IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF ARTIFICIAL FUEL, AND IN THE MACHINERY EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Martin Rae, of Uphall, in the County of
Linlithgow, North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE PRODUCTION OF ARTIFICIAL FUEL, AND IN THE MACHINERY EMPLOYED
THEREIN,
"
Sealed the 15th April 1873, and dated the 7th November 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Martin Rae at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th November 1872.
I, MARTIN RAE, of Uphall, in the County of Linlithgow, North
Britain, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for "IMPROVÉ-
MENTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF ARTIFICIAL FUEL, AND IN THE MACHINERY EMPLOYED
THEREIN," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object, first, the employment and application
of certain waste and by-products resulting from the treatment of certain
products obtained from the distillation of coal and shale in conjunction
with peat for the production of an artificial fuel, and of materials
suitable for the purposes of heating for the generating of steam for the

page_text: smelting of iron and other ores, for the production of gas, and for the
manufacture of coke, &c., and secondly, to the construction and use of the
machinery herein-after mentioned for the production of such artificial
fuel, and consists in obtaining from such before-mentioned waste or
by-products from coal and shale tars, what I call a bituminous mastic,
and in the employment of the same in conjunction with peat, by
preference, in a fine state of division for the purposes and in the manner
herein-after indicated.
In preparing what I have termed bituminous mastic from what is
known as coal tar, vizt., those tarry products which are obtained
either in the production of coal gas or illuminating gas, or in the pro-
ducton of what are known as coal oils or paraffine oils. The same are
heated so as to expel the lighter oils, and the residue will be found to
have acquired a consistency suitable for employment in the manner
herein-after stated.
In preparing what I have called bituminous mastics from shale tars I
take the crude shale tar obtained in the distillation and refining of
mineral oil from bituminous shales, such tar being a waste product for
which no useful purpose has hitherto been found. The tar on being
freed from sulphuric acid by means of steaming and washing in lime ?
water is then run into a still where the water and a portion of the oils
are distilled off, which process renders the tar more dense and tenacious,
and being in a state betwixt tar and pitch I call it "bituminous mastic."
A pipe from the bottom of the still conveys the mastic to a pan where
the heat is kept up to about 200° Fahrenheit; from this pan the mixing
machine containing the peat is supplied with the requisite proportion of
mastic.
A bituminous mastic may also be prepared from coal or gas pitch
by adding from five to ten per cent. of mineral oil, such as creosote and
shale oil, such materials being amalgamated under the action of heat.
In carrying out my Invention I take peat which, by preference, has
been submitted to the processes of desiccation and disintegration, as
herein-after described, and I place the same in a mixing machine with
about from twenty to thirty per cent. of either of the before-mentioned
bituminous mastics or mixtures of the same. The mixing machine

page_text: for shipment, and can be used for any purpose to which coal or other
fuel is applied, such for example, as for the purposes of heating and for
generating steam, the manufacture of gas, coke, the smelting of iron or
other ores, &c.
It should be noted that in the preparation of the bituminous mastics
above stated the coal or shale tars may be used in conjunction with
other tars or bitumens, as described in a Patent granted to John Pender
and myself, dated December 1871, No. 3398. The oils obtained from
the shale tar in the preparation of the mastic, as also the heavy oils
obtained from coal tar may be utilized by mixing them with the peat
before incorporating the same in the bituminous mastic, and it will be
found that from about five to about seven per cent. of oil may be absorbed
without rendering the fuel too friable.
The peculiar constructions and arrangements of machinery or appa-
ratus relates to the pressing of the moisture out of the peat, and to the
separating, tearing, or breaking up of the fibres. The improved pressing
apparatus consists of a series of pressing or squeezing rollers, some or all
of which may or may not be fluted or ribbed in order the better to lay
hold of the peat which is fed between them in its natural or wet
condition. The said squeezing rollers are rotated by any suitable or
well-known arrangement of driving gear. The peculiar separator for
tearing and breaking up the peat fibres consists of a series of rotating
rollers having radial bars or arms projecting therefrom, the bars or arms
of one roller passing or working through the intervening spaces between
the bars or arms of the corresponding roller, and thereby tearing and
breaking up the fibres of the peat which is fed between them.

page_text: of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Martin Rae, Her special license that I, the
said Martin Rae, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Martin Rae, 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 PRODUCTION OF ARTIFICIAL
FUEL, AND IN THE MACHINERY EMPLOYED THEREIN," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Martin Rae, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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 within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
"
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Martin Rae, 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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:―
My said Invention relates, first, to the employment and application
of certain waste and by-products resulting from the treatment of certain
products obtained from the distillation of coal and shale in conjunction
with peat for the production of an artificial fuel, and of materials
suitable for the purposes of heating for the generating of steam for the
smelting of iron and other ores, for the production of gas, and for the
manufacture of coke, and secondly; to the construction and use of the
machinery herein-after described for expressing the moisture from the
peat, and for disintegrating the same preparatory to its manufacture into
the said artificial fuel by the machinery or apparatus described in the
Specification of my Patent, Number 1745, 1872, for the manufacture
of fuel from coal dust, and consists in obtaining from such before-
mentioned waste or by-products from coal and shale tars, what I call a
bituminous mastic, and in the employment of the same in conjunction
with peat, by preference, in a fine state of division, for the purposes and
in the manner herein-after indicated.

page_text: In preparing what I have termed bituminous mastic from what is
known as coal tar, namely, those tarry products which are obtained
either in the production of coal gas or illuminating gas, or in the pro-
duction of what are known as coal oils or paraffine oils. The same are
heated so as to expel the lighter oils, and the residue will be found to
have acquired a consistency suitable for employment in the manner
hercin-after stated.
In preparing what I have called bituminous mastics from shale tars I
take the crude shale tar obtained in the distillation and refining of
mineral oil from bituminous shales, such tar being a waste product for
which no useful purpose has hitherto been found. The tar on being
freed from sulphuric acid by means of steaming and washing in lime
water is then run into a still where the water and a portion, of the oils
are distilled off, which process renders the tar more dense and tenacious,
and being in a state betwixt tar and pitch I call it "bituminous mastic."
A pipe from the bottom of the still conveys the mastic to a pan where
the heat is kept up to about 200 Fahrenheit; from this pan the mixing
machine containing the peat is supplied with the requisite proportion of
mastic.
A bituminous mastic may also be prepared from coal or gas pitch,
by adding from five to ten per cent. of mineral oil, such as creosote
and shale oil, such materials being amalgamated under the action of
heat.
In carrying out my Invention I take peat which, by preference, has
been submitted to the processes of desiccation and disintegration, as
herein-after described, and I place the same in a mixing machine with
about from twenty to thirty per cent. of either of the before-mentioned
bituminous mastics or mixtures of the same. The mixing machine
delivers the composition into a pressing machine, where it is pressed
into blocks of any required size or weight, and when cold it is ready
for shipment, as described with reference to fuel prepared from coal
dust in my said former Specification, Number 1745, 1872, and can be
used for any purpose to which coal or other fuel is applied, such for
example, as for the purposes of heating and for generating steam, the
manufacture of gas, coke, the smelting of iron or other ores.
It should be noted that in the preparation of the bituminous mastics
above stated the coal or shale tars may be used in conjunction with other

page_text: tars or bitumens, as described in a Patent granted to John Pender and
myself, dated December 1871, Number 3398. The oils obtained from
the shale tar in the preparation of the mastic, as also the heavy oils
obtained from coal tar may be utilized by mixing them with the peat
before incorporating the same in the bituminous mastic, and it will be
found that from about five to about seven per cent. of oil may be absorbed
without rendering the fuel too friable.
The peculiar construction and arrangement of machinery or apparatus
for pressing out the moisture from the peat, and for separating, tearing,
or breaking up or disintegrating the fibres consists as follows:-The
improved pressing apparatus consists of a series of pressing or squeezing
rollers, some or all of which may or may not be fluted or ribbed, in
order the better to lay hold of the peat which is fed between them in
its natural or wet condition. The said squeezing rollers are rotated by
any suitable or well-known arrangement of driving gear. The peculiar
disintegrator or separator for tearing and breaking up the peat fibres
consists of a series of stationary and a series of rotating bars or arms,
one series passing or working through the intervening spaces between
the other series of bars or arms, and thereby tearing and breaking up the
fibres of the peat which is fed between them.
The annexed Drawing illustrates in longitudinal vertical section my
combined apparatus for expressing or squeezing the moisture from the
raw peat, and for disintegrating the same. The peat is first fed from
the feed hopper A into the roller press consisting of three or more fluted
or plain rollers B, B, whereby the water is squeezed from it and flows
away by the pipe C. D is a bar for guiding the peat between the
different pairs of rollers. After this has been done it passes into the
separator E, where it is broken up and further dried, after which it is
mixed with the before-mentioned bituminous mastics or mixtures of the
same and moulded into blocks by a moulding press, as described in my
said former Specification, Number 1745, 1872. The separator E consists
of a number of wrought-iron rings a connected together on the inside
with longitudinal flat wrought-iron bars b, so as to form a basket on the
outside of which other bars c bent in a zig-zag manner are rivetted.
These zig-zag bars fit into the spaces between similar bars c¹ fastened to
the casing d. The basket is provided with a spindle e, at one end
working in a long boss or collar bearing f formed on the end of the
fixed outer casing, and is driven out a high velocity by gearing g or

page_text: otherwise, whilst the casing remains stationary. The peat passed into
the basket from the roller press is caught by the centrifugal force and
driven through the apertures in the basket, where it comes in contact
with the bars fastened to the casing and is dashed to picces, after which
it passes through openings in the casing into the hopper h, and is
conveyed thence to the mixing tanks referred to and described in my
said former Specification, No. 1745, 1872.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which 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,-
First. The admixture of bituminous mastic prepared from shale tar
with peat in a state of division for the preparation of fuel, as herein set
forth.
Second. The peculiar construction and arrangement of combined
machinery or apparatus for expressing or squeezing the moisture from
peat, and for disintegrating the same, substantially as herein-before
described and illustrated by my Drawing.
Third. The peculiar construction of separator or disintegrator for
breaking up the fibres of peat, as herein-before described and illustrated
by my Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Martin Rae, have to this my Speci-
fication set my hand and seal, this Third day of May One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.