Improvements in the Construction of: Paving Blooks for Roads, Footpaths, and other Ways.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Nov., 1895
Complete: Specification Left, 16th Aug., 1896-40cepted, 17th Oct.,, 1896. -
:
TRUVIDIONAL SIEVIET
Improvements in the Construction of: Paving Blooks for Roads,
Footpaths, and other Ways.
I, ALFRED BURNESS GREIG, of St. Dunstan's House, Idol Lane, in the County
of London, Consulting Engineer, 'do hereby declare the nature of' this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in the construction of paying blocks for
roads footpaths and other ways.
.
:
According to my invention, the, paving blocks comprise a sole-plate of sheet.
metal, reticulated metal, or other suitable material upon the upper surface of which
are arranged at convenient, intervals apart a number of strips of wood. or other
appropriate material, between which asphalt, cement,, concrete or other substance.
is placed. The said strips are advantageously of triangular shape in cross-section,
their apices being uppermost, and are of..a depth approximately equal to the
thickness of the blocks to be produced. The sides of these triangularly shaped
strips may be serrated notched or otherwise, formed to assist in binding the asphalt,
cement or other substance to the strips. Or transverse apertures may be formed,
in the strips through which apertures the asphalt or other substance employed.cau
pass from one side to the other of the strips and thereby act to rivet the parts
together. The aforesaid 'sole-plate when consisting of a metal plate may be
perforated at intervals between the strips by punching, so that the said. asphalt.or
other substance can enter these perforations and be thereby keyed to the sòle-,
plate.
If desired the upper portion or surface of the substance between the before
mentioned strips may consist..of india-rubber composition or other material. that
will deaden the sound produced by traffic passing over. the blocks when they are
laid on a road-way. The upper surface of the aforesaid asphalt or other substance
may be so formed that a good foothold will be given to horses and pedestrians.
In constructing, the aforesaid blocks I may employ a rectangular or other shaped
frame or box within which the sole-plate and the triangular strips are arranged,
the said frame or box. serving to retain the strips in proper position while the
cement or other substance is poured or placed between them. When the cement
or other substance becomes. set the block is in a hard and compact condition and
can be removed bodily from the. frame or box, aud.is.then ready for use. The.
internal dimensions of this frame or box are in .accordance with the size of the
blocks to be produced.
In some cases the before.mentioned sole-plate can be dispensed with.
I do not confine myself. to, the triangular, shape of the aforesaid strips as they
may be of any appropriate cross-section.
By.my invention I am able to manufacture the blocks at any convenient, place
and transmit them to the spot where they are to be laid. Moreover by constructing
the blocks in the manner above stated they will when laid in, position on a road
distribute the weight of the traffic over a larger surface and considerably reduce
the liability of the sinking of the road which now oftentimes occurs.
Dated this 15th dayanf November:1895.
,

page_text: Improvements in the Construction of Paving Blocks. for Roads,
Footpaths, and other Ways.
I, ALFRED BURNESS GREIG, of St. Dunstan's House, Idol Lane, in the County
of London, Consulting Engineer, 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 improvements in the construction of paving blocks for
roads, foot-paths and other ways.
According to my invention the paving blocks are composed of a number of strips
or bars of wood or other appropriate material, arranged at suitable intervals apart
with asphalt, cement, concrete or other suitable substances between them. The
Bephalt or other substance employed binds the parts together into a solid block
which can be made of any required dimensions.
The said strips or bars are preferably of triangular shape in cross-section and of
a depth approximately equal to or somewhat less than the thickness of the paving
block to be produced. Where blocks of additional strength are required I may
provide them with a base or sole plate which forms an integral part of the blooks
as hereinafter explained.
In order that my said invention may be more clearly understood and readily
carried into effect I will proceed to describe the accompanying drawing in
which:
Figure 1 is a vertical section and Figure 2 a partial plan view of a paving block
constructed in accordance with my invention..
Figures 3 to 7 shew various cross-sections of the strips or bars of somewhat'
different shape to those shewn in Figure 1.
Figure 8 is a vertical section shewing a slightly modified construction of the
paving block illustrated in Figure 1.
A A are the strips or bars; B is the asphalt or other suitable material between
them; and C is the sole plate.
:
The sides of the aforesaid strips or bars A may be plain as shewn in Figure 1,
but I find it advantageons to so form the sides that they will assist in binding the
asphalt to the strips. For example in some cases I provide them with serrations as
shewn in Figure 3, or with notches as in Figure 4, or with the corners at their
bases cut away as in Figure 5. In other cases I form transverse apertures through
them as shewn in Figure 6, so that the asphalt or other substance employed can
pass from one side to the other of the strips and thereby act to rivet the strips in
place. I may likewise form the said,strips hollow as shewn in Figure 7, for the "
purpose of reducing the weight of the blocks.
The sole plate is, in the example shewn, composed of sheet metal and is formed
at intervals between the strips or bars A with holes e produced by punching. I
find it advantageous to employ a comparatively blunt instrument for punching these
holes so that they will be of more or less tapered form as shown in Figure 1 and
will enable the asphalt or other substance entering these holes, to firmly key the
sole-plate to the asphalt.
In Figure 8 I bave illustrated a paving block in which the asphalt, or other
material employed, extends underneath the strips or bars A and takes the place of
the sole plate C.
If desired the upper portion or surface of the substance between the before
mentioned strips may consist of india-rubber composition or other material that
will deaden the sound produced by traffic passing over the blocks when they are
laid on a road-way. The upper surface of the aforesaid asphalt or other substance

page_text: may likewise be roughened or otherwise formed so that a good foothold will be
given to horses and pedestrians.
In constructing the aforesaid blocks I employ a rectangular or other shaped
frame or shallow mould within which the triangular strips A are arranged at
suitable intervals apart and preferably in an inverted position; the said strips
being of such a length that their ends loosely fit against the inner surface of two
opposite ends of the frame or mould and prevent the strips from shifting longitu-.
dinally during the insertion of the asphalt, cement or other material between the
said strips. When the asphalt, cement or other substance has been consolidated or
become hardened sufficiently, the block can be removed bodily from the frame or
mould and will then be in a solid and compact condition ready for use. The-
internal dimensions of this frame or mould are in accordance with the size of the
blocks to be produced.
I do not confine myself to the triangular shape of the aforesaid strips as they
may be of any appropriate cross-section.
By my invention I am able to manufacture the blocks at any convenient place
and transmit them to the spot where they are to be laid. Moreover by constructing
the blocks in the manner above stated they will, when laid in position on a road,
distribute the weight of the traffic over a comparatively large surface and consider-
ably reduce the liability of the road to sink in places, which now oftentimes occurs.
and produces a road of uneven surface.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that.
what I claim is :-
1. A paving block composed of wooden or other strips or bars and asphalt or
other appropriate substance, the said strips or bars being so formed that they will
co-operate with the asphalt or other substance in producing a solid composite block.
substantially as described.
2. A composite paving block comprising the parts A, B and C substantially as.
described with reference to the accompanying drawings and for the purpose
specified.
T 1
A
1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.