Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Oct., 1886.
Complete Left, 23rd July, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 26th Aug., 1887
1 RAYMOND COMBRET, of 1 Boulevard St. Denis, Paris, France, Doctor of
Medicine do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Plain blocks of artificial fuel such as are made from coal dust or other like
materials and pitch, tar or other binding or agglomerating substances answer fairly
well for large fire places or furnaces with forced draught and long flames like the
furnaces of some steam boilers. The blocks become highly heated throughout and
give off their light and heavy gases or vapors in a mixture which becomes burnt or
consumed. For smaller fire places however with ordinary draught and limited flames
like those of small boilers, domestic fire places and stoves the blocks are not so quickly
heated throughout their mass and the combustible vapors are not distilled in good
proportions and these vapors are not hot enough to produce a flame at a short distance
Besides, the air flowing with less force is very poor in oxygen if it has passed through
the incandescent portions of the fuel or it is too cold if it is otherwise supplied. The
result is that much black smoke is produced.
This objection has already been to some extent overcome by moulding the blocks
with openings or perforations. The effect of these openings is to reduce the thickness
of material to be distilled, to multiply the points for the emission of gases, and to
render their mixture with the ambiant air more active and more immediate. But
although the parts which are the most highly heated by their contact with the points
of ignition readily give off their combustible gases these, being naturally heavy,
become ignited with difficulty because the air that passes to the same points is always
much deoxidized; on the other hand the parts that are further from the heating centre
will allow sufficient air to pass through their openings but at these points the air is
still very cold and the evolved gases do not immediately ignite. It is necessary to
have an intense fire in order to burn these blocks without smoke.
Now the object of the present invention is to so form the blocks that the mixture of
the combustible gases and air is effected in a much more perfect manner; very
intimate and complete admixtures are obtained at the highest possible temperature
within the block itself or at least immediately on its surface.

page_text: This object is effected by a mechanical lateral draught or suction on a principle
somewhat analogous to that of the Giffard injector and certain spray producers. The
invention consists in establishing a constant, regular and systematic communication
by means of the form of the block itself between all the gaseous currents which
traverse it or envelop it. This communication can be obtained in several ways. One
way is to form secondary channels through the block at right angles to and connecting
the ordinary channels or openings. Another and simpler way is to connect all the
ordinary channels or openings by a set or system of grooves or channels on the face of
the block; these grooves can readily be formed in moulding the block. Or the two
ways just described can be combined.
I will describe a few examples of forms of bricks suitable for carrying out my
invention. According to one form there are ordinary holes, nine more or less, made
through the block from face to face and these holes are connected on each face of the
block by, say, six channels extending right across the block, three of them being at
right angles to the other three. In other forms eight or other number of holes are
connected by channels formed in an inclined direction making a sort of diamond
pattern. In another form in addition to holes and connecting channels, the central
hole is in the form of a cross the arms of which extend respectively to four channels on
each face of the block. In another form the central hole is in the form of a six-
pointed star all the points extending to the channels on each face. These cross and
star shaped holes or openings are themselves a novelty in artificial fuel blocks. In
another form instead of channels or grooves on the surface of the block there are holes
formed through the block from side to side at right angles to each other and all
communicating at their crossing points with holes or openings that extend from face
to face.
The blocks are made of coal dust or other material such as is generally utilized for
the purpose and of some binding material; pitch, tar or like substances have hitherto
been generally employed as binding material and I may likewise employ them.
But they are objectionable on the ground of their fuliginous nature. I therefore use
paper pulp, wood pulp or similar products made from rags, straw, &c.; the proportion
of pulp used will be substantially the same as that of the pitch or tar hitherto employed
as the binding material.
Dated this 25th day of October 1886
J. C. MEWBURN,
169, Fleet Street, London,
Agent.

page_text: I RAYMOND COMBRET, of 1 Boulevard St. Denis, Paris, France, Doctor of
Medicine, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
Plain blocks of artificial fuel such as are made from coal dust or other like materials
and pitch, tar or other binding or agglomerating substances answer fairly well for
large fire places or furnaces with forced draught and long flames like the furnaces of
some steam boilers. The blocks become highly heated throughout and give off their
light and heavy gases or vapors in a mixture which becomes burnt or consumed. For
smaller fire places however with ordinary draught and limited flames like those of
small boilers, domestic fire-places and stoves the blocks are not so quickly heated
throughout their mass and the combustible vapors are not distilled in good proportions
and these vapors are not hot enough to produce a flame at a short distance. Besides,
the air flowing with less force is very poor in oxygen if it has passed through the
incandescent portions of the fuel or it is too cold if it is otherwise supplied. The
result is that much black smoke is produced.
This objection has already been to some extent overcome by moulding the blocks
with openings or perforations. The effect of these openings is to reduce the thickness
of material to be distilled, to multiply the points for the emission of gases, and to
render their mixture with the ambiant air more active and more immediate. But
although the parts which are the most highly heated by their contact with the points
of ignition readily give off their combustible gases these being naturally heavy become
ignited with difficulty because the air that passes to the same points is always much
deoxidized; on the other hand the parts that are further from the heating centre will
allow sufficient air to pass through their openings but at these points the air is still very
cold and the evolved gases do not immediately ignite. It is necessary to have an
intense fire in order to burn these blocks without smoke.
Now the object of the present invention is to so form the blocks that the mixture of
the combustible gases and air is effected in a much more perfect manner; very
intimate and complete admixtures are obtained at the highest possible temperature
within the block itself or at least immediately on its surface.
This object is effected by a mechanical side draught or suction on a principle
somewhat analogous to that of the Giffard injector and certain spray producers. The
invention consists in establishing a constant regular and systematic communication by
means of the form of the block itself between all the gaseous currents which traverse
it or envelop it. This communication can be obtained in several ways.
One way is
to form secondary channels through the block at right angles to and connecting the
ordinary channels or openings. Another and simpler way is to connect all the
ordinary channels or openings by a set or system of grooves or channels on the face of
the block; these grooves can readily be formed in moulding the block. Or the two
ways just described can be combined.
I show in the annexed drawings a few examples of forms of bricks suitable for
carrying out my invention. Figure 1 represents in face and edge views a block b
with nine ordinary holes a, a made through it from face to face; these holes are

page_text: connected on each face of the block by channels c, c, c extending right across the
block, three of them being at right angles to the other three. Figure 2 represents a
block with eight holes and Figure 3 a block with ten holes the holes in each example
being connected by channels c, c, c formed in an inclined direction making a sort of
diamond pattern. Figure 4 represents a block in which in addition to ordinary
holes a, a and connecting channels c, c there is a central hole d in the form of a cross
the arms of which extend respectively to four channels on each face of the block.
Figure 5 represents a block with the central hole in the form of a six-pointed star
all the points extending to the channels c, c on each face. These cross and star shaped
holes or openings are themselves a novelty in artificial fuel blocks whether used with
or without the other holes a, a and channels c, c. Figure 6 represents a block in
which instead of channels or grooves on the surface of the block there are holes i, i
formed through the block from side to side at right angles to each other and all
communicating at their crossing points with holes or openings h, h that extend from
face to face.
The foregoing are merely given as examples of the various forms in which blocks
can be made according to my invention. It will be easily understood that I can
adopt various other forms based on the same principle, that is to say: the establishing
of regular communication by means of channels or grooves between the gaseous
currents produced in or around the blocks during combustion. Owing to these
secondary channels or ways all the main holes communicate with each other and with
the free edges of the block and the mechanical side draught or suction herein-before
referred to is formed. As the main holes correspond with the most highly heated
points they are traversed by the most rapid currents, but as these strong currents can
act on the weaker and colder currents from the other channels they draw or suck the
latter. In an ordinary fuel block these colder currents would remain isolated and
would escape either unutilized or in smoke. In my blocks on the other hand they are
forced to travel in a great measure through the communicating channels or grooves ;
they become gradually heated and their ignition is effected at the minimum distance.
The blocks are made of coal dust or other material such as is generally utilized for
the purpose and of some binding material; pitch, tar or like substances have hitherto
been generally employed as binding material and I may likewise employ them. But
they are objectionable on the ground of their fuliginous nature. I therefore use paper
pulp, wood pulp or similar products made from rags, straw, &c.; the proportion of
pulp used will be substantially the same as that of the pitch or tar hitherto employed
as the binding material.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The manufacture of blocks of artificial fuel with a series of main channels and
secondary channels arranged so that during combustion there shall be regular and
systematic communication between the gaseous currents which traverse and envelop
the block, as and for the purpose herein-before described.
.
2. The several forms of artificial fuel block hereinbefore described and represented
in the annexed drawings.
3. The employment as the binding or agglomerating material in the manufacture
of artificial fuel blocks of pulp such as is used in the manufacture of paper, as
described.
J. C. MEWBURN,
169, Fleet Street, London,
Agent.