An Improved Process and Apparatus for the Manufacture of Peat Briquettes.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Process and Apparatus for the Manufacture of Peat
Briquettes.
1, HEINRICH KERRINNES, of 5, Lindenstrasse, Tilsit, in the German Empire,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention is based on the utilisation, in the manufacture of peat briquettes
by the wet method, of the natural binding material contained in the peat. By
the investigations of Tollens it is established in the first place, that there are
contained in the peat certain carbohydrates termed pentosanes which belong to
the gums. In the decay of vegetable remains, the pentosanes show themselves
to be more resisting than the cellulose and other materials of the living plant
cell (cp. the paper of Hjalmar von Feilitzen, Göttingen, 1897, "On the com-
position and the pentosanes of peat," etc. page 8). However the pentosanes
begin to decompose even when heated to 100 degrees (op. Lippmann "Die Chemie
der Zuckerarten," Braunschweig 1895, page 15, and Hjalmar von Feilitzen, etc.,
page 33 et seq.). By practical investigations it is established that these substances
contained in the peat can be utilised in the manufacture of peat-briquettes if the
peat fibres are opened by carrying the comminution as far as possible and
distributing the natural binding material as uniformly as possible in the mass,
and then taking care, in the course of the further process, that no decomposition
or deterioration takes place of the substances acting as binding materials. Since
the pentosanes belong to the kinds of gum which swell in water, they can only
be used in conjunction with water, as binding material. The binding power
vanishes as soon 8.5 the material be dehydrated beyond a certain degree.
If the material prepared under these conditions be subjected to a sufficiently strong
pressure there results a condensation up to such a high degree that the briquette
is capable of being piled or stacked up. In the further drying, the briquette draws
itself together even to beyond the density of brown coal briquettos and assumes
a woody structure, so that it does not lose its cohesion in transport and in burn-
ing. More especially in the latter respect the process shows a considerable
advance relatively to the whole of the processes for making briquettes heretofore
known, since by the artificial drying of the peat, at a higher temperature, the
natural binding material is decomposed or in removing the water its binding
power is lost, so that the briquette although possibly hard will however crumble.
or fall to pieces in the fire.
In carrying my improved process into practice, the peat-material coming fresh
out of the peat pit is comminuted to such a degree that it forms a pulp-like
mass. This mass has the water removed from it in suitable apparatus to such a
degree that it still remains capable of being moulded. The removal of the water
can take place in any suitable manner. The still moist material is then sub-
jected, in a press, to such a high pressure that the product is capable of being
piled or stacked up. The stacked up briquettes are then dried.

page_text: The peat briquette made in this manner can be consumed exactly the same
as good brown or pit coal, does not crumble on the grate and thus has completely
lost the character of the ordinary peat and that of the peat briquettes made
according to the processes heretofore known.
For carrying the improved process into practice, the arrangement hereinafter
described is preferably employed by means of which the peat material is first
comminuted and converted into a pulp, then has the water removed by a filtering
apparatus, and is then pressed into blocks or briquettes.
The material coming fresh from the peat-pit, passes first to the comminuting
apparatus or mill.
This consists of a cylinder provided with a filling hopper, in which cylinder a
piston performs a reciprocating motion. The said piston presses the peat material
in the cylinder towards the working or kneading tools. These preferably consist
of flat bars provided with holes, fixed in the cylinder, which bars are arranged
crosswise in the cylinder in pairs. Between each pair of these rods is arranged
a knife on a very rapidly rotating shaft extending through the cylinder. The
intermediate space between the flat bars, in which the knives cross, is gradually
narrower with the pairs of bars lying towards the outlet from the cylinder, so
that towards the outlet, there is a gradually finer milling of the material.
The bars are preferably adjustable in the cylinder casing, in order to permit
the degree of grinding or milling of the material to be altered.
The surfaces of the bars and knives turned to each are provided with longi-
tudinal and transverse grooves or channels which have sharp edges and run out
to a point. Instead of these, the grinding surfaces can also be provided with
grating teeth.
•
On the said shaft there is mounted, at the outlet-end of the cylinder, a perforated
conical grinding-head the periphery of which is likewise provided with grinding
teeth. The cylinder is likewise provided with grinding teeth in its inner wall
so far as it surrounds the grinding head. Moreover the end surface of the grind-
ing head and the cover of the cylinder, lying opposite the same, can also be
provided with grinding teeth. The cover is provided with slits for the outlet of
the ground peat-material. For keeping open or cleansing the slits an arm with
pins is mounted on the said shaft, which pins enter into the slits and, in the
rotation of the arm, remove the peat-material that may choke up the said slits.
In order to facilitate the exit of the peat-material from the cylinder, the
grooves on the grinding head or on the inner wall of the cylinder can be arranged
in spiral lines, whereby the material is fed to the outlet end of the cylinder.
From the milling apparatus above mentioned, the peat-material, now converted
into a pulp, passes into a pumping apparatus from a receptacle in which, by the
drawing and pressing action of a piston which receives a reciprocating motion in 4
a cylinder from the driving shaft through spur-gearing, crank and connecting-
rod, the peat-material is passed through two ball-valves into the filtering apparatus.
The filtering apparatus or apparatus for removing the water, in which the
superfluous water is removed from the peat-material, consists, for the purpose of
obtaining as great a pressing surface as possible, of a number of filtering tubes
with perforated casings, these tubes are lined on the inner surface with a smooth
filtering material, for example, stout silk fabric with a backing of felt. The
pulp-like peat-material fed into the tubes under pressure gives up its superfluous
water, through the filtering material.
With the strong pressure under which the peat-material must pass through the 5
filter-tubes, in order to give up the superfluous water, the particles of peat from
which the water has been removed may possibly become set fast on the filtering
material on the inner wall of the tube by reason of the great frictional resistance
which the filtering material offers to the forward motion of the peat-material, where-
by the unimpeded escape of the water would be interfered with, since the said water 5
must first be forced through the particles of peat, from which the water has already
been removed and which is adhering to the filtering material. In order to obviate

page_text: this disadvantage, cleaners are arranged on shafts extending through the several
filter-tubes, which clean the filtering material. The cleaners have the form of curved,
worm-shaped blades provided with holes to allow the peat-material to pass through
more easily in the rotation of the shafts.
In the rotation of the shafts, the blades or wipers clean not only the filter
walls of the tubes, but by reason of their curvature, move the particles of peat
from which the water has been removed, iuwards towards the shaft. In this
manner there is an uninterrupted removal of water from and mixture of the peat-
material. In addition to the advantage of better removal of the water, the
continuous mixing produces an advantage condition of the moulded blocks or
briquettes made from material prepared in this manner. The driving of the
shafts bearing the said blades is effected by a toothed wheel on the middle shaft,
whereby the other shafts are driven by means of gear-wheels. The centre shaft
is driven through gear-wheels or in any other suitable manner. The whole
filtering apparatus is enclosed by a casing.
In the said casing, there is preferably arranged, behind the above described
filtering apparatus, a second filtering apparatus exactly similar to the first in
construction and method of operation, whereby a further removal of water and
kneading or mixing of the peat-material is effected.
Between the two filtering apparatus, there is arranged, on the connecting casing
thereof, an air-chamber, whereby as uniform a pressure as possible is maintained
in the interior of the filtering apparatus. Instead of the air-chamber, an
accumulator can also be employed.
After passing through the second filtering apparatus, the peat-material from
which the water has been partially removed, passes through a valve into a mouth-
piece, which preferably consists of a series of dies or nozzles, and is pressed, as
an undivided or continuous strip or strips, into the pressing apparatus.
The pressing apparatus comprises the already mentioned mouthpiece provided
with a valve, the registers or moulding frames reciprocating in guide-bars, the
slationary press-bottom-plates entering into the intermediate spaces of the register
in the displacements thereof, and the stacking arrangements.
The apparatus operates in the following manner:--The peat-material from
which the water has been removed enters, after opening the valve at the mouth-
piece, into the month piece and from there passes, as an undivided or continuous
etrip, into the moulds of the register. As soon as the moulds thereof are filled
with peat-material, the valve at the mouthpiece is closed, and the two registers
connected together by their side walls, are moved laterally so as to bring an
empty one from one discharging position to beneath the mouthpiece, and the
other full one from beneath the mouthpiece to the other discharging position.
In this motion, the stationary press-bottom plates enter into the slits of the
register. Since now this register is closed on the side opposite the press-bottom-
plates by a movable frame, the peat-material in the moulds is forced out of the
intermediate spaces of the moulds by the press-botton-plates entering into the
moulds and reducing the cubical capacity thereof, and since it finds no outlet
from the moulds, it is pressed strongly and solidly together therein. The
movable frame closing the moulds, remains stationary on the press-bottom-
plates during the shock, whilst the register is moved over the discharging or
ejecting device, whereby the press-bottom-plates pass freely through the slits
between the moulds.
In order to obtain uniform pressure, and to prevent damming up of the peal-
material during the forcing of the press-bottom-plates into the moulds, openings
are arranged in the side walls of the moulds, whilst moreover, for preventing an
excessive pressure at the mouthpiece, a safety-valve can be provided.
The discharging or ejecting device consists likewise of a register with moulds,
which correspond to the moulds above mentioned, but have only the same thick.
ness as the press-bottom-plates.
These latter moulds, forming a perforated frame, have the object, during the

page_text: ejection of the pressed blocks or briquettes, of preventing knocking-off of the
edges.
The discharge or ejection of the pressed blocks or briquettes from the latter
mould-frames is effected by a reciprocating stamp arranged over the same and
moving up and down.
Beneath the latter moulding frames is arranged the stacking-apparatus. This
consists of a platform adjustable vertically by a screw-spindle, and a roller-frame
arranged thereon. In discharging, the stamp is first only moved downwards
through the height of a pressed block or briquette, so that only the pressed blocks
or briquettes of the lowermost row of moulds are ejected and brought onto the
roller frames. Now the screw-spindle makes a quarter revolution forward and
thereby at the same time moves downwards through the thickness of a pressed
block or briquette, after which the ejecting stamp is again moved downwards
through the thickness of a pressed block or briquette. By this arrangement or
this process, the pressed blocks or briquettes are laid one on another ready for
fastening together.
When the moulds are all emptied, the pressed blocks or briquettes stacked one
on another ready for fastening together, are pushed with the plate beneath them
along the roller-frame onto the transporting carriage, which is likewise provided
with rollers, and moved with this into the drying-shed. The screw-spindle then
returns to its former position.
Whilst one register was in the ejecting position, the other register stood
beneath the mouthpiece and, in the mean time would be filled in the same manner
as the first mentioned register. After emptying the first register, the two registers
are moved laterally towards the opposite side as before, whereby a pressing of
the peat-material takes place in the moulds of the second register in a similar
The moving frame here also closes the moulds during the pressing
manner.
operation.
For the ejection and stacking up of the pressed blocks or briquettes, the same
arrangements are provided as for the first register. Throughout, where a pressure
is exerted on the peat-material, for example, in the mouthpiece, in the registers,
and so on, provision is preferably made for the escape of water by the application
of filtering walls. Instead of the fixed press-bottom-plates, movable press-
bottom-plates can also be employed, which are pushed into the intermediate
spaces of the moulds.
Dated 18th day of auch 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Process and Apparatus for the Manufacture of Peat
Briquettes.
I, HEINRICH KERRINNES, of 5, Lindenstrasse, Tilsit, in the German Empire,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manuer the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
This invention is based on the utilisation, in the manufacture of peat briquettes
by the wet method, of the natural binding material contained in the peat. By
the investigations of Tollens it is established in the first place, that there are
contained in the peat certain carbohydrates termed pentosanes which belong to
the gums. In the decay of vegetable remains, the pentosanes show themselves

page_text: to be more resisting than the cellulose and other materials of the living plant
cell (cp. the paper of Hjalmar von Feilitzen, Göttingen, 1897, "On the com-
position and the pentosanes of peat," etc. page 8). However the pentosanes
begin to decompose even when heated to 100 degrees (ep. Lippmann "Die Chemie
der Zuckerarten," Braunschweig 1895, page 15, and Hjalmar von Feilitzen, etc.
page 33 et seq.). By practical investigations it is established that these substances
contained in the peat can be utilised in the manufacture of peat-briquettes if the
peat fibres are opened by carrying the comminution as far as possible and
distributing the natural binding material as uniformly as possible in the mass,
and then taking care, in the course of the further process, that no decomposition
or deterioration takes place of the substances acting as binding materials. Since
the pentosanes belong to the kinds of gum which swell in water, they can only
be used in conjunction with water, as binding material. The binding power
vanishes as soon as the material be dehydrated beyond a certain degree.
(for example, below 75-60 per cent. of water). If the material prepared
under these conditions he subjected to a sufficiently strong pressure, there
results a condensation up to such a high degree that the briquette is capable
of being piled or stacked up. In the further drying, the briquette draws
itself together even to beyond the density of brown coal briquettes and assumes
a woody structure, so that it does not lose its cohesion in transport and in burn-
ing. More especially in the latter respect the process shows a considerable
advance relatively to the whole of the processes for making briquettes heretofore
known, since by the artificial drying of the peat, at a higher temperature (for
example, above 60-80 degrees Centigrade), the natural binding material is
decomposed or, in removing the water its binding power is lost, so that the
briquette, although possibly hard, will however crumble or fall to pieces in the
fire.
In carrying my improved process into practice, the peat-material coming fresh
out of the peat bog or pit is comminuted to such a degree that it forms a pulp-like
mass. This mass has the water removed from it in suitable apparatus to such a
degree that it still remains capable of being moulded. The removal of the water
can take place in any suitable manner. The still moist material is then sub-
jected, in a press, to such a high pressure that the product is capable of being
piled or stacked up. The stacked up briquettes are then dried.
The peat briquette made in this manner can be consumed exactly the same
as good brown or pit coal, does not crumble on the grate and thus has completely
lost the character of the ordinary peat and that of the peat briquettes made
according to the processes heretofore known.
For carrying the improved process into practice, the arrangement hereinafter
described is preferably employed by means of which the peat material is first
comminuted and converted into a pulp, then has the water removed by a filtering
apparatus, and is then pressed into blocks or briquettes.
In the accompanying drawing, the apparatus is shown in Figure 1 in longi-
tudinal section, and in Figure 2 in plan.
Figures 3.and 4 show details of the apparatus for filtering or removing water,
and
Figures 5 to 8 shows the press more particularly.
The material coming fresh from the peat-bog or pit, passes first to the com-
minuting apparatus or mill I.
This consists of a cylinder provided with a filling hopper a, in which cylinder
a piston c performs a reciprocating motion. The piston presses the peat material
in the cylinder towards the working or kneading tools. These consist, in the
example shown, of flat bars e provided with holes d, Figure 1ª, fixed in the
cylinder which bars are arranged crosswise in the cylinder in pairs. Between
each pair of these rods is arranged a knife g on a very rapidly rotating shaft f
extending through the cylinder. The intermediate space between. the flat bars e

page_text: in which the knives g cross, is gradually narrower with the pairs of bars lying
towards the outlet from the cylinder, so that towards the outlet, there is a gradually
finer milling of the material.
The bars are preferably adjustable in the cylinder casing, in order to permit
the degree of grinding or milling of the material to be altered.
The surfaces of the bars e and knives y turned to each other are provided with
longitudinal and transverse grooves or channels which have sharp edges and run
out to a point. Instead of these, the grinding surfaces can also be provided
with grating teeth.
On the shaft f there is mounted, at the outlet-end of the cylinder b, a perforated
conical grinding-head h, the periphery of which is likewise provided with grind-
ing teeth. The cylinder 6 is likewise provided with grinding teeth in its inuer
wall so far as it surrounds the grinding-head h. Moreover the end surface of the
grinding head and the cover i of the cylinder, lying opposite the same, can also
be provided with grinding teeth. The cover i is provided with slits k for the
outlet of the ground peat-material. For keeping open or cleansing the slits k
an arm with pins m is mounted on the shaft f, which pins enter into the slits &
and, in the rotation of the arm, remove any peat-material that may choke up
the slits k.
In order to facilitate the exit of the peat-material from the cylinder b, the
grooves on the grinding head or on the inner wall of the cylinder can be arranged
in spiral lines, whereby the material is fed to the outlet end of the cylinder.
From the mill I the peat-material, now converted into a pulp, passes into a
pumping apparatus II from a receptacle n in which, by the drawing and pressing
action of a piston which receives a reciprocating motion in a cylinder o from
the driving shaft 7 through spur-gearing, crank and connecting-rod, the peat-
material is passed through two ball-valves and s into the filtering apparatus III.
The filtering apparatus, or apparatus for removing the water, in which the
superfluous water is removed from the peat-material, consists, for the purpose of
obtaining as great a pressing surface as possible, of a number of filtering tubes t,
Figures 1, 3 and 4, with perforated casings, these tubes are lined on the inner
surface with a smooth filtering material, for example, stout silk fabric with a
backing of felt. The pulp-like peat-material fed into the tubes under pressure,
gives up its superfluous water through the filtering material.
With the strong pressure under which the peat-material must pass through the
filter-tubes t, in order to give up the superfluous water, the particles of peat from
which the water has been removed may possibly become set fast on the filtering.
material on the inner walls of the tubes by reason of the great frictional resistance
which the filtering material offers to the forward motion of the peat-material,
whereby the unimpeded escape of the water would be interfered with, since the
said water must first be forced through the particles of peat, from which the water
has already been removed and which is adhering to the filtering material. In
order to obviate this disadvantage, cleaners are arranged on shafts extending
through the several filter-tubes, which clean the filtering material. The cleaners
have the form of curved, worm-shaped blades provided with holes, Figures 1, 3
and 4, to allow the peat material to pass through more easily in the rotation of
the shafts v.
In the rotation of the shafts, the blades or wipers to clean not only the filter-
walls of the tubes t, but by reason of their curvature, move the particles of peat
from which the water has been removed, inwards towards the shaft. In this
manner there is an uninterrupted removal of water from and mixture of the peat-
material. In addition to the advantage of better removal of the water, the
continuous mixing produces an advantageous condition of the moulded blocks or
briquettes made from material prepared in this manner. The driving of the shafts v
bearing the said blades is effected by a toothed wheel on the middle shaft,
whereby the other shafts are driven by means of gear-wheels y. The centre shaft

page_text: is driven from the shaft z through gear-wheels 1, 2 or in any other suitable
manner. The whole filtering apparatus is enclosed by a casing 3.
In the casing 3, there is preferably arranged, behind the above described filter-
ing apparatus, a second filtering apparatus III, exactly similar to the first in
construction and method of operation, whereby a further removal of water and
kneading or mixing of the peat-material is effected.
Between the two filtering apparatus, there is arranged, on the connecting casing
thereof, an air-chamber 4, whereby as uniform a pressure as possible is maintained
in the interior of the filtering apparatus. Instead of the air-chamber, an
accumulator can also be employed.
After passing through the second filtering apparatus, the peat-material from
which the water has been partially removed, passes through a valve 5 into a
mouth-piece 6 which preferably consists of a series of dies or nozzles and is
pressed, as an undivided or continuous strip or strips, into the press IV. This
press is more particularly shown in Figures 5--8, whilst it is only indicated in
Figure 1.
The press comprises the already mentioned mouth piece 6 provided with a
valve 5, the registers or moulding frames 8 and 9 reciprocating in guide-bars 7,
the stationary press-bottom-plates 10 entering into the intermediate spaces of the
register in the displacement thereof, and the stacking apparatus.
The apparatus operates in the following manner: The peat-material from
which the water has been removed enters, after opening the valve 5, into the
mouthpiece and from there passes, as an undivided or continuous strip, into
the moulds 11 of the register 8. As soon as the said moulds are filled with peat-
material, the valve 5 is closed and the two registers 8 and 9, connected together
by their side walls 12, are moved laterally in the direction indicated by arrows
in Figure 5.
During the entrance of the peat material flowing under pressure into the
register 8, it is necessary to keep the slits 22 in the wall opposite to the press-
bottom-plates 10 closed. This closure must he maintained during the movement
of the register in the direction of the arrows, Figure 5, during which operation
the press-bottom-plates 10 lying on the left of the register 8 in the drawing, enter
into the register
reduce the capacity thereof and thus compress the material.
The part closing the slits 22 must thus move with the register 8 and remain
connected thereto until the press-bottom-plates 10 enter into the slits 22.
For closing the slits 22, there is provided a frame 14 which has the form shown
in Figure 5, and is shown in Figures 9 and 10 in combination with the corre-
sponding parts of the register 8. The bars 14 of this frame fit exactly into the
slits 22 in the wall of the register S and thus completely close it during the intro-
duction of the peat material and during the compression thereof, so that no peat
material can escape.
Tlie frame 14 must follow the register 8 for a part of its movement, until the
press-bottom-plates 10 have completely entered into the slits 13 of the register 8,
and for this purpose, must be loosely connected to the register. In the modifi-
cation shown in Figures 9 and 10, the bars or rods 14, which must not be con-
nected to each other under all circumstances, are held in their position in the
slits in the wall of the register by catches 6' on the horizontal transverse bars bº.
These bars project on both sides of the apparatus through longitudinal aper-
tures or slits in the wall 12. On the outside, the bars 6° are connected together
on both sides by vertical bars A A, which are connected together at the bottom
to form a rigid frame, by connecting rods C extending beneath the apparatus.
This frame can be moved up and down by means of the lever B. For each
register there is provided a locking device of this kind. In the position shown
in Figure 9, the rear wall of the left-hand register, (Figure 6), is closed, so that
the register, as soon as it is filled, can move to the left. The catches b¹ of the
locking device are bevelled off or inclined like the bars or rods 14ª, whereby the

page_text: release of the bars or rods takes place gradually. This release is affected by the
attendant depressing the lever B as soon as the said rear wall of the register 8 has
moved beneath the opposite wall of the mouthpiece 6. In the initial motion of
the register 8, it is completely closed by the bars or rods 14. Accordingly the
peat-material in the moulds 11 is forced out of the intermediate spaces of the
inoulds by the press-bottom-plates 10 entering the moulds and reducing the cubical
contents thereof and, since there is no outlet from the moulds, it is pressed strongly
and solidly together therein.
The bars or rods 14 closing the moulds remain in the slits in the rear wall of
the register until, as above mentioned, this wall moves beneath the opposite wall
of the mouthpiece G and the press-bottom-plates 10 touch these bars or rods 14;
the bars or roda 14ª are then released by the lever B and remain stationary, whilst
the register 8 is moved over the press-bottom-plates towards the ejecting device 15,
during which motion, the press-bottoni-plates pass freely through the slits
between the moulds.
If the registers 8 and 9, Figures 5 and 6, have reached their extreme position,
towards the left hand, the lever of the second locking device is raised, so that
the catches of this locking device lie behind the rods 14, which, in this
position, already close the slits in the left-hand wall of the register 9 and thus
connect the bars or rods 14ª with the register 9.
In order to attain uniform pressure, and to prevent damming up of the peat-
material during the forcing of the press-bottom-plates 10 into the moulds, open-
ings 16 are arranged in the side walls of the moulds 11, whilst moreover, for
preventing an excessive pressure at the mouthpiece 6, a safety-valve can be
provided.
The discharging or ejecting device 15 consists likewise of a register with
moulds 17, which correspond to the moulds 11, but have only the same thickness
as the press-bottom-plates 10.
The moulds 17 forming a perforated-frame, have the object, during the ejection
of the pressed blocks or briquettes, of preventing knocking-off of the edges.
The discharge or ejection of the pressed blocks or briquettes from the mould-
frames 17 is effected by a reciprocating stamp 18 arranged over the same and
moving up and down.
This
Beneath the moulding-frames 17 is arranged the stacking apparatus.
consists of a platform 20 adjustable vertically by a screw-spindle 19, and a roller-
frame 21 arranged thereon. In discharging, the stamp 18 is first only moved
downwards through the height of a pressed block or briquette, so that only the
pressed blocks or briquettes of the lowermost row of moulds are ejected and
brought onto the roller frames 21. Now the screw-spindle 19 makes a quarter
revolution forward and thereby at the same time moves downwards through the
thickness of a pressed block or briquette, after which the ejecting stamp is again
moved downwards through the thickness of a pressed block or briquette. By this
arrangement or this process, the pressed blocks or briquettes are laid one on
another ready for fastening together.
When the moulds 17 are all emptied, the pressed blocks or briquettes stacked
one on another ready for fastening together, are pushed with the plate bencath
them along the roller-frame onto the transporting carriage, which is likewise
provided with rollers, and moved with this into the drying-shed. The screw-
spindle 19 then returns to its former position.
Whilst the register 8 is in the ejecting position, the register 9 is beneath the
mouthpiece 6 and, in the meantime, would be filled in the same manner as the
register 8. After emptying the register 8, the two registers are moved laterally
towards the opposite side as before, whereby a pressing of the peat-material takes
place in the moulds of the second register 9 in a similar manner. The moving
frame 14 here also closes the moulds during the pressing operation.
For the ejection and stacking up of the pressed blocks or briquettes, the same
arrangements are provided as for the first register 8. Throughout, where a

page_text: pressure is exerted on the peat-material, for example, in the mouthpiece, in the
registers, and so on provision is preferably made for the escape of water by the
application of filtering walls. Instead of the fixed press-bottom-plates 10, movable
press-bottom-plates can also be employed, which are pushed into the intermediate
spaces of the moulds.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. The manufacture of peat briquettes which have a woody structure and do
not crumble in the fire, by a process in which the peat from the bog is comminuted
by mechanical treatment and converted into a pulp which, after partial removal
of the water, is formed into briquettes by pressing, at the same time utilising the
natural binding material and water contained in the peat, the briquettes being
afterwards dried.
2. A machine for carrying into practice the process hereinbefore described,
wherein the peat material is converted into pulp by a comminuting machine or
mill and has the water removed from it by continuous pressure by a filtering
apparatus with a large pressure surface and then passes as a continuous strip into
the moulds of the press in order to be there pressed into separate blocks.
3. The modification of my improved machine wherein the comminution of the
peat-material is effected by pressing it through a cylinder (b) provided with
grooved or toothed rotary and fixed cutting arms (g and e) and wherein the peat,
before its exit from the cylinder, can be also forced through a conical mill.
4. The modification of my improved machine wherein the removal of the water
from the pulp-like peat-material is effected by filter-tubes (t) lined on the inside
with smooth filtering-material, for example, stout silk fabric with a backing of
felt, in which tubes the peat-material is intermixed by curved perforated, worm-
shaped blades (10) in the rotation thereof, which blades by reason of their curva-
ture, continually move inwards the particles of peat from which the water has
been removed and at the same time clean the filter-walls of the tubes.
5. The modification of my improved machine wherein the peat-material in
several moulds (11) is compressed and consolidated by press-bottom-plates (10)
entering simultaneously into slits in the said moulds, and the shutting off of the
moulds is effected by a movable frame (14), the pressed blocks or pieces being
discharged or ejected in layers by a stamp and brought onto a rising and falling
support, and the stacking-up ready for securing together is effected by turning
the support, after discharge or ejection of each layer of pressed blocks or pieces,
through an angle of 90 degrees.
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.