IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FUEL FROM PEAT, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN, PART OF WHICH IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE MOULDING OF BRICKS, TILES, AND OTHER PLASTIC MATERIALS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Hodgson, of Ballard Rathdrum, in the
County of Wicklow, Ireland, Esquire, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FUEL FROM PEAT, AND IN APPARATUS
EMPLOYED THEREIN, PART OF WHICH IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE MOULDING
OF BRICKS, TILES, AND OTHER PLASTIC MATERIALS."
Sealed, the 10th June 1859, and dated the 10th December 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Hodgson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th December 1858.
I, CHARLES HODGSON, of Ballard Rathdrum, in the County of Wicklow,
Ireland, Esquire, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FUEL FROM PEAT, AND IN APPARATUS
EMPLOYED THEREIN, PART OF WHICH IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE MOULDING OF BRICKS,
TILES, AND OTHER PLASTIC MATERIALS," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists, first, in a mode of cutting the peat from the bog
and transferring it to tram waggons, which is to be effected by laying a tram
or railway parallel to the edge of the bog from which the turf is to be taken
and then propelling a truck (by.horses or otherwise) with a small instru-
ment resembling a common plough, attached to a side projection from the
truck, so as to be capable of adjustment to any required position. The peat
cut out by this plough is thrown on to an endless web, or into a Jacob's
ladder, for delivery into the aforesaid truck or others.
Secondly, the cut peat having been conveyed in the waggons or trucks to a
suitable place for manufacture, the clods in which it arrives are broken in any
convenient tearing mill or machine,and the substance, thus reduced to a rough
Price Sd.]

page_text: pulp is fed into a hollow cylinder of uniform bore, formel of iron, and
perforated throughout its length with holes of moderate size. The cylinder
is lined with one or more layers of textile fabric, and one or more layers of
perforated zinc or other metal, and the pulp forced through it by a ram
The end of the ram should
or plunger, actuated in any ordinary manner.
also be perforated and lined like the sides of the cylinder. The greater
portion of the water is thus extracted from the saturated mass.
Thirdly, the mass of peat as it issues from the cylinder is received by another
tearing machine suitable to its present state; a wheel, with rough projections
on its circumference, revolving rapidly close to the mouth of the drying
cylinder, would answer the purpose. The substance is now delivered on to
extensive sheet-iron steam-heated tables, on which it is rapidly moved about
by rakes or brushes attached to a frame moved by power, so that some portion
of these rakes or brushes shall pass repeatedly over every part of the drying
tables. The rakes have a reciprocating motion, and are so hinged to the
frames which support and move them as to stand firm when moving out from
the end of the table where the peat is received, and to give way a little on the
return stroke, thus the peat will be moved forward a little each time, and
when quite dry, delivered at the extremity of the table or system of tables.
These tables, of which a great extent will be required, are constructed in
parts of convenient size, consisting of two rectangular plates of very thiu
sheet iron, screwed one at each side of a rectangular wood frame of sinall
Scantling, having a layer of flannel between the wood and iron to make a
tolerably tight joint, thus leaving a space for steam, which may be used to
. heat them at scarcely above the atmospheric pressure.
In the
Fourthly, the dry powder of peat which results from this process is now fed
into the top of a strong tube of any given shape or size, placed at any angle
under or before a ram, fitting it accurately, and having a reciprocating motion
communicated to it by any ordinary means. A little peat is allowed to
drop from a hopper or be pushed under the ram (by a brush or other con-
trivance), as it emerges at each stroke it will be consolidated by the down
stroke of the ram, and forced onwards towards the end of the tube.
first instance a plug must be placed in the end of the tube, remote from the
ram, but soon this may be removed, and the tube will become gradually full
of dense peat, which will shortly as it moves onwards have so great a friction
against the sides of the tube as to cause the portion of peat last introduced
to be perfectly compressed before it starts the mass forwards. This tube
is not tapered in the slightest degree, that form having been found to injure
the structure of the dense peat mass, and render it friable.

page_text: This last part of my Invention is also applicable to the moulding of bricks,
tiles, and other plastic materials.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Hodgson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
10th June 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
HODGSON of Ballard Rathdrum, in the County of Wicklow, Ireland, Esquire,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Charles Hodgson, Her special licence, that I, the said Charles
Hodgson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Charles Hodgson, 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 lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, au invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF FUEL FROM PEAT, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN.
PART OF WHICH IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE MOULDING OF BRICKS, TILES. AND OTHER
PLASTIC MATERIALS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Charles Hodgson, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Hodgson, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to. be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say
My Invention consists, first, in a mode of cutting the peat fromthebog and
transferring it to tram wagons, which is to be effected by laying a train or
railway parallel to the edge of the bog from which the turf is to be taken, and

page_text: then propelling a truck (by horses or otherwise) with a small instrument
resembling a common plough attached to a side projection from the truck, so
as to be capable of adjustment to any required position. The peat cut out by
this plough is thrown on to an endless web, or into a Jacob's ladder, for
delivery into the aforesaid truck or others.
Secondly, the cut peat having been conveyed in the waggons or trucks to
a suitable place for manufacture, the clods in which it arrives are broken in
any convenient tearing mill or machine, and the substance thus reduced to a
rough pulp is fed into a hollow cylinder of uniform bore, formed of iron, and
perforated throughout its length with holes of moderate size. The cylinder.is
lined with one or more layers of textile fabric, and one or more layers of per-
forated zinc or other metal, and the pulp is forced through it by a ram or
plunger actuated in any ordinary manner.
The end of the ram should also
be perforated and lined like the sides of the cylinder. The greater portion of
the water is thus extracted from the saturated mass.
Thirdly, the mass of peat as it issues from the cylinder is received by
another tearing machine suitable to its present state; a wheel, with rough
projections on its circumference, revolving rapidly close to the mouth of the
drying cylinder would answer the purpose. The substance is now delivered on
to extensive sheet-iron steam-heated tables, on which it is rapidly moved about
by rakes or brushes attached to a frame moved by power, so that some portion
of these rakes or brushes shall pass repeatedly over every part of the drying
tables. The rakes have a reciprocating motion, and are so hinged to the
frames which support and move them as to stand firm when moving out from
the end of the table where the peat is received, and to give way a little on the
return stroke, thus the peat will be moved forward a little each time, and when
quite dry, delivered at the extremity of the table or system of tables. These
tables, of which a great extent will be required, are constructed in parts of
convenient size, consisting of two rectangular plates of very thin sheet iron,
screwed one at each side of a rectangular wood frame of small scantling.
having a layer of flannel between the wood and iron to make a tolerably tight
joint, thus leaving a space for steam, which may be used to heat them at
scarcely above the atmospheric pressure.
Fourthly, the dry powder of peat which results from this process is now fed
into the top of a strong tube of any given shape or size, placed at any angle
under or before a ram, fitting it accurately, and having a reciprocating motion
communicated to it by any ordinary means. A little peat is allowed to drop
from a hopper, or be pushed under the ram (by a brush or other contrivance)
as it emerges, at each stroke it will be consolidated by the down stroke of the

page_text: ram, and forced onwards towards the end of the tube. In the first instance a
plug must be placed in the end of the tube, remote from the ram, but soon
this may be removed, and the tube will become gradually full of dense peat,
which will shortly, as it moves onwards, have so great a friction against the
sides of the tube as to cause the portion of peat last introduced to be
perfectly compressed before it starts the mass forwards. This tube is not
tapered in the slightest degree, that form having been found to injure the
structure of the dense peat mass and render it friable.
This last part of my Invention is also applicable to the moulding of
bricks, tiles, and other plastic materials.
In the accompanying Drawing I shew a sectional clevation of an apparatus
constructed according to the last part of iny Invention. H, H, are hoppers,
through which the wet or dry peat is fed into each end of the tube; T, the
tube in which the drying or compression takes place; it must be of uniform
bore, but may be of any desired section and length; Ris the ram, which has
a short reciprocating motion; g, guide of ram working in a slot; P, end of
connecting rod driving the ram; h, h, h, holes through which the water is
expelled in the wet machine; i, i, i, lining of perforated zinc, or any other
finely perforated metal plate, with or without an additional covering of any
suitable textile fabric. In the manufacture of peat two machines are used;
the first to expel the water, and having the above-named holes and lining; the
second, exactly resembling the first, but having a tube without holes or lining
to consolidate the peat after it has been further completely dried upon steam-
heated tables, herein-before described, or in any other convenient mode.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First, the several improvements in the manufacture of fuel from peat
herein-before described.
And, second, the apparatus for moulding herein-before described and
represented in the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Hodgson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Ninth day of June, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-nine
CHARLES HODGSON. (L.S.)