A NEW OR IMPROVED FUEL
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Burder Walker, of Courtland Lodge,
Addiscombe, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, for the Inven-
tion of "A NEW OR IMPROVED FUEL."
Sealed the 30th January 1874, and dated the 2nd August 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Burder Walker
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 2nd August 1873.
I, JOHN BURDER WALKER, of Courtland Lodge, Addiscombe, in the
County of Surrey, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for " A NEW OR IMPROVED FUEL,” to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a new or improved fuel adapted for house-
hold and other general purposes, as well as for generating steam.
For manufacturing fuel according to this Invention I combine coal
dust, chalk, and clay.

page_text: The following proportions of the above substances will be found to
produce a good fuel though I do not confine myself thereto for all
purposes.
Coal dust
Chalk
Clay -
four parts.
one part.
{
one part, or sufficient to bind the coal,
dust and chalk well together.
The coal dust and chalk should first be thoroughly reduced to powder,
which operation may be performed on them either together or separately.
The clay is then added, and the whole thoroughly mixed together in a
pug mill, or by other suitable means, during which operation a small
quantity of water may be added if necessary. The compound thus
formed is then pressed or divided into blocks or lumps of the required
size and shape, and the fuel is then ready for use.
Sometimes instead of combining all coal with the chalk and clay I :
substitute a portion of breeze, coke, or cinders, which has the effect of
reducing the cost of the fuel, but at the same time renders, it of slightly
inferior quality.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Burder Walker in the Great Seal Patent 2
Office on the 2nd February 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
BURDER WALKER, of Courtland Lodge, Addiscombe, in the County of
Surrey, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her 2
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Burder Walker, Her special license
that I, the said John Burder Walker, my executors, administrators, 3
and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Burder Walker, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the

page_text: 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 "A NEW OR
IMPROVED FUEL," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
John Burder Walker, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the, said In-
vention, 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 I, the said John Burder. Walker, 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 relates to the manufacture of a new or improved fuel
adapted for household and other general purposes,, as well as for
generating steam.
i
In manufacturing fuel according to this Invention I combine therefor
coal dust, chalk, and clay..
The fuel may be made of various qualities according to the proportions
in which these substances are combined; the greater the proportion of
coal the better being the quality of the fuel, and vice versa. Thus four
parts of coal dust combined with about one part of chalk and one part of
clay will be found to produce a good serviceable fuel, whilst if the
proportion of coal be increased to eight parts to one part of chalk and
one of clay, a, fuel is produced which will be found almost a perfect
substitute for coal and for some purposes even superior to it.
In carrying out the manufacture of the fuel according to this Inven-
tion the coal and chalk should first be thoroughly reduced to powder by
any suitable and well-known means of reducing such substances. This
operation may be performed on them either together or separately.
When the coal and chalk have been thus reduced the clay is then added
and the whole is thoroughly mixed together in a pug mill, or by other
suitable means, during which operation a small quantity of water may
be added, when such may be advantageously used for furthering the
binding of the substances. The compound thus formed is then pressed

page_text: or divided into blocks or lumps of the required size and shape, and when
necessary these blocks are dried by any well-known and suitable means
of drying blocks of artificial fuel, though if the manufacture be carried
out carefully the blocks may usually be turned out of the moulding
machine already sufficiently dry. The fuel thus prepared is ready
for use.
Sometimes instead of combining all coal dust with the chalk and clay,
I substitute a portion of breeze or cinder. This has the effect of
reducing the cost of the fuel, but at the same time renders it of slightly
inferior quality.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
my said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to or may be
performed, I claim as my Invention to be secured by the herein-before
in part recited Letters Patent the new or improved fuel, substantially as
herein-before set forth and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Burder Walker, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Second day of February, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.