AN IMPROVED MODE OR METHOD OF MAKING OR PAVING PUBLIC STREETS AND HIGHWAYS, AND PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ROADS, PATHS, COURTS, AND BRIDGES, WITH TIMBER OR WOODEN BLOCKS
Year: 1839

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DAVID
STEAD, of Great Winchester Street, in the City of London, Merchant, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent under the Great Seal of. Great Britain, bearing date at Westminster,
the Twenty-third day of April, in the second year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said David
Stead, Her especial license that I, the said David Stead, my exors, ad-
mors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said David Stead, my exors,
admors, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within that part
of Her said Majesty's United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called
England and Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and also in
all Her said Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, my Invention,
partly a communication from a foreigner and partly my own discovery and
invention, of "AN IMPROVED MODE OR METHOD OF MAKING OR PAVING PUBLIC
STREETS AND HIGHWAYS, AND PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ROADS, PATHS, COURTS, AND
BRIDGES, WITH TIMBER OR WOODEN BLOCKS;" in which said Letters Patent
there is contained a proviso obliging me, the said David Stead, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and
ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's

page_text: High Court of Chancery within four months next and immediately after
the date of the said recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference
being thereunto bad, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in pursuance of the said proviso and in compliance
therewith, I, the said David Stead, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully
described and ascertained by the following description thereof, reference being
had to the Drawings and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
The Invention consists in the paving and formation of the roadway of public
and private ways and passages by means of wooden blocks, so shaped and
placed as to support each other in a close and compact manner, the foundation
being first suitably prepared to the required figure by the usual well-known
means to receive such wooden blocks, which are so disposed as to present an
even and uniform surface, and always having their fibre in a vertical position,
whether the roadway has a curved, inclined, or horizontal face. The blocks
which I use for the improved paving are cut transversely out of fir or other
suitable timber, or they may be composed of deal plank ends or small pieces
of timber firmly cemented together to any of the required figures herein-after
described by means of asphalte or any other suitable material.
And when it is required to form a roadway upon a steep acclivity, I propose
to place the blocks or to have them of such form or forms as are herein-after
described, so that channels and cavities shall be left to afford a surer footing or
hold for the feet of the animals traversing over such inclinations.
The following is a description of the Drawing annexed hereto, and which
is to be considered as part of this my Specification.
Figure 1 and. Figure 2 is a plan and elevation of a road formed with
inclined surfaces from the centre of the road, such road being mainly composed
of hexagonal-shaped blocks a, a, placed with the fibre vertical against and sup-
porting each other, the sides or parts nearest the curbstone of such roadway
being squared, made parallel, and finished to the curbstone by means of the
required portions b, b, of such bexagons, as before described, and the whole
keyed and made firm to the inclination of the roadway by means of the
pyramidal hexagonal wedges c, c, which are to be introduced and driven tight
between the hexagons forming and nearest to the centre of the road, or the
roadway may be constructed without such wedges, by a series of hexagons, as
represented at Figure 3, by cutting off the upper and under surfaces of the
same to such a bevil as will correspond with the required inclination; the
portions of such hexagonal blocks which are intended to be cut away are
colored red in this Figure.

page_text: Figures 4 and 5 represent a plan and elevation of a portion of an improved
paving, suited to a road having a curved surface, being formed of quadrangular
blocks diminishing from their upper to their lower surfaces and slightly
spherical on the top.
Figures 6 and 7 is a plan and elevation of another kind of level roadway,
formed of blocks in shape resembling two parallelopipedons placed transversely,
although cut out from one solid piece; the upper portion of such block is so
formed, that the greatest width d, d, Figure 6, extends beyond the narrower
width of the lower portion of the block e, e, and thereby both the upper
and under part of such block, provides rebates or ledges f.f, Figure 7, for
the adjoining block to fit under and rest upon, each making the other firm and
secure.
Figures 8 and 9 represent a plan and elevation of a portion of a road con-
structed with improved road blocks resembling two hexagons. These are.
formed in a similar manner out of one piece to the figures last described, and
have corresponding projections, both above and below, to sustain each other..
Figures 10 and 11 is a plan and elevation of another portion of the
improved paving, which consists of a lower course of hexagons placed beneath
and supporting an upper layer. The lower hexagons g, g, being only about
one-third of the depth of those which rest upon them, are fitted according to
the black lines in the plan view, Figure 10, and the upper hexagons repre-
sented by the red lines, Figure 10, are so placed that one angle h of each rests
on the centre of that immediately beneath, and thereby causes one of the
upper hexagons to hold down and overlay a portion of three of those imme-
diately beneath.
Figures 12 and 13 represent a plan and elevation of a similar kind of
paving to the last described, and consists of an upper and lower course, the
lower course being formed of triangular blocks placed according to the black
lines in Figure 12, and the upper layer of a series of parallelopipedon-shaped
blocks, represented by the red lines, Figure 12, laid upon them, with the
fibrous or smaller end upwards, the upper course holding down and firmly-
securing the triangularly-formed base upon which it rests.
Figures 14 and 15 is a plan and perspective view of triangular-shaped
blocks for forming a roadway without a lower course.
Figures 16 and 17 is a plan and end view of another kind of the improved
paving, which is formed by a series of circular blocks i, i, i, placed as repre-
sented in the Drawing, and made parallel to the curbstone of the footway by
the semicircular and quadrant piecesj and k; the smaller interstices or cavities
between such circular blocks may be either filled with wooden pieces suited

page_text: to their shape, or fitted up with cement.or asphalte, as may be found con-
venient; and when this kind of paving is laid upon an inclined surface, I.
should recommend the cavities to be not filled. up (provided the circular blocks
are not too large, so as to render such cavities inconveniently large), as addi-
tional hold may be thereby afforded to the feet of draught animals ascending
such inclined way, as already alluded to.
Figures 18 and 19 is a plan and side view of a portion of a roadway formed
by a series of octangular blocks L, L, placed with the fibre vertical, so as to
leave a square recess or interval between them; into which may be inserted a
corresponding piece m. When this kind of paving is laid upon a road formed
upon a newly made embankment or shrinking base, I should recommend a
pile to be driven into the earth through the square recess or interval, of about
the size and form represented by the dotted lines, Figure 19, in order to sup-
port and. Keep the blocks firm in their position. When the octangular block
paving is used for acclivities, I should recommend the before-mentioned cavities
either to be left unfilled or not filled up to, the surface, to afford an assistance
to animals ascending, the same as before described.
Figure.20 is another manner of placing an improved roadway when con-
structed of hexagonal, blocks, being. placed angle to, angle instead of side to
side, so as to leave triangular spaces between them if used for inclined or
other roadways, which may be filled up or left partly unfilled for the purposes.
herein-before alluded to; or a series of deal ends, composed of portions of a
plank.cut transversely, may be introduced between the hexagons, as represented,
v, v, so as to leave a portion projecting above the surface to afford the hold for
the feet of horses or other animals, as before stated.
.
Figures 21 and 22 is a plan and perspective view of a portion of another
kind of roadway, formed of a series of parallelopipedon-shaped blocks w,w,
placed with the fibre vertical, and having a portion of the upper part of each
side cut away, so as to form continuous longitudinal and transverse channels
extending over the whole surface of roadway in lines parallel to each other,
whether the blocks be laid at right angles to each other or in a diagonal
direction; these channels may be left open, or so filled up with cement as to
leave a slight space unfilled beneath the top surface to afford the hold to the
horses' feet, as already described.
Figure 23 is a perspective representation of several other kinds of blocks
suited to form a roadway; these consist of blocks of the parallelopipedon
shape before described, or they may be cubical, having a portion of the upper
part of one side cut away, as seen at o, or with a portion of the upper part of
two sides cut away, as at p, p, and q, q, or with the under sides cut away either

page_text: horizontally or obliquely, as seen at r, r, all of which blocks are so contrived
that they adjust and correspond to each other, and may be used wholly to
construct a roadway, or with advantage to close and key up parallel to the
curbstone, when the greater portion of a roadway is formed by any of the other
shapes herein set forth and described.
Figures 24 and 25 are perspective and plan views of several oblong road
blocks of different forms, which have one or more sides formed by angles or
curves, and which sides fit into corresponding angular or curved cavities, as
seen at s; s, or only one side may be angular or curved, and the other side or
sides have horizontal or oblique projections formed as seen at t, t, corresponding
with and fitting each other, and all of which are so constructed as to easily. fit
and combine into a whole surface, or a portion only of any of the forms may
be used and adapted to finish the sides of a road, as herein-before. set forth
and described.
Having now fully described 'the nature of the said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be carried into effect, I wish it to be under-
stood that I claim as the Invention, the formation of a road inclined from the
centre to the sides thereof, constructed by hexagons, and keyed at the highest
part thereof by the half pyramidal hexagonal wedges, as represented at Figures
1 and 2; and I wish it to be understood, that although I only mention the
polygonal figure known as a hexagon, yet I do not mean to confine myself
to that precise form, as any other polygonal-shaped block may be used,
and come within the principle of the Invention for the purpose herein
described.
I also claim the construction of a roadway by polygonal or rhomboidal
shaped blocks, as represented at Figure 3.
I also claim the formation of a public or private road or passage way by
means. of the upper and lower courses of blocks, as shewn at Figures 10, 11,
12, and 13, whether formed of polygonal-shaped blocks, or blocks resembling
cubes, parallelopipedons, triangles, or rhomboids, or of other forms.
I also claim the road blocks represented in Figures 23, 24, and 25, having
angular or curved sides, or angular and concave sides, or having horizontal or
oblique projections, or both united in one block, whether for the purpose of
forming an entire road, or finishing and squaring up a road parallel to the
curbstone, when such road is formed of blocks of different shapes.
I also claim the formation of a road by means of blocks as represented at
Figures 21 and 22, with a portion of the upper sides so cut away as to form
cavities, for the purposes herein-before described, whether such blocks are
parallelopipedons, cubes, or polygons.
•

page_text: I also claim the formation of a roadway by means of such blocks as I have
described and set forth in Figures 6, 7, 8, and 9.
In witness whereof, I, the said David Stead, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-third day of August, in
the year of our Lord 1839, the aforesaid David Stead came before our said
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Twenty-third day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine.