Improvements in or connected with the Manufacture of Charcoal.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Apr., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 14th Jan., 1898-Accepted, 12th Mar., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with the Manufacture of Charcoal.
I, WERTHER ANDERS GUSTAF VON HEIDENSTAM, of Skonvik, in the Province of
Medelpad, Sweden, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:
:-
In order to produce charcoal from wood, chips of wood, saw-dust, shavings and
the like as well as from peat or other suitable material, two methods have hitherto
been chiefly used. One was to put the raw material into retorts, furnaces, or the
like, which were then heated until the said raw material was converted into charcoal,
whereupon the charcoal was taken out and either alone or mixed with some binding
material pressed together to a suitable form. The other method was to char the
material in clamps, kilns or heaps. Such proceedings are connected with many
inconveniences, such as the great loss of heat occasioned by the cooling down of
the retort while it is being emptied and filled; trouble and loss of time occasioned
by the intermittent emptying and filling of the retorts. The valuable by-products,
such as tar, wood-vinegar, and others which products are formed at different
temperatures and stages in the charring process, cannot be conveniently separated,
because they are generated at different temperatures and have to be drawn off
before the temperature rises sufficiently high to cause dissociation of the same.
According to this invention the material (eventually mixed with binding
material) is brought or pressed into charring-tubes (one or more) or channels in
which it is pressed forward in such a manner that the material is continually
moving forward in the said tubes or channels, which are heated by means of super-
heated steam, heated gas, or otherwise, in such a manner that the material, which
being pressed forward, becomes more and more heated until finally, when coming
out, it is entirely converted into charcoal. The heating may preferably be effected
by causing the products of combustion to pass along or around the charring-tubes
or-channels in an opposite direction to that in which the material to be charred is
moved. The raw material may be pressed together before it is put into the
charring-channels or it may be put therein in its loose state.
For the purpose
of pressing the material together or pressing it in and through the tubes any
suitable pressing apparatus may be used.
In order to prevent the charcoal from becoming brittle and porous on account of
the shrinking during the charring process, the material may be exposed not only
to the pressure which causes the mass to move forward but also to pressure from
the sides. This may be effected by gradually decreasing the sectional area of
charring-tubes or channels towards the parts where the shrinking takes place, so
that the charcoal is pressed together as well from the sides by walls of the tubes or
channels as from the end by the pressing apparatus. Instead of decreasing the
channels, the sides thereof may also be made movable and pressed together. This
is, however, generally unnecessary, the pressure in the longitudinal direction being
sufficient, since the mass during a certain period of the charring is soft and pliable
so that it may be squeezed together by the pressure that is brought to bear upon.
the same for pressing it forward.

page_text: While the charring is going on, various gaseous products, such as tar, wood-
vinegar, acetic acid and others are formed. Since these products are formed at
different temperatures, they can by this method of charring be drawn off at the
places where they are formed, so that they will not be subject to other temperatures
that would cause their decomposition. For that purpose the charring-tubes or
channels are provided with outlet or draw off pipes in the right places by means
of which the gases are led away at the proper time.
By this method several advantages are gained. The material being continually
proceeding through the charring-tubes or channels, so as to be successively heated
and charred in order to come out at last in the shape of charcoal, the greatest
possible saving of time and labour is accomplished. No other work being required
on the material than the pressing in and forward, which is performed by mechanical
power, and the heating tubes, or channels, constantly serving to heat and coal the
material, time is gained and heat saved. The material being firmly pressed together
before and during the charring, a very firm and heavy charcoal is obtained, which
can advantageously be transported, since it occupies comparatively small space.
By the successive heating and charring, the different bye-products can be obtained
separately. The tubes or channels in which the charring takes place are very
cheap to replace by others, when they are burned out.
The charring-tubes or- channels, may either have such a length that the charcoal
comes out directly after having been sufficiently charred, in which case it is cooled
in the ordinary way, or the channels may be lengthened and surrounded by a
cooling apparatus in order to bring about the cooling down of the charcoal before
coming out. In the last case the tube may suitably be surrounded by such
materials as need to be dried, or the heat emitted from the charcoal while cooling
down may be utilized for any other purpose.
I prefer to use either one or more horizontal charring-tubes or channels into which
the raw material by means of a suitable apparatus is pressed in at one end so that
it proceeds to the other end while being converted into charcoal and which channel
or channels are heated so that the temperature of the raw material is successively
increased up to the charring point, the charring-channel being provided with
suitable outlet pipes at the right places for withdrawing the bye-products such as
tar, wood-vinegar and others as soon as generated. Or, one part of the charring-
channel may be vertical and on the top of the same a funnel may be provided into
which the raw material is placed whence it will press forward down the charring-
tube or channels by its own weight. By making the channel more or less hori-
zontal at its lower end and by making it of suitable length and shape, the charcoal
will be pressed together when charred so that it will be hard and strong.
The charring channels may, of course, be of any other suitable form. They
may have horizontal, inclined, or vertical positions or partly one and partly another.
The raw-materials may be introduced into the channel at the end or at any other
suitable point and the pressing forward of the material may be performed at the
end or at one or more places along the channel or channels."
Dated this 15th day of April 1897.
Improvements in or connected with the Manufacture of Charcoal.
I, WERTHER ANDERS GUSTAF VON HEIDENSTAM, of Skonvik, in the Province of
Medelpad, Sweden, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention

page_text: and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
-
Former methods of producing charcoal from wood, wood-chips, peat or the like,
have the disadvantages that either the method is expensive and inefficient, as, for
instance, when the material is placed in retorts which are thereupon closed and
heated until the material is charred, or the charcoal is produced in the form of
small pieces or powder, as, for instance, when the material is charred by being
moved through one or more heated retorts by means of a screw.
The present invention relates to a method of producing very hard charcoal from
wood, peat or other suitable material in a cheap and efficient manner.
1
The invention consists in bringing or pressing the raw material into charring-
tubes retorts or channels (one or more beside one another) in each of which it is
pressed forward as a continuous stream, so to speak in such a manner that the
material is continually, or practically so, moving forward in the retorts, which may
be heated by means of superheated steam, gas, or otherwise, so that the material,
while being pressed forward, becomes more and more heated until it finally, when
coming out at the end of each of the retorts is entirely converted into charcoal:
The heating is preferably effected by causing products of combustion to pass along
or around the retorts in an opposite direction to that in which the material to be
charred is moved. The raw material may be pressed together before it is put into
the retorts or it may be inserted in its loose state. For the purpose of pressing the
material together or pressing it in and through the retorts any suitable pressing
apparatus, such for instance, as is used in making bricks, may be used.
In order to prevent the charcoal from becoming brittle and porous on account of
shrinkage during the charring process, the material may be exposed not only to
the pressure which causes the mass to move forward but also to pressure from the
sides. This may be effected by any known method, such as gradually decreasing
the size of the retort towards the part where the shrinkage takes place, so that the
charcoal is pressed together as well from the sides by the tube or channel as from
the end by the pressing apparatus. This is, however, generally unnecessary, the
pressure in the longitudinal direction being sufficient, since the mass during a
certain period of the charring is soft and pliable so that it will be squeezed together
by the pressure that is brought to bear upon the same for pressing it forward.
While the charring is going on, various gaseous products, such as tar, wood-
vinegar, acetic acid and the like are formed. Since these products are formed at
different temperatures, they can by this method of charring be drawn off at the
places where they are formed, so that they will not be subject to other temperatures
that would cause their decomposition. For that purpose the retorts may be pro-
vided with pipes in the proper places by means of which the gases are led away.
at the proper time, as will be understood.
:
By this method several advantages are gained. The material being continually-
travelling through each of the retorts as a hard, continuous stream so as to be
successively heated and charred in order to come out at the end of each retort in
the shape of charcoal, the greatest possible saving of time and labour is accomplished.
No other work being required on the material than the pressing in and forward..
which is performed by mechanical power, and the retorts constantly serving to
heat and char the material, time is gained and heat saved. The material being
firmly pressed together before and during the charring, a very firm and heavy
charcoal is obtained, which can advantageously be transported, since it occupies
comparatively small space. By the successive heating and charring, the different
bye products can be obtained separately. The retorts in which the charring takes
place may be very cheap to replace by others, when they are burned out.
The retorts, may either have such a length that the charcoal comes out directly
after having been sufficiently charred, in which case it is cooled in the ordinary
way, or the retorts may be lengthened and surrounded by a cooling apparatus in
order to bring about the cooling down of the charcoal before coming out. In the
last case the tube may suitably be surrounded by such materials as need to be dried,

page_text: or the heat emitted from the charcoal while cooling down may be utilized for any
other purpose.
In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a part longitudinal section of an
apparatus for carrying out this invention; Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the same;
Fig. 3 shows the press and part of the channels on a larger scale.
Referring to the drawing, a represents a press of suitable construction for pressing
the raw-material into one end of the long retorts b, said retorts being enclosed in
suitable casings and so placed over or near the flues that they will be heated by
the products of combustion from the furnace d at or near the other end of the retorts.
The retorts 6 are at suitable places along the same provided with draw off pipes
for withdrawing the bye-products such as tar, wood-vinegar and the like, as soon
as generated.
e
It is obvious that the raw material, being continually, pressed into the retorts,
will proceed through the same, its temperature being progressively raised until
the material becomes charred. The retorts taper towards the place where the
charring is accomplished in order to offer a resistance to the pressing forward of
the material that the same may be compressed into a hard and compact mass while
being charred. If the channels are of sufficient length the retort may have the
same diameter along its whole length.
The raw material may, of course, be properly prepared and if necessary, mixed
with suitable binding material before being put into the retorts.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is-
1. The improved method of producing charcoal from wood, chips of wood, peat
or other suitable material, which consists in feeding and pressing the prepared raw
material in and through a heated retort in such manner that the material moves
through the said retort as a continuous stream and comes out at the end as hard
charcoal, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2. The improved method of producing charcoal from wood, peat or other table
material, which consists in pressing the raw material through a heated retort
in such manner that the said material moves through the said tube or channel as
a continuous stream and comes out at the end of the retort as hard charcoal, and at
the same time leading off the bye products at the stages where they are generated,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3. The improved method of producing charcoal from wood, peat or other suitable
material, which consists in pressing the raw material through a suitable heated
retort in such manner that the said material moves through the tube as a continuous
stream and comes out at the end of the tube as hard charcoal, and finally cooling off
the charcoal by cooling off the end of the tube through which the charcoal issues,
as and for the purpose set forth.
pubstantially
1000
Dated this 14th day of January 1898.
For the Applicant,
J. G. LORRAIN,
Norfolk House, Victoria Embankment, London, W.C.,
Chartered Patent Agent.