IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FUEL
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FUEL."
by Nicholas Rémy, of Paris, France.
A communication from abroad
Sealed the 7th February 1879, and dated the 10th August 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th August 1878.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FUEL."
[A communication from abroad by Nicolas Rémy, of Paris, France.]
This Invention consists in the employment of certain materials for the manufac-
ture of "briquettes" or blocks of artificial fuel made from small coal, and in the
special form of the said blocks or briquettes.
The chief difficulty in the practical and economical manufacture of artificial fuel
is the want of a suitable binding material giving the necessary cohesiveness and
consistency to the fuel. Gas pitch has been generally used for the purpose; but to
obtain the necessary cohesion and consistency there must be added to the small coal
according to its quality from five to ten per cent. of pitch, at least eight to ten per
cent. being required if the briquettes are to be transported considerable distances.
Owing to the relatively limited production of pitch its price rises, as the manufac-
ture of artificial fuel increases to such an extent as to preclude its use for economical
reasons.
This Invention has for its first object to overcome this difficulty, and consists in
manufacturing the fuel of a combination of fine small coal and a milk of lime of a
composition suitable for giving the necessary cohesion to the fuel.
The employment of the lime presents the following advantages:-
(1st). It forms a binding material eminently suited for the purpose, and is abundant
and chean

page_text: (2nd). It imparts the necessary consistency to the fuel to enable it to bear carriage
by rail or sea without damage.
(3rd). No disagreeable smell is given off as is the case with fuel made with tar,
bitumen, or other resinous material.
The second part of this Invention relates to the special form given to the blocks
or briquettes of artificial fuel, and consists in grooving their surfaces with parallel
grooves running both lengthwise and crosswise so as to intersect one another and
enable the blocks to be readily broken up into smaller pieces without waste. The
grooves may be of V, half round, or other form, but the V form is found best in
practice, and is illustrated in the accompanying Drawings. This facility for
breaking up the fuel is of great importance, as it enables the consumer to divide the
blocks into pieces of uniform size, and so adapt the fuel to his requirements.
The briquette may be readily broken by striking it against a bar of the stove or
other hard and resisting surface just along one of the grooves."

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
7th February 1879.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FUEL."
A communication from abroad by Nicolas Rémy, of Paris, France.
This Invention consists, 1st, in the employment of a certain material for the manu-
facture of "briquettes" or blocks of artificial fuel made from small coal; and 2nd,
in the special form of the said blocks or briquettes.
The chief difficulty in the way of practical and economical manufacture of artificial
fuel has hitherto been the want of a suitable binding material giving the necessary
cohesiveness and consistency to the fuel. Gas pitch has been generally used for the
purpose; but to obtain the necessary cohesion and consistency there must be added
to the small coal, according to the quality, from five to ten per cent. of pitch, at
least eight to ten per cent. being required if the "briquettes." are to be transported
considerable distances: Owing to the relative limited production of pitch, its price
rises as the manufacture of artificial fuel increases to such an extent as to preclude
its use for economical reasons.
This Invention has for its first object to overcome this difficulty, and consists in
manufacturing the fuel of a combination of very small coal and a milk of lime of a
composition suitable for giving the necessary cohesion to the fuel.
The employment of lime (never before used in the manufacture of briquettes of
artificial fuel) presents the following advantages :-
1st. It forms a binding material eminently suited for the purpose, and is abundant
and cheap.
2nd. It imparts to the fuel the proper consistency to enable it to bear carriage
by rail or sea without damage.
3rd. No disagreeable smell is given off in burning as is the case with fuel made
with tar, bitumen, or other resinous material.
The second part of this Invention relates to the special form given to the blocks
or briquettes of artificial fuel, and consists in grooving them on one or both of their
opposite faces with parallel grooves running lengthwise or crosswise, or both, so as
to intersect one another to enable the blocks to be readily broken up into smaller
pieces without waste. The grooves may be of V, half round, or other form, but the
V form is found best in practice, and is illustrated in the accompanying Drawings,
which represent in elevation and plan of blocks of square and oblong form. This
facility for breaking up the fuel is of great importance, as it enables the consumer
to divide the blocks into pieces of regular shape and uniform size, and so adapt
the fuel to his requirements.
The "briquette" may be readily broken by striking it against the edge of the coal
box for instance, so that the blow takes effect just along one of the grooves.
The grooved briquettes are made in moulds by hand or by machine; they are
eminently suited for domestic use, whether in open grates, closed stoves, or
kitcheners, and are also adapted for burning in steam boiler, puddling, blast, and
other furnaces, for forge, and other fires generally.
Having described the nature of the Invention, and the manner of performing the
same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1st. In the manufacture of blocks of artificial fuel from small coal, the employ-
ment of milk of lime, as and for the purpose specified.

page_text: 2nd. Grooving the surfaces of blocks or briquettes of artificial fuel, as and for the
purpose specified.
'
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of February, in the year of our Lord One:
thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
A. M. CLARK. (L.S.)