IMPROVEMENTS IN WOOD PAVING
Year: 1842

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
PERRING, of Cecil House, 85, Strand, in the City of Westminster, Hat
Manufacturer, 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 Seventh day of July, One thousand eight hundred and forty-
two, in the sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Perring, my exors, admors, and
assigns, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I,
the said John Perring, my exors, admors, and assigns, and such others as I,
the said John Perring, my exors, admors, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within that part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland called England, Her Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, and also in all Her said Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, my
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WOOD PAVING," partly communicated by a
Foreigner residing abroad; in which said Letters Patent there is contained a
proviso obliging me, the said John Perring, to particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-

page_text: formed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, and cause the
same to be inrolled in Her said 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Perring, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, and by the Drawings
therein referred to and hereunto annexed.
1. Figure 1 is a side view or elevation of a course of four blocks cut across
the grain to a mitre or angle of 45 degrees with their surfaces.
2. These blocks I pin or peg together at the centres of their sloped sides,
as marked a, a, and at the centres of their vertical sides, as marked b, b, by
pegs or pins placed at the points of intersection of lines drawn diagonally
across the sloped and vertical sides. And it is an essential feature of this
part of my improvements in wood paving, that the blocks should be connected
together by pegs or pins situate as nearly as possible at the centres of their
sloped and vertical sides.
3. Figure 2 is a plan of four courses of blocks, each alternate course
inclining from channel to channel, or from one side of the road to the other
in opposite directions, in which the central connections are also shewn by the
dotted lines a and b.
4. By this arrangement the joins or joints both at the upper and under
surface of the blocks will be broken or bonded throughout in the direction of
the line of traffic, and when one plane or surface becomes worn the other
may be brought into use. The surfaces may be grooved in any convenient
manner.
5. When the blocks are to be laid upon a concrete or other artificial sub-
stratum in a place where the traffic is considerable, I make them 6 inches in
depth, and the pins or pegs not less than 1 inch in diameter. The channel
blocks, which are formed of 2 courses of blocks united as before described,
should be 1 inch shallower than the blocks for the carriage-way.
6. Although any required area of carriage-way may be covered with blocks
from channel to channel, and in the direction of the line of traffic, in a per-
fectly united mass, yet it is in most cases desirable, for the greater facility of
the laying down, removing, and replacing of the blocks, that they should be
pinned or pegged together in slabs or masses, say of from 16 to 24 blocks
each. And in commencing to lay these slabs or masses down, the blocks

page_text: must be cut off as in the line of A, B, so as to abut firmly against the channels,
and to agree with the curve of the carriage-way in the line of traffic.
7. It will be obvious that the blocks will be best united at their sloped sides
first, and then course by course at their vertical sides.
8. I cut the blocks from squared timber, having the core as nearly as
possible at the centre. Supposing the timber to be 6 inches square, I cut it
at distances of 6 inches, measured perpendicularly between the planes of the
sections, so that when the block is placed in its proper position in the paving,
the vertical depth of the block will be equal to the depth of the timber as it
lies horizontally prepared for cutting, that is, equal to the distance, 2,
measured at right angles to the sloped sides, my rule being that the vertical
depth of the block shall be equal to, or not less than, the distance measured
at z, z.
9. If the blocks are cut of the dimensions and at the angle above
described, the pressure on the outer or younger and weaker fibres will be
supported in a vertical line by the central and stronger fibres of the wood,
and a similar advantage will attend the use of timber cut at angles less than
45, such as any angle between 40 and 45, provided the same dimensions of
block be used. And I consider the adoption of some angle between 40 and
45 with the dimensions above mentioned, an important feature of my Inven-
tion, as it enables me to use comparatively young or open grained timber;
since in blocks cut of the dimensions and at the angles above mentioned, there
will be no part of the more tender fibre which is unsupported in a vertical
line by that which is harder.
I claim as part of this my Invention, so far as the same is stated in the
above paragraphs,-
Firstly, the improvement in wood paving, whereby the blocks are cut and
placed so that the central or stronger fibres shall always assist in supporting
the external or weaker fibres, whereby also the blocks are arranged so as to
break joint, and be bonded together continuously throughout at both surfaces,
and whereby also the blocks are pegged together at the centres of both their
vertical and sloped slides. And I claim,
Secondly, as of my Invention, the improvement in wood paving whereby
the blocks are pinned or pegged together by pins or pegs at the centres both
of their sloped and vertical sides, in the manner described, at whatever angle
the blocks may be cut.
10. Figure 3 is a side view or elevation of a course of four blocks cut
across the grain at an angle of 80 degrees with their surfaces.
Figure 4 is a plan of 4 courses of such blocks, each alternate course

page_text: 'inclining from channel to channel, or from one side of the road to the other in
opposite directions. These blocks are pinned or pegged together in a central
line, intermediate between the two surfaces, at their vertical sides only, by pins
or pegs marked c, c.
11. The observations in the paragraphs marked 4, 5, 6, and 8, as applicable
to Figures 1 and 2, are also applicable to Figures 3 and 4.
12. In wood paving constructed of blocks cut at the angle of 80°, the
principle before adverted to of having the external or weaker fibre supported
by the central or stronger fibres, does not exist in the same manner as in blocks
cut at angles of from 40° to 45°, since the fibres of the blocks cut at an angle
of 80° will deviate only 10 degrees from the vertical, and consequently it
is necessary to use older and closer grained wood or timber of such a size that
the blocks cut from it shall have their fibres of nearly as possible uniform
strength throughout. If the wood be of the best quality as to fibre I prefer
cutting the timber at an angle of 80°, but if the timber be not of the best
quality, a somewhat smaller angle may be adopted with advantage, and the
angles may range from 75 to 80 degrees.
I claim as my Invention, so far as the same is stated in the above para-
graphs 10, 11, and 12,-
Firstly, the improvement in wood paving, whereby blocks cut at angles
varying from 75 to 80 degrees are united together by pegs at their vertical
sides as above described; and,
Secondly, the improvement in wood paving, by the use of two pegs on the
central line, as above described, of the vertical sides, whatever the angle of the
blocks.
13. Figure 5 is a modification, in which the blocks incline in the same
direction from side to side of the carriage-way. The joins or joints are
broken or bonded alike throughout at both surfaces, and the blocks are con-
nected together in a central line intermediate to the two surfaces, at their
vertical sides only, by pins or pegs marked d, d. Figure 6 is an elevation of
four of these blocks.
14. Figure 7 is a modification in which the blocks incline in the same
direction lengthwise of the carriage-way. The joins or joints in this modifi-.
cation are broken or bonded throughout at both surfaces. But the blocks are
connected together in a central line intermediate to the two surfaces, at their
sloped sides only, by pins or pegs marked e, e. Figure 8 is an elevation of
four of these blocks.
15. In the modification, Figure 5, where the pavement is laid down in
slabs or masses, I prefer that they should be occasionally keyed at the sides

page_text: by the intersection of projecting blocks with the adjoining slabs or masses,
so that they may be kept steady in their places, and in the modification,
Figure 7, it will be advisable, when laid in slabs or masses, so to let them
intersect each other that the joins or joints of the slabs or masses may also be
broken from side to side of the carriage-way.
16. A peculiar advantage of these two modifications, as shewn in Figures
5, 6, 7, and 8, consists in the facility with which any number of slabs or
masses may be removed and replaced.
17. The observations in the paragraphs numbered 4, 5, 6, and 8, as
applicable to Figures 1 and 2, are also generally applicable to Figures 5, 6, 7,
and 8. I claim as of my Invention, so far as the same is stated in para-
graphs 14, 15, 16, and 17, the improvements in wood paving, consisting in the
modifications of arrangement and connection therein described.
18. Figure 9 is a side view or elevation of a course of four blocks, having
slips of wood attached to them of about one inch in thickness, and coming to
within about one inch of the upper and lower surfaces of the blocks, either of
which surfaces may be placed upwards. Figure 10 is an end view of a block,
having such a slip of wood attached; and Figure 11 is a plan in which
16 blocks are united by pegs f on the sloped sides, and by pegs g on the
vertical sides, and having such slips of wood arranged between the courses,
and in a direction transverse to the line of traffic. Slips of wood may also be
fixed by similar means to the sloped sides of the blocks, although not shewn
in the Drawing.
19. These slips of wood are for the purpose of separating the blocks, so
that a sure foothold may be afforded to horses and other animals without
reducing the substance of the blocks. It is desirable that in these slips the
fibre or grain of the wood should run horizontally, and it will be generally
found that they can be made from the comparatively waste material formed in
squaring the wood in the manufacture of the blocks, by which a considerable
saving can be effected in the cost of the wood pavement.
20. Figure 12 is a plan of four courses of blocks connected together at their
vertical sides by pins or pegs marked g, and held together in a transverse
direction by the slips of wood marked h, which slips of wood, instead of being
separated at the sloped line of junction between each block, run the full
length of the course of blocks. Figure 13 is a side view or elevation of four
blocks thus connected. I prefer having the holes in the slips of wood for this
purpose as much larger than the circumference of the pins or pegs as will
admit of a little play, so that each mass or slab may take the required curve
across the carriage-way.

page_text: 21. The slips of wood on the outer sides of each mass or slab may be of
half the thickness of those at the inner sides of the blocks, but if used as laid
down in the Drawing, the blocks at the side not connected by a slip of wood
may be held together by iron cramps.
22. The observations contained in the paragraphs numbered 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8,
as applicable to Figures 1 and 2, are generally applicable to Figures 9, 10,
11, 12, and 13.
23. But I must here remark, that where the wood paving is to be laid on
an inclined plane, I prefer increasing the number of interstices formed from
channel to channel by the application of slips of wood, in the manner already
described, reducing thereby the thickness of the block in the direction of the
line of traffic, and thus still further securing the foothold.
24. It will be obvious that other elastic substances besides wood may be
used between the blocks, but I believe that none will be found so economical
as wood.
I claim as my Invention, so far as the same is stated in paragraphs 18, 19,
20, 21, 22, 23, 24, the improvement in wood paving by the use of slips of
wood or other elastic substances between blocks, of whatever shape, for the
purpose of affording a secure foothold.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Perring, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Seventh day of January, in the year of our Lord One