IMPROVEMENTS IN THE '. PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF COKE AND ILLU- MINATING GAS, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS MAY ALSO BE APPLIED TO THE SMELTING OF IRON ORES AND OTHER ORES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Frederick Parker, of Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Chemist, and Arthur Wade, of Birmingham
.aforesaid, Stock Broker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
'. PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF COKE AND ILLU-
MINATING GAS, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS MAY ALSO BE APPLIED TO THE
SMELTING OF IRON ORES AND OTHER ORES."
Sealed the 12th May 1874, and dated the 26th November 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Frederick Parker
.
and Arthur Wade at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 26th November 1873.
We, JOHN FREDERICK PARKER, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Chemist, and ARTHUR WADE, of Birmingham aforesaid,
Stock Broker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF

page_text: COKE AND ILLUminating Gas, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS MAY ALSO BE APPLIED
TO THE SMELTING OF IRON ORES AND OTHER ORES," to be as follows:-
617-
Our Invention consists of the process or processes herein-after
described of conducting the manufacture of illuminating gas in con-
nection with the manufacture of coke, whereby a large economy of fuel
is effected, and also in the application of the same process or processes
to the economising of fuel in the smelting or reducing of iron ores and
other ores.
Our Invention further consists of the arrangements of apparatus by
which the said process or processes are conducted.
We will describe our Invention as applied to the combined manu-
facture of coke and illuminating gas.
We arrange the ovens in which the coking is to be effected in con-
nection with gas retorts, so that by means of stop-cocks and dampers or
valves communication between the said coke ovens and gas retorts, and
between the said coke ovens and the stack or chimney, may be opened
and closed and controlled at pleasure. Around the gas retorts is a
channel or arch, through which the heated air and products of com-
bustion from the coke ovens may at pleasure be caused to circulate and
heat the said gas retorts. In conducting the manufacture of coke and
coal gas we first charge the coke ovens and ignite the contents. By the
regulated admission of air the combustion of the fuel in the coke ovens
is determined for a length of time required to heat the said ovens
sufficiently to continue the coking process after access of air has been
cut off from the said ovens and the combustion of their contents arrested.
During this, which we will call the first stage of the coking process, the
heated air and products of combustion from the coke ovens are made to
circulate around the exterior of and heat the gas retorts. When by the
combustion in the coke ovens the said ovens and their contents as well
as the gas retorts are sufficiently heated air is shut off from the said coke
ovens and the second stage of the coking process commences. During
this second stage the heat of the coke ovens and their contents causes
the coking process to be continued, the volatile matters given off now
being unburned in consequence of the exclusion of air. These volatile
matters consist of permanent illuminating gas together with volatile
hydrocarbons not permanently gaseous; and in order to convert and

page_text: utilize these volatilized matters they are made to pass through the
heated gas retorts, which are charged with gas producing material when
the retorts have been sufficiently heated, and when the second stage of
the coking process is about to commence. The volatile matters from
the coke ovens passing through the gas retorts are resolved wholly or
mainly into permanent illuminating gas, which mixes and passes off
with the illuminating gas produced from the materials in the said gas.
retorts. The gas so obtained is purified and otherwise treated and stored.
in the ordinary manner.
Instead of utilizing the volatile unburned products obtained in the
manufacture of coke in the manner described the said products may be
utilized by being introduced into blast furnaces used in the manufacture
of iron, or into other furnaces in which metallic ores. are reduced.
In introducing the said volatile unburned products into blast furnaces
used in the manufacture of iron the said products are either introduced
by the tuyere by which the blast is introduced or by a separate tuycre.
The said products when introduced into blast and other furnaces in
which metallic ores are reduced have a powerful deoxidizing or reducing
tendency, and contribute largely to the reduction of the metal.
O SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Frederick Parker and Arthur Wade in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd May 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN.
FREDERICK PARKER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
5 Chemist, and ARTHUR WADE, of Birmingham aforesaid, Stock Broker,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Lotters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
O seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said John Frederick Parker and Arthur Wade,
Her special license, that we, the said John Frederick Parker and Arthur

page_text: Wade, our executors, administrators; and assigns, or such others as we,
the said John Frederick Parker and Arthur Wade, our executors, ad-
ministrators, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF COKE AND ILLUMINATING
GAS, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS MAY ALSO BE APPLIED TO THE SMELTING OF IRON
ORES AND OTHER ORES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the
said John Frederick Parker and Arthur Wade, our executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under our or their hands and seals,
or under the hand and seal of one of us or them, 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 we, the said John Frederick Parker and Arthur
Wade, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to
say:-
.Our Invention consists of the process or processes herein-after de-
scribed of conducting the manufacture of illuminating gas in connection
with the manufacture of coke, whereby a large saving of fuel is effected,
and also in the application of the same process or processes to the
economizing of fuel in the smelting or reducing of iron ores and other
ores.
Our Invention further consists of the arrangements of apparatus by
which the said process or processes are conducted.
We will describe our Invention as applied to the combined manu-
facture of coke and illuminating gas.
We arrange the ovens in which the coking is to be effected in con-
nection with gas retorts, so that by means of stop-cocks and dampers or
valves communication between the said coke ovens and gas retorts may

page_text: be opened and closed and controlled at pleasure. Around the gas retorts
is a channel or arch, through which the heated air and products of
combustion from the coke ovens may at pleasure be caused to circulate
and heat the said gas retorts; or the heated air and products of com-
bustion may pass direct from the coke ovens into the chamber containing
the retorts. In conducting the manufacture of coke and coal gas we
first charge the coke ovens and ignite the contents. By the regulated
admission of air the combustion of the fuel in the coke ovens is
determined for a length of time required to heat the said ovens
sufficiently to continue the coking process after access of air has been
cut off from the said ovens and the combustion of their contents arrested.
During this, which we will call the first stage of the coking process, the
heated air and products of combustion from the coke ovens are made to
circulate around the exterior of and heat the gas retorts.. When by the
combustion in the coke ovens the said ovens and their contents as well
as the gas retorts are sufficiently heated air is shut off from the said coke
ovens and the second stage of the coking process commences. During
this second stage the heat of the coke ovens and their contents causes
the coking process to be continued, the volatile matters given off now
being unburned in consequence of the exclusion of air. These volatile
matters consist of permanent illuminating gas together with volatile
hydrocarbons not permanently gaseous; and in order to convert and
utilize these volatilized matters they are made to pass through the
heated gas retorts, which are charged with gas producing material when
the retorts have been sufficiently heated, and when the second stage of
the coking process is about to commence.. The volatile matters from
the coke ovens passing through the gas retorts are resolved wholly or
mainly into permanent illuminating gas, which mixes and passes off
with the illuminating gas produced from the materials in the said gas
retorts. Where the coke ovens are heated sufficiently to give off
permanent illuminating gas the said gas instead of being passed through
the gas retorts may be conducted direct into the hydraulic main. The
gas so obtained is purified and otherwise treated and stored in the
ordinary manner.
We will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying
Drawing the manner in which we conduct the combined manufacture
of coke and illuminating gas, and the annaratus which we prefer to

page_text: Figure 1 represents in front elevation a double coke oven combined
with a series of gas retorts according to our Invention, and Figure 2 is a
transverse vertical section of the same; Figures 3 and 4 are horizontal
sections, of the same, the section, Figure 3, being taken on the dotted
line a, a, of Figure 2, and the section, Figure 4, being taken on the
dotted line b, b, of Figure 2. Figure 5 represents one of the dampers of
the apparatus and parts connected with the said damper. The same
letters of reference indicate the same parts. c, d, are two independent
coke ovens separated by the wall e; c³, d³, are the doors of the coke
ovens. The top or roof of the double coke ovens c, d, constitutes the
bed of the retort, chamber ƒ containing the gas retorts g, h, i. Com-
munication between the coke ovens c, d, and the retort chamber fis
effected by the passages c³, d³, in the top, and near the front end of the
said ovens. These passages may be opened and closed so as to open
and shut off the communication between the said ovens and retort
chamber by dampers k, l. Each of the said dampers slides in a recess
in the bed plate or slab k², represented drawn to a large scale in
Figure 5, the said damper being covered by a tile ³. The heated air
and products of combustion from the coke ovens c, d, enter the retort
chamber by the passages c³, d², and after circulating about and
heating the retorts g, h, i, they descend the vertical flues m, n, at the
back of the retort chamber into the horizontal flues p, p, p², p², under
the floor of the coke ovens, from whence they escape to the main flue q
(see Figure 4). By the circulation of the heated air along the
flues p, p, p, p, the floor of the coke ovens and the bottom layers of
coal therein are heated.
For convenience of illustration we have represented in Figure 1 the
oven c connected by the pipes with the retort g, and the oven d con-
nected by the pipe t with the hydraulic main, but it must be understood
that either arrangement of pipes may be used in connection with the
combined gas and coke making apparatus. In the pipe s is a valve at
s, by which communication between the oven c and gas retort or retorts
is made and cut off; and in the pipe t is a valve t³, by which the oven d
may be put into communication with or cut off from the hydraulic main.
In the front of the ovens c, d, are air passages u, v, opening into the
said ovens for admitting a limited quantity of air to the coke ovens for
the partial combustion of the coal therein. These passages may be

page_text: We use the coke ovens c, d, alternately to heat the retorts and to
utilize the volatile unburned matters given off substantially in the
following manner, that is to say :-The coke ovens c, d, having been
sufficiently heated by the combustion of the coal in the said ovens the
oven c is charged with coal. The passages c³ are closed by the dampers k,
and the air passagès u, u, are also closed, the valve s³ in the pipes passing
to the retort being opened. By the heat of the oven c volatile unburned
matters are driven off from the coal in the said oven c, and are conducted
by the pipes to the retort g. While the oven c has been giving off
permanent illuminating gas the coal which has been charged into the
oven d has been undergoing partial combustion, air being admitted
thereto by the passages v, v, and the products of combustion pass to and
heat the retorts in the chamber f by the open passages d³. When the
coal in the oven c ceases to give off illuminating gas of the proper quality
the dampers k are opened, the valve s² is closed, and the plugs are
withdrawn from the air passages u, u, so as to admit a regulated
quantity of air to the oven c for the partial combustion of the coke in
the said oven c, the heated air and products of combustion passing to
the retort chamber f so as to heat the retorts therein. While this
partial combustion is taking place in the oven c the coke is withdrawn
from the oven d and the said oven is charged with coal and the
passages v and d² of the oven d are closed, and the valve t is opened and
the gaseous unburned matters from the coal in the said oven are con-
ducted by the pipe t to the retort or to the hydraulic main. The oven c
having been again sufficiently heated by the combustion of the coal and
coke therein the coke is withdrawn and the oven is charged with coal,
air is cut off from it, the dampers k, k, are closed, and the valve 8² is
opened, when volatile unburned matters again pass to the retort. Thus,
while one oven is giving off volatile unburned products, which are con-
veyed to the retorts or to the hydraulic main, the residual hydrocarbon
gas and coke in the other oven is undergoing partial combustion for the
purpose of heating the said last oven and the retorts, the said öven
being heated sufficiently to carry on the coking process and to drive off
volatile unburned matters when air is excluded from it. By this
arrangement the ovens acquire a sufficiently high temperature to resolve

page_text: the volatile unburned matters wholly or mainly into permanent illu-
minating gas, which either passes to the retorts and mixes and passes off
with the illuminating gas produced from the materials in the said
retorts or passes direct to the hydraulic main to be treated in the ordinary
way.
We do not limit ourselves to the details of the apparatus represented,
as the arrangement may be varied according to circumstances.
5
Instead of utilizing the volatile unburned products obtained in the
manufacture of coke in the manner described and illustrated the said
products may be utilized by being introduced into blast furnaces used in 1
the manufacture of iron, or into other furnaces in which metallic ores
are to be reduced.
In introducing the said volatile unburned products into blast furnaces
used in the manufacture of iron the said products are either introduced
by the tuyere by which the blast is introduced or by a separate tuyere. 10
The said products when introduced into blast and other furnaces in
which metallic ores are reduced have a powerful deoxidizing or reducing
tendency, and contribute largely to the reduction of the metal.
Having now described the nature of our Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, we wish it to be understood that we 20
do not limit ourselves to the precise details herein described and illus-
trated, as the same may be varied without departing from the nature of
our Invention; but we claim as our Invention,―
First. The improvements in the process of manufacturing coke and
illuminating gas herein-before described and illustrated in the accom- 25
panying Drawing, that is to say, utilizing the volatile unburned matters
given off during the coking process by conveying the said volatile
unburned matters either to the gas retorts or direct to the hydraulic
main, substantially as described and illustrated.
Secondly. The arrangement of the parts of apparatus herein-before 30
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing to be used in the
combined manufacture of coke and illuminating gas.
Thirdly. Utilizing the volatile unburned products obtained in the
manufacture of coke by introducing them into blast furnaces or other

page_text: furnaces in which metallic ores are to be reduced, as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Frederick Parker and Arthur
Wade, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twentieth
day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-four.
JOHN FREDERICK PARKER. (L.S.)
ARTHUR WADE.
(L.S.)
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham.