AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING, PREPARING, TREATING, AND CARBONISING PEAT FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF PEAT FUEL, Peat Charcoal, anD FIRE LIGHTERS
Year: 1874

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Edward Davies, John William
Turley, and John Newell at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 16th December 1874.
We, EDWARD DAVIES and JOHN WILLIAM TURLEY, both of Liverpool,
in the County of Lancaster, and JOHN NEWELL, of Bootle, also in
the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR
OBTAINING, PREPARING, TREATING, AND CARBONISING PEAT FOR THE MANUFACTURE
OF PEAT FUEL, Peat Charcoal, anD FIRE LIGHTERS," to be as follows :—

page_text: Fourthly. To ovens, and a method of arranging peat in such ovens for
carbonising the peat and producing peat charcoal.
Fifthly. To apparatus for cutting peat into strips for fire lighters.
Sixthly. To a composition for dressing or preparing for use such fire
lighters.
Tools for obtaining peat from peat lands according to this Invention
consist in metal rakes, which are made in the form of a hand or claw,
and of size suitable for an ordinary man to work. These tools are used
for raking or tearing the peat from the land. The peat is then thrown
on to a platform, which may be provided with trays. The platform may
be of portable construction fitted with wheels or supported on legs, and
provided with a rim round its edge. At one end of the platform there
is hinged a lever provided at one end with a handle for working, and at
the other end with a blade or blades for chopping and masticating the
peat. The peat is continually fed by hand under this chopper or
masticator, and when the peat is not sufficiently wet water is supplied.
The operation is continued until the peat is thoroughly masticated and
formed into a pulp. The lever and masticating apparatus is then
removed, and the peat is levelled and compressed into a layer or cake on
the platform or tray by a roller, which works on and over the said
platform or tray. When this operation is completed the tray is removed,
and its contents deposited in a suitable place for drying.
In some instances the trays are made in divisions of suitable size to
mould the peat when masticated, the roller squeezing the masticated
peat into said divisions.
The tool for cutting the peat into blocks after it has been masticated
and partially dried consists of a roller provided with projecting blades,
so that when the peat is treated by said roller, the peat is cut into strips,
the blocks are formed by cutting said strips transversely with the same
or another roller. Peat after being thus treated may be dried and sold
and used in any suitable way.
When it is required to carbonise the peat and manufacture peat
charcoal we use ovens, which ovens according to our Invention are
constructed of a framework or cage of iron bars with a suitable door for
introducing the peat and removing the same when charred. This
framework is built round with brickwork, a vent being left at the top;

page_text: and if necessary at the sides for the exit of smoke and gases consequent
upon igniting the peat. These vents are afterwards closed with covers
made tight by the application of sand, or clay; or otherwise. Round the
bottom of the oven and near the base thereof there are provided holes
for the admission of air to support combustion. These holes are so
arranged that they can be stopped up when required, and in operation
the holes on the windward side of the oven may be closed. The oven is
fired at the bottom underneath the bars forming the base thereof, and
the oven is by preference provided with wheels to render the said oven
moveable.
Fire lighters are cut into strips from the dried peat blocks or from
surface dried peat by the application of a circular saw worked by a
treadle. The strips being of suitable size are dipped into and saturated
with a suitable inflammable composition, such as that used for chip fire
lighters, for instance, a composition of rosin and naptha or like
inflammable matter, and after drying on suitable racks are then ready
to be sold and used.
As the great drawback in utilizing peat is the difficulty experienced
in economically procuring and working same we propose to drive our
machinery where possible by the use of windmill power. Such power
may be utilized by transmitting power to the machinery for masticating
the peat, cutting the peat into strips for draining the land, and for
grinding the peat charcoal into dust to be used as metal founders'
blacking, which produce will form part of the results of this Invention.