US118592A - Improvement in pavements for streets - Google Patents

Description

Patemed Mg, 2g, 1871.

DEX/ALMi mwovement in Straat Pavements.

UNITED STATEs PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. DE VALIN, OF SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN PAVEMENTS FOR STREETS, &c.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. DE VALIN, of Sacramento, in the county of Sacramento and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Street-Pavements; and I hereby declare the following' to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, refer ence being had to the accompanying drawing,in which- Figure 1 is a sectional elevation, and Fig. 2 a plan view of pavements constructed in accordance with my invention.

In the construction of street-pavements the choice of the materials of which they are to be made is necessarilyT dependent upon the locality and upon the cost of the material employed. Thus wood and stone will be employed for the purpose of paving in localities where these materials can be obtained at comparatively low price. But in localities where neither can be had at a cost that Would justify the employment of these materials for paving purposes, but where there is abundance of clay, no adequate means have heretofore been suggested or used to supply the want. The object of my invention, therefore, is to make use of such material in localities where it abounds for the purpose of producing therefrom a pavement which, in point of cheapness, durability, and smoothness, and consequent freedom from noise, shall not be excelled by the best wooden pavement. To this effect I prepare blocks of clay, molded'and baked, or bricks of suitable forni and size for paving purposes, and coat them with or immerse the same in coal-tar or other suitable hydrocarbon.

To enable others to make and use my said invention, I now proceed to describe the manner in which the same is or may be carried into effect.

The clay I use is suitably prepared, as is usual in the manufacture of good brick, and it is molded into blocks of any of the various forms and sizes, as hereinafter shown. According to the mode of laying these blocks with or without other materials, such as concrete or wood, interposed, they are shaped into cubes or other rectangular prismatic forms, with or without bevel edges or tapering' sides. Inasmuch as these blocks are formed in molds, they may be easily made slightly curved to conform to the surface of the roadway, and the sides and top and bottom may be currugated, or provided with projections and depressions for the more perfect interlocking of the blocks, or to give a rougher surface, as the case may be. I have shown a few modifications of pavement in illustration ofthe simplest and cheap est forms.

When the blocks are to be laid with concrete between them the blocks may be made tapering 011 one or both sides, as shown at A and B, respectively. These blocks are placed flat on their broad base on a well-dressed foundation, and the interstices between them are then filled up with concrete, as shown at a and b, respectively; or, the bricks may be made, as shown at C, with vertical sides, but having a recess formed on one side, which is iilled up with concrete in a manner similar to the last. rIhe rows of concrete in either case ought to be formed transversely to the street, so as to afford foothold for the horses. Rectangular blocks may be combined with one or more strips of wood, as shown at D d and E c. In the former a narrow strip of wood is placed edgewise transverselybetween the rows of blocks or bricks 5 in the latter two strips of wood are placed side by side7 the contiguous upper edges of which are beveled to produce, in effect, channeling for the better foothold of the horses.

Vhen only bricks or blocks are used without the interposition of wood or concrete, I prefer to mold the blocks so that the contiguous upper edges may be beveled either on all four sides, or at least transversely to the road, as shown at H.

The blocks are in all cases laid on a well-prepared sand or other foundation, and when laid the whole is covered with tar or asphaltum, care being taken to put on suiiicient to iill all the openings, so as to make the pavement as nearly as possible water-tight.

'lo render the bricks or blocks less liable to absorb moisture they may be saturated wholly or to any required depth with coaltar or any other suitable hydrocarbon by being pl aced in a suitable vessel provided with an' air-pump or other suitable device to exhaust the air, and subjected to suiii cient pressure to insure perfect saturation; or they may be placed in coal-tar in a-n open vessel and left there suiiicient time to be thoroughlypermeated.

Having now described my invention and the 3. The combination, with clay blocks coated or saturated With coal-tar, as described, of concrete, substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification before two 'subscribing Witnesses. 'Y

WM. H. DE VALIN.

Witnesses:

A. COMTE, Jr., GEO. P. KANE.

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