AN IMPROVED PAVEMENT FOR ROADS, STREETS, AND OTHER THOROUGHFARES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields,
in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "AN
IMPROVED PAVEMENT FOR ROADS, STREETS, AND OTHER THOROUGHFARES."-
A communication from abroad by Charles Sebille, of Nantes, in the
Empire of France.
Sealed the 26th February 1867, and dated the 30th August 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 30th August 1866.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"AN IMPROVED PAVEMENT FOR ROADS, STREETS, AND OTHER THOROUGHFARES,"
a communication to me from abroad by Charles Sebille, of Nantes, in the
Empire of France, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the manufacture and use of a cheap and durable
artificial paving block suitable for paving roads, streets, and other thorough-
fares, and consists essentially in the combination of three distinct elements

page_text: which are so united together by powerful pressure in a mould as to form a solid
block
i these elements consist of fine concrete, or artificial or other stone, or
burnt clay in the form of a tile or slab, which constitutes the base of the block
and gives weight or ballast thereto. Upon this base is laid whilst in a plastic
state a schisto-bituminous compound composed, 1, of that class of mineral
known to geologists as schist (preference being given to slate), which is to be
employed in a powdered or finely divided state; 2, silicious sand; 3, resinous,
bituminous, pitchy, or tarry matter; these ingredients are to be well mixed and
incorporated together whilst in a heated state, and the compound thus obtained
is then ready to be introduced into the mould. In this schisto-bituminous
compound, which is made to cover not only the top,, but also the sides or edges
of the concrete or stone block; there is embedded a cast or wrought iron or
steel plate cap or grating; when cast iron is used it is preferred to cast it
in chills for the purpose of hardening its surface. By these means perfectly
hard and durable paving blocks faced with metal or having metal embedded
therein are obtained. These blocks when used for paving are laid upon a bed
of mortar spread upon a layer of concrete. Lugs or projections are moulded
upon the sides of the blocks for the purpose of ensuring uniform spaces or
interstices between,such blocks when laid,, which spaces are subsequently
filled in, and the blocks, as it were, soldered together by introducing in a
heated state the schisto-bituminous compound herein-before described, the
contiguous sides of the blocks having been previously heated by inserting a
hot iron between them, hence a perfect union of the several blocks is effected,
and the entire surface is rendered completely impervious to water. I some-
times substitute pieces of hard stone for the metal plates or gratings, and if
the blocks be intended for flagging the side walks or footways of a road or
street the facing of metal may be entirely dispensed with.
!
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John. Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 28th February 1867.
رف دار
11
TO ALL TO WHOM: THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of .47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS, Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent,.bearing date, the Thirtieth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six; in the thirtieth year of Her reign,

page_text: did for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give 'and grant' unto me, the
said John Henry Johnson, Her special license that I, the said John Henry
Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, 'the
said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, or 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 "AN IMPROVED
PAVEMENT FOR ROADS, STREETS, AND OTHER: THOROUGHFARES," a communication
to me from abroad by Charles Sebille, of Nantes, in the Empire of France;
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Henry Johnson,
my exécutors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, 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 Henry Johnson, do hereby declaré
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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
The said Invention relates to the manufacture and use of a cheap and
durable artificial paving block suitable for paving roads, streets, and other
thoroughfares, and consists essentially in the combination of three distinct
elements, which are so united together by powerful pressure in a mould as to
form a solid block. These elements consist of fine concrete or artificial or
other stone or burnt clay in the form of a tile or slab, which constitutes the
base of the block and gives weight or ballast thereto. Upon this base is laid
while in a plastic state a schisto-bituminous compound composed, one, of
that class of mineral known to geologists as schist (preference being given'
to slate), which is to be employed in a powdered or finely divided state; 2,
silicious sand; 8, resinous, bituminous, pitchy, or tarry matter: These ingre-
dients in any suitable proportions are to be well mixed and incorporated
together whilst in a heated state, and the compound thus obtained is then
ready to be introduced into the mould. In this schisto-bituminous compound,
which is made to cover not only the top-but also the sides or edges of the
concrete or stone block, there is embedded a. cast or wrought iron or steel'
plate cap or grating, and when cast iron is used it is prèferred' to cast in
chills for the purpose of hardening its surface. By these means perfectly

page_text: hard and durable paving blocks faced. with metal or having metal embedded
therein are obtained. These blocks when used for paving are laid upon a
bed. of mortar spread upon a layer of concrete; lugs or projections are
moulded upon the sides of the blocks for the purpose of ensuring uniform
spaces or interstices between such blocks when laid, which spaces are sub-
sequently filled in and the blocks as it were soldered together by introducing
in a heated state the schisto-bituminous compound herein-before mentioned,
the contiguous sides of the blocks having been previously heated by inserting
a hot iron between them, hence a perfect union of the several blocks is
effected and the entire surface is rendered completely impervious to water..
I sometimes substitute pieces of hard stone for the metal plates or gratings,
and if the blocks be intended for flagging the side walks or footways of a
road or street the facing of metal may be entirely dispensed with.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall
refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the same.
letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the corresponding
Figures.
Figure 1 on Sheet 1 of the Drawings represents a longitudinal vertical
section of a piece of pavement composed of the improved paving blocks; s
Figure 2 is a transverse section of the same; and Figure 3 is a plan
corresponding to Figure 1.
In each of these Figures A represents the concrete or artificial or other.
stone or burnt clay which constitutes the base or foundation of the paving.
block; B, B, is the schisto-bituminous compound which is laid upon the, s
eoncrete in a plastic state; this schisto-bituminous compound is prolonged or
extended downwards at the edges of the block as far as the base, as shewn
at a, a, and is compressed upwards at b, b, so as to fill the intervals or spaces
left between the several cast or wrought-iron or steel plates, caps, or
gratings c, c, which are imbedded in the plastic compound B, B, conical s
studs or projections d, d, being formed on the under surfaces of such plates;
to increase their hold in the plastic schisto-bituminous compound B. Lugs.
or projections e, e, are moulded on each of the four sides of the paying block,
in order to ensure a convenient interval or space between the edges of the
several blocks when laid down in their places. I have represented at f, f, the
plastic schisto-bituminous compound, which is introduced into these spaces
after the blocks have been laid, so as to solder, as it were, the edges of the
several blocks together.
Figures 4. 5. 6 7 and & represent in full-sized section and corresponding

page_text: plan various forms of metal plates or castings which may be embedded into
the surface of the improved paving blocks; these will be sufficiently understood
from the Drawing without any further description being necessary.
Figures 1 and 2 on Sheet 2 of the Drawings represent in full sized vertical
section and corresponding plan one form of cast-iron gratings C proposed to
be employed as the metal facing for these paving blocks.
Figures 3, 4, and 5 represent in section and plan the application of various
articles composed of the schisto-bituminous compound herein-before referred to
to the paving of streets.
I have also illustrated at Figures 6 and 7 enlarged sectional details of the
edges or curbstones of foot pavements composed in a similar manner to the
paving blocks herein-before described and marked with the corresponding
letters of reference. In laying the improved paving blocks. I prefer to bed
them with the aid of mortar upon a layer of concrete of from four to six inches
in thickness, and to leave an interval or space between the contiguous edges
or sides of the several blocks of about ths of an inch in width, which is to be
subsequently filled up with the schisto-bituminous compound, as herein-
before described, so as to render the paving water-tight. The schisto-
bituminous compound serves to bind together in one block the other two com-
posing elements, and enters therefore into the composition of all paving blocks
or slabs constructed according to my Invention.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that what I consider to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
berein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,--
1st, the construction of artificial paving blocks by combining and uniting
together in one block the three different elements before referred to, sub-
stantially as herein-before described.
Second, the employment in the manufacture of artificial paving blocks of
the herein referred to schisto-bituminous compound for the purpose of
binding together the other two elements and imparting impermability and.
elasticity to the blocks, as herein-before described.
Third, the employment of artificial or natural stone, burnt clay, or concrete,
or other equivalent material for the purpose of forming the base or foundation
of the compound paving blocks and giving weight thereto, as herein-before
described.
Fourth, the application of the metal facing to the compound paving blocks,
as and for the purpose herein-before described.

page_text: Fifth, the disposing of the schisto-bitumenous compound down the sides
of the compound paving blocks with a view to their subsequent junction in a
water-tight manner, as herein-before described.
Sixth, the application and use to and in the construction of roadways and
foot walks of the before-mentioned improved paving blocks, substantially as
herein-before described.'
In witness whereof; I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal, the Twenty-eighth day of February;
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.