USRE2748E - Samuel nicolson - Google Patents

Description

.UNITED STATES` PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL NicoiLSoN, or Bosfrou, MASSACHUSETTS.

@moved-wooden PAVEMENT.

' Speoieation forming part of'-L etters Patent No. 11,491, dated August 8, 1854; Reissue No. 1,553, da'ed December l, .1863; Reissue No. 2,748, dated August 20, 1867.

To all whom it may concern Beit known that the following isa full, clear,

were 'granted to meon theV 8th day of August,

inthe year of our Lord 1854, and 'forv which new and Reissued Letters Patent were granted to me @on theI 1st day of December, in the year `of our Lo'rd 1863, the said last-mentioned Let I tersatent havingA been surrendered' for the purpose of describing the same invention and pointing out in what it consists in more clear,

full, and exact terms than was done in the said original or amended -specifications.

'Dhenatureobject of my invention 'con-e slst in Aproviding a process ormode of constr ucting wooden-block pavements upon a.

foundation alonga street or roadway with f1 cility, eheapness, and accuracy; and also in the creation and construction of such a wooden pavement for streets and roadways as shall be comparatively permanent and durable by so uniting and combining all its parts, both Superstructure and foundation, Aso as to provide against th slipping` of the horses feet, against noise, vagainstv unequal wear, and against rot on or from the top surface, and against rot and consequent sinking away from below.

For -a clear understanding of the manner ofcons'tructing my improved wooden pavement,

.ll refer to the accompanying drawings, with corresponding letters of 1eferenee,making part of this specification, of which Drawing No. l, Figure 1, represents` a top view of the iirst plan of said pavement, and Fig. 2 ofthe same drawing represents a transverse and vertical section of the same; and Fig. 1 of Draw- -ing No. II represents a perspective'view o1' further perspective view of a section-of the the 'said pavement constructedand in the process of construction after the second plan or modification; and Fig. 2, Drawing No. II, a

`said pavementon the first plan; and Fig.`3, Drawing No. 1I, a further perspective view of a section of the said pavement on the second plan.

The earth of a roadway upon which my improved wooden pavement of either plan (is to be constructed must first be suitably graded in any of the usual and well-known methds,

in order to prepare it for Vthe reception of such pavement. When thest'reet or roadway hasv thus been'p1epared for the reception of my pavement, then cover the surface of the road way*- or bed with tarred paper, or with hydrauliccement laidover it 'about two (2) inches inthickness, orrwith acheap ooring of boardsV v or plank, which may also be eoveredwith tar on one 'orboth Sides by swabbing'orby dipping the boards or plank; or any other preventative'to moisture may be used in connection with said foundation .or support, the 'object-and effect of such foundation being the support afforded such pavement, and to prevent the absorption of moisture from the ground by the wooden blocks. Said foundation .is designated in said drawings by the let.- tersd d. In further carrying out myinvention I employ two (2) sets of blocks, or a set of blocks and strips. The one set of blocks, which may be called the principal77 set of blocks, forms, when the pavement is completed7 the wooden surface ofthe pavement, and the other Qr auX- iliary set of blocks or strips forms no partof lthe wooden surface of the pavement, but determines the size of the groove or channel way between .the principal blocks, which is afterf ward .to be filled with broken stone7 gravel, and tar, while the principal set of blocks niust be of uniform height and of suitable texture to form a' proper surfacev for the-pavement. The auxiliary set Yneed be of fno particular height or texture; but` they must not 'perillanently and entirely fill the grooving intended for the gravel, broken stone, and tar when the pavement is completed.

, The prinoipalset of blocksis cut with parallel sides, VAlines, or surfaces from ioist ortimber about fourinches square, or of other suitable shape anddimensions in cross-sections, being made eight-inches in length. The auxiliary blocks may be formed o'f about halfthe lengthfof theothers; .but they must be of such. thickness or cross-section as to form the proper boundary of the groove. The principal blocks are placed end upward upon said foundation er support, and are arranged both transversely and longitudinally',` Vso that the principal and the'auxiliaryblocks' Shill' bdari'aged alter: nately in eachV direction, or run asseen in the diawings., By'sueh anrarrangement spaces or The auxiliary strip may be about half the No. Il. The principal blocks are arranged side p by side transversely of the roadway, alternately pal blocks.

cells c c c, between the principal blocks are formed, each of said cells being bounded by four of the principal blocks. The upper ends ofthe principal blocks, when thus placed together, present a checkered or tessellated appearance, and they will exhibit the open spaces arranged together in a similar manner. lnto each of these cells a small quantity or 'layer of coarse salt may be put. These cells are filled up with small broken stone or coarse clean gravehthe whole being firmly rammed, so that the upper surface ofthe mass shall be firm and level. Next, mineral or vegetable tar or pitch is to be poured over the whole surface of the pavement and into the cells or cavi-ties containing the broken stone or gravel, so as to penetrate entirely between the pieces of stone or gravel and cement them together. Thetar penetrating into the squares containing the broken stone or gravel will cause the masses of the stone t'o adhere firmly to the surrounding blocks, and will admit of expansion of the mass by the weight of the wheels of carriages in passing over them, such eX- pansion serving to fill up the space which might otherwisev be made by shrinkage of the wooden blocks.

VIn, order to vprevent the blocks from being forced below one another in some ofmy modes of constructing the pavement, they may be pinned together with wooden pins extending from block to block.

Instead' .of the broken stone and tar, any other suitable cementing material may be employed in the cells I prefer, however, commonI tar or pit-ch and gravel or brokenV stone, as such in practice has been found to operate to vgreat advantage and to be very durable .in use and to present a surface on which it is very difficult for horses to slip or slide, as is frequently the case on ordinary pavements when the surface is wet or covered with mud.

height of the principal block, but it must not be permitted Vto fill up the grooves perina! nently land entirely when the pavement is completed, or to form any part of the surface of the pavement. I i

' My invention may lie-carried out in another form-that is to say, upon the plan or second modification seen in Figs. 1 and 2 of Drawing with strips of board, cdgewisc or vertical, in thickness about one-third of the principalA blocks, placed transversely upon the foundationv or support, and in this mode of construction so arranged as to form spaces of about one inch in thickness between the rows of princi- I wouldremark, as to the durability of my pavement, that for the purpose of experiment I have had some ofit in use for six years before the month of March, 1854, on a road on which the travel has been very great.

. Some of the advantages of my pavement liary set of blocks or are to befoundin the hold that it offers fog liar character of the material of which the pavement is composed.

This avement'is also verV durable its durability being occasioned by the friction of the travel over it, being produced upon the slightly elastic extremities of the fibers of the wooden blocks,and by its solidity-and durable material in the filling, f

Moisture is excluded from the wood by the materials employed for. the support of the blocks, also by the preven'tives, also by the tarry covering which is placed over the top surface, as hereinbefore described.

My pavement has the advantage of great cleanliness in comparison with most other pavements, because, in the first place, as there is very little wear of its upper surface, very little dirt is likely to forni Vupon it, and such as does form is quickly removed therefrom by rains and winds.

There is afin-ther advantage in respect to facility, cheapness, and accuracy 'n the process or method of forming the chann ls, grooves, or receptacles required for the desired filling in my improved construction, which results .from two sets or series of parallel sided blacks` (or blocks and strips of board) employed as above mentioned. By this` method of forming such chan-nels, grooves, or receptacles, the parallel ism ofthe same and ofthe principal blocks forming the ultimate surface of the pavement, and the uniformity in width or size and distance one from another of such channels, grooves, or receptacles, are effected in a cheap, simple, and expeditious manner directly upon the prepared foundation resting upon the roadway, and any necessity of constructing the pavement in portable compartments is-avoided.

Having thus fully described the parts and combination .of parts and the operation ofmy improved wooden pavement, and shown various modes in which the same may be constructed and made to operate without changing the principle of its construction and operation, l, claim as an improvement in the art of vconstructing pavements-'- 1. Placing a continuous foundation or sup- Y port, as above described, directly upon the roadway, then arranging thereon a series ol' blocks having parallel sides endwise in rows, sol as to leave a continuous narrow groove or ehannelway between each row, and then filling said grooves or channel-ways vwith broken stone, gravelfanditar, or other like materials.

2. The formation of a foundation directly upon the roadway, substantially as described, and -then employing' two sets of blocks, one a principal set of blocks that shall form the wooden surface of the pavement `when completed, and an auxil form nopart of the surface ofthe pavement, but determine the width of the groove between lthe principal blocks, and also theilling ofA pavement 'by laying a strips of board which shall said groove, when so formed, between theprincipal blocks, with broken stone, gravel, and tar, orother like material.

3. Placing a continuous foundation or support, as abovedescribed, directly upon the headway, and then arranging thereon a series .of/,blocks having parallel sides endwise in a checkered manner,so as to leave a series of checkered spaces or cavities between said `blocks, and then filling said checkered cavities with broken stone, gravel, and tar,v or other like material. 4. The formation of a pavement by laying foundation directlyupon the roadway, substantially as above described, and then em.-

ploying two sets of blocks-viz. one a principal set of blocks that shall form/ the wooden surface of the pavement, and an auxiliary set oi' blocks that Shall form no part of the wooden Surface of the pavement, but determine the dimensionsvof the tessellated cavities between. the principal blocks, and then filling` said tessellated cavities with broken stone, gravel, and tar, `or other like material.

SAMUEL NICOLSON.

'Vitnesses: Y

STEPHEN A. GOODWIN,

`DANIEL SHARP, y

CHAS. F. THAYni'g.

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