IMPROVEMENTS IN WOODEN PAVEMENTS AND IN CUTTING THE BLOCKS THEREFOR
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WOODEN PAVEMENTS AND IN CUTTING THE BLOCKS
THEREFOR." A communication from abroad by William Wilmot
Ballard, of Elmira, Chemung County, State of New York, in the
United States of America.
-
Sealed the 31st May 1870, and dated the 15th January 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville
Clark at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 15th January 1870.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WOODEN PAVEMENTS AND IN CUTTING.
THE BLOCKS THEREFOR," to be as follows:
This Invention relates to new and useful improvements in the
construction of wooden pavements whereby such pavement is rendered

page_text: more durable and is laid down with less labor and expense than wood
pavements of ordinary construction; it also consists. in the mode of
sawing the blocks for the pavement, whereby they are cut to the proper
form without waste of lumber; and the Invention consists in forming
the blocks and in laying the pavement, as herein-after more fully
described.
In the accompanying Drawing Figure 1 represents a perspective view
of a section of pavement constructed according to my Invention showing
the floor or bed upon which the blocks are laid, the kerbstone of the
street, and the manner of forming the water gutter; Figure 2 is a
perspective view of two blocks laid side by side;. Figure 3 represents a
perspective view of a section of the pavement complete, showing the
concrete or filling in the wedge-shaped spaces between the rows of
blocks. In Figures 4 and 5 the method of cutting the blocks is shown..
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
·
A represents the surface of the street, which is made slightly arched,
the ends of the arch resting against the street kerbs B; C represents.
strips or narrow pieces of lumber laid transversely on the arched surface
of the street or at right angles with the kerb, and at distances apart to
correspond with the length of the boards or planks used for the floor or
bed of the pavement; D.represents the floor or bed. The strips C are
bedded in the arched surface of the street, so that the flooring D rests
upon and is firmly supported thereby and by the arched surface.. The
flooring is composed of boards or planks of any desired dimensions with.
their ends resting upon the strips C, as represented in the Drawing. The
blocks (marked in the Drawing E) are laid upon this flooring in rows
transversely, and so as to break joints with each other. These blocks are
of a wedge shape and are so laid that their bases: shall be in contact,
thus forming a continuous arch across the street, leaving V shaped
recesses or spaces between the rows.. These spaces are filled with con-
crete or with some equivalent material, as represented in Figure 3.. . The
whole surface is then covered with tar, asphaltum, or with any other
suitable substance, if considered necessary. The gutters are formed by
inclining the bed or flooring slightly upward at the kerb, and splitting
off the ends of the blocks so as to fit against the kerb and against the
last or adjacent, block of the row. The blocks E are of peculiar form,
and their novelty consists in their being wedge-shaped, having both
sides at acute angles with the base with the grain of the wood running,

page_text: parallel with one and obliquely to the other of these sides. The advan-
tages of blocks having both sides bevelled with the grain of the wood
running as described over: the ordinary wedge-shaped block are, first and
most important, that only one corner of the base is at all likely to
become broken off by transportation and rough handling, whereas in
the ordinary block both corners are liable to such accident. Another
advantage of the relation of the grain of the wood to the sides of the
block is that the V, shaped spaces have one perfectly smooth side, and
consequently less opportunity is afforded to the gravel or concrete in
filling to clog or jam and leave the lower portion of the space loosely
or entirely unfilled. This is believed to be a difficulty in pavements
constructed of wedge-shaped blocks having the grain running vertically
from the base, thereby exposing the ends of the fibre on both the bevelled
sides of the block. A pavement constructed of these improved blocks
can be laid at less cost than with any other wedge-shaped blocks owing
to the cheapness of the blocks. It has always been desirable to construct
wood pavements of this description of block, as they make a stronger and
more durable pavement and are more easily laid, but so far it has been
nearly impracticable owing to the expense of producing the blocks
caused by the waste in material and the necessary extra sawing.
An important feature of this Invention is the mode of cutting up the
lumber of which the blocks are composed so that there shall be no
waste of material while the block is produced in its most desirable form.
This is accomplished by cutting and splitting the blocks in such manner
that one cut from the lumber and one splitting of the block will produce
two finished blocks with top and bottom parallel with each other, with
the two sides of the block at acute angles with the bottom, one side
being parallel with the grain of the wood and the other side slightly
oblique to the grain, without more waste than is occasioned by the cut
of the saws.
For the purpose of more particularly describing the mode of cutting
the blocks without waste of material I will take a piece of lumber or
timber, say, four and a half feet long, twelve inches wide; and seven
inches. thick. This is placed under a saw or a gang of saws, as shown
in Figure 5, in an inclined position, so that blocks will be produced
with two sides inclined, the top and bottom being in parallel planes.
Each piece of timber of the dimensions named will produce nine blocks,
the dimensions of each being twelve inches long, six inches high-

page_text: (measured with the grain of the wood), and seven inches wide, measured
across the grain. These blocks are then split, as indicated in Figure 4,
in a direction slightly oblique to the fibre, being brought towards the
splitting saw in an inclined position, as seen, so that the line of cut will
form the other two bevelled sides of two blocks, each block having its
top and bottom on parallel planes with the sides at, acute angles with the
bottom or base. One of these sides will be parallel with the grain of the
wood, while the other side will be slightly oblique thereto. Thèse blocks
will now be twelve inches long and six inches high. The top of the
block will be three inches wide and the base four inches (less the kerf
or cut of the saw). These particular dimensions are named only as an
illustration. Any suitable sized timber may be used, the only waste
being the small angular piece cut from the ends to form the bevel. One
cross cut and one splitting, as shown, produces two complete blocks.
ready for use. The machine for sawing off the blocks is simply an inclined
feed table arranged at right angles with the cut of the saws.
This gives
the top and bottom of the block the proper angle to form the bevel to
two sides of two blocks, as represented in Figure 5. The splitting table,
Figure 4, has a like inclination, thus giving the same bevel to the
other sides of the two blocks when split, as seen in the Drawing, and as
herein-before described.
.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Scal Patent
Office on the 1st July 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the
thirty-third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Alexander Melville Clark,
Her special licence that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Alexander Melville Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, 3

page_text: should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times thereafter 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN WOODEN PAVEMENTS AND IN
CUTTING THE BLOCKS THEREFOR," a communication to me from abroad by
William Wilmot Ballard, of Elmira, Chemung County, State of New
York, in the United States of America, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, my executors or
administrators, 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 Alexander Melville Clark, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the Sheet of
Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say) :-
:-
This Invention relates to new and useful improvements in the ocn-
struction of wooden pavements whereby such pavement is rendered
more durable and is laid down with less labor and expense than wood
pavements of ordinary construction; it also consists in the mode of
sawing the blocks for the pavement, whereby they are cut to the proper
form without waste of lumber, and the Invention consists in forming
the blocks and in laying the pavement as herein-after more fully
described.
In the accompanying Drawing Figure 1 represents a perspective view
of a section of pavement constructed according to this Invention
showing the floor or bed upon which the blocks are laid, the kerbstone
of the street, and the manner of forming the water gutter; Figure 2 is
a perspective view of two blocks laid side by side; Figure 3 represents a
perspective view of a section of the pavement complete showing the
concrete or filling in the wedge-shaped spaces between the rows of
blocks. In Figures 4 and 5 the method of cutting the blocks is shown.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

page_text: A represents the surface of the street which is made slightly arched, the.
end of the arch resting against the street kerbs B; C, represents strips
or narrow pieces of lumber laid transversely on the arched surface of
the street or at right angles with the kerb and at distances apart to
correspond with the length of the boards or planks used for the floor or bed
of the pavement; D represents the floor or bed. The strips Care bedded.
in the arched surface of the street, so that the flooring D rests upon and
is firmly supported thereby, and by the arched surface. The flooring is
composed of boards or blanks of any desired dimensions with their ends
resting upon the strips C as represented in the Drawing. The blocks
(marked in the Drawing E) are laid upon this flooring in rows trans-
versely and so as to break joints with each other. These blocks are of
a wedge-shape and are so laid that their bases shall be in contact, thus
forming a continuous arch across the street leaving V shaped recesses or
spaces between the rows. These spaces are filled with concrete or with
some equivalent material as represented in Figure 3. The whole surface
is then covered with tar, asphaltum, or with any other suitable substance
if considered necessary. The gutters are formed by inclining the bed
or flooring slightly upward at the kerb and splitting off the ends of the
blocks so as to fit against the kerb and against the last or adjacent block
of the row. The blocks E are of peculiar form, and their novelty con-
sists in their being wedge-shaped having both sides at acute angles with
the base, with the grain of the wood running parallel with one and
oblique to the other of these sides. The advantages of blocks having
both sides bevelled with the grain of the wood running as described over
the ordinary wedge-shaped block are, first and most important, that only
one corner of the base is at all likely to become broken off by transpor-
tation and rough handling, whereas in the ordinary block both corners
are liable to such accident. Another advantage of the relation of the grain
of the wood to the sides of the block is that the V shaped spaces have
one perfectly smooth side and consequently less opportunity is afforded to
the gravel or concrete in filling to clog or jam and leave the lower
portion of the space looscly or entirely unfilled. This is believed to be
a difficulty in pavements constructed of wedge-shaped blocks having the
grain running vertically from the base, thereby exposing the ends of the
fibre on both the bevelled sides of the block. A pavement constructed
of these improved blocks can be laid at less cost than with any other
wedge-shaped. blocks owing to the cheapness of the blocks. It has
always been desirable to construct. wood pavements of this description of

page_text: block, as they make a stronger and more durable pavement and are more
casily laid, but so far it has been nearly impracticable owing to the
expense of producing the blocks caused by the waste in material and
the necessary extra sawing.
An important feature of the Invention is the mode of cutting up the
lumber of which the blocks are composed so that there shall be no waste
of material while the block is produced in its most desirable form. This
is accomplished by cutting and splitting the blocks in such manner that
one cut from the lumber and on splitting of the block will produce two
finished blocks with top and bottom parallel with each other with the
two sides of the block at acute angles with the bottom, one side being
parallel with the grain of the wood, and the other side slightly oblique
to the grain, without more waste than is occasioned by the cut of the
saws.
For the purpose of more particularly describing the mode of cutting
the blocks without waste of material we will take a piece of lumber or
timber (say four and a half feet long, twelve inches wide, and seven
inches thick). This is placed under a saw or a gang of saws, as shown
in Figure 5 in an inclined position, so that blocks will be produced with
two sides inclined, the top and bottom being in parallel planes. Each
piece of timber of the dimensions named will produce nine blocks, the
dimensions of each being twelve inches long, six inches high (measured
with the grain of the wood) and seven inches wide measured across the
grain. These blocks are then split, as indicated in Figure 4, in a direction
slightly oblique to the fibre, being brought towards the splitting saw in
an inclined position, as seen, so that the line of cut will form the other
two bevelled sides of two blocks, each block having its top and bottom
on parallel planes with the sides at acute angles with the bottom or base.
One of these sides will be parallel with the grain of the wood, while the
other side will be slightly oblique thereto. These blocks will now be
twelve inches long and six inches high. The top of the block will be
three inches wide and the base four inches (less the kerf or cut of the
saw). These particular dimensions are named only as an illustration ;
any suitable sized timber may be used, the only waste being the small
angular piece cut from the ends to form the bevel. One cross cut and
one splitting as shown produces two complete blocks ready for use. The
machine for sawing off the blocks is simply an inclined feed table
arranged at right angles with the cut of the saws. This gives the top

page_text: and bottom of the block the proper angle to form the bevel to two sides
of two blocks as represented in Figure 5. The splitting table (Figure 4)
has a like inclination, thus giving the same bevel to the other sides of
the two blocks when split, as seen in the Drawing and as hercin-before
described.
Having described the nature of the Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention
to be protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1st. A wooden street pavement constructed substantially as herein
shown and described with the blocks wedge-shaped and with the grain
of the wood running as set forth.
2ndly. The herein described method of cutting blocks for wooden
pavements so as to form by two cuts or one cut and one splitting two
finished blocks with the top and bottom in parallel plane, with the sides
bevelled, one side being inclined or on a line parallel with the fibre and
without waste of material substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have
hercunto set my hand and seal, this First day of July, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
Witness,
W. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane.
A. M. CLARK. (L.S.)·