IMPROVEMENTS IN PAVING FOR STREETS, ROADS, AND WAYS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Leacock, of Castlewellan, in the County
of Down, Ireland, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PAVING
FOR STREETS, ROADS, AND WAYS."
Sealed the 21st August 1868, and dated the 28th February 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Leacock at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th February 1868.
I, JAMES LEACOCK, of Castlewellan, in the County of Down, Ireland,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN PAVING FOR STREETS, ROADS, AND WAYS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in constructing paving by using blocks or
pieces of granite, syenite, or other suitable material having holes formed
therein disposed in a series of sets combined in one block, the holes
forming the sets of rows to be sufficiently close to each other so as
to be easily opened by a tool. Blocks prepared in this way will afford
a safe foothold for horses, and present as even a surface for wheels
as a granite tramway, and in case of severe traffic will retain their
level in proportion to the surface of the blocks as against the single
set, or about twelve times to one.

page_text: For laying water and gas pipes the blocks or pieces of paving may
be lifted by inserting bolt Lewises into the holes, when they might
easily be lifted (by a lever fixed on an upright), and might be relaid
without disturbing the adjoining blocks or pieces. When the nature
of the subway, and the circumstances of the case permit, I fix the
paving on longitudinal sleepers, and leave an aperture between, so
that if thought desirable to so provide against frost and snow, pipes
conducting the warm air from sewers or other sources of heat may
be placed underneath the paving.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said James Leacock in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 27th August 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
LEACOCK, of Castlewellan, in the County of Down, Ireland, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-first year of Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said James Leacock, Her special licence,
that I, the said James Leacock, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said James Leacock, 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 PAVING FOR STREETS, ROADS, AND WAYS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said James Leacock, 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

page_text: Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Leacock, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
My Invention has for its object the construction of paving by using
blocks or pieces of granite, syenite, or other suitable material provided
with holes in the same, and disposed in series or sets combined in
one block, the holes forming the sets or rows to be sufficiently close
to each other to be capable of being easily opened by a tool, so that
blocks prepared in accordance with my Invention shall afford a safe
foothold for horses and other such like animals, and yet present such
an even surface as is required for wheels to travel on, and in case of
severe traffic the level will be retained in proportion to the surface of
the blocks as against the single set, or about, say, twelve times to one.
When it is necessary to lay water pipes or gas pipes the blocks
or pieces of paving may be removed by inserting tools, namely,
bolt Lewises into the holes above referred to, by which means the
blocks may readily be lifted by a lever fixed in an upright or by
any other convenient method, and the blocks might be relaid without
disturbing the adjoining blocks or pieces. In cases where the nature
of the subway and other circumstances permit I would fix the paving
on longitudinal sleepers, and leave an aperture underneath the paving
and between the sleepers; and I would provide against the effects of
frost and snow by means of pipes laid in the said apertures, which
pipes I would connect with the sewers, so as to conduct warm
air therefrom, and thereby raise the temperature at and immediately
beneath the paving. Instead of the sewers being resorted to as the
source of heat any other convenient source might be adopted.
This paving may be used for crossings with great advantage.
Having thus particularly described the nature of my said Invention
I will now proceed to particularly describe and ascertain in what
manner the same is to be performed or carried out in practice, which
I shall do by referring to the Drawings accompanying this Specification
as follows:

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1, plan view of a surface of paving composed of a number
of the blocks provided with the holes above described; Fig. 2,
section; Fig. 3, section shewing the arrangement for the water
plug.
a denotes the paving blocks, and b denotes the holes aforesaid.
(some only of which are lettered); c, the water plug arrangement;
d, the channel at the side of the road.
Fig. 4 shews the tool I prefer to use for opening the holes, the
description of which is given on the same Sheet with the Drawings.
Fig. 5, the bolt Lewis herein-before referred to.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, I hereby declare that I claim the "Improvements in Paving,"
the nature whereof is described in the outset of this Specification
by the words preceding the words "Description of the Drawings,"
and illustrated by the said Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Leacock, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
Witness,
FRANCIS S. DAVIS,
Bessbrook.
JAMES LEACOCK. (L.S.)