IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING AND MANUFACTURING OILS AND WAX FROM SHALE, PEAT, AND CANNEL COAL
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Broad, of 40, Southampton Buildings, in the
County of Middlesex, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS
OF AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING AND MANUFACTURING OILS AND WAX
FROM SHALE, PEAT, AND CANNEL COAL."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Broad at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st May 1880.
JOSEPH BROAD, of 40, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING AND
MANUFACTURING OILS AND WAX FROM SHALE, PEAT, AND CANNEL COAL."
My Invention relates to shale, especially that form of shale known as Kimmeridge
shalo, peat, and cannel coal, and it has for its objects improvements in the process
of treating such materials for the purpose of obtaining from them by heat and
distillation, inflammable oils and solid wax or waxy substances, which may them-
selves be used in the ordinary well-known way, or which may be further treated
by distillation or other well-known methods, in order to obtain various secondary
products, such as are commonly obtained from similar materials obtained by.well-
known methods heretofore ordinarily used and practised. Also, improvements in
the construction and arrangement of the apparatus in which the said materials,
Kimmeridge shale, peat, and cannel coal are treated for the above mentioned
purposes.
take two vessels of iron or other suitable material arranged side by side in
suitable settings or supports of firebrick or other sufficiently refractory material:
These vessels are preferably circular in plan, and oval or of curved outline in side
view, their upper parts being provided with openings fitted with moveable covers
through which the material to be treated can be introduced and removed. Below
and between these two vessels I arrange a fireplace provided with flues and
suitable dampers, so that the beat of the fire can be made to operate upon the
bottom of either of the vessels as desired. At a short distance from the bottom of
each vessel I arrange inside a plate or false bottom perforated with small holes or
openings, and I arrange one or more pipes communicating with the space below
such false bottom, so that when desired, superheated steam can be introduced

page_text: through such pipe, and passes up through the perforations and through the materials
upon the false bottom. Or sometimes I arrange a coil of pipe in the space below
the false bottom, such coil being provided with numerous perforations through
which superheated steam introduced into it escapes in a similar way. The upper
part of each vessel is provided with a still-head and pipe in the usual well-
understood way, and this pipe communicates with a serpentine pipe or worm
enclosed in a suitable vessel of thin metal or other suitable material which is kept
constantly filled with cold water, the lower end of the pipe being provided with a
cock or valve from which any liquid condensed in it is discharged. I cover the
vessel containing the serpentine pipe with blankets or other porous material which
are kept saturated with cold water, and are submitted to currents of air, so that by
the evaporation thus effected, as much heat as possible is withdrawn from the
vessel. The action of the improved process and apparatus is as follows:-One of
the vessels being sufficiently filled with Kimmeridge shale or other material in a
state of fine powder, the fire is made by means of the dampers described to act upon
it, and superheated steam is admitted to the space below the false bottom either
directly or through the perforated coil of pipe. By this means the oils and waxy
materials are distilled from the shale, and pass into the cold serpentino pipe where
they are condensed and discharged from the cock or valve below. At the samno
time the other vessel is cooled and the residue of the shale left in it is removed, and
a fresh charge introduced, to be operated upon when the process in the first vessel
has proceeded sufficiently far. By this means the process of distillation and
manufacture is made continuous, one of the vessels being always in operation
whilst the other vessel is cooling and being re-charged. By the use of the wet
blankets exposed to currents of air as described, the condensation of the vapours is
greatly assisted. When necessary, the solid or semi-solid wax or waxy material
which accumulates in the serpentine pipe is removed.
I prefer to provide pipes having cocks or valves, by which if necessary a com-
munication is made between the two vessels, and if desired safety valves may be
provided upon the vessels. Any number of sets of the improved apparatus
described may be used side by side, or in any other convenient position.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Joseph Broad in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st November
1880.
JOSEPH BROAD, of 40, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex. :
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING AND
MANUFACTURING OILS AND WAX FROM SHALE, PEAT, AND CANNEL COAL."
My Invention relates to shale especially that form of shale known as Kimmeridge
shale, peat, and cannel coal, and it has for its objects improvements in the process of
treating such materials in order to obtain from them by heat and distillation
inflammable oils and solid wax or waxy substances, which may themselves be used
in any of the ordinary well known ways, or may be further treated by distillation or

page_text: other well known methods in order to obtain various secondary products, such as
are commonly produced from similar materials obtained by well known methods
heretofore ordinarily used and practised. My Invention relates also to improve-
ments in the construction and arrangement of the apparatus in which the said
materials, Kimmeridge shale, peat, and cannel coal are treated for the purposes
above mentioned. In order to put my Invention in operation I take two vessels
or retorts of iron or other suitable material arranged side by side on suitable
settings or supports of firebrick or other sufficiently refractory material. These
retorts are preferably circular in plan, and oval or of carved outline in side view,
and their upper parts are provided with openings fitted with moveable covers
through which the shale or other material to be treated can be introduced and
removed.
Below and between the two vessels I arrange a fireplace provided with flues and
suitable dampers, so that the heat of the fire can be made to operate upon the
bottom of either of the vessels as desired. I arrange inside cach vessel at a short
distance from the bottom a plate or false bottom perforated with small openings
upon which the shale or other material rests, and I also arrange one or more pipes
communicating with the space beneath the false bottom, so that when desired
superheated steam can be introduced through the pipe, and passes up through the
perforations and through the shale or other material. Or I sometimes arrange a
coil of pipe in the space below the false bottom, such coil being provided with
numerous perforations through which superheated steam introduced into it escapes
in a similar way. I prefer also to introduce superheated steam through one or
more pipes above the level of the shale or other material.
The upper part of each vessel or still is provided with a still-head and pipe in
the usual well understood way, and this pipe communicates with a serpentine pipe
or worm enclosed in a suitable vessel of thin metal or other suitable material which
is kept constantly filled with cold water, the lower end of the pipe being provided
with a cock or valve from which any liquid condensed in the pipe can be drawn
off. I cover the vessel containing the serpentine pipe with blankets or other
porous or absorbent materials, which are kept wet with cold water and are sub-
mitted to currents of air, so that by the evaporation thus produced as much heat
as possible is withdrawn from the vessel.
I prefer to make the still of wrought iron plates rivetted together so as to
form a vessel of suitable size and shape, and I prefer to carry it in a corresponding
support preferably of cast iron, a space being left between the bottom of the still
and the support, which is filled with sand or water so as to retain the still at
as uniform a temperature as possible.
The accompanying Drawing is in illustration of my Invention, Figure 1
represents two of the stills described with the condensing apparatus attached;
Figure 2 shows on a larger scale a side view partly in section of a wrought iron
still and its cast iron support, Figure 3 being a plan of the support.
In Figure 1 a, a¹, are two of the retorts or vessels arranged side by side in the
masonry setting b which contains a fire place c, and flues a, d, and dampers e by
which the heat can be applied to either of the stills as desired; ff, are heads to
the stills connected by pipes to the serpentine pipe or worm g which is contained
in the cold water vessel h. This vessel h is surrounded with absorbent material
upon which cold water is allowed to flow from the reservoir i through the perforated
pipes. The lower end of the worm g has a cock or valve l, and communicates
with the vessel or receiver m into which the products of distillation flow, and from
which they can be removed as desired for further treatment; n, n¹, are cocks or
valves in the pipes between the still-heads f, f, and the worm g. In Figure 2 a
is the body of the still, formed of plates rivetted together, as shewn; b is the neck
of the still, to which the still-head is connected, and c is a door or man hole closed
by a cover and affording access to the interior of the still; d is a support on which
the still rests, being carried by the several studs or projections e, e, e, e, a space f
being left between them which can be filled with sand or water, as already described;

page_text: g is a perforated plate or false bottom to tho still, beneath which superheated steam
can be admitted through the pipe h, and i is a pipe through which superheated
steam can be admitted above the shale or other material in the still. The action of
iny improved apparatus is as follows:-One of the vessels or stills a, a, being filled
with a sufficient quantity of Kimmeridge shale or other material reduced to a
powder the fire is made by means of the dampers c, cl, to act upon it through the
intervening thickness of sand or water in the support d, Figure 2, and superheated
steam is admitted through the pipe h into the spaco below the perforated plate g,
or through a perforated coil of pipe, and also above the material through tho
pipe i.
By this means the oils and waxy materials aro distilled from the shalo and pass
into the cold serpentino pipe g, Figure 1, where they become condensed, and are
discharged through the cock or valve into the vessel m. At the same time the
other still is cooled, and the residue of the shale left in it is removed and a fresh
charge introduced, to be operated upon when the process in the first still has pro-
ceeded sufficiently far. By this means the process of distillation and manufacture is
made continuous, one of the vessels or stills being always in operation whilst the other
is cooling and is being cleaned and recharged. By the use of the wet absorbent
inaterial surrounding the condensing vessel, and exposed to natural or artificial
currents of air, as described, the condensation of the vapours from the stills is
greatly assisted. The solid or semi-solid wax or waxy material which accumulates
in the serpentino worm is removed when necessary.
Pipes having adjustable cocks or valves may be arranged between the two stills,
so that the latter may be made to communicate, and they may be provided with
safety valves. Any number of sets of stills or of the improved apparatus as
described may be used, arranged side by side or in other convenient position.
By my Invention the distillation of shale, peat, or cannel coal may be very quickly,
readily, and economically accomplished.
Having now described my Invention, and the manner in which it is to be per-
formed, I claim the stills having false bottoms beneath which superheated steam
can be introduced, arranged in pairs, in combination with the fireplace, flues, and
dampers, so that either still may be heated as desired, substantially as described and
shewn in the Drawing.
Also the combination of the pipe for admitting superheated steam below the
falso bottom of the still, with one or more pipes through which steam can be
admitted above the material in the still, substantially as described and shewn.
Also the combination with stills, constructed and arranged as described, of the
condensing vessel surrounded with absorbent wet material exposed to natural or
artificial currents of air, substantially as described and shewn.
Also the method of carrying the stills upon supports, leaving a space between
them filled with sand or water, substantially as and for the purpose described and
shewn. Also the general arrangement of the apparatus, substantially as and for
the purposes described and shewn.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Broad, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this 1st day of November, in the year of our Lord 1880.