IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPLIANCES FOR CONSTRUCTING SLABS FOR PAVING STREET CORNERS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Page, Civil Engineer, of 42, Josephine Avenue,
Brixton Rise, Lambeth, in the County of Surrey, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPLIANCES FOR CONSTRUCTING
SLABS FOR PAVING STREET CORNERS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Page at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th January 1881.
WILLIAM PAGE, Civil Engineer, of 42, Josephine Avenue, Brixton Rise, Lambeth,
in the County of Surrey. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPLIANCES
FOR CONSTRUCTING SLABS FOR PAVING STREET CORNERS."
.
My Invention consists in the use of a slab, or a series or number of slabs, made
from any suitable material, of such shapes, forms, or configurations, that whether
the slab be of one piece or a number of slabs as a series in combination, it or they
shall be of the figure or form of any desired curved shape, by which means I am
enabled to pave the corners and return corners of street footways and other such
places. To effect this I have moulds made of wood or iron, or of other suitable
materials, or of a combination of such suitable materials of the curved form required,
which may be that of a quadrant, sector, segment, or any other form of curved
figure, and in these moulds my slabs are made of proper and suitable materials,
and by preference I use a compound or mixture of granite chippings and Portland
cement chemically combined and cemented together, first by the addition of water
and finally by a natural silicate of soda, and generally in accordance with the
Patent Victoria
processes used in the manufacture of the artificial stone known as
stone," but I do not claim these materials for the composition of the slabs to be
made in my improved moulds, as before described, as I can use any other material
or materials, either alone or in combination, which may be suitable for the purposes
of a footway pavement, my claim being limited to a certain form of mould which
shall be suitable for moulding pavement slabs into the form or figure of a quadrant,
sector, segment, or other curved figure, so as to have naturally (that is to say,
without the necessity for cutting the slabs) the requisite curved shape of the corners
or return corners of footway pavements, by which means both labour and materials
"

page_text: are saved, the present method of paving such portions of footways as are herein
referred to being to cut the slabs to fit the required curved shapes of the corners.
While limiting my claim to a certain shape of mould, it must be understood that I
do not confine myself to forming the desired curved figure so that it shall be in one
piece by employing only one mould, but I also claim to effect the same purpose by
several moulds, it may be of varying shapes and sizes, but which together shall
produce a number of slabs, and which when properly combined shall be of the same
form of a quadrant, sector, segment, or other curved figure suitable for the corners
and return corners of footway pavements, as though only one mould had been used,
which in itself alone should be capable of producing the whole of the slab in one
piece of either of the before mentioned configurations, and this arrangement will
probably be found in practice the more suitable, as in the case of breakages arising
from accident or frost the broken part or parts may be removed and replaced without
disturbing the remainder of the slabs.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Page in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 26th April
1881.
WILLIAM PAGE, Civil Engineer, of No. 42, Josephine Avenue, Brixton Rise,
Lambeth, in the County of Surrey. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND
APPLIANCES FOR CONSTRUCTING SLABS FOR PAVING STREET CORNERS."
My Invention consists in the use of a mould or moulds capable of producing a
slab or a number of slabs made from any suitable material of such shapes, forms,
or configurations that (whether the slab be of one piece or a number of slabs be
used as a series in combination) it or they shall be of the figure or form of any
desired curved design, by which means I am enabled to pave the corners and return
corners of street footways and other such places. To effect this I have moulds made
of wood or metal, or of other suitable materials, or of a combination of any suitable
materials of the curved form required, which may be that of a quadrant, sector,
segment, or any other form of curved figure, and in these moulds my slabs are made
of proper and suitable materials; by preference I use a compound or mixture of
granite chippings and Portland cement chemically combined and cemented together,
first by the addition of water and finally by a natural silicate of soda, and generally
in accordance with the processes used in the manufacture of the artificial stone
known as
"Patent Victoria stone;" but I do not claim these materials nor any
mode or process of manipulation for the composition or manner of manufacturing
the slabs to be made in my improved moulds, as herein referred to, as I can use any
other material or materials which may be suitable for the purposes of footway
pavements, and which may also require varying methods and processes of
manufacture, my claim being limited to a certain form of mould or moulds which
shall be capable of moulding pavement slabs into the shape or figure of a quadrant,
sector, segment, or any other curved figure, so as to have naturally (that is to say,
without the necessity of cutting the slabs) the requisite curved shape of the corners
or return corners of footway pavements, by which means I effect a saving both in
labor and materials, combined with more exact and therefore superior workmanship,
the present method of paving such portions of footways as are herein referred to
being to cut the slabs to fit the requisite curved shape of the corners.
While limiting
my claim to a certain shape of mould or moulds, it must be clearly understood that
thus I do not confine myself to forming the desired curved figure so that it shall
necessarily be in one piece by claiming only one mould for the purpose, but I also
purpose to effect the same object by several moulds, it may be of varying shapes,
sizes, and numbers, but which together shall produce a number of slabs, the outline
of which when properly combined shall be of the same form of a quadrant, sector,
segment, or any other curved figure suitable for the corners and return corners of
footway pavements, as though only one mould had been used, which in itself alone
should be capable of producing the whole of the slab in one piece of the shape of
either of the before mentioned configurations, the effect of which arrangement of
using a series of moulds for such combinations is more particularly shewn in the
Drawings accompanying this Specification, which are intended as illustrations of
sets or series of slabs in combination capable of being made in some of the forms of
the several moulds before referred to, the individual slabs being indicated by the
spaces between the several boundary and dividing lines, and which, as before stated
and now shown by the Drawings, when in proper combination, may form a quadrant,
sector, segment, or other curved figure suitable for the shape of the corners and
return corners of footway pavements, and this arrangement will probably be found

page_text: in practice the more suitable, as in the case of breakage the broken parts may be
removed and replaced without disturbing the remainder of the slabs.
Having thus set forth and described the particulars of my Invention, I would
desire it to be distinctly understood that my claim consists of a mould or a series
of moulds capable of producing from a suitable material (which I do not claim) a
slab or set of slabs which in the former case alone and in the latter case in proper
combination shall be of the form or figure of a quadrant, sector, segment, or
any other curved figure suitable for the corners or return corners of footway
pavements.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Page, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty. fifth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
WILLIAM PAGE. (L.S.)