Improvements in or relating to the Treatment of Fuel.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Apr., 1892
Complete Specification Left 9th Jan. 1893 Accented. 11th Feb. 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Treatment of Fuel.
I, WILLIAM DUNDAS SCOTT-MONCRIEFF of 86 Newman Street, London W
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
This invention has relation to certain improvements in the treatment of fuel and
has for its object the production, in a practical manner, of a valuable heat-giving
product. With this object I subject bituminous coal to the ordinary treatment
used in the production of coal-gas but instead of leaving it in the retorts for the
full period generally adopted I withdraw it when only a portion of its gas has been
extracted and instead of quenching it in the ordinary way when removed from the
retorts, I place it in a strong close vessel or chamber and subject it to a high
In this way
pressure by means of a hydraulic ram or other suitable mechanism.
obtain fuel of great commercial value in an improved and novel manner.
Dated this 9th day of April 1892.´
W. D. SCOTT-MONCRIEFF.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Treatment of Fuel.
I, WILLIAM DUNDAS SCOTT-MONCRIEFF, of 14, Victoria Street, Westminster,
in the County of London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention has relation to certain improvements in or relating to the treatment
of fuel and has for its object the production in a practical manner of a valuable
heat-giving product. According to my improvements ordinary bituminous coal can
be converted into an improved and novel kind of fuel of great commercial value,
and during the treatment thereof the gases and byeproducts of distillation are
preserved and utilized and the product.has the advantages of giving out greater heat
than ordinary coal and of being comparatively smokeless, and it may be turned out
in any convenient commercial form. In carrying out my invention I employ only
apparatus now in common use, but the mode of application thereof is novel and
advantageous.
The required apparatus as is hereinafter shown are so well understood that illus-
trations are not necessary to a full description of my invention.
In the treatment of the raw fuel material to produce the novel kind of fuel which
is the subject of my invention, I subject ordinary coal to the usual process of
distillation as carried out in the production of coal gas on a commercial scale, but
instead of allowing the coal to remain in the retorts during the full period usually
given for the production of gas and coke, I stop the distillation at a convenient
period, that is, when the coal is in a condition most suitable for compression into a
solid and cohesive mass. This may be, for example, in from to of the time usually
allowed for complete distillation, the time varying with the nature of the coal under
treatment. I stop the distilling process either by withdrawing, or by thrusting out
the charge from the retort by means of openings and doors provided at one or both
ends of the retort, and in such manner as to fill strong close vessels, or chambers, or
moulds of suitable size and shape, made preferably of cast iron or other suitable
material; I then subject the partially distilled coal thus loosely contained in these
vessels or moulds to a high pressure and thoroughly compress it into a solid and
cohesive mass. The pressure may be applied by means of hydraulic or other
Price 8d1

page_text: suitable mechanism. It will be obvious that in cases where the material of the
retort has in itself sufficient tensile strength to resist the pressure to be applied to
its contents, the compression thereof might be directly effected in the retort itself
and the compressed charge then thrust out. To facilitate the carrying out of my
invention the retorts may be placed vertically, horizontally or at any suitable angle,
and the vessels or moulds may be constructed so as to fit upon or to the retort
opening in any convenient manner to receive the charge directly.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The improvements in or relating to the treatment of fuel which consist in
stopping the distillation of coal in a retort at a suitable time such as above
specified, and then compressing same in strong vessels or moulds by means of
hydraulic or other suitable mechanism, substantially as and for the purposes herein-
above set forth.
Dated this Oth 3 1000