IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PEAT FUEL AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR
Year: 1874

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
16th January 1874.-A communication from abroad by Robert
Arthur Griffin, of Montreal, Canada, Gentleman.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
PEAT FUEL AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR," a communication, to be as
follows:-
This Invention has reference to improvements in the manufacture of
peat fuel and in apparatus used therefor, whereby peat fuel is produced
in less time, and with less labor, and of better quality than by the
processes at present in use.
According to the first part of the said Invention I proceed as
follows:-Having selected a suitable situation where the depth of the
bog is sufficient for the purpose of making the first cut, and at the same
time nearly approaching the solid earth, piles are driven at the required

page_text: distances apart, more or less as found desirable. To the top of the said
piles are attached the ends of timbers extending over the top of the bog,
and to the solid earth. These timbers are laid with a slight inclination,
being lowest at the land end. On the top of these timbers I place a
second course of timber laid crosswise, and if required secured to the
lower timbers with trecnails or otherwise. This timber is covered with
square scantling laid in the same direction as the lower timbers, a space
being left between the scantlings. This platform forms the bottom of
curing vessels, constructed by attaching scantlings to a beam of suitable
dimensions in such a manner as to give them an inclination. These
scantlings also have spaces between them, a plank or other suitable
support being placed between the two. Each separator thus constructed
forms the side of two contiguous curing vessels; they are secured on the
platform in any desired manner. The front and back ends of the curers
are formed of a single vertical row of scantling with spaces similar to
the separator and are secured to them. On the top of the aforesaid beam
and scantling a wale piece is placed extending the whole length of each
separator, and at the back of the same to the top of this wale piece
two strips of iron are attached, forming rails for the wheels of a dump
wagon. This dump wagon is made to turn completely over on pivots;
a hole is cut in the earth, and when the same is filled with water by
drainage from the bog an excavator will float in it alongside of the
piles. The said excavator is constructed somewhat like the dredging
machines commonly employed, but instead of having one row of narrow
buckets it is made with any desired number of rows of buckets. An
upper roller is driven by steam power on board the excavator vessel. A
lower roller is carried at the required distance to keep the chains taut
by hangers provided with means for lengthening them to compensate
for the lengthening of the chains by wear; these hangers are placed
between the rows of buckets. A segment is arranged to gear with a
pinion to lower or raise the said lower roller by swinging it from the
centre of the upper roller, causing it to cut at a greater or less depth as
required, or raising it from the bed when desired.
The said buckets discharge their contents into a spout provided with
a screw extending its entire length and rotated to assist the discharge of
the semi-fluid peat therefrom.

page_text: interposed, so that if the buckets should come in contact with any
obstacle any injury to the machinery will be prevented.
The peat is further prepared in mills of a similar character to those.
used in forming building bricks, and in these the peat is compressed and
formed into rectangular shapes of any desired dimensions, after which it
is stored in any convenient receptacle for further drying, and may then
be taken to the market.

page_text: In operation the said vessel would be elevated slightly above the
ground or fixed on a barge or scow. In both cases it must be sufficiently
raised to permit the free egress of water and access of air, and it must be
placed close to the machine for excavating and manufacturing the peat,
from which the pulped article will be discharged into it as required.