IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF COKE
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Philip Hart, of Brierly Hill, in the County
of Stafford, Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF COKE."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Philip Hart at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 1st July 1853.
I, PHILIP HART, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF COкE" to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of the following new mode or process of
manufacturing coke; that is to say: I take coal and slack of coal,
and having carefully set it up in a heap, I cover it all over with
fine slack, and then black or cover this with fine ashes or breeze up to
the shoulder of the heap or pile; and that part of the heap which.
extends from said shoulder over the top thereof I cover with small

page_text: coke embers upon the fine slack as the quality of the coal may require,
so as to exclude the atmospheric air from the coal, and thereby to
prevent the action of the atmospheric air thereon.
This heap or pile can be fired either at the bottom thereof as I set
the coal, or small flues may be left to fire in as most convenient;
in either case the heap or pile must be fired at the bottom, and secured
from air and suction as much as can be until all or most of the volatile
portion of the coal is exhausted or dispelled before general combustion
of the coal is allowed to take place by admixture with atmospheric air.
It should be observed that when kilns are employed to manufacture
coke it is proposed to adopt precisely the same mode as that herein-
after stated. By this process the pure vegetable matters and carbon
which the coal contains is preserved in the coke, and coke thus
manufactured is particularly adapted for the manufacture of pig iron
as improving the quality. thereof, and is at the same time the process of
manufacturing is rendered much cheaper.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
and of the above Order, filed by the said Philip Hart in the Great
Seal Patent Office, on the 14th January 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
PHILIP HART, of Brierly Hill, in the County of Stafford, Agent, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the seventeenth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and'
grant unto me, the said Philip Hart, Her special license that I, the said
Philip Hart, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Philip Hart, 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 law-
fully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom

page_text: of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man,
an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF COKE," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Philip Hart, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 on or before the Fifteenth day of
January, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Philip Hart, 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):
My Invention consists in an improved mode or process of manu-
facturing coke from coal and coal slack, by which I effect a saving of
about one fifth of the coal, and at the same time I secure all or nearly
all of the pure vegetable matter and carbon which the coal contains, and
which by the modes hitherto generally practised of manufacturing coke
have for the most part been almost entirely lost, and coke manufactured
according to my said Invention is particularly adapted to blast furnaces
and other similar purposes, and when used for the manufacture of pig
iron it will be found to produce iron of better quality, and at less
expense, than when coke as hitherto manufactured is employed in and
for such manufacture. And I would observe that in manufacturing
coke according to my said Invention the same may be effected either
in a kiln of the construction herein-after described, or without the use
of such said kiln in the manner herein-after stated, observing that the
kiln, although attended with a little more expense, I have found in
practice to be the safest and best mode of manufacturing coke to
advantage. The object of my said Invention being to secure in coké,
as far as is practically possible, all of the pure vegetable matter or
carbon which the coal contains. In order, however, to explain my
said Invention as completely as possible I now proceed to describe the
best means I am acquainted with for carrying my said Invention into
practical effect, as follows:

page_text: I take coal and slack of coal of any quality, excepting stone coal
which will not coke to advantage, and having carefully set it up in a
heap or pile of round or oblong shape I cover it all over with fine
slack, and then black or cover this with fine ashes or breeze up to the
shoulder of the heap or pile; and that part of the heap which extends
from such shoulder over the top of the heap I cover with small coke
embers upon the fine slack, as the quality of the coal may require, so as
to exclude as much as possible of the atmospheric air from the coal, and
thereby to prevent the action of the atmospheric air upon the coal
whilst under process of expelling from the coal all or nearly all of the
smoke or volatile matter contained therein, before general combustion
is allowed to take place with atmospheric air. The heap or pile thus
formed can be ignited either at the bottom part thereof as I set up the
coal in forming the heap or pile, or small flues can be left theroin
during the setting up thereof for firing the heap after it is set up,
whichever may be found most convenient; observing that in order to
obtain the desired result'it is important that the heap or pile should be
ignited or fired at or near the bottom part thereof; and further, the
heap or pile should be secured from air or suction for the purpose of
expelling from the coal all or nearly all of the smoke or volatile matter
contained therein before general combustion of the mass is allowed to
take less with atmosphoric air
And in manufacturing coke according to my said Invention by the
use and employment of a kiln for such purpose I proceed as follows:-
I form of bricks a rectangular shaped kiln of any convenient
length, say from two yards to twenty yards, and 14 inches thick; the
width inside the walls from two feet to eight feet, according to the
quality of the coal used; and the side and end walls I form from two
feet to six feet in height, the upper part of the kiln being contracted
or formed narrower than the lower part (as exhibited by the diagram

page_text: hereunto annexed) in proportion to the width of such part; this can be
effected either in brickwork or by the use of iron plates; placed upon
the top of the wall (as exhibited), and secured together by cross bars
or other convenient means. I prefer the use of metal plates, as being
more convenient and capable of being removed, if necessary, and I
have found the walls stand better than when such upper and contracted
part was formed of brick. And I would here remark, that as the size
and proportions of the kiln will depend upon the quality of the coal to
be operated upon, the same must be left to the judgment of the
workman. At the same time I would remark, that in practice I have
found a hard strong coal can be coked in a larger body in a kiln than
when tender soft coal is used. I have found a kiln of the following
proportions to answer well for general purposes: length of kiln, from
forty to fifty feet; height, three feet six to five feet; width, from four
to five feet. And in using a kiln thus constructed for the manufacture of
coke I proceed as follows:-The coal and slack are carefully placed
therein, and the top thereof is covered over with fine slack, and upon
said slack a coat of fine coke embers is placed for the purpose of ex-
cluding the atmospheric air from the coal. The igniting or firing the
kiln may be effected either as the coal is placed in the kiln, or the kiln
may be constructed with small flues for that purpose, and by thus
securing the mass from air or suction I ensure the expulsion of all or
nearly all of the smoke or volatile matter contained in the coal before
general combustion of the mass is allowed to take place with atmo-
spheric air, and in this manner and by these means I am enabled to
produce coke of superior quality to coke manufactured by the modes
hitherto practised.
Having now described the nature of my Invention of "Improvements
in the Manufacture of Coke," and in what manner the saine is to be and
may be performed, I declare my Invention to consist in and I claim the
modes herein-before particularly described, set forth, and represented
of manufacturing coke from coal and slack of coal for the purpose
of securing in the coke (as far as is practically possible) all or nearly
all of the bituminous matter and carbon which the coal contains,
whether such processes of manufacture be conducted in a kiln of the

page_text: construction exhibited, or any modification thereof, or without the use
of such said kiln in the manner herein-before particularly described and
set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Philip Hart, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
Witness,
JOHN GEARY,
Brierley Hill.
PHILIP HART. (L.S.)