IMPROVEMENTS IN MANU- FACTURING AND REVIVIFYING BONE BLACK OR ANIMAL CHARCOAL, AND IN KILNS AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Michael Henry, of 84, Fleet Street, in the City of
London, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MANU-
FACTURING AND REVIVIFYING BONE BLACK OR ANIMAL CHARCOAL, AND IN
KILNS AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."-A communication from
J. A. Lagard.
Sealed the 20th May 1859, and dated the 3rd December 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Michael Henry at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd December 1858.
I, MICHAEL HENRY, of 84, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MANUFACTURING AND REVIVIFYING BONE BLACK OR ANIMAL CHARCOAL, AND IN
KILNS AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," communicated to me by J. A. Lagard,
foreigner residing abroad, to be as follows:-
This Invention has reference to the manufacture and revivification of
animal charcoal or bone black, for which purposes peculiar kilns and appa-
ratus are employed. The process may be so conducted as to be carried on
continuously.
For receiving bones to be carbonized, or bone black to be restored, receivers
or vessels are employed, raised upon feet, and fitted with escape valves.
The kilns. in which. the receivers, when supplied with the materials, are

page_text: placed have a fire-place in each corner of the sole, and are constructed in
such manner, and provided with passages for the flames and products of com-
bustion so contrived, that these products, flames, &c., may fully surround the
receivers, and completely heat them and their contents. In the form preferred
of this kiln the sole has a fire-place at each of its four corners, and has also
formed in it rows of holes or passages communicating with transverse flues
beneath, leading through up flues into an exit fire surrounding the upper part
of the kiln, and conducting the products of combustion to chimneys placed one
at each end.of the kiln, which convey them into the atmosphere after they
have thus traversed the brick work, and kept up the heat as much as may be.
Proper feed and sight holes are provided.
The receivers are raised on feet, and in the form preferred each is closed at
top by a cover slipping into a groove (packed with sand or otherwise), and
having formed through it a passage or orifice also surrounded by a groove, and
carrying a valve or cap free to slide up and down- under the pressure of the
- gases, &c., liberated from within the receiver, its course being regulated pre-
ferably by a bent wire held in the orifice.
The fires being lighted, when the kiln is sufficiently heated the receivers
are introduced therein by means of an instrument or fork (by which they are
clutched, having a shank running on rollers and terminating in a handle), and
they are run on to the sole, one receiver being set over each of the holes
therein, the doors through which they are introduced being arranged alter-
nately, so that each may front one of the vertical flues corresponding to each
transverse row of holes, and by the time the last lot are in, the first will be
ready for removal, and may be replaced by fresh ones, so that the operation
may be rendered continuous. In kilns of this description, the flames, &c.
escaping from the fire must, in order to get at the holes in the sole, completely
*surround the receiver, even passing under the bottoms thereof (raised as
described for the purpose), the hot gases arising from their contents escape
through the valve at top, become ignited, and add to the heating effect.
In another improved form of kiln, especially applicable for restoring or
revivifying bone black, an arrangement of concentric or slightly excentric
columns or tubes are provided, in which the bone black is held between two
-heated surfaces, the inner of which provides for the escape of the vapors given
off in the course of desiccation.
The arrangement preferred of this kiln contains a number of concentric
columns, down which the bone black descends, passing between two volumes of
hot air, whereof the inner is flowing in a contrary direction to that in which
the bone black descends. Arrangements are adopted for the admission of. the

page_text: hot air into the internal tubes, and for the discharge of the restored charcoal
from the outer column or at the circumference. Thus, to explain such an
arrangement more fully, in each of the columns for receiving the bone black,
and which columns are preferably conical or wider at the base than at the top, -
is placed an internal tube rising beyond the outer column at top, and having
orifices through which the vapours first given off from the damp bone black,
under the influence of heat, are carried off into the atmosphere. The heating
is effected by fire-places, one in each of the four anglès of the kiln, from which.
the flames and hot gases proceed to the top, skimming the outer surfaces of.
the columns, and returning, are carried away by the inside tubes. The bone:
black descends the columns, and as it descends becomes more and more heated,
by means of the tubes on the inside and the flames and hot gases on the out-
side, and eventually falls into receivers beneath, in order to cool therein..
These receivers are preferably arched and traversed by cold air tubes leading
(half on the right and half on the left) into draft passages, and they have:
gratings at bottom, which may be closed by adjustable doors for regulating,
opening, and closing the passage of the restored charcoal.
The sole may be made of two or three layers of material, having orifices.
under the column, through which the bone black drops into the cooling.
receivers. Thus each column may be placed on a plate, having an orifice
leading into segmental openings or plates. beneath it, these again coin-
municating through other segmental openings through the sole, and thence to
receivers beneath.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Michael Henry in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
3rd June 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MICHAEL
HENRY, of 84, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent Agent, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of. Her
reign, did; for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Michael Henry, Her special licence that I, the said Michael
Henry, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Michael Henry, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should. at

page_text: 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 "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN MANUFACTURING AND REVIVIFYING BONE BLACK OR ANIMAL'
CHARCOAL, AND IN KILNS AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," a communication
from J. A. Lagard, a foreigner residing abroad, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Michael Henry, 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 Inven-
tion, 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..
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Michael Henry, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, as communicated to me, reference being had to the accom-,.
panying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is
to say:-
:.
This Invention relates to improvements in manufacturing and revivifying
animal charcoal or bone black, and in the kilns and apparatus employed
for such purposes. The process may be so conducted as to be carried on
continuously.
For receiving bones to be carbonized, or bone black to be restored, receivers
or vessels are employed, raised upon feet, and fitted with escape valves. The
kiln in which the receivers, when supplied with the material, are placed, has
a fire-place at each corner of the sole, and is constructed in such manner,
and provided with passages for the flames and products of combustion so con-
trived, that these products, flames, &c., may completely surround the receivers,
and thoroughly heat them and their contents. In the form preferred of this
kiln, the sole has a fire-place at each of its four corners, and is formed with
rows of holes or passages communicating with transverse flues beneath, leading
through up-flues into an exit flue surrounding the upper part of the kiln, and
conducting the products of combustion to chimneys placed one at each end of
the kiln, by which they are carried off into the atmosphere after having thus
passed through the brickwork, and kept up the temperature of the kiln as
much as may be. Proper feed and sight holes are provided.
The improved receiver, raised on feet as before stated, is, in the form pre-
ferred, closed at top by a cover slipping into a groove (packed with sand or

page_text: other material), and having formed in it a passage or orifice also surrounded.
by a groove, and carrying a valve or cap free to slide up and down under the.
pressure of the gases liberated from within the receiver, its travel being regu-
lated preferably by a bent wire held in the orifice.
.
The fires having been lighted and the kilns sufficiently heated, the receivers.
are introduced therein by means of a fork or instrument, by which they are
clutched, and which has a shank running on rollers, and terminating in a
handle, and they are thereby run on to the sole, one receiver being set over.
each of the holes therein; the doors through which they are introduced are
arranged alternately, so that each may front one of the vertical flues corre-:
sponding to each transverse row of holes; by the time the last batch of
receivers is in, the first will be ready for removal, and may be replaced by.
fresh ones, so that the operation can be carried on continuously. In this,
arrangement of kiln, the flames, &c., in escaping from the fire must, in order
to get at the holes in the sole, completely surround the receivers set over them,.
even passing under the bottoms thereof, which are raised on feet for the
purpose as described; the hot gases disengaged from their contents escape
through the valve at top, become ignited, and add to the heating effects.
In Sheet I. of the Drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a kiln. of this
description; Figure 2, sectional elevation on the line 1, 2, of Figure 1;
Figure 3, longitudinal section on the line 3, 4, of Fig. 2; Figure 4, horizontal,
section on the line 5, 6, of Figure 3; Figure 5, horizontal section on the line.
7, 8, of Figure 3.
A, A, is the sole, in which are a number of holes B, B, leading into trans-.
verse flues C, C, communicating through up-flues D into a flue E, which
passes round the top of the kiln, and leads into chimneys G, one at each end;.
H, H, are fire-places, one at each angle, (fed through doors I, I,) from which
the flame and products of combustion pass through the holes B and flues.
C, D, and E, into the chimneys G, thus passing through or about the brick-
work, and keeping up the kiln's internal temperature; J are sight holes at
each end, closed by removable plug caps K; 0, 0, are kiln doors, which are
closed by fire-clay or iron plates P, and are arranged alternately, that is to
say, in such manner that there may be one door opposite to or in a line
with each transverse row of holes B, and thus opposite to or in a line with
one of the flues D, that is to say, with the particular flue D communicating
with that particular row of holes B, as shown in Figure 4. Figure 6 is a
sectional elevation, exemplifying a "receiver " or apparatus for holding the
bones or charcoal in the kiln, constructed according to the present improve-
ments; L is the body mounted on feet d, d; x, cover, slipping in a groove f,

page_text: packed with sand, and formed with a central opening g, which has round it
another groove h, also packed with sand, and is fitted with guide pieces for
liolding a pin or wire y, hooked at one end, which regulates the travel of a
valve i, free to slide up and down thereon when raised or depressed by the
action of the gases liberated from the bone or charcoal in the receiver. Figure 7
is a side elevation, and Figure 8 a plan of the instrument for introducing and
removing the receivers into and out of the kiln; a is the shank or handle,
which runs on rollers e, e; b, b, are the prongs for grasping the receiver.
In another improved form of kiln, particularly applicable for restoring or
revivifying bone black, there is an arrangement of concentric or slightly
excentric columns or tubes, so contrived that the bone black is contained
between two heated surfaces, the inner of which provides for the escape of the
vapours given off in the course of desiccation.
The arrangement preferred of this kiln and its appurtenances, which I now
proceed particularly to describe with reference to the Drawings, is represented
on Sheet II.; Figure 1 being an elevation thereof; Figure 2, longitudinal
section on line 1, 2; and Figure 3, transverse section on line 3, 4, of Figure 9 ;
Figure 4, section of junction of outer column; Figure 5, section of inner
column; Figure 9, horizontal section on the line 5, 6, of Figure 3. Here the
bone black to be revivified is received into and passes down a number of
columns, cach of which surrounds an inner column or tube, which carries off
the products of combustion (after they have heated the exterior columns),
together with the vapors liberated from the bone black. The main features of
the combination are the employment and arrangement of these columns or
columnar apparatuses wherein the charcoal descends between two bodies of hot
air, the inner of which is ascending, the employment of means for admitting
the hot air to the inside of and discharging the charcoal from the circum-
ferential part of each columnar apparatus,-and the mode of heating the kilns
by fires at each corner, whereof the flames, &c. take the course herein-after
explained. X is the brickwork of the kiln, enclosing the chamber or area Y, in
which are the columns Z, Z, for containing the bone black to be restored, and
in each of which columns Z is an inner column W, concentric thereto, or nearly
so. T, T, are hoppers for feeding the bone black into the columns Z at top;
y, y, y, are four fire-places for heating the kiln, one at each corner, the flames,
hot air, and gases, &c., from which proceed to the top, skim the outer surfaces
of the columns Z, return, and escape through openings a, a, into the columns W
so that the bone black in the columns Z passes down between an outer and an
inner body of hot air, and in a direction contrary to that in which the inner is
flowing; the columns W rise beyond their outer columns through the hoppers

page_text: T, and above the top of the kiln, and act as flues or chimneys, carrying away
the products of combustion to the atmosphere, while the vapors given off
under the influence of heat from the damp bone black in the columns Z pass
away through openings h, h, into these columns W, and are thus driven off
continuously by the up-draft of the ascending products of combustión. D, D, áre
furnace doors; E, E, ash-pits; e, man-hole. As the bone black.descends the
columns Z, it becomes progressively hotter, being heated on the inside by the
columns W, and on the outside by the flames, hot air, &c. in the kiln until it
falls from the columns into receivers N, N, beneath, in order to cool therein.
The columns Z are conical or wider at the base than at the top, thereby
keeping the bone black longer exposed to the heated surfaces as it descends.
These receivers N, N, are preferably arched, as at F, to reduce the thickness
of brickwork, and are traversed by earthenware, métal, or other cold air tubes
G, G, G, whereof the ends are arranged alternately, namely, half to the left
and half to the right, and their opposite ends open alternately, half of them to
the left and half to the right, into draft or suction passages L, L, L, L, formed
in the thickness of the kilu's walls or sides. There is a separate receiver N to
each column Z, and they have gratings at bottom, which form the tops of
chambers M, and may be closed by adjustable registers H, H, for regulating,
opening, and closing the passage of the restored charcoal.
The sole may be composed of two or three layers of material having orifices
under the.columns through which the bone black falls into the cooling receivers.
Thus the columns may be placed on plates having orifices leading into seg-
mental openings or plates below, which again communicate through others
and through the sole to the receivers beneath. For example (Figures 6, 7, 8,)
the sole shown in the Drawings is composed first of as many blocks or plates A
as there are columns, each formed with openings leading into the receivers N,
and on each block A are segmental pieces B, also formed with openings corre-.
sponding to those in the plates A; on each set of segments B is a circular
plate C, leaving the passage open to the receivers, and having a centrāl
opening Q; and lastly, over each plate C is set a column Z, with its inner
column W, so that the bone black may fall from the columns Z, through the
holes in C, B, and A, into the receivers. Figure 6 is a plan of a plate C;
Figure 7 of blocks B; and Figure 8 of plate A.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same may be performed, I declare that I claim,―
First, the mode of manufacturing and of revivifying bone black or animal
charcoal by the employment of the kilns, receivers, and apparatus or means
herein-before described..

page_text: Second, I claim constructing the receivers (or apparatus for holding the
bones or charcoal) with feet for raising them above the sole, and with an
escape valve having a regulated travel.
Third, I claim the mode of constructing and arranging the kiln with a fire-
place at each angle of the sole, combined with holes or openings formed in the
sole for the escape of the flames, contrived in such manner that the raised
receivers when placed thereon may be completely enveloped by the flames, &c.,
and their contents thoroughly heated.
Fourth, I claim the arrangement of kiln herein-before described, and
exemplified on Sheet I. of the Drawings, in which the peculiarities referred to
.in the foregoing claim are combined with particular arrangements for the
*"service" or employment of the receivers, the carrying on of the process in
. a continuous manner, and the passing away of the products of combustion.
Fifth, I claim the mode of constructing, combining, or providing kilns with
columns or tubes arranged thus,-an inner within an outer, concentric to it or.
nearly so, and so contrived and combined that the bone black undergoing
revivification may pass or be contained between two heated surfaces, the
inner whereof provides for the escape of the vaporous products of desiccation.
Sixth, I claim the arrangement and combination of kiln or apparatus
described in reference to and exemplified on Sheet II. of the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Michael Henry, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this First day of June, in the year One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Witness,
S. E. A. NEWSOME,
Office for Patents,
84, Fleet Street, London.
M. HENRY. (L.S.)