Obtain Products therefrom.
Year: 1885

page_text: Obtain Products therefrom.
I, HENRY AITKEN of Falkirk, in the County of Stirling, North Britain, Coal-
master do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE TREATMENT OF CARBONACEOUS, BITUMINOUS, CALCAREOUS AND OTHER SUB-
STANCES SUCH AS ORES IN ORDER TO OBTAIN PRODUCTS THEREFROM to be as
follows:-
This Invention, which relates to Improvements in the treatment of coal, shale,
carbonaceous, bituminous, calcareous and other substances, such as ores, in order to
obtain products therefrom, has for its object to increase heat in the vessels or
chambers in which their combustion or distillation is wholly or partly effected by
the introduction of air or steam or air and steam either at the upper or lower part
of the vessels or chambers according to the manner in which the distillation or
combustion takes place.
The Invention consists in sending in either the gaseous or volatile products or a
portion thereof resulting from the substance undergoing combustion or distillation
in the vessels or chambers themselves or gaseous or combustible products obtained
from an external source. The gaseous products, by being wholly or partly burned
in the vessels or chambers, increase the temperature within the same and thus
effect the distillation or burning in such vessels or chambers of substances which
are not easily burned or distilled by the heat produced therein through the
introduction of air or steam or air and steam besides effecting economy in the
distillation of the substances.
The gaseous products may be admitted to the chambers or vessels either mixed
with the air or steam or air and steam or they may be admitted separately either
at the same level or at one or several points either above or below that at which
the air or steam or air and steam are admitted.

page_text: мирогощение
GHO Preatment от Carbonaceous, Dituminous,
Calcareous, and other Substances, such as Ores, in Order to
Obtain Products therefrom.
I, HENRY AITKEN, of Falkirk, in the County of Stirling, North Britain, Coal
Master do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE TREATMENT OF CARBONACEOUS, BITUMINOUS, CALCAREOUS AND OTHER SUB-
STANCES SUCH AS ORES, IN ORDER TO OBTAIN PRODUCTS THEREFROM and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
My said Invention relates to improvements in the treatment of carbonaceous,
bituminous, calcareous and other substances such for example as ores, in order to
obtain products therefrom and it applies to such carbonaceous and bituminous
substances as coal lignite, shale, "blaes" or coal-like substances including what in
the mining districts is commonly known as "Rubbish" as well as peat, moss, wood,
saw dust, coke, the more or less solid portion of town refuse, sea-ware otherwise
known as sea-wrack or tangle, pitch, tar, bitumen or substances containing these.
The ores, to the treatment of which my said Invention may be applied, are
ironstone or chalks containing bitumen, carbon or hydrogen, bark "spent" or
unspent or limestone. I merely mention the foregoing substances as being some of
those to which my said improvements may be applied and not with the object of
restricting the scope of application to my said improvements which can be applied
to the treatment of all carbonaceous or bituminous substance or substances
containing carbon or bitumen. When the object to be obtained is to secure the
oily or tarry matter, ammonia, acetic acid, sulphur, or compounds thereof and
permanent or incondensible gas to be used for illuminating or heating or other
purposes, I carry out my improvements by forcing or drawing into the chamber or
vessel in which the material is being treated, a quantity of combustible gas with
some air or steam or water, or air and steam and water forced or drawn into the
vessel in the manner hereinafter described. This improvement can be applied
either to retorts or chambers or gas producers used for the combustion or distillation
of the said substances or to apparatus wherein both chambers and retorts are
combined such structure having a retort at the bottom and a chamber above or
vice versa either when the distillation or combustion and distillation are carried on
upwards or downwards or otherwise for example horizontally through the material
or after the manner in which distillation is conducted in a horizontal retort.
By the term "retort "I mean a vessel heated externally and wherein the
distillation is either effected wholly by such external heat or partly by externally
applied heat or is assisted by the combustion within the retort itself of a part of
the material being treated. By a "chamber," I mean a vessel in which the
distillation is conducted without external heating of the chamber and wherein the
heat for distillation is produced internally by the combustion of the whole or a
portion of the solid materials under treatment. By a "gas producer," I mean such
producers, as those used for making gas, for raising steam and treating ores, and

page_text: metals such for example, the Siemen's and other well known types. The form or
kind of retort or chamber is not of great importance. The said retorts or chambers
may be made of iron or brick or of clay or wholly or partly of either or partly of
lime or they may be made in whole or in part with a water or steam jacket which
may be used as a water heater or boiler. When the chambers are made of metal
and without water or steam jackets, it is desirable to line the interior of the bottom
or of the top (accordingly at which end of the chamber the active combustion takes
place) with brick or lime silica or clay, in order to protect the metal of the said
chambers from oxidation or burning. When the retorts or chambers are constructed
with steam or water jackets as herein before mentioned, the steam or heated water
may be employed within the said retorts or chambers or otherwise disposed of as
herein before described. When the combustion and distillation or either combustion
or distillation are carried on from the bottom of the retort or chamber upwards,
air, with or without steam admixed, is admitted at the bottom. Then at a higher
level gas with or without air is admitted, then at a higher level again steam
without air. Or the gas may be admitted with air at the bottom then above this
level steam, or the gas and air or gas, air, and steam may be consumed in an outside
chamber below or alongside the chambers, retorts and their hot products of
combustion taken at once into the retorts or chambers, a little gas or steam being
added just as these products enter the retorts or chambers or preferably at a
higher level.
The introduction of steam alone or air alone or steam and air combined to cause
the formation or to prevent the dissocciation of the ammonia formed in the retorts
or chambers is no part of my present Invention, the essential feature of which
however is the introduction of combustible gas either with or without steam for
the purpose of uniting with the free oxygen present within the retort or chamber
and so preventing the ammonia being destroyed and when air is present or added
assisting in the distillation of the material, I should also add that gas alone may
be added above where the combustion of the material is taking place in the retort
or chamber with the object and for the purpose of preventing the combustion of
the material ascending above a given point and also for regulating the temperature
of the ascending gases. This gas may or may not be heated. In this case the gas
which is or may be used in excess dispenses with the use of steam and the gas may
be put in at different levels. Another essential feature of my Invention is the
introduction of steam alone into retorts with the object of preventing combustion
ascending beyond the proper height in the retort. I do not claim this latter
improvement as applied to chambers and producers because in the Complete
Specification No. 2682 A.D. 1882 filed in pursuance of Letters Patent granted to
me, I claim the introduction of steam in like manner and for a like object for
chambers and producers.
In most cases when practising my Invention, it is well to introduce a little
combustible gas alone at the termination of the combustion process so as to
neutralize any free oxygen. When the air and gas are mixed together, they may
be so mixed and burned in a chamber under or outside the retort or chamber and
the products of combustion taken into the retort or chamber by means of channels
in the bottom or sides.
In whichever relation or order the air, gas and steam, or air and steam, or air
and gas or gas and steam are admitted it is important to keep clearly in view the
object with which the material is being treated. If for instance shale is being
treated in a close chamber (not a retort for the producing of oil and ammonia) then
Steam and air are
I prefer to work my improvements in the following manner.
admitted at the bottom of the close chamber, then gas then steam. If it be not
desired to collect the ammonia and not to take all the fixed carbon from the shale,
I then put in air alone, or air and gas first, then gas, then steam at successive levels.
If a retort is being worked for producing oil, and if the retort is of the usual
upright description, I introduce the gas without air below the level at which the
steam is introduced..

page_text: The steam to be used may or may not be super-heated, the gas and air to be used
may or may not be heated and the steam, or gas or air with or without water
admixed may be forced or drawn in among the substances undergoing combustion
or distillation.
The gas to be used may be the permanent, or as it is sometimes called “hard”
gas from the substances undergoing combustion or distillation after it has been
freed of its Hydro-carbons and ammonia or it may be other gas of a like kind
obtained from an outside source or it may be any of the natural or artificial gases
of a combustible nature, but it should be noted when the intention is to make
liquid products, or illuminating gas free from sulphur, that the gas should be as
free as possible from sulphur or its compounds. So far as my experiments have
enabled me to determine I prefer gas containing Hydro-carbons. I should mention
that I do not enter here into the question of how far the formation of ammonia is
affected by the introduction of steam or gas because I do not understand how this
material ammonia is formed nor have I been able to discover the manner in which
it is formed.
Having described the general features of my invention and the means and
apparatus by which it may be carried out, I will now give a description of a few
retorts or chambers, and of the manner of working them so that any one may be
able to see clearly how practically to work out my said improvements, it being
understood that I do not claim any of the said apparatus as a whole but only my
improvements in the manner of working out my invention as here applied to
chambers or retorts when making oily or tarry matter, ammonia and gas, and of
course I do not limit the application of my improved manner of working to the
particular construction specified as my improvements can be applied to any suitable
vessel or chamber.
Figure 1 on sheet 1 of the annexed drawings shews a section of a producer for
making oily or tarry matter and ammonia and gas. The chamber A. is filled with
material to be distilled or consumed, and it is kindled at the bottom by means of
a fire, or gas and air. So soon as the material has burned for a time and the heat
has ascended well up the chamber, air is drawn or forced in with or without steam
through holes or slits as represented at B, C and D, and gas with or without air is
forced or drawn in at E, and steam at F. The products of distillation and com-
bustion are drawn or forced out at G, through the pipe H, to be afterwards passed
through condensers, washers or absorbers so as to deprive them of their Hydro-
Carbons and ammonia. So soon as the Hydro-Carbons and all or so much of the
fixed carbon (if the material contains such) have been distilled off or consumed as
it is thought desirable to do, the bottom door I, is opened and so much of the spent
or partly spent material is withdrawn and fresh material is charged at the top
through door J. This process is continued, air, steam and gas or steam and gas or
air and gas being forced or drawn in, in such quantities as may be found best to
suit the material under treatment and the product desired.
It is here expressly mentioned that in distilling shale in this manner of working,
no smoke is made and with most shales, no coal or gas other than that generated
in the chamber is required to complete the work. In Figure 1 the top portion of
the producer is shewn with an inside lining K, of iron but it may be made without
this. The whole chamber may be lined outside with metal so as to prevent any
air being drawn into the said chamber at such parts where its introduction would
be injurious. When the steam and air are admitted or the air and gas, and steam,
the chamber may be widened by making a recess all round the chamber where
these enter, or the whole chamber may be widened at these points so that the
gas and air or air and steam will get a larger surface of material to work on.
Figures 1 and 2 shew the working carried on by the upward system of com-
bustion or distillation, but the material may be treated by kindling at the top and
consuming and distilling the material downwards, the air, gas and steam or gas
and steam being admitted in reverse manner, the producers being so to speak
turned upside down, in this case the Retort or producer is cleared of ash or spent

page_text: r partly spent material at one time and not as in the upward distillation when
resh material is charged from time to time as formerly described.
gas
There are certain shales and other substances, the coke of which is very compact
nd the air has great difficulty in getting at the fixed carbon. Such shales and
ther substances I may treat in a separate chamber, or I may make the bottom
part of the producer or retort larger and longer and bring in air; or air and steam
at the bottom and also repeat the air or air and steam entrances several times up
the body of the bottom chamber, in this way I get a much larger surface to work
on, or I may continue the chamber and make the area large and force in air and
steam or air alone below, thereby getting a large surface of spent or partly spent
material to operate on. When the coke is taken away from the producer or retort
and made into CO in a separate vessel, or when the hard or incondensible used
in the apparatus is obtained from other sources, I introduce it with air in the
bottom and sides in like manner to the air. In this arrangement of working a
little steam may be added and also steam and gas above as before described.
When the hard or incondensible gas producer is placed below or alongside of the said
apparatus, I may introduce the hard or incondensible gas at once with or without
air, with or without steam and whilst these hard or incondensible gas producers
may be placed below the retort or producer and the hard or incondensible gases led
to the top or bottom of the retorts or producers as desired, the coked material
being preferably dropped from several retorts or producers in to one hard or
incondensible gas producer.
When it is desired to have a downward system of combustion or distillation,
I introduce the gas, air and steam or the gas and steam at the upper portion of
the producer or Retort and take off the oil and gas at the bottom, the gas, air and
steam being drawn or forced in in reverse manner to that where the combustion
and distillation are carried on in the upward manner, cocks or valves being used to
regulate the quantity of air, gas, steam or water.
In applying my Invention or improvements to vertical retorts, I do so in the
same manner as I do in the chamber or producer herein before described with
reference to Figure 1 of the annexed drawings, and I show in vertical section at
Figure 2, a pair of vertical retorts used in the distillation of oil from shale. When
the shale is consumed or distilled upwards as in the producer herein before described,
I admit the air, gas and steam very much in the same manner, but when the shale
is used for making oil and when it is desired to get as much ammonia as possible,
I do not introduce much, if any, air preferring to introduce the steam at the
bottom, which I prefer should be superheated then a few feet up the retort
I introduce gas then again above this I may introduce steam. The main object
of introducing the steam last both in the working of retorts and chambers, is that
all combustion is stopped and regular results are therefore obtained. The gas
absorbs the free oxygen before it can get to the oil or oil vapours and thereby
produces a better oil and more of it. Gas alone in excess may be used to stop
combustion and regulate the temperature and in this case the addition of steam
above may be dispensed with. When retorts are worked by the downward system
of distillation I admit the steam, or air and steam on the top and then gas at a
lower distance down the retort.
At Figure 2 of the annexed drawings, I have represented a section through a
bench of upright retorts of the type commonly used for the making of oil and
ammonia that is to say, such retorts as I have hereinbefore referred to. The shale
is charged through the door L, into the retort M, and the retort is heated by means
of fire or gas in the flues N, which fire or gas subsequently pass out through the
flue O, or the products of combustion may pass down a flue in the building and be
carried off by the tunnel or flue W, to a chimney. So soon as the lower portion
of the shale is brought up to the necessary heat, steam with or without air is
forced or drawn into the retorts M, in through the passage P, and apertures Q, and
also through the pipe R. Gas is then introduced through the pipe S, and above
this steam may be admitted through the pipe T. The gas resulting from the

page_text: combustion and distillation in the retorts passes off by the pipe U, to the con-
densers or other apparatus. So soon as the shale has become wholly or partially
spent in the bottom of the retort, a portion is withdrawn through the door V and
fresh shale charged in through the beforementioned doors L.
I have thus fully described how my improved manner of working may be
applied to all the usual types of retorts, chambers or producers but I desire it to
be observed that I do not limit the application of my invention or improvements
to the various types of retorts or producers herein mentioned, for the same may
be applied to any kind of retort or chamber when the object desired is to
obtain oily or tarry compounds, ammonia or compounds thereof and acetic acid
and gas.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
First. The introduction of gas into retorts or chambers or producers for the
purpose of engendering heat, stopping combustion and regulating the temperature
and thus preserving the oil and ammonia when distilling materials for the
obtainment of oily or tarry substances, gas, ammonia, acetic acid and other
products substantially as herein before described.
Second. The introduction of gas into retorts or chambers with or without air,
or with or without steam or water or with air and steam or water substantially as
herein before described.
Third. The introduction of steam or water into retorts in which distillation
is effected upwards immediately above the combustion region and below the level
of the distilling region thereof all substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore
set forth.
Fourth. The introduction of steam or water into retorts in which distillation
is effected downwards immediately below the combustion region and above the
level of the distilling region thereof all substantially as and for the purposes
herein before set forth.
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