Improvements in the Manufacture of Fuel, together with the Means and Combinations in Connection Therewith.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 11th May, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 8th Oct., 1892-Accepted, 10th Dec., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Fuel, together with the Means
and Combinations in Connection Therewith.
THOMAS JOHN BARNARD, Spring Hill, Tavistock, Devon, Consulting Mining
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The subject of my invention is the manufacture of fuel, associated with improve-
ments, which strike at the root of the smoke nuisance, combined with the utilization
of small coal or coal dust, in admixture with other materials.
The following will describe my method of manufacture.
.
1 utilize and mix small coal or waste coal dust, with focal matter of any kind,
more preferably stable and similar manure, as both binding and inflammable
elements, containing hydrogen and other valuable chemical essentials at the lowest
possible cost.
I also blend clay with the coal dust and the focal matter, intermixed with
powdered lime stone or ingredient of the same family. For steaming and similar
purposes, I add a small quantity of powdered sulphur. or sulphur mundic, or a
small proportion of sulphuric acid, in lieu of the sulphur or sulphur mundic.
For producing a fuel of specially superior description, I add a small quantity of
pulverized resin or any resinous substance, together with a small quantity of
pulverized nitre, moistened with petroleum or any other oil or spirit.
To the above ingredients I add a small percentage of pulverized pitch, which
are then well mixed together and further moistened with tar and common black
treacle, or any kind of mucilage, either with or without added water, to form
a dough or paste sufficiently plastic for making the mixed substance into solid hard.
fuel of any desired shape or form, my preference being given to perforated briquettes
of 3 lbs. in weight. I also utilize peat or turf, where it is available, with the fore-
going or any of the fore-going elements of manufacture.
No special working machinery and plant is imperative for the manufacture of
the fuel, which may be made either by hand or by automatic machines, similar to
ordinary brick-making, and then dried in the air, or by any artificial means.
Preferably, I employ the best well known machinery in use for manufacturing
fuel briquettes, instead of that more particularly designed for common brick
making.
I however find it advantageous in securing a more perfect solidified briquette,
with the minimum of smell and smoke, both in the manufacture and the use of the
fuel, to thoroughly dry the same in luted drying retorts or kilns, with an outlet
for the fume or smoke (which is otherwise a waste nuisance and always more or
less accompanies the firing of fresh fuel) to pass direct into a tank or tanks of
water. For economy, this liquor is re-used in the manufacture of fresh fuel,
whilst the article produced is dry, compact, and practically free from obnoxious
vapours.
Datel this Tenth day of May 1892.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Fuel, together with the Means
and Combinations in Connection Therewith.
THOMAS JOHN BARNARD, Spring Hill, Tavistock, Devon, Consulting Mining
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
.
The subject of my invention is the manufacture of fuel, associated with improve-
ments, which strike simultaneously at the root of both the sewage and the smoke
evils, combined with the utilization of small coal, coke, charcoal, peat and similar
combustibles, in admixture with sewage and focal matter of any and every kind,
either in conjunction with or without the use of other more expensive and solid
calorific elements, and also the solidification of liquid combustibles.
The following description of my method of manufacture, will illustrate the mode
of carrying it into effect.
. I mix either small coal, coke, charcoal, peat, or similar combustibles, with sewage
or fecal matter and urine of any kind, both as binding and inflammable elements,
containing hydrogen and other valuable chemical essentials, at the lowest possible
cost.
When desired for special purposes, I also blend either clay or lime-stone, or the
two together, or any ingredients of the same family, with the above focal matter,
and small coal, coke, or similar combustibles. With or without the addition of
cinders, putrid fish, or any bodies of decomposition or refuse matter.
For steaming and such like purposes, where a specially superior description of
fiery concentrated fuel is required, irrespective of additional cost; I find it
advantageous to add a small quantity of pulverized sulphur, or sulphur-mundic, or
a small proportion of sulphuric acid. Also pulverized nitre and resin or any.
resinous substance, with or without coal tar or pitch, and treacle or any kind of
mucilage. Or, instead of such substances, or if preferred, in addition thereto, I
use petroleum, benzoline, naphtha, creosote oil, or any other naturally inflammable
oils or spirits, my process as hereinafter described, by my retort system, succeeding
in converting such liquid fuels into a state of solidity, intermixed with small coal
and focal matter, or any of the above substances as the base.
When determining the class of fuel required to be made, I commence to mix the
fecal matter with small coal or coke or other similar combustibles, adding the
whole or any portion of the fore-going ingredients.
As a cheap substitute for good coal, the following will be found an example.
deducting in approximate parts by weight from the small coal and focal matter for
any other elements added. The same applies to fuel made from small coke or
other similar base.
In dealing with.dry focal matter for the above cheap coal fuel, it will be found
necessary to add water, or urine, with the coal tar, to form the required dough of
plasticity. But with sewage sludge, in its semi-fluid state, this will be found
sufficient to form the dough, and at the same time to conquer the hitherto difficult
task of dealing with the semi-fluid sewage.
After the mixing of the small coal, foccal matter and coal tar, with or without
any other adjuncts, by hand, or shovel, or treading, or any mechanical means, to
form the dough sufficiently plastic to make a brick, the fuel can then be moulded

page_text: in any ordinary manner, by hand or by machine. Or, the dough as formed may be
rounded into small or large heaps for drying and solidification, by my retort system;
to be afterwards cut into or broken, similar to breaking natural coal when under-
ground.
The process of drying or baking the dough fuel, or fuel bricks, by my invention,
is most important yet simple :-
After the bricks are sufficiently set to handle, I cause them to be placed in a
retort or kiln, to open and seal at will, with an outlet to carry away and .condense
the vapours and fumes that arise from the drying or baking.
The form of the retort may be governed by surrounding circumstances. For
instance, in wet climates and seasons, the oven retort, whether small or large, say
20 feet long, by 6 feet wide, more or less, can be made for the flame and heat of
the fire to pass over and under, or vice versa, covered with tiles or a flat surface
above, which acts as the drying-floor. The brick-maker has therefore only to
place his mould on the drying-floor and leave the brick intact, just as made to set,
without requiring the additional expense of pressure, when in a few hours it can be
handled, and is ready to be placed inside the oven for baking.
In climates, where the sun is prolonged, and sufficiently powerful to add material
advantage, the fuel bricks or dough may be made in the air and sun;-and baked
thereby, or, sun dried for handling. After which, to be placed for the process of
more perfect baking, hardening and purifying, inside an air-tight house or kiln,
made chiefly of glass, to assist or attract the rays of the sun, the glass house retort
or baking kiln to be further assisted by the additional aid of steam-pipes :-This
system of kiln is also the best in any climate for solidifying the dough-fuel, in
heaps of 1 to 100 tons and upwards, instead of first making the dough into brick, or
any mould shape.
Whatever the precise form of retort, the entrance or door to open and
hermetically seal at will, with one or more pipe outlets to convey the baking and
purifying fumes into a vessel or receptacle of condensation.
This condensation contains the essence of value, independent of economy.
Whilst the process of semi-distillation not only reduces obnoxious fumes in the
neighbourhood of manufacture to a minimum, but the condensations, containing
semi-creosote or liquid fuel, are valuable for adding to the manufacture of any
fresh dry fuel, which would otherwise require either water, or urine, or liquid fuel
to help form the dough; and secures in lieu thereof, as a bye product, semi-creosote
as an economical inflammable liquid for mixing purposes.
The final result inside the retort or kiln is a thoroughly dry, compact, and
solid combustible, ready for immediate transit, or ignition and use, without emitting
the cloud of smoke that always more or less accompanies the firing of fresh fuel.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is,
1st. The solving of the sewage problem, by the utilization of sewage sludge in
its semi-fluid state, by its admixture with coal or coke, or any other articles of
fuel.
2nd. The more profitable manufacture of coal and other fuel, by the use of not
sewage alone, but any and every form of focal matter.
3rd. The blending of clay or lime-stone, or the two together, or any ingredients
of the same family. Pulverized sulphur or sulphur mundic, or sulphuric acid.
Also pulverized nitre and resin or any resinous substance, with or without coal-tar
or pitch, and treacle or any kind of mucilage, in association with sewage and other
focal matter, together with coal, coke, or other fuels.
4th. The solidification of petroleum, benzoline, naphtha, creosote oil, or any
other oil or spirit, naturally inflammable, in association with sewage and focal
matter, coal, coke, or other ingredients as the base, blended with my retort system
of economical baking.

page_text: 5th. The solidification of semi-liquid sewage, also urine and all fluid fœcal.
matter, not naturally inflammable in its present humid state, but which are brought
into articles of solidity and great heating fuel thereby, with chemical bye products
of utility, thro' the means of baking and condensation by my retort process.
6th. The use of coal tar, in association with fecal matter, and any of the above
other elements of manufacture, which assists to purify the fecal matter and harden.
the fuel dough or fuel bricks in baking, by the semi-pitch produced. Also the
manufacture of semi-creosote oil, which is produced as a bye-product, for mixing
with other fuel, by my retort process of condensation herein.
7th. The use of cinders, putrid fish, and any other waste substances, or matters
of decomposition, in conjunction with my invention of manufacture..
8th. The drying and solidification of the fuel when mixed, in order to secure:
economical and perfect combustibles of solidity and purity, by my retort system
of baking and condensations obtained thereby. In the manner by the means and
for the purposes hercin set forth.
Dated this 7th day of October 1892.
THOMAS JOHN BARNARD.