IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF COKE, AND IN THE APPLICATION OF THE GASEOUS PRODUCTS ARISING THEREFROM TO USEFUL PURPOSES
Year: 1852

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, for the Office of Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-third day of February, in the fifteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Edward Newton, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege
and authority, that I, the said William Edward Newton, my exors, admors, and
assigns, and such others as I, the said William Edward Newton, my exors,
admors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times during the term of years therein mentioned, should'
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales,
and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF COKE, AND IN THE APPLICATION OF THE GASEOUS PRODUCTS ARISING
THEREFROM TO USEFUL PURPOSES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained
a proviso obliging me, the said William Edward Newton, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,"
and to cause the same to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery

page_text: within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being there-
unto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Edward Newton, do hereby declare that the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference
being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures
marked thereon (that is to say) :-
In the distillation of the coal for the purpose of obtaining gas for illumi-
nation, carbonate and hydrosulphate of ammonia are evolved, but are not
usefully employed, the only products that are preserved being the carburetted
hydrogen which comes over with the ammonia, and the coke which remains
in the retort. In the ordinary process of manufacturing coke for locomotive
engines and other purposes, where a superior quality of coke is required, all these
gaseous products are wasted, as it has hitherto been found necessary to burn
the coal in open coke opens or chambers which are only partially closed, an
aperture being left to allow the smoke and gaseous products to escape, and
air to support combustion is, during a certain portion of the operation, allowed
to enter through small orifices provided for the purpose. By these means, which
are well known, a dense coke of very superior quality is produced when the process
is properly conducted, but the gaseous products which are evolved during the
coking process are usually allowed to escape into the atmosphere, and are lost.
As it is well known that the waste gaseous products evolved during the combus-
tion of coal, or the manufacture of coke or coal gas for illumination, contain
ammonia, carburetted hydrogen, and other valuable matters, various plans have
been from time to time devised for obtaining and advantageously employing the
ammonia and other gaseous products evolved during the combustion of coal
and the manufacture of gas or coke; it has, however, been found that in the
apparatus or processes hitherto employed for this purpose, although consider-
able quantities of ammonia were obtained, yet the coke produced by the
process was much inferior to that made in the ordinary open coke oven. This
arose from the fact that in order more effectually to obtain the whole of the
gaseous products the ovens or retorts were closed, and, by applying the heat
below, a distilling operation was carried on; whereas a totally different
process takes place in the ordinary open coke oven. As the coke is, for the
reason before mentioned, greatly deteriorated in quality, the value of the
process is diminished in a corresponding degree, and, in fact, commercially
speaking, the process, as far as regards obtaining chemical products, such as

page_text: the salts of ammonia, has been found practically useless. Up to the present
time, therefore, it has been considered preferable to adopt one process for the
manufacture of good coke, and another one for obtaining the gaseous products
from coal. It seems to be a sine qua non that to obtain good coke the
oven should not be closed, and the process must in no degree resemble
a distilling operation. The object of the present Invention, therefore, is to
take the gaseous products that arise from the coal during the manufacture of
coke in the ordinary way, and extract therefrom all the valuable matters they
contain. If this can be done without deteriorating the quality of the coke
the
gross value of these products (which are now wasted) becomes a saving of
considerable amount, as the cost of collecting the products is comparatively
very trifling.
The improved process consists in bringing the gases which are evolved
during the combustion of coal or during its calcination in an open chamber,
and particularly in coke ovens, into contact with water, acids, salts, and, in
fact, any substances which are known to combine with or absorb ammonia ;
also in the employment of a pump or aspirator when the draft is insufficient.
When there is sufficient draft, a vessel or receptacle containing any of the
substances which will absorbe the animonia is adapted to the flues or chimney
through which the gases escape, and through which receptacle the products of
combustion are made to pass, and the substance contained therein will retain
the carbonate and hydrosulphate of ammonia. In order to impede the draft
as little as possible, the substance contained in the said receptacle is either
placed upon a kind of sieve or strainer, such as are usually employed in
apparatus for purifying gas for illumination, or an apparatus for showering the
water down is employed, or any other apparatus having interstices for the
passage of liquids and gases will answer the purpose. When the draft
is insufficient (and this is generally found to be the case) an apparatus is
employed, consisting, firstly, of a flue which receives the gas on its exit from
the fireplace or oven; second, of a receiver, in which the gases are conducted
by means of the flue above mentioned, and brought into contact with some sub-
stance capable of retaining the ammonia; and, thirdly, of a blower, ventilator,
or other convenient means for the purpose of creating a draft. Any apparatus
capable of driving or drawing off the gases may be employed for this purpose.
The following apparatus are also employed as accessories (vizt): First, a
refrigeratory apparatus of some kind for the purpose of refrigerating or cooling
the gases, and causing them to deposit the soot produced by the condensation of
the smoke. Secondly, a vessel placed before the one for the reception of the
ammonia, and in which the tar and lamp black are deposited. Thirdly, a pipe

page_text: for carrying off (from the vessel in which the ammonia is separated from the
other gases) the uncombined and combustible gases, such as the carburetted or
sulphuretted hydrogen, and by which pipe they may be conducted to jets or
burners under the apparatus employed for the concentration of the ammoniacal
salts, or under the subliming apparatus, or the steam boiler, where the heat
generated by the combustion of these gases may be usefully employed. These
combustible gases may be, by means of branch pipes and jets or burners,
distributed under any other apparatus, where they may be consumed.
Having explained the principle upon which the present improvements are
based, and the object which they are intended to produce, I will now proceed
to explain more in detail the construction, arrangements, and operation of
the apparatus, whereby the results above mentioned are obtained. In the
accompanying Drawings I have shewn the best means with which I am
at present acquainted for carrying out the improvements. In Sheet I.
the entire apparatus is represented drawn to a scale of one twentieth the
real size, Fig. 1 being an elevation of the apparatus, Fig. 2 a plan, and
Fig. 3 an end view of the same. A, A, A, are the coking ovens, of which
there may be any convenient number (say twenty). They are similar in con-
struction to those usually employed in England. a, a, a, are the supply and
discharge apertures, serving also for the admission of air. a', a', a', are short
vertical flues proceeding from the ovens, and terminating in the horizontal
flue B, which is about sixteen inches wide by twenty inches in depth. Coke
ovens in England are sometimes provided with a similar flue, which usually
conveys the gaseous products to the chimney shaft, and from thence into the
atmosphere, but it may be employed for conveying the gases to the apparatus
hereafter described. Of course where a horizontal flue of this kind does not
exist it must be constructed for the purpose of carrying out the present
improvements. This flue should be formed of two small walls b, b, with
a roof b¹, constructed of brickwork or masonry (see Fig. 4, which represents a
section of the flue), or it may be covered with large slabs of firebrick, which
would enable the processes of cleaning and repairing to be conducted with
facility. In order to economize the heat in this flue the boiler of a' steam
engine may, if required, be mounted thereon, or the heat in this flue
may be applied to the vessels for the concentration of the salts, or vessels for the
calcination of the soot, or the subliming apparatus (if hydrochlorate of ammonia
were desired to be produced) may be adapted thereto. Into this horizontal
flue B the chimney of each oven a' leads, as above mentioned, and shewn
'more clearly at Fig. 5, Sheet II. The flue B discharges the gases and
other products into the chamber C, which is constructed of brickwork or

page_text: masonry, and is closed as hermetically as possible. It is intended to con-
tain the refrigerator D, shewn detached at Figures 7, 8, and 9, Sheet II.
The position of this refrigerator in the chamber C is seen by dots in
Figures 1 and 2, Sheet I.
c, c, c, Figure 1, are openings made at the
lower part of the chamber C for the purpose of cleansing it and discharging
the lamp black or soot which is deposited on the bottom of the chamber.
The direction of the gaseous products of combustion through the apparatus. is
shown by the arrows in Fig. 1, 2, and 5. c is a partition for supporting the
refrigerator D, but leaving openings c (see Figures 5 and 5*) for the passage
of the gases. Upon this partition is a cast-iron bar c³, with a groove or
channel in which the plates or flanges of the refrigerator rest, and forming a
partition extending from the bar c' to the top of the chamber. The only
passages open for the gases are under this bar c³. is also a wall built in
the same manner as c¹ upon the bed of the chamber C, but forming a parti-
tion with the supports of the refrigerator, the flanges of which take into
and rest upon the bar c. The openings for the escape of the gases are at c
above; the gases following the direction of the arrows pass through the pipe c³
into the vessel E. This vessel is made either of freestone or lead, or some
other material lined with freestone or lead. This vessel consists of several
parts well luted together. Upon the false bottom e, which is pierced with
holes (see Figures 5 and 6), are piled up to the top very hard pieces of coke
or freestone or pumice stone, or any other substance which is not affected by
the action of sulphuric acid, and which by reason of their irregular form will
have interstices left between them. The acid diluted with water is placed in
the vessel F, which is made of lead or freestone. The water is allowed to
flow into the vessel E through the pipe f, which is furnished with a stopcock
to regulate its flow. The dilute acid will fall from the vessel F in a shower
on to the pieces of coke or freestone contained in the vessel E, and when
percolating through or between these substances it will meet in its passage
with the gases which are made to pass from the pipe c through the vessel in
a contrary direction. The uncombined gases which remain will make their
exit through the pipe and pass onward to the ventilator H, Figures 1, 2,
and 3. By this arrangement the working of the apparatus will be rendered
continuous and will cause a very large contact surface of gas and acid. The
acid descending drop by drop and becoming constantly more divided will meet
with gases more or less rich in ammonia, which it will take up or absorb, and
will arrive in a saturated state in the lower part of the vessel E. When this
part of the vessel E has been filled up to the level e¹ the saturated solution will
flow through the syphon pipe e into the leaden vessel G (Figures 1, 2, and 3),

page_text: from whence the solution will pass into the concentrating apparatus. H is a
centrifugal or other ventilator for increasing the draft. It has not been deemed
necessary to give a detailed Drawing of this part of the apparatus, as its con-
struction is well known. Any other kind of exhausting apparatus may, however,
if desired, be employed instead of the ventilator or fan H; for instance, jets of
steam suddenly condensed in a chamber connected with the vessel E will have
the effect of creating partial vacuum therein, and will draw the gaseous
products through the apparatus. The ventilator will draw off the uncombined
gases from the upper part of the vessel E through the pipe e², and force them
through the pipe I, by which they will be conveyed away, and as they will be
found to consist for the most part of combustible gases, such as carburetted or
sulphuretted hydrogen, they may be conducted under the concentrating boiler
or evaporating vessels, and employed as fuel for heating and concentrating
the liquid salts of ammonia which have been produced in the vessel E.
The pipe.e is continued a little lower than the entrance of the ventilator in
order to allow the condensable matters which may be disengaged to be
collected in this prolonged part, which is furnished with a discharge cock, as
seen best in Fig. 3.
Figures 7, 8, and 9 (Sheet II.), represent detached views of the refrige-
rator, drawn to a scale of one tenth the real size. It will be understood that
unless the temperature of the gas is reduced, large quantities of carbonaceous
matter in the form of smoke would pass into the apparatus, but by reducing
the temperature of the gases, the smoke will be condensed and made to
deposit in the form of soot in the refrigerator, from whence it may be removed
through the openings c, c; but if the gaseous products highly charged with
carbonaceous matter as given off from the ovens were allowed to pass
through the pipes of the refrigerator, the pipes would quickly become clogged
with soot and thereby greatly obstruct the working of the apparatus; it is
therefore indispensable to cause the refrigerating water to pass through the
pipes instead of the gases, which become cooled by coming in contact with the
cold surfaces of the pipes. The refrigerator is composed of a series of flanged
pipes of cast iron, which must not exceed three eighths of an inch in thickness,
set one above the other in the chamber C (Sheet I.) There are only two
kinds of pipes, the curved ones d³, furnished with circular flanges, and straight
ones d', furnished with rectangular flanges, which by being bolted together
form partitions, dividing the chamber C into three parts, d, d', d. The gases
pass from the flue or chimney B down into the part d, where they are cooled
by passing between the curved pipes, and deposit the lamp black or soot at
the bottom, passing thence through the opening c into the part da, from whence,

page_text: after having come in contact with the curved pipes, they flow off through the
pipe into the vessel E. The refrigerating water enters the pipes at d³ below,
and after having run through the whole series of pipes will pass off by the
opening above, to be afterwards employed for quenching the coke supplying
the engine, or for any other useful purpose. This arrangement of the
refrigerator possesses also the important advantage that it can be enlarged, or
reduced in capacity without deranging any part of the apparatus, and almost
without interfering with its working. Ten rows of pipes of the dimensions
given, which will enter the chamber C, will give a surface of about one
hundred and twenty-five square yards, which will be more than sufficient for
the working of the apparatus.
It has not been deemed necessary to furnish Drawings of the steam engine
for working the ventilator and supplying the refrigerator with water, &c., or
of the concentrating vessel, these parts being independent of the apparatus,
and their construction being perfectly well known. I would observe that the
apparatus must be furnished at various parts with stopcocks and doors to
extract or remove the various products as they accumulate. I would also
remark, that although I have above set forth and described the best arrange-
ment and construction of apparatus with which I am at present acquainted,
I do not intend to coufine myself rigidly to the arrangement herein shewn
and described, as it may doubtless be varied without departing from the nature
and object of the present Invention; nor do I intend to claim the exclusive
right to produce ammoniacal salts from the gas evolved during the combustion
or distillation of coal, as I am aware that this object has heretofore been
effected; but that which I consider to be new in the process above set forth,
and therefore with to claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is, the adaptation to ordinary coke ovens
of an apparatus whereby the gaseous products evolved during the combustion
of coal therein may, without interfering with the ordinary process of coking,
be drawn off and conveyed away to a receptacle or chamber where they may
be separated from each other, and combined with other chemical agents, to
form valuable products, or used for some other useful purposes, as above
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two.
W. E. (L.s.) NEWTON.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-third day of August, in
the year of our Lord 1852, the aforesaid William Edward Newton came
before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the
Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and
specified, in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was
stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Twenty-third day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-two.