AN IMPROVED MODE OF MAN KING COAL.
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Claridge, of Pontypool Iron Works, in the
County of Monmouth, Furnace Manager, and Richard S. Roper,
F.G.S., F:C.S., of Ebbw Vale 'Iron Works, in the same County, Agent,
for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED MODE OF MAN
KING COAL.
Sealed the 14th August 1858, and dated the 18th February 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Claridge and
Richard S. Roper at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 18th February 1858.
We, GEORGE CLARIDGE, of Pontypool Iron Works, in the County of Mon-
mouth, Furnace Manager, and RICHARD S. ROPER, F.G.S., F.C.S., of
Ebbw Vale Iron Works, in the same County, Agent, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED MODE OF MANUFACTURING COKE,"
to be as follows:-
In carrying out the object of this Invention we propose to apply to the coke
ovens which we employ a perforated false bottom on to which the coal or other
fuel to be operated upon is charged in the usual manner. Under the false
bottom we admit a current of gas or gases of a combustible nature, and by
preference the gases produced by and drawn from the top of the blast furnace

page_text: for the manufacture of iron or any other unutilized combustible gases. We
also admit sufficient atmospheric air (under the false bottom) to insure the
combustion of the gases. The flame and heated gases pass through the
perforations into the oven, and thereby cause the dry distillation or coking
of the contained coal. To equalize the heat we make the flame and heated
gases to travel in a zig-zag direction under the oven by placing under the false
bottom partitions of brickwork, which stretch a convenient distance across the
space between the true and false bottom, and which partitions are built alter-
nately from opposite sides of the oven and serve to support the false bottom;
or we introduce the gases at several points under the false bottom, in order
that a more uniform heat be obtained. We erect a stack in connection with
tlic
space contained between the true and false bottom, which stack or chimney,
being governed by a damper or valve, serves to regulate the quantity of flame
and heated gas passed into the oven. The quantity of atmospheric air
admitted may be regulated by any convenient means, and we also make
use of small openings in the side of the furnace, or other means by which
a quantity of air may be admitted to facilitate the process of coking, and the
coking may be so conducted that a certain proportion of the combustible
gases are inflamed above the false bottom. The inflammable gases may also
by any suitable means be admitted at the top or sides of the oven, and burnt in
any convenient way.
In such ovens as are usually filled to a considerable depth with coal,
especially if such coal be small coal, and generally we make use of all such
means for facilitating coking as are now applied, with the exceptions
already mentioned we follow the ordinary process or processes of coking, but
as soon as the conversion of the coal into coke is effected, or when the
carbo-hydrogens cease to be given off, and while the coke is still hot, and by
preference red hot, we shut off the supply of combustible gases (if they have
not been already shut off) and admit a current of steam under the false bottom
checking the escape of the steam to the stack by the means already pointed
out; the steam then passes through the perforated bottom, and meeting with
the hot coke is decomposed to a certain extent; the hydrogen uniting with
the sulphur of the coal and carrying it off in a gaseous form. The steam
should be admitted and forced through the coke till it is deemed to be
practically free from sulphur. The coke is then cooled by any of the means &
usually adopted, and the perforated bottom of the oven should bo so made that
the water thrown on the coke to cool it would immediately pass through it and
escape.

page_text: Steam may also be applied with advantage to the refining of cinders, when
Iving upon the surface of molten iron.
PECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Claridge and Richard Steven Roper in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 18th August 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we; GEORGE.
CLARIDGE, of Pontypool Iron Works, in the County of Monmouth, Furnace
Manager, and RICHARD STEVEN ROPER, F.G.S., F.C.S., of Ebbw Vale Iron
Works, in the same County, Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters.
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said George Claridge and Richard Steven Roper Her special license
that we, the said George Claridge and Richard Steven Roper, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said George Claridge
and Richard Steven Roper, our 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 "AN
IMPROVED MODE OF MANUFACTURING COXE," upon the condition (amongst others)
that we, the said George Claridge and Richard Steven Roper, by an instru-
ment in writing under our hands and seals, or under the band and seal of
one of us, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Richard Steven Roper on behalf of
myself and of the said George Claridge, do hereby declare the nature of our
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement,
(that is to say):
The object of this Invention is the carbonization and desulphurizing of coal

page_text: by the application of combustible gas or gases, and of steam, in the manner t
be now described.
We apply to the coke ovens which we employ a perforated false bottom
placed a short distance above the true one to receive the charges of coal to be
operated upon. Under the false bottom we admit a current of gas or gases
of a combustible nature; and by preference the gases produced by and drawn
from the top of the blast furnace for the manufacture of iron or any other
unutilized combustible gases. We also admit sufficient atmospheric air under
the false bottom to insure the combustion of the inflammable gas or gases,
and we deem it unnecessary to point out any special means of allowing.or
causing the influx of air under the false bottom for the purpose of combustion;
and it will be evident that a smaller or larger quantity of air may be intro-
duced than is absolutely requisite for the perfect combustion of the inflammable
gases. The heat produced by the combustion of the inflammable gas under
the false bottom will cause or assist in the dry distillation of the coal contained
in the oven.
To equalize the heat we cause the flame and heated gases to
travel in a zig-zag direction under the oven, by placing under the false bottom
partitions of brickwork, which stretch a convenient distance across the space
between the true and false bottom, and which partitions are built alternately
from opposite sides of the oven, and serve also to support the false bottom;
or we introduce the gases at several points under the false bottom, in order;
that a more uniform heat may be obtained.
We connect the space between the true and false bottom with a stack or
chimney, which may or may not be the stack usually attached to a coke oven,
for the escape of the products of distillation and combustion. This stack or
chimney we govern by a suitable damper or valves, the nature of which will
depend on the circumstances of the coke oven as to whether the ordinary
stack of the coke oven is or is not also connected with the space under the
perforated bottom of the oven, and on other details, which practice and
experience will at once suggest, and which it is needless to allude to further
in this place. We prefer to make the stack or chimney in connection with
the space before mentioned under the oven separate from the stack of the coke
oven, or that which allows the escape of the gaseous products of the coal in
coking, but in either case the stack will serve by means of the before-mentioned
dampers or valves, to regulate the quantity of inflammable gases passed under
the oven, and consequently the heat there applied, and also the escape of the
products of the combustion of the inflammable gases and of the non-com-
bustible constituents, if there be any of the gases made use of. We also

page_text: nake use of small openings in the sides of the oven or other means, by which.
any desired quantity of atmospheric air may be admitted into the oven, to
acilitate the process of coking. And we prefer thus to allow a certain.
portion of the coking of the coal to be occasioned by the combustion of a part
of the said coal or of the gases produced by its distillation as is now generally.
practised, thus using the waste inflammable gases under the bottom of the
oven as before described only as an auxiliary to the ordinary coking process.
The coking may be so conducted that a certain proportion of the combustible
gases are inflamed above the false bottom; and this, although we do not deem-
it necessary, may be effected by closing partially or entirely the communication
between the space under the false bottom and the stack, so that the pressure,
of blast in the blast furnace supplying the inflammable gases or other motive
power may force a portion or the whole of the gases through the coal to be
coked, which
gases may then be consumed by the introduction of a certain
quantity of air into the oven as previously indicated. The inflammable gases
may also by similar or other suitable means be admitted at the top and sides
of the oven, and burnt in any convenient way in the oven, or they may be
burnt in spaces on the sides and top of the oven similar to that at the bottom,
and so far as the application of the waste gases is concerned, these spaces,
whether at the top, bottom, or sides, need not be separated from the internal
contents of the oven by perforated bricks, or other suitable perforated material,
but the beat occasioned by the combustion of these gases in these several
spaces, either singly or together, may assist the carbonization of the coal by
conduction through the thin separation between the coke and the before-
mentioned spaces. In such ovens as are usually filled to a considerable depth
with coal, especially. if such coal be small coal, and generally we make use of
all such means for facilitating the coking action as are now applied. With
the exceptions already mentioned, we follow the ordinary process or processes
of coking; but as soon as the conversion of the coal into coke is effected, or.
when the dull heavy yellowish red flame ceases to be given off, and while the
coke is hot, and by preference red hot, we shut off the supply of combustible.
gases (if they have not been already shut off) and admit a current of steam
under the perforated false bottom, checking its escape to the stack as completely
as possible by the means already pointed out. The steam may also be applied
before the period of complete carbonization arrives, if such a proceeding is
for any reason found desirable, even from the time that the coal commences to
give off hydrocarbons; and if this plan be adopted, it will be necessary somewhat
to alter the arrangements for using the waste gases, (if it is desired to make

page_text: ise of the said gases,) and in such case it will be found advantageous to apply
them at the top or sides of the oven in the manner previously indicated, but
by preference at the top. The waste gases may be advantageously used while
the steam is being applied, so as to diminish the cooling influence of the steam.
And in the case of very sulphury coal it will be desirable to make such
arrangements as will allow of the use of the waste gases at the same time that
the steam is being applied, which arrangement will be apparent from the
general tenor of this description without further explanation. When it is
intended to use steam for the purposes herein mentioned, without any applica-
tion of the waste gases to the same oven, we dispense with the stack in
connection with the space under the false bottom. The steam then passes
through the perforated false bottom, and meeting with the hot coke, is
decomposed to a certain extent, the hydrogen of the steam uniting with the
sulphur of the coke, and carrying it off in a gaseous state. The steam should
be admitted and forced into, through, and amongst the coke until it is deemed
to be practically free from sulphur. And we would here observe that the
steam forced through the coke should be retained as much as possible in the
coke oven by closing all the apertures by which the steam might readily escape
from the oven, so that the steam in the oven may be under pressure, and be
thus compelled to permeate the coke in a greater degree than would be the
case if the steam were simply allowed to rush through the coke and escape.
And we would also point out that by so doing a less quantity of steam will be
required, the coke will be kept in a heated state for a comparatively lengthened
period, and consequently the separation of the sulphur will be more perfect,
and it is evident that steam may be admitted through perforated sides, ends,
or top of the oven, and the perforations may be one or many, provided that
the steam be distributed as uniformly as possible, and at the same time kept
at a certain pressure in the oven. Where these means are found to give
imperfect results, which will only be the case when the coal contains a very
extreme quantity of sulphur, superheated steam may be used, so as to reduce
the cooling influence of the steam, and thus allow of its use for a longer
period, and the steam may be beated to any temperature, or by any means
which are found convenient.
The coke when desulphurized is to be cooled by any of the means usually
adopted, and the perforated bottom of the oven should be so made that the
water thrown on the coke in the oven to cool it would immediately pass
through it and escape. And we would point out that when it is desired
the coke may be entirely cooled or extinguished by steam, by continuing

page_text: its use for a sufficient time, which will vary with the circumstances of the
coking.
Having now set forth the nature of our Invention of "An Improved Mode
of Manufacturing Coke," and explained the manner of carrying the same into
effect, we wish it to be understood that we do not claim singly any one of the
steps of the process above described; but what we claim is the mode of
effecting the object of our Invention, as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Steven Roper, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Sixteenth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
RICHARD STEVEN ROPER. (L.S.)