IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF COKE, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Herbert John Haddan, of Kensington, Middlesex, for an
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF COKE, AND IN
APPARATUS THEREFOR,"
Cransac. France.
A communication from abroad by Georges Seibel, of
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Herbert John Haddan at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th January 1882.
HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of Kensington, Middlesex. IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF COKE, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR. A communication from
abroad by Georges Seibel, of Cransac, France.
This Invention relates to the manufacture of coke from coal, especially from
bituminous coal, and is based on the fact observed by the inventor that the
hydrocarbon gases produced by the distillation of coal, and passing at a high
temperature through a mass of coal which is being converted into coke, yield a
portion of their carbon to the spongy material through which they are passing,
and that the quantity of carbon thus given off, increases with the thickness of the
coal stratum through which the said gases are filtered.
The furnace constructed for the utilization of this principle consists of a series
of rectangular chambers about 1.98 meters high and 0-700 meter wide. Each of
these chambers or retorts is closed by a vault and separated from its neighbour by
a hollow partition containing three superposed horizontal flues communicating
with two flues under the sole of the chamber which are again in communication
with a large collective flue passing along the front of the retorts at a lower level
than the sole, and conducting the gases of combustion from all sections into a
chimney. Before passing into the chimney the gases may however be utilized for
heating boilers. In order to commence the carbonisation of the coke at the top
of the retort, gas is first admitted through a pipe or nozzle into the uppermost of
the three horizontal flues and there ignited.
A grate is not necessary in this furnace, but air is admitted into the upper flue
or combustion chamber and its quantity regulated by means of two movable slides.
The burnt gas heats rapidly the flues and also the upper part of the retorts,
thereby commencing the distillation of the coal. The gases produced in the lower
part of the retort pass through the coke formed in the upper part and yield to the
latter a part of their carbon.
From the retorts the gas is drawn out by an aspirator, and after purification
conducted into the combustion chambers of the furnace, or into a gas holder.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Herbert John Haddan in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th July 1882.
HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of Kensington, Middlesex. IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF COKE, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR. A communication from
abroad by Georges Seibel, of Cransac, France.
This Invention relates to the manufacture of coke from coal, especially from
bituminous coal, and is based on the fact observed by the inventor that the bydro-
carbon gases produced by the distillation of coal, and passing at a high temperature
through a mass of coal which is being converted into coke, yield a portion of their
carbon to the spongy material through which they are passing, and that the
quantity of carbon thus given off increases with the thickness of the coal stratum
through which the said gases are filtered.
In the accompanying Drawings which represent a series of furnaces embodying
this Invention Fig. 1 is a vertical section across the coke chambers, taken at
different parts of their length, indicated in Fig. 3 with Roman figures from I.
to VI. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of a coke chamber taken along the plane
H. H'. of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section along the plane L L' of Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 a horizontal section of a furnace along the plane M M' of Fig. 3. Figure 5 a
section along the plane N N', and Figs. 6 to 9, respectively are sections along
lines 0-0¹Q-QP-P¹ and R-R¹. Fig. 10 is a front view of a furnace, the
line xy indieating the sole of the coke chambers. The remaining Figs. are detail
views of iron work.
The coke chamber A covered by a vault is about 1.98 metres high, 0-700 metres
wide and six metres long. With these dimensions the quantity of coal in one
chamber is about 5000 kilogrammes. It should be charged with coal to a height
of at least 1.700 metres.
The partitions which separate the furnaces are provided with three horizontal
flues B communicating with two flues C under the sole of the furnace leading
through a vertical flue D to a large collecting gallery E. This gallery passes along
the front of the furnaces at a lower level than the sole and carries the gases of
combustion from all furnaces to a chimney. Before arriving there the hot gases
may be utilized for heating boilers.
Q
In order to obtain the desired result, that is to say the deposit of a part of the
carbon contained in the gaseous products of distillation, in the pores of the coke
which is in course of formation, it is necessary to commence the carbonisation of
coal at the top. For this purpose gas is injected at the end of the upper flue
through a pipe F (Fig. 3) and ignited, the necessary air being admitted through
the centre O while the gas occupies the annular space between the inner and the
outer pipe, see Figs. 12 and 13. By this construction the grate, used in other coke
furnaces heated by gas, is dispensed with. The quantity of air admitted into the
flue is regulated by means of movable slides of iron a or other suitable means
which obstruct more or less the air passage (Fig. 10). The gases of combustion
formed in the upper flue pass downward through the central and lower flue to the
sole of the furnace and from there to the chimney, heating during their passage
the walls and base of the furnace.
After the chamber A has been charged with coal, its walls are nearly cold, but
the gas ignited in the upper flue heats rapidly the top of the furnace where the
distillation of coal begins. The temperature soon rises also in the lower part of
the furnace and causes the distillation to extend to the whole mass of coal. The

page_text: gases formed in the lower part, give off a part of their carbon to the material in
the upper part, whereby the production of coke in this furnace is considerably
increased. The gas produced in the chamber A is drawn out at P by an aspirator,
which presses the gas directly into the furnace after it has been purified from tar
and ammoniacal water. From the delivery pipe I lead a branch pipe to a gas
holder. As soon as an abundance of gas is produced in the furnace, the pipe
leading to the latter is closed for some time and the gas conducted to the gas
holder, from where it may be used when required for lighting or heating purposes.
A second (cylindrical) pipe G leading gas and air into the second flue (Figs. 3,
14 and 15) is applied to the furnace, but not used in normal working. It serves
as a supplementary pipe when the furnace has been allowed to cool more than
usual, in consequence of repair in which case a greater supply of gas is required
for rapidly heating the furnace.
Fig. 11 is a front view of the gas pipe F with air inlet O. Fig. 12 is a vertical
section of the same along the line S S₁, and Fig. 13 a horizontal section along the
line T T¹.
Instead of three superposed flues as shown in the Drawings two, or more than
1. A coke-furnace comprising in its construction two or more superposed flues
placed along the sides of the coke chamber and communicating with each other, a
gas and air inlet into the uppermost flue and an outlet from the lowest flue,
substantially as described.
2. In coke furnaces the combination of a coke chamber A, lateral superposed
flues B B B, communicating with each other, a gas and air inlet F for the upper-
most flue, and an outlet for the products of combustion from the lowest flue,
substantially as described.
3. In gas heated coke furnaces an air and gas inlet F having a central opening O
for the air and an annular opening f for the gas and means for obstructing a
greater or smaller part of the air passage, substantially as described.
4. In gas heated coke furnaces the combination of lateral superposed flues with
an air and gas inlet F,placed at the top of the flues and a supplementary gas and
air inlet G, substantially as described.
5. In gas heated coke-furnaces the combination of a coke chamber A with
lateral superposed flues B B communicating with each other, a gas and air inlet
for the uppermost flue, and bottom flues. C C communicating with the lowest
lateral flue, substantially as described.
In witness whereof I the said Herbert John Haddan, have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Twelfth day of July A.D. 1882.
H. J. HADDAN. (LS.)