IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING PRODUCTS. FROM COAL, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Albert Shepard, of Pall Mall, in the County
of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING PRODUCTS.
FROM COAL, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."
Sealed the 23rd November 1861, and dated the 1st June 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Albert Shepard
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 1st June 1861.
I, WILLIAM ALBERT SHEPARD, of Pall Mall, in the County of Middlesex, do
hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING
PRODUCTS FROM COAL, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in obtaining products from
coal, and in apparatus employed therein. For these purposes comparatively
'large masses of coal are placed in suitable enclosed chambers constructed of
fire-bricks or tiles, or of iron, or other suitable material. At the lower part
of the front of the chamber is a vertical grating of fire-bars, and in front of
these bars and exterior of the chamber are a set of fire-bars for supporting a
fire; the enclosed chamber is narrower at the back than at the front, and from
the back of the chamber two pipes pass one from the top and the other from
the bottom of the chamber; these pipes pass to suitable separate condensers,
and the upper pipe is larger than the lower. The coal from which products
are to be obtained is placed in an iron crate or basket, which corresponds in

page_text: dimensions with the interior of the chamber in such manner that when
charged the crate or basket may be introduced into the chamber, and, by
preference, the construction is such that it may be lowered from above into
the chamber, and the upper part of the chamber is then covered or closed to
prevent the passage away of any products from the coal; or the front grate
being moveable, the crate or basket may be run in on trucks. The flames and
products of combustion of the fire contained on the fire-bars in front of the
vertical grating at the front of the chamber are drawn through the grating,
and act on that part of the charge of coal in the chamber which is next the
fire, and the coals in the chamber progressively become coked further and
further from the fire as the process is continued. The oils and light products
of coal are conducted off by the two pipes at the back of the chamber, the
heavier oils being carried-off -by-the-lower pipe to one condenser, and the
lighter oils by the upper pipe to another condenser, and in the upper pipe
there is a descending elbow or bend from which a pipe passes to a third
condenser; this.pipe is for conveying away any heavy oil which may separate
from the lighter oil passing away through the upper pipe. In order to facilitate
the drawing-off or flowing away of the products of coal formed in the chamber,
a jet of steam or water is introduced into the interior of the outlet pipes
above mentioned.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Albert Shepard in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 30th November 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ALBERT SHEPARD, of Pall Mall, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Albert Shepard, Her special licence that I, the said
William Albert Shepard, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said William Albert Shepard, 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 Great Britain and Ireland, the Chanuel Islands, and Isle of Man, an

page_text: Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING PRODUCTS FROM COAL, AND IN APPA-
RATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
-William Albert Shepard, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of 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 I, the said William Albert Shepard, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in obtaining products from
coal, and in apparatus employed therein. For these purposes comparatively
large masses of coal are placed in suitablo enclosed chambers constructed of
fire-bricks or tiles, or of iron, or other suitable material. At the lower part of
the front of the chamber is a vertical grating of fire-bars, and in front of tlieso
bars, and exterior of the chamber, are a set of fire-bars for supporting a fire;
the enclosed chamber is narrower at the back than at the front, and from the
back of the chamber two pipes pass, one from the top and the other from the
bottom of the chamber; these pipes pass to suitable separate condensers, and
the upper pipe is larger than the lower. The coal from which products are
to be obtained is placed in an iron crate or basket, which corresponds in
dimensions with the interior of the chamber in such manner that when
charged the crate or basket may be introduced into the chamber, and, by
preference, the construction is such that it may be lowered from above into
the chamber, and the upper part of the chamber is then covered or closed to
prevent the passage away of any products from the coal; or the front grato
being moveable, the crate or basket may be run in on trucks. The flames and
products of combustion of the fire contained on the fire-bars in front of the
vertical grating at the front of the chamber are drawn through the grating,
and act on that part of the charge of coal in the chamber which is next the
fire, and the coals in the chamber progressively become coked further and
further from the fire as the process is continued. The oils and light products
of the coal are conducted off by the two pipes at the back of the chamber, the
heavier oils being carried off by the lower pipe to one condenser, and the
lighter oils by the upper pipe to another condenser; and in the upper pipo
there is a descending elbow or bend from which a pipe passes to a third
condenser; this pipe is for conveying away any heavy oil which may separate

page_text: from the lighter oil passing away through the upper pipe. In order to
facilitate the drawing-off or flowing away of the products of coal formed in the
chamber, a jet of steam or water is introduced into the interior of the outlet
pipes above mentioned.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, I will proceed more fully
.to describe the manner of performing the same.
.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a perspective view, and Figure 2 a horizontal plan, of
apparatus arranged according to my Invention.
a, a, is a chamber which may be of iron, brick, or other material; at the
back end of the chamber a, a, are two pipes b and c; the pipe b is at or near
the top of the chamber, and it branches into two pipes b, U, each_being
connected with a separate condenser, such as is ordinarily used when distilling
products from coal and coal tar. At or near the bottom of the chamber and
at the back end thereof is a second. pipe c, which is connected with another
condenser; by these means products will be received and condensed of different
specific gravity, and such products will be employed and treated in like manner
to that in which such descriptions of products have heretofore been employed
and treated. The chamber is to be filled with coal, which may be conveniently
done by the aid of a crate or basket of iron suitable to fit the interior of the
chamber, and this will aid also in the removal of the coke. When the
chamber is charged with coal the cover a¹ is to be placed on and luted down,
or otherwise made close so as not to permit the escape of products. At the
lower part of the front of the chamber is a grating a³, and behind that another
grating a³, leaving a space between them, in which space a fire is to be made
and maintained; a' is a door for admitting air to regulate the combustion of
the fire between the gratings. In order to induce a draft through the coals in
the chamber a, a, jets of steam are introduced into the pipes b and c.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Albert Shepard, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
W. A. SHEPARD.
(L.S.)