Improvements in Wood Pavements and similar Wearing Surfaces.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 12th July, 1894
Halate Sannifination L oft 13th May 1895-Accepted. 12th Oct.. 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wood Pavements and similar Wearing Surfaces.
I, THOMAS GARE, of 25, Booth Street, Edgeley, Stockport, in the County of
Chester, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has for its object, firstly, to provide means whereby the blocks in
wood pavements and similar wearing surfaces are rendered to a great extent self-
supporting and a less thickness of prepared foundation, where necessary, is required
than heretofore has been the case; secondly, to provide means for giving a good
grip on the said surface.
To this end I support the wood blocks in street pavements and similar wearing
surfaces lengthwise as well as crosswise by means of metal rods or bars passed
through corresponding holes formed in the said blocks, which rods or bars prevent
the said blocks from sinking.
In some instances the said cross rods or bars may be substituted by flat bars
which I insert crosswise between the rows of the said blocks and form with holes
adapted to receive the aforesaid longitudinal rods or bars, which flat bars besides
serving as a support aford also a good grip.
For the latter purpose strips of wood may also be inserted between the rows of
blocks or every alternate row of blocks formed narrower and of a harder kind of
wood than the others which narrow blocks may be set so as to slightly project
above the wide softer ones and thus form a slightly intercepted surface, or the wood
blocks may be set level with each other and become intercepted through the wearing
of the soft blocks before the hard blocks.
The ends of the said rods or bars may be furnished with screw threads adapted
to receive nuts which serve to tie the said blocks securely together in rows or
sections either previous to or after having been placed in position on the foundation
or otherwise.
In a similar manner small blocks of wood or other suitable material may be
connected together for floorings, mats, treads, steps, and the like, one set of rods or
bars may however for the said purpose be dispensed with by fixing a suitable
number of blocks in rows upon the said rods or bars into a frame.
Dated this 11th day of July 1894
F. BOSSHARDT & Co.,
Agents to Applicant.
5 Improvements in Wood Pavements and similar wearing suriaces.
I, THOMAS GARE, of 25, Booth Street, Edgeley, Stockport, in the County of
Chester, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
This invention has for its object, firstly, to provide means whereby the blocks in
wood pavements and similar wearing surfaces are rendered self-supporting to a

page_text: great extent and not liable to sink and which prevent portions of the foundation
giving way and thus form an uneven block or wearing surface and whereby a less
depth of block and foundation is required; secondly, to so form the said block or
wearing surface as to give or provide a better grip than heretofore has been
the case.
And in order that my invention may be more fully understood I have caused to
be appended hereunto one sheet of drawings marked with letters of reference
indicating like parts in the various figures.
Figs. 1, 3, 4 & 5 are longitudinal sections, and Figs. 2 & 6 plans of Figs. 1 & 5
respectively, showing various forms of wood pavements constructed in accordance
with my improvements.
In carrying out my improvements and referring to the figures generally, I support
the wood blocks a in street pavements and similar wearing surfaces lengthwise and
crosswise by means of rods or bars b, c, according to one form of my invention,
see Figs. 1 & 2, passed through corresponding holes formed in the blocks a so as
to cross each other which rods or bars are of sufficient strength to prevent the
blocks a from sinking and the foundation giving way. The rods or bars b & c may
be of any suitable section for instance round, as shown in Figs. 1 & 2, and the
said cross rods may take the form of flat metal bars or strips of wood c, as shown
in Figs. 3, which I insert crosswise between the rows of the blocks a and which
I form with holes adapted to receive the longitudinal rods or bars b, which flat bars
besides serving as a support afford or provide also a good grip, their upper edge
being either set to slightly project from the surface of the blocks or be positioned
below the same.
In a similar manner blocks of wood a¹ grained opposite to the said blocks a may
also be inserted between the rows of the latter, as shown in Fig. 4, or every
alternate row of blocks formed narrower and of a harder kind of wood than the
others and set so as to slightly project above the wide softer one, or vice versa,
and thus form a slightly intercepted surface; or the blocks may be set level with
each other and become intercepted through the wearing of the soft blocks before
the hard ones.
The rods or bars b & c are formed in suitable lengths, and the
blocks a placed thereon or the blocks a and cross bars or strips c or blocks a¹
placed onto the longitudinal rods or bars on the foundation or separately in
sections corresponding in size to the length of the said rods or bars.
If desirable the said sectious may be tied together by forming the ends of the
said rods or bars with screw threads adapted to receive nuts or one end with a head
and the other with a thread and a nut, see Figs. 5 & 6, and placed upon T irons d
employed crosswise on the ground or foundation, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 5 & 6.
am aware that previous to my invention wood block pavements have been
formed by threading blocks on wire so as to facilitate the putting down of the
blocks in sections, the said wire being flexible enough to allow the wood block
sections to accommodate themselves to the shape or curvature of the foundation
and thus also allow the blocks to sink if irregular in depth or unsupported by the
foundation.
It will thus be readily understood that the object of my invention is quite
opposite and different in nature to the method of forming and laying wood pavements
just described and that I do not wish to claim the putting down of wood blocks in
sections by threading the same.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim, is-
1st. In wood pavements and similar wearing surfaces, the use of rods or bars 6 & c
adapted to support the blocks a longitudinally and crosswise, all substantially as
and for the purpose set forth.
2nd. In a wood pavement or similar wearing surface, constructed as specified in
the preceding claim, supporting the respective blocks by cross and longitudinal

page_text: rods or bars 6 & e passing through corresponding holes formed in the same
which rods or bars cross each other, as shown in Figs. 1 & 2, and for the purpose
set forth.
3rd. In wood pavements and similar wearing surfaces, constructed as specified
in Claim 1, the use of cross bars or strips c or cross blocks a¹ inserted between the
rows of blocks a through which the longitudinal rods or bars b are passed, as shown
in Figs. 3, 4, 5 & 6, and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 11th day of May 1895.
F. BOSSHARDT & Co.,
4, Corporation Street, Manchester, Agents to Applicant.