IM- PROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF PEAT AND OTHER SUBSTANCES AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR, PART OF WHICH IS APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1873

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Crosbie Aitken Henderson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 30th August 1873.
I, JOHN CROSBIE AITKEN HENDERSON, of Wood Street, in the City of
London, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF PEAT AND OTHER SUBSTANCES AND IN
APPARATUS THEREFOR, PART OF WHICH IS APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES," to be
as follows:-
To avoid the expensive cutting and the transport of the peat from the
bog to the apparatus for the preparation of the same as now generally
practised I employ flat trays which are moved backwards and forwards
as required by means of wire ropes or other motive power. Each tray
is provided with one or more shoots passing through the tray, and
placed in a slanting direction. As the tray is passed along over the
surface of the peat, the lower sharp cutting edges of the shoot or shoots
scrape off a layer of peat, which is forced up the shoot or shoots and
falls into the tray. The peat may however be brought to my peat-
preparing apparatus to be mentioned in the sequel by any other suitable
means.

page_text: .
I cut up the peat in such a manner as to liberate the water contained
in the cells or pores of its fibre. For this purpose I employ any suitable
machine, but I prefer to use a machine constructed according to my
Invention, and consisting of a hollow cone or cylinder which may be
perforated on a part or the whole of its surface, and in which I cause
to rotate a corresponding solid bar or hollow drum fitted with cutting
knives arranged spirally around the same.
This inner hollow drum may
also be perforated on a part or the whole of its surface. The peat thus
rendered into a finely subdivided state and slightly air dried, if desired,
I feed into a pressing apparatus constructed according to my Invention,
and consisting of a long hollow cone tapering off to a small diameter, or
it may consist of a straight cylinder and conical barrel; towards the
small end it may gradually be formed from a circular into a square or
other polygonal section, or be fitted with two or more round or otherwise
shaped tubes for the peat to pass through. The peat may in that form
be used for lighting purposes; or the opening or openings may be made
flat and thin. In this hollow cone I fit a corresponding conical screw
which is caused to rotate, and thus to exert a great compressing power
on the peat. The screw may be made with a uniform or with a varying
pitch; the depth of the thread or threads may also be either uniform or
varying. The screw may be made hollow, and in that case be perforated
wholly or in part. The outer case is perforated or provided with fine
fissures or openings for the escape of the water. The peat is fed or
supplied to this pressing apparatus by gravity, or it may be forced into
the feed. hopper or pipe by means of a screw or other equivalent means.
The peat thus compressed comes out at the small end of the hollow case
in a comparatively dry stream or mass, and is utilized for fuel, or it may
be carbonized or coked first.
Part of the apparatus above described may be applied to other cutting
and pressing purposes where it is desired to cut up or finely subdivide
matter, and to express the moisture from the same.
Although particularly described with reference to the treatment of
peat, yet the Invention it must be understood is applicable to the
treatment of clay and other plastic substance, to seed crushing, and for
oil extracting, and other like useful purposes.