IMPROVEMENTS IN APPA RATUS FOR DISTILLING PRODUCTS FROM BITUMINOUS COAL. SCHIST. PEAT, AND - OTHER LIKE SUBSTANCES
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to..Wilhelm Ziervogel, of Hettstadt, near Eisleben, in
the Kingdom of Prussia, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPA
RATUS FOR DISTILLING PRODUCTS FROM BITUMINOUS COAL. SCHIST. PEAT, AND
- OTHER LIKE SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 25th March 1859, and dated the 6th November 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Wilhelm Ziervogel at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 6th
November 1858.
...
.1, WILHELM ZIERVOGEL, of Hettstadt, near. Eisleben, in the Kingdom of
Prussia, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "INFIOVIMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING PRODUCTS FROM BITUMINOUS COAL, SCHIST. PEAT
AND OTHER LIKE SUBSTANCES," to, be as follows:-
وقع
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for distilling
products from bituminous coal, schist, peat, and other like substances. For
these purposes a series of upright retorts are used, which are kept constantly
supplied at their upper ends with the coal or material to be distilled, and the
retorts constantly discharge the coke or spent matters at their lower ends.
These retorts are set in an enclosed chamber, which is heated by a suitable
Pain 1

page_text: furnace or furnaces. The heat and products of combustion from the furnace
are caused to circulate around and amongst the lower parts of the retorts, and
then they pass into the upper part of the chamber, and thence away to a
chimney or shaft. Above the chamber in which the retorts are set or fixed,
(and which is heated as above explained,) there is a chamber into which the
coal or other bituminous substance which is to be distilled is fed by the aid of
feeders, which are closed and opened in such manner as to prevent the passage
away of the distilled products or vapours. The lower part of this upper
chamber is kept constantly supplied with the coal or other bituminous
substance, and when necessary such substance is broken into pieces of about
one inch cube, so that the space in each retort may be kept constantly filled
from top to bottom with the bituminous substance. It is preferred that the
lower part of each retort, where it is subject to the greatest heat, should be of
clay or protected by clay, whilst the upper part of each retort is by preference
of cast iron. The coke or spent products are removed from time to time from
the lower ends of the retorts, which are formed conical, and such spent
matters are received into a chamber below, from which they are continuously
removed by means of a screw. On the inside of each retort and in the centre
thereof is a tubular screw, which is caused to rotate slowly therein. The
hollow screw in each retort is of considerably less diameter than the retort,
and the space between them is filled with the bituminous substance. The
hollow screws are perforated with numerous holes or slits to allow of the
evolved products passing into the interior of each screw, and from thence such
products pass through hollow branch pipes, which act as or support bearings
on the inside of the retorts to support the hollow screws. There are two
branch pipes or hollow conduits from the screw in each retort, and these are
connected to a general main pipe, by which the products are by the aid of an
exhausting apparatus conducted to a condenser to be condensed, and there are
also branch pipes leading to the same main pipe from the upper closed chamber,
where the bituminous substance is introduced in order to keep up a continuous
supply to the retorts, the upper ends of which, as before explained, open into
this upper chamber. The heat applied to the retorts is to be such as to distil
off products which will condense, and not to produce incondensible gases.
The rotation of the hollow screws in the retorts aids the bituminous substance
to descend within the retorts.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Wilhelm Ziervogel in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th May 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILHELM
ZIERVOGEL, of Hettstadt, near Eisleben, in the Kingdom of Prussia, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Wilhelin Ziervogel, Her special licence that I, the said Wilhelm Ziervogel,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said.
Wilhelm Ziervogel, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "IxPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING PRODUCTS FROM BITUMINOUS COAL. SCHIST,
PEAT. AND OTHER LIKE SUBSTANCES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I. the said Wilhelm Ziervogel, 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 1, the said Wilhelm Ziervogel, 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 follow-
ing statement thereof, that is say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for distilling
products from bituminous coal, schist, peat, and other like substances.. For
these purposes a series of upright retorts are used, which are kept constantly
supplied at their upper ends with the coal or material to be distilled, and the
retorts constantly discharge the coke or spent matters at their lower ends.
These retorts are set in an enclosed chamber, which is heated by a suitable
furnace or furnaces. The heat and products of combustion from the furnace
aré caused to circulate around and aniongst the lower parts of the retorts, and
then they pass into the upper part of the chamber, and thence away to a
:

page_text: chimney or shaft. Above the chamber in which the retorts are set or fixed
(and which is heated as above explained), there is a chamber into which the
coal or other bituminous substance which is to be distilled is fed by the aid
of feeders, which are closed and opened in such manner as to prevent the
passage away of the distilled products or vapours. The lower part of this
upper chamber is kept constantly supplied with the coal or other bituminous
substance, and, when necessary, such substance is broken into pieces of about
one inch cube, so that the space in each retort may be kept constantly filled
from top to bottom with the bituminous substance. It is preferred that the
lower part of cach retort, where it is subject to the greatest heat, should be
of clay, or protected by clay, whilst the upper part of each retort is by
preference of cast iron. The coke or spent products are removed from time
to time from the lower ends of the retorts, which are formed conical, and
such spent matters are received into a chamber below, from which they are
continuously removed by means of a screw. On the inside of each retort and
in. the centre thereof is a tubular screw, which is caused to rotate slowly
therein. The hollow screw in each retort is of considerably less diameter
than the retort, and the space between them is filled with the bituminous
substance. The hollow screws are perforated with numerous holes or slits to
allow of the evolved products passing into the interior of each screw, and
from thence such products pass through hollow branch pipes, which act as
or support bearings on the inside of the retorts to support the hollow screws.
There are two branch pipes or hollow conduits from the screw in each rétort,
and these are connected to a general main pipe, by which the products are
by the aid of an exhausting apparatus conducted to a condenser to be con-
densed, and there are also branch pipes leading to the same main pipe from
the upper closed chamber, where the bituminous substance is introduced, in
order to keep up a continuous supply to the retorts, the upper ends of which,
as before explained, open into this upper chamber. The heat applied to the
retorts is to be such as to distil off products which will condense, and not to
produce incondensible gases. The rotation of the hollow screws in the retorts
aids the bituminous substance to descend within the retorts.
.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same..
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a horizontal section of apparatus constructed and combined
according to my Invention; Figure 2 is a plan thereof; Figure 3 is another
horizontal section; Figure 4 shows some parts of the apparatus in plan;

page_text: Figure 5 is a vertical section; Figure 6, an external elevation; Figure 7, a
transverse vertical section; Figures 8 and 9 are two transverse sections; and
Figure 10, an elevation partly in section of one of the reforts on a larger
scale. In each of these Figures the same letters indicate the same parts.
W, W, show the external walls of the chamber, in which the upright retorts
are set; A, A, are the. retorts, and within each of them is a hollow screw B,
which is caused to rotate slowly by screw shafts C, with screws C¹ taking into
screw wheels D. D. The screws are supported as is shown by the Drawing,
the lower parts being fixed and stationary. The products evolved from, the
coal or other matters in the retorts A pass into the interior of the screws, and
thence away by the branch pipes E into the stand pipes F, then by the pipe G
to a condenser, where the products are condensed. Above the upper ends of
the retorts is a chamber, which is closed in at top, but having several feeding
places H furnished with covers and slides, so that the feeding places may be
filled with coal or bituminous matters when the covers are removed and the
slides interposed at the bottom between the feeding places and the chamber
below, without allowing the vaporized products to escape, and the products
These
evolved in the upper chamber pass away therefrom by the pipes I, I.
pipes, as well as those previously mentioned, are each provided with covers,
as shown by the Drawing. The heat and products of combustion from the
fires are caused to circulate in a circuitous direction, as indicated by the
arrows in Figure 7, and the lower parts of the retorts are protected from the
greater heat. The lower ends of the retorts are conical and open; below
each of them is a plate, which is capable of receiving a to-and-fro movement
by the lever handle J and rods J¹, there being supports or rollers on axes at
intervals to support such plates and rods. As the spent products or matters
fall from the retorts they are moved to the outlet K by means of a screw L,
and then fall into the receiver M. The heat employed should be moderate,
and such as to evolve only, as far as possible, condensable products. The
vapourized products obtained are to be conducted to and condensed in an
ordinary refrigerating apparatus, such as has before been used for like
purposes. I would state that it is not new to obtain from coal and other
bituminous substances, by the application of heat, products which are liquid
or solid at natural temperatures, as various arrangements of apparatus have
before been used for that purpose.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention and the manner of per-
forming the same, I would have it understood that I make no claim to
any of the parts separately; but what I claim is, the mode herein described

page_text: of combining apparatus for distilling products from bituminous coal, schist
peat, and other like substances.
In witness whereof, I, the said Wilhelm Ziervogel, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of April, in the year of. our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.