IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING OR MANUFACTURING PEAT POR FUEL, AND IN APPARATUS FOR THE SAME
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Morellet Alloway, of the Strand, in the County
of Middlesex, Esquire, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING
OR MANUFACTURING PEAT POR FUEL, AND IN APPARATUS FOR THE SAME."
Sealed the 1st August 1865, and dated the 4th February 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Morellet Alloway
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th February 1865.
I, ROBERT MORELLET ALLOWAY, of the Strand, in the County of Middlesex,
Esquire, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN TREATING OR MANUFACTURING PEAT FOR FUEL, AND IN APPARATUS FOR
THE SAME," to be as follows:-
I first break up and destroy the cellular spongy conformation of the peat.
This may be effected by such machinery as, for instance, the farmer's ordinary
clod crusher, or by a pugging mill, or in other ways, but for economy I prefer
to perform the operation by means of cattle driven round in a circular enclosure
of rough poles in paling form, furnished with a trough of wood or iron to contain
the raw pent, which becomes completely mashed up and broken by their hoofs.
It is then removed, and loosely pressed together or moulded into "pats"
small sods of any convenient size by boys' or girls' hands. In this form
it is placed on tables to dry in the open air; and in order that the atmo-
sphere may have free access, I construct the legs of the said tables of ordinary
undressed wood about two feet in height, the tables themselves being formed

page_text: of a rough framework covered with netting composed of thread, twine, or wire,
about three feet in width, secured to the framework. When sufficiently dry
it may be kept in storehouses of simple construction, the sides thereof being
made of open lathing or with ventilating passages, in order that the process of
drying may be completed. If after the raw peat has been broken up in the
manner above described it is found to be too wet to be moulded into "pats,"
the water may be removed by shaking it in a wicker basket, or it may be
wheeled to the tables over a rough surface, as a corduroy road for instance, in
barrows with perforated bottoms if at a distance from the enclosure. The peat
when thus manufactured may be converted into an excellent charcoal for
smelting furnaces and other purposes by the ordinary process.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Morellet Alloway in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 3rd August 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
MORELLET ALLOWAY, of the Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Esquire,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Robert Morellet Alloway, Her special licence that I, the said
Robert Morellet Alloway, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Robert Morellet Alloway, 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
Jawfully 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 TREATING OR MANUFACTURING PEAT FOR FUEL,
AND IN APPARATUS FOR THE SAME," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Robert Morellet Alloway, 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: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Morellet Alloway, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
The object and purpose of my said Invention are these:-That without
resorting to complex and expensive processes and mechanism, such as have
been sometimes resorted to for manufacturing peat, I may be enabled with
economy and facility to so treat and manufacture peat as to effect the rapid
deosication and condensation of the raw wet matter in its natural state without
incurring the very considerable expense entailed by the adoption of processes
requiring the aid of costly hydraulic or other powerful machines, entailing the
waste of other fuel, or the deterioration of the manufactured article when dried
by hot blasts, kilns, and such like appliances. Peat from its peculiar
nature is unsuited for being turned out of any kind of mould; and I have found
that the human band is the most effective agency to be employed in its treat-
ment; moreover hand moulding can be done very rapidly and is an essential
part of my process. The drying tables hereafter described are planned so as
to give the wet peat the fullest benefit of sun and air. The same intention is
carried out in the storehouses.
I first break up and destroy the cellular spongy conformation of the peat,
and although this could be effected by such machinery as the farmer's ordinary
clod crusher, or by a pugging mill, or by other suitable means, yet for the sake
of economy I prefer to effect this operation by apparatus of the following con-
struction, that is to say, I construct a circular or ring-like enclosure by means
of rough poles, palings, or hurdles, the ground within or the bottom of which I
should provide with a ring-like or circular trough, or for the convenience of
removal with two or more sectional troughs, which may be formed of wood or
of iron, and within this enclosure, and upon the said trough or troughs when
supplied with raw peat, I should cause cattle to be driven round, so that by
their weight and the action of their feet, the part of the operation of
manufacturing peat which consists in mashing and breaking down the peat
may be effected.
After this part of the operation has been effected, the peat so treated as
aforesaid is to be removed and loosely pressed together and moulded into
such "pats" or small sized sods as may be desired, which may be effected by
hand (for which purpose young boys and girls may be employed). This being
effected the peat is placed on the tables to dry in the open air, and in order that
the atmosphere may have free access to all parts I construct these tables in the
following manner, that is to say, the legs of each table are of wood or iron,

page_text: (and they should be about three feet in height). On the top of these tables is
a framework of strong laths, or of posts of wood, or of bar iron (or other suitable
material), covered with a latticework of laths, or with a netting of wire or
twine (or any other suitable material), which is secured to the framework
aforesaid. These tables should be from two to four feet wide, as may be
convenient, and of any suitable length, according to the circumstances of the
place or size of the works. The peat when sufficiently dry for removal from
the tables should be placed in storehouses with openwork sides, whether of
woodwork or otherwise, or with ventilating passages, so that the process of air
drying may be effectually carried on and completed. When manufactured as
above described the "peat coal" may be readily converted by any known process
into excellent firm charcoal suitable for smelting or working iron (by due treat-
inment equalling in quality Swedish iron) and other purposes.
Having now particularly described the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I hereby declare that I claim the
above-described improvements in treating or manufacturing peat condensing
and air drying, and in the apparatus for effecting the same, as herein-before
set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Morellet Alloway, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
Witness,
DANIEL FLAHERTY.
ROBERT MORELLET ALLOWAY. (L.S.)