IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREAT- MENT OR DISTILLATION OF BITUMINOUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Young, of Bucklersbury, in the City of
London, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREAT-
MENT OR DISTILLATION OF BITUMINOUS SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 15th November 1864, and dated the 31st May 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Young at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
31st May 1864.
I, JAMES YOUNG, of Bucklersbury, in the City of London, Gentleman, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
TREATMENT OR DISTILLATION OF BITUMINOUS SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the distillation of bituminous coals and other
bituminous substances with the view to the obtainment of oil therefrom,
and consists essentially in effecting such distillation by the employment
of hot gases brought into direct contact with the substances under treatment,
such substances being contained in a number of separate vessels or chambers
in connection with each other by means of pipes or other passages. The
several vessels or chambers having been supplied with the bituminous substance
to be treated, a current or currents of hot gases evolved from fuel undergoing
combustion in a separate furnace or heated in a separate apparatus are caused
to be brought into contact with the charge in the first vessel of the series, and
after imparting heat thereto to pass off by the connecting pipe or passage to
the second vessel, and so on throughout the series; the oils as they are con-
densed being withdrawn by special pipes from the several vessels. So soon as

page_text: the whole or the greater portion of the oils have been distilled from the charge
in the first vessel, the hot gases are cut off from that vessel and passed directly
through the second vessel, the contents of the first vessel being withdrawn,
and so on throughout the series of vessels, each vessel being refilled as fast as
it is emptied, the process being consequently continuous. The permanent
gases pass off from that vessel which is the last of the series for the time
being by a pipe or pipes provided for that purpose.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Young in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th November 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
YOUNG, of Bucklersbury, in the City of London, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
the said James Young, Her special license that I, the said James
Young, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said James Young, my executors, administrators, or 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
THE TREATMENT OR DISTILLATION OF BITUMINOUS SUBSTANCES," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said James Young, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
or under the hand and seal of one of them, 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 James Young, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-

page_text: This Invention relates to the distillation of bituminous coals and other
bituminous substances with a view to the obtainment of oil therefrom, and
consists essentially in effecting such distillation by bringing the substances
under treatment into direct contact with hot permanent gases containing no
free oxygen or other gas that will combine with the substance to be distilled
or with the product of distillation, such substances being contained in a
number of separate vessels or chambers connected with each other by means
of pipes or other passages. The several vessels or chambers having been
supplied with the bituminous substance to be treated, a current or currents of
gas heated in a suitable apparatus or derived directly in a heated state from
fuel in a separate apparatus are caused to be brought into contact with the
charge in the first vessel of the series, and after imparting heat thereto to
pass off by the connecting pipe or passage to the second vessel, and so on
throughout the series; the oils as they are condensed being withdrawn by
special pipes from the several vessels. So soon as the whole or the greater
portion of the oils have been distilled from the charge in the first vessel, the
hot gases are cut off from that vessel and passed directly through the second
vessel, the contents of the first vessel being withdrawn, and so on throughout
the series of vessels, each vessel being refilled as fast as it is emptied, the
process being consequently continuous. The permanent gases pass off from
that vessel which is the last of the series for the time being by a pipe or pipes
provided for that purpose,
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and .for that purpose. I shall
refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Fig. 1 of the annexed Sheet of Drawings represents a partially sectional
elevation of one arrangement of apparatus suitable for distilling, according to
my Invention, bituminous substances which do not melt at the temperature
requisite for their distillation; Fig. 2 is a corresponding plan of the same;
Fig. 3 is a partially sectional elevation of a slightly modified form of
apparatus, and Fig. 4 is a corresponding plan thereof.
In Figs. 1 and 2, A, A, represents a series of iron cylindrical chambers,
slightly rounded outwards at the bottom, and enclosed in brickwork B, these
chambers being arranged or disposed in a circle, or in any other convenient
form which will admit of their being readily connected with each other.
In the upper end of each chamber a charging aperture is formed, through
which the bituminous substance to be distilled is introduced into the
chambers, such aperture being closed by. a tight-fitting door C, which is

page_text: fastened by a screw and cross-bar D, or otherwise. A short inlet nozzle E is
cast or otherwise secured on to the upper end of each chamber A, for the
admission therein of the current or currents of hot gases which are employed
as the heating medium in the process of distillation, in the manner herein-
before more fully described. F is an escape or outlet pipe, also fitted in to
the top of each chamber, but extending downwards inside the chamber to
nearly the bottom thereof, as shewn in Figures 1 and 3. The several chambers
A are connected one with another by means of the several elbow pipes G,
which establish a communication between the outlet pipe F of one chamber
and the inlet nozzle E of the adjoining chamber throughout the series, the
mouths of the inlet or outlet pipes being made slightly conical, and the ends
of the elbow pipes tapered to correspond, so that a tight joint may be obtained,
whilst facility is afforded for readily removing and replacing the elbow pipes as
required. The several chambers of the series having been filled with the
bituminous substance to be distilled, and the lids or covers screwed down, the
inlet nozzle of the first chamber of the series is placed in communication by
means of the radial pipe H, with the pipe I, which conducts the hot gases
into the chambers from a furnace or other source of supply. The gases which
are heated up to the temperature necessary to effect the distillation of the
bituminous substances are conducted into the first vessel of the series by
the radial pipe H. After permeating the substances contained therein the
gases pass on by the outlet pipe F, elbow pipe G, and inlet nozzle E, into the
next chamber of the series, and so on from chamber to chamber till the last
of the series, is reached. The gaseous products of distillation pass off by the
pipe K, which is fitted to the last chamber of the series, and which conducts
them to any ordinary or other gas condenser for the purpose of condensing
any liquid product they may contain. The oil or liquid products of distillation
condensed in the several vessels flow off through the bent pipes L, L, into
suitable receptacles placed underneath to receive them. So soon as the
distillation has been completed in the first chamber of the series, the radial
pipe His transferred to the inlet nozzle of the second chamber, which then
becomes for the time being the first of the series receiving the hot gases
directly, whilst that which was previously the first chamber has its cover
removed in order to withdraw the contents and allow the vessel to be recharged,
the operation of distillation proceeding in the meantime in the rest of the
chambers. So soon as it is filled, it is connected by means of an elbow pipe G,
with the chamber which was previously the last of the series, and becomes
for the time being the last, the pipe K being transferred to it in order to carry
off the gaseous products. It will thus be seen that the operation is continuous,

page_text: there always being several of the chambers in action at one time, whilst one
of the series is being emptied and recharged.
The only difference in the construction of the apparatus shewn at Figs. 3
and 4 is that the chambers are here built up or constructed from brick or
other refractory material, which may be enclosed in. an iron skin or otherwise
made tight in lieu of being composed of iron in brick setting. Discharging
apertures M, closed by tight-fitting doors N, are also provided at the side near
the bottom of each chamber for the facility of removing the coke or residual
products of distillation.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my.
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that what I consider to be novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is, the system or mode of effecting the
distillation of bituminous substances which do not melt at the temperature
requisite for their distillation in a continuous manner in a series of vessels by
the aid of suitable hot gases, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Young, have to this my Speci-
fication hereunto set my hand and seal, the Twenty-ninth day of
November, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
JAMES YOUNG. (L.S.)