IMPROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR TREATING PEAT, SPENT TAN, AND OTHER FIBROUS REFUSE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF FUEL, AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Simpson and John Alfred Simpson,
both of Ilford, in the County of Essex, for the Invention of
" IMPROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR TREATING PEAT, SPENT TAN,
AND OTHER FIBROUS REFUSE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF FUEL, AND OTHER
PURPOSES."
Sealed the 24th February 1874, and dated the 19th December 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Simpson and
John Alfred Simpson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 19th December 1873.
We, WILLIAM SIMPSON and John Alfred SIMPSON, both of Ilford, in
the County of Essex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR TREATING PEAT, SPENT TAN, AND
OTHER FIBROUS REFUSE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF FUEL, AND OTHER PURPOSES," to
be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improved machinery or apparatus for
treating or preparing peat, spent tan, and other fibrous refuse suitable
for the manufacture of fuel and other purposes.

page_text: One modification of our improved apparatus consists of a vessel wholly
or partly of conical shape arranged vertically. The upper part serves
as a hopper to receive the material intended to be operated upon. Inside
the upper part of the vessel we fix in suitable bearings propeller blades.
or an archimedean screw, by means of which the material is pushed
down through a grating or perforated diaphragm after having been
brought under the action of revolving cutters or knives, which cut it up.
The chopped or cut material is pushed continuously forward by the aid of
a screw apparatus working below the perforated diaphragm, and is
finally pressed or driven out in a suitable state at the lower end of the
vessel, and may then be converted or formed into blocks.
Another modification of our improved machinery or apparatus which
we find especially useful in practice consists of a vessel wholly or partly
of conical shape, which is supported in a horizontal position by a framing.
A hopper is fixed to the vessel, into which the material intended to be
operated on is fed in any convenient manner. At the end of the conical
part of the said vessel a ring is formed or fitted. Inside the said vessel a
horizontal shaft is mounted, and revolves in suitable bearings; this shaft
has an archimedean screw fitted thereon, and extending the whole length
of the vessel aforesaid. A conical collar is formed or fitted on the shaft
opposite to the aforesaid conical ring, thus forming a circular shaped
opening round the said shaft for the purpose hereafter described.
Rotating knives or cutters are fixed on the said shaft in such a manner
that they shall scrape against the aforesaid conical ring, or nearly so.
On that part of the said shaft which extends along the second or after
part of the aforesaid vessel is mounted another archimedean screw.
By means of that end of the aforesaid horizontal shaft which projects
outside the aforesaid vessel we give rotary motion, and thereby impart
rotatory motion to the knives and archimedean screws.
The operations of a machine constructed as above described are as
follows: The shaft is caused to revolve, and the peat or other fibrous
material is placed in the hopper. The first mentioned archimedean
screw then conveys the material to the circular opening round the shaft,
and forces it through. The material thus compressed comes in contact
with the revolving knives or cutters, by which it is cut up or the fibres
disintegrated, which the second archimedean screw forces out of an
opening suitably provided at this end of the vessel ready to be cut into

page_text: blocks of the desired shape and size, which are afterwards dried by
preference in the open air, and are then ready for use.
We would remark that instead of archimedcan screws above described
a series of flat blades may be fixed on the shaft in such a manner that
when they revolve they will convey the material as above described.
1
11
Our apparatus may be worked by hand or other suitable power.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Simpson and John Alfred Simpson in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th June 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
SIMPSON and JOHN ALFRED SIMPSON, both of Ilford, in the County of
Essex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of December, in the year.
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said William Simpson and John Alfred Simpson,
Her special licence that we, the said William Simpson and John Alfred.
Simpson, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we,
the said William Simpson and John Alfred Simpson, our 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 "IMPROVED MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS FOR TREATING PEAT, SPENT TAN, AND OTHER FIBROUS REFUSE FOR THE
MANUFACTURE OF FUEL, AND OTHER PURPOSES," upon the condition. (amongst
others) that we, the said William Simpson and John Alfred Simpson,
our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
our, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what

page_text: 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 we, the said William Simason and John Alfred
Simpson, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement, that is to say :—
This Invention relates to improved machinery or apparatus for treating
or preparing peat, spent tan, and other fibrous refuse suitable for the
manufacture of fuel and other purposes.
One modification of our improved apparatus consists of a vessel wholly
or partly of conical shape arranged vertically. The upper part serves as
a hopper to receive the material intended to be operated upon. Inside
the upper part of the vessel we fix in suitable bearings propeller blades
or an archimedean screw, by means of which the material is pushed
down through a grating or perforated diaphragm after having been.
brought under the action of revolving cutters or knives, which cut it up.
The chopped or cut material is pushed continuously forward by the aid
of a screw apparatus working below the perforated diaphragm, and is
finally pressed or driven out in a suitable state at the lower end of the
vessel, and may then be converted or formed into blocks.
Another modification of our improved machinery or apparatus which
we find especially useful in practice consists of a vessel wholly or partly
of conical shape, which is supported in a horizontal position by a framing.
A hopper is fixed to the vessel, into which the material intended to be
operated upon is fed in any convenient manner. At the end of the
'
conical part of the said vessel a ring is formed or fitted. Inside
the said vessel a horizontal shaft is mounted, and revolves in suitable
bearings; this shaft has an archimedean screw, or a combination of
screw and flat blades fitted thereon, and extending the whole length of
the vessel aforesaid. A conical collar is formed or fitted on the shaft
opposite to the aforesaid conical ring, thus forming a circular shaped
opening round the said shaft for the purpose hereafter described.
Rotating knives or cutters are fixed on the said shaft in such a manner
that they shall scrape against the aforesaid conical ring, or nearly so.
On that part of the said shaft which extends along the second or after
part of the aforesaid vessel is mounted another archimedean screw.

page_text: By means of that end of the aforesaid horizontal shaft which projects
outside the aforesaid vessel we give rotary motion, and thereby impart
rotatory motion to the knives and archimedean screw.
The operations of a machine constructed as above described are as
follows: The shaft is caused to revolve, and the peat or other fibrous.
material is placed in the hopper. The first mentioned archimedean
screw then conveys the material to the circular opening round the shaft,
and forces it through. The material thus compressed comes in contact
with the revolving knives or cutters, by which it is cut up or the fibres.
disintegrated, which the second archimedean screw forces out of an
opening suitably provided at this end of the vessel ready to be cut into
blocks of the desired shape and size, which are afterwards dried by
preference in the open air, and are then ready for use.
We would remark that instead of archimedean screws above described
a series of flat blades may be fixed on the shaft in such a manner that
when they revolve they will convey the material as above described.
Our apparatus may be worked by hand or other suitable power.
Peat as above described may be used for the manufacture of drain
pipes, for example, as well as fuel and other purposes.
And in order to explain our said Invention more fully we will now
proceed to describe the means by which it may be carried into practical
effect, reference being had to the illustrative Sheet of Drawing accom-
panying these Presents, and to the numeral figures and letters of
reference marked thereon respectively, as follows:
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is an clevation partly in section of the apparatus; Figure 2
is a section through the line A, B, at Figure 1. In each of these Figures
similar letters are employed to denote corresponding parts.
A is a conical vessel fixed horizontally on standards B, B¹. This
vessel is furnished at C with a hopper, into which peat or other material
to be operated upon is introduced. D are a series of blades fixed on the
shaft E, to which a rotary motion is given by manual or other power.
These blades are disposed in such a manner that when they revolve they
will convey the material to the archimedean screw F, which compresses
and forces it through the opening G formed by the side of the conical
:

page_text: vessel A and the conical collar H. Against the collar H and on the
revolving shaft E are placed knives or cutters I, which scrape against
the end d of the conical vessel A. As the material is being forced
through the opening G it comes in contact with the knives or cutters
I, I', by which it is cut up or the fibres disintegrated. A second conical
vessel J attached to the vessel A receives the material after it has been
cut up, which is then taken up by the archimedean screw K, fixed on
the revolving shaft E, and forced thereby out of the machine through
the openings L ready to be cut into blocks of the desired shape and size,
which are afterwards dried by preference in the open air.
Having now described and set forth the nature and object of our said
Invention for "Improved Machinery or Apparatus for Treating Peat,
Spent Tan, and other Fibrous Refuse for the Manufacture of Fuel and
other Purposes," we would remark in conclusion that we hereby declare
our Invention to consist in and we claim, the general combination and
arrangement of the several parts of our improved apparatus, substantially
as described and represented.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Simpson, one of the parties
hereto, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day
of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-four,