Improvements in and relating to the Manufacture of Fuel.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd June, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Mar.. 1894-Accepted, 23rd June, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Manufacture of Fuel.
I, WILLIAM BAKER HARTRIDGE, of 40, Cromwell Avenue, Highgate, in the
County of Middlesex, Lithographer, do bereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the manufacture of fuel for industrial, domestic and
other purposes and has for its chief object to produce a smokeless and economic fuel
in a simple manner and in a handy form.
By my invention many advantages accrue, among which may be mentioned as
well as smoke prevention, the following:
Small duff or dust coal may be used. The fuel can be produced in any convenient
form, size and weight (within limits), and it is more economical in use than
ordinary coal.
According to my invention I use as the enclosed fuel small or reduced coal of
any kind, or a mixture of different kinds, or of coal with coke, or carbonaceous
material with pulverised peat or other vegetable product, and 1 enclose such fuel
preferably in a dry state in a covering or envelope of material or composition of
materials while in a plastic or pulpy state. Such covering may consist of any
suitable fibrous substance or substances such as reduced peat, wood or the like,
combined or mixed with any kind of binding vehicle such as preparations of starch,
potatoes, mucilage, &c., and brought to a proper consistency.
In carrying out my invention I may either form or mould the plastic mass into
open topped cases or receptacles of any suitable shape and size, the thickness or
substance thereof varying with the latter. Into these I put the said dry fuel, apply
the plastic cover and subject the whole to suitable pressure in a mould or otherwise;
or I may prepare a sheet of the plastic, cover it with a suitable thickness of fuel
and then roll it up so that a layer of the fuel intervenes between each layer of the
plastic; or I may use alternate layers of plastic and fuel, or enclose the fuel in the
plastic in any suitable manner. I may form holes or perforations through the fuel
blocks, the walls of same being made up of plastic as would also the ends of a
compound block or roll.
In any case the plastic or pulpy case, block, or roll containing the fuel is dried
in suitable manner.
When desired or necessary I may further indurate the completed fuel blocks or
rolls with linseed or paraffin oil or other combustible and then subject them to a
suitable stove heat. This serves to render them more inflammable, more or less
waterproof, harder and better able to withstand rough usage, variations of
temperature and atmospheric conditions; or for hardening and waterproofing only
I may combine with the plastic covering alum or other chemical agents, or I may
coat the same with pitch, tar, or the like.
Dated this 23rd day of June 1893.
J. C. CHAPMAN,
Agent.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Manufacture of Fuel.
I, WILLIAM BAKER HARTRIDGE, of 6, Sainfoin Road, Balham, in the County
of Surrey, Lithographer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to the formation of artificial fuel blocks in such a manner
as to utilise fuel and waste combustible matter of little value, and to ensure very
complete combustion without evolution of smoke.
For this purpose I thoroughly incorporate carbonaceous materials such as
fragmentary or granulated coke or coal or waste vegetable matters especially those
of a fibrous character or mixtures of these substances with agglutinating material,
such as solution of crude dextrine. I mould this pasty mixture in the form of a
casing or shell which I charge with a piece or several pieces of coal or with
granulated coal to which may be added bituminous or resinous materials and which
close in by suitably covering the shell with the same material as that which
constitutes the shell itself. When the blocks thus formed are dry they can be used
as fuel, the shell which is more or less porous acting as a retort and allowing
escape through its pores of the gases generated within it, these gases burning
freely over the surface of the shell. For domestic fires I prefer to use for the
shell mostly carbonaceous_matter of a rich kind such as granulated coal. For
boiler and other furnaces I prefer to use mostly coke or coal of anthracitic nature
in forming this shell.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that
I make no claim to combustible blocks employed as fire-kindlers wherein highly
inflammable matter is enclosed in a shell of carbonaceous matter provided with
apertures for kindling the internal matter and for escape of flame, but what I do
claim is :-
A fuel block consisting of a combustible porous casing or shell enclosing coal
such that when heated the shell shall act as a retort, the gases generated within
escaping through its pores and burning, substantially as described.
Dated this 19th day of June 1894.
J. C. CHAPMAN,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.