Improvements in and in Apparatus for Pressing Artificial or Patent Fuel or the like into Solid Form.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Mar., 1896
Complete Specification Left. 27th Jan., 1897-Accepted, 27th Mar., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and in Apparatus for Pressing Artificial or Patent
Fuel or the like into Solid Form.
I, HERBERT CHARLES BATH FORESTER of Penybryn, Sketty, near Swansea,
South Wales, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to pressing (into cubes, blocks, or other solid forms)
artificial or so-called patent fuel or the like and is designed to produce a com-
paratively simple and inexpensive method and means for the pressing up or
formation of such fuel into solid form-and it will be obvious that my present
invention may be used for pressing up any material or materials to which same
may be applicable.
According to my present invention I introduce the material to be pressed into
shape into a cylinder or tube or chamber of any suitable shape in cross section in
which cylinder or tube or chamber (for the sake of brevity I shall hereinafter
refer to these as the "cylinder") a piston ram or plunger is arranged to be
reciprocated by any suitable means as hereinafter explained.
Into this cylinder I provide a suitable inlet or inlets (advantageously through
the side thereot) either controlled (or not) by one or more feeding-valves of any
suitable character to prevent escape (during feeding or from the interior of the
cylinder) of the material or of any volatiles therefrom or simple slide valves or
covers for such apertures may or may not be used or the ram or plunger may form
its own valve i.e. serve to close the inlet port during part of its travel-according
to the character of the material being pressed or results desired.
Through these inlets or in any other suitable manner the material to be pressed
is fed into the interior of the cylinder in the path of travel of the aforesaid ram or
plunger therein the latter now forces the material before it along a tube or it may
be along an extension or prolongation of said cylinder or both-for instance along
a passage extending say 12 inches (or more or less) beyond the limit of movement
of the atoresaid plunger or ram head; the length of this said passage depending
on circumstances such as the pressure or density desired for the fuel whether the
said passage be contracted or not or intermittently closured or not as hereinafter
described-in which passage way the pressing up into solid or compressed form
takes place as follows:-
To start the operation the said passage way or outlet from the pressing chamber
is temporarily stopped or closured in any suitable manner-for instance by a strong
plate or cap firmly secured on or over the end thereof-and then the material to be
pressed up
is fed into the cylinder and the pressing operation continued until a
sufficient quantity of the material has been tightly packed into a dense mass or
firmly compressed in the said passage way. The outlet from the latter is now
opened (ie. the temporary closure being now removed) and the next outstroke of
the plunger will now compress the next charge of the material against the already
compressed inass in the passage way and the whole mass is thereby moved along
said passage way and a certain length of the mass exuded or forced out of the
passage way while the mass tightly packed or compressed in the passage way will
offer sufficient resistance to cause the last charge to be compres-ed between said

page_text: mass and the plunger and so on with each stroke of the plunger each fresh charge
is thereby compressed until it arrives at the point of escape or discharge from the
apparatus when it is discharged in a condition sufficiently compressed and solid for
the purpose required.
Or if greater compression or density is required this can be obtained by contracting
the passage or by intermittently closing up the passage altogether or by prolonging
the passage or in any other desired manner.
The power necessary for operating the aforesaid ram or plunger may be applied
thereto in any suitable manner from any suitable source of power for instance
hydraulic steam etc. either applied direct after the manner of direct acting steam
pumps or by cams or cranks (and suitable connections therefrom) on a shaft
revolved directly or indirectly by any suitable motor.
If desired any suitable number (more than one) of compressing apparatus
acting in accordance with my herembefore described invention may be combined
or arranged to act in conjunction or adjacent to one another each operated from
the same or separate source of power as desired for instance two compressing
apparatus may be arranged parallel side by side and operated in such manner that
the plunger or ram in the one makes its outstroke while the other makes its instroke
and vice versa while the material is constantly feeling or being led either to one
cylinder or to the other.
Any suitable leather or other packing or other device may be mounted on the
plunger or ram or otherwise suitably arranged to bear against the inside wall of
the cylinder or to bear against the plunger or both for the purposes of preventing
(as far as possible) the material getting in between the plunger and the cylinder.
I may provide any suitable incans to break or saw or cut or otherwise sever the
fuel into blocks or lengths either as the fuel issues from the press or subsequently
for instance a circular saw or cutter may be used intermittently reciprocating
across the outlet from the press.
Or I may form or arrange a kind of cutter or knife like a guillotine to be
mechanically moved down to sever the la-t length or block from the press and then
remain there to stop the outlet during the next pressing operation or operations
(for instance where great pressure is required as in the production of very large
blocks) after which the knife is removed and so on.
Furthermore I inay if desired provide a jacket or bath or other suitable means
in conjunction with the aforesaid press or the aforesaid passage way therein through
or in which cold water or it may be steam or hot water can flow or be used-
or other suitable means may be used to cool or heat the fuel while in the
press.
Dated this 10th day of Wab 100%
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, Loudon, W C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in and in Apparatus for Pressing Artificial or Patent
Fuel or the like into Solid Form.
I, HERBERT CHARLES BATH FORESTER, of Penybryn, Sketty, near Swansea,
South Wales, 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:-
This invention relates to pressing (into cubes, blocks, or other suitable form)

page_text: artificial or so-called patent fuel or the like and is designed to produce comparatively
simple and inexpensive means primarily for the pressing up or formation of such
fuel into solid form but it will be obvious that my present invention may be used
for pressing any material or materials to which same may be useful and applicable.
According to my present invention 1 introduce the material to be pressed into
shape into a cylinder or tube or chamber of any suitable shape in cross section (for
the sake of brevity 1 shall hereinafter refer to these as the "chamber ") in which
latter a piston ram or plunger is arranged to be reciprocated by any suitable
means such as hereinafter explained and I provide suitable means in combination
and acting in conjunction with the aforesaid press or the aforesaid pressing
chamber therein through or by which means I am enabled to heat the material
at one point in said pressing chamber and cool same at another point therein for
instance both a heating jacket and a cooling jacket may be used in or on or with
the same press i.e. to heat the press and the material in the press at one point and
at another point to cool said material waile in said press this latter operation
being performed advantageously just at or near the point where the material
leaves the press.
Referring to the drawings hereunto annexed :-
Fig. 1 shows a press having two separate jackets thereon the one D being
adapted to cool the pressed material and the other said jacket E being adapted to
heat the said material.
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section on line 3-3 Fig. 2.
I will now describe the apparatus shown in the drawings and manner of using
same for fuel-making purposes.
Into the chamber A, I provide a suitable inlet B or inlets (advantageously
through the side thereof) either controlled (or not) by one or more feeding
valves (not shown) of any suitable character to prevent escape (during feeding or
from the interior of the chamber A) of the material or of any volatiles there-
from or simple slide valves or covers for such apertures B may or may not be
used or the ram or plunger C may form its own valve ie. serve to close the inlet
port during part of its travel-according to the character of the material being
pressed or results desired.
Through this inlet B or in any other suitable manner the material to be pressed
is fed into the interior of the chamber A in the path of travel of the aforesaid
ram or plunger C therein the latter now forces the material before it along said
chamber A or it may be along an extension or prolongation of said chamber A or
both for instance along a passage extending say 12 inches (or more or less)
beyond the limit of movement of the aforesaid plunger or ram head C the length
of this said passage depending on circumstances such as the pressure or density
desired for the fuel whether the said passage be contracted or not or inter-
mittently closured or not as hereinafter described-in which passageway A the
pressing up into solid or compressed form takes place said passageway offering
sufficient resistance to cause each charge to be compressed between said mass and
the plunger and so on with each stroke of the plunger each fresh charge is thereby
compressed until the fuel arrives at the point of escape or discharge from the
apparatus when it is discharged in a condition sufficiently compressed and solid
for the purpose required.
Or if greater compression or density is required this can be obtained by
contracting the passage or by intermittently closing up the passage altogether or
by prolonging the passage or in any other desired manner.
The power necessary for operating (i.e. reciprocating) the aforesaid ram or
plunger C may be applied thereto in any suitable manner from any suitable
source of power for instance hydraulic steam etc. either applied direct after the
manner of direct acting steam pumps or by cams or cranks (and suitable
connections therefrom) on a shaft revolved directly or indirectly by any suitable
motor.

page_text: D is cold water jacket, having inlet and outlet D₁ D' by which circulation of
cold water through said jacket is maintained in any suitable manner.
E is heating jacket having inlet and outlet E' E' by which circulation of
steam or hot air or hot gases is maintained through said jacket E in any suitable
manner and from any suitable source or if desired the flue of a furnace may be
connected up to said jacket E or the heat (flames or hot gases) from a furnace
may be conducted into said jacket E or otherwise applied to heat the pressing
chamber A at or about the point of compression.
It will thus be seen that at the point where the fuel material is compressed in
said chamber A same is heated to any required extent (or its heat maintained)
while pressing takes place and then as said compressed fuel arrives at or near the
outlet A' from said press it is cooled to any desired extent by the cooling jacket D
before said compressed fuel passes out of said outlet A-see Fig. 3.
I wish however to remark that one very important feature of my present
invention consists in providing means to heat a press of the character described--
and the material within same-at the point of compression of said material in said
press and another very important feature consists in combining and arranging on
the same press both means to heat said press and the material therein at one
point and means to cool said press and the said material at another and separate
point.
If desired any suitable number (more than one) of compressing apparatus
acting in accordance with my hereinbefore described invention may be combined
or arranged to act in conjunction or adjacent to one another each operated from
the same or separate source of power as desired for instance two compressing
apparatus may be arranged parallel side by side.
Any suitable packing such as asbestos inay be mounted on the plunger or ram C
or otherwise suitably arranged to bear against the inside wall of the chamber A or
to bear against the plunger or both for the purposes of preventing (as far as
possible) the material getting in between the plunger and the wall of said
chamber.
1 may provide any suitable means to break or saw or cut or otherwise sever
the fuel into blocks or lengths either as the fuel issues from the press or subsequently
for instance a circular cutter or saw may be used intermittently reciprocating
across the outlet from the press.
Or I may form or arrange a kind of cutter or knife like a guillotine to be
mechanically or otherwise operated to sever the core of pressed material into
lengths or blocks as said core exudes from the press.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
In pressing apparatus of the character specified-the combination with the
pressing chamber A and the ram C of the beating jacket E and the jacket D
for cooling the compressed material before it is discharged all substantially as and
for the purposes described and illustrated.
1007
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
Southampton Buildings, Chaucery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
Southampton Buildings, Chaucery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.