IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FUEL
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Avery Branton Williams, of Cardiff, in the
County of Glamorgan, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IM-
Scaled the 19th June 1874, and dated the 22nd April 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Avery Branton
Williams at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 22nd April 1874.
I, JOHN AVERY BRANTON WILLIAMS, of Cardiff, in the County of
Glamorgan, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FUEL," to
be as follows :—
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
ártificial fuel, whereby coal, coke, peat, or similar substances, when in a
state of powder, or fine division, or dust or duff is heated so as to produce
solid waterproof fuel of great commercial utility, particularly for steam
purposes.

page_text: The method of manufacturing my improved fuel is as follows:-The
coal, coke, peat, or similar substance, which has been reduced to a stato
of powder or fine division is mixed with pitch (which is also reduced to
a state of powder in the proportion of about 1 cwt. of pitch to 20 cwt.
of coal. The above materials are then intimately and thoroughly mixed
in an ordinary pug mill, or by preference in an inclined revolving mixer
provided with suitable stirrers, either fixed or moving, or a rotary disc
mixer may be employed. The materials so treated are then passed into
an "amalgamator," when a liquid cement composed of vegetable or
mineral tar and an amylaccous solution or emulsion is added in the
proportion herein-after mentioned, and the whole thoroughly incor-
porated under the influence of heat, which evaporates the moisture and
causes perfect diffusion of the cementing medium.
The heat employed may be fire heat, hot air, and also that of steam
surrounding the "amalgamator," and introduced into it. The "amalga-
mator" may be made to revolve by preference in an inclined position so
as to prevent any portion of the material under treatment from being
overheated; the stirring arms may also be made to revolve in an opposite
direction to that of the "amalgamator." The material so treated is
then passed to and formed into blocks in an artificial fuel machine, con-
siderable pressure being employed in order to effect compact union of all
the particles. In this way solid waterproof blocks of fuel are made which
require no further drying in ovens, stoves, or kilns, after leaving the
moulding machine, but are ready for immediate use.
The liquid cement used in the above process may be prepared as
follows: I take about 5 lbs. of farina, and add to it an average
quantity of 8 gallons or thereabouts of boiling water; when well stirred
and boiled up in the manner well understood the amylaceous solution or
emulsion thus formed is drawn-off into a heated tank and about 2
gallons of vegetable or mineral tar added to it, the whole is then raised
to boiling temperature, sometimes under slight pressure, at the same
time being kept well stirred; by this treatment the several substances
contained in the tank are caused to be intermixed or to become
amalgamated. The liquid cement thus prepared is ready for use in
the manner before described, I prefer to keep the liquid cement in a
heated state and to supply it to the "amalgamator" in the requisito
proportion by means of force pumps, elevators, or similar appliances well
understood.

page_text: The proportions of materials comprising the liquid cement above:
stated are about the average quantities which I have ascertained from.
experience are required for 20 cwt. of coal, but the proportions of pitch
and liquid cement must be to a certain extent varied according to the
character of the coal under treatment, as the bituminous or non-
bituminous nature of the coal, coke, peat, or similar substance may
require, as will be well understood by persons acquainted with such
operations.
Although by preference the farina emulsion before described is used
any farinaceous substance may be employed. An excellent emulsion
may be made very suitable for some descriptions of coal, from rice flour,
in the preparation of which I pour the rice which has been previously.
partially dissolved in water into a boiling solution of caustic soda,
boiling and stirring the whole, and adding thereto a weak solution of
alum water; to this the proportion of tar is added in the manner before
described
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Avery Branton Williams in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 15th October 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN:
AVERY BRANTON WILLIAMS, of Cardiff, in the County of Glamorgan,
Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letter Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of April, in the year"
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the 37th
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said John Avery Branton Williams, Her special
license that I the said John Avery Branton Williams, my executors, -
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Avery
Branton Williams, my executors, administrators, or 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:

page_text: 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 THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FUEL,".
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Avery
Branton Williams, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
• NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Avery Branton Williams, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement, that is to say:-
{
My said Invention has for its object improvements in the manufac-
ture of artificial fuel whereby coal, coke, peat, or similar substances
when in a state of powder or fine division, or dust, or duff, is treated so as
to produce solid waterproof fuel of great commercial utility, particularly
for steam purposes.
The method of manufacturing my improved fuel is as follows:-The
coal, coke, peat, or other similar substance, which has been reduced to
a state of powder or fine division is mixed with pitch (which is also
reduced to a state of powder) in the proportion of about one and a
quarter hundredweight of pitch to twenty hundredweight of coal. The
above materials are then intimately and thoroughly mixed in an
ordinary pug mill, or by preferance in an inclined revolving mixer pro-.
vided with suitable stirrers, either fixed or moving; or a rotary disc
mixer may be employed. The materials so treated are then passed into
an "amalgamator" when a liquid cement composed of vegetable or
mineral tar, and an amylaceous solution or emulsion is added in the pro-
portion hercin-after mentioned, and the whole thoroughly incorporated
under the influence of heat, which evaporates the moisture and causes
perfect diffusion of the cementing medium.
3
The heat employed may be fire heat, hot air, and also that of steam
surrounding the "amalgamator" and introduced into it. The "amal- 3
gamator" may be made to revolve by preference in an inclined position
so as to prevent any portion of the material under treatment from being

page_text: overheated; the stirring arms may also be made to revolve in an opposito
direction to that of the "amalgamator." The material so treated is
then passed to and formed into blocks in an artificial fuel machine, con-
siderable pressure; say from fifty to eighty tons on each block, according
5 to its size, being employed in order to effect compact union of all the
particles. In this way solid waterproof blocks of fuel are made which
require no further drying in ovens, stoves, or kilns, after leaving the
moulding machine but are ready for immediate use.
The liquid cement used in the above process may be. prepared as..
follows:-I take about five pounds of farina and add to it an average,
quantity of eight gallons or thereabouts of boiling water; when well
stirred and boiled up in the manner well understood the amylaceous
solution or emulsion thus formed is drawn off into a heated tank and about
two and a half gallons of vegetable or mineral tar added to it, the whole
is then raised to a boiling temperature, sometimes under slight pressure,
at the same time being kept well stirred; by this treatment the several
substances contained in the tank are caused to be intermixed or to
become amalgamated. The liquid cement thus prepared is ready for
use in the manner before described. I prefer to keep the liquid cement.
in a heated state and to supply it to the "amalgamator" in the requisite
proportion by means of force pumps, elevators, or similar appliances well
understood..
.
The proportions of materials composing the liquid cement above
stated are about the average quantities which I have ascertained from
experience are required for twenty hundredweight of coal, but the pro-
portions of pitch and liquid cement must be to a certain extent varied
according to the character of the coal under treatment, as the bituminous
or non-bituminous nature of the coal, coke, peat, or similar substance
may require, as will be well understood by persons acquainted with such
operations.
I have ascertained from experience that a very superior quality of fuel
for steam purposes, very solid and waterproof may be made by using the
following proportions of materials :-Coal, one ton; pitch, one hundred
and thirty-four pounds; vegetable tar, eleven pounds; mineral tar,
eleven pounds; farina, five pounds; and water six gallons.
Also that a very excellent quality of fuel for domestic use may be
be made by employing the following proportions of materials:-Coal,

page_text: one ton; pitch, one hundred and twelve pounds; mineral tar, twenty-
two pounds; farina, five pounds; water, six gallons.
Although by preference the farina emulsion before described is used,
any farinaceous substance may be employed. An excellent emulsion
may be made very suitable for some description of coal from rice flour,
in the preparation of which I pour the rice which has been previously
partially dissolved in water into a boiling solution of caustic soda,
boiling and stirring the whole, and adding thereto a weak solution of
alum water; to this the proportion of tar is added in the manner before
described.
I sometimes find it desirable to use vegitable tar and mineral tar
combined in about equal proportions with the amylaceous emulsion
before referred to.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be
novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the amalgamating
together under the influence of heat of small coal, coke, or peat, and
vegetable or mineral tar or both, and mucilage or emulsion made from
farina, or other such like substance with the addition of pitch in a
powdered or dry state and afterwards pressing the compound into
blocks, which require no further drying, and which effects the pro-
duction of solid waterproof fuel, substantially as and for the purposes
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Avery Branton Williams,
have to this my Specification set my hand and seal, the Four-
teenth day of October, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-