CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF COKE
Year: 1840

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
WELLS, of No. 7, Vale Place, Hammersmith, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her 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. Thirtieth day of December,
in the fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Wells, Her especial licence that I,
the said John Wells, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said John Wells, my exors, admors, and 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 also within all Her Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, my
Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF COKE;" in which
said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso obliging me, the said John
Wells, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly.to
describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, and cause the same to be enrolled in Her Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same,
reference being, thereunto had, will more, fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, 1, the said
John Wells, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement::.. >
The nature of my Invention is to make coke-manufactured by any of the
ordinary means generally harder, and thereby to render it more durable, for
heating furnaces, or for the purposes of fuel, by the application-of-the solution
of No. 1, or the solution No. 2, herein-after described, as the quality of the
coke, and the degree of hardness require, may render necessary, as herein-after
more particularly specified.
"
The solution No. 1, above referred to, and which is to be used for the
purpose of hardening coke generally, is made as follows, and in the following
proportions: Take copperas, in the proportion of about three pounds of
dry copperas dissolved in boiling water or by the agency of acids; one
bushel of quick lime diluted in water; also the copperas water and the lime
water, together with the lime so diluted, are afterwards intimately mixed
together, and then an additional quantity of water must be supplied to reduce
the consistence of the solution sufficiently for it to penetrate the pores of-the
coke. This solution is to be applied to the coke whilst it is hot, or after it-häs
cooled, but if in the former state it will only be necessary to cool the
coke therewith, whereas in the latter it will be more advantageous to
saturate it.
The solution No. 2, and which is to be used for hardening coke of a soft
and tender nature only, such as coke taken from retorts in the manufacture of
inflammable gas,
is made as follows, and in the following proportions:-I take
a quantity of tar, either foreign or common coal tar, but I prefer the latter, or
I take the essential oil of tar, which I put into a large cask, vat, or vessel,
to which I put black or red oxide of iron in the proportion of not less than
one tenth of the weight of the tar or essential oil thereof; or I take of
copperas in proportion of not less than four tenths of the weight of the tar
or oil thereof. These ingredients must be agitated, during which they will
combine, if the agitation be continued a sufficient length of time; but the
result may be obtained more speedily if the ingredients are boiled together.
Old or new iron, tin, or any matter containing iron, may be used in lieu of the
native oxides; but the time necessary for oxidating the iron will render the
process more tedious. Such coke is to be plunged into this solution No. 2,
and saturated therewith. The hotter the solution the better; but care must be
taken that the coke be dry, yet sufficiently cooled to prevent the ignition of
the solution. When the coke is required for the purpose of giving a dry heat,

page_text: it will be necessary, in addition to either of the above processes, to consume
the flammable matter thereof by the further action of fire.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that I
claim,
First, the exclusive right of using and applying the solution No. 1 to the
improvement of coke generally; and,
Secondly, I claim the exclusive right of using and applying the solution
No. 2 in the improvement of coke of a soft and tender nature.
In witness whereof I have set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day
of June, in the year of our Lord One. thousand eight hundred and
forty-one