AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF COKE
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Austin, of Wellington, in the County of Salop,
Manufacturer, and James Armstrong, of Wellington aforesaid, Manu--
facturer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF COKE."
Sealed the 19th November 1858, and dated the 31st May 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Austin and James
Armstrong at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 31st May 1858.
We, JOHN AUSTIN, of Wellington, in the County of Salop, Manufacturer,.
and JAMES ARMSTRONG, of Wellington aforesaid, Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF COKE," to be as follows:-
Our Invention consists in the use of steam as herein-after explained in the
manufacture of coke. In carrying our Invention into effect we cause a
current of steam to pass through the coke oven, or through the coke heap
when an oven is not employed, the steam being passed through the partially
formed coke during the time that the latter is in a state of strong ignition.
The use of steam as described effects the decomposition of the sulphur com-
pounds contained in the coal which is being converted into coke; the sulphur
forms a volatile compound with one of the gaseous elements of the steam, and

page_text: passes off, leaving the coke heated with steam free from sulphur. The
length of time during which the steam must be passed through tho ignited
fuel depends upon the nature of the coal which is being converted into coke.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Austin and James Armstrong in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 29th November 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
AUSTIN, of Wellington, in the County of Salop, Manufacturer, and JAMES
ARMSTRONG, of Wellington aforesaid, Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord Ono
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Iler heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
John Austin and James Armstrong, IIer special licence that we, the said
John Austin and James Armstrong, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as we, the said John Austin and James Armstrong, 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 "AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF COKE," upon the condition, amongst others, that we, the said
John Austin and James Armstrong, our executors or administrators, by an
instrument 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 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 Austin and James Armstrong, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
samo is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
Our Invention consists in the use of steam as herein-after explained in the
manufacture of coke. The object of our said Invention being to remove or
partially to remove from the coke any sulphur which the coal being coked
contained.

page_text: In carrying our Invention into effect, we cause a current of stean obtained
from a steam boiler to pass through the coke oven, or through the coke heap
when an oven is not employed. When a coke oven is employed, we introduce
the steam at one side of the oven, causing it to pass across the said oven, and
escape at the opposite side. When an oven is not employed, we prefer to pass
the pipe delivering the steam into the middle of the coke heap, so that the
steam delivered thereby may radiate from the middle to the outside, and be
thus brought into contact with every portion of the coke. We pass the steam
through the coke during the time that the latter is in a state of strong ignition.
The length of time during which it is necessary to pass the steam through the
coke will depend upon the nature of the coal employed; but we have found in
practice that from four to five hours suffices for coal of all ordinary kinds.
The use of steam as described effects the decomposition of the sulphur com-
pounds contained in the coal which is being converted into coke; the sulphur
forms a volatile compound or compounds with one or both of the gaseous
clements of the steam, the said volatile compound or compounds pass off, and
the coke so treated is free from sulphur. Coke manufactured according to
our Invention is well adapted to be used in the reduction of iron ores or other
purposes where a coke free from sulphur is required.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, we wish it to be understood that we do not limit
ourselves to the precise details herein described, as the same may be varied
without departing from the nature of our Invention; but we claim as our
Invention the improvement or improvements in the manufacture of coke
herein-before described, that is to say, manufacturing coke by passing a current
of steam through the partially formed coke when it is in a state of strong
ignition, whether the said steam be passed through the coke in a coke oven
or through a coke heap in the open air.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Austin and James Armstrong, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-fifth day of November,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
JAMES BROWN.
JOHN AUSTIN.
(L.S.)
JAMES ARMSTRONG.. (L.S.)