IMPROVEMENTS IN COVERING WAYS AND SURFACES, AND IN CONSTRUCTING ARCHES
Year: 1841

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HENRY MORTIMER, of Frith Street, Soho, in the County of Middlesex, Gentle-
man, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Sixteenth day of November, in the fifth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Henry Mortimer, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said William Henry Mortimer, his exors, admors, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Henry Mortimer, my exors,
admors, or 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 England, Wales, and the
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN COVERING
WAYS AND SURFACES, AND IN CONSTRUCTING ARCHES;" in which said Letters
Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said William Henry Mortimer, shall
cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference
being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Henry Mortimer, do hereby declare the nature of my said

page_text: Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully
described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference
being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters
marked thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention relates to a mode of combining certain substances in the
blocks used in covering paving ways and surfaces, and in constructing arches,
whereby each block having its two opposite sides reversed in their cut will go
together in producing a covering arch, and give to each other support. And in
order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried into effect,
I will describe the Drawing hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING."
Figure 1 represents a block constructed according to my Invention, in which
it will be seen that the side towards the left hand is cut with an angular or
inclined surface from a to b, and then there is a projecting tongue produced at
c, which enters a corresponding groove formed in the reverse side of the next
block; then there is a second inclined surface from d to e, and it will be seen
that the opposite side of the block a¹, 61, is the reverse inclined surface to that
at the upper part of the other side of the block, and that there is a groove at
c¹ to receive a tongue c of the next block, and then there is another inclined
surface from d¹ to e', the reverse of that at d, e, on the other side. I would
remark, that I do not confine myself to the making the inclined surfaces to the
precise angles shewn, as they may be varied, and the tongue and groove may
be varied in shape and position, the object being to combine two inclined
surfaces with a tongue or groove, so that in addition to the blocks. being
combined by the tongues and grooves and rest on each other above and below
the tongue and groove. Figure 2 shews a roadway covered with such blocks.
Figure 3 shews an arch formed of such blocks. And I would remark, that the
blocks may be made of wood or other materials according to the
which the blocks are to be applied.
purpose to
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that what I
claim is the mode of constructing blocks for covering roads and ways, by com-
bining the inclined surface a, b, and d, e, with a tongue, and forming on the
opposite side of the blocks inclined surfaces and groove as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Mortimer, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-two.
WILLIAM HENRY (L.s.) MORTIMER.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Fourteenth day of May, in the
year of our Lord 1842, the aforesaid William Henry Mortimer came before
our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specifi-
cation aforesaid, 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 Fourteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
Inrolled the Fourteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and forty-two.