IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MOULDING SMALL COAL AND OTHER MATERIALS INTO BLOCKS FOR FUEL
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Arnold Luke, of Penmaen Lodge, Swansea,
in the County of Glamorgan, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR MOULDING SMALL COAL AND OTHER MATERIALS INTO
BLOCKS FOR FUEL."
Sealed the 14th November 1873, and dated the 15th May 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Arnold Luke
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 15th May 1873.
I, SAMUEL ARNOLD LUKE, of Penmaen Lodge, Swansca, in the County
of Glamorgan, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MOULDING SMALL COAL AND OTHER MATERIALS
INTO BLOCKS FOR FUEL," to be as follows:-
My improvements relate particularly to that class of machinery em-
ployed in the mixing and moulding of materials into blocks for fuel, for
which Letters Patent were granted to William Edward Newton, dated
the 24th of May 1860, No. 1289.

page_text: And my improvements have for their object to simplify the action of
apparatus employed in the compressing process by placing the cylinder
below the compressing stamps so that the piston of such cylinder may
act directly as a plunger on such compressing stamps. Also I apply
the gearing for working the valve of the said cylinder below the level of 5
the top of the bed plate of the apparatus; and I also form the cylinder
with holes in the side of it as an escape to prevent the piston from
striking against the top cover thereof when the moulds are only
partially filled.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, 1
filed by the said Samuel Arnold Luke in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 15th November 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
ARNOLD LUKE, of Penmean Lodge, Swansea, in the County of Glamorgan,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of May in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Samuel Arnold Luke, Her special
licence that I, the said Samuel Arnold Luke, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Samuel Arnold Luke,
my executors, administrators, or 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MOULDING SMALL COAL AND OTHER MATERIALS
INTO BLOCKS FOR FUEL," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Samuel Arnold Luke, 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

page_text: plunger C¹, which plunger acts immediately upon the compressing
stamp D.
I prefer to arrange the valve gearing as shewn in the Drawings. The
shaft E is brought down through the bottom of the step F, the wheel G
being fixed upon the lower part of the shaft E. The wheel G gears
into the wheel H, which is fixed upon one ond of the shaft I. Upon
the other end of the shaft I is formed a crank J. Upon the crank pin is
placed one end of a connecting rod K, the other end of the rod K being
placed upon the pin L of the bell-crank lever M. The pin N of the
lever M is attached to the bridle O formed on the spindle attached to
the valve P, which regulates the admission and discharge of steam to
the cylinder A.
The holes Q are preferably formed in the position shewn in the
Drawings, the same leading into the exhaust passage. Upon the
piston C passing the holes Q, when the moulds are only partially filled,
the steam will escape, thus preventing the piston from striking the top
cover of the cylinder. The valve of the cylinder can be thrown out
of gear preferably by the arrangement shewn in the Drawings. On
pressing down the foot lever R the bridle S lifts the connecting rod K
out of gear with the pin L. The valve can then be moved by the 1
handle T.
In order to remove the compressed blocks I prefer to place a small
cylinder U in the position shewn in the Drawings, a pipe V being led
from the back of it into the lower part of the cylinder A. Upon the
admission of steam to the cylinder A. the pistons C and W are both 1
moved, C lifting the compressing stamp D, and W pushing off the
finished blocks Y on to the travelling belt Z. Upon the discharge of
the steam which takes place over the piston C, the balance weight X
will draw back the piston W by means of two chains which run on two
pulleys, one being on each side of the cylinder U, and the chains being
attached to the cross piece on the end of the piston rod of the piston W.
The pug mill is shewn with valves admitting steam for the purpose
of softening the mass of materials submitted to the mill. Instead of
this arrangement the pug mill may be formed with a steam jacket,
nearly the whole surface being thus kept hot. An inclined revolving
mixer may also be used instead of the pug mill.
I may here observo that it is unnecessary for me more fully to describe
the construction of machines to which my said Invention is applicable

page_text: inasmuch as such machines are well known and understood, neither do
I claim each of the several parts of the apparatus herein-before described
as being of my Invention separate and apart from the others, but what
I consider novel and original and therefore claim as constituting the
Invention secured to me by the said herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent are,-
First. Placing the cylinder below the compressing stamps so that
the piston of such cylinder may act directly as a plunger on such com-
pressing stamps, substantially as and for the purposes herein-before
described and set forth.
Secondly. Applying the gearing for working the valve of the cylinder
below the level of the top of the bed plate of the apparatus, substantially
as and for the purposes herein-before described and set forth.
And, thirdly. Forming the cylinder, however, the same may be placed
in the machine with holes in the side thereof, substantially as and for
the purposes herein-before described and set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Arnold Luke, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of November, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
three.
Witness,
GEO. E. VAUGHAN,
54, Chancery Lane.
SAMUEL ARNOLD LUKE. (L.S.)