Publications
Longley's Perfected Wood Block Flooring, by Norman Longley, published 2001 in Sussex Industrial History (issue no. 31, article, pp.9-21, ISSN: 0263-5151) accessible at: The Keep [LIB/506529] Download PDF
Abstract:During the Victorian era wood block flooring was being used extensively for the ground floors of public buildings such as town halls, churches and schools. With their new Steam Joinery Works at Crawley, Longleys found themselves well equipped to make the blocks and Charles Longley hit on the idea of making a sort of tongue on each end of every block that would engage loosely (aided by the hot laying mastic) with the side of the adjoining block. Charles Longley, with the aid of his friend John Every, ironmaster of the Phoenix ironworks at Lewes, designed a machine that with one movement of the flooring strip across two saws would give the desired tongued end - the side groove having already been made by the four-cutter machine.
He thought the system worth patenting so that Longley's flooring could be sold for buildings for which Longleys were not general contractors. This was achieved and a patent granted in 1890, but not without a man called Charteris muscling in on the idea claiming he had just thought of it also.
He thought the system worth patenting so that Longley's flooring could be sold for buildings for which Longleys were not general contractors. This was achieved and a patent granted in 1890, but not without a man called Charteris muscling in on the idea claiming he had just thought of it also.