IMPROVEMENTS IN PAVING OR COVERING ROADS AND OTHER WAYS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Smith, of Kennington Row, Kennington
Park, in the County of Surrey, Gas Engineer, for the Invention of
Sealed the 11th October 1860, and dated the 16th April 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Smith at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 16th
April 1860.
I, WILLIAM SMITH, of Kennington Row, Kennington Park, in the County
of Surrey, Gas Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PAVING OR COVERING ROADS AND OTHER WAYS," to be
as follows:
The improvements relate to the use of wood in combination with stone in
forming paving or covering to roads and other ways. The wood and stone will
be formed in blocks of the sizes and forms desired, and may be combined in
various ways. One combination consists in laying the wood blocks and the stone
blocks in alternate lines, such lines ranging transversely, or they may be in other
angles across the road or other way, so that the traffic passing along such road
will thus act alternately on such wood and stone. In place, however, of
arranging the differently composed blocks in continuous lines, they may be
arranged in zig-zag or other forms, and the alternations may be in combined
longitudinal and transverse directions. The object will, in all cases, be so to

page_text: combine the wood and stone that the respective blocks may be in rows or
otherwise alternate as much as possible.
In carrying out these improvements I prefer the road to be first prepared
by a bed of concrete or in other suitable manner, as is well understood in pre-
paring for stone or other paving. I also prefer that the wood be kyanized, or 5
otherwise prepared to give increased durability to the same.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th October 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
SMITH, of Kennington Row, Kennington Park, in the County of Surrey, Gas
Engineer, send greeting. .
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Smith, Her special licence that I, the said William Smith,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Smith, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN PAVING OR COVERING ROADS AND OTHER WAYS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Smith, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Smith, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
The improvements relate to the use of wood in combination with stone in
forming paving or covering to roads and other ways. The wood and stone will.

page_text: be formed in blocks of the sizes and forms desired, and may be combined in
various ways. One combination consists in laying the wood blocks and the
stone blocks in alternate lines, such lines ranging transversely, or they may be
in other angles across the road or other way, so that the traffic passing along
such road will thus act alternately on such wood and stone. In place, however,
of arranging the differently composed blocks in continuous lines, they may be
arranged in zig-zag or other forms, and the alternations may be in combined
longitudinal and transverse directions. The object will, in all cases, be so to
combine the wood and stone that the respective blocks may be in rows, or
otherwise alternate as much as possible.
In carrying out these improvements I prefer the road to be first prepared
by a bed of concrete or in other suitable manner, as is well understood in pre-
paring for stone or other paving. I also prefer that the wood be kyanized, or
otherwise prepared to give increased durability to the same.
By the combination of wood and stone in the formation of roads or other
ways several advantages are obtained, viz., economy in construction over the
use of stone alone by the wood being cheaper than the stone; also reduction
of noise produced by the passing traffic, whilst the combination of the stone
with wood affords a safer holding for the horses' feet than when a road or way
is wholly formed of wood.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Smith, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
5 Witness,
WILLIAM BROOKES,
73, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agent.
W. SMITH. (L.S.)