IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING EXPLOSION AND SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION IN COAL ON BOARD SHIP
Year: 1876

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Richard Harris Williams at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd March 1870.
"
RICHARD HARRIS WILLIAMS, of Cuddra House, St. Austell, in the County of
Cornwall. IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING EXPLOSION AND
SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION IN COAL ON BOARD SHIP."
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for preventing
explosion and spontaneous combustion in coal on board ship.
Spontaneous combustion of coal in ships and explosion of coal in ships are brought
about by the same agency, viz., the decomposition of pyrites in the small coals.
By the decomposition of pyrites (contained in all coals to a greater or lesser
degree) heat is generated throughout the mass or body of coals and intensifies
until the gases generated explode, or until it sets fire to the coals, or as is often the
case both these calamities are the result.
To prevent either the explosion of the gases evolved or the spontaneous combus-
tion of the coal itself in ships of any and every description using, carrying, or contain-
ing coals, I have a series of tubes, pipes, or cylinders, and these tubes I have inade of
cast or wrought iron or other metal, and of various lengths and diameters, the internal
diameter of one pipe exceeding the external diameter of the other. I place alter-
nately a large pipe then next it a small one, and so on throughout the length, depth,
and width of the cargo of coals, each large pipe being entered a few or more inches
by the smaller one as necessity requires.
The pipes are placed by hand in the cargo as it is being put on board the ship,
the pipes being light can be easily handled, and by the arrangement of large and
small can be easily added to and lengthened, the large pipe being of larger diameter
internally than the small one externally will allow almost any amount of flexibility
of the whole length. The pipes are carried through the cargo as taken on board
the ship from end to end either in her main hold, bunker, store, or other compart-
ment used for conveying coals on board ships.
These tubes or pipes should be put in when 6 feet of coal was in the hold of
the vessel from forward to abaft and bulkheads, and for each 6 feet of coals in
height after the first 6 feet, thus 12 feet requiring one run only, 18 feet requir-
ing two runs in height. If the ship is very large and great beam I place laterally
a run of pipes or tubes every 6 feet, as for a hold 12 feet wide one run of tubes,
for 18 feet wide 2 runs, and so on for increase of width. These tubes are closely

page_text: perforated all over their entire length, and where fitted into each other a consider-
able annular space will allow ingress of vapours or gas. I have close to and secured
at the bulkheads at each end of the vessel's hold, bunker or other coal compart-
ment perpendicular pipes or other contrivance going up through the deck and
terminating in steam boats either in the funnel or under the furnaces, or over the
the deck in funnel shaped escape ways or other outlets. These perpendicular pipes
are so constructed that connections may be most easily effected by the trimmers
of the coals with the perforated tubes or pipes running through the cargo, thereby
affording a most effectual and ready escape to all gases that may be evolved, and
giving such constant amount of ventilation as to entirely prevent any high tem-
perature being set up, thereby also relieving all pressure from gases emitted by
moisture or pyrites, preventing the possibility of an explosion, and by ventilation
rendering spontaneous combustion impossible. The apparatus also gives constant
and instant command of the central portion of the cargo or coals under every
condition.