IMPROVEMENTS IN CHARRING OR CARBONIZING PEAT, AND IN APparatus 4 EMPLOYED THEREIN.
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Carrington Sellars, of Birkenhead, in the
: County of Chester, Manufacturing Chemist, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CHARRING OR CARBONIZING PEAT, AND IN APparatus
4
EMPLOYED THEREIN.'
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION. left by the said John Carrington Sellars
-
I,
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 22nd September 1871.
"JOHN CARRINGTON SELLARS, of Birkenhead, in the County of
Chester, Manufacturing Chemist, 'do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN CHARRING OR CARBONIZING PEAT, AND
IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows :—
The object of my Invention is to obtain well charred or carbonized
peat at a low price. For that purpose I have devised the modes of
treatment and apparatus hereafter described as means for avoiding
frequent handling of the peat and for supplying inexpensive plant.

page_text: The charring or carbonizing of peat is under my Invention effected
by allowing slow combustion to take place in vessels to which air is
admitted in limited quantities, and when the mass has been sufficiently
charred or carbonized shutting off the supply of air entirely. After
cooling the charcoal is ready for use.
In practice I effect the charring or carbonization herein-after called
charring, by setting fire to a block of peat in its natural bed or a stack
of piled blocks of peat or some dry material placed therein, and
immediately thereafter placing over the said block or stack a metallic or
other portable bottomless vessel, such vessel having an opening or
openings at the sides or top or either of them, to admit air and allow the
products of slow combustion to escape. When the vessel is placed over
the block or stack its lower edges fit into the ground air-tight or they
are made tight by luting or otherwise; upon charring being effected the
openings are closed. When blocks of peat are to be charred in their
natural beds I prefer to allow them to drain and weather dry; a vertical
hole being cut in the centre of the block in which to kindle the fire.
The stacks of peat are by preference piled usually where cut on loose
bricks or stones or on a wirework frame, but they may be piled on
the ground.
When it is inconvenient from any cause to pile the peat blocks into
stacks, then a portable vessel provided with a wirework or perforated
false bottom and one or more funnel-shaped or cowl-like passage
terminations or either the perforated bottom or funnel or cowl
terminations, is employed to receive the peat blocks which are packed
therein after a fire has been lighted. The use of the false or perforated
bottom is to allow air to pass from above downwards underneath the
mass at the commencement of the charring, and the use of the funnel-
shaped and cowl-like air passage terminations is to meet the external
current of wind, and direct air into the mass so as to cause such air
to come into contact with those portions of peat last ignited and also to
allow the products of combustion to escape.
To bring a charring vessel constructed as last above described with case
to the blocks of peat I mount it on wheels and framework, and in fact
form a portable charring or carbonizing truck.

page_text: The charring or carbonizing vessels above described may be provided
with a gallery around their tops to form spaces to contain wet peat to be
dried by the waste radiating heat.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Carrington Sellars in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 22nd March 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
CARRINGTON SELLARS, of Birkenhead, in the County of Chester,
Manufacturing Chemist, send greeting.
.P
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of September, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in
the thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said John Carrington Sellars,
Her special licence that I, the said John Carrington Sellars, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
John Carrington Sellars, my executors, administrators, and 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 CHARRING OR CARBONIZING
PEAT AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Carrington Sellars, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, 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.
'

page_text: and by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that
is to say :-
The object of my Invention is to obtain well charred or carbonized
peat at a low price. For that purpose I have devised the modes of
treatment and apparatus hereafter described as means for avoiding
frequent handling of the peat and for supplying inexpensive plant.
'
The charring or carbonizing of peat is under my Invention effected by
allowing slow combustion to take place in vessels to which air is
admitted in limited quantities, and when the mass has been sufficiently
charred or carbonized shutting off the supply of air entirely. After
cooling the charcoal is ready for use.
In practice I effect the charring or carbonization (herein-after called
charring) by setting fire to a block of peat in its natural bed or a stack
of piled blocks of peat or some dry material placed therein, and
immediately thereafter placing over the said block or stack a metallic
or other portable bottomless vessel, such vessel having an opening or
openings at the sides and top, or either of them, to admit air and
allow the products of slow combustion to escape. When the vessel is
placed over the block or stack its lower edges fit into the ground air-tight
or they are made tight by luting or otherwise. Upon charring being
effected the openings are closed. When blocks of peat are to be charred
in their natural beds I prefer to allow them to drain and weather dry, a
vertical hole being cut in the centre of the block in which to kindle the
fire. The stacks of peat are by preference piled, usually where cut, on
loose bricks or stones or on a wirework frame, but they may be piled on
the ground.
"
When it is inconvenient from any cause to pile the peat blocks into
stacks, then a portable vessel provided with a wirework or perforated
false bottom and one or more funnel-shaped or cowl-like air passage
terminations, or either the perforated bottom or funnel or cowl
terminations is employed to receive the peat blocks which are packed
therein after a fire has been lighted. The use of the false or perforated
bottom is to allow air to pass from above downwards underneath the
mass at the commencement of the charring, and the use of the funnel-
shaped or cowl-like air passage terminations is to meet the external
•

page_text: Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section and Fig. 2 a plan of a charring vessel
fitted with two funnel-like terminations for admitting air and allowing
the products of combustion to escape, placed over a block of peat
supposed to be resting in the bed where formed or deposited.
a denotes the peat supposed to have been freed from water by
systematic drainage and weather influences. b, vertical hole to receive
ignited peat, air to support combustion being admitted through the
openings marked c. After the ignited peat or other material is placed
in the hole 6 the metallic cover d is placed over the block; the handles
e are used to lift and carry d. Should the lower edges not bed air-tight
then some loose peat or other material is used as a luting. f, funnels or
funnel-like air passages supported by the pillars'g; these funnels fare
here shown secured on the sides; they may be portable and open
sidewards or they may be secured or attached on the top, or one only
may be used secured on the top.
Fig. 3 is a plan and Fig. 4 a longitudinal section of a metallic vessel
marked & placed over a stack of blocks of peat a, resting on bricks or
stones h. In this modification one funnel ƒ is placed on the top of d,
and through that funnel the air to support slow stifling carbonization
and the escape of the products take place. A wire or perforated frame
may be used instead of the bricks or stones h.
Fig. 5 is a vertical section of a charring sheet-iron cylinder, such
as I prefer to use for convenienee of movement from place, to place
contiguous to cut blocks of peat which have been allowed to weather

page_text: dry. is the cylinder provided with a perforated bottom j. The lower
chimb is here shown resting in a groove in the moveable bottom piece k ;
the said chimb may fit into the soil or loose peat, or other material may
be placed around it. 1, funnel shaped mouth piece for admitting air and
allowing the products to escape. After kindling a fire on the perforated
bottom the peat is filled in; carbonization takes place upwards
gradually, and after the charring has been perfected in the topmost
blocks a cover is placed over the funnel 7, or if the funnel be removable,
and this I prefer, then I place a cover over the upper chimb and stifle
the mass, which after cooling is ready for removal.
Fig. 6 is a vertical section of another metallic cylinder i resting
on a grooved bottom piece k, and provided with a removable perforated
bottom resting on carrying pieces affixed at a short distance from the
bottom and with a cowl-like termination 1, supported by curved hangers
m which pass over the upper chimb of the cylinder. There are
openings between the upper chimb and the said cowl (, and also at the
upper part thereof as shown by the arrows. This form of cowl is suitable
in windy and rainy states of the weather as well as in fine weather
because the overhanging edges protect the cylinder and the formation
ensures an uniform entrance of air and egress of products of combustion
at all times. In this modification ignited peat or other material is
placed on the bottom piece k, then the perforated bottom j is placed over
it, and immediately thereafter blocks of peat a are filled in and the cowl /
affixed in position. When charring has been effected the cowl is
removed and a closing cover placed over the chimb.
Fig. 7 is a vertical section of a plain open-ended metallic cylinder i,
and Figs. 8 and 9 respectively a transverse section and plan view of
a grooved disc k, such as I propose to use for carrying the cylinder and
also for closing and stifling when charring has been effected. The
cowl, shown in Fig. 6, may be used during charring under this
modification.
Fig. 10 is a vertical section of a metallic cylinder placed within a
cone-like encircling covering made of wood or other material marked n.
This cone-like covering is closed at the top, but has openings near the
bottom for admission of air and escape of products; it serves to condense
the watery and other vapours given off. When charring is effected the
conc-like covering n is removed and the top of the cylinder is covered or

page_text: the openings at the bottom of n may be luted, but the latter method
requires that a. longer time should be allowed for the cooling of the
charred peat.
'
Fig. 11 is an end elevation and Fig. 12 a horizontal section showing four
metallic cylinders mounted on a wheel truck. The wheels marked o
are formed with grooves and made of considerable width of tyre, so that
they can be used on rails or drawn over soft ground. p is the frame,
q standards, and hinged protectors, capable of being raised or lowered;
they are shown in the lowered position. The mode of filling in the
blocks of peat after lighting a fire and of closing the cylinders is the
same as in the modifications above described.
Fig. 13 shows in side elevation a sledge fitted with six cylindrical
charring vessels i, the whole being adapted for being drawn over soft
ground; i, are the cylinders; 8, the frame of the sledge.
Fig. 14 shows in side elevation a double roller truck carrying four
metallic cylinders, having the cowl-like terminations 1, described in
connection with Fig. 6. t is the frame of the truck, u rollers, the full
width or nearly the full width of the truck.
Fig. 15 is a vertical section of a metallic charring vessel i, provided
with a gallery v, suitable for containing wet peat to be dried by the heat
given off from the cylinders in which charring is taking place. The
said gallery may be secured or attached to any of the charring vessels or
cylinders herein described.
Under the modes of charring above mentioned with the appliances
described, peat as dug from its bed may be placed in the vessels and
charred, but I would have it understood that I prefer to allow it to
weather dry..
For convenient working I prefer to employ the metallic cylinders
described above, in size 32 inches long by 21 inches diameter, and
when a series of these are used I kindle a fire in a cylinder from
live peat which has been ignited or charred to the top in an adjoining
cylinder.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention and
particularized the same in such manner that others will be enabled

page_text: to carry my improvements into effect, I claim the improvements in
charring or carbonizing peat and the apparatus employed, all sub-
stantially as set forth.
F
In witness whereof, I, the said John Carrington Sellars, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of March, 5
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
two.
J. T. KING,
Witness.
JOHN CARRINGTON SELLARS. (L.S.)