Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Nov., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 16th July, 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 17th Aug., 1888
I, JOHN WESLEY MACKNIGHT, of 27 West 125th Street, City of New York, State
of New York, United States of America, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an artificial pavement of great durability. The upper layer
of this pavement and also the layer next below, are curved downwards at the curb and
thus the ordinary flags or curb stones are dispensed with. The result is a pavement
of superior finish and strength and one which leaves no seams at the curb.
In laying my improved pavement I proceed as follows:
After the ground has been properly levelled, a layer of irregularly broken rocks is
placed upon it. These rocks should be preferably packed on edge, between coal
ashes.
Upon the bottom or first layer is placed a second layer of coal ashes, which extends
to a short distance within the front of first layer. Here the second layer is re-enforced
by a front edging of stone.
Upon the second layer there is placed a third layer of flintic concrete, consisting of
one part of ashes, one part of sand and a suitable quantity of cement. Into this layer
there are embedded a number of parallel joists extending from the coping or house
line to the curb. At the curb the joists have a downward extension or nose which
projects forwardly at an obtuse angle. In this way a number of parallel grooves will be
formed in the third layer, extending from house line to the curb and thence down-
wards at an obtuse angle, to the entire depth to which the third layer is laid. This
depth is such that the third layer laps at the curb over both the bottom layers and of
course also over the edging.
The third layer being put and packed in position and the joists being removed, the
top layer is put in place. This layer consists of crushed trap rock and cement, the
proportions being three parts of trap rock to one part of cement. In laying this top
layer, the grooves of third layer are first filled up with the plastic material of which
the top layer is composed and then the top layer proper is superposed upon the third

page_text: layer from end to end. In this way ribs or tongues will be formed on the lower
surface of the top layer, that enter the grooves of the third layer and thus securely
connect the layers.
These tongues and grooves connecting one layer of plastic material to another,
prevent cracks from forming in the upper layer and also generally strengthen the
entire structure. At the curb, the top layer, similar to the third, projects downwards
at an obtuse angle, the upright portion of such top layer covering and concealing the
upright portion of the third layer. In this way a strong curb is formed for the pave
ment, and the ordinary blue stone curbs are entirely dispensed with.
As the grooves in the third layer extend not only along the horizontal portion, but
also along the upright portion, the upright portion of top layer will likewise be con-
nected by tongues and grooves to the upright portion of the third layer. Thus the curb
is materially strengthened and the vertical part of the upper layer is prevented, even
when cracked, from automatically falling down by its own gravity.
The surface of the pavement is corrugated by rolling.
HERBERT J. ALLISON,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: I, JOHN WESLEY MACKNIGHT, of 27 West 125th Street, City of New York, County
and State of New York, United States of America, gentleman, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement: -
This invention relates to an artificial pavement of great durability. The upper layer
of this pavement, and also the layer next below, are curved downward at the curb, and
thus the ordinary flags or curb stones are dispensed with. The result is a pavement
of superior finish and strength, and one which leaves no seams at the curb.
The invention consists in the various features of improvement, more fully pointed
out in the claim.
In the accompanying drawing:
Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of my improved pavement on line x, x,
figs. 3 and 4.
Fig. 2 is a similar section on line y, y.
Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on the line z, z, fig. 1 and line 2¹, z¹, fig. 2.
Fig. 4 is a bottom view of part of the uppermost layer and
Fig. 5 a side view of the joist e.
In laying my improved pavement I proceed as follows: After the ground has been
properly leveled, a layer of irregularly broken rock a, is placed upon it. These rocks
should be preferably packed on edge between coal ashes. Upon the rocks a, is placed
a layer of coal ashes b, which extends to a short distance within the front of layer a.
Here the layer b, is re-enforced by a front edging of stone c, as shown. Upon the
layer b, there is placed a layer d, of flintic concrete, consisting of one part of ashes,
one part of sand and a suitable quantity of cement. Into this layer there are embedded
a number of parallel joists e, e, extending from the coping or house-line to the curb.
At the curb, the joists e, have a downward extension or nose e', which projects
forwardly at an obtuse angle. In this way a number of parallel grooves will be formed
in the layer d, extending from house-line to the curb and thence downward at an
obtuse angle to the entire depth to which the layer d, is laid. This depth is such that
layer d, laps at the curb over both the layers a, and b, as shown at d¹, and of course
also over edging C. The layer d, being put and packed in position and the joists e,
being removed, the top layer f, put in place. This layer consists of crushed
trap-rock and cement, the proportion being three parts of trap-rock to one part of
cement. In laying this layer f, the grooves of layer d, are first filled up with the
plastic material of which layer f, is composed, and then layer f, proper is super-
posed upon layer d, from end to end. In this way ribs or tongues f1, will be formed
on the lower surface of layer f, that enter the grooves of the layer d, and thus securely
connect the layers. These tongues and grooves, connecting one layer of plastic
material to another, prevent cracks from forming in the upper layer and also
generally strengthen the entire structure. At the curb, the layer f, similar to layer d,

page_text: projects downward at an obtuse angle, the upright portion f², of such layer, covering
and concealing the upright portion d¹, of layer d. In this way a strong curb is
formed for the pavement and the ordinary blue stone curbs are entirely dispensed
with. As the grooves in layer d, extend not only along the horizontal portion,
but also along the upright portion d', the upright portion f2, of layer f, will
likewise be connected by tongues and grooves to the upright portion d', of layer d.
Thus the curb is materially strengthened and the vertical part f², of the upper
layer, is prevented, even when cracked, from automatically falling down by its
own gravity.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven- 1
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :
1. A pavement consisting of a series of layers, of which the upper layer is curved
downward at the curb, substantially as specified.
2. A pavement consisting of a series of layers, of which the two uppermost layers
are curved downward at an obtuse angle at the curb and overlap the lowermost
layers, substantially as specified.
3. A pavement consisting of a series of layers, of which the upper plastic layer f,
is provided with downwardly-projecting ribs, that are embedded while in a plastic
condition, into grooves formed in the layer d, next below, substantially as specified.
4. A pavement consisting of a series of layers, of which the layer d, has grooves
extending from house-line to the curb and thence downward and the uppermost
layer f, has ribs that engage said grooves, substantially as specified.
Dated this 2nd day of July 1888.