IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICAL FUEL
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Hunter Henry Murdoch, of No. 7, Staple Inn,
in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICAL FUEL."-A com
munication from abroad by William Charles Arthur Roettger, of:
Brussels in the Kingdom of Belgium.
Sealed the 25th September 1874, and dated the 20th July 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Hunter Henry Murdoch
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 20th July 1874.
.I, HUNTER HENRY MURDOCH, of No. 7, Staple Inn, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FUEL," to
as follows.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Hunter Henry Murdoch
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,.
on the 20th July 1874.
I, HUNTER HENRY MURDOCH, of No. 7, Staple Inn, in the County of
5 Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FUEL," to
be as follows:
This Invention relates to the manufacture of artificial fuel from coal
dust, slack, lignite, coke cinders, and other carbonaceous matters, and

page_text: from sawdust, peat, tan, or any other vegetable matter, which when
compressed can be used as fuel.
According to some processes by which such fuel has been manu-
factured the carbonaceous particles or other matters have been cemented
by means of a mixture of a hydraulic cement and silicate of soda or
silicate of potash, and then moulded into blocks. Artificial fuel thus
made however is defective in the following respects:-The blocks are
brittle and consequently will not bear transporting or stoking. The use
of ordinary cement adds alumina to the fuel, and thereby increases the
proportion of incombustible matter, and the fuel forms clinkers, is apt
to give off smoke, and when stored sometimes forms choke damp or fire
damp.
Now the object of these improvements is to produce a cheap fuel free
from these and other defects, for which purpose the procedure is as
follows: In order to cement the matters to be used for fuel a cement is
made by mixing ferruginous Tournay lime or its constituents, and
silicate of soda or silicate of potash with excess of alkali. When
ferruginous Tournay lime is used about 88 parts (by weight) thereof are
mixed with 8 parts (by weight) of silicate of soda or silicate of potash
having alkali in excess, and the mixture is then made into a hydraulic
cement in the usual way. To this cement previous to being used as a
binding material in this process about 48 of powdered unslaked meagre
lime are added. From 4 to 9 parts of the silicate of lime cement and
meagre lime thus mixed are added to (say) 100 parts of coal dust, coke, or
to cinders reduced by crushing or sifting to a small size and are
intimately mixed therewith, the mixture being moistened with water.
The said mixture is then immediately compressed into blocks by hand or
machine. The blocks are then allowed to set and in a few hours they
will be hard and fit to be used on the spot. Where however they have
to be transported to a distance they are, after they have set, dipped into a
bath of silicate of soda or silicate of potash, and are then allowed to dry.
They will then be hard and bear transportation without chipping and will.
not crumble when stirred in the furnace.
but
It is preferred to use Tournay lime in the manufacture of the improved
cement herein-before described, as it is well adapted to this process,
any other lime containing only minute traces of alumina and iron may
be used instead.

page_text: Artificial fuel made as herein-before described does not clinker or
emit smoke or sulphurous fumes when burned, nor give off choke damp
or fire damp when stored.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Hunter Henry Murdoch in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 18th January 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HUNTER
HENRY MURDOCH, of No. 7, Staple Inn, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc.
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Hunter Henry Murdoch, Her
special license that I, the said Hunter Henry Murdoch, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Hunter
Henry Murdoch, my executors, administrators, and 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 law.
fully 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL
FUEL," a communication to me from abroad by William Charles Arthur
Roettger, of Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium, upon the condition-
(amongst others) that I, the said Hunter Henry Murdoch, 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 calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent..
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Hunter Henry Murdoch, do hereby.
tannon the

page_text: is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to the manufacture of artificial fuel from coal
dust, slack, lignite, coke cinders, and other carbonaceous matters, and
from sawdust, peat, tan, or any other vegetable matter, which when
compressed can be used as fuel.
According to some processes by which such fuel has been manu.
factured the carbonaceous particles or other matters have been cemented
by means of a mixture of hydraulic or plastic cement, and silicate of
soda or silicate of potash, and then moulded into bricks or blocks. The
artificial fuel thus made is defective in the following respects:―The
bricks or blocks are brittle and consequently will not bear transporting
or stoking. The use of ordinary cements adds alumina and other
matter to the fuel, and thereby increases the proportion of incombustible
matter, and the fuel forms clinkers, is apt to give off smoke, and when
stored is apt to form choke damp or fire damp. It also is not proof
against atmospheric influences, moisture, and the consequent decom-
position of the carbonaceous matter of the fuel.
Now the object of these improvements is to produce a cheap fuel free
from these and other defects, for which purpose the procedure is as
follows: In order to cement the matters to be used as fuel a cement is
made by mixing a pure silicious lime or lime made from the natural lime-
stones of Tournay or Theil, and called Tournay or Theil lime containing
as little alumina or magnesia as possible, with silicate of potash or silicate
of soda with excess of alkali. When these limes are used about 88 parts
(by weight) thereof are mixed with 8 parts (by weight) of silicate of
potash or silicate of soda having alkali in excess, and this mixture is
then made into a hydraulic cement in the usual way. To this cement,
previously to its being used as a binding material, in this process, about
four parts (by weight) of finely powdered unslaked meagre or. poor lime
are added. From four and a half to nine parts (by weight or by volume
according to the nature of the carbonaceous matter used) of the silicate
of lime cement thus made are added to (say) one hundred parts of coal
dust, coke, breeze, or cinders reduced by crushing or sifting to a small
size and are intimately mixed therewith, being then moistened with 3
water. The said mixture is then immediately compressed into blocks
by hand or machine. For domestic purposes, such as burning in grates.

page_text: or kitchen ranges, the blocks are made of smaller size than for boiler
use and may be perforated. The blocks are then allowed to set and in
a few hours they will be hard. Where however, the said blocks have to
be transported to a distance they are after they have set dipped into a
bath of silicate of soda or silicate of potash, and are then allowed to dry.
They will then be hard and will bear transportation or storing for any
length of time without deterioration, and will not crumble nor trickle
when stirred in the furnace.
:
It is preferable to use a lime free from alumina or magnesia (Ca 0. + Si
0%, 3 Ca 0) in the manufacture of the improved cement herein-before
described as it is best adapted to this process, but limes containing only
minute traces of alumina, magnesia, and iron constituted thus,-

page_text: matter pulverized or sifted of a cement composed of silicious lime and
soluble silica having an excess of alkali, the same being formed into
blocks for use essentially as described.
Secondly. The mode of hardening such blocks of artifical fuel and
preserving them from decomposition, by dipping them into a bath of
silicate solution essentially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Hunter Henry Murdoch, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of January,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.
Witness,
B. WILLCOX,
his Clerk.
H. H. MURDOCH. (L.S.)