Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Aug., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 23rd May, 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 24th Nov., 1888
330
We, OWEN BOWEN, of No. 66 Mark Lanc, in the City of London, Civil Engineer,
ALFRED SAVILL TOMKINS, of Caterham in the County of Surrey, Captain 1st Mid-
dlesex Volunteers (Victoria Rifles) and JOHN COBELDICK of Stockwell in the County
of Surrey Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:--
Our invention has for its object to produce a charcoal rich in hydrogen gas suitable
for the manufacture of gunpowder. For this purpose we subject the wood or other
carbonaceous matter to be carbonized to currents consisting of a mixture of air
heated to a high temperature with hydrogen gas whereby while the wood is being
carbonized to the requisite degree by the action of the hot air it at the same time
absorbs.or combines intimately with the hydrogen gas, so that it still retains such gas
to a large extent when reduced to powder.
We prefer to carry out the above described process by means of hot air apparatus
such as is described in the Specification to patents Nos. 509 of 1881 and 1457 of 1886
in which air is heated to the required degree by passing over highly heated plates
while at the same time a jet of steam is made to impinge upon the said plates and is
thereby decomposed, the liberated hydrogen becoming mixed with the hot air and
ascending therewith to a revolving wire cylinder containing the carbonaceous material
to be charred, through which cylinder the combined gases are made to pass. The
carbonaceous material employed with the above described process may be of any
description that is capable of being charred by currents of heated gases as described
and we prefer to employ for this purpose materials such as are mentioned in the
Sr Scation to patent No. 3593 of 1886.
Dated this 24th day of August 1887

page_text: Improvements in the Manufacture of Charcoal.
We, OWEN BOWEN of No. 66 Mark Lane, in the City of London, Civil Engineer,
and ALFRED SAVILL TOMKINS of Caterham in the County of Surrey, Captain
1st Middlesex Volunteers (Victoria Rifles) and JOHN COBELDICK of Stockwell in the
County of Surrey, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
--
Our invention has for its object to produce a charcoal rich in hydrogen relatively
to the amount of carbon, suitable for the manufacture of gunpowder.
For this purpose, we subject the wood or other carbonaceous matter to be carbonized
to currents consisting of a mixture of air heated to a high temperature with hydrogen
gas. Thus the material while it is carbonized to the requisite degree by the action
of the hot gases, at the same time absorbs or combines intimately with a quantity
of the hydrogen, which it retains to a large extent when it is afterwards reduced to
powder.
We prefer to carry out the above described process by means of hot air apparatus
such as is described in the Specification to Patents Nos. 509 of 1881, and 1457 of 1886
in which air is heated to the required degree by passing over highly heated plates.
At the same time we cause a jet of steam to impinge upon the hot plates by which
it is more or less decomposed, liberating hydrogen which mixes with the hot air.
When the charcoal is desired to be particularly rich in hydrogen, we introduce a
quantity of that gas, from an extraneous source, along with the air supply. The hot
air and gases ascend to a revolving cylinder containing the carbonaceous material
which is charred by the passage of the mixed gases through it.
This cylinder is preferably made of woven wire or perforated metal, to admit of
free passage of the currents through the material.
A carbonaceous material treated by the above described process may be of any
description that is capable of being charred by currents of heated gases.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
The manufacture of charcoal rich in hydrogen by subjecting suitable carbonaceous
material to a heated current of air mixed with hydrogen, substantially as described.
131
1
1000
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.