IMPROVE- MENTS IN RETORTS AND KILNS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE AND RE- BURNING OF ANIMAL CHARCOAL
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Isaac Roberts, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Contractor and Builder, for the Invention of “IMPROVE-
MENTS IN RETORTS AND KILNS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE AND RE-
BURNING OF ANIMAL CHARCOAL."
ว
.
Sealed the 20th June 1871, and dated the 27th February 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Isaac Roberts at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th February 1871.
I, Isaac ROBERTS, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Con-
tractor and Builder, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RETORTS AND KILNS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE AND
REBURNING OF ANIMAL CHARCOAL," to be as follows :—
The first part of my Invention relates to so constructing retorts or
vessels in which animal charcoal is manufactured or reburned, when such
retorts or vessels are of the vertical or nearly vertical class, that the
granular pieces of bones or charcoal are caused to turn during descent,

page_text: to become mixed, and to be subjected to the same heat influences. And
the said first part consists in casting or forming upon the inner surfaces
of cach retort or vessel, or in fitting within the same, whether such
retort or vessel is made in one or in several picces, deflecting plates,
studs, or diaphragms, at a distance from each other, and preferably on
opposito sides. The said plates, studs, or diaphragms deflect the particles
of the charcoal from the centre to the circumference of the space within
the retort or vessel; and vice versa, and also cause them to turn over
and become mixed.
The second part of my Invention relates to kilns in which retorts or
vessels constructed under the above first head, or retorts or vessels of
any vertical or nearly vertical kind form part, and has for its object to
properly distribute the heat generated in the fire-grate chamber over
the outer surfaces of and amongst the groups of retorts or vessels and
to economise fuel. The kiln is divided in its depth into so-called heat
zoues by horizontal metal or fire-brick perforated diaphragms. The
heated gases or flames from the fire-grate chamber are admitted into
the lower or other of these zones, and allowed to pass therefrom
through the perforations into the other zones, so as to give uniform
beat to the external surface of the length of every retort or vessel
within the zone. The respective zones may be of different temperatures
if desired, thus the lowest may be hottest and the others gradually
cooler upwards.
The third part of my Invention has for its object to conveniently
admit the beating gases from the firc-grate chamber into the said lower
or other zone, and to prevent overheating of any of the retorts or vessels,
and consequently of the bones or charcoal. For this purpose the
heating gases are conveyed from the fire-grate chamber through lateral
passages or openings into one or other of the zones, and these passages
or openings terminate between and not opposite to the retorts or
vessels.
The fourth part of my Invention relates to means for refrigerating
charcoal coolers of any shape or material. The coolers are encased as a
whole in walls of iron, brick, or other work. One side of the chamber
so formed is perforated and the other is provided with a flue. A current :
of air is drawn or forced through the perforated side amongst the coolers
and finally allowed to escape through the flue.

page_text: The fifth part of my Invention relates to means for keeping the
granular pieces of bones or charcoal within the retorts or vessels-and
the coolers in continuous downwards motion. For this purpose-I. form
at or near the bottom of the coolers one or more openings of sufficient
size to permit of the escape of all the charcoal which has been. properly
burnt, and no more.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters: Patent
filed by the said Isaac Roberts in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 26th August 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ISAAC
ROBERTS, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Contractor and Builder,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
thirty-fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Isaac Roberts, Her special
license that I, the said Isaac Roberts, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Isaac Roberts, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should in 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, usc, exercise, and.
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ircland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
RETORTS AND KILNS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE AND REBURNING OF ANIMAL
CHARCOAL," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Isaac
Roberts, 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 Isaac Roberts, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to

page_text: be performed, to bo particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had, as regards certain parts of
my improvements, to the accompanying Sheet of illustrative Drawings,
and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say :—
The first part of my Invention relates to so constructing retorts or 5
vessels in which animal charcoal is manufactured or reburned, when
such retorts or vessels are of the vertical or nearly vertical class, that the
granular pieces of bones or charcoal are caused to turn during descent,
to become mixed, and to be subjected to the same heat influences.
And the said first part consists in casting or forming upon the inner 1
surfaces of each retort or vessel, or in fitting within the same, whether
such retort or vessel is made in one or in several pieces, deflecting plates,
studs, or diaphragms at a distance from each other, and preferably on
opposite sides. The said plates, studs, or diaphragms deflect the particles
of the charcoal from the centre to the circumference of the space within 1
the retort or vessel, and vice versa, and also cause them to turn over
and become mixed.
The second part of my Invention relates to kilns in which retorts or
vessels constructed under the above first head, or retorts or vessels of
any vertical or nearly vertical kind form part, and has for its object 2
to properly distribute the heat generated in the fire-grate chamber over
the outer surfaces of and amongst the groups of retorts or vessels, and
to economise fuel. The kiln is divided in its depth into so-called heat
zones by horizontal metal or fire-brick perforated diaphragms. The
heating gases or flames from the fire-grate chamber are admitted into 2
the lower or other of these zones, and allowed to pass therefrom through
the perforations into the other zones, so as to give uniform heat to the
external surface of the length of any retort or vessel within the zone.
The respective zones may be of different temperatures if desired, thus
the lowest may be hottest and the others gradually cooler upwards.
3
The third part of my Invention has for its object to conveniently
admit the heating gases from the 'fire-grate chamber into the said lower
or other zone, and to prevent overheating of any of tho retorts or
vessels, and consequently of the bones or charcoal. For this purpose
the heating gases are conveyed from the fire-grate chamber through 3
lateral passages or openings into one or other of the zones, and these

page_text: passages or openings terminate between and not opposite to the retorts
or vessels.
The fourth part of my Invention relates to means for refrigerating'
charcoal coolers of any shape or material. The coolers are encased as a
whole in walls of iron, brick, or other work. One side of the chamber
so formed is perforated and the other is provided with a flue. A current
of air is drawn or forced through the perforated side amongst the coolers,
and finally allowed to escape through the flue.
The fifth part of my Invention relates to means for keeping the
granular pieces of bones or charcoal within the retorts or vessels and
the coolers in continuous downward motion. For this purpose I form
at or near the bottom of the coolers one or more openings of sufficient
size to permit of the escape of all the charcoal which has been properly
First Part. Four modifications of retorts constructed in accordance
with the first part of my Invention are delineated by Figs. 1 to 9 inclusive.
Figs. 1 and 2 are vertical sections, and Fig. 3 a horizontal section, all
of a retort similar to the oval retorts shown in the kiln illustrated by
Figs. 10, 11, and 12 hereafter referred to fitted with deflecting plates.
The metal of the retort a has snugs or stops 6 cast thereon. Fitting
against these snugs or stops b are the deflecting plates c, which aro
shewn fastened in position by tap bolts.
"
Fig. 4 is a vertical and Fig. 5 a horizontal section of a retort with
studs, the metal of the retort being marked a and the studs c. These
studs are cast on the internal surface; if desired they might be extended
across the retort so as to form bars.
Fig. 6 is a vertical section and Fig. 7 a horizontal section of a retort
with diaphragms. a is the retort; b, diaphragms held in position by tap .
bolts. These diaphragms are alternately of disc and washer shape.
Fig. 8 is a vertical section and Fig. 9 a horizontal section of a retort
with a continuous diaphragm. Here a is the retort; b, spiral diaphragm
carried or supported either at bottom or top. The said spiral diaphragm
need not be continuous.

page_text: It will be evident that the shape and position of the deflecting
plates, studs, and diaphragms may be varied without departing from
my Invention. The effect sought and secured is the turning and mixing
of the charcoal during descent, so that each particle of the charcoal shall
be subjected to the same licat influences.
Second Part. Fig. 10 is a view in outside elevation and vertical
section, and Figs. 11 and 12 horizontal sections respectively at the
lines A, B, and C, D, of a kiln constructed with the heat zones (threo
are shown) and perforated diaphragms, which constitute the second part
of my Invention, the lowest zone being in the arrangement delineated 1
the hottest, that is to say, the lowest zone receives the gases from the
fire chamber, and delivers them first to the intermediate and finally to
the highest zone. d, d', and d'arc the heat zones; e and e¹ perforated
diaphragms. Fig. 10 shows that the perforations in e and e' are not
opposite to each other, the object of this being to retard the escape of 1
the heating gases or flames, and cause them to heat every portion of the
retorts in a zone uniformly. The lower parts of the retorts are encased in
fire-clay jackets marked a', and the perforated diaphragm ₺ is supported
thereon. If desired the retorts a may be encased their whole length.
Third Part. This is shown on Figs. 10, 11, and 12. f, fire-grate; 2
g, combustion chamber; h, lateral passages or openings leading from g
into the lower zone d. The passages or openings & might be led into a
higher zone; in that case the course of the heating gases would be
altered. I prefer the arrangement described.
Fourth Part. This is also shown on Figs. 10, 11, and 12 by a 2
modification under which the furnace chimney is employed to causo a
current of air to bo drawn over the surfaces of the coolers i. Heroj is
the casing with perforated side marked k; g is the fluo leading to the
ash-pit of the fire-grate, which is supposed to be closed. The flue may
be led into the chimney at any other part. The current of air over the 3
coolers may be caused by a fan or other means, and may citlier be forced
or drawn.
Fifth Part. As regards this part of my Invention I would have it
understood that the position of the opening or openings at the bottom
of the coolers may be varied; the size also would necessarily be varied. 3
The object is to withdraw the quantity properly burned and cooled and
no more.
From retorts such as are shown by Figs. 10, 11, and 12, when

page_text: reburning animal charcoal, a single opening three-eighths to half an
inch in diameter is sufficient.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and par-
ticularized the same by modifications which answer well in practice, I
claim the improvements in retorts and kilns herein described separately,
conjointly, and collectively, substantially as set forth and delineated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Isaac Roberts, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
0
In the presence of
J. T. KING,
Patent Agent,
Liverpool.
ISAAC ROBERTS.
(L.S.)