IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF PEAT AND OTHER SUBSTANCES CONTAINING MOISTURE
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Edward Newcomen, of 20, Ovington Square,
Brompton, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF PEAT AND OTHER SUBSTANCES CONTAINING
MOISTURE."
Sealed the 4th December 1863, and dated the 8th June 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Edward New-
comen at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 8th June 1863.
I, CHARLES EDWARD NEWCOMEN, of 20, Ovington Square, Brompton, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF PEAT AND OTHER SUBSTANCES CONTAINING
MOISTURE," to be as follows:-.
This Invention relates to the treatment of peat and other substances con-
taining moisture for the purpose of rapidly depriving them of the moisture
therein contained, and consists in placing the peat or other substance in vessels
from which the air is withdrawn, whilst heat is at the same time applied
thereto. The water or moisture may be withdrawn from the vessel without
interfering with the vacuum by means of a syphon tap or pump, or other
analogous arrangement.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Edward Newcomen, in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 8th December 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
EDWARD NEWCOMEN, of 20, Ovington Square, Brompton, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Charles Edward Newcomen, Her special license that I, the
said Charles Edward Newcomen, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Charles Edward Newcomen, 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 OF PEAT
AND OTHER SUBSTANCES CONTAINING MOISTURE," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Charles Edward Newcomen, my executors or admini-
strators, 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 Charles Edward Newcomen, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to bo particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing and to
the letters marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to the treatment of peat or other substances con-
taining moisture, for the purpose of rapidly and effectively depriving them of
the moisture therein contained, and consists essentially in subjecting such
substances to the action of a vacuum and heat, the heat tending to vapourise
the moisture, whilst the vacuum facilitates or assists the escape of such
moisture from the interior of the mass of the substances under treatment.
In carrying out my Invention in practice I place the peat or other substance

page_text: from which the moisture is to be expelled in an air-tight vessel, or receiver,
which is in direct communication by means of an exhaust pipe, with an air
pump or pumps, and is provided with a vacuum guage, thermometer, and
peep-holes covered with glass or talc, so that the amount of vacuum, the degree
of heat, and the progress of the operation may be readily ascertained.
This vessel or receiver is heated gently, either by means of a fire or hot air
applied externally or by steam, in which case a steam (or hot air) jacket may
surround or partially surround the vessel or reciver; or, if preferred, heating
pipes in the form of coils or otherwise may be disposed inside the receiver or
vessel, or any other convenient method may be adopted for heating the same.
If desired, a branch pipe may be fitted into the exhaust pipe and lead into a
condensing vessel or chamber, or an ordinary condensing worm may be
employed, the object being to condense the watery vapour as fast as it is
extracted from the vessel or receiver; any water which may collect inside the
vessel may be withdrawn without interfering with the vacuum by means of a
syphon tap or pump, or other analogous arrangement. The temperature
employed in the drying of peat I have found in practice should not exceed
about 400 degrees Fahrenheit, any excess of such temperature tending to cake
and crack the surface of the peat, which is objectionable. Amongst the other
substances which may be dried in the manner herein-before described, I may
make special mention of bricks and pottery, and articles generally composed
of plastic clay or earthy matters.
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 Figure on the annexed Sheet of. Drawing, which represents a
longitudinal sectional elevation of the apparatus employed in carrying out
my said Invention.
A is a wrought-iron vessel or receiver made air-tight, and provided with
tight fitting lids or covers B at the ends, one or both of such covers being
removeable for the purpose of charging or filling the vessel with peat. The
interior of this vessel is provided with rails or shelves C, C, upon which small
trucks or carriages D, D, containing the peat are run in; E is a steam or hot
air jacket or space covered with wood, surrounding the vessel A, for the
purpose of heating the same, the steam or hot air entering the jacket by the
pipe O, provided with a stop-cock P. A cock or vent G is fitted to the jacket
to allow of the free escape of the cold air contained therein on first turning
on the steam or hot air. A powerful air pump H is in direct communication
by the exhaust pipe I'with the interior of the vessel or receiver A. A water
trap or vessel K is connected to the bottom of the receiver for the purpose of

page_text: catching any liquid which may collect in the vessel or receiver A; two stop-
cocks L, L, one above and the other below the trap K being employed in
order to allow the contents of the trap to run off when desired, at intervals,
without interfering with the vacuum in the receiver A; M is the vacuum
guage, and N the thermometer. After the peat or other substances have been
subjected to the action of the vacuum and heat inside the receiver A, it may
in some cases be found desirable to pass a current of hot air over the mass, for
which purpose I propose to have a hot air pipe F communicating with the
interior of the receiver, and provided with a tight fitting stop-cock or valve F',
so as to enable it to be shut off when the vacuum is on. In conjunction with
this hot air pipe there is a fan exhauster Q, which is also in communication
with the interior of the receiver A through the pipe R, provided with a
stop-cock or valve S. On opening the cocks or valves F¹ and S, and starting
the fan, a current or currents of hot air will be drawn through the receiver A
in and amongst the mass of peat or other substances contained therein, whereby
any remaining moisture or vapour will be carried off, and the peat or other
substances will be left perfectly dry.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner 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 depriving
peat and other substances of moisture by subjecting such substances to the
action of heat whilst in vacuo, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Edward Newcomen have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of December One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.