Year: 1886

page_text: I, CHARLES AUDOUX of 18 Rue de Maubeuge Paris in the Republic of France,
Merchant do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the manufacture of fuel blocks in the form of bullets,
preferably of ovoidal shape, each being of comparatively small size suitable for
firing without having to break them up, and so dense and hard that they can be
loaded, transported and unloaded without fracture and can be packed in com-
paratively small compass. For this purpose, two wheels touching each other are
geared to revolve in opposite directions on horizontal axes with equal circumferential
speed. In the periphery of each wheel are formed hollows each corresponding as
a mould to half the bullet block that is to be moulded, the wheels being so
set that each half mould of the one exactly faces a half mould of the other.
Above the tangent point of the wheels is situated a hopper or shoot fed with
the fuel mixture that is to be agglomerated, this mixture being of the ordinary
kinds used for making fuel blocks. As the wheels revolve, portions of the mixture
become squeezed into the moulds, and after being greatly compressed as they pass
the tangent point of the wheels are ejected below. To aid in ejecting them a small
spring piston may be fitted in the bottom of each mould. Such bullet fuel blocks
burn more freely when they are perforated. In order to mould them with holes
through them, a semicircular groove is sunk in the periphery of each moulding
wheel, and a mandril extends down from the hopper into this groove, this mandril
serving as a core around which the successive blocks are moulded, and thus forming a
perforation through each. In the peripheries of the moulding wheels there may be
several rows of moulds side by side, and the moulds may be formed with either the
longer or the shorter axis of the ovoid in the direction of motion.
Dated this 2nd day of November 1886
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant..

page_text: 2
I, CHARLES AUDOUY, of 18 Rue de Maubeuge Paris, in the Republic of France,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
This invention relates to the manufacture of fuel blocks in the form of bullets,
preferably of ovoidal shape, each being of comparatively small size suitable for firing
without having to be broken up and so dense and hard that they can be packed in a
comparatively small compass. The materials used for making these fuel blocks are
the same as those used for ordinary artificial fuel blocks. The machine employed
for the purpose of compressing the material into bullet shaped blocks consists
mainly of two wheels touching each other at one point and revolving in contrary
directions on horizontal axes with equal circumferential speed. In the periphery of
each wheel are formed hollows, each corresponding as a mould to half the bullet
block that is to be moulded, and on the rotation of the wheels a pair of such half
moulds are brought together in succession at the point of contact to form the complete
mould compressing between them a portion of the fuel material, which escapes as a
moulded block as the half moulds separate from each other again.
Each cavity contains a small piston or plunger which is advanced as the half
moulds separate, and thus forces out the moulded block should it adhere; means are
also provided for perforating the blocks, by preference in the direction of their
smaller axis. Owing to its small size the ovoidal block produced possesses a much
more uniform degree of hardness and cohesion in all its parts than blocks of present
construction, and it is consequently possible to transport the blocks and to charge
them into the hold of a vessel without risk of fracture, and without requiring those
precautions that are necessary with ordinary fuel blocks; they may in fact be
treated in just the same manner as ordinary coal.
As it is not necessary to break them up before putting them on the fire, the waste
consequent upon the breaking up of ordinary blocks is avoided. The combustion is
also more readily effected in consequence of the round and perforated form of the
blocks, which allows air to pass round and through them.
Lastly, the regularity of size of the blocks insures a perfectly regular surface
of the fuel in combustion in the furnace and lightens the labor of the stoker.
In consequence of the great degree of compression to which the blocks are
subjected their specific gravity is much greater than that of ordinary briquets, so that

page_text: any loss of weight that may ensue from the greater number of interstices existing
between the ovoidal blocks is more than compensated for by the increased density.
This advantage is of importance both as regards the cost of transport and the
charging of the fire grates.
On the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 shews an elevation of the machine which I
employ for manufacturing the above described fuel blocks; Fig. 2 shews a plan and
Fig. 3 an end view; Fig. 4 shews a section to an enlarged scale of the two wheels
having the half moulds on their circumference; Fig. 5 shews a horizontal section
and Fig. 6 an elevation.
The machine consists of a strong iron frame A carrying all the working parts. The
driving shaft B carries two pinions a a which drive two toothed wheels bb situated on
either side of the mould wheel D, which transmits its motion to the second mould
wheel through toothed wheels 61 61. Above the wheels D D and between them is
situated the incorporating apparatus C for preparing and delivering to the mould
wheels the material for forming the blocks, this being fed between the latter through
the hopper E above the point at which the peripheries of the two wheels touch each
other. The finished fuel blocks fall from the wheels into a receptacle or shoot F.
The two wheels have on their peripheries two or more rows of half moulds c of the
form of a semi ovoid; they turn in opposite directions so that a half mould on the one
always presents itself to a half mould on the other at the point of contact. To insure
this, the wheels D D¹ are provided with two toothed rings 6 6¹ gearing together, so as
to prevent any shifting of the half moulds e; the wheels are also provided with
annular grooves and projections e Fig. 5 which fit into each other and prevent the
wheels from shifting laterally. In each half mould is a plunger P serving to push
out the formed blocks, which plungers are actuated by the double cam surfaces H H¹
fixed to the framing.
In the one wheel D each plunger has passing through it a rod G that is fixed to
the wheel, and that, as the wheels rotate in contact, passes through the block confined
between the two half moulds. In the other wheel D' the plungers P have a perfora-
tion corresponding to the rod G, into which the end of the latter enters as the half
moulds meet. The plungers are fixed in horizontal rows to a transverse bar R which
projects beyond the wheel at each end to a sufficient extent to engage with the cam
surfaces HH'.
On the side of the wheel D with the fixed rods G, where it is necessary that the
blocks should pass off these rods in order to fall into the shoot, the cam H is so
formed as to impart a considerable motion to the plungers; the cam H¹ on the other
hand only imparts a small amount of motion to the plungers of the wheel D¹ sufficient
to force the formed block away from the surface of the mould.
When the transverse bars R leave the cams, H H' they are moved back by means
of springs S that bear with one end against a second bar O, to which with one end
rods G, and at the other end against heads on rods fixed to the bars R; by this means
the plungers P are drawn back into their original positions.
The incorporating mill (being charged with material and set in motion, the
mixed material falls into the hopper E from which it passes on to the surfaces of
the wheels D D', and these in rotating have their half moulds filled with material,
which, as the moulds approach the point where they are brought in contact, becomes
strongly compressed, being at the same time perforated by the rods G.
As the moulds pass on and separate from each other, the cam surfaces H H
force forward the plungers P causing the formed fuel blocks to fall into the shoot F.
Figs. 7, 8 and 9 shew three full size sections, at right angles to each other, of one
of the fuel blocks produced by the above described means.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The herein described method of manufacturing ovoidal perforated fuel blocks
by compression between half moulds on two revolving mould wheels.

page_text: 2. The construction of machinery for the manufacture of ovoidal perforated fuel
blocks consisting mainly of two revolving mould wheels carrying half moulds that
are brought together at the point where the wheels meet, the wheels being geared
together so as to prevent both longitudinal and lateral shifting.
3. The use in combination with the half moulds referred to in the preceding claim,
of plungers arranged and operating substantially as herein described for pushing the
formed fuel blocks out of the moulds.
4. The use in combination with the wheels having half moulds and plungers
referred to in the preceding claims, of rods or mandrils so arranged as to be situated
within the moulds while these are compressing the fuel blocks, so as to produce a
perforation or channel through the latter, substantially as herein described.
Dated this 24th day of June 1887.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant..