IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OE ROADS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Henson Henson, of No. 24, Laurence
Pountney Lane, in the City of London, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OE ROADS."
Sealed the 1st July 1873, and dated the 30th April 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Henson Henson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 30th April 1873.
I, HENRY HENSON HENSON, of No. 24, Laurence Pountney Lane, in
the City of London, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of tho
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS," to be as
follows:
My Invention relates to a method of forming the surface of roads
chiefly of the inexpensive materials usually employed in forming
macadamised roads, 'but cemented together so as to prevent their parts
from moving or rolling and to render the surface water-tight, thereby
-

page_text: avoiding formation of mud and injury to the foundation of the road-
way, and at the same time furnishing a smooth surface, rendering traction
light and not liable to become slippery. For this purpose I employ
fragments of granite or other stone and of wood, preferably preserved
against decay by kyanizing or other known processes, with which
may also be used iron ores, ashes, or broken slag, and I cement these
fragments together by means of melted asphalte or other known
bituminous substances, rolling or otherwise smoothing the surface before
the cementing material sets.
One method of forming a roadway of these materials is as follows:-
I first prepare a solid foundation, using concrete for this purpose when
necessary on new ground. I then lay a stratum of larger fragments of
stone, slag, or other hard mineral substances, and cement them firmly
together by natural or artificial asphalte or other bituminous substance
of a like binding character. This cementing may be effected by either
of the following methods: The fragments may be laid down dry and
the melted bituminous matter may be poured over them. Or the
fragments may be stirred in a pan or vessel containing the melted
bituminous matter, so that each fragment becomes coated therewith,
and they may then be laid to form the first stratum.
The second stratum should consist of smaller fragments, which may
be served with bituminous matter, either by being stirred therewith, as
above described, or may have the melted bituminous matter poured
over them after being laid. In either case before the bituminous
matter sets the upper surface is smoothed over by rolling, beating, or
otherwise.
-
As above described I prefer to employ along with the mineral
fragments fragments of preserved wood, particularly for the upper
stratum, as these fragments presenting themselves to the feet of horses
along with materials of different degrees of hardness tend to render the
road less slippery and its surface more durable.
Another method of forming a roadway according to my Invention is
the following:-I lay down fragments of stone or of stone and wood in
the manner usually followed in making an ordinary macadamised road,
and I roll the surface so as to render it somewhat level; I then instead
of using the sand, gravel, and water, usually employed for macadamised

page_text: roads serve the surface with a binding mixture resembling coarse
mortar, consisting of natural or artificial asphalte or other bituminous
matter melted and mingled with sand, ashes, iron ore, or other mineral
ingredients in small fragments. I apply enough of this binding mixture
to fill up the inequalities but not to cover over the fragments first laid.
'The surface thus presented being partly of stone and partly of the
bituminous compound, while it is hard; smooth, durable, and water-
tight, affords good foot hold, owing to the presence in it of substances.
having different degrees of hardness.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Henson Henson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 29th October 1873.
.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESETNS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
HENSON HENSON, of No. 24, Laurence Pountney Lane, in the City of
London, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-sixth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Henry Henson Henson, Her special license that I,
the said Henry Henson Henson, my executors, administrators, and
assigns or such others as I, the said Henry Henson Henson, 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 THE CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Henry Henson Henson, 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

page_text: within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Henson Henson, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
- My Invention relates to a method of forming the surface of roads
chiefly of the inexpensive materials usually employed in forming.
macadamised roads, but cemented together so as to prevent their parts
from moving or rolling and to render the surface water-tight, thereby
avoiding formation of mud and injury to the foundation of the roadway,
and at the same time furnishing a smooth surface, rendering traction
light and not liable to become slippery. For this purpose I employ
fragments of granite or other stone and of wood, preferably preserved
against decay, by kyanizing or other known processes, with which
may also be used iron ores, ashes, or broken slag, and I cement these
fragments together by means of melted asphalte or other known
bituminous substances, rolling or otherwise smoothing the surface before
the cementing material sets.
-
One method of forming a roadway of these materials is as follows:-
I first prepare a solid foundation, using concrete for this purpose when
necessary on new ground. I then lay a stratum of larger fragments of
stone, slag, or other hard mineral substances, and cement them firmly
together by natural or artificial asphalte or other bituminous substances
of a like binding character. This cementing may be effected by either
of the following methods:-The fragments may be laid down dry and
the melted bituminous matter may be poured over them. Or the
fragments may be stirred in a pan or vessel containing the melted"
bituminous matter, so that each fragment becomes coated therewith,
and they may then be laid to form the first stratum.
The second stratum should consist of smaller fragments, which may
be served with bituminous matter either by being stirred therewith, as
above described, or may have the melted bituminous matter poured
over them after being laid. In either case before the bituminous.
matter sets the upper surface is smoothed over by rolling, beating, or
otherwise,

page_text: As above described I prefer to employ along with the mineral
fragments fragments of preserved wood, particularly for the upper
stratum, as these fragments presenting themselves to the feet of horses
along with the materials of different degrees of hardness tend to render
the road less slippery and its surface more durable.
•
>
Another method of forming a roadway according to my Invention is
the following I lay down fragments of stone or of stone and wood in
the manner usually followed in making an ordinary macadamised
road, and I roll the surface so as to render it somewhat level; I then
instead of using the sand, gravel, and water, usually employed for
macadamised roads I serve the surface with a binding mixture resembling.
coarse mortar, consisting of natural or artificial asphalte or other
bituminous matter melted and mingled with sand, ashes, iron ore, or
other mineral ingredients in small fragments. I apply enough of this
binding mixture to fill up the inequalities but not to cover over
the fragments first laid. And for this purpose I prefer to apply in the
first place the bituminous matter in a somewhat fluid condition so that
it may readily flow into the interstices, and thereafter to apply it in a
thicker condition, ramming it when necessary to fill up the inequalities.
The surface thus presented being partly of stone and partly of the
bituminous compound, while it is hard, smooth, durable, and water-
tight, affords good foothold, owing to the presence in it of substances
having different degrees of hardness.
In preparing the foundation for the improved roadway, forméd
according to either of the modes described above, I prefer to provide
channels or hollows in the said foundation, into which the materials of
the roadway project, thereby toothing the roadway to the foundation
or connecting them in such a manner that the one becomes keyed
to the other.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in
*what manner the same is to be performed, I claim,—
First. The construction of roadways, substantially as herein described,
by laying on a sound foundation a substratum consisting of larger
fragments of stone or other minerals cemented together by bituminous
substances, and laying thereon smaller fragments which may be
こ

page_text: interspersed with pieces of wood; such upper stratum being also
cemented by bituminous matter and smoothed by rolling or otherwise.
Second. The construction of roadways by laying down fragments in
the manner of a macadamised road and cementing the same with a
bituminous mortar, substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Henson Henson, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of
October, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-three.