Improvements in the Manufacture of Artificial Fuel.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Feb., 1887
Complete Left, 21st Oct., 1887
Complete Accepted, 22nd Nov., 1887
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Artificial Fuel.
I, WILLIAM HENRY LINDSAY of 14 South Wharf, Paddington in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows
It has before been proposed to manufacture artificial fuel from coal dust or small
coal by compressing it in moulds after it has been heated and in a Provisional
Specification No. 13,922 in the past year is described the heating of the small coal or
coal dust by causing it to pass continuously through a tube heated externally to a red
heat and the subsequent pressing of such heated material in moulds by means of a
hydraulic or other powerful press.
According to my present Invention I cause a small proportion of sugar or other
saccharine matter to be admixed with the small coal or coal dust before heating and
compressing it into blocks.
I find that by the admixture of about 1 per cent of sugar with the coal it becomes
unnecessary to heat the coal to so high a temperature as when coal alone is used and
that if the coal be heated sufficiently to bring the sugar into a melted state and to
decompose the saccharine matter and cause it to commence to smoke then pressed
into moulds very solid blocks of fuel are obtained which retain their form even
if immersed for a long time in water and which can be burnt in ordinary fire
grates in the same way as ordinary coal without smell.
Dated this 2nd day of Habruary 1887
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: I, WILLIAM HENRY LINDSAY, of 14 South Wharf, Paddington, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer, 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 :-
It has before been proposed to manufacture artificial fuel from coal dust or sma!!
coal by compressing it in moulds after it has been heated and in a Provisional
Specification No. 13,922, in the past year is described the heating of the small coal
or coal dust by causing it to pass continuously through a tube heated externally to
a red heat and the subsequent pressing of such heated material in moulds by means
of a hydraulic or other powerful press.
According to my present invention I cause a small proportion of sugar or other
saccharine matter to be admixed with the small coal or coal dust before compressing
it into blocks.
I find that by the admixture of about 1 per cent of sugar with the coal it becomes
unnecessary to heat the coal to so high a temperature as when coal alone is used and
that if the coal be heated sufficiently to decompose the saccharine matter and cause it
to commence to smoke and be then pressed into moulds very solid blocks of fuel are
obtained which retain their form even if immersed for a long time in water and
which can be burnt in ordinary fire grates in the same way as ordinary coal without
smell.
In carrying out my invention I preferably use for heating the coal apparatus
constructed in the manner described in the former Patent herein before mentioned
granted to me.
A longitudinal section of this apparatus is shewn in the drawing hereunto
annexed.
I add the sugar or saccharine matter to the coal as it passes in a heated state from
the heating machine-and to allow of this being done I form the outlet passage 2 of
the machine with a hopper 7 at its upper end through which the sugar or saccharine
matter can be added to the heated coal as it passes along the outlet passage.
Any suitable measuring apparatus may be employed for supplying sugar or
saccharine matter to the hopper continuously according as heated coal passes off
through the outlet Z.
The heated mixture issuing from the outlet I by preference compress into moulds
by machinery such as is described in the specification of my Patent No. 13,984 in
the year 1886 but other machines suitable for being used for the purpose may be
employed.
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 :-
The combination of a small proportion of sugar or saccharine matter with coal and
compressing the mixture whilst in a heated state into moulds.
Dated this 19th day of October 1887.
W. H. LINDSAY.