IMPROVEMENTS IN PAVEMENT
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Walter Berry and Peter Stuart at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th January 1883.
WALTER BERRY and PETER STUART both of Edinburgh in the County of Mid-
Lothian, North Britain, "IMPROVEMENTS IN PAVEMENT "
This Invention relates to improvements in pavements wherein the paving
material consists of blocks or slabs of concrete artificial stone or any of the
composite materials hitherto used for paving purposes and which are capable of
being moulded into blocks or slabs and the invention has for its object to so
construct the pavement that it shall have under a solid wearing surface one or more
channels throughout its length for the reception of telegraph and telephone wires
as well as wires for the transmission of electricity for lighting driving or other
purposes.
Although as already stated concrete or any of the other paving materials capable
of being formed into blocks or slabs may be used it is preferred to employ the com-
position commercially known as Stuarts "Granolithic and which consists of
Portland or other hydraulic Cement combined with granite broken small enough to
pass through a half inch sieve. In forming the paving blocks or slabs the cement
and granite chips mixed with water are placed in a plastic state in moulds of tho
required shape which may have a vibrating motion imparted to them to consolidate
the materials and expel air bells or the materials may be subjected to pressure in
the moulds for that purpose or merely left to set naturally.
In moulding pavement kerbs for the purposes of this Invention a channel of any
desired shape in transverse section is made along the interior and each block is
moulded in two pieces which in setting the kerb are placed one on top of the other
the line of junction between them being rebatted, stepped terraced fluted or other-
wise formed to prevent the ingress of water or moisture to the interior channel.
To give additional strength the side of the kerb next the roadway may be faced
with iron in which case iron plates having tongues at the back are secured on the
kerb in the act of moulding or ordinary kerb stones may be placed in front of the
artificial stone kerb. At the inner side of the kerb the edge is checked or stepped
and the outer line of paving slabs are formed with corresponding checks or steps
which rest on the checked portions of the kerb the edge of each block inwards
537

page_text: towards the wall being similarly formed. In the under part of each slab or in as
many of them as may be desired in the breadth of the pavement one or more
channels of any desired shape in transverse section are moulded in the direction of
the length of the pavement and to afford access to the various channels in tho
pavement and in the kerb manholes are made at any desired intervals apart which
are closed by lids or covers either composed of the composition or of metal or other
equivalent material or certain of the blocks or slabs may be made removable.
The surface of the blocks or slabs may be corrugated or indented in moulding or
otherwise marked on the surface to afford a better foothold
The Insulators or supports for the wires may be moulded in the channels in
the act of forming the blocks and slabs or they may be placed and fixed in position
in the act of laying the pavement or at any other suitable time.
In laying the pavement the blocks may be laid direct on the ground after it has
been levelled and beaten or the ground may bo covered with a layer of ordinary
concrete and the blocks and slabs set on the said layer.
The slabs also instead of being moulded in one piece may be made in two pieces
and connected together after the manner described of moulding. the kerbs.
To provide for carrying the wires across streets blocks or slabs moulded as
herein before described are laid across the street underneath the paving these blocks
being set on a bed of concrete