A New or Improved Method or Process for the Treatment of Coke, so as to Render it Suitable for Transport.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Mar., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 10th Nov., 1896-Accepted, 2nd Jan., 1897
A New or Improved Method or Process for the Treatment of Coke,
so as to Render it Suitable for Transport.
I FREDERICK ALEXANDER MACKINNON, of 12 Fopstone Road, South
Kensington, in the County of London, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of my said invention to be as follows :-
The primary object of my invention is to so treat coke, that its volume is
materially reduced, into a compact state, whereby it is rendered particularly
suitable for export, owing for example to the reduction of freight consequently
to be obtained, while the coke itself is improved as a fuel, in that it is superior as
a fuel to coke used without the treatment, forming the subject of my present
invention.
According to my present invention I take coke as it comes from the retort, after
having being subjected for the usual period to carbonization in the manufacture of
gas for illuminating purposes, or from the ovens in the manufacture of coke, and after
quenching the same with water in the ordinary way, or without the quenching
with water, I inject or force into it a spray of hot water or steam, holding in
solution a binding material, such as glue, gelatine, or other suitable cementitious
material or substance. The coke thus treated, is placed in moulds and subsequently
submitted to pressure, whether that be hydraulic, steam, manual, or other pressing
and compressing action.
The materials suitable for the agglutination of the coke are, the common class
of glues, the residuals from glue manufactures also the residues from gelatine
manufactures, bone and hide clippings boilers, together with the spent liquids
containing glue or gelatine, which are now wasted.
Convenient machinery or appliances, for the manufacture of compressed coke,
such as that before described, may consist or be composed of a spherical vessel.
revolved on its axes, into which the coke has been placed or introduced from any
convenient source, the quantity of such coke being regulated in accordance with
the size and number of blocks to be produced.
During the rotation of the spherical vessel a jet or spray of glutinous material
is introduced through the axes or axis of the revolving vessel, combined with hot
water or steam, by injecting same among the cokes, and when (by practice it is
ascertained that) sufficient of the material has been introduced, into the vessel for
producing the agglomeration of the material to be submitted to pressure, the cokes
thus treated are removed from the vessel and placed in a mould or moulds which is
or are then taken to and placed in a press and then subjected to the required com-
pression. The injection of the glutinous spray may also be introduced into the.
mould or other rectangular vessel. The blocks thus produced are subsequently
removed from the moulds, and are ready for export, or use. Various sized blocks
may be made, but a useful size would be 18 in. (eighteen inches square), and say,
for example, from four inches to six inches thick, or fifty centimetres square and
from ten to fifteen centimetres thick, or half these sizes as may be required, for
special purposes, and of various weights.
With the object of reducing the expense in the manufacture the waste heat from.

page_text: retort houses, of gas works or other industrial works may be utilized for dissolving
the glue or other cementitious or gelatinous substances.
Dated this 17th day of March 1896
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for the Applicant.
A New or Improved Method or Process for the Treatment of Coke,.
. so as to Render it Suitable for Transport.
I, FREDERICK ALEXANDER MACKINNON, of 12 Fopstone Road, South
Kensington, in the County of London, Mechanical 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 :-
The primary object of my invention is to so treat coke, that its volume is
materially reduced, into a compact state, whereby it is rendered particularly
suitable for export, owing for example, to the reduction of freight consequently to
be obtained, while the coke itself is improved as a fuel, in that it is superior, as a
fuel to coke used without the treatment, forming the subject of my present
invention.
According to my present invention I take coke as it comes from the retort, after
having been subjected for the usual period to carbonization in the manufacture of
gas for illuminating purposes, or from the ovens in the manufacture of coke, and
after quenching the same with water in the ordinary way, or without the quenching
with water, inject or force into it a spray of hot water or steam, holding in
solution a binding material such as glue, gelatine, or other suitable cementitious
material or substance. The coke thus treated, is placed in moulds, and subsequently
submitted to pressure whether that be hydraulic, steam, manual, or other pressing
and compressing action.
The materials suitable for the agglutination of the coke are, the common class
of glues, the residuals from glue manufactures, also the residues from gelatine
manufactures, bone and hide clippings boilers, together with the spent liquids
containing glue or gelatine which are now wasted, such as glutinous matter
extracted by hot water from linseed oil cake, the glutinous matter obtained by
maceration in hot water of the crushed leaves of the American aloe (Agave
Americana) or other plants of the aloe family, and glutinous yielding plants of
other families, and for some objects, the mixture with the coke of spent pressings
of the castor oil seeds, by itself or with the addition of any or either of the
glutinous materials named.
Convenient machinery or appliances, for the manufacture of compressed coke,
such as that before described, without limiting myself absolutely to such machinery,
may consist or be composed of, a spherical vessel revolved on its axis, into which
the coke has been placed or introduced from any convenient source, the quantity
of such coke being regulated in accordance with the size and number of blocks to
be produced.
During the rotation of the spherical vessel, a jet or spray of glutinous material
is introduced through the axes or axis of the revolving vessel, combined with hot
water or steam, by injecting same among the cokes, and when (by practice it is
ascertained that) sufficient of the material has been introduced, into the vessel for
producing the agglomeration of the nŕaterial to be submitted to pressure, the cokes
thus treated are removed from the vessel and placed in a mould or moulds which
is or are then taken to and placed in a press and then subjected to the required

page_text: compression. The injection of the glutinous spray may also be introduced into the
mould or other rectangular vessel. The blocks thus produced are subsequently
removed from the moulds, and are ready for export, or use. Various sized blocks.
may be made, but a useful size would be 18 in. (eighteen inches square), and say
for example from four to six inches thick, or fifty centimetres square and from
ten to fifteen centimetres thick, or half these sizes as may be required, for special
purposes, and of various weights; or much smaller sized blocks may be made, of
say two cubic centimetres in thickness more or less, or so as to suit them, when
broken into cakes, for coke fires, cooking, &c. To accomplish this object the
moulds are constructed with internal projections thereon so as to produce indenta-
tions in the cakes or cubes, when moulded to permit the easy separation fro:n one
another of the cubes or cakes.
With the object of reducing the expense in the manufacture the waste heat
from retort houses, of gas-works, or other industrial works, may be utilized for
dissolving the glue or other cementitious or gelatinous substances.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The new or improved method or process for the treatment of unbroken coke
that is, coke as it comes from the retort, by injecting into same hot water or steam
spray, combined with binding cementitious material, such as those described herein,.
and subsequently placing the coke so treated into moulds, and subjecting same
when in the moulds to pressure, whereby the coke so treated is made into blocks,
cakes, or cubes and thus rendered suitable for transport substantially as hereinbefore
described.
2. The resultant product or article of commerce, composed of blocks, cubes, or
cakes, when produced or obtained from coke as it comes from the retort when
treated in and by the method or process, and for the purposes hereinbefore
described.
Dated this 10th day of November 1896
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for the Applicant.