IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF FUEL, AND ITS USE FOR HEATING PURPOSES
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robertson, of Edinburgh, Scotland, Iron-
founder, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF FUEL,
AND ITS USE FOR HEATING PURPOSES."
Sealed the 18th July 1855, and dated the 14th May 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robertson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th May 1855.
I, WILLIAM ROBERTSON, of Edinburgh, Scotland, Ironfounder, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT
OF FUEL, AND ITS USE FOR HEATING PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in combining the process of making coke with the
generation and application of heat. For this purpose the furnace or oven in
which the fuel is contained has a sliding top or crown, by means of which
the heat of the furnace is retained within it as required, for the process of
coking the coal, and allowed to pass into a flue or flues leading to a boiler or
other apparatus required to be heated, the preparation of coke still continuing.
There is also a flue to receive the heat from the furnace without acting on
the boiler or other apparatus to be heated, the preparation of coke still
continuing. The flues for both purposes communicate with the chimney in
the ordinary manner.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Robertson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 14th November 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERTSON, of Edinburgh, Scotland, Ironfounder, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Robertson, Her special licence that I, the said William Robertson,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Robertson, 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 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT
OF FUEL, AND ITS USE FOR HEATING PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Robertson, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, 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 William Robertson, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say): -
My Invention of "Improvements in the Treatment of Fuel, and its Use for
Heating Purposes" consists in combining the process of making coke with the
generation and application of heat. For this purpose the furnace or oven in
which the fuel is contained has a sliding top or crown, by means of which the
heat of the furnace is retained within it as required, for the process of coking
the coal, and is allowed to pass into a flue or flues leading to a boiler or other
upparatus required to be heated, the preparation of coke still continuing.
There is also a flue to receive the heat from the furnace without acting on
the boiler or other apparatus to be heated, the preparation of coke still
continuing. The flues for both purposes communicate with the chimney in
the ordinary manner.
My Invention thus described as to its general features is applicable to the
various descriptions of coking furnaces or ovens, the construction of which is

page_text: well known. It is also applicable to various well-known uses for which the
generation of heat is required; and those who are conversant with aperations
of this nature will know how to adapt the sliding top or crown at the back of
the furnace or oven in each case, to answer the purpose of allowing the requi-
site amount of heat to pass out of the furnace or oven without interfering with
the process of coking.
Tho object of my Invention being two-fold, (viz,) first, to prevent injury to
the fuel by its becoming impregnated with deleterious gases, arising from too
much coking; and, secondly, to employ the superfluous heat advantageously;
it is obvious that this end is to be attained by a due regulation of the quantity
of heat allowed to pass out of the furnace, according to the capacity of the
furnace or oven, and the size of the boiler or other apparatus required to be
heated. But as the various methods of regulating the draft in furnaces, and
controlling the passage of heat therefrom by means of suitable dampers, are
well known, I need not particularise them any further than to say, that three
dampers will be required, (viz³,) one for regulating the draft of the furnace or
oven, another for regulating the passage of air from the furnace or oven to the
boiler or other apparatus to be heated, and a third for regulating the passage
of the heat to the flue without acting upon the boiler or other apparatus.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I would have it understood that I do not claim as of
my Invention any particular form or construction of coking furnace or oven,
nor the combination therewith of any particular form of boiler or other appa-
ratus required; but what I do claim as of my Invention is, the combination of
the process of making coke with that of generating and applying heat, as
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robertson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Tenth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
0
Witness,
PATRICK RITCHIE,
18, Buccleuch Place,
Machine Maker.
WILLIAM ROBERTSON. (L.B.)