page_title: History of manufactured fuel gases
section_title: Coal stoking and machine stoking
hierarchical_section_title: History of manufactured fuel gases / Appliances and machinery of the historic gas-works / Other Gas-Works facilities / Minor and incidental coal gas-works facilities / Coal stoking and machine stoking
caption_attribution_description: English: The use of a stoking machine in the manufacture of coal gas.
context_page_description: The history of gaseous fuel, important for lighting, heating, and cooking purposes throughout most of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, began with the development of analytical and pneumatic chemistry in the 18th century. The manufacturing process for "synthetic fuel gases" typically consisted of the gasification of combustible materials, usually coal, but also wood and oil. The coal was gasified by heating the coal in enclosed ovens with an oxygen-poor atmosphere. The fuel gases generated were mixtures of many chemical substances, including hydrogen, methane, carbon monoxide and ethylene, and could be burnt for heating and lighting purposes. Coal gas, for example, also contains significant quantities of unwanted sulfur and ammonia compounds, as well as heavy hydrocarbons, and so the manufactured fuel gases needed to be purified before they could be used.
  The first attempts to manufacture fuel gas in a commercial way were made in the period 1795–1805 in France by Philippe LeBon, and in England by William Murdoch. Although precursors can be found, it was these two engineers who elaborated the technology with commercial applications in mind.
context_section_description: Machine stoking or power stoking was used to replace labor and minimize disruptions due to labor disputes.  Each retort typically required two sets of three stokers.  Two of the stokers were required to lift the point of the scoop into the retort, while the third would push it in and turn it over. Coal would be introduced from each side of the retort.  The coke produced would be removed from both sides also. Gangs of stokers worked 12-hour shifts, although the labor was not continuous.  The work was also seasonal, with extra help being required in the winter time.  Machine stoking required more uniform placement of the retorts.  Increasing cost of labor increased the profit margin in experimenting with and instituting machine stoking.
caption: Horizontal retorts with a stoking machine
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