CERTAIN IMPROVE- MENTS IN COKE OVENS, AND IN THE APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1852

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
ANDREWS, of Fair Oak Terrace, Mainde, near Newport, Monmouthshire,
Contractor, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by
Her Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Sixth day of July,
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the sixteenth year of Her
reign, did give and grant unto me, the said John Andrews, my exors,
adiors, and assigns, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said John Andrews, my exors, admors, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said John Andrews, my exors, adiñiors, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at
all times thereafter, during the term of years therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales,
and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN COKE OVENS, AND IN THE APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH;" in
which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso requiring that I, the
said John Andrews, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by
an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, and cause the same to be
inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters
Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully
and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, 1, the said
John Andrews, do hereby declare that the nature of my Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described and
ascertained in and by this present Instrument in writing, reference being had
to the Drawings hereunto annexed, that is to say:-
My Invention consists,-
Firstly, in a peculiar mode of constructing ovens for converting coal into
coke, commonly called coke ovens. And,
Secondly, in the apparatus and mode of discharging the oven after the
coking process has been completed.
And in order that the same may be readily understood and carried into
effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed, in which
similar letters denote corresponding parts in all the Figures, that is to say :-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure I., Sheet I., represents a front view of three double ovens, or six
ovens built back to back, and represented in Figure 1 as being part in section
and part in elevation. Figure 2 represents a sectional plan of the six ovens,
.that is, the three in front A, which I shall designate the front ovens, and
the three marked B, which I shall call the back ovens, which it will be seen
hereafter are somewhat differently constructed, although the principle of
working and action is the same. Figure 3 represents a longitudinal vertical
section of the double ovens, taken through the pier or buttress on the line
1, 1, of Figures 1 and 2. Figure 4 represents a longitudinal sectional
elevation taken through the centre of the ovens on the line 21, 21, of Figure 1.
The principal features in the construction of the ovens about to be described
under the first head of my improvements consist, firstly, in the arrangement
of the flues for the escape of gases and other products of combustion; and,
secondly, the mode of supplying the ovens with the requisite quantity of
atmospheric air for supporting combustion. And in order that the same may
be understood, I will first describe the construction of the front set of ovens
marked with the letter A.
On referring to A, Figure 3, which it will be remembered is a section
through the pier or wall which separates the ovens, there is an opening a
proceeding from the front of the oven, through which the gases and other
products of combustion from the oven pass into the flue b, and from thence
into the chimney, which is divided by a partition wall c so as to answer for
both, that is, the front and back ovens A and B. d is a sliding damper, by
closing which the direction or course of the flame and hot air, instead of

page_text: passing through the flue b, as just described, take the downward course
through the vertical flue e which communicates with the horizontal flues f. f.
through which flues the hot air passes in the direction indicated by the arrows,
as shewn in Plan A, Figure 2, which portion of the plan is a section taken
through the line 3 of Figure 3, with this addition, that the floor of the oven
is represented as being removed, in order to shew more clearly the direction
of the flues f, f, which it will be observed, on referring to Figures 1 and 2,
pass underneath the floor of the oven on each side of the pier, and terminate,
or rather unite again at the point g, see Figures 2 and 3, where they, the
gases, proceed along the flue g¹ and into the chimney, as indicated by the
arrow, see Figure 3. It will therefore be seen that the products of combus-
tion can either be passed from the oven direct through the flue 6 into the
chimney, or by closing the damper d they can be passed underneath the floor
of the oven before entering the chimney. The object of this arrangement is
to effect a more perfect combustion of the coal which is undergoing the
process of cokeing; and this object I accomplish by first allowing the gases
to pass through the flue 6 direct to the chimney until about four hours more
or less before the charge is withdrawn, when the damper d is closed, and the
flame and hot, air allowed to pass underneath the oven, in the manner just
described, whereby a more perfect combustion of the coal in contact with the
floor of the oven is effected, a better yield of coke produced, and the quality
of coke will be improved, inasmuch as it will be found to be brighter and
stronger than coke produced from ovens of the ordinary construction.
I will now briefly describe the construction of the back ovens. marked. B,
in which it will be seen that the gases and other products of combustion pass
through an opening a' at the back part of the oven into the flue 6' and. 6%
into the chimney; but on closing the damper d², the hot air and gases pass
into the horizontal flue f' and along the flues f, f, ff (see Figure 2, B,.
Section 3), and into the fiue f', shewn in dotted lines, and from thence through.
the vertical flue f (see Figure 3) into the chimney.
The manner in which I propose to supply the ovens with atmospheric air
during the process of coking is as follows, that is to say:-When the charge
is first put into the oven I prefer to introduce therein a supply of cold air,
which passes through three apertures i, i, made over the crown of the front
arch or "blocking," and which apertures enter the oven just below the crown
of the arch forming the top of the oven, as will be seen on referring to
Figures 1 and 4. After the coking process has been going on. for about
twelve hours, more or less, I prefer to work the oven with a supply of hot air,
or, in other words, to heat the atmospheric air before it enters the oven. For

page_text: this purpose the front of the three air holes i, i, are stopped up, and the
two air holes on each side, marked k, k, which were previously closed, are
opened. The air for the supply of combustion must therefore pass through
channels k, k, l, 1, formed on the top of the brick arch of the oven, and which
channels communicate, as will be seen on referring to Figures 1 and 2, with
the three apertures for the supply of cold air, by closing which, however, the
air becomes heated before entering the oven. This mode of supplying the
oven with hot air has also a tendency to improve the quality of the coke as
well as the yield.
I would remark, with regard to this part of my Invention, that I do not
claim as new the mode of introducing cold air just below the crown of the
arch of the oven by the three apertures i, i, when considered separately; but
what I do claim as being new is, the combining of such apertures with
channels formed on the top of the arch, or other suitable part of the oven,
for heating the air previous to introducing it into the oven, as herein-before
described.
Figures 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 represent six views of the form of oven I
construct when the cost of construction is limited, and they are required at a
cheap rate. Figure 5 is a back elevation of two ovens; Figure 6, a trans-
verse section taken through the line 4, 4, of Figure 7, which Figure is a
longitudinal section taken through the centre of the oven; Figure 8 is a plan
of the two ovens; Figure 9 is a sectional plan; and Figure 10, a longitudinal
sectional elevation taken through the pier on the line 6, 6, of Figure 9. This
form of oven is constructed with eighteen-inch piers tapering to fourteen
inches, and with nine-inch backs to the ovens.
The flame and gases escape
through a lateral opening p at the back or further end of the oven into the
chimney which is common to both ovens. The manner in which I propose to
remove the coke from the oven is in some cases by making a portion of the back
of the oven moveable, so as to answer the purpose of a draw plate, which portion
of the back of such oven or ovens may be pushed out, and with it the coke,
as will be hereafter described. At the back of the ovens, Figures 5, 6, and 7,
there is an opening made somewhat narrower than the width of the oven, and
about fifteen inches high, more or less. Into this opening there is placed a
cast-iron box or frame r, which is filled with fire brick or other suitable mate-
rial. The box or frame, which, it will be observed, forms part and parcel
of the back of the oven, having been inserted in the opening, is luted all
round, so as to prevent the admission of atmospheric air during the process of
coking. When it is desired to remove the coke from the oven, a strong
wrought-iron bar m is introduced between two guide rollers supported by a

page_text: frame at the back of the oven, and into a socket cast on the back part of the
box, see Figure 7. To the end of the bar m there is attached a chain which
passes under the guide roller o, and is attached at the opposite end to a crab,
by turning the handle of which the bar and loose back will be forced for-
ward, and the coke removed from the oven. By this arrangement the
wrought-iron bar will not be liable to become overheated, and the general
arrangement will be found useful in cases where it is not convenient to have
the drawing apparatus in front of the oven.
I will now describe two other forms of oven which may be constructed at a
cheap cost, and afterwards I will describe my improved apparatus for drawing
the coke out of the ovens, reference being had to Sheet II. on which Sheet
Figure 11 represents a sectional elevation of an oven with fourteen-inch piers
tapering to nine inches in front, and with one chimney to each oven, the opening
to the chimney being in the centre of the back, as will be seen at Figure 12,
which represents a sectional plan of Figure 11.
Figure 14 is a sectional plan, and Figure 15 a sectional elevation taken
through the pier of an oven, with an opening at the back which communicates
with a flue running along the top of the pier to the chimney, which in this
case is built in front of the oven. I would remark, with regard to the ovens
described under Figures 5 to 15, that they may be used with advantage with
a quick burning coal; but when the coal is slow and dead-burning, I prefer
to use the form of oven described under the Figures 1 to 4. I would also
remark, that in localities where stonework can be had at a cheaper rate than
brick work that I prefer to use that material for the foundations and other
parts marked with the letter x in the several Figures from 1 to 16 inclusively.
Having thus described the construction and action of my improved coke
ovens, I will now proceed to describe my improvements in the apparatus for
withdrawing the coke from the oven after the coking process has been
completed.
Figure 16 represents a plan, and Figure 17 an edge view of a drawplate
and bar, which I propose to construct as follows:- is a piece cut off the end
of a flat bar of iron about two and a half inches thick, and twelve inches wide,
more or less, or, what will answer the same purpose, a piece cut off the end of
a railway bar. On the back of this there is a strong cast-iron plate s. t is
the draw bar, which may be of two inch or two-and-a-half inch round iron, one
end of which is turned round so as to form an eye, and the other is passed
through the plates r and s, which are firmly secured thereto by a cotter on the
back side of the plate s. v is a recess formed in the back part of the oven
(see Figure 4) for receiving the drawplate, which drawplate, together with the
bar, is placed in the oven previous to charging the same with coal, and remains

page_text: The draw bar will now be surrounded
trough was filled. I then re-commence
After the operation of charging the
in the oven during the whole time the coal is undergoing the process of coking.
The manner in which I protect the draw bar t from being overheated during
the process of coking is as follows, that is to say:-I prepare a kind of trough
by bending a piece of sheet iron in a semicircular form, and in length equal
to that of the length of the oven, as shewn at w, Figure 2 (Sheet I.). Pre-
vious to charging the oven with coal, the trough w is laid with its concave side
upwards, and filled with fine ashes, dust, or other bad conductor of heat, and
in this position the trough is slided into the oven alongside or parallel to the
draw bar t. The trough having been forced into the position shewn at w,
Figure 2, is then turned over upon the draw bar, with its convex side upwards,
as shewn at w (see Figures 1 and 2).
with the loose material with which the
charging the oven in the usual way.
trough, which has during the charging answered the purpose of a "centre"
for the formation of an arch of coal, may now be withdrawn, the sliding door
of the oven let down and "luted," and the coking process commenced. It
will therefore be seen that, in place of introducing tubes or covered ways in
the floor and side walls, as mentioned in the eighth claim of a Patent granted
to Henry Fisher, on the Eighth day of February, One thousand eight hundred
and forty-ninc, I form an archway of the coal which is about to be converted
into coke, thereby avoiding the necessity of introducing materials into the
oven for the formation of a covered way, which must necessarily be attended
with expence. The coke is withdrawn from the ovens by means of a crab y
(see Sheet II.), with a chain passing round the pullies z, z, z, firmly fixed
opposite the centre of each oven, as is well understood, and to which, as well
as the sliding door for closing the front of the oven, I lay no claim, they having
been used by me prior to the date of my Patent.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise details herein-before described, so long as the
peculiar character of my Invention be retained, neither do I confine myself to
the materials or dimensions of the parts herein-before described, as the same
may be greatly varied without departing from the principal features of my said
Invention; but that which I do claim is, the general arrangement and com-
bination of parts as herein-before described in the construction of coke ovens,
and in the apparatus for or mode of discharging the same.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Andrews, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two.
JOHN (L.S.) ANDREWS.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Thirty-first day of December,
in the year of our Lord 1852, the aforesaid John Andrews came before our
said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
5 above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Sixth day of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-three.