Im- PROVEMENTS IN PRODUCING CHARCOAL, FUEL, AND FIRE-LIGHTS FROM PEAT, AND FOR KILNS AND MACHINERY TO BE, EMPLOYED THEREIN, SUCH MACHINERY BEING ALSO APPLICABLE FOR THE MAKING OF COAL DUST INTO. COKE
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Vincent Lee, of Macclesfield, in the
County of Cheshire, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN PRODUCING CHARCOAL, FUEL, AND FIRE-LIGHTS FROM
PEAT, AND FOR KILNS AND MACHINERY TO BE, EMPLOYED THEREIN, SUCH
MACHINERY BEING ALSO APPLICABLE FOR THE MAKING OF COAL DUST INTO.
COKE."
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Thomas Vincent Lee
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition
and Declaration, on the 21st January 1868, pursuant to the 9th
Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
VINCENT LEE, of Macclesfield, in the County of Cheshire, Civil Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS I, the said Thomas Vincent Lee, am in possession of
an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRODUCING CHARCOAL, FUEL, AND FIRE-
LIGHTS FROM PEAT, AND FOR KILNS AND MACHINERY TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN,
SUCH MACHINERY BEING ALSO APPLICABLE FOR THE MAKING OF COAL DUST INTO
CoxE," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me, my executors,

page_text: administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for the same,
and have made solemn declaration that I am the true and first Inventor
thereof.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Vincent Lee, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and
seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, in and by the following
statement (that is to say)
--
In the manufacture of charcoal from peat I cause the same to be
placed within a vertical cylinder of from eighteen inches to four feet
in diameter, and from three to six feet long or deep, in which revolves
a vertical shaft carrying knives or arms set at an angle to allow of
their passing between similar arms or knives set equidistantly in the
sides of the cylinder, passing between which the fibre is thoroughly
broken. The bottom of the said cylinder is of an inclined spiral
plane of about ten degrees pitch or angle; at the lowest point is the
port hole through which the peat "in a state of semi-pulp" exudes and
is received in a second cylinder on a pair of fluted or grooved rollers
placed horizontally, which are set about four inches apart; passing
through these the pulp falls on a similar pair of fluted or grooved
rollers set much closer. Each roller is furnished with a scraper or
clearing knife. These portions of my machinery are actuated by
suitable bevelled gear. The pulp having thus been rendered thoroughly
homogeneous falls into the receiving box or die and acquires the
pressure necessary to give it density for either charcoal or fuel through
the agency of a pair of side levers actuated by a star wheel geared
to and acting in unison with the lowest pair of rollers. The boxes
or dies (of which there may be from four to sixteen according to the
capacity of the machine) are set in a circular rotatory table governed
by a ratchet wheel and pinion acting in unison with the star wheel.
The block thus completed traverses the segment of a circle and is
forced out of the die at the same instant the succeeding one is receiving
pressure. From thirty to sixty blocks per minute are thus produced,
and during the process the peat is deprived of three-fourths of the
water it contained, and is of sufficient density for stacking one on
another for charring or drying. Each block is perforated with from
one to five holes while in the box or die to facilitate drying. The
blocks thus prepared are carried by an endless chain or other suitable

page_text: contrivance or by hand to the retorts or kilns, which may be of any
size or shape, either vertical or horizontal, the leading features of my
improvements being that I construct the kilns of cast-iron plates in
sections, each plate having corresponding pipes cast thereon with
male and female sockets, so that when the whole are put together
one continuous pipe is formed on the interior surface of the kiln for
the diffusion in an equable manner of surcharged steam emitted through
the perforations of one-sixteenth of an inch in diameter and about
one foot apart. The steam is generated in the usual manner, and is
passed through a coil, and in its passage takes up an amount of caloric
varying in degree according to the heating surface of the coil and the
degree of heat at which it is maintained. Any of the well-known coils
can be used, but I prefer to employ that described in the Specification
of a Patent granted to me and bearing date the Third day of August
1855, No. 1229. The kilns I prefer "when I make them horizontal"
should be about eight feet long by five feet broad and three feet deep
with grooves in the bed plates, instead of raised rails, as heretofore in
use for similar or analagous purposes. But when the kilns are vertical
I would make them cylindrical and from five to twenty feet high, and
from three to six feet in diameter, the vertical kilns being equally well
adapted for making coke from coal dust, and are charged from the
top and discharged at the bottom, while in either case in making
peat charcoal or in coking coal the products of distillation can be
collected. When the blocks of peat so prepared are intended for
steam fuel either for ocean-going steamers or for stationary boilers
they are immersed in one or more of the oils, namely, "coal oil,
shale oil, petroleum, or other suitable oleaginous substances," and
subjected again to the influence of surcharged steam within the kilns
for about fifteen minutes, the temperature I prefer being from 400°
to 500° Fah.; the door of the kiln should then be opened, and a blast
from the ordinary blast fan driven through for restoring the cohesion
and density which had been previously disturbed by the heat and
pressure mainly employed for the purpose of fixing the hydrocarbons in
every particle. When required for fire lights the peat is simply dried'
as taken from the bog, having been dug uniformly for that purpose,
and being also of a lighter and more fibrous character than that for
fuel or charcoal. When dry it is cut into the required size either by
the well-known method of biscuit cutting and stamping by knives or
circular saws. The pieces thus cut are drawn rapidly through the oil,

page_text: (the oil must in all cases be at the proper temperature,) but no definite
degree of heat can be specified, as the density of peat is variable.
The fire lights are then packed in thin wooden wrappers; they can
be packed in any number to the box, but I prefer that they should
be from one farthing's worth upwards in all cases. The wooden
wrapper will be used, as it thoroughly insulates any unpleasant smell
which in all modes heretofore in use has been found objectionable.
Having now fully described the nature of my said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed and carried into effect,
I would have it clearly understood that I do not intend to confine
myself to the precise methods herein-before set forth, as the same may
be otherwise varied without departing from the general character of
this my said Invention; but that, which I do claim as new and of my
said Invention is,―
Firstly. The machine for pulping peat and forming it into blocks
in the manner above described, which machine may also be used for
forming coal dust into blocks either with or without admixture.
Secondly. The construction of kilns or retorts for the purposes of
drying and charring peat or of making coal dust into coke in the manner
set forth.
Thirdly, and lastly. The insulator or wrapper of wood by which
the objectionable smell of the fire lighters prepared from the said
substances above mentioned is obviated and its utility increased.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Vincent Lee, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of January, One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
Witness,
T. M. CORNOCK,
Clerk to Messrs. Weatherdon & Co.,
Law Chambers,
77, Chancery Lane.
T. V. LEE. (L.S.)