IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PREPARATION OF PEAT AND OTHER LIGNEOUS AND CARBONACEOUS SUBSTANCES, AND THE CONVERSION OF SOME OF THE PRODUCTS DERIVED THEREBY, AND ALSO IN THE MODE OF THE APPLICATION OF SOME SUCH PRODUCTS TO THE PRESERVATION OF SUBSTANCES LIABLE TO DECOMPOSITION AND DESTRUCTIVE AGENCIES, AND WHICH MODE IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER PRODUCTS OF A SIMILAR NATURE
Year: 1850

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HENRY GREEN, of No. 8, Basinghall Street, in the City of London, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Nineteenth day, of December,
One thousand eight hundred and fifty, in the fourteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Henry Green, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, Her especial licence,
full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said William Henry
Green, my exors, adññors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Henry Green, my exors, admiors, or assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years
therein expressed, should and lawfully, might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and the
Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, and all Her
Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE PREPARATION OF PEAT AND OTHER LIGNEOUS AND CARBONACEOUS SUBSTANCES,
AND THE CONVERSION OF SOME OF THE PRODUCTS DERIVED THEREBY, AND ALSO IN THE
MODE OF THE APPLICATION OF SOME SUCH PRODUCTS TO THE PRESERVATION OF
SUBSTANCES LIABLE TO DECOMPOSITION AND DESTRUCTIVE AGENCIES, AND WHICH
MODE IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER PRODUCTS OF A SIMILAR NATURE," a com-
munication from abroad; in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso
that I, the said William Henry Green, shall cause a particular description of
J

page_text: the nature of the said improvements, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to be
enrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part [recited
Letters Patent, as in and by, the same, reference being thereunto had, will
more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Henry Green, do hereby declare that the nature of the said In-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, are fully described
and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being
had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, that is to say:-
In converting peat into charcoal or other fuel, the first object to be
rattained is a speedy and cheap mode of preparing the peat from its raw state
as taken from the bog,, so as sufficiently to expel the moisture to render it in a
fit state to be placed in the retort, furnaces, or kilus, for converting it into
charcoal. The atmospheric temperature being insufficient for this purpose,
it is necessary to expose the raw peat to a gradual heating process, as a
sudden exposure to too great a heat causes the peat to fall to pieces, and
consequently renders it unfit for the purpose of making a compact and heavy
charcoal. The second object to be attained when the peat is sufficiently
prepared to be placed into the retort, furnace, or kiln, to be converted into
charcoal, is so to construct the retort, furnace, or kiln, that the heat should be
so radiated, that if possible, all parts of the peat placed therein should be at one
time equally influenced by such heat, and the whole bulk equally carbonized.
The first part of this Invention or improvement therefore relates to certain
new or improved methods of preparing the peat previous to its being con-
verted into charcoal, and the second to certain new or improved methods of
converting the peat when so prepared into charcoal, either by close retorts,
furnaces, or kilns. The ordinary mode for making charcoal has been chiefly
depending on the warmth of the atmosphere às a drying process, and after-
wards submitting it to the ordinary smothering process in pits. By one of
the drying processes under the first part of the improvements herein-after
described, a new, convenient, inexpensive, and efficient mode is obtained
of preparing the peat for the purpose of making charcoal, and by an
improved construction of furnace I am able, under the second part of the
Invention, to convert the peat thus prepared into a charcoal dust. Peat
is a valuable fuel, but the difficulty to be contended with has been the
solidifying of the peat and converting it into a hard compact or solid
body, which has hitherto been accomplished by a tedious and expensive

page_text: process, which is now accomplished by a simple and effective mode, which
forms the third division of the Invention. In making peat charcoal there
are certain products obtained by the process herein-after described, such as tar,
sulphate of ammonia, and acetate of lime, and also by such processes certain
gases are evolved.
Fourthly, the Invention relates to certain improvements in the processes
ordinarily employed for producing these products, and for employing the gases
as a fuel to convert the peat into charcoal, and also as a fuel for obtaining
carbonic acid gas from lime, which is used in a manner and for the purposes
herein-after explained. The tar obtained in converting peat into charcoal has
hitherto been of little or no market value, in consequence of its becoming a
solid mass at a moderate degree of temperature, in which state it is unser-.
viceable for useful purposes. By a cheap and expeditious mode the tar can
be converted into a fluid state, and thus rendered serviceable for preserving
substances liable to decomposition, and for other practical purposes for which
liquid tar is ordinarily used. The usual process for preserving timber is by the
application of metallic salts and various essential oils, which are both tedious
and expensive.
The last part of this Invention relates to a new, expeditious, and inexpensive
method of employing the liquid tar for the purpose of preserving timber and
other substances liable to decay. The various improvements are herein-after
explained.
First, as to preparing the peat previous to its being converted into charcoal,
various methods can be employed, some one or other of which may be
adopted according to circumstances with regard to the nature or quality of
the peat, the locality and its conveniences, and the capital to be employed.
To explain one mode, the skeleton wagons: in which the peat is placed are
made to run on railways into a drying house or chamber. The drying house
is heated by means of air passing through pipes heated in flues, which pass
under the floor, and the hot air, after having absorbed the moisture from the
peat, is carried off through a convenient aperture in the roof by a fan or other
suitable means.
Figure I. is a ground plan of a drying house, a portion of which shews the
perforated flooring, and a portion in section of the flues and furnaces;
Figure II. is a sectional elevation of a drying house, shewing the wagons and
the construction of the flues; Figure III. is a cross section in detail of one of
the flues, with a railroad and wagon. Figure IV. is a section, and Figure V. is
a plan of a wagon. a are furnaces for supplying heat to the flues b, which
latter are formed by flagstones or tiles c, c, supported by division walls d, and

page_text: .
carrying on their centre a longitudinal partition wall dividing. the flues. e are
vertical pipes, passing through the flues b, the lower ends of which communi-
cate with the external air below. The supply of air is regulated by dampers f
Figure II. The air-passing through the heated pipes.e is conveyed through
the flooring, as before described, into the building at a temperature regulated
by the dampers and the furnaces, the temperature to be gradually raised
as the drying process advances; the heated air from the flue of the car-
bonizing retort, after described, may be brought to aid the drying the peat by
pipes passing through the bottom or flooring of such drying house. The
highest température which is recommended for drying peat by this mode is
about one hundred and thirty degrees Fahrenheit. 9 are railways, on which
the skeleton waggons h are made to run. These waggons are loaded with peat
cut into convenient sizes and arranged in tiers, leaving interstices for the hot
air to pass. When the peat is placed in the. drying house in a very moist
state, a fan or fans is employed in the aperture in the roof of the building
to accelerate the escape of the moist air. i is a chimney, connected with
the flues. kare doors, which are closed when the waggons are placed in
the house. By this plan, an expeditious mode of drying peat to prepare it
for the carbonizing furnace is obtained, and is an improvement on the
Invention patented by me for a similar purpose, which said Letters Patent
bear date on the Fifth day of March; One thousand eight hundred and forty-
nine; a Specification was duly enrolled in the High Court of Chancery of
England on the Fifth day of September, One thousand eight hundred and
forty-nine that is to say, so far as regards the mode of introducing the peat
to be desiccated and the means of regulating the heat.
Figure VI. represents a vertical section, Figure VI. the plan of another
apparatus for drying peat-by evaporation, which is termed "a continuous drying
kiln."
a represents the kiln or drying chamber; 6 a furnace for heating the
same; c is a pipe, conveying the heated air or gases from the furnace to the
drying chamber a; d-is a pipe,-to which is attached a fan blower or other
suitable machine for- exhausting the air charged with moisture. absorbed from
the peat; e, e, e, are skeleton iron waggons filled with peat, packed and
arranged as before described; f, f, are sliding doors placed at the distance of
one waggon apart, so as to allow of one waggon being admitted at one end
of the chamber and one withdrawn at the other, without any material loss of
heat from the chamber while introducing or removing the waggons that would
otherwise occur by allowing a current of cold air to pass in and out. In all
drying kilns or chambers of this kind hitherto constructed. the whole mass of
peat is introduced at one time, and the heating operation is continued at onc

page_text: temperature, acting on the peat until the whole quantity is sufficiently dried.
It will be seen that by such a process, besides the inconveniences of sub-
mitting the peat to a high temperature suddenly,, the air passes out hotter and
less charged with moisture as the drying progresses, until towards the com-
pletion of the process, the air. passes through as hot and dry as it comes
from the furnace, causing a consequent great loss of heat. By this improve-
ment the waggons are introduced at the lower end and at the most distant
part of the chamber where the hot air is introduced, and are advanced as the
drying process progresses, and are drawn out at that end where the heat is
greatest in a proper state of dryness for carbonizing or other purposes required:
By this means also the hot air fully charged with moisture is exhausted during,
the operation of drying the peat. The process may be continued for months.
or years without any material cooling of the chamber or material waste of
heat, and thus the maximum of drying power is obtained with the least
expenditure of fuel. By this process is obtained an economy of fuel by.
introducing into the furnace b the waste and incondensable gases (one of the
component parts of the peat) which are generated in a heated state by the
carbonizing or calcining furnaces or chambers after explained, during the
operation of carbonizing the peat. The gases are collected by any of the
usual modes in use and introduced in a heated state into the furnace by the
pipe g; the combustion of this gas combined with the fuel used, generates
heat with a consequent saving of fuel. To prevent the gas and burning
sparks entering into the drying chamber a in an inflammable state, a bundle
of fine wire filling up this coil pipe from the furnace 6 is introduced into the,
flue c at h; a faggot of wire is preferable to wire gauze. In a similar manner
any surplus hot air that may be carried off from any of the operations for
generating heat during the process of drying or carbonizing the peat can be
employed.
.
I
'
Figures VII. and VIII. represent another apparatus for drying, which is
called a "rotary separating frame." Peat in its natural state is generally
considered to be a cellular substance; the cells imbibe and retain moisture..
Hitherto it has been impracticable to break up these cells and extract the
moisture; except by a long process either of great pressure or evaporation..
The apparatus after described is a simple contrivance to break up these cells
without pressure or evaporation. a is a hollow perforated shaft, through
which hot air, surcharged steam, or heated gases are introduced by the use of
cockle stoves, or by any other convenient method. b is an iron circular frame..
da circular iron plate forming the bottom of the frame resting on suitable
iron arms keyed to the shaft, and supports the frames or hoops 6 by means of

page_text: the standards c. gare rods or braces radiating from the centre to the
circumference at the points and bolted to the hoops b. These serve
to strengthen the frame, and for keeping the baskets or cages after
named in their proper positions. fare baskets or cages of equal sizes and
shapes, which are perforated on both sides, and are constructed to hold an
equal quantity of raw peat. The peat being carefully weighed out, equal
quantities are put in each basket and are fitted into the circular frame b, as
shewn in Figure VIII.
Figure VIII. represents a sectional plan of the rotating separating frame,
half of the cover being removed. When the baskets are properly placed, the
cover c is carefully fixed on, and, on a rapid rotary motion being given to the
frame by any suitable motive power, the heated air, steam, or gases will then
pass through the perforated cylinder a into the unoccipied spaces h, and by
the rapid revolution of the frame the heated air, steam, or gases will be
forced through the peat placed in the baskets f. The air, stream, or gasses,
being heated to over two hundred and twelve degrees Fahrenheit, will come
in contact with the cells and burst them, and carry off the moisture contained
in such cells and other parts of the peat, in the form of steam, and be forced
through the outer perforations of the baskets, and will shortly leave the peat
perfectly dry. The rotary motion of the frame will not of itself carry off
the moisture without the aid of heated air for converting such moisture
into steam. A smaller diameter to the rotary frame than ten feet is not
recommended. The baskets to be from twelve to eighteen inches, and the
same depth as the frame, namely, about four feet; the spaces h for receiving
the heated air from the cylinder will then be about seven to eight feet. To
prevent any detached particles of the peat passing through the perforated
baskets, the outer surface of the frame or baskets must be lined with a
thin layer of the fibrous or upper surface peat, which is prepared for the
purpose. In the drying process next explained this lining will act as a felt,
and will prevent the detached particles of the peat from escaping through the
baskets, being propelled by the centrifugal force which will take place.
Figure IX. represents a machine which is called "a roller pressure machine,"
which is used for expelling the moisture from the fibrous or upper surface
peat and forming it into sheets for lining the baskets, in the manner before
described, or generally for expelling moisture from peat by compression. For
this purpose two endless bands of felt or other absorbing material is employed
which pass over cylinders, as represented in the Drawing. a, a, are the
cylinders, one of which is adjusted by a lever as at c, or other suitable means.
The peate is placed upon the lower band and carried along by a rotary motion

page_text: given to the cylinders, and passes between the cylinders a, a, and is com-
pressed, and issues out on the other side in a sheet of the required thickness,
according to the adjustment of the rollers; and if the peat be required to be
still further desicated, it may be carried over a heated plate for more perfectly
expelling the moisture. d is. a trough for conveying off the water that is
expelled by the pressure. The rollers may be made of any convenient length
and charged with hot air or surcharged steam, if required..
Having now described different processes for drying peat, I proceed to the
second part of the Invention, 'namely, that of carbonizing or making charcoal.
In my former Patent last named, I described an effective mode of drying
and charring peat in retorts. The retorts were formed on the ordinary
principle. An improvement can be made in the construction of such retorts.
By the former mode the heat from the surface of the retorts is not radiated
so as to act with equal force on all parts of the peat placed therein for car-
bonization, but by constructing the retorts in a paraboloidal form, as represented
in the Drawing, Figure X.; the effect produced by this improvement will be
that the heat is equally radiated from all sides of the retort, or nearly so, by
which means the whole body of peat placed therein will be more equally car-
bonized throughout; and to such retorts is added a third educt pipe to the
two ordinarily used, which conveys the gases from the retort in a more rapid
manner, thereby causing the charring process to be expedited.
Figure X. is a longitudinal section, and Figure XI. is a cross section of this
apparatus. a, a, are the retorts on the improved form. is the third pipe,
conveying, in conjunction with the pipes c, c, the gases into the U-shaped
pipe d, which should be packed in. sand or other non-conducting substances,
thereby keeping the gases from condensing until they reach the cistern e;. in
other respects this apparatus is similar to that described in my former Patent;
above mentioned.
I now proceed to describe another mode by which the dry peat is car-
bonized, and which is used more particularly for the peat dried by the " rotary
separating frame" before described.
Figure XII. is a section, and Figure XIII. is a plan of a kiln for charring
peat by means of heated air mixed with carbonic acid gas to prevent the combus-
tion of the peat.
a is the kiln constructed of brick or other fireproof material,
of sufficient size to admit the perforated platform b, which latter is mounted on
wheels, and is run on railways. ff, are the baskets or cages, which are taken
from the rotary separating machine, Figures VII. and VIII., before described,
after undergoing the drying process there described and packed on the plat-
form b. c, c, c, is an outer frame, which encloses the piles of baskets or cages. is

page_text: the pipe, by which the heated air mixed with the gases generated by lime kilns
is introduced into the kiln or chamber, forced by any of the well-known means
of fans or blowing cylinders. For economy, the gas obtained from the fuel
during carbonization of the peat as a fuel to burn the lime in the kilns may be
employed. The carbonic gas emitted from the lime kiln is collected for use
by any of the usual methods, and to be used when required. e is a pipe, by
which the vapours are carried off into an ordinary condensing apparatus. g is
a sliding iron double door.
Figure XIV. is the section and Figure XV. the plan of a double iron case h,
which is made to traverse on the cross rail i, so as to be brought opposite the
doors of the carbonizing kiln or chambers, Figures XII. and XIII. When the
peat is sufficiently carbonized, the platform b, upon which the cages or baskets
are mounted, is then drawn by means of a chain or windlass into the cooling
box, and the sliding door k, constructed on the same plan as the doors g,
Figures XII. and XIII., is then lowered and luted. The cooling chamber can
then be removed, to make way for another loaded platform to feed the carboniz-
ing chamber or kiln, and is placed in a position so that the exit pipe 7 can be
connected with a fan or other suitable contrivance for conveying the hot air
from between its internal and external casings, for any purpose for which hot
air may be required. m is a self-acting safety valve. When the baskets are
first placed in the cooling chamber the air. will be sufficiently heated between
the double casings to be used for the "rotary separating frame" before
described; and, if the temperature is required to be kept up for any length of
time, it may be made to pass through cockle stoves, and thus every particle of
heat may be made available without waste.
Figure XVI. is a section and Figure XVII. a plan, which represents another
mode of carbonizing peat, which is called a "continuous charring kiln." This is
particularly applicable for charring that peat which has been dried by the rolling
press described in Figure IX., or for any dry peat best adapted for making char-
coal dust. a is the carbonizing chamber, heated by the furnace 6 and flues c, c,
fed by an opening at the top. d is the chimney. e is a sliding hopper fixed
on the top of the kiln a, with an iron slide at the bottom, which is removed
when the box is filled with peat, and the lid placed on; by this means the
peat is supplied to the kiln without permitting the heat to escape. When the
peat is sufficiently carbonized it is drawn out by the endless chain f, worked
by the rollers g into the cooling box h, which box is surrounded by cold water.
The atmospheric air is prevented from entering into the cooling box by means
of the lid i, which clips over the moveable front k. 7 is a docr hinged at m;
which opens outwards by the pressure of the charcoal when the endless chain
is put in motion.

page_text: In describing this part of the Invention, I must observe that great care
must be taken. to exclude as much as may be the atmospheric air, which,
if allowed to enter into the smothering or cooling box, will cause the charcoal
dust to smoulder into ashes, as the oxygen of the air will excite combustion.
The tar and other vapours are carried off through the pipe n in the same
manner and for the same purpose as the pipe e, Figure XII. The passage of
flame or heated-particles through the pipe n is prevented by the insertion of a
bundle of wire, as before described. It is recommended that the carbonizing
chamber or kiln should be built of fire bricks and the flues of boiler plate.
The size of the kiln should be about 6 feet wide, 8 feet deep, and 10 feet long.
The third part of the Invention relates to a new method of solidifying or
consolidating peat. The processes hitherto employed have been both tedious
and expensive and ineffective. By the following simple method peat can be
solidified into masses or blocks of a consistency nearly approaching to that of
coal. The peat having been thoroughly dried by any of the processes above
described is then reduced into a powder. The peat powder is then passed over
heated iron plates or through heated cylinders. This heat will cause an exha-
lation of the fatty or tarry matter contained in the peat; in this state it is
passed into a hopper which conducts it into any suitable machine where great
pressing power can be had, or by concussion. While the powder is in this
heated state a solid block or cake of perfectly dry and solidified peat coal will
be immediately formed, which is suitable as a fuel. The several improve-
ments are also applicable to the preparation of other ligneous and carbonaceous
substances.
The fourth part of the Invention relates to the conversion of peat tar from
the hard state, so as to render it serviceable for the purpose of preserving
substances liable to decomposition and decay. To every one hundred and
twelve pounds of tarry matter produced during the process of carbonizing the
the peat, add twenty-eight pounds of yellow resin, and five pounds of sulphate
of iron; the sulphate of iron should be made dry. Place the above mixture in
a common iron retort for distillation in the ordinary way. The distillation
must be allowed to continue till the liquid issuing from the condenser appears
turbid and foul, when the fire or other heating apparatus should be withdrawn
and the residuum discharged. The condenser should be of vertical iron tubes
instead of coils immersed in cold running water. The liquid thus produced is
an essential oil which will be found to be a most valuable and cheap substitute
for the usual substances now employed for preserving timber and other
substances liable to decay.
I now proceed to explain the fifth and last part of the Invention, which is,
the manner of applying the tarry product for the purpose of preserving timber.

page_text: In all timber is contained a certain quantity of acqueous matter; to preserve
the timber effectually it is necessary to expel such acqueous matter, and
replace it with the preserving substance. This acqueous matter in the timber
can be completely expelled and replaced by preserving liquid by the following
method: The timber to be treated is to be immersed in a tank or other
suitable receiver containing the preserving liquid. The liquid must be heated
by flues or pipes containing hot air, surcharged steam, or other efficient mode.
As the preserving liquid requires a considerably greater degree of heat than
water to bring it to a boiling point, the moisture or water in the wood will
therefore reach the boiling point long before the preserving liquid, and will
be converted into steam, and will then pass off through the preserving liquid.
When bubbles cease to rise the air and water will have been expelled from
the wood, while the preserving liquid will still be below boiling point.
The heat must then be turned off and the temperature lowered, when the
vacuum caused by the escape of the air and water from the timber will be at
once replaced by the rushing in of the preserving liquid, and which will
penetrate to the very core, in consequence of the very subtle character of this
essential oil. The preserving liquid will be found serviceable for the preserva-
tion of other substances liable to decay. Timber can also be preserved by the
method herein-before described, by other products of a similar nature to that
of the composition herein-before described.
Having thus described the said Invention, and the best methods for carrying
out the same,―
First, I claim the improved method of preparing peat for conversion into
füel, represented and before described; that is to say, in so far as regards the
mode of introducing the peat into the heating chamber, combined with the
means of regulating and diffusing the heat.
Second, I claim the methods represented in Figures VI. and VI.* before
described; that is to say, in so far as regards the consecutive movement of the
carriages or wagons carrying the peat through the drying chamber from the
outer end towards the furnace end of the drying chamber, combined
with the application of hot air, for the purpose of dessecating the peat.
4
Third, I claim the adaptation of "a rotary separating machine," in which the
peat is to be operated upon for expelling the moisture by the joint operations
of centrifugal action, hot air, surcharged steam, or heated gases, as represented
in Figures VII. and VIII., and before described.
Fourth, I claim the mode of compressing peat for the purpose of conversion
into fuel, by means of rollers, as exemplified in Figure IX., and before
described, and whether such rollers are used by themselves or in combination
with a hot plate..

page_text: Fifth, I claim the improved apparatus for carbonizing peat prepared as
aforesaid, represented in Figure X. and XI., and before described; that is to
say, in so far as regards the paraboloidal form given to the stoves, and the
additional pipe for the purpose of carrying off the gases.
Sixth, I claim the method or apparatus represented in Figures XII., XIII.,
XIV. and XV., and before described, in so far as regards the general arrange-
ment, combination, and adaptation of parts of which the same consist.
Seventh, I claim the method or apparatus represented in Figures XVI., and
XVII., and before described, in so far as regards the position of the supply
hopper and the continuous discharging chain and the receiving or cooling
chamber.
Eighth, I claim the consolidation or solidification of peat, by subjecting the
same to the processes of pulverisation, and, while in a heated state, of concussive
pressure, as before described.
Ninth, I claim the apparatus before described, or any portion thereof, for car-
bonizing or otherwise preparing other ligneous and carbonaceous substances.
Tenth, I claim the composition for preserving woods and other substances
formed by the combination of the tarry product of carbonized pent with
sulphate of iron and resin in manner before described.
Eleventh, I claim the method of application of the composition, and others
of a similar nature, to the preservation of woods, in manner before exemplified
and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Green, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of June, in the year of our