CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN PAVING STREETS, ROADS, AND WAYS
Year: 1840

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
SAUNDERS, of China Terrace, in the Borough of Lambeth, and County of
Surrey, Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Third day of August, in the fourth year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said William
Saunders, Her especial licence, full power, 'sole privilege and authority, that I,
the said William Saunders, my executors, administrators, and assigns, and
such others as I, the said William Saunders, my executors, administrators,
or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times during the term of years therein mentioned, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and
the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN PAVING STREETS, ROADS, AND WAYS;" in which said Letters Patent is con-
tained a proviso, obliging me, the said William Saunders, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
and to cause the same to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of
the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being
thereunto had, will more fully and at-large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, 1, the said
William Saunders, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference
being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures
marked thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention of certain improvements in paving streets, roads, and ways,
consists in the first place of a new shape or configuration in which a block of
wood is to be formed; and, secondly, in the method or methods of combining
blocks of wood so formed as to make a firm and solid pavement to suit
different circumstances, and which when properly laid will constitute a com-
pact and solid mass, each block being supported by and also tending to
support the surrounding or contiguous ones. The block I propose to use for
paving is shewn in the Sheet of Drawings accompanying this my Specification.
Fig. 1 is a front or back view of the block; Fig. 2. is a plan or bird's-eye
view of the same; and Figure.3.is a side view. By referring to these Figures
it will be seen that each block is in fact composed of three distinct blocks,
which are fastened or attached together by pins, or treenails, the centre, block
being the thickness of side blocks, and carrying the pins, bolts, or treenails,
the ends of which are inserted into holes made in the side blocks for
that purpose; Fig. 4 represents the centre and two side blocks detached
and ready to be pinned together in the way above mentioned. The proper
angle for producing the blocks of the required, form, is obtained, in the
following manner :-Draw a rectangular four-sided Figure a, b, c, d, Fig..5,
and divide the top and bottom sides into three equal portions, marked
1, 2, 3, 4; then in order to obtain the angle of the centre block, draw,a. line.
from the top left-hand corner a of the square (see Fig. 6) to the point 3 on the
bottom side, and again from the point 2 on the upper side to the right-hand
bottom corner ; and to produce the opposite angle for the side blocks, draw
a line from the point 1 (see Fig. 7) to the left-hand bottom corner c, and also
from the top right-hand corner b of the square to the point 4 on the under
side. The required angles of both blocks having been thus ascertained, a log.
of wood must be prepared to the proper thickness, and the blocks cut therefrom.
in the manner shewn in Fig. 8. Sometimes, under, circumstances, instead
of connecting the blocks together by means of pins or treenails, I cut grooves.
in the sides of the blocks, and these grooves, when the blocks are brought into.
contact form mortices, in which I insert dowells, as shewn in Figures 9 and 10,.
Figure 10 representing a side view of a number of the compound blocks, con-
nected together in the manner above shewn...

page_text: ..Having now described the mode of forming the blocks, I will proceed to
explain several methods of combining them together, in order to produce a.
firm and solid, pavement. Fig. 11 represents a plan or bird's-eye view, of
which Eig. 10 is the elevation. This is the most simple mode of combining.
the blocks, and will be found very convenient under some circunistances, such
as over gas and water pipes, where the pavement would be liable to occasional
removal. The different rows of blocks may be connected together either by
pins or streenails, as shewn in Figures 3 and 4, or by dowells, as shewn in:
Figures 9 and 10. Another arrangement or combination of the compound blocks
is represented at Eig. 12, and from the peculiar shape of the.block, as well
as the methöll herein shewn of. combining a number together, the pavement
when complete cannot either rise or sink from unequal pressure, but yet it may
be removed with facility when once an opening is made. Each compound
block is supported by the four surrounding ones, and also tends to support
each of these four in the following manner-The compound block A is com-
posed of the three blocks a, b, and c, as before explained; the block a slanting in
one direction, and the blocks b and c in the opposite direction. Now the
centre part a of the block A rests upon and is supported by the parts d, e, of
the two blocks immediately above, while the central parts f, g, of the same
blocks rest upon the parts b, c, of the block A, in conjunction with the cor-
responding parts of the contiguous compound blocks, and again the parts b, c, of
the block A are in their turn supported by the centre parts h, i, of the blocks
immediately below, while the narrow parts j, k, of the saine block rest upon
the part a of the block A, as shewn by dots.
t
From the foregoing description it will be evident that there is the same
resistance to a pressure, upwards as downwards, but at the same time the
block can be removed endways with the greatest facility. Fig. 13 represents
a number of compound blocks combined together in a similar manner to that
shewn at Fig. 12, the only difference being that the rows of blocks are placed
angularly or diagonally across the road, and the triangular spaces left at the
sides of the road, as shewn in the Figure, are to be filled with sections of the
block. This arrangement will be found convenient when a long and narrow
Sometimes the two methods
strip of the pavement is required to be removed.
of combining the blocks herein shewn are employed together, that represented
in Fig. 11, in any situation where the pavement is likely to be disturbed, and
the more extended surface of the road may be covered in the way shewn in
Fig. 12; if thought desirable, the surface of the block may be roughened to a
greater degree than that shewn in Figures 11, 12, and 13, and may be cut or

page_text: grooved into small squares, as shewn in Fig. 14, in order to afford a better
and firmer hold for the horses' feet.
Having now described my Invention, and the manner of carrying the same
into effect, I wish it to be understood, that I claim as the Invention secured
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent,-
First, the formation of a compound block for paving streets, roads, and ways,
consisting of three distinct blocks, the centre one of which is equal in solid
content to the two side ones, the sides of which slope to the angle herein
shewn.
And, secondly, I claim the methods herein-before described of combining a
number of these said compound blocks to form a compact and solid pavement,
such blocks when so combined supporting and being supported by cach
other.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Saunders, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-one.
(L.S.) W SAUNDERS.
AND BE-IT-REMEMBERED, that on the Third day of February, in the
fourth year of the reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, the said William
Saunders came before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and,
acknowledged the instrument aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained
and specified, in form above written. And also the instrument aforesaid was
stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made in the fifty-fifth year of
the reign of His late Majesty King George the Third.
Inrolled the Third day of February, One thousand eight hundred and