IMPROVEMENTS IN FORMING, LAYING, OR REPAIRING ROADS OR PAVED SURFACES AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN, WHICH APPARATUS IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER LIKE PURPOSES
Year: 1871

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Robert Mallet at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 8th February
1871.
I, ROBERT MALLET, of Victoria Street, in the City of Westminster,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FORMING, LAYING, OR REPAIRING ROADS OR PAVED SURFACES
AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN, WHICH APPARATUS
IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER LIKE PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates, firstly, to an improved construction of road,
whereby the clay or debris under the pavement is prevented from
working up to the surface, and this improvement is effected by laying
or interposing between the pavement and the bed on which it rests thin
sheets of wrought iron overlapping each other, so as to form a cor-
tinuous covering. The several thin sheets of iron are deposited
separately by manual labor, or otherwise, flat or as nearly so as possible
upon the surface or concrete which forms the base or foundation for
the pavement, each separate sheet being so laid as that its edge or edges

page_text: shall overlap or be overlapped by the adjacent sheets or plates. The
pavement is, by preference, bedded in asphalte or other material of a
like nature or it may be grouted in the ordinary manner.
The second part of this Invention has for its object the effective,
economical, and rapid consolidation, and levelling of the basis for road
or street pavements, whether such be laid over a layer of concrete or
not, and then ramming down and consolidating and levelling the
pavement itself. This is effected by substituting effective ramming
machines, driven by steam power, for the ancient and inefficient hand
ramming of pavements by manual labor.
The machinery for effecting this consists of a suitable truck or under
carriage mounted upon wheels and carrying upon it a suitable boiler
and steam engine, or more than one, with intermediate parts so
arranged as to lift in succession and drop upon the surface to be rammed
each of a number of metal, or partly metal and partly wood, heavy
stamp heads or rammers. These are attached to the framework carried
by the truck and move about with it.
The truck with its machinery is arranged to move or roll by the
action of the steam power at the requisite rate in either of two directions
orthogonal to each other, so that, for example, should the pavement
of a straight street be operated upon the machine moves itself over
every part of the pavement, either the lengthway or the crossway of
the street.
The machinery is arranged thus to traverse either upon temporary
light rails or trams laid down upon the surface to be rammed and s
suitably arranged to enable the orthogonal movements to be con-
veniently given, or the truck wheels are so arranged as to rest and roll
directly upon the surface to be rammed, and by arrangements whereby
the axles of these wheels may be kept either parallel or more or less
inclined to each other the truck and machinery move automatically
in the orthogonal directions, but in this case in arcs of very large
circles.
By another arrangement there is neither boiler nor steam engine fixed
upon the truck, which only carries the stampers and machinery for
raising and dropping them, and the arrangements necessary for the 3
orthogonal motions over the surface to be rammed of the truck and

page_text: machinery. The power in this case may be that of a stationary steam
engine or other motor (an ordinary locomotive engine being preferred)
from which the necessary power is transmitted through a wire rope or
cord passing round or partly round grooved pullies, by one or more of
which the machinery on the truck both for lifting the stampers and for
moving the truck about are actuated.
The stampers are so arranged that when all at rest and out of action
none of them rest or drag upon the ground surface they are permitted
to drop by their own weight only, or when a more powerful or sharper
blow may be desired they are propelled downwards either by the
resistence of springs or by the elasticity of compressed air, gases, or
steam. The stampers may be lifted by the direct action of steam.
These machines are obviously applicable also for ramming and
consolidating the successive layers of earth or other like material used
for forming embankments, so that the same when designed to hold
in water shall be water-tight and free from cavities; or when intended
for ramparts to resist projectiles.