IMPROVEMENTS IN DISTILLING PEATY, SCHISTOSE, BITUMINOUS, AND VEGETABLE MATTERS."
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis Archer, of Bishopsgate Street, in the City of
London, and William Papineau, of Stratford, in the County of Essex,
Manufacturing Chemist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DISTILLING
PEATY, SCHISTOSE, BITUMINOUS, AND VEGETABLE MATTERS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis Archer and
William Papineau at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 15th December 1854.
We, FRANCIS ARCHER, of Bishopsgate Street, in the City of London, and
WILLIAM PAPINEAU, of Stratford, in the County of Essex, Manufacturing
Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN DISTILLING PEATY, SCHISTOSE, BITUMINOUS, AND VEGETABLE MATTERS," to be
as follows:-
This Invention consists of arranging a retort in a horizontal position, or so
little inclined as not to permit matters charged in at one end of the retort to
fall readily to the other end by gravity. This retort is heated externally by a
fire at one end, near which end the spent products are discharged without
opening the retort, which is done by the aid of two valves or slides, one being
at all times closed when discharging products. The other end of the retort is
provided with a hopper, and two valves or slides, one of which is kept closed

page_text: when the other is open, in order to charge the retort. Within the retort,
rakes or instruments are moved in a direction from end to end by an endless
chain or otherwise, in such manner as progressively to move the peaty, schis-
tose, bituminous, or vegetable matter from the feeding to the discharging end
of the retort, and there are outlets for the passage off of the products distilled
at the different temperatures at which the retort is kept, such outlets commu-
nicating respectively with suitable condensers.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Francis Archer and William Papineau in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 15th June 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, FRANCIS
ARCHER, of Bishopsgate Street, in the City of London, and WILLIAM PAPINEAU,
of Stratford, in the County of Essex, Manufacturing Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said Francis Archer and William Papineau, Her special licence that
we, the said Francis Archer and William Papineau, our executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Francis Archer and
William Papineau, 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, 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
DISTILLING PEATY, SCHISTOSE, BITUMINOUS, AND VEGETABLE MATTEES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said Francis Archer and William
Papineau, by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or under
the hand and seal of one of us, 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 Francis Archer and William Papineau,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the

page_text: same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention consists of arranging a retort in a horizontal position, or so
little inclined as not to permit matters charged in at one end of the retort to
fall readily to the other end by gravity. This retort is heated externally by a
fire at one end, near which end the spent products are discharged without
opening the retort, which is done by the aid of two valves or slides, one being
at all times closed when discharging products. The other end of the retort is
provided with a hopper, and two valves or slides, one of which is kept closed
when the other is open, in order to charge the retort. Within the retort rakes
or instruments are moved in a direction from end to end, by an endless chain
or otherwise, in such manner as progressively to move the peaty, schistose,
bituminous, or vegetable matter from the feeding to the discharging end of
the retorts, and there are outlets for the passage off of products distilled at the
different temperatures at which the retort is kept, such outlets communicating
respectively with suitable condensers.
Having thus stated the nature of our said Invention, we will proceed to
describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal elevation, partly in section, of a retort and appa-
ratus arranged or combined according to our Invention; Figure 2 is a plan
thereof, partly in section; and Figure 3 shows a transverse section. The same
letters of reference indicate similar parts in all the Figures. a, a, is a retort,
which may be constructed in any convenient manner; the construction, how-
ever, which is preferred is shewn in the Drawing. b is the furnace or fire-place;
the heat and products of combustion pass under the retort, and thence to a
chimney. In the retort is an endless chain of scrapers c, c, carried by the chain
wheels c', c¹, and the axes c, c, one of which axes receives motion from a
steam engine, or other power. d, d, are outlets for carrying away the distilled
products from the retort; e is a divided hopper, having two upper valves fif,
and two lower valves g, g. Into the compartments of the hopper is put the
peaty, schistose, bituminous, or vegetable matter to be distilled, the lower
valves of the compartments being closed when filling the compartments. The
valves g, g, are on axes, one end of each of which passes through the lower part
of the hopper, and there is a weighted arm fixed on such protruding end of
the axis of each valve g, in order to retain the valves shut, when desired. The
valves ff, are also pressed on by weighted arms, as shewn. By thus having
a divided hopper, one compartment may be filled whilst the other is being

page_text: emptied into the retort. h is a receiver, having a valve i opening into it from
the retort, and also valves j opening out from it, so as to allow of the matters
in the receiver h to be removed from time to time. The endless chain of
scrapers moves slowly through the retort, and causes the matters which are
being distilled to be progressively moved from the back end to the front end of
the retort.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, we would have it understood that we make no claim to
the mechanical parts separately, nor do we confine ourselves to the details
shewn and described; but what we claim is, the combined apparatus herein
described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Francis Archer and William Papineau,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twelfth day of June,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
S. CARPMAEL..
FRANCIS ARCHER. (L.S.)
W. PAPINEAU.
(L.S.)