Im- PROVEMENTS IN STABLES, SHEDS FOR CATTLE, AND SLAUGHTER-HOUSES, AND IN PAVING OR FLOORING FOR THE SAME AND OTHER SURFACES." PAVING ORING FOR AND OTHER SURFACES
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Lee Norton, of Belle Sauvage Yard,
Ludgate Hill, in the City of London, for the Invention of “Im-
PROVEMENTS IN STABLES, SHEDS FOR CATTLE, AND SLAUGHTER-HOUSES, AND IN
PAVING OR FLOORING FOR THE SAME AND OTHER SURFACES."
PAVING OR FLOORING FOR THE SAME AND OTHER SURFACES."
Sealed the 23rd July 1872, and dated the 3rd February 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Lee Norton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 3rd February 1872.
+
I, JAMES LEE NORTON, of Belle Sauvage Yard, Ludgate Hill, in the
City of London, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STABLES, SHEDS FOR CATTLE, AND SLAUGHTER-HOUSES, AND IN
PAVING OR FLOORING FOR THE SAME AND OTHER SURFACES," to be as follows:-
In paving or flooring the stalls of stables I pave the central part of
the stall with openwork paving or grating laid horizontally, and the two
sides of the floor of the stall I form to slope downwards from the sides
to the central strip of horizontal paving. The central strip of openwork

page_text: paving or grating I support by preference on three wooden bearers laid
longitudinally of the stall and connected at their ends by transverse
pieces so as to form a complete frame, which can be dropped into a
recess prepared for it. The frame is formed with a bottom sloping
downwards from the two side bearers towards the central bearer, and
also from the head to the open end of the stall. These inclines may
also be of cement or other non-absorbent material, but I prefer to form
them of boards treated with creosote or other material to render them
non-absorbent and prevent their decay.
By forming the side portions of the floor of a stall inclined as above
described a horse will generally stand upon the horizontal central part,
and thus the water from the horse will almost invariably fall upon the
openwork paving, and the water will instantly pass off on to the incline
or inclines below and flow down either into a pit formed at the open end
of the stall or into a gutter leading to a pit at any convenient spot
either inside or outside of a stable, in which the dung from the horse or
horses is also to be thrown. This absorbs the urine and forms a valuable
manure in a concentrated form free or nearly so from straw.
When the pit is formed at the open end of the stall I cover it with a
grating, or gratings, or section of openwork paving, which can be easily
removed or turned up on a hinge to allow of the dung being thrown in.
The pit may be emptied from time to time, and to facilitate the emptying
of the pit a box or loose lining may be placed into it, which when full
can readily be lifted out and emptied.
The inclined sides of the floor on each side of the horizontal strip
of openwork paving may be of brick or other ordinary paving. I prefer
however to form these inclined sides either of cork, or kamptulicon, or
other elastic material fixed with glue, or cement, or otherwise to boards
or frames. The cork or elastic material may be laid over the whole
surface, or it may be laid over it in parallel strips at short distances
apart. In this case the strips may be cut with inclined sides and be
held down by undercut strips of wood or other material placed between
them and fixed down to the boards or frame, so that the strips of cork
are as it were held in dovetail recesses.
The surface of the wooden strips should be somewhat below the
surface of the strips of cork, and the strips should be so fixed that they
form a series of channels leading towards the central portion of the stall,
so that any water falling on to them may run down freely to the central

page_text: grating. The inclined sides of the stall may also be paved with wrought
or cast iron frames formed into cells to receive blocks of wood placed
with the end grain uppermost, and such frames may be made either with
or without openings between the cells. If they are made with openings
inclines are formed below them to conduct away any liquid which
may fall through the openings. By paving or covering the sides of the
stall floor with cork, or elastic material, or wood, as above described, a
much warmer paving is formed than when brick is used, and in some
cases it may be used without any straw or litter being placed over it. A
great saving of straw is thus effected.
This may be
In some cases, especially when brick or ordinary paving is used
for the inclined sides of the stall, I hinge or connect to the sides of
the stalls frames or boards of about the width of the inclined sides,
and upon these frames or boards I fix strong matting.
made with a pile upon it to form a soft surface for the horse to lie
upon, or I use strong matting with a padding of straw or other material
below it to form a kind of mattress. The frames or boards with the
matting attached may be fixed up to the side of the stall in daytime
and be turned down at night.
The openwork paving for the central part of the stall may be formed of
wrought or cast-iron frames formed with cells to receive wooden or other
blocks, and with openings between the cells, as described in the Specifi-
cation of a Patent granted to me on the 22nd day of January, 1871
(No. 1938), or the frames for receiving the wooden or other blocks may
be formed in such a manner that two opposite sides of each cell taper
downwards from top to bottom, and the blocks with which such cells are
to be filled are similarly of a tapered form, so that when they have been
placed into the cells and any weight.comes upon them the block is
supported by the sides of the cells. Each frame is made up of strips of
wrought iron placed at right angles to one another, and rivetted at their
ends to an outer rectangular frame, also of wrought iron. One set of the
bars are placed vertically, and are at distances apart equal to the width
of the blocks. These bars have slots cut through them, through which
the other set of bars are passed. The slots are cut so as to incline
somewhat towards one another thus \, and are arranged in pairs, the
space between each pair of bars which are passed through such slots
forming the openings between the blocks to allow of dust or liquids
passing between them, whilst the sides of the wooden blocks rest against

page_text: the outer sides of such bars, which form the inclined sides of the cells.
Also in some cases where it is not required that openings or spaces
should be left between the cells in place of forming pairs of slots as
above described, through one set of bars slots of a triangular form
may be made through them at intervals apart equal to the width of the
blocks, and bars of a corresponding section be passed through them, or
bars of angle or T iron might similarly be used, the blocks then resting
on the bottom flanges of the T or angle iron. For a loose box the pit
may be at the centre or other convenient part.
Slaughter-houses may also be constructed in a similar way to that
herein-before described, with openwork paving and with inclines below
leading to a pit or box, into which any liquid or blood may flow and
afterwards be absorbed if desired by absorbent materials. The openwork
pavements may also be constructed of strips of wood cut lengthwise of
the grain, and with lengths of hoop, or flat bar, or angle iron, or iron
of other sections secured to the side edges of the strips. The strips of
wood are placed side by side with slight spaces between them, and are
connected one to the other by lengths of iron secured to their under
sides, or to their ends, or otherwise, or they may be arranged so that they
are not connected together. The several strips of iron may if desired be
attached at their ends to an outer framework of iron.
In a similar way blocks of wood cut endwise of the grain may be
tied one to another by bars or strips of metal, either with or without
spaces left between the several blocks. The upper surface of the wooden
strips may be covered with kamptulicon, or with cork and kamptulicon,
or with cork alone, or with other elastic material, or the elastic material
may be let into the surface of the wooden strips. Wooden strips thus
covered or partly covered may be used either with or without strengthen-
ing bars of iron at their sides, they might also be secured to wooden
supports or bearers, or be otherwise carried. Paving such as herein-
before described may be formed in segments and moveable, the several
segments to fit against one another and form a flooring or covering for a
floor.
In some cases I fix pieces of india-rubber, felt, cork, kamptulicon, or
other material into recesses formed in the upper surface of the wooden
blocks or filling pieces of the cells of cast or wrought iron paving
frames, the inlaid material being so arranged that its upper surface is
slightly above the surface of the wood, and in order to prevent the angles

page_text: or edges of the material being broken the edges are bevilled off to the
surface of the wooden blocks carrying the inlaid material. The elastic
material may be arranged to cover the whole or nearly the whole of the
upper surface of the blocks, or strips of the material may be applied
across the blocks, or may be of any desired shape or form, or where it
is desired to form an ornamental flooring or paving I inlay the upper
surface of the wooden blocks or strips with various materials, which may
be cut or stamped out in ornamental patterns, as for example, the blocks
may be inlaid with printed patterns cut from oilcloth, kamptulicon, or
such like material, or with colored cements, and the wood where it is to
be inlaid is cut away to a sufficient depth to allow of the wear coming
mainly upon the upper surface of the block, and not upon the inlaid
portions. The upper surfaces of the block might also have patterns
burnt or branded into them, or they might be stained or dyed with
various colors and be arranged in the frames in ornamental patterns;
nails or pegs may also be passed through the sides of the frame into the
blocks to retain them, and also when it is desired to form a highly
ornamental flooring such frames may be tinned or coated with copper.
In order also to avoid the necessity of forming special supports for such
frames and to enable them to be simply laid down upon a level surface,
I affix small blocks of wood or other material to the under side of each
frame at its four corners, such blocks being fixed by screws or otherwise
to the under side of the blocks of wood inserted into the cells at the
several corners. The frames will thus be supported at their four
corners, and a space will be left below each where any liquid, dust, or
dirt which may pass down through the paving may collect and be swept
away whenever desired, the frames of paving being then removed to
allow of this being done. Where it is not desired to have openings
between the cells of the frame openings may be left between the several
frames to allow dust or dirt to pass through, and projections may be
formed at the corners of the frame to act as distance pieces, so that
the several frames may be kept at an equal distance apart from one
another.
Paving or flooring constructed as herein-before described may be
employed for the paving or flooring of rooms or of the treads of stair-
cases and other such like surfaces.

page_text: another at their upper surface, and each block may be inlaid or orna-
mented as above described, and by this means a very ornamental flooring
may be produced at a slight cost.
When using such ornamented wooden blocks the framing which is to
receive them might either be of cast iron or wrought iron such as above
described, or other construction of frame might be adopted.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Lee Norton, in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 2nd August 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
LEE NORTON, of Belle Sauvage Yard, Ludgate Hill, in the City of
London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said James Lee Norton, Her special license
that I, the said James Lee Norton, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said James Lee Norton, 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
STABLES, SHEDS FOR CATTLE, AND SLAUGHTER-HOUSES, AND IN PAVING OR FLOORING
FOR THE SAME AND OTHER SURFACES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said James Lee Norton, 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 calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Lee Norton, 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:—
In paving or flooring the stalls of stables I pave the central part of
the stall with openwork paving or grating laid horizontally, and the
two sides of the floor of the stall I form to slope downwards from the
sides to the central strip of horizontal paving. The central strip of
openwork paving or grating I support by preference on three wooden
bearers laid longitudinally of the stall, and connected at their ends by
transverse pieces so as to form a complete frame, which can be dropped
into a recess prepared for it. The frame is formed with a bottom
sloping downwards from the two side bearers towards the central bearer,
and also from the head to the open end of the stall. These inclines
may also be of cement or other non-absorbent material, but I prefer
to form them of boards treated with creosote or other material to
render them non-absorbent and prevent their decay. Instead of longi-
tudinal bearers cross bearers may be used with a central channel
leading to the pit or drain.
By forming the side portions of the floor of a stall inclined as above
described a horse will generally stand upon the horizontal central
part, and thus the water from the horse will almost invariably fall
upon the openwork paving and the water will instantly pass off on
to the incline or inclines below and flow down either into a pit formed at
the open
end of the stall or into a gutter leading to a pit at any conve-
nient spot either inside or outside of a stable in which the dung from the
horse or horses is also to be thrown. This absorbs the urine and forms
a valuable manure in a concentrated form free or nearly so from straw.
In Figure 1 is shewn a general view of a stall of a stable paved
according to this part of my Invention. The sides a, a, have a gentle
inclination given to them so as to slope down towards the central or
horizontal part b, b. The spaces in the openwork part are shewn by
the dark spaces marked c, c, c.
In Figure 2 is shewn a view of the frame which supports the
openwork part of the floor. In this view only two of the longi-
tudinal bearers a, a¹, are seen; b, b', are the inclined planes under
the openwork paving which conduct the liquid down into the pit c.
1

page_text: When a pit is used I prefer to make the central support across the
pit of a piece of loose T iron, which drops into its place and can be
taken out so as to allow of the pit being more readily cleaned out.
This piece of T is shewn in dotted lines at d.
.
The
The inclines 6, 61, may be formed of wooden boards rendered non-
absorbent, or of cement, asphalte, or other suitable substance.
inclined portions of the floor at the sides are shewn at e, e¹.
When the pit is formed at the open end of the stall I cover it with
a grating, or gratings, or section of openwork paving, which can be
easily removed or turned up on a hinge to allow of the dung being
thrown in. The pit may be emptied from time to time, and to facilitate
the emptying of the pit a box or loose lining may be placed into it,
which when full can readily be lifted out and emptied. A box of this
kind is shewn at Figure 3.
The inclined sides of the floor on each side of the horizontal strip
of openwork paving may be of brick or other ordinary paving. I prefer
however to form these inclined sides of wood. The inclined sides of
the stall may also be paved with wrought or cast iron frames formed
into cells to receive blocks of wood placed with the end grain upper-
most, and such frames may be made either with or without openings
between the cells. If they are made with openings inclines are formed
below them to conduct away any liquid which may fall through the
openings. By paving or covering the sides of the stall floor with wood
as above described a much warmer paving is formed than when brick is
used, and in some cases it may be used without any straw or litter being
placed over it; a great saving of straw is thus effected.
In some cases, especially when brick or ordinary paving is used for
the inclined sides of the stall, I hinge or connect to the sides of the
stalls frames or boards of about the width of the inclined sides, and
upon these frames or boards I fix strong matting. This may be made
with a pile upon it to form a soft surface for the horse to lie upon,
or I use strong matting with a padding of straw or other material
below it to form a kind of mattress. The frames or boards with the
matting attached may be fixed up to the side of the stall in daytime and
be turned down at night.
A cross section of a stall so arranged is shewn at Figure 4.
are the longitudinal bearers supporting the openwork crates
h
a, a, a,
The

page_text: inclined sides are shewn at c, c, and the hinged boards covered with
matting are shewn at d, d', one of these d¹ being shewn fastened up
against the side of the stall by means of the strap and 'buckle e, as
would be the case in the daytime. The other one d is shewn down in
its place as it would be during the night. For a loose box the pit
might be at the centre or other convenient part.
:
In Figure 12 is shewn a view of a loose box paved in accordance with
my Invention. a, a, a, are the inclined portions round the sides of the
floor; b, b, b, are the openwork grates laid horizontally in the centre of
the floor. At the front end of the stall six of these grates are supposed
to be taken up.
c, c, c, are the inclined planes below leading to the
pit d which runs down the centre; e, e, e, are the bearers upon which
the openwork grates rest. Slaughter-houses may also be constructed in
a similar way to that herein-before described with openwork paving, and
with inclines below leading to a pit or box, into which any liquid or
blood may flow and afterwards be absorbed if desired by absorbent
materials.
The openwork paving for the central part of the floor of a stall of a
stable, or a loose box or slaughter-house may be formed of wrought. or
cast iron frames formed with cells to receive wooden or other blocks,
and with openings between the cells as described in the Specification of
a Patent granted to me on the 22nd day of July, 1871 (No. 1938), or the
frames for receiving the wooden or other blocks may be formed in such
a manner that two opposite sides of each cell taper downwards from top
to bottom, and the blocks with which such cells are to be filled are
similarly of a tapered form, so that when they have been placed into
the cells and any weight comes upon them the block is supported by
the sides of the cells. Each frame is made up of strips of wrought iron
placed at right angles to one another, and rivetted at their ends to an
outer rectangular frame, also of wrought iron. One set of the bars are
placed vertically, and are at distances apart equal to the width of the
blocks. These bars have slots cut through them through which the other
set of bars are passed. The slots are cut so as to incline somewhat toward
one another thus and are arranged in pairs, the space between each
pair of bars which are passed through such slots forming the openings
between the blocks to allow of dust or liquids passing between them
whilst the sides of the wooden blocks rest against the outer sides of such
bars, which form the inclined sides of the cells. A wrought-iron frame
,

page_text: made in this manner is shewn in plan at Figure 5. a, a, a, are the bars,
which are inclined to one another and passed through the slots in the
others bars b, b, so as to form the tapered cells c, c, c, for the wood blocks
and leave the openings d, d, d. The bars a, a, a, are shouldered down
at their ends and rivetted over on to the bars b, b.
Figure 6 is another view of one of the bars 6, having the slots ƒ, ƒ, f,
through which the bars a, a, a, pass, and which serve to strengthen the
bars a, a, and keep them in position.
Also in some cases where it is not required that openings or spaces
should be left between the cells in place of forming pairs of slots as
above described, through one set of bars slots of a triangular form may
be made through them at intervals apart equal to the width of the blocks,
and bars of a corresponding section be passed through them, or bars of
angle or T iron might similarly be used, the blocks then resting on the
bottom flanges of the T or angle iron.
Figure 7 is a plan of a frame constructed as above described; a, a, a,
being the triangular bars; b, b, being the slotted bars through which
they pass. One of these slotted bars is shewn in Figure 8; c, c, c, being
the triangular slots; d, d, are the end bars to which the triangular bars
are rivetted.
Figure 9 is a section of a similar frame, but constructed with T iron
instead of triangular bars.
In Figures 10 and 11 are shewn different modes of filling in such
frames with wood blocks.
In Figure 11 the edges of the wood blocks are brought close up to one
another so as to cause the floor to be one even surface.
In Figure 12 the blocks do not touch one another, the edges being
bevilled off so as to shew a number of keyways on the surface of the
floor.
The openwork pavement may also be constructed of strips of wood
cut lengthwise of the grain, and with lengths of hoop, or flat bar, or
angle iron, or iron of other sections secured to the side edges of the
strips. One of these strips of wood is shewn at Figure 13. The strips
of wood are placed side by side with slight spaces between them, and

page_text: are connected one to the other by lengths of iron secured to their under
sides, or to their ends, or otherwise.
In Figure 14 is shewn one mode of connecting these strips together.
a, a, a, are three strips bound with flat bar iron as above described;
b, b, are other bars of flat iron fastened to the ends of the strips so as to
tie them together leaving the spaces c, c, between the strips.
In Figure 15 is shewn a similar arrangement in which the blocks
a, a, a, are used instead of strips, the spaces c, c, c, in this case run both
ways, or they may be arranged so that they are not connected together.
The several strips of iron may if desired be attached at their ends to an
outer framework of iron.
In a similar way blocks of wood cut endwise of the grain may be tied
one to another by bars or strips of metal, either with or without spaces
left between the several blocks. The upper surface of the wooden
strips may be covered with kamptulicon, or with cork and kamptulicon,
or with cork alone, or with other elastic material, or the elastic material
may be let into the surface of the wooden strips. Wooden strips
thus covered or partly covered may be used either with or without
strengthening bars of iron at their sides; they might also be secured to
wooden supports or bearers, or be otherwise carried.
Paving such as herein-before described may be formed in segments
and movable, the several segments to fit against one another and form a
flooring or covering for a floor.
In Figure 16 is shewn a portion of a wood strip, which has a shallow
dovetail groove cut along it so as to form a good hold and support for
the elastic material.
In some cases I fix pieces of india-rubber, felt, cork, kamptulicon, or
other material into recesses formed in the upper surface of the wooden
blocks, or filling pieces of the cells of cast or wrought iron paving
frames, the inlaid material being so arranged that its upper surface is
slightly above the surface of the wood; and in order to prevent the
angles or edges of the material being broken the edges are bevelled off
to the surface of the wooden blocks carrying the inlaid material.
The elastic material may be arranged to cover the whole or nearly
the whole of the upper surface of the blocks, or strips of the material

page_text: may be applied across the blocks, or may be of any desired shape or
form.
In Figures 17 and 18 are shewn different methods of fixing the elastic
material on to the surface of the blocks. In Figure 17 the elastic
material is cut into strips a, a, a, and fitted into dovetail grooves; and in
Figure 18 it is cut into pieces of a size nearly equal to the surface of the
blocks, and fixed into a shallow recess formed in the blocks to receive
it. Other methods of covering the blocks with elastic material may also
be employed.
Where it is desired to form an ornamental flooring or paving I inlay
the upper surface of the wooden blocks or strips with various materials,
which may be cut or stamped out in ornamental patterns, as, for example,
the blocks may be inlaid with printed patterns cut from oilcloth, kamp-
tulicon, or such like material, or with colored cements; and the wood
where it is to be inlaid is cut away to a sufficient depth to allow of the
wear coming mainly upon the upper surface of the block and not upon
the inlaid portions. The upper surfaces of the blocks might also have
patterns burnt or branded into them, or they might be stained or dyed
with various colors, and be arranged in the frames in ornamental
patterns. Nails or pegs may also be passed through the sides of the
frame into the blocks to retain them; and also when it is desired to form
a highly ornamental flooring such frames may be tinned or coated with
copper. In Figure 19 is shewn a plan of a portion of an ornamental
floor, the blocks being supposed to be inlaid with pieces cut from oil-
cloth.
In Figure 20 is shewn a plan of a portion of an ornamental floor, the
design being formed by using differently coloured blocks. In order also to
avoid the necessity of forming special supports for such frames, and to
enable them to be simply laid down upon a level surface I affix small
blocks of wood or other material to the under side of each frame at its four
corners, such blocks being fixed by screws or otherwise to the under side
of the blocks of wood inserted into the cells at the several corners. The
frames will thus be supported at their four corners, and a space will be
left below each where any liquid, dust, or dirt which may pass down
through the paving may collect, and be swept away whenever desired,
the frames of paving being then removed to allow of this being done.
Figure 21 is a section of a cast-iron frame furnished with supports of

page_text: this kind. a, a, are the little triangular wooden supports bearing against
the frame at b, b, and secured to the wood blocks c, c, by means of the
screws d, d. Figure 22 is a plan of one of the supports.
Where it is not desired to have openings between the cells of the
frame openings may be left between the several frames to allow dust
or dirt to pass through, and projections may be formed at the corners of
the frame to act as distance pieces, so that the several frames may be kept
at an equal distance apart from one another. This will be understood on
a reference to Figure 23, which is a plan shewing 4 frames.
Paving or flooring constructed as herein-before described may be
employed for the paving or flooring of rooms, or of the treads of stair-
cases, and other such like surfaces. When the paving is to be used for
rooms and such like places the blocks in each frame may be shaped so
as to come in contact with one another at their upper surface, as shewn
in Figure 10, and each block may be inlaid or ornamented as above
described, and by this means a very ornamental flooring may be pro-
duced at a slight cost. When using such ornamental wooden blocks
the framing which is to receive them might either be of cast iron or
wrought iron, such as above described, or other construction of frame
might be adopted.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I claim, the several
improvements herein described in the construction of stables, sheds for
cattle, and slaughter-houses, and in paving or flooring for the same and
other surfaces.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Lee Norton, have hereunto
ant mw hand and anal this Sacand der of Ancount
J. L. NORTON. (L.S.)