IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FUEL
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Barker, of Ceylon Street, Battersea Park,
in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FUEL."
Sealed the 1st December 1865, and dated the 6th June 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Barker at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 6th
June 1865.
I, DAVID BARKER, of Ceylon Street, Battersea Park, in the County of
Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FUEL," to be as follows:-
The said Invention relates to certain improvements in the treatment of coal,
coke, peat, charcoal, and tan, whereby those substances can be utilized when
in a state of powder or minute division, and a serviceable fuel formed thereof,
such treatment being also applicable to sawdust and woody fibre in a state of
division.
In the following description the preparation of fuel formed of coal is

page_text: referred to, the treatment of the other substances being similar or varying
only in particulars of little importance.
In order to obtain cohesion between the particles or pieces of coal under
treatment a mucilage formed as herein-after mentioned is employed. The
mucilage is composed of any farinaceous substance consisting principally of
fecula or starch or from which the gluten has been removed in combination
with sulphate of iron or other acid salt possessing analogous properties, or
yeast or any vegetable substance capable of being formed into a mucilage may
be used in place of or together with the farina. By preference, however, the
following method is pursued:-One pound of fecula (say potato farina) is
mixed with four pints of water, four ounces of sulphate of iron or other
analogous salt, and, four ounces of tannic acid or other analogous acid, are
dissolved in about twelve pints of water, then mixed with the farina and
water, and the whole boiled until a mucilaginous substance is formed. The
mucilage is then added to the powdered coal in the proportion of two ounces
of the former to one pound of the latter, and the mass having been thoroughly
mixed and incorporated is formed 'into blocks of any desirable size and form,
and dried for use. The fuel thus compounded is in a very considerable
degree, and especially if it has been subjected to a high pressure, impervious
to moisture. The several proportions above mentioned must be considered as
approximate only.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said David Barker in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th
December 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DAVID
BARKER, formerly of Ceylon Street, Battersea Park, in the County of Surrey,
but now of Northfleet, in the County of Kent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of June, in the year of our Lord-
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said David Barker, Her special licence that I, the said David
Barker, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said David Barker, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at

page_text: 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, exereise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FUEL," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said David Barker, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument 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 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 I, the said David Barker, 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; that is to say:-
My said Invention relates to certain improvements in the treatment of coal,
coke, peat, charcoal, and tan, whereby those substances can be utilized when.
in a state of powder or minute division, and a serviceable fuel formed thereof,
such treatment being also applicable for like purposes to sawdust and woody
fibre in a state of division.
In the following description I shall refer to the preparation of fuel formed
of coal, inasmuch as the treatment of the other substances is similar thereto,
or varies only in particulars of little importance, and which variations will be
readily understood by persons employed in carrying this Invention into
operation.
In order to obtain cohesion between the particles or pieces of coal under
treatment a mucilage or compound substance is employed, the composition
and preparation of which is partly described in the Specification of a certain
Invention of "Improvements in the Manufacture of Artificial Fuel," and for
which Letters Patent were granted to me, bearing date the Twenty-third day
of July, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, and numbered 1842.
The said mucilage is composed of any farinaceous substance, consisting prin-
cipally of fecula or starch, and from which the gluten has been removed or
yeast, or any vegetable substance capable of being formed into a mucilage,
and destitute of gluten, may be used in place of or together with the farina.
By preference, however, I adopt the following method:-One pound of fecula
say potato farina) is mixed with four pints of water, four ounces of sulphate

page_text: of iron or other salt possessing similar or analogous properties, or, in lieu
thereof, four ounces of tannic acid or other acid possessing similar or analogous
properties, are dissolved in about twelve pints of water, then mixed with the
farina and water, a mucilaginous substance being thereby formed. When
yeast or any other vegetable substance is employed instead of farina the same
may be boiled together with the salt or acid, or if it be preferred to mix and
dissolve the yeast or other vegetable substance in cold water then the salt or
acid should be added thereto in a state of solution; the mucilage is then
added to the powdered coal in the proportion of two ounces of the former to
one pound of the latter, and the mass having been thoroughly mixed and
incorporated, and afterwards formed into blocks of any desired size and form,
and dried for use, any suitable machinery or apparatus being employed
for such purposes.
If desired, a small quantity of oxide of manganese
or oxide of iron may be combined with the fuel, the effect of such com-
bination being to increase the blackness thereof, whilst it also exercises
some effect in imparting additional hardness to the mixture. Lamp-
black or any other suitable colouring matter may also be employed if
desired, either alone or together with the oxide of manganese or oxide
of iron.
I have herein endeavoured to give such proportions of the several ingre-
dients above mentioned as I have found in practice to be well fitted for the
purposes of my said Invention, but such proportions must be considered as
approximative only, as, in some cases, from differences in the quality or
nature of the coal or other material under treatment variations may be
beneficially made in such proportions, the extent of such variations being
casily discoverable by the skill and experience of the operator, and in fact
will readily present themselves to his notice.
The fuel thus compounded is in a very considerable degree, and especially
if it has been subjected to a high pressure, impervious to moisture, and
possesses great advantages over other artificial fuels from its being entirely
free from smell, whilst for furnace purposes it has the valuable property o
exercising no injurious effect upon the fire-bars or boiler plates.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention
and the manner in which it is to be performed, I would observe in conclusio
that I do not confine or restrict myself to the precise details herein-befor
set forth, as variations may be made therefrom without departing from th
principles or main features of my said Invention, and that what I conside
novel and original, and therefore claim as constituting my said Invention i

page_text: the manufacture of artificial fuel by means of the combination of the materials
aforesaid in manner substantially herein-before set forth and described, or
any mere modifications thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said David Barker, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
DAVID BARKER. (L.S.)