IMPROVE- MENTS IN ARRANGEMENTS AND APPARATUS FOR PREPARING PEAT, SMALL COALS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Murdoch Campbell, of Clonreher Castle, Mary-
borough, Queen's County, Ireland, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN ARRANGEMENTS AND APPARATUS FOR PREPARING PEAT, SMALL COALS,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Murdoch Campbell at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 21st February 1873.
I, MURDOCH CAMPBELL, of Clonreher Castle, Maryborough, Queen's
County, Ireland, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ARRANGEMENTS AND APPARATUS FOR PREPARING PEAT, SMALL
COALS, COAL TAB, PETROLEUM, OR OTHER SIMILAR SUbstances for Fuel,” to be as
follows:
My improvements in the preparation of peat have for their object a
quicker method of masceration or conversion into pulp, and further when
the peat is thus prepared an expeditious method of manufacture into

page_text: blocks of such form that they can be dryed more rapidly than heretofore.
The peat after having been cut from the pit or bog is loaded on flat
bottomed boats or rafts and conveyed by water to the mills for mas-
ceration.
The mills which I propose to use for the process of masceration are
those patented by Buckland, but I do not restrict myself to these, as any
approved mills will do equally as well for this purpose. The peat is.
delivered into the mills by hand or suitable mechanical means, and
thereby reduced to the consistence of pulp with or without the addition
of water thereto; the latter mode I prefer. After the peat has been
thus prepared I convey it by barrows or other suitable means to
machinery of the same construction as that used for the moulding and
manufacture of bricks, and deal with it in a similar manner, that is to
say, I press it through dies of any desired form in the same way as clay,
and thus mould it into solid, hollow, or perforated blocks or bricks. As
the hollow or perforated blocks can be dryed more rapidly than the
others I prefer to make them with one or more holes through and of any
external form. The blocks are then dryed either in the open air or in a
drying shed which is artificially heated by furnace, hot air, or hot water
pipes.
My improvements in apparatus have reference to a cowl of novel
construction for the purpose of ventilating the drying shed, and may
also be used for other similar purposes. The upper part of the cowl I
make in the form of a bell; through the centre of its diameters I pass a
spindle which is fixed in suitable bearings. On the end of the spindle
next the bell's greatest diameter two or more projecting blades are fixed,
whilst the other end-is flattened like a fan or feather. On one side of
the bell, and communicating with its interior, a tube is attached by
means of a universal joint; in the tube is an Archimedian screw
connected to the blade spindle. On the top of the drying shed I fix one
or more of these cowls, so that the bell portion stands horizontally whilst
the tube part passes into the interior of the drying shed. The wind
blowing upon the blade spindle causes it to revolve, and thus imparts
motion to the screw within the tube, so that the air within the drying
shed is screwed or fanned out, and thus a current created.
In preparing small coals for fuel I propose to mix them with coal tar
into the consistence of paste or clay and form the substance thus prepared
into blocks, as already described in the treatment of peat.

page_text: Further I propose to mascerate the peat into pulp with the addition
of a proportion of petroleum or coal tar added thereto instead of with
or without water, as already described; afterwards it is formed into blocks
as already set forth.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Murdoch Campbell in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 19th August 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, Murdoch
CAMPBELL, of Clonreher Castle, Maryborough, Queen's County, Ireland,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Murdoch Campbell, Her special licence that I,
the said Murdoch Campbell, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Murdoch Campbell, 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 ARRANGEMENTS AND
APPARATUS FOR PREPARING PEAT, SMALL COALS, COAL TAR, PETROLEUM, OR OTHER
SIMILAR SUBSTANCLS FOR FUEL," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Murdoch Campbell, 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
Invention, 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

page_text: be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof :-
My improvements in the preparation of peat have for their object a
quicker method of masceration or conversion into pulp, and further, when
the peat is thus prepared an expeditious method of manufacture into
blocks of such form that they can be dryed more rapidly than hereto-
fore. The peat after having been cut from the pit or bog is loaded on
flat bottomed boats or rafts and conveyed by water to the mills for
masceration.
The mills which I propose to use for the process of masceration are
those patented by Buckland, but I do not restrict myself to these, as any
approved mills will do equally as well for this purpose. The peat is
delivered into the mills by hand or suitable mechanical means, and
thereby reduced to the consistence of pulp with or without the addition
of water thereto, the latter mode I-prefer. After the peat has thus been
prepared I convey it by barrows or other suitable means to machinery of
the same construction as that used for the moulding and manufacture of
bricks, and deal with it in a similar manner, that is to say, I press it
through dies of any desired form, and thus mould it into solid, hollow,
or perforated blocks or bricks. As the hollow or perforated blocks can
be dryed more rapidly than the others, I prefer to make them with one
or more holes through and of any external form. The blocks are then
dryed either in the open air or in a drying shed which is artificially
heated by furnace, hot air, or hot water pipes.
My improvements in apparatus have reference to a cowl of of novel
construction for the purpose of ventilating the drying shed, and may
also be used for other similar purposes. The upper part of the cowl I
make in the form of a bell, through the centre of its diameters I pass a
spindle which is fixed in suitable bearings. On the end of the spindle
next the bell's greatest diameter two or more projecting blades are fixed,
whilst the other end is flattened like a fan or feather. On one side of
the bell and communicating with its interior a tube is attached by
means of a universal joint, in the tube is an Archimedian screw
connected to the blade spindle. On the top of the drying shed I fix one
or more of these cowls, so that the bell portion stands horizontally whilst
the tube part passes into the interior of the drying shed. The wind
blowing upon the blade spindle causes it to revolve, and thus imparts

page_text: motion to the screw within the tube, so that the air within the drying
shed is screwed or fanned out, and thus a current is created.
In preparing small coals for fuel I propose to mix them with coal tar
into the consistence of paste or clay and form the substance thus
prepared into blocks, as already described in the treatment of peat.
Further I propose to mascerate the peat into pulp with the addition of
a proportion of petroleum or coal tar added thereto, instead of with or
without water as already described; afterwards it is formed into blocks as
already set forth.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention I now proceed to
describe by reference to the Drawings and the letters and figures marked
thereon.
Figure 1 is a transverse section, and Figure 2 a plan shewing arrange-
ments of engine, mascerting and moulding machinery.
Figure 3 plan shewing arrangements of rails for wagons in the drying
shed, flues for heating, and sliding doors for directing heat into different
compartments.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal, and Figures 5 and 6 transverse sections,
shewing general arrangements of flues, rails, wagons, and stoves.
Figures 7 and 8 shewing sections of cowl for ventilating.
Figures 1 and 2. A shews the position of engine with shafting b, b,
through which motion is imparted to the machinery; c, mascerating
machine; d, d, moulding machines for moulding into blocks, solid or
perforated, by means of dies as described.
Figure 3. e, e, are the rails for wagons; f, f, wagons for receiving
the moulded blocks from machines; g, g, flues for heating drying sheds
when required; h, h, sliding doors for regulating and directing currents
of heated air.
Figures 4, 5, and 6. f, f, are the wagons shewing arrangements of
perforated trays on which the moulded blocks are placed; g, g, flues for
heating; h, h, sliding doors; i, i, fans for assisting in the ventilation of
the sheds.
Figures 7 and 8. j, bell mouthed cowl; k, Archimedian screw; 7, blades
to which the wind imparts motion similar to a windmill, and through the

page_text: spindles m, m, drives the screw; n, universal joint; o, tube com-
municating with interior of shed.
The drying sheds I by preference make of considerable length, through
which the wagons are gradually moved as necessity may require. The
stoves and flues for heating the drying sheds, it is anticipated, will only
be required in the event of frost interfering with the drying operations.
My arrangements differ from those already in use. The blocks having
been moulded as herein-before described, are placed upon the trays in
the wagons, and can be subjected to the action of heated air or not
in the divisional compartments into which the drying shed is divided.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
my said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to or may be
performed, I claim as my Invention to be secured by the herein-before
in part recited Letters Patent,—
First. The general arrangement and combination of parts constituting
an apparatus for preparing and drying peat or small coals for fuel as
herein described and set forth in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 of the
Drawings attached.
Second. The moulding and perforation of blocks of peat or small coals
by means of dies, as herein described and set forth.
Third. The cowls for ventilating drying sheds as herein described and
set forth in Figures 7 and 8 of the Drawings attached.
In witness whereof, I, the said Murdoch Campbell, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
MURDOCH CAMPBELL. (L.S.).
Drawings attached.
Second. The moulding and perforation of blocks of peat or small coals
by means of dies, as herein described and set forth.
Third. The cowls for ventilating drying sheds as herein described and
set forth in Figures 7 and 8 of the Drawings attached.
In witness whereof, I, the said Murdoch Campbell, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
MURDOCH CAMPBELL. (L.S.).