Book II. PRESERVATION AND REPAIR OF ROADS. 



en 



it in a swinging box within. Fig. 570. is a view of the machine, or apparatus, as seen on the top; a a n 



are the three cylin- 

 ders for pressing the 

 loose stones of the 

 road together. As 

 the apparatus is 

 drawn along, these 

 cylinders revolve 

 upon their axles, 

 which are mounted 

 in the frame bbb. 

 There is a small 

 guide roller, or 

 wheel in front of 

 the frame to which 

 the shafts are at- 

 tached, and by 

 which the appara- 

 tus may be turned 

 round, or guided in 

 a curved course; 

 li d is a thin plate 

 of iron placed ob- 

 liquely across the 

 machine, in front 

 of the rollers ; it is 

 attached to the 

 framing by rods and 



screws, and is thereby made adjustable to any height, so as to scrape the surface of the road evenly. The 

 foremost end of the scraper is curved, for the purpose of preventing the escape of the mud, which, being 

 collected as the machine advances, runs along the inclined surface of the scraper, and is conducted to 

 the side of the road. Thus the mud is proposed to be scraped off the surface as the apparatus advances ; 

 and the materials of the road compressed and hardened by the traversing of the rollers. It may be added, 

 that in order to increase the pressure of the rollers, a box, to be affixed to the framework, is proposed to 

 be placed over the rollers, which may carry stones, or other heavy materials, that might be used in making 

 or repairing of the road. Under some circumstances, the patentee proposes to adapt to the apparatus the 

 auxiliary cylinder c, which is made to revolve upon its axle as it rolls along the road, and is attached to 

 the former by a frame //: this cylinder (e) is perforated all over its surface with holes, or slots; and when 

 it passes along the road, the mud, which is conducted to it by the scraper /»•£, presses through these holes, 

 or slots, to the interior. Fig. 571. is a side view of this cylindrical roller (e) attached to the frame//; within 

 this cylindrical roller the box // is suspended, swinging upon pivots ; and as the roller goes round, the 

 brush i removes the mud from the cylinder, and causes it to fall into the box below. When the box is 

 filled with mud, it may be discharged through the door k. (Newton's Journal, vol. xiii. p. 27.) 



3758. Marshal, on the subject of repairing roads, observes, that the best service of the 

 surveyor is to keep their surfaces smooth and even, so that rain-water may find a free 

 and ready passage to its proper drain. Ruts and hollow parts are to be filled up, level 

 or even with the general surface, as often as they are formed. This attention is more 

 especially requisite to a new-made road, whose bed and foundation are not yet fully con- 

 firmed. But in every case, and at all times, a solicitous regard is due to this most im- 

 portant, yet most neglected, part of road-surveying. Much expense of materials and 

 labour may thereby be saved, and the great end of road-making be fully obtained ; 

 namely, that of rendering the road, in all seasons, easy, safe, and pleasant to the 

 traveller. 



•3759. To keep a road in repair, Edgeworth observes, it will for some time require the 

 attention of the maker: ruts will be continually formed in the loose materials; these 

 must be sedulously filled up, and a small sprinkling of river gravel should be added. 

 All stones larger than the rest should be removed and broken smaller, and no pains should 

 be spared to render the whole as compact and smooth as possible. At a moderate dis- 

 tance from the capital, if no wheels of a smaller breadth than six inches, and if no greater 

 load than one ton on each wheel, be permitted to pass on it, a road will last a long time, 

 and may be kept in constant repair at a moderate yearly expense. 



3760. The repair of a road which has been well made, or after it has been put into a 

 good state of repair, Paterson observes, requires attention more than expense. " No 

 more metals ought to be used for the incidental repair of that road ever afterwards, than 

 are just equivalent to the decay of the road. And in order that the decay of the old, 

 and of course the supply of new, metals may be as little as possible, it is of the greatest 

 consequence that the road never be allowed to get rutted ; for, besides the unpleasant- 

 ness of such a road to the traveller, it is a fact not generally thought upon, that the 

 lateral rubbing of the wheels into the ruts will wear and grind down more than double 

 the metals that would be destroyed on a smooth road, where the only friction of the 

 wheels is that of rolling orer the metals. Besides, when a road is much rutted, it not 

 only retains the water, and consumes a greater quantity of metals (as has been noticed) ; 

 but the rubbing and jolting of the wheels into the ruts wears down the iron of the 

 wheels, fatigues the beast of draught, and also wears harness, &c, much sooner than 

 when the road is smooth. All these, and much more, are the bad effects of a rutted 

 road. Having premised thus much, I shall next advert to the method to be adopted in 

 order to keep the road free from ruts, at as little expense and labour, and with as few 

 metals, as possible." 



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