IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BLOCKS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF SEWERS AND DRAINS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Taylor, of Roupell Park, Streatham Hill, in
the County of Surry, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF BLOCKS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF SEWERS AND DRAINS."
Scaled the 25th January 1859, and dated the 7th August 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Taylor, at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 7th
August 1858.
I, JOHN TAYLOR, of Roupell Park, Streatham Hill, in the County of Surry,
do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF BLOCKS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF SEWERS AND DRAINS," to be
as follows:-
This Invention has for its.object improvements in the manufacture of blocks
for the construction of sewers and drains. For these purposes blocks of clay,
or brick earth, or other suitable material are produced by moulding, or by
expressing through moulding dies of the following form:-The inner surface
is concave, and of a curvature corresponding with the inner curvature of the

page_text: intended structure; the sides are inclined, to correspond with the section of
the circle or curve it is intended to produce by a series of such blocks; the
outer surface of each moulded block is formed with a longitudinal rib, by
preference of a section agreeing with the sizes of bricks to be used therewith.
These moulded blocks should be made of clay or brick earth of the best
description, or of other material capable of producing hardness, and they may,
if desired, be glazed, and may, when required, have longitudinal passages
formed through them. In using such a block to produce a section of a sewer,
whether for an invert or otherwise, a mould, such as is now employed, is used;
one of the blocks is introduced therein, then the mould is filled in with bricks,
and cement is run in as heretofore. By these means the number and extent
of joints interior of a sewer or other structure will be greatly reduced. When
making blocks with
concave upper surfaces and convex under surfaces
(suitable for the construction of sewers and drains) by the use of several
bricks introduced into a mould, and then run in with cement, in place of
making such blocks with ends and sides suitable for producing butt joints
all round as heretofore. Each block is formed of two or more layers of
bricks, by preference of two layers, the two layers being of like dimensions,
but arranged in such manner that the upper layer is caused to overlap the
under layer at one end and one side, and at the same time the upper layer
falls short of covering the under layer at one side and one end, so that when
the several bricks composing a block are cemented together into a block it
will in use with other like blocks be (when constructing a sewer or drain)
supported by and give support to other neighbering blocks, and the blocks
in use will be arranged to bond and break joint, by which great strength of
structure will be obtained. In some cases, in order to bond the upper with
the lower layers of bricks, other bricks of a suitable form are used which
enter into and form part of both layers, of which a block is composed. In
producing blocks for the .central part of the invert of a sewer or drain the
lower layer of a block is made of larger dimensions than the upper layer,
so that the under layer may project beyond the upper layer on the two sides
and at one end, the upper layer overlapping-or-projecting-beyond-the-under
layer at the other end. Similar forms of blocks may be made by expressing
clay through moulding orifices, the sides overlapping as above explained; and
when cut into suitable lengths, the ends may be so cut as to overlap as above
described. In forming blocks of the character above explained, by expressing
clay through moulding orifices for the construction of sewers and drains, it
is preferred that they shonld be hollow longitudinally, and the hollow spaces

page_text: of all such and like descriptions of hollow blocks used in the construction of
drains and sewers, I fill with concrete, either applied before or when laying
them.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Taylor in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 7th
February 1859.
.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, J, JOHN
TAYLOR, of Roupell Park, Streatham Hill, in the County of Surrey, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Taylor, Her special licence that I, the said John Taylor, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Taylor, 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 THE
MANUFACTURE OF BLOCKS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF SEWERS AND DRAINS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Taylor, 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 John Taylor, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, 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 the manufacture of
blocks for the construction of sewers and drains. For these purposes blocks
of clay or brick earth, or other suitable material, are produced by moulding,

page_text: or by expressing through moulding dies of the following form:-The inner
surface is concave, and of a curvature corresponding with the inner
curvature of the intended structure; the sides are inclined to correspond
with the section of the circle or curve it is intended to produce by a series
of such blocks; the outer surface of each moulded block is formed with a
longitudinal rib, by preference of a section agreeing with the sizes of
bricks to be used therewith. These moulded blocks should be made of
clay or brick earth of the best description, or of other material capable of
producing hardness, and they may, if desired, be glazed, and may, when re-
quired, have longitudinal passages formed through them. In using such a
block to produce a section of a sewer, whether for an invert or otherwise, a
mould such as is now employed is used, one of the blocks is introduced. therein,
then the mould is filled in with brick, and cement is run in as heretofore. By
these means the number and extent of joints interior of a sewer or other
structure will be greatly reduced. When making blocks with concave upper
surfaces, and convex under surfaces (suitable for the construction of sewers
and drains), by the use of several bricks introduced into a mould, and then
run in with cement. In place of making such blocks with ends and sides
suitable for producing butt joints all round as heretofore, each block is formed
of two or more layers of bricks, by preference of two layers, the two layers
being of like dimensions, but arranged in such manner that the upper layer
is caused to overlap the under layer at one end and one side, and at the
same time the upper layer falls short of covering the under layer at one side
and one end, so that when the several bricks composing a block are cemented.
together into a block, it will in use with other like blocks be (when con-
structing a sewer or drain), supported by and give support to other neigh-
bouring blocks, and the blocks in use will be arranged to bond and break
joint, by which great strength of structure will be obtained. In some cases,
in order to bond the upper with the lower layers of bricks, other bricks of a
suitable form are used, which enter into and form part of both layers, of which
_a_block is composed. In producing blocks for the central part of the invert
of a sewer or drain, the lower layer of a block is made of larger dimensions
than the upper layer, so that the under layer may project beyond the upper
layer on the two sides and at one end, the upper layer overlapping or pro-
jecting beyond the under layer at the other end. Similar forms of blocks
may be made by expressing clay through moulding orifices, the sides overlapping
as above explained, and when cut into suitable.lengths the ends may be so
cut as to overlap as above described. In forming blocks of the character

page_text: tion of sewers and drains, it is preferred that they should be hollow longitu-
dinally, and the hollow spaces of all such and like descriptions of hollow
blocks used in the construction of drains and sewers, I fill with concrete either
applied before or when laying them. .
And in order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto
annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a transverse section of a portion of a sewer constructed with
blocks formed partially of ordinary bricks and partially of shaped lumps or
blocks such as I have already described, and also with corresponding invert
blocks, of which the lower layer is made of greater width than the upper
layer, and to project beyond it at one end as already described; Figure 2 is a
longitudinal section of two of the invert blocks; Figure 3 is an under side view
of one of the side blocks; and Figure 4 is a similar view of one of the invert
blocks; Figure 5 is a transverse section of a portion of a sewer constructed
with blocks made entirely with bricks and cement, and formed in layers the
one overlapping the other in the manner already described; Figure 6 is a
longitudinal section of two of the invert blocks; Figure 7 is a perspective
view of part of a sewer constructed with blocks made according to my Inven-
tion, showing the method in which the blocks are arranged to break joint in
a direction across the sewer; Figure 8 is a transverse section of a block,
of which the upper and lower layers are bonded together by other bricks
suitably formed, and which are somewhat similar to the lumps or blocks
shown at Figure 1.
In constructing blocks such as those shewn at Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, the
longitudinal passages through the lumps or blocks are (if, as I prefer,
they are perforated with such passages,) filled with concrete by turning them
up on end, and pouring in the concrete. Afterwards the lump or block is
placed in a mould corresponding in form to the finished block, and the lump
is completed with bricks as the Drawing shows, and the interstices filled
with cement, such as at present employed in constructing sewer blocks.
The blocks shown at Figures 5 and 6 are made in the same manner as the
sewer blocks now employed, excepting that the form of mould used is changed
to correspond with the altered form of the block.
In the block shown at Figure 8, the bonding brick may either be formed
with a rib running through the whole length of the brick, or otherwise as may

page_text: be preferred, and such bricks may be so used that their faces shall form the
whole upper surface of the block; or such bricks may only be employed at
intervals, and the upper face of the block may be made wider than the surface
of the bonding brick, as may be considered most convenient, but in all cases
the surface of the bonding brick is to be made wider than the rib, so that a
perfect bond may be obtained.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Taylor, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Seventh day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Witness,
S. CARPMAEL.
JOHN TAYLOR. (L.S.)