A NEW METHOD OF PAVEMENT, TENDING TO SECURE THE EVENNESS OF THE ROAD
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James William Gibson, of 120, Long Acre,
St. Martin's in the Fields, London, for the Invention of "A NEW
METHOD OF PAVEMENT, TENDING TO SECURE THE EVENNESS OF THE ROAD
T
Sealed the 16th August 1853, and dated the 16th June 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James William
Gibson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 16th June 1853.
I, JAMES WILLIAM GIBSON, of 120, Long Acre, London, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "A NEW METHOD OF PAVE-
MENT, TENDING TO SECURE THE EVENNESS OF THE ROAD AND PROPER ADHESION
TO THE FOOT," to be as follows:-
That I introduce as a foundation a layer of iron of sufficient thick-
ness to support the weight common to roads; that the iron shall be
constructed to carry off from the surface of the wood pavement (fixed
upon the iron) all dirt or water into the side drains, this to be accele-
rated by the blocks being fixed at certain distances from each other.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James William Gibson in the Great Seal Patent
Office, on the 15th December 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JAMES WILLIAM GIBSON, of 120, Long Acre, Saint Martin's in the
Fields, London, Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the sixteenth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said James William Gibson, Her special
licence that he, the said James William Gibson, his executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as he, the said James William
Gibson, his executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 Inven-
tion for A NEW METHOD OF PAVEMENT, TENDING TO SECURE THE EVENNESS
OF THE ROAD AND PROPER ADHESION TO THE FOOT," upon the condition
(amongst others) that he, the said James William Gibson, by an instru-
ment in writing under his 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James William Gibson, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
First, by the introduction of iron instead of a concrete foundation,
upon which blocks of what kind soever may be placed thereon, the iron
to be of proper thickness to support the weight common to roads, and
I recomend the plates composing the same to be about three feet

page_text: square, forming a dovetail on each side, but I do not insist on this exact
size or shape, any other which may be deemed more substantial or
economical. The advantage of having an iron foundation is evident
from its giving easy access to the water, gass, or other mains, and not
being dependant on the substratum; each plate being kept in its place
by the surrounding ones, the frequent sinking of the trenches after a
relay of pipes, so detrimental to the traffic, is totally avoided, and a
perfect evenness permanently obtained. The upper surface of the iron,
upon which the blocks are fixed, is made available for carrying off the
surface water into the side drains, gradually forming a slight incline from
the centre of the road; and the refixing of the blocks, when required,.
upon the surface can be done without stopping the traffic, as the iron is
a substantial foundation, and is estimated to last during several relays
of blocks, and then can be sold advantageously, hence its economical
qualifications.
The above are my plans for securing the evenness of the road. The
proper adhesion to the foot is known to be prevented by a greasy
surface mud, which is always apparent after the streets have been
watered by a shower of rain or otherwise, this upon wood pavement
especially being of a softer substance than granite imbibes a portion of
the greasy mud, and, as a natural consequence, like all other greasy
matters, prevents friction, deterring the foot from taking a proper firm
hold; now the grand consideration has always been to prevent the sur-
face mud by an underdrainage, and this I propose to do as under: about
two-thirds down the block, on either side, I cut a hollow, into which 1
introduce a perforated tube or spiral wire covered with canvass, about
two inches diameter, running parallel across the road, forming by its
size about seven eights of an inch distance between each block, the
space or grove over which to be filled with gravel or sand, thus filtering
all water passing through the same through the canvass tube into the
channel which directs to the side drains; these channels are formed by
the distance between each block and the angles from the bottoms of
each taken off. The iron foundation being the conductor to the side
drains. Thus a permanent grove is obtained (besides the under-
drainage), giving forth sand, and thereby producing friction of itself
sufficient to prevent slipperyness.

page_text: My claims, therefore, are as under:
An iron substratum or foundation.
An underdrainage; &,
A permanent grove of the above peculiar construction.
In witness whereof, I, the said James William Gibson, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of December,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
three.
In witness whereof, I, the said James William Gibson, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of December,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
three.
JAMES WILLIAM GIBSON. (L.S.)