AN IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURING OF PEAT PIT FOR FUEL, AND FOR THE SQUEEZING OR PROVISIONAL SPATION
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Mannhardt, residing at Munich, in the Kingdom
of Bavaria, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINERY FOR
THE MANUFACTURING OF PEAT PIT FOR FUEL, AND FOR THE SQUEEZING OR
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Mannhardt at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2nd June 1858.
I, JOHN MANNHARDT, residing at Munich, in the Kingdom of Bavaria, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN
MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURING OF PEAT FIT FOR FUEL, AND FOR THE
SQUEEZING OR FORCING OF FLUIDS OUT OF THE SAID TURF, PEAT, OR SIMILAR
SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
Up to the present period the peat obtained in picces from the pit was
generally exposed on the moor, so as to allow the water with which it is
saturated to evaporate in the open air; now for this operation, even in the
most favorable weather, five or six weeks are absolutely necessary, but in wet
seasons complete dryness can never be obtained by this method, so that its use
as fuel, and consequently the worth of the peat itself, is materially diminished,
& indeed is frequently reduced to one half.

page_text: By aid of our machine the wet peat obtained from the pit is rendered free
from water and compressed into a small compass, which in favorable weather
exposed under covered airy sheds, becomes perfectly dry in the course of a few
days; in unfavourable weather it may be dried by heat obtained in suitable
apparatus, so that the process of preparing peat fit for firing may thus be
attained with speed, at the same time totally independent of any influence of
the weather.
The principal feature of our Invention are two great rollers covered with
press cloths, & it is by these means the water is pressed out of the peat.
The machine is composed of a wooden frame on which the two principal
rollers rest, and to which are attached all the iron parts in cast-iron bearings,
connected by iron rods, and capable of being regulated at pleasure by means of
nuts. In the circumference or periphery of the two principal rollers aro
fastened ribs of hoop iron at oblique angles, covered with drilled iron plates,
& the latter again covered by an endless cloth.
The wet peat taken from the field is torn to pieces and carried by barrows
into a funnel whence it is drawn by rake rollers and laid equally upon the
cloth, the endless press cloths move with the rollers, and convey the peat
under the first rollers, by which most of the water is extracted; by this pres-
sure the water is forced through the porous cloth into the interior of the
main rollers, whence it is drained off by conduits.
The side surfaces of these rollers must be covered with waterproof cloth or
sheet iron to prevent the water splashing in that direction.
Having passed under the first rollers, the pressed peat now arrives from both
sides to a smaller set of rollers, it is again torn smaller by the spiked rollers,
and the remaining water is then forced out under the united action of the two
main rollers.
The pressed peat now forming a compact mass is conveyed by the press
cloths & crushing rollers to the knife (which is moved by a disk & crank
arm) which cuts the mass of peat across.
The several pieces of peat are now received by a second endless cloth and
conveyed under circular cutters. The cutters, are fixed to a shaft, and
according to their number the peat is cut into the desired lengths and then
taken away to be dried.
All the press cloths are made of strongly woven materials, & are kept in the
necessary tension by the rollers.
The iron ribs of the two principal rollers are kept at oblique angles by
supports which prevent them from canting or yielding to the pressure.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Mannhardt in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th November 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
MANNHARDT, residing at Munich, in the Kingdom of Bavaria, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, tho said John Mannhardt, Her special licence that I, the said John
Mannhardt, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said John Mannhardt, my executors, adininistrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others; froni 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 "AN
IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURING OF PEAT FIT FOR
FUEL, AND FOR THE SQUEEZING OR FORCING OF FLUIDS OUT OF THE SAID TURP,
PEAT, OR SIMILAR SUBSTANCES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said John Mannhardt, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment 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 bo 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 the said John Mannhardt, 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 (and accompanying Drawings), that is to say:-
ART. I. THE OBJECT OF THE MACHINE.
Up to the present period the peat obtained in pieces from the pit was
generally exposed on the moor so as to allow the water with which it is
saturated to evaporate in the open air; now for this operation, even in the
most favorable weather, five or six week are absolutely necessary; in wet
seasons, however, complete dryness can never be attained by this method, so
that its practicability as fuel, and consequently the worth of the fuel itself, is
materially diminished, and is frequently reduced to the half.

page_text: By aid of our machine the wet peat obtained from the pit is rendered free
of water, and compressed into a small compass, which in favorable weather,
exposed under covered airy sheds, becomes perfectly dry in the course of a few
days; in unfavorable weather it may be dried by heat obtained in suitable
apparatus, so that the process of preparing peat fit for firing may thus be
attained with speed, and rendered totally independent of any influence of the
weather.
The main principle of our Invention is shewn in the two rollers A, B, with
the press cloths or other stuff's that cover them, whereby the extraction of the
water is performed.
a, a, is the wooden frame to which all the iron parts are attached in the cast-
iron bearings b, b, connected by the iron rods c, c, & which can be regulated at
pleasure by medium of the nuts d, d, and on which rest the two principal
rollers A, B, in the periphery of which are fastened ribs of hoop iron e, e, at
oblique angles coated with drilled iron plates, the latter being covered with an
endless cloth ff. The wet peat taken from the field is torn to pieces &
carried by barrows or other means into the funnel 9, 9, & is then laid by the
rake rollers h, h, equally upon the cloth f, f.
These endless press cloths move with the rollers in the direction indicated
by the arrow, and convey the peat, in the first place, under the rollers 1, 2, 3,
by which most of the water is extracted, and under this pressure the water
forced through the porous cloth f into the interior of the main rollers A, B, is
received in the conduits h, h, & so drained off.
The side surfaces of these rollers must be covered with waterproof cloth or
plate to prevent the water splashing in that direction.
Having passed under the rollers 1, 2, 3, the pressed peat now arrives from
both sides to the smaller rollers i, i, & is again torn smaller by the spiked
rollers k, k, and the remaining water is then forced out under the united
action of the two main rollers A, B. The pressed peat, now forming a com-
pact mass, is conveyed by the press cloths f, f, and the small rollers 4, 5, 6,
to the knife m, which is acted upon by the disk n, and the crank arm o, o, and
cuts the mass of peat across.
These severed pieces of peat are now received by the second endless
cloth p, p, and conveyed under the circular cutters Q, Q. These cutters are

page_text: fixed to the shaft r, Fig. 3, and according to their number the peat is cut into
the desired lengths, and taken away to be dried.
All the press cloth, which are of strongly woven material, are kept in the
necessary tension by the rollers s, s, s.
The machine is set in motion by the pulley t, and cog wheels u & v, which
act upon the main cog wheel w.
The supports x, x, in Fig. 3, keep the iron ribs at obtuse angles, preventing
them from canting or yielding to the pressure.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Mannhardt, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
JOIN MANNHARDT. (L.S.)