IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF PEAT AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR, PART OF WHICH IS APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1873

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Crossbie Aitken Henderson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 1st March 1878.
I, JOHN CROSSBIE AITKEN HENDERSON, of Wood Street, in the
City of London, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF PEAT AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR,
PART OF WHICH IS APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows :-
To avoid the expensive cutting and the transport of the peat from tho
bog to the apparatus for the preparation of the same as now generally
practised, I employ flat trays which are moved backwards and forwards
as required by means of wire ropes. Each tray is provided with one or
more shoots passing through the tray and placed in a slanting direction.
As the tray is passed along over the surface of the peat, the lower sharp
cutting edges of the shoot or shoots scrape off a layer of peat which is
forced up the shoot or shoots and falls into the tray. The peat may
however be brought to my peat preparing apparatus to be mentioned in
the sequel by any other suitable means. I cut up the peat in such a
manner as to liberate the water contained in the cells or pores of its

page_text: "
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fibre. For this purpose I employ any suitable machine, but I prefer to
use a machine constructed according to my Invention, and consisting of
a hollow cone or cylinder which may be perforated on a part or the
whole of its surface, and in which I cause to rotate a corresponding solid
bar or hollow drum fitted with cutting knives arranged spirally around
the same; this inner hollow drum may also be perforated on a part or
the whole of its surface. The peat thus rendered into a finely
subdivided state, and slightly air-dried if desired, I feed into a pressing
apparatus constructed according to my Invention and consisting of a
long hollow cone tapering off to a small diameter. Towards the small 1
end it may gradually be formed from a circular into a square or other
polygonal section, or be fitted with two or more round or otherwise
shaped tubes for the peat to pass through; the peat may in that form be
used for lighting purposes, or the opening or openings may be made
flat and thin. In this hollow cone I fit a corresponding conical scrow 1
which is caused to rotate and thus to exert a great compressing power on
the peat. The screw may be made with a uniform or with a varying
pitch, the depth of the thread or threads may also be either uniform or
varying. The screw may be made hollow, and in that case be perforated
wholly or in part. The outer case is perforated or provided with fino a
fissures or openings for the escape of the water. The peat is fed or
supplied to this pressing apparatus by gravity, or it may be forced into
the feed hopper or pipe by means of a screw or otherwise. The peat
thus compressed comes out at the small end of the hollow case in a
comparatively dry stream or mass, and is utilized for fuel, or it may be a
carbonized or coked first.
I
Part of the apparatus above described may be applied to other cutting.
and prossing purposes where it is desired to cut up or finely subdivide
J