IMPROVEMENTS IN KILNS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE AND REBURNING OF ANIMAL CHARCOAL
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Buchanan, of Liverpool, in the County
of Lancaster, Engineer, and Samuel Vickess, of the same Place,
Sugar Refiner, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN KILNS EMPLOYED
IN THE MANUFACTURE AND REBURNING OF ANIMAL CHARCOAL."
Sealed the 7th January 1871, and dated the 8th July 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Buchanan and
Samuel Vickess at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 8th July 1870.
We, JAMES BUCHANAN, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, and SAMUEL VICKESS, of the same Place, Sugar Refiner, do
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
KILNS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE AND REBURNING OF ANIMAL CHARCOAL," to
be as follows:-
Our Invention relates to that class of kilns in which the retorts, pipes,
or other vessels for containing the bones or other animal matter, or the

page_text: charcoal to be subjected to the action of heat, are disposed in a vertical
or slightly inclined position, and has for its principal objects (1) to
expose the external surfaces of the said retorts, pipes, or vessels to the
same heating influences, and hence to produce charcoal of uniform
quality, and (2) to prevent distortion of the said retorts, pipes, or
vessels, and render them more durable.
For these purposes we give to the said retorts, pipes, or vessels, which
may be formed or constructed with central, annular, winding, or other
spaces a rotatory alternating motion on their vertical or slightly
inclined axes; ΟΙ we dispose the said retorts, pipes, or vessels in
groups, and cause them to revolve round a central axis either without or
with a motion of rotation on their own axes. It will be obvious that it
is advisable to employ a number of such retorts, pipes, or vessels, but one
only may be used. The said rotatory or alternating motion may be
imparted by hand or by power, through toothed or other gearing, from
any convenient source, and such motion may be given either near the
feeding or delivery ends.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Buchanan and Samuel Vickess in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 7th January 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
BUCHANAN, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, and
SAMUEL VICKESS, of the same Place, Sugar Refiner, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-fourth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto us, the said James Buchanan and Samuel Vickess, Her
special license that we, the said James Buchanan and Samuel Vickess,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the
said James Buchanan and Samuel Vickess, our 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,

page_text: 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 KILNS EMPLOYED
IN THE MANUFACTURE. AND REBURNING OF ANIMAL CHARCOAL," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said James Buchanan and
Samuel Vickess, our executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under our, or their, or one of our or 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 we, the said James Buchanan and Samucl
Vickess, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had to. the
accompanying two Sheets of illustrative Drawings, and to the figures
and letters marked thereon, that is to say:
Our Invention relates to that class of kilns in which the retorts, pipes,
or other vessels for containing the bones or other animal matter or the
charcoal to be subjected to the action of heat are disposed in a vertical
or slightly inclined position, and has for its principal objects (1) to
expose the external surfaces of the said retorts, pipes, or vessels to the
same heating influences, and hence to produce charcoal of uniform
quality, and (2) to prevent distortion of the said retorts, pipes, or
vessels, and render them more durable..
For these purposes we give to the said retorts, pipes, or vessels, which
may be formed or constructed with central, annular, winding, or other
spaces, a rotary or alternating motion on their vertical or slightly inclined
axes; or we dispose the said retorts, pipes, or vessels in groups, and cause
them to revolve round a central axis either without or with a motion of
rotation on their own axes. It will be obvious that it is advisable to employ
a number of such retorts, pipes, or vessels, but one only may be used.
The said rotatory or alternating motion may be imparted by hand or by
power through toothed or other gearing from any convenient source,
and such motion may be given either near the feeding or delivery ends.

page_text: On Sheet A. of the Drawings we have illustrated by Figs. 1, 2, and 3,
a modification of a charcoal kiln according to our Invention, in which
motion is imparted to each annular retort on its own axis from gearing
near the feeding ends, and in which the coolers are stationary.
Fig. 1 is a view looking down on the kiln, the covering plates being
removed in one half; Fig. 2, a horizontal section at the line x, x; and
Fig. 3, a view in vertical section and side elevation. Like letters denote
the same parts in these views.
a denotes the exterior and separating walls and framework; b, fire-
grate; c, exterior, and c* interior pipes, leaving annular retort spaces d
between for containing the bones or charcoal to be calcined. The retorts
are suspended from the carriers e. The flames or heated gases act upon
the exterior surface of c, d, are provided with covers f. The lower ends
of c pass into ring-like recesses in the castings or parts g, and the coolers h
which are fitted with slides in any convenient way, are fitted on or to the
casting or part g; i are toothed or other wheels secured on c; they are
geared in two lines and receive motion through the worms ; secured on
the shaft k. When the shaft / rotates continuously or intermittently the
retorts partake of the same motion. I are covering plates with apertures
through which the material is fed to the retorts.
Another modification of a charcoal kiln arranged and operated in
accordance with our Invention is illustrated on Sheet A. of the Drawings
by Fig. 4, which is a view in side elevation and vertical section. Here
the retorts, which are cylindrical, are caused to revolve around a central
axis without motion on their own axes, and the coolers are stationary.
m is the framework and walls; n, vertical spindle supported by the
step n*, fitted with worm or driving wheel o; p, px, strong plates secured
to n; q, retorts passing through p, p*, and suspended from the former;
rare supporting antifriction balls. The lower ends of q pass into the
recessed ring 8, to which the coolers t are fitted. When n is rotated
o, p, p, and q are caused to revolve, and hence made to expose different
portions of the surfaces of q to the action of the current of heated gases
which play upon q before they pass to the escape flue.
Sheet B. of the Drawings contains a view in vertical longitudinal
section of a charcoal kiln (two retorts being in elevation and two in

page_text: vertical section) arranged under our Invention according to a third
modification and the one we prefer in practice. Here motion is given to
the retorts from the delivery end, the coolers revolve or move, measuring
deliverers are provided, and the retort spaces, which are annular, are
provided with openings for quickly conducting away the gases eliminated
from the matter undergoing calcination, whilst the admission of air into
the retorts is prevented.
a', exterior and dividing walls; 61, fire-grate; c', lower supporting
columns and girders; d¹, covering and steadying plates; e¹, middle
steadying casting; f¹, external pipes; g', internal pipes with angular
apertures for permitting any gases formed to escape into the spaces h¹
and be conveyed away through . The spaces j¹ between f¹ and g¹ form
the retorts. The form of the apertures prevents the charcoal from
passing through. The lower ends of f¹ and g¹ pass into the carrying
pieces supported on the upright spindles and steadied by the rollers
m²; n¹ shews a sand luting to prevent escape of heating gases; o³, coolers;
these are simply shipped on to ¹ and over apertures in the carrying
rings p¹ secured to the spindles . Motion is imparted to these spindles l
and hence to the rings p¹, coolers o¹, bearing pieces ¹, and retorts f³, g³,
by the wheels q' and worms 7¹. The calcined charcoal falls from the
revolving coolers o¹ into the stationary distributing pieces s¹ (seen in
plan, Fig. 6), each of which has preferably a less number of through
apertures than there are cooling pipes or leaves dipping into it, and
hence to the measuring delivery pieces t¹, seen in plan by Fig. 7, caused
to rotate by the wheel and worm u¹. Each said delivery piece t¹ has a
larger number of openings than & for the purpose of transmitting the
charcoal in a regular stream to a delivery plate v¹ fitted with any desired
number of holes, say three, in the arrangement shewn. The charcoal
issues from the holes in the plate ¹ with such regularity that any desired
quantity can be collected and removed by time observation alone.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and par-
ticularized the same, we would have it understood that we do not confine
ourselves in carrying our improvements into practice to the particular
details above set forth, as modifications may be made; what we claim is,
so arranging and constructing kilns employed in the manufacture and
reburning of animal charcoal that a rotary or alternating motion on their
own axes or a revolving or alternating motion around a common axis

page_text: can be given to the retorts, pipes, or vessels, substantially in the manner
and for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, we, the said James Buchanan and Samuel
Vickess, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fifth day
of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-one.
In the presence of
J. T. KING,
Patent Agent,
Liverpool.
JAMES BUCHANAN. (L.S.)
SAMUEL VICKESS. (L.S.)