CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING ROADS AND WAYS AND PAVEMENTS OF STREETS, AND THE BALLAST OP RAILWAYS
Year: 1851

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
FRANCOIS MARIE DE PONS, of No. 24, Boulevard Poissonniere, Paris, Gentle-
man, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing dato at Westminster, the Seventeenth day of
February, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-one, in the fourteenth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Henry Francois Marie de Pons, my exors, admiors, and assigns,
Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said
Henry Francois Marie de Pons, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Henry Francois Marie de Pons, my exors, adñors, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the town of Ber-
wick-upon-Tweed, and in the Islands Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney, Sark, and
Man, and also in all Her Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, my
Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING ROADS AND WAYS AND
PAVEMENTS OF STREETS, AND THE BALLAST OP RAILWAYS;" in which said Letters

page_text: Patent there is contained a proviso that I, the said Henry Francois Marie de
Pons, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court
of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said in part 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
Henry Francois Marie de Pons, do hereby declare that the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully
described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof.
My Invention consists in combining together certain substances, and form-
ing with them a concrete composition which I use for roads, pavements, streets,
ways, and railways. I have found by experience that the following substances
are the best adapted to carry the purposes of my Invention: they are, iron
ore in slate of stone iron reduced in small pieces; granulated cast iron, either
broken or in chippings and shavings; iron or other metals reduced in pieces,
or in chippings and shavings; volcanic schistus, which is called volcanic
gluten, after having been submitted to the action of fire, and pulverised and
converted into cement; all cements, and hydraulic limes, lime, plaster, sand,
stone, iron drosses, slags, bitumens, asphaltes, surphur, sulphate of alumina, or
alumina and sulphate of iron.
Before successively describing the several processes by which I combine the
herein above-named substances, I must observe, that the ground on which
they are to be laid must be macadamised or so compactly pressed down that
it presents a perfectly solid or, even surface.
.. First process. I begin by spreading on the ground, prepared as herein-
before described, a thin bed of ironstone, either in a state of stone, but con-
veniently broken in granulous spheroidical pieces or pulverised, taking care to
water it and to pass over it a pressing roller, or to use any other suitable
means to obtain a perfect and powerful agglomeration of the substances
employed. I renew the above operation until I have formed a layer suffi-
ciently strong for bearing the traffic of the way thus prepared. It is obvious
that, in preparing a road by the combination of substances herein-before
stated, I pay due attention to choose those which I can obtain more easily
and more cheaply in every locality. However, in all cases when I can con-
veniently make use of them, I always prepare the lowest layer with iron
drosses.

page_text: Second process. Instead of watering with water, as herein-before stated, I
water with a solution of sulphate of iron the stone iron layers which I com-
bine with a slight mixture of volcanic shistus glutten, by which means all the
interstices between the compound substances will be entirely filled up, because
the sulphate of iron oxidises instantaneously, and I obtain therefrom an homo-
genous, resisting, and water-tight bed.
Third process. I temper the volcanic gluten, the cement, or all other
similar substances with ironstone alone, or to which said stone iron I add
sand, gravel, or stone; and I dilute the gluten or cement with water alone,
or rather with water edulcorated with alumina or sulphate of iron in a propor-
tion varying from two to ten for each hundredweight of the gluten employed.
I operate the laying with the substances thus prepared, either by setting small
layers one upon the other, or by a single one of a sufficient thickness; but in
all cases I conduct the operation in such a manner that the pressure forces
always the glutten to rise on the surface, having found by experience that the
less the layers will be made with that substance the. more perfect the agglo-
meration will be effected, on account of the peculiar property of the glutten
for acquiring the hardness of the bodies with which. it is in contact, and for
adhering very strongly to them. I can also water with a solution of alumina
the surface of the layers, by which means the ground surface acquires
instantaneously a hardness which by times becomes very great.
Fourth process. I replace the sulphate of alumina or the alumina itself by
the sulphate of iron. That mode of operating procures an immediate oxida-
tion of the composing substances, and also a complete hardness and water
tightness.
Fifth process. I combine with gluten or with hydraulic gluten, when
mixed with or without ironstone, the necessary quantity of cast iron in a
granulated shaving state, or pieces of iron chippings, or of any other metals;
or again, I set them merely on the surface of the layer prepared of the above-
named substances with or without the addition of sulphate of iron or sulphate
of alumina.
Sixth process. I combine hydraulic lime or any other cements (the com-
position of which will contain or not ironstones or pieces of metals) with a
system of paving stones, the forms and dimensions of which may vary. They
will serve to construct the paving of surfaces in a certain proportion, by half
for instance. In the above combination of substances the gluten will be very
useful on account of its adhesive power, which is such that the paving stones
will sooner be broken than to be separated from the gluten.

page_text: Seventh process.--I combine with the iron ore or pieces of any other metals
all the herein-before stated substances.
Eighth process. I combine ironstone or pieces of metals prepared as here-
before stated with bitumen or asphalte.
Ninth process. I combine ironstone or any other metals prepared as
herein-before described, with sulphur, which is employed in the same manner
as in the soldering process.
The advantages resulting from the different combinations I have described
can be enumerated as follows:-
For the first process I obtain an even, solid, hard, and resisting surface, but
capable of receiving a sufficient wearing so as to cause rugosities on its surface,
capable of preventing the horses from slipping; however the wear is very small
and regular, because the combined substances forming the agglomerations are
'not subjected to be displaced, and instead of the stunning noise resulting from
the rolling of vehicles on the stone pavement (by the application of the first
process in streets and roads) will be replaced by a dead sound scarcely
audible. The mud will be no more produced and the dust resulting from the
macadamizing is entirely avoided; or if any were produced the slightest
watering will remove it. The process always prevents the shaking of buildings
and houses, and is therefore especially adapted for the streets and roads having
a moderate traffic.
The second process offers the same advantages as the first, but it presents,
besides, a complete watertightness, and resists the wear and tear more power-
fully. It is well adapted for the roads having a great traffic, and for the
pavement of streets.
The third process unites to a higher degree the advantages enumerated in
the two first, and will therefore be preferred for the pavements and paving
of streets or roads where the traffic is very considerable. That process is also
very well adapted for the flooring of houses, warehouses, stables, coach houses,
barns, yards, &c., &c., and for the ways on railways. In this last case the
sleepers are bedded in the composition, which surrounds and adheres to them
very strongly, preserving them at the same time from the deteriorating effects
of the atmospheric air, heat, and dampness. With the third process the
sleepers can be also entirely suppressed, and stone or cast-iron chairs can alone
be employed; they will be rendered independent and placed at a distance from
each other, or they can be connected together by means of a small metallic rod.
They will be incrustated in the layers, and acquire a perfect adhesion with
a compact homogeneous waterproof composition, which resists the effect of

page_text: the sun, frost, and wet, without ever warping, breaking, or cracking, and
acquiring with time a strong and still stronger hardness. I can even, by
the application of the third process, entirely suppress the rails on railways.
For that purpose I construct the space between the rails in a slanting
direction, giving to it the same deepness as that usually employed. The
locomotive will run as usual, and on the upper edge thus prepared; or I
lay a flat surface with the composition, and prepare on each side grooves for
the wheels into which they will run; or again, I prepare with the composition
projecting rails, similar to those employed, and they will form a solid mass with
the laid surface. The repairs will be made with scarcely any interruption on
the railway, the composition acquiring very soon the necessary hardness for the
traffic. The moveable sections of rails for the changing of rails can be prepared
and laid, as herein-before described. The system of flat surface herein-before
described renders, therefore, very practicable the application of locomotives
without rails on roads; until now the inequalities of the ground have always
prevented such running, but, according to my process, the hardness of the road
will be quite sufficient for the working of locomotives, and the prompt destruc-
tion of machinery, on account of the dust engendered on common roads, is
entirely suppressed.
The fourth and fifth processes present the same advantages as the third.
The application of the sixth process presents the means of making use of
the paving stones, which the processes previously described entirely suppress.
It offers, therefore, an advantage on account of the facility of adhesion between
the substances, and more especially on account of the strong adhesive propriety
of the gluten, forming, as already stated, a surface perfectly resisting and
water-tight, removing also all chances of the mud which rises above the level
by the natural pressure of the paving stones.
The seventh process, besides the above-stated advantages, presents also that
of economy, according to the localities in which it is used.
The eighth process is a special combination of the substances, to avoid
completely the noise when it is necessary.
The ninth process, besides the above stated advantages, is still more
applicable where the combining substances can be obtained at a low price.
And having now described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not restrict
myself to the precise details, proportions, or shapes I have herein-before
described, provided the general features of my Invention be preserved. But
what I claim as my Invention, and intended to be protected by the herein in
part recited Letters Patent, is, the combination of certain substances and the

page_text: employment of certain processes applied to the construction of roads, streets,
and pavements, and to covering ways, with or without rails, for the running of
locomotives, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Francois Marie de Pons, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of August, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-one.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the oath of Peter Armand Le Comte
de Fontaine Moreau, the Specification aforesaid was enrolled, word for word, as
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to
the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the oath of Peter Armand Le Comte
de Fontaine Moreau, the Specification aforesaid was enrolled, word for word, as
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to
the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Sixteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-one.