IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REBURNING AND IN APPARATUS FOR WASHING ANIMAL CHARCOAL OR CHARCOAL SUBSTITUTES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Norman, of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR REBURNING AND IN APPARATUS FOR WASHING ANIMAL
CHARCOAL OR CHARCOAL SUBSTITUTES."
Sealed the 31st August 1866, and dated the 6th March 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Norman at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th March 1866.
I, JOHN NORMAN, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REBURNING AND IN APPARATUS FOR WASHING
ANIMAL CHARCOAL OR CHARCOAL SUBSTITUTES," to be as follows, that is to
say :-
This Invention relates to improved and simplified apparatus for reburning
and washing animal charcoal or charcoal substitutes, and the improvements
are designed more particularly to obtain the progressive motion of the
materials through the apparatus in an effective and convenient manner,
and so as to subject them to the least possible attrition.
The reburning vessels are made according to this Invention in the form
of hollow prisms having from three to ten sides, and by preference six,
seven, or eight sides. These prismatic vessels, which are used in sets of

page_text: two or more, one over the other, are slightly inclined from the borizontal,
and are made to turn slowly round by suitable gearing. This motion
caises the materials to continually fall over and to gradually move towards
the lower end. The vessels are mounted so that they can be adjusted to
what is in practice found to be the most suitable angle, which may vary
with different materials. In another modification ribs are formed or fixed
inside the hollow prismatic vessel, and these are disposed angularly, so as
whilst strengthening the vessel to assist by their angular deflecting action
the progressive motion of the materials. With these angular ribs the
vessels may be disposed either horizontally or at a slight inclination.
The improved apparatus for washing animal charcoal or charcoal sub-
stitutes comprises a trough in which there is a cylindrical or prismatic cage
or vessel of equal or tapering diameter throughout, formed with a permeable
material, such as wire cloth or perforated sheet metal. This cage or vessel
is formed internally with helical or sorew-shaped blades or flanges, and it
is set at a slight inclination from the horizontal. The materials are intro-
duced at the lower end, and the cage being made to rotate carries them
gradually along through the water in the trough and delivers them at the
upper end just above the level of the water. The water is admitted into
the trough close to the upper end of the cage and passes along to the other
end of the trough, where it is discharged in the opposite direction of the
progressive motion of the materials in the cage; or the shaft may be made
tubular with perforated sides for the admission of the water by it. Instead
of the shell of the screw casing being permeable, it may in some cases be
made of unperforated materials.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed.
by the said John Norman in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th September 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
NORMAN, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said John Norman, Her special licence that I, the said

page_text: John Norman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said John Norman, 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 APPARATUS FOR REBURNING AND IN APPARATUS FOR. WASHING
ANIMAL CHARCOAL OR CHARCOAL SUBSTITUTES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Norman, 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 John Norman, 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 in writing, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,"
that is to say:-
My said Invention relates to improved and simplified apparatus for
reburning and for washing animal charcoal or charcoal substitutes, and my
improvements are designed more particularly to obtain the progressive
motion of the materials through the apparatus in an effective and con-
venient manner, and so as to subject them to the least possible attrition.
And in order that my said Invention, and the manner of performing the
same, may be properly understood I have hereunto appended two Sheets
of explanatory Drawings to be herein-after referred to, and representing
convenient and practically successful modifications of my improved
apparatus.
A modification of my improved reburning apparatus is shown upon.
Sheet 1 of the Drawings, Figure 1 being a transverse vertical section;
Figure 2, a horizontal section; Figure 3, an end elevation; and Figure 4,
a longitudinal vertical section. An important improvement consists in
forming the reburning vessel 1, or the principal portion thereof, in the
form of a hollow prism having from three to ten sides, and by preference
six, seven, or eight sides. In the Drawing the prismatic reburning vessel
1 is shown as formed with six sides, it is also shown as arranged singly
in a furnace by itself, but if preferred such vessels may be arranged in a
set, one over the other, with appliances for leading the charcoal from one

page_text: into the other. I may, however, remark that a single vessel of the pro-
portions shown is found to answer its purpose very satisfactorily. The
vessel 1 is slightly inclined from the horizontal, and it is made to turn
slowly round by suitable gearing, which in the example shown in the
Drawing consists of a horizontal revolving shaft 2, which is driven in any
convenient way, and may extend in front of a number of contiguous
furnaces. The shaft 2 has fixed on it immediately above each reburner
a worm, indicated by dotted lines in Figure 3, and which is in gear with
a toothed worm wheel 3 fixed on the front end of the vessel. This motion
causes the charcoal to continually fall over in the vessel 1, and to gradually
move towards the lower end. The vessel is mounted so that it can be
adjusted to what is in practice found to be the most suitable angle, which
may vary with different charcoals. A short portion at each end of the
vessel is made cylindrical, and is grooved or indented to rest and run on
wheels 4 mounted on transverse bearers 5, which are held by brackets 6
upon cast-iron corner pillars 7, the brackets being fitted with blocks and
screws 8 for the purpose of adjusting the height of the bearers 5, and the
consequent inclination of the vessel 1. The bearings of the driving shaft 2
are made adjustable in a similar way by screws 9, so that the worm may
The charcoal to
always be set accurately in gear with the worm wheel 3.
be reburned is introduced at the front end, seen in Figure 3, being thrown
into a hopper 10, which communicates with a mouth-piece 11 supported
by rods from the roof, and formed with a horizontal cylindrical mouth,
which is fitted into a concentric circular opening in the end of the re-
burning vessel, but so that the vessel can turn round without the mouth-
piece turning. The mouth-piece 11 is fitted with a valve 12, and is
formed with a branch pipe 13 for the escape of gas or vapor, which passes
into a main pipe 14 above. For the purpose of assisting the progressive
motion of the charcoal across the short cylindrical portions at the ends of
At
the reburning vessel 1 inclined blades 15 are fitted in these parts.
the lower or discharging end there are also blades 15 upon spindles, which
pass through stuffing boxes to the outside, so that they can be set at any
angle or be manœuvred to assist the discharge of the charcoal. The
discharge takes place through an outlet piece 17, which hangs with its
mouth always downwards, being fitted to turn easily on a cylindrical flange
on the end plate of the reburning vessel, and being held in its place by a
central bolt. The reburning vessel 1 is set in a brickwork erection in
which a flue or space 18 is formed so as to surround it, this space commu-
nicating with the fire-place 19 beneath by a principal opening at the inner

page_text: end and by one or two other openings of a small size, whilst the fire gases
pass off by two side flues 20 fitted with dampers and leading down to flues
beneath which communicate with the main chimney. Annular plates 21,
fitted upon the ends of the reburning vessel 1 as closely as they conveniently
can be without impeding the rotation of that vessel, are fixed close up
against the front and back, so as to close the ends of the flue space 18, the
fixing details being adjustable so that the plates can be adapted to any
position of the reburning vessel.
In another modification of the prismatic reburning vessel ribs' are
formed or fixed inside and are disposed angularly, so as whilst strengthen-
ing the vessel to assist by their angular deflecting action the progressive
motion of the charcoal or materials. With these angular ribs the vessels
may be disposed either horizontally or at a slight inclination.
A modification of my improved apparatus for washing animal charcoal
or charcoal substitutes is shown upon Sheet 2 of the accompanying Draw-
ings, Figure 5 being a longitudinal vertical section, and Figure 6 an end
elevation. The apparatus comprises a trough or tank 31, represented in
this example as made of wood, and in or over this trough there is a washing
vessel 32, represented as in the form of a six-sided prism and of equal
diameter from end to end, but which may be cylindrical or prismatic with
any convenient number of sides, and either tapering or parallel. This
washing vessel or cage 32 consists of a framework covered with a per-
meable material, such as wire cloth or perforated sheet metal, and mounted
on a shaft 33 carried in bearings on cast-iron frames 34 at the opposite
ends of the trough 31. The cage or vessel 32 is formed or fitted internally
with helical, screw-shaped, or angular blades or flanges 35, and it is set at
a slight inclination from the horizontal. The charcoal or material is
introduced into the lower end by means of a hopper 36, which directs it
into a mouth-piece 37 fixed on the end of the cage 32, and the cage being
made to rotate by means of bevil gear, as shown at 38, or otherwise, the
charcoal or material is carried gradually along through the water in the
trough towards the upper end, where it is delivered just above the level of
the water, a conical mouth-piece 39 being fixed on the upper end of the
cage and a reversed cone 40 being fixed on the shaft 33 to facilitate the
discharge. The water may be admitted into the trough by one or more
inlet pipes at the upper end, and it passes along to the other end of the
trough, where it is discharged in the opposite direction to the progressive
motion of the charcoal or materials in the cage. I, however, prefer to make
the shaft 33 tubular for more or less of its length and with perforated

page_text: sides, and to introduce a portion of the water by means of it, an additional
quantity of water being supplied by a perforated pipe 41 over the upper
end of the cage. Instead of the shell of the screw casing or cage 32 being
permeable, it may in some cases be made of impermeable materials.
Having now particularly described my said Invention, and the manner
in which it is to be performed, I have to state that I do not restrict myself
to the precise details herein described or delineated; but that what I
believe to be novel and original and claim as the Invention secured to me
by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
I, the making of vessels for reburning animal charcoal or charcoal
substitutes in the form of prisms, and with or without internal angular or
helical ribs or flanges, substantially as herein-before described.
And, 2, the making of apparatus for washing animal charcoal or
charcoal substitutes, substantially in the manner herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Norman, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
JOHN NORMAN. (L.S.)