IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FUEL
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Bird, of 6, Seymour Street West, Connaught
Square, in the County of Middlesex, and James Bird, of 2, Laurence
Pountney Hill, in the City of London, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FUEL"
Sealed the 25th June 1867, and dated the 29th March 1867.
PROVISIONAL
SPECIFICATION left by the said James Bird and James
Bird at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 29th March 1867.
We, JAMES BIRD, of 6, Seymour Street West, Connaught Square, in the
County of Middlesex, and JAMES BIRD, of 2, Laurence Pountney Hill, in
the City of London, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FUEL," to be as follows:-
In the manufacture of artificial fuel, coal, coke, or culm may be used either
singly or in combination. Our Invention of certain improvements in the
manufacture of artificial fuel consists in the adoption of the following pro-
cesses, that is to say, coal,. coke, or culm, separate or in admixture is reduced
to the uniform size of coarse sand, fine gravel, or sawdust, at the same time
there is ground with it dried resin and pitch in the proportion of four pounds
weight of either or of the two combined (more or less according to the
quality of the coal or material used) to one ton of coal or material. This
constitutes the first process.

page_text: A paste is manufactured by mixing rye, wheat, maize, or other meal
containing a large proportion of gluten in the proportion of one pound of
meal, either singly or combined, to one gallon of water, subsequently boiling
it until it becomes a strong paste, and while yet hot stirring into each gallon
a quarter of a pint of common rape or linseed oil. This constitutes the
second process.
The said coal compound and resin and the glutinous paste and oil are then
thoroughly mixed in a pug mill in the proportions of about eight gallons of
paste to one ton of the coal mixture, less paste or more water being used at
discretion, the object being to form a tough mass of material when delivered
from the mill, and in which condition the mass is then passed into moulds
and compressed into form. having the following novel character, namely,
there are slits or apertures through the centre of each block of fuel, and the
slits or apertures are made narrow and as long as may be without unduly
weakening the block. The ends of the slits or apertures we make semi-
circular or curved to assist the delivery of the core mandril or moulding
instrument used to produce the said slit or aperture: with the same object,
and further to give a freer passage to the air, we also in some cases make
the sides of the slits or apertures more or less curved. The slits or apertures
may run from end to end of the block, or from side to side, or from top
to bottom thereof; these slits or apertures permitting a free circulation of
atmospheric air, thereby promoting more rapid and perfect combustion by
increasing the draught through the substance of the fuel, and exposing a
much larger surface to the action of the fire by heating through the centre
as well as along the sides, which may also be indented, channelled. or corru-
gated with a similar intention. The blocks are then dried or baked in the
ordinary manner to drive off moisture, and the fuel is then fit for use. By
the opening through the centre of the fuel the block is more readily and
effectually dried, and its combustion in the furnace rendered more rapid and
complete to the great saving in fuel and heating power, and the absence of
all necessity for breaking down the blocks or even of stoking to half the
extent required by any other kind of fuel.
By these three processes we form from refuse or small coal, culm, coke,
or their admixture a waterproof ventilated fuel. The waterproof ven-
tilated fuel may be made by hand or by machinery into blocks of any
desired size and form, and be subjected to the required degree of pressure
by means of any of the known machinery or apparatus applicable to such
purpose.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Bird and James Bird in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 28th September 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
BIRD, of 6, Seymour Street West, Connaught Square, in the County of
Middlesex, and JAMES BIRD, of 2, Laurence Pountney Hill, in the City of
London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said James Bird and James Bird, Her special licence that we, the said
James Bird and James Bird, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as we, the said James Bird and James Bird, 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
IN THE MANUFACTURE or
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
ARTIFICIAL FUEL," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
James Bird and James Bird, 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 per-
formed, 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 James Bind and James Bird, 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 consists, firstly, of a novel application of the principle of
ventilation to the manufacture of all artificial fuel; and, secondly, of certain
improvements in the character of and method of combining certain resinous
and glutinous materials whereby small coal, coke, culm. or peat, either
separately or in combination, are formed into blocks or bricks for burning in
grates or furnaces as artificial fuel. Our process for converting the coal, coke,
culm, or peat into artificial fuel may be described as follows:-The coal or

page_text: material (or coke and coal if used together) is reduced by means of screening
or under edge runners, stampers, rolls, or by other methods of grinding to an
average size of fine sawdust, and four pounds of powdered resin or dried pitch
(more or less according as the quality of the coal or material used is more or
less bituminous) is intimately mixed in such process with each ton of the coal
dust or coke and coal dust or other material. The powdered material.is
passed from thence either by. means of endless chain and buckets, by hand
barrows, or by any other convenient arrangement to a machine in the nature
of a pugmill, which will mix and incorporate the coal with the agglutinating
materials herein-after described in this Specification. The machine in which
the coal, coke, or culin and other materials are mixed will consist of a
cylindrical or other shaped vessel, either revolving itself or having a revolving
shaft carrying a number of arms, teeth, or other projections so as to
thoroughly beat up and incorporate the whole of the materials placed in it;
the cylinder or other vessel also should have arms or projections inside. The
agglutinating compound which we employ is prepared as follows:--8 lbs. of
rye, wheat, maize, or any other meal containing a large proportion of gluten
is mixed with 5 or 6 gallons of water and boiled for half an hour, a small
lump of alum (about 2 oz. to the whole quantity) being by preference dissolved
in the water, as is usual in the manufacture of ordinary shoemakers' paste.
To this paste while yet hot may be added one pint of rosin, oil, or, what we
prefer, 1 lb. of common glue dissolved in a couple of gallons of hot water after
having been previously soaked in cold water. These ingredients form together
about eight or ten gallons of agglutinising material, which is the average
quantity as nearly as may be required for each ton of powdered coal or material
or combinations of coke, coal, or culm (if used together), more or less water
being added according to the quality of the material in order to produce
a properly consistent mass for the formation into blocks of fuel. The
materials incorporated as above described are next passed out of the cylinders
or other vessels, and are placed in moulds of any convenient shape or form,
the following novel principle of ventilation, which process constitutes its
distinctive character, being adopted :-Into each mould one or more cores are
introduced so as to form a slot or slots, or one or more perforations through
the centre of each block of fuel, by preference as is shown in the annexed
Drawing, causing thereby a free circulation of air through the middle of the
fuel as well as over the sides and surface, and which surface may be corrugated
or furrowed. The fuel thus moulded either by lever or screw presses or other
mechanical means is subjected to sufficient pressure to consolidate the blocks
and cause them to hold together in their then shape and form until the blocks

page_text: dry and harden, when they are fit for use. The drying process may be effected
in the open air if the weather is fine and dry, or in chambers exposed to draft,
which latter plan we prefer, as the blocks require merely a summer heat
temperature, and do better if gradually dried than by rapid process of
superheating. Where quick delivery is necessary they can be dried in the
ordinary way in closed chambers, kilns, or ovens.
We would remark that if the blocks after moulding do not adhere sufficiently
to be safely and conveniently handled the quantity of paste composition should
be increased, and if after being dried the blocks are found from the nature of
the coal or compound material employed to be too fragile for the purpose for
which they are required the proportion of rosin may be increased to correct
this.
By moulding the fuel in the manner we have described not only is its drying
from the centre greatly facilitated, but also it is caused to burn more freely in
consequence of the air being able to penetrate the mass of fuel when under
combustion, and combustion is so facilitated and improved that but little
smoke is made or ash left behind. The ingredients employed exercise no
injurious influence on the fire-bars or grates.
If desired the patent ventilated fuel may be further waterproofed for
exportation or for damp climates by a thin coating of coal tar, rosin, oil, or
lime wash, in which a pound of tallow has been mixed to each 3 gallons of
wash.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, we would have it understood that what we claim is, the
moulding blocks of artificial fuel with slots or slits through them.
We also claim the manufacturing artificial fuel from powdered coal, coke,
culm, or peat, and powdered resin or dried pitch mixed with a paste made
from rye, wheat, maize, or other glutinous meal.
In witness whereof, we, the said James Bird and James Bird, have here-
unto set our hands and seals, this Ninth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
TAMO DIDD