A New or Improved Process for the Treatment of Peat and other Ligneous Substances for Producing Paving Blocks, Slabs, Tiles, Slates, Conduits, and Fuel.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 20th June, 1896-Accepted, 25th July, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Process for the Treatment of Peat and other
Ligneous Substances for Producing Paving Blocks, Slabs, Tiles,
Slates, Conduits, and Fuel.
ROBERT FERGUSSON STRONG of 93 and 94 Chancery Lane in the County of
London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to a new or improved process for the treatment of peat and
other ligneous substances for producing paving blocks, slabs, tiles, slates, conduits
and fuel wherein the ingredients used are peat, caustic alkaline earth and pyroligneous
acid combined in suitable proportions according to the product required. One of
the objects of my invention is the production of water-proof fuel for household,
industrial and other purposes.
In carrying my invention into practice I use dry peat, sawdust or other ligneous
substances which are first ground or disintegrated, when I add thereto 20 to
30 per cent. or thereabouts of caustic alkaline earth such as lime, dolomite and the
like the whole being thoroughly mixed together. To this mixture I further add
10 per cent. or thereabouts of pyroligneous acid (CH3CO2H) which is thoroughly
incorporated therewith. This acid has a great affinity for caustic alkaline earths
and absorbs the same readily while solidifying the whole mass which is subsequently
pressed into blocks or briquettes by suitable presses. On issuing from the press
the blocks or briquettes are cooled by a fan or blower and are then ready for use.
The blocks thus manufactured have all the qualities of the best asphalte, are
water-proof and have the resiliency of wood paving while being as noisless as
the latter. Moreover it has as compared with wood paving and asphalte further
important advantages by providing a better foothold for horses and exhibiting the
antiseptic qualities of peat.
I may instead of blocks form slabs, flagstones, tiles slates and the like of the
same material or I may use it in a plastic state to form the upper surface of roads,
streets and the like, in which case I reduce the blocks prepared in the manner
above described into powder and apply it in the same way as the Val-de-Travers.
In the manufacture of briquettes as fuel for household and industrial purposes,
I add to the ground and dried peat or other ligneous substance only from 1 to
2 per cent. of caustic alkaline earth and about 5 per cent. of pyroligneous acid.
In some cases the fuel is made in the form of peat coke by adding to the mass,
before compression, 3 to 5 per cent. of silicate of soda in aqueous solution; the
mass is then pressed in the usual manner and is subsequently coked.
I may obviously vary the above proportions to a slight extent without departing
from the nature of this invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The treatment of peat and other ligneous substances with caustic alkaline
earths and pyroligneous acid mixed in the proportions herein before set forth for
the purpose of manufacturing blocks, slabs, flagstones, tiles, slates, conduits, and
the like, substantially as herein described.

page_text: 2. The treatment of peat and other ligneous substances with caustic alkaline
earths and pyroligneous acid mixed in the proportions above indicated for the
purpose of manufacturing peat fuel in the form of briquettes substantially as herein
described.
3. The treatment of peat and other ligneous substances with caustic alkaline
earths, pyroligneous acid and silicate of soda mixed in the proportions above
indicated for the purpose of manufacturing peat coke, substantially as herein
described.
Dated this 20th day of June 1906
DE KATOW & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.