IMPROVEMENTS IN TIIE MANUFACTURE OF FUEL
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Lanc, of Grove Park, West, in the County of
Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TIIE
MANUFACTURE OF FUEL."
Scaled the 16th June 1876, and dated the 1st April 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Lane at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st April 1876.
THOMAS LANE, of Grove Park, West, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FUEL."
I am aware that quicklime has been used in combination with coal and other
substances in the manufacture of fuel, but with very indifferent results.. The
objections to these fuels do not exist with my improved fuel, which is made simply of
quicklime and coal dust, or slack. For this purpose I take ninety-five parts of
coal dust, and about five parts of lime, the proportion may be varied, but I find a
less proportion of lime than heretofore used in the manufacture of fuel produces the
best result, and in no case do I find it advisable to employ more than seven parts
nor less than three of the lime. The fuel made of these materials in about the
proportion mentioned does not create any offensive odour, or crumble in burning,
and gives a more intense heat than that produced from ordinary coal.
The quicklime is ground by means of a pair of edge runners, and by a certain
admixture of water the substance is brought into a form of about the consistency of
cream. The coal dust is then added in about the proportion stated, and by the
action of the edge runners is thoroughly mixed with the line. This operation
produces a plastic composition, which when quickly moulded is rendered by
moderate pressure hard and cohesive. The bricks may be made of any convenient
The cost of the fuel is
size and shape, and when properly dried are ready for use.
considerably less than that of other artificial fuels, as no artificial heat is required,
and no expensive ingredients such as pitch or tar are employed in its manufacture.
Though no pitch is used in the manufacture of my improved fuel, and it is not
necessary to its cohesion or combustion, for convenience and economy of lighting
I may cover a portion of the surface of the brick with a film of powdered pitch,
resin, or other inflammable material; or a cavity may be formed in the brick, and
filled with inflammable materials for the same purpose.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said Thomas Lane in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th September
1876.
THOMAS LANE, of Grove Park, West, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer-
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FUEL."
My Invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of fuel by the mixture
of quicklime with coal, coke, or other materials, in the proportions herein-after
specified.
I am aware that quicklime has been used, in combination with coal and other
substances in the manufacture of fuel, but with very unsatisfactory results. The
objections to these fuels do not exist with my improved fuel, which is made simply
of quicklime and coal dust, or slack coke, or similar materials. For this purpose
I mix or combine from 93 to 95 parts of coal dust or screened coke breeze with
from 5 to 7 parts of lime; this proportion may be varied, but I find a smaller pro-
portion of lime than heretofore used in the manufacture of fuel produces the best
result, and in no case do I find it advisable to employ more than ten parts, or less
than three, of the lime.
The fuel made of these materials, in or about in the proportions specified, does
not create any offensive odour, or crumble in burning, and gives a more intense
heat than that produced from other artificial fuels.
In practising my said Invention the quicklime is ground in a mortar mill by
means of a pair of edge runners, and by the admixture of water I produce a sub-
stance of about the consistency of cream. The coal dust is then added in or about
in the proportion stated, and by the action of the edge runners is thoroughly mixed
with the lime and water. This operation produces a plastic composition, which
when moulded into bricks or blocks is rendered by moderate pressure hard and
cohesive. The bricks or blocks may be made of any convenient size and shape, and
when properly dried are ready for use. The cost of this fuel is considerably less
than that of other artificial or manufactured fuels, as no artificial heat is required,
and no expensive ingredients, such as pitch or tar, are employed in its manufacture.
Though pitch is not used in the manufacture of my improved fuel, and is not
necessary to its cohesion or combustion, I may, for convenience and economy of
lighting, cover a portion of the surface of the brick with a thin film of powdered
pitch, resin, or other inflammable substance, or a cavity may be formed in the brick
and filled with inflammable substance for the same purpose.
I prefer to use a mortar mill for the production of my improved fuel, and I
reduce the cost of steam power by putting the lime with the water (which is
copiously employed) into the said mill before adding the coal or coke breeze; but
the coal or coke and the water and lime may be put in altogether, or they may be
added in various ways. Having reduced these ingredients by grinding to a suit-
able consistency, I remove them from the mill into a shed, or into the open air, for
the purpose of "welting" them, that is to say, subjecting them to a process similar
to that known in the manufacture of mortar as "welting," which is a combined
soaking action of lime and sand in making common mortar. By this method of
manufacture I impart to my fuel great heat giving power.
I have discovered that by properly grinding only half of the coal dust or coke
breeze with the entire quantity of quicklime and the necessary quantity of water to
be used, and simply mixing the same in alternate thin layers with the remaining half
of the coal dust (as it comes from the pit), I save steam power and labour, besides
causing the whole mass when so treated, and afterwards moulded by machinery, to
dry and harden better than if moulded in the state in which the ingredients come
from the mortar mill.
I have also discovered that a valuable fuel can be made by mixing equal parts of
small coal and coke breeze together, with from five to ten %% of freshly burnt lime

page_text: and a copious mixture of water. The perfect concretion and hardening that takes
place is due to the silica.
This new fuel may be further improved by using sifted or screened breeze, thus
effecting a saving in steam power for grinding, and in other labour. The fuel
can also be still considerably improved, and its cost of manufacture reduced, by
grinding only half of the coal with from five to ten % of lime and a copious
quantity of water, and afterwards spreading this half mixture alternately with the
other half of the coal dust or small coal as it comes from the pit. The operation
may be carried on with half the quantity of coal and half of breeze, mixed with
from five to ten of freshly burnt lime and a copious quantity of water. This
mixture must afterwards be spread alternately, as above described, and after being
"welted" for 24 hours may be moulded next morning. When it has been moulded
4 hours in fine weather, or dried in drying sheds, the blocks become sufficiently
hard to be stacked on each other to the height of six feet.
According to another modification of my Invention I use common coke breeze
screene, and proceed in the following manner, that is to say :-I put only half of
the screenings into the mill, and immediately add a copious quantity of water, which
soaks into the porous screenings, and by this means they are very cheaply ground
down into the consistency of pulp, to which I add freshly burnt lime in the pro-
portion of from five to ten per cent. of the coke breeze.
Having thus fully described ny said Invention, and the manner in which the
same may be conveniently and advantageously carried into practice, I wish it
understood that I claim the manufacture of fuel by combining small coal, coal dust,
coal or coke breeze, or other similar substance with lime and water, and intimately
nixing or incorporating the ingredients together as herein set forth, in or about in
the proportions specified, and then treating them and forming them into blocks or
bricks, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Lane, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
THOMAS LANE, C.E. (L.S.)