IMPROVEMENTS IN PURIFYING COAL
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Avery, of 26, Mark Lane, in the City of
London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PURIFYING COAL."-A
communication from abroad by John Reed, residing at New York,
United States of America.
Sealed the 20th May 1862, and dated the 15th March 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Avery at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 15th March
1862.
I, JOHN AVERY, of 26, Mark Lane, in the City of London, do hereby declare
the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PURIFYING COAL," to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in purifying coal. For these
purposes the coal is subjected to the action and heat of free steam in a suit-
ably closed chamber, and also to the chemical action of common salt, potash,
quicklime, and sal ammoniac. The coal, as it is got from a mine, is intro-
duced into a suitable chamber capable of being pervaded by steam, which it is
preferred should be at a pressure of about ten or twelve pounds on the square
inch in the boiler. The steam is conducted from the boiler into the chamber
by a suitable steam pipe, so as to keep up a constant atmosphere of steam in
the chamber and in the interstices amongst the coal therein. When the coal
has become well heated the common salt, potash, and quicklime are progres-
sively applied, and this may be conveniently done by placing these matters in
a funnel-shaped vessel closed at top and connected at the bottom with the

page_text: steam pipe which supplies the chamber with steam. The matters contained in.
this vessel will progressively descend from the vessel, into the steam pipe and
be carried forward by the passing steam into the chamber and amongst the
coal therein. The speed, of the supply of the chemical matters is regulated.
by a cock or valve on the lower part of the funnel-shaped vessel. The.
sal amoniac is then applied in the same manner as the other ingredients.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Avery in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th
"September 1862.
".
.
TO ALL TO WHOM. THESE PRESENTS. SHALL COME, I, JOHN
AVERY, of 26, Mark Lane, in the City of London, send.greeting...
WHEREAS Her
most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria,... by Her. Letters..
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of March, in the year. of our Lord;
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Avery, Her special licence that I, the said John Avery, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John.
Avery, 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 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 PURI-
FYING COAL," a communication to me from abroad by John Reed, a person
resident at New York, United States of America, upon. the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Avery, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and.
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 Avery, 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 purifying coal. For these
purposes the coal is subjected to the action and heat of free steam in à suit-

page_text: ably enclosed chamber, and also to the chemical action of common salt, potash;
quicklime, and sal ammoniac.. The coal, as it is got from a mine, is intro-
duced into a suitable chamber capable of being pervaded by steam, which it is
preferred should be at a pressure of about ten or twelve lbs. on the square
inch in the boiler. The steam is conducted from the boiler into the chamber
by a suitable steam pipe, so as to keep up a constant atmosphere of steam in
the chamber and in the interstices amongst the coal therein. When the coal
has become well heated the common salt, potash, and quicklime are progres-
sively applied, and this may be conveniently done by placing these matters in
a funnel-shaped vessel closed at top and connected at the bottom with the
steam pipe which supplies the chamber with. steam.. The matters contained
in this vessel will progressively descend from the vessel into the steam.pipe
and be carried forward by the passing steam into the chamber, and amongst
the coal therein. The speed of the supply of the chemical matters is regulated
by a cock or valve on the lower part of the funnel-shaped vessel.. The
sal ammoniac is then applied in the same manner as the other ingredients.
Having thus stated the nature of the Invention. I will proceed more fully to
describe the manner of performing the same.
"
:
The form of the chamber in which the coals are placed may be varied, but
it is conveniently formed square; it should be made of wood and have provision
for being readily charged with coal and for such coal being discharged.. The
dimensions of the chamber will depend on the quantity of coals to be operated
on at one time. It is preferred that the chamber should be externally cased
with suitable non-conductors of heat in order to keep in as much as may be of
the heat of the steam in the chamber. To the lower part of this chamber is
connected a steam boiler capable of supplying the chamber with steam, and
by preference not less than 10lbs. on the square inch. in the boiler. To the
steam pipe by which the chamber is supplied with steam from the boiler is
applied a vessel which is connected by a pipe and stop-cock in such manner
that the chemical matters used may descend from the vessel gradually into the
steam pipe and be conducted by the steam into the chamber containing the
coals. The chamber having been supplied with a charge of coals the steam is
to be admitted into the chamber and a continued atmosphere of steam is to be
kept up therein till the coals have become thoroughly heated. Then the
chemical matters above mentioned are to be applied from the vessel containing
them, as herein-after described. I would here remark that as the quantity of
sulphur contained in coals is found greatly to vary no precise rule can be
given as to the quantity of the chemical matters which are to be used, nor of
the time occupied in applying steam to the coals placed in the chamber; a
.

page_text: ‍
:
workman will, however, quickly gain experience and will readily judge the effect
of the process on the qualities of coals he may be called on from time to time
to purify. The quantities and proportions of the chemical matters which have
been commonly-employed are as follows:-For thirty tons of good coals not
largely impregnated with :sulphur, 30 lbs. of common salt., 2 lbs. of potash,
2 lbs. of quicklime. These matters are intimately mixed and placed in the vessel
which is; as above-stated, applied to the steam pipe which connects the chamber
with a steam boiler, and such materials are allowed gradually to fall from the
-vessel into the steam pipe, and they are carried into the chamber by the passing
steam, which is caused to flow continuously from the boiler into the chamber,
provision being made for steam to flow out of the chamber so as to-require a
continuous supply. The chemical matters above mentioned having been
carried into the chamber and amongst the coals therein, the steam is to be
continued to be supplied for some time, say, for one hour. The sal ammonaic
(2 lbs. for the quantity of coals above mentioned) is then to be placed in the
vessel, and the same is to be allowed to flow into the steam pipe and to be
carried by the steam into the chamber; and after the sal ammoniac has been
introduced the steam heating of the coals in the chamber is to be continued
again for a time, say, for an hour, when the process will be complete and the
chamber may be discharged of its contents and then re-charged. When coals
containing a considerable quantity of sulphur are to be purified then larger
quantities of the chemical matters are to be used and the process continued for
a greater length of time.
Having thus described the nature of the Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I make no claim.to the
apparatus used in carrying out the Invention as herein described, but what I
<claim is the subjecting of coals to the process herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Avery, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.