IM- PROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF CHARCOAL AFTER ITS MANUFACTURE OR REVIVIFICATION
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Frederic Chantrell, of Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, Furnace Engineer, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF CHARCOAL AFTER ITS MANUFACTURE OR
REVIVIFICATION."
Sealed the 5th August 1859, and dated the 7th February 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Frederic Chantrell
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th February 1859.
I, GEORGE FREDERIC CHANTRELL, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Furnace Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF CHARCOAL AFTER ITS MANUFACTURE OR
REVIVIFICATION," to be as follows (that is to say):
It having been discovered by experiment that newly manufactured charcoal,
or charcoal which has been recently reburnt for the purpose of revivification,
is not so powerful in decolorising as it is after having been exposed for some
time to the action of the atmosphere. And as exposing newly manufactured
or revivified charcoal to the action of the atmosphere by spreading it out upon
flat surfaces by hand labour would occupy much time, space, and expense, and
be liable to have some portion thereof reduced to powder, it is proposed to
expose the charcoal to the action of the air by means of a system of endless
travelling bands or aprons, arranged horizontally one above another. The
charcoal being fed to the upper apron of the series from a hopper, having

page_text: arrangements to regulate the supply of charcoal delivered to the endless
bands.
The charcoal falling upon the first endless band is carried forward until it falls
off on to a sieve or riddle, placed in an oblique direction; it then slides on to
the next endless band, which travels in an opposite direction to the first; when
it falls off this second band, it again comes in contact with an oblique sieve or
riddle, and slides on to the third endless band, which travels in the same
direction as the first, and if it is then found sufficiently free from dust, addi-
tional riddles or sieves may be dispensed with, and allowed to fall directly upon
the fourth endless band of the series, which is brought sufficiently in advance
of the one above to receive the charcoal as it falls vertically down. There
may be any required number of these endless horizontal endless bands, and it
is proposed to keep the upper carrying surface stretched flat, or nearly so, by
applying a roller or a pair of rollers to the under surface of the lower portion
of the web. These rollers are mounted upon the ends of the lever beains,
which are weighted so as to press the rollers against the under surface of the
web. It is preferred to form the endless bands from a material of an open
texture to allow the air to circulate more freely amongst the charcoal. A
natural or artificial draught may be applied to the charcoal during its passage
through the endless bands to facilitate the operation.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Frederic Chantrell in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 6th August 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
FREDERIC CHANTRELL, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Furnace
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said George Frederic Chantrell, Her special licence that I, the said George
Frederic Chantrell, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
J, the said George Frederic Chantrell, my 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, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of,

page_text: Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF CHARCOAL AFTER ITS MANU-
FACTURE OR REVIVIFICATION," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said George Frederic Chantrell, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their bands 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Frederic Chantrell, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement (that is to say):
I having discovered by experiment that newly manufactured charcoal, or
charcoal which has been recently re-burnt for the purpose of revivification, is
not so powerful in decolorising as it is after having been exposed for some
time to the action of the atmosphere, and as exposing newly manufactured
or revivified charcoal to the action of the atmosphere by spreading it out upon
flat surfaces by hand labour, would occupy much time, space, and expence,
and be liable to have some portion thereof reduced to powder, I propose to
expose the charcoal to the action of the air by means of a system of endless
travelling bands or aprons, arranged horizontally, one above another, and
stretched upon transverse rollers at each end, through one or both of which
motion is communicated to the endless bands. The charcoal being fed to the
upper apron of the series from a hopper, having arrangements to regulate the
supply of charcoal delivered to the endless bands.
The charcoal falling upon the first endless band is carried forward until it
falls off on to a sieve or riddle, placed in an oblique direction, the dust falling
through the meshes of the riddle or sieve is received in a closeted box, from
which it is removed from time to time as required. The charcoal slides on to
the next endless band, which travels in an opposite direction to the first; when
it falls off this second band, it again comes in contact with an oblique sieve
or riddle, and slides on to third endless band, which travels in the same
direction as the first; and if it is then found sufficiently free from dust,
additional riddles or sieves may be dispensed with, and the charcoal allowed
to fall directly upon the fourth endless band of the series, which is brought
sufficiently in advance of the one above to receive it as it falls vertically
down. I use any required number of these endless horizontal bands, and I
propose to keep. the upper carrying surface stretch flat or nearly so, by

page_text: applying one or more rollers to the under surface of the lower portion of the
web. These rollers may be mounted upon the ends of lever beams, which
are weighted so as to press the rollers against the under surface of the web,
or the stretching and supporting rollers may be banded together by means of
narrow endless straps or bands. I prefer to form the endless bands from a
material of an open texture, to allow the air to circulate more freely amongst
the charcoal. By applying a natural or artificial draught to the charcoal
during its passage through the machine, it will greatly facilitate the operation.
That this my said Invention may be the more readily seen and understood,
I have hereunto annexed Drawings in partial illustration of one modification
of a machine for carrying my improvements into practical effect. Like letters
and figures marked thereon are used to denote similar parts.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine constructed for the purpose of
practically carrying out my said Invention.
Figure 2 is a top view or plan, showing a system of banding the stretching
and supporting rollers, which carry the endless bands upon which the charcoal
is conveyed through the apparatus. Any required number of the intermediate
or supporting rollers may be used between the stretching or outer rollers.
And by this arrangement the endless bands which carry the charcoal may be
increased to any length that may be required, without inconvenient deflection.
A, the frame of the machine, upon which is mounted B, the horizontal
transverse rollers upon which the endless bands which carry the charcoal
through the apparatus are stretched; C, the intermediate transverse sup-
porting rollers, which are banded by any convenient number of straps to the
two outer rollers in the same plane, and which will be readily understood by
reference to Figure 2; D, the endless straps or narrow belts, each of which
encompass one pair of rollers, and support E, the broad endless bands or
carrying aprons, upon which the charcoal travels through the apparatus in the
direction indicated by the arrows; F, set screws for tightening the endless
bands; G, oblique sieves or riddles, upon which the charcoal falls and slides
on to the endless travelling band immediately below, and the dust passing
through the meshes is received in HI, an enclosed box; I, the main driving
pulley, which receives motion from a steam engine, or other prime mover,
through K, main driving strap; L, a small driving pulley on the same axis as
the main pulley (I), and which gives motion to the endless bands immediately
below it through m, m², m², m³, m, m³, and me, driving bands, which work
over n, n³, n², n³, n, n³, and no, driving pulleys staked on to the axles of the
stretching rollers round which the endless travelling aprons work.
· Having now fully described and ascertained the nature of this my said

page_text: Invention, and how I believe the same may be best carried into practical
effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the precise
details herein-before described and set forth, as the same may be considerably
varied without departing from the Invention, but what I claim is,-
First, spreading out and exposing to the action of the atmospheric air, by
mechanical appliances, charcoal newly manufactured or re-burnt, for the
purpose of more rapidly imparting to the charcoal the decolorising properties
so essential to the sugar refiner, as herein-before described and set forth.
Secondly, causing an artificial current of air to act on newly manufactured
or re-burnt charcoal.
And, lastly, the use of the apparatus herein-before described, for the purpose
of facilitating the exposure of newly manufactured or re-burnt charcoal to the
action of the air, as herein-before described, or any mere modification of the
same.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Frederic Chantrell, have here-
unto set my hand and affixed my seal, this Fifth day of August in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Witness,
GEORGE FREDERIC (L.s.) CHANTRELL.
WILLIAM WALKER,
of 44, Castle Street, Liverpool.