon this gravel is placed, regularly
rammed, a surface of river sand of a thickness of about four inches. The laying of
the blocks can also be effected upon a layer of ordinary beton.
The placing of the paving blocks or slabs for public roads is made in rows across

page_text: the roadway as for stone paving, only that a single joint per row is made across
the roadway, which is about 3/4 inch in width.
The paving blocks are sealed to each other by means of hydraulic mortar or fusible
lava d. As the rows of paving blocks are placed in position, the lower half e of
the spaces between them are filled with mortar, taking care to drive them firmly.
The filling of the joints is completed by paying the pavement with the artificial
fusible lava.
When the joints are solidified a hot iron is passed along the length of the
pavement to smooth it over. This done, the surface of the paving is covered with
a layer of coarse river sand at about every ten yards, then the surface is well
rolled, after which the roadway can be used for traffic.
The parts of the drawing covered with strong etching are the blocks which have
received the plastic coating as above described.
In recapitulation, it should be observed that the various advantages of the present
Invention are, first, the employment of American fir or deal, which is superior to
other woods hitherto in use, also by the new form given to the paving blocks,
which enables them to be fixed to the ground more solidly than stone paving
blocks, and, further, with the plastic coating which serves to envelope the paving
blocks or slabs, thus preserving them from heat and moisture. This enables the
improved roads to be guaranteed against all tests. The natural soil is conquered
by depriving it of all filtration of rain water. The advantage therefore of this
Invention is to present a roadway uniform and agreeable to foot passengers and to
rolling stock.
The noise of carriages is lessened, and the mud and dust are
considerably decreased.
.
A uniform wear and easy maintenance are obtained.
It is sufficient to water frequently during great heats to obtain a roadway
always in perfect condition.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 16th June 1881.
BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS, of the Firm of Harris and Mills, of 23,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent. " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PAVING ROADS AND OTHER SURFACES WITH WOOD." A communication
from abroad by Alexandre Trenaunay, of Neuilly-sur-Seine, near Paris, in the
Republic of France.
The Invention relates to improvements in paving roads and other surfaces with
wood, and consists in the employment of solidified wood in combination with an
artificial fusible lava, and with a plastic coating.
In order the better to explain the improvements I have represented in the
accompanying Drawings, as examples only, different views of wood paving arranged
according to the present Invention.
Figure 1 shows a transverse section of a part of a roadway and foot path paved,
as will be hereinafter described. Figure 2 represents a plan of the same; Figure 3
shows a longitudinal section of the same; Figure 4 shows to a larger scale a face
view of two paving blocks; Figure 5 shows a side view of the same.
In these Drawings the same letters of reference indicate like parts.
The paving blocks or slabs a for public ways are made of American fir or deal, or
of similar material, and are cut across the grain of the wood. These blocks are
formed with a groove or recess b at their base across the width, or it may be the
length of the block, in order the better to cause them to adhere to the fusible lava
or to the hydraulic mortar on their application upon the ground to be paved. Thus
shaped, the paving blocks are coated on their surface with plastic waterproof
coating.
The paving blocks or slabs for interior work are made of wood of different
characters of grain, and they are placed on plaster or on a fusible lava, as repre-
sented in the Drawing.
The artificial fusible lava employed is composed of the following matters :-
boiler with brick furnace.
First Operation.-The pitch of wood tar and the mineral tar are dissolved, then
the asphalte is added.
As soon as the solution is complete the pulverized resin is added, and the entire
is heated to about 160 degrees centigrade.
The pulverized stone and the scorice mixed together are added in small
quantities, taking care to thoroughly stir the entire, and increasing the heat to
about 200 degrees. This completed, the mass is sprinkled with pulverized white
lime, stirring this mass until it is rendered homogeneous. This lava in fusion is

page_text: poured into moulds in order to enable it afterwards to be dissolved in a pitch boiler,
and the joints of the paving blocks or slabs are then made on their application on
beton.
The plastic coating which is employed to waterproof the paving blocks is
composed as follows :-
In weight.
These products are dissolved in a pitch boiler, commencing with the gas pitch,
the coal tar, and the mineral oil. When the same are completely dissolved, the
mineral "bastenne" is added, then the pulverized resin; the mixture is gently
heated and thoroughly stirred until a perfect union is effected. This operation
finished, the paving blocks or slabs are plunged into the boiler previously well
heated. The blocks or slabs are withdrawn at the end of ten minutes, taking care
to stir them to equalize the coating on their surface; they are then stacked in the
open air like bricks in order to solidify them.
The application and placing in position of the said paving blocks or slabs is
made in the following manner:-
The space to be paved being already prepared, levelled, and rammed, a first
application on the ground is made of coarse gravel which is wetted and well
rammed, and is of a thickness of about 1 inches; upon this gravel is placed,
regularly rammed, a surface of river sand of a thickness of about 4 inches.
The laying of the blocks can also be effected upon a layer c of ordinary beton.
The placing of the paving blocks or slabs for public roads is made in rows across
the roadway as for stone paving, only that a single joint per row is made across the
roadway which is about 3/4 inch in width. The paving blocks are sealed to each
other by means of hydraulic mortar or fusible lava d. As the rows of paving
blocks are placed in position the lower half e of the spaces between them are filled
with mortar, taking care to drive them firmly. The filling of the joints is
completed by paying the paving with the artificial fusible lava.
When the joints are solidified a hot iron is passed along the length of the
pavement to smooth it over. This done, the surface of the paving is covered with
a layer of coarse river sand at about every ten yards, then the surface is well
rolled, after which the roadway can be used for traffic.
The parts of the Drawing covered with strong etching are the blocks which
have received the plastic coating as above described.
In recapitulation, it should be observed that the various advantages of the
present Invention are, first, the employment of American fir or deal, which is
superior to other woods hitherto in use, also by the new form given to the paving
blocks which enables them to be fixed to the ground more solidly than stone paving
blocks; and, further, with the plastic coating which serves to envelope the
paving blocks or slabs, thus preserving them from heat and moisture. This enables
the improved roads to be guaranteed against all tests. The natural soil is conquered
by depriving it of all filtration of rain water. The advantage therefore of this
Invention is to present a roadway uniform and agreeable to foot passengers and to
rolling stock.
The noise of carriages is lessened, and the mud and dust are
considerably decreased.
A uniform wear and easy maintenance are obtained.
It is sufficient to water frequently during great heats to obtain a roadway
always in perfect condition.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the mode in
which the same is carried into effect, I would have it understood that what I
claim is,―
First. The combination of paving blocks or slabs of solidified wood with an
artificial fusible lava and a plastic coating.
Second. The composition of the "artificial fusible lava," substantially as described,
and for the purpose stated.
Third. The employment of American or Northern fir or deal coated with the
plastic composition, the composition of which is above given.
Fourth. The arrangement and the form of the paving blocks or slabs of
solidified wood in order to fix them on the ground in a very solid manner.
.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
B. J. B. MILLS. (L.S.)

page_text: FIG. 4.