IMPROVE- MENTS IN COKE OVENS, AND IN UTILIZING THE WASTE HEAT FROM THE SAME.
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Stephen Joseph, of Rhostyllan, near Wrexham,
in the County of Denbigh, North Wales, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN COKE OVENS, AND IN UTILIZING THE WASTE HEAT FROM THE
SAME.
Sealed the 7th August 1862, and dated the 12th February 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION, left by the said John Stephen Joseph
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th February 1862.
I, JOHN STEPHEN JOSEPH, of Rhostyllan, near Wrexham, in the County
of Denbigh, North Wales, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN COKE OVENS, AND IN UTILIZING THE WASTE HEAT FROM THE
SAME," to be as follows:-
My improvements relate more. particularly to that class of coke ovens for
which Letters Patent were granted to me, and bearing date the 9th day of
February 1859, No. 362. In these ovens a chamber or chambers were
formed over the top of the oven, into which the gases passed from an opening
or openings in the crown of the oven; these gases were then caused to pass
down the sides of the oven, and under the floor of the same through flues or
channels, and eventually passed into a flue or flues running longitudinally
underneath the floor, whence they escaped into the chimney. Atmospheric air
was admitted into the coke oven through channels leading into the space

page_text: between the arch and the top of the coal or slack, so as to produce the com-
bustion of the gases emitted in the process of coking. This combustion,
although it took place in a considerable degree, was imperfect, and a quantity
of unconverted combustible gases passed away into the chimney, thus losing a
large amount of heat which might be otherwise obtained in causing their
perfect combustion.
Now one part of my present Invention has for its object the effecting
the more perfect combustion of the whole or nearly the whole of these
combustible gases; and for this purpose I introduce at certain suitable
distances jets of atmospheric air through small orifices in the brickwork into
the before-described chambers, flues, or channels through which the gases
pass, by which the whole of the combustible gases produced in the oven are
met in the chambers, passages, or flues by a regulated and sufficient quantity
of oxygen, so as to cause their perfect ignition, by which the greatest possible
amount of heat is produced from any given quantity of coal with the least
possible loss of carbon and other essential constituents of the coal.
Another part of my present Invention consists in utilizing the intense heat
produced in the manner herein-before described in my improved coke ovens
for generating steam in boilers connected therewith; for making illuminating
gas in retorts either placed in the chambers or flues, or else in separate
chambers constructed for that purpose; for firing pottery in separate ovens ; for
heating drying stoves for general purposes; for calcining ores, and for burning
lime. For each of the above-named processes the intensely hot gases are con-
ducted after passing them through the chambers; flues, or passages of the coke
ovens to the furnaces, kilns, ovens, or stoves through suitable flues, provision
being made by means of dampers for the passing of a portion of the hot gases
away to the chimney, so as to regulate the amount of heat required for the
various above-named processes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Stephen Joseph in the Great Seal Patent Office on 3
the 12th August 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
STEPHEN JOSEPH, of Rhostyllan, near Wrexham, in the County of Denbigh;
North Wales, send greeting.

page_text: One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Stephen Joseph, Her special licence that I, the said John
Stephen Joseph, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said John Stephen Joseph, 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 COKE OVENS, AND IN UTILIZING THE WASTE HEAT FROM THE
SAME," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Stephen
Joseph, 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 Patent.
:
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Stephen Joseph, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawing, and to the figures and letters of reference marked thereon (that is
to say):
:-
My improvements relate more particularly to that class of coke ovens for
which Letters Patent were granted to me, and bearing date the 9th day of
February 1859, No. 362. In these ovens a chamber or chambers were
formed over the top of the oven, into which the gases passed from an opening
or openings in the crown of the oven. These gases were then caused, to pass
down the sides of the oven and under the floor of the same through flues or
channels, and eventually passed into a flue or flues running longitudinally
underneath the floor, whence they escaped into the chimney. Atmospheric
air was admitted into the coke oven through channels leading into the space
between the arch and the top of the coal or slack, so as to produce the com-
bustion of the gases emitted in the process of coking. This combustion
although it took place to a considerable degree was imperfect, and a quantity
of unconverted combustible gases passed away into the chimney, by which a
great amount of heat was lost which might otherwise be obtained by causing
their perfect combustion.
Now one part of my present Invention has for its object the effecting the

page_text: more perfect combustion of the whole or nearly the whole of these combustible
gases; and for this purpose I introduce at certain suitable distances jets of
atmospheric air, through small orifices in the brickwork into the before-
mentioned chambers, flues, or channels through which the gases pass, by which
the whole of the combustible gases produced in the oven are met in the
chambers, passages, or flues by a regulated and sufficient quantity of oxygen,
so as to cause their perfect ignition, by which the greatest possible amount of
heat is produced from any given quantity of coal with the least possible loss
of carbon and other essential constituents of the coal.
Another part of my present Invention consists in utilizing the intense heat
produced in the manner hercin-before described in my improved coke ovens ;
for generating steam in boilers connected therewith; for making illuminating
gas in retorts, either placed in the chambers or flues, or else in separate-
chambers constructed for that purpose; for firing pottery in separate ovens ; for
heating drying stoves for general purposes; for calcining ores, and for burning
lime. To each of the above-named processes the intensely hot gases are
conducted, after passing them through the chambers, flues, or passages of the
coke ovens, to the furnaces, kilns, ovens, or stoves, through suitable flues,
provision being made by means of dampers for the passing of a portion of the.
hot gases away to the chimney, so as to regulate the amount of heat required
for the various above-named processes.
On the accompanying Drawing is shewn two of my improved coke ovens in
combination, together with an arrangement for employing the spare heat
produced in the same for heating a steam boiler. Figure 1 shews a transverse
section through the two ovens and boiler on line X, X, Figure 2; and
Figure 2 shews a sectional plan on line Y, Y, Figure 1. Similar letters of
reference indicate similar parts in all the Figures.
A, A', are the coke ovens, formed with casings B, B', of fire-brick, which
are surrounded by other casings C, C', also of fire-brick; the upper portion
of the latter are so constructed that spaces or chambers D, D', are formed
over the crown of the casings B, B', of the ovens. The ovens, with their outer
casings, are imbedded in, a mass of brickwork E, E. The casings B, B', are
constructed in such a manner that passages or flues F, F, F, F, F, F, are
formed at short intervals round the sides and beneath the floor of the ovens,
which flues communicate with the chambers D, D'. Openings G, G', are
formed in the crowns of the casings B, B', through which the combustible
gases that are generated in the ovens A, A', pass into the chambers D, D', and
thence into the flues or passages F, F. Air passages H, H', are formed in
the outer casings C, C', whence atmospheric air is introduced into the top of

page_text: the coke ovens through small channels h, h'. Other air passages I, I', are
formed in the upper part of the casing C, C, through which atmospheric air
is admitted in small jets into the chambers or spaces D, D₁, by means of
small channels i, i, whilst other air passages J, J', formed in the casings C, C',
serve to admit atmospheric air into the flues F, F, through small openings j,j'.
The air passages H, II, I, I', and J, J', may all be provided with valves or
dampers at the end of the ovens to regulate the quantity of air admitted into
the ovens, chambers, and flues.
By the above-described arrangements the combustible gases generated
during the formation of coke in the ovens A, A', are first partially burnt in the
spaces between the top of the coke and the crown of the casings B, B', by
being brought into contact with the small jets of atmospheric air passing in
from the passages H, H, and channels h, h', and. then, on passing through the
openings G, G, into the chambers D, D₁, and down through the flues. F, F',
the combustion of these gases is there rendered complete by bringing them
in contact with the jets of atmospheric air passing in through the before-
mentioned passages I, J, I, J, and small channels i, j,,. The intense heat
developed by this perfect combustion of the gases causes the process of coking
to take place much more rapidly and effectually than would be the case with
the arrangements beretofore employed.. In some cases I perforate the bottom:
of the casing B, B', of the ovens, where the flues F, F', pass beneath them, so
as to admit a certain quantity of air into the bottom of the ovens, in which case.
provide extra air passages K, K¹, with small channels k, k, through which
the air required for this purpose is admitted. The gases having undergone
complete combustion, as before described, whilst passing through the cham-
bers D, D, and thence down through the flues F, F, the hot products of this
combustion arrivo at the lowest portion of the flues F, F¹, and pass thence
through the longitudinal flues L, L', into a main flue M, shewn by. dotted lines,
at one end of the ovens, whence they pass either away to a chimney shaft, not
shewn on the Drawing, or, when required, a portion of these hot gases are
admitted into the flue N, shewn in dotted lines, which conducts them into
other flues O, P, P, passing underneath and round a steam boiler Q, thus
serving to generate steam in the latter; after which these gases escape into a
chimney shaft at one end of the boiler, not shewn in the Drawing. Or
instead of employing the heat of the products of combustion for raising steam
in boilers, I employ the same for any of the other various processes herein-
before mentioned; and in some cases I make use of this spare heat, by placing
retorts, for making illuminating gas in the chambers D, D', themselves. The
flues L, L, M, and N, are provided with suitable dampers, not shewn on the

page_text: Drawing, for regulating the currents of the hot gases in the same, and for
putting them in or out of communication with the coke ovens, chimney, or
boiler, as is well understood. The before described coke ovens may be con-
structed of any suitable length, and the charges are introduced and removed
through openings at the end of the same, which are closed up when the oven
is in operation. Or in some cases I fill the ovens through apertures formed
in the top of the same.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit
myself to the precise details, proportion, or forms of the coke ovens, air and
other flues, as shewn on the accompanying Drawing, as these may be variously
modified without departing from the nature of my present Invention; nor do
I claim the whole of the arrangements as herein-before described, as some
part of them have already been secured to me by former Letters Patent
herein-before mentioned, but what I claim is,--
Firstly, the construction of coke ovens having external chambers at the top,
and flues leading from these and surrounding the sides and bottom of the oven
into which the combustible gases enter, and are there caused to undergo more
or less complete combustion by being brought into contact with jets of atmos-
pheric air which enter the said external chambers and flues, other jets of air
being also caused to enter the ovens themselves for the same object, sub-
stantially as herein-before described.
Secondly, the employment of the spare heat resulting from the above
described combustion of gases in my improved coko ovens for generating
steam in boilers, for making illuminating gas in retorts, for firing pottery, for
heating drying stoves, for calcining ores, and for burning lime.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Stephen Joseph, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Ninth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
JOHN STEPHEN JOSEPH. (L.S.)