IMPROVEMENTS IN COKE OVENS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Paddon, Esquire, M.B., of Swansea, and William
Lowther, Esquire, of Briton Ferry, near Neath, South Wales, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN COKE OVENS." -A communication from
abroad by Henry Eaton, of Nautes and Bordeaux, France.
Sealed the 19th September 1860, and dated the 24th May 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Paddon and William
Lowther at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 24th May 1860.
We, JOHN PADDON, Esquire, M.B., of Swansea, and WILLIAM LOWTHER,
Esquire, of Briton Ferry, near Neath, South Wales, do hereby declare
the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN COKE OVENS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in coke ovens. For these
purposes the stack or chimney to a series of ovens is built in the centre, and
the ovens are formed radially around the stack or chimney. It is preferred
that each stack or chimney should have twelve coke ovens around it,' but
this number may be varied. Each oven is made with an inclined bottom
inclining in a direction from back to front, and with a roof also inclining
from back to front. Each oven has at the upper part of its back end a
small flue leading into the stack or chimney, and over such flue, at a point
intermediate of the stack or chimney and the back end of the oven, there is
applied a perforated plate over an opening, so that the interior of the flue is
open to the atmosphere at that point, by which arrangement it is found that

page_text: the gases or products coming from the heated coal in the oven are retained
back in the oven. The lower part of the stack or chimney is divided by cross
walls, for a short distance up, into four compartments, and three flues of three
ovens open into each of these compartments. The base of the chimney or
stack is on a somewhat higher level than the tops of the back ends of the
ovens, so that the flues for a short distance rise from the coke ovens, and then
pass horizontally into the bottom of the stack or chimney. Each oven has a
door in front, which is closed during the whole process, and the charging and
discharging of the ovens are accomplished in the ordinary manner. By these
arrangements the first cost of construction is less than the arrangements or
constructions of coke ovens most generally resorted to. The coke produced is
of the best quality, accompanied by a larger yield.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Paddon and William Lowther in the Great Scal
Patent Office on the 24th November 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JoпN
PADDON, Esquire, M.B., of Swansea, and WILLIAM LOWTHER, Esquire, of
Briton Ferry, near Neath, South Wales, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said John Paddon and William Lowther, Her special licence that we, the said
John Paddon and William Lowther, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said John Paddon and William Lowther,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN COKE OVENS,"
a communication to us from abroad by Henry Eaton, of Nantes and Bor-
deaux, France, upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said John
Paddon and William Lowther, our executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under our or their hands and seals, or under the hand and
seal of one of us or them, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be

page_text: performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said John Paddon and William Lowther,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in coke ovens.
For these
purposes the stack or chimney to a series of ovens is built in the centre, and
the ovens are formed radially around the stack or chimney. It is preferred
that each stack or chimney should have twelve coke ovens around it, but this
number may be varied. Each oven is made with an inclined bottom inclining
in a direction from back to front, and with a roof also inclining from back to
front. Each oven has at the upper part of its back end a small flue leading
into the stack or chimney, and over such flue, at a point intermediate of the
stack or chimney and the back end of the oven, there is applied a perforated
plate over an opening, so that the interior of the flue is open to the atmosphere
at that point, by which arrangement it is found that the gases or products
coming from the heated coal in the oven are retained back in the oven. The
lower part of the stack or chimney is divided by cross walls, for a short distance
up, into four compartments, and three flues of three ovens open into each of
these compartments. The base of the chimney or stack is on a somewhat
higher level than the tops of the back ends of the ovens, so that the flues for
a short distance rise from the coke ovens, and then pass horizontally into the
bottom of the stack or chimney. Each oven has a door in front, which is
closed during the whole process, and the charging and discharging of the ovens
are accomplished in the ordinary manner. By these arrangements the first
cost of construction is less than the arrangements or constructions of coke
ovens most generally resorted to. The coke produced is of the best quality,
accompanied by a larger yield.
Having thus stated the nature of the said Invention, we will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows a side elevation, Figure 2 a vertical section, and Figure 3
a plan in section of a series of coke ovens constructed and combined accord-
ing to the Invention. The Drawing shews a combination of twelve coking
ovens radially around a chimney or stack, but a greater or a less number may
be similarly constructed and combined radially around a shaft or chimney

page_text: which is built on a raised base, so as to commence where the flues from the
several ovens terminate. The interior of the lower part of the chimney or
stack A is divided by cross walls B, which rise a few feet up the lower part of
the chimney or stack: There are four openings or arches made in the lower
part of the stack or chimney, corresponding with and they respectively open
into the four open spaces produced in the interior of the lower part of the
chimney or stack by the cross walls B. The twelve ovens shewn in the
Drawing are arranged in four sets of three ovens to a set, which is found to
be a very convenient number for a set, and the flues of each set enter one of
the openings or arches C into the stack or chimney. It is preferred, in
forming the flues D, D, that they should rise on an incline for a short dis-
tance, and then pass horizontally into the stack or chimney, as shewn in the
Drawing. Over each flue D there is a perforated tile or plate E, by which
atmospheric air can pass to the flue, and the extent of openings required in
these plates or tiles depends on the quality of coals which are being coked in
the ovens; the workman will, however, when he is coking a charge of a
particular coal for the first time, readily ascertain whether there is too much
opening by observing whether the flue is well heated, and whether there is
abright white flame; if so, the process is going on well, but if the products
passing from the oven and the flue are dull, then there is too much opening,
and he will cover or stop some of the air passages with clay or otherwise, and
having once regulated the air passages for a particular class of coal, the work-
man may continue coking charge after charge of the same class of coal
without the necessity for any alteration of the quantity of air passages left
open. Below the stack or chimney there is a mass of material which forms
the central mass, around which the several coking ovens are constructed; this
nass, when the ovens are at work, is very highly heated, and aids in the well
working of the ovens. The mode preferred of constructing this mass is
indicated in the Drawing. The bottoms of the coke ovens F are somewhat
inclined, and such is the case in regard to the top. The interior form of the
ovens which is preferred is that shewn in the Drawing. The construction of
the doors and frames which I prefer are shown at Figure 4. A series of coke
ovens being built radially around a shaft and chimney, as herein described, are
strongly hooped together by two or more bands of hoops G, G, by which the
whole structure is well secured. The charging and discharging of the coke
ovens are as heretofore, but when at work the doors are closed immediately
the ovens are charged, and no air is admitted in that direction to an oven
whilst a charge is being coked therein. The ovens are so worked that the
one drawn shall have an oven in full heat on each side of it. The heat from

page_text: them, aided by the intense heat accumulated in the central mass of masonry
upon which the stack is built, and upon which the flames in all the flues play,
being found sufficient to develop the gases of the fresh charge, and so heat
them that they will fire in the flues on the admixture of atmospheric air
admitted through the perforated plate.
When a charge is about to be drawn, the perforated tile or plate over the
flue is to be moved, and a plate or damper is slided down so as to close the
flue whilst the drawing of one charge and the supply of another charge are
being performed. The charge of coke is cooled before being drawn by the
application of water to the coke in the oven in the usual manner, the door
being closed for a few minutes after the application of the water.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, we would have it understood that what we claim is the
combined construction and arrangement of coke ovens herein described.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Paddon and William Lowther,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fifteenth day of November,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
(LAN)
WILLIAM LOWTHER. (L.s.)