IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING CARBONACEOUS, BITUMINOUS AND OTHER SUBSTANCES AND IN THE APPARATUS OR MEANS TO RE EMPLOVED THERERAD
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Aitken of Falkirk, in the County of Stirling,
North Britain, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
TREATING
CARBONACEOUS, BITUMINOUS AND OTHER SUBSTANCES AND IN THE APPARATUS
OR MEANS TO RE EMPLOVED THERERAD"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Aitken at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th September 1883.
HENRY AITKEN, of Falkirk, in the County of Stirling North Britain
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING CARBONACEOUS, BITUMINOUS AND OTHER SUBSTANCES
AND IN THE APPARATUS OR MEANS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREFOR,"
This Invention relates to improvements in treating such substances as coal, shale,
lignite or their analogues so as to render them more useful for certain purposes;
to treating coal, shale, lignite, wood, peat or moss, sawdust, and other carbonaceous
or bituminous matters or substances containing those for the production therefrom
of coke, gas, oil, tar, bitumen, resin, sulphur, and ammoniacal and cyanogen com-
pounds with the other resulting products and to the apparatus used in the practical
carrying out of these improvements.
Certain kinds of coal, shale, and lignito and their analogues contain large
amounts of water.-This water on being exposed to high heat, as for instance in
the fire box of a locomotive engine or in a blast or other furnace, is driven off from
the said substances by the heat.-In being thus driven off it bursts or blows out
the coal and so makes a very open light coke which is carried up the funnel of the
locomotive unburnt so that it is wasted by not raising steam.-In the blast furnace
such coal, shale and lignite or their analogues makes a coke that will not bear
the burden or weight of the charge by its being soft and easily decomposed by the
ascending gases so that a great waste of carbon ensues.-Now I have found that
by drying the coal shale or lignite or their analogues and taking all the water out
of it I get a much denser and more serviceable coal for many purposes and which
produces a much closer and heavier coke.-I accomplish this in various ways' and
I state the following as one or two examples of doing so. I place the wet coal,
shale or lignite or their analogues in a Tower and blow or draw heated air through

page_text: :
the same or I blow or draw the products of combustion of a furnace or fire through
the coal, the products of combustion being reduced so as not to take out any
volatile hydrocarbons, and so expel the water; or I place the coal, shale or lignite
or their analogues in a chamber in wagons and blow or draw heated air or gas
through the materials in them, or the chamber in which the coal shale or lignite
or their analogues is placed may be heated and air allowed to pass through it or I
place the coal, shale, or lignite or their analogues on a travelling web or band and
pass the same through a hot kiln with or without a draught of hot air or gas
passing through the same.-Any of the well known methods of driving the air may
be adopted.
13
The coal, shale or lignite or their analogues thus treated more particularly when
in small pieces is in a much better condition for use in a blast furnace or locomotive
or any other place where the coke is wanted in a more solid state than it would
be, if the coal be used when full of water.
When treating coal, shale, lignite, wood, peat or moss, sawdust and other
carbonaceous or bituminous substances or other substances containing carbonaceous
or bituminous substances for the production of coke, gas, oil, tar, bitumen, resin,
spirit, sulphur and ammoniacal or cyanogen compounds, when I desire to make
coke of a character like to that made in the ordinary bee-hive oven or in ovens of
an analogous kind, I place a flue or flues, or spaces in the bottoms of such ovens,
which I cover with perforated bricks, or the bricks may be placed apart from cachi
other on the top of the flues or spaces or these covers, in place of being of bricks,
may be made of metal. The flue or flues is, or are connected to a pipe which leads
to condensers, scrubbers, and absorbers having exhausters attached thereto for
drawing the gases down through the coal as they are distilled. In the top portion
of the oven, I place a series of air passages or holes, such as those described in tho
Specification of me the said Henry Aitken N° 57, A.D. 1874, and below or between
these like passages or holes for admitting gas, or the air and gas may be admitted
at one or more holes.-I fill the oven with coal to the usual height, kindle the
same, and so soon as it is fairly in operation I start the exhauster and draw the gas
produced downwards. After having passed the gas through the coudensers,
scrubbers, and absorbers and so taken out of it all that it is desired to separate I
force or draw it into the oven through the passages above mentioned where it
meets the air which is drawn into the oven by means of a chimney or stalk or
other means of creating a draught and the gas is there consumed on the top of
the coal and so imparts the heat of its combustion for the complete coking of the
materials.
i In place of passing the gases distilled direct to the flues below the oven they may
be taken from the bottom and forced or drawn up through a flue or passage in
the wall between the ovens and then, after such products as it is desired to
separate are driven off, passed into the material in the next oven about one third
from the top and so on through several ovens, if desired.--Dip pipes are provided
at each oven to take any liquor away that collects.-The products of combustion,
after leaving the oven may be used for heating the air required for raising steain
or any other purpose. The air may be heated by any other known method such
as putting the passage for heating the air on the top or sides of the flue carrying
off the products of combustion or putting a pipe in said flue, or any of the methods
set forth in the Specifications of me the said Henry Aitken N° 57, A.D. 1874, or
N° 2682, A.D. 1882, and the form of oven may be any suitable form such as those
mentioned in the said Specifications.
This manner of working produces oily products but when I wish to make tarry
compounds I employ the oven shewn in Sheets 4, and 5, of the Specification filed
in pursuance of Letters Patent granted to me the said Henry Aitken N° 57,
A.D. 1874, or I work an ordinary oven putting one charge on top of another, in
both cases drawing the products of distillation downwards as herein before
mentioned. The products of distillation passing through the hot coke become
altered in their character to more of a tarry nature.
-

page_text: In place of burning the hydrocarbon gases from the coal so distilled with air put
into the top of the oven, I may use blast furnace gases, or gases made in an
ordinary producer or fire and burn them on the top of the material using the hydro-
carbon gases for other purposes.-I prefer that the air should be well heated and
the gas also.
In order to extract as much ammonia as possible I introduce a little water or
stean, (the latter I prefer to be very bighly heated,) so soon as the coking is about
completed, about one third from the top of the coke, and it is drawn down through
the coke; and when the coking is completed I apply steam, which takes more
nitrogen out of the substances producing more ammonia and if desired I apply a
vacuum or powerful exhaust to the oven and still more steam so as to obtain all
that can be got out of the substances.-For the thorough working of this process
the ovens should have an outside casing of iron, as nearly air tight as possible.
In carrying out this process when I want to treat large quantities of coal and
save connections of pipes, I construct an oven, say 22, or 36, feet long and say from
10, to 20 feet wide and from 4, to 6 feet high; but I do not confine myself to these
sizes. For ease in taking the coke from such an oven I divide it up into divisions,
say from 2, to 4, feet long and the width of the oven in breadth by putting walls
across the same and doors at either side, leaving spaces at the top which will pass
the hot gases making the coke over the material in the one coinpartment to the
other and so on.-In this way an oven can be constructed of great size with either
one inlet or series of inlets for the products of combustion at or near the top and
one pipe or flue for the distilled gas at or near the bottom.-Care should be taken
to leave the passages on the top for the gases at or near the doors, as this will be
the coldest part of the oven.-The under flue for taking off the gases of distillation
may be led to the outside being inclined in that direction or it may be taken from
either side of the oven to the middle and there put in a pipe which will be placed
in a flue or passage made for it.-Each compartiment being provided with a
damper or check valve.
This arrangement of ovens is worked in the same manner as that hereinbefore
described.
When the oven is very long it is sometimes advantageous in order to get an
equal heat throughout to add air at more than one point and even more gas.
The ovens need not be of the shape herein mentioned, as bee-hive Coppee, or
other ovens may be arranged and worked in the same manner as herein set forth.-
If preferred blast may be used in this type of oven.
When I desire to make a dense coke, such as that made in the Coppee oven or
closed in retort I put chambers or retorts on the end of these or other ovens and
flues round the same and cause the gases or products of combustion to pass down
the side and round the bottom and up the side of these chambers or retorts or
round the said chambers or retorts and so coke the material, or these chambers or
retorts inay be placed alternately with the others.
In place of putting these retorts along side the other coking chambers they
may be put on the top.
These retorts are furnished with all the usual pipes and connections for taking
off the gas at the top and obtaining the liquid products, and as the products are
of a different character from those obtained in the hereinbefore mentioned ovens
they should be kept separate.
When I wish to make products of a difforent character to those obtained when
the products of distillation are taken off at the top.-I take the said products off
at the bottom with or without stean added as set forth in my Specification
No 2682 A D. 1882.
When I desire to make what is known as soft or smithy coke I make the retorts
or chambers of less depth and with more bottom surface. I charge a thinner layer
of coal and so soon as it is coked as hard as desired I empty the retort or
chamber. The coal is preferably charged from the top and the gases taken off
as hereinbefore described.-These retorts may each be furnished with an air tight

page_text: hopper below the level of the retort into which the coke as made may be pushed
by hand or machinery or the hopper may connect several retorts. It may be
sealed in a trough of water or it may have air tight doors.
When a water trough is not used I fill the retort and hopper with steam before
opening and so avoid all risk of an explosion.-I treat the coke in the hopper
with water or preferably with steam in order to get the ammonia. This arrange-
ment can also be applied in the production of other kinds of coke for the purpose
of producing ammonia. A door may be placed between the hopper and the retort
so as to prevent too much steam passing into it
When it is desired to make gas for illuminating purposes, and also to obtain
the liquid products I construct brick chambers, with thick walls high and narrow,
for example, according to the kind of coal or other material to be treated, from 8 to
18 inches, wider at the top than bottom and from 6 to 30 feet high, and from
6, to 20, feet broad.-I burn in these chambers gas and raise the heat to a very
high degree and then run the coal into them from the top.-Metal may be used in
place of brick for division walls.
I also use up the heat of slag or iron as they come from the blast or other
furnace by covering the same with a cover preferably of metal lined with brick
and running therein the coal or other material herein before mentioned.--The usual
connections for taking off the gas and applying steam are adopted, or in both
these cases steam or water may be used as hereinbefore mentioned.
In place of working these and other ovens or retorts by draught or by forcing
the air into them separate from the gas I may use the Gas exhauster for forcing in
the air as well as the gas mixed together into the oven or round the retorts.―
This may be accomplished by having valves at or near the exhauster one on the
pipo from the condenser or scrubbers and one for air and regulating the quantity
of air and gas to pass through the exhauster according to the quality or richness
of the mixture of air and gas that is required or if desired the gases and air may
be drawn into the ovens or retorts together or separately by means of an exhauster
or draught acting on the products of combustion after they have left the ovens
and so drawing off the gases from the ovens or retorts through the condenser and
scrubbers, the quantity of air and gas being regulated when they enter the ovens
or pass into the combustion chamber where the retorts are.-When this method of
working is adopted it is advisable to make the ovens as tight as possible, say by
enclosing them in iron, and the retorts in like manner should be made as tight as
circumstances will admit.-It may be sufficient in working ovens to raise the tight
lining a little above the level of the coal in the oven.
In working all such ovens or apparatus as herein before described there is a
chance of explosion if the current of the gases coming into the oven is arrested by
the exhauster stopping so I put on to the Engine of the Exhauster a valve or
regulator which is actuated by the exhaustion of the exhauster so that the
moment the engine stops, this arrangement opens a steam valve which admits
steam not only into the pipes and condenser but also into the coking chambers
and so all risk of explosion is avoided.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Aitken in the Patent Office on the 28th March 1884.
HENRY AITKEN of Falkirk, in the County of Stirling, North Britain
IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING CARBONACEOUS BITUMINOUS AND OTHER SUBSTANCES
AND IN THE APPARATUS, OR MEANS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREFOR
"
My said Invention relates to improvements in treating such substances as coal,
shale, lignite or their analogues so as to render then moro useful for certain
purposes; to treating coal, shale, lignite, wood, peat or moss, sawdust and other
carbonaceous, bituminous or ammoniacal matters or substances containing car-
bonaceous, bituminous or ammoniacal inatters, for the production therefrom of
coke, gas, oil, tar bitumen, resin, sulphur and ammoniacal and cyanogen compounds
with the other resulting products.-My said Invention also relates to the apparatus
used in the practical carrying out of these improvements.
.
The first part of the invention consists in treating coals, shales, lignites and their
analogues which contain water so as to eliminate the said water from them and
thereby render the said materials better adapted for certain purposes as hereinafter
set forth. When the said substances are in their normal condition, that is to say,
with the water or moisture held in their pores or interstices, or which they absorb
from the atmosphere and certain hygroscopically, are put upon or into a fire or
furnace, for instance into the fire-box of the boiler of a locomotive engine, where
as fuel, coal or its analogue is exposed at once to great heat, such water is driven
off rapidly together with the hydro-carbonaceous gases and the residual coke thus
formed is of a very porous character and therefore of light weight, so that it
becomes drawn out of the fire-box unburnt, and passes through the tubes of the
boiler by the action of the blast and up the funnel unconsumed, and therefore
without giving out the heat due to its combustion in the fire-box, thus leading to
a great loss of fuel.-When the aforesaid substances with the water (more
particularly when they are in small pieces) are charged into the blast furnace
wherein they become at once heated up the water and the hydrocarbon gases are
rapidly expelled and the remaining coke is left of an open, soft nature which is
unsuitable for blast-furnace purposes, as it will not carry the weight of the burden,
besides which, being of a soft porous character, it is easily decomposed by tho
ascending gases becoming converted in CO. in the barrel of the furnace, thereby
causing great loss of carbon.-Besides this the aforesaid substances with their water
or moisture, on coming into contact with the heated gases, swell and cake together,
and so form nasses of material which block the furnace and thereby prevent it'
from being driven rapidly or with regularity.-When the aforesaid substances, with
their contained water as hitherto, have been charged into a gas producer, so soon
as the water becomes heated it expands and the carbon cokes.-The ascending
gases form channels through the material, and thus through these air but partially
decomposed and carbonic acid pass freely, so that poor gas is produced besides
which the large quantity of water (in some cases amounting to 20 per cent of tho
weight of the whole) is carried forward into the combustion chamber, where it not
only prevents the proper combustion of the gases, thereby causing waste of fuel,
but also loss of time and destruction of inaterials in furnaces wherein metals are
under treatment by oxidising them in the furnace.-Besides this objection the
water-burdened gases arising from the water or moisture mixing with the
hydrocarbonaceous matter, are entirely unsuitable for purposes where the treatment
of metals is in progress more particularly when it is desired to reduce ores. to metals
because the presence of the watery constituents prevents or retards the process of
E

page_text: reduction of the ores.-Further the presence of water or moisture in the gas from
fires and furnaces prevents their proper combustion and so causes smoke which
results in loss in many ways more particularly in the loss of carbon and when the
gases are used for raising steam in Boilers, the smoke covers the plates and tubes
thereof forming a non-conducting coating which hinders the heat getting to the
iron or copper or other metal.-I cite the foregoing as some of many other instances
of the evils of using coal, lignite, and shales, or their analogues, in their natural
state when charged with water or moisture.-Now if the contained water be
eliminated according to this part of my invention from these substances, and they
are then placed in the fire-box of a locomotive engine, for example; the gas is more
slowly expelled and the resulting coke is harder and more dense and therefore
able to resist that action of the blast which tends to draw it through the tubes
of the boiler and discharge it through the chimney unburnt; besides which
almost no smoke is made so that great economy in fuel is thereby attained.-
In like manner when the aforesaid dried carbonaceous substances or their
analogues are put into a blast-furnace the heat drives out the hydrocarbon
gas more slowly and the resulting coke is harder and denser and therefore
in a fit condition to withstand the weight of the burden and the decomposing
influence of the ascending gases, so that economy is attained in the working of the
furnace and as the said materials do not expand and cake to anything like the
same extent as when wet with the contained water or moisture, the furnace too,
drives more regularly and faster, so that it produces more metal in a given time.―
There is also this further advantage that the coal, lignite, or shale, may be used in
small pieces besides which such coal which is not suitable for blast-furnaces and
other purposes at present because of the contained water or moisture is after being
dried according to my present invention rendered suitable for being used therein.-
Furthermore when the dried substances are placed in or upon a furnace or fire
almost no smoke is made, and the gases not being charged with a large volume of
aqueous vapour burn at once with great rapidity and intensity and so accomplish
work more speedily with less loss of time and less waste of the material being
treated in the furnace.-Again when dried coal, shale, or lignite, is put into coke
ovens or retorts the coke made is more dense and the tars produced are richer in
benzole and spirits, and the retorts are able to carbonize larger quantities of material
per day because a part of the heat imparted by them to the charge is not as at present
wasted in the elimination or drying off of the water or moisture.-The retorts too
will continue in good order much longer than at present, as they are not injured by
the sudden changes of temperature which are due to the presence of water or
moisture in the coal or other carbonaceous matter distilled therein.-Further the
retorts do not require to be kept at so high a temperature as at present to coke an
equal amount of material as the gases are driven off without so much heat, assuming
the latent state.
I am aware it has been the practice to keep gas coal used in Gas Works from
getting wet under the belief that its use in that state gave higher yields of gas but
it was not previously known that the Benzole products are increased or the coke
made, of better quality, and also a much higher yield of gas per retort or oven
obtained with less tear and wear of retorts, when the material to be carbonised is
placed in the retort artificially dried and heated.-When material, such as the shale
distilled in Oil Works is dried according to this Invention and placed hot in the
retorts, a very much greater yield of oil per retort is obtained, and the retort be
kept at a lower temperature and accomplish as much work as at present. The
reason for this is that the material being hot and no water being present, there is
no reduction of temperature of the retort at the beginning of the charge.
In order to accomplish the drying of the aforesaid substances or their analogues,
I do so either by passing through them a current of heated air, which may have
been dried by passing it through dry lime, chloride of calcium, or other water-
absorber, as is well known, or by means of a current of hot gases, which may como
from any furnace, fire or gas-producer used either for the purposes of this Iuvention

page_text: alone, or the heat may be obtained from any waste gases.-And in order to explain
more fully the method of proceeding I will describe an apparatus or means by
which the object of this part of my improvements may be accomplished by heated
air, and also an apparatus by which the object may be accomplished by means of
the gaseous products of combustion of a fire or furnace, or by the gases from a gas
producer.
In order to apply heated air for drying the aforesaid substances or their analogues,
I place a series of pipes in the flue or chamber which carries off the waste gases
from a Boiler or furnace or fire or I enclose a series of pipes in a brick chamber and
apply a fire to heat up the pipes through which the air is forced or drawn by means
of a blower, steam jet or exhauster, or by a chimney.-This arrangement is similar
to the pipe-hot-blast stove used in iron works.-The material is placed in a chamber
or tower and the heated air is passed through, that is to say among the substances
to be dried.-Figure 1, shews in transverse section such an arrangement of drying
apparatus as I now refer to.-The chamber A, is that wherein the pipes B, and firo
grate C, are placed, and the tower or chamber D, is that wherein the coal, shale, or
the other analogous materials to be dried are placed.-The fan or blower for forcing
the air through the pipes is marked E-When the materials to be dried are placed
in the tower or chamber D, the heated air is forced into the bottom by the
ports G, G, G, and so soon as the materials are dried they are discharged by the
port H, the door of which is opened, and the dried materials fall into the truck I,
in quantities as required, and are then removed.-Fresh wet material is then
charged into the tower or chamber and similarly treated successively.-In place of
using, a fire to heat the pipes B, Gas may be burned in the chamber A, for this
purpose and in place of using pipes the air may be heated by fire bricks, such as
in the arrangement of bricks or slabs employed in a Whitewell or Cowper-Siemens
Regenerator. In place of the tower or chamber D, the materials may be placed in
wagons with perforated bottoms, and passed through a tunnel or chamber through
which a current of heated air is driven in a direction opposite to that in which the
wagons travel and by making the top and bottom of each alternate wagon closely
fit nearly to the top and bottom of the tunnel respectively the current of heatod
air is caused to pass upwards and downwards in its passage through the tunnel and
therefore upwards and downwards through the materials to be dried in the trucks
as they pass through the tunnel, the bottoms of the trucks being made with open
spaces for permitting the heated air access to the materials in the trucks; or tho
materials may be put on an endless web or chain in a chamber and passed through
the chamber, the current of heated air or hot gases preferably moving in a direction
opposite to that in which the materials move, and being further caused by divisions
in the chamber to pass through the materials frequently, that is to say, upwards
and downwards or horizontally by crossing and re-crossing through the sainc.
- Or the materials may be placed in a trough with holes in the bottom thereof in
which a screw-creeper rotates, so that the materials travel along the said trough
and the heated air or gas circulates alternately upwards and downwards through the
said materials by means of the alternate divisions placed near the material at the
top and at the bottom of the said trough.-The materials to be dried may be put in
any warm place with or without a perforated bottom or other suitable provision for
allowing heated air to pass through the said materials or the said materials may be
placed in a tower or chamber like that shewn in Figure 1, with the difference that
the hot air is forced downwards or across and through the said materials in place of
upwards as herein before described.
In oil or gas Works the coal, shale or lignite may be placed in a hopper fixed in
the ascension-pipe (in other words the ascension-pipe is enlarged) and therein the
coal shale or lignite becomes heated and dried by the current of gases passing
upwards from the retorts, the ascension-pipes being each provided with a door on
the top and a perforated plate at the bottoin, which latter is drawn out so soon as
the retort is emptied of a previous charge and it is desired to recharge it, this
recharging being effected by the falling thereinto of the supply of dried carbonaceous

page_text: material from the ascension-pipe.-It is desirable if this way of working is adopted
to make the ascension-pipe of each retort large enough to contain a full charge for
the retort or the whole gas from a series of retorts may be passed through the
materials which are placed in a chamber so connected to the ascension-pipes that
the gases arising from the retorts pass therethrough; or in place of putting the
material in the ascension-pipes or in a chamber connected therewith the retorts
may each be continued of brick or iron as a chamber leading up the side of the
setting and a pipe connecting it to the hydraulic main taken off at the top of the
chamber. In like manner to the ascension-pipes herein before described this
chamber is furnished with a door at the top and with a perforated plate below for
dropping the charge into the retort when required. In cases where in the process
of working, the ascension-pipe would be too hot for the purpose of merely drying
the carbonaceous matter, the mouthpiece is lengthened so as to keep the ascension-
pipe cooler. In oil works I employ arrangements similar to those which I have
herein last described with respect to gas Works and I may make the pipes or
compartiments leading from the retorts capable of holding and of discharging one
or more charges as required by having two or more perforated plates at different
levels therein. In oil works when vertical retorts are used the ascension-pipe may
be placed at one side of the retort and so that all the liquid therein condensed may
be run off or it may be covered over so as to keep the heat in.
In place of using heated or dried air for eliminating water or moisture from the
said materials or their analogues as herein before described I use heated or dried
gases or the products of combustion of a furnace or fire for this purpose.-Such
gases or products of combustion may be forced or drawn through the materials in
the manner herein before described with reference to the using of heated air.-
The hot gases so used may be the waste gases froin any furnace or fire and the
heat from the said gases may be applied by causing thein to impart their heat to
air passing through flues or pipes or by applying such gases direct to the materials.
The waste heat which radiutes through any furnace or retort setting may be
applied for the purposes of this Invention either by putting a casing round such
furnace or retort setting and placing the said material in the space or spaces
contained between such building and its casing or by drawing or forcing a current
of air through such space or spaces and then through the material or superheated
steam may be used, or the material may be dried by placing it in a compartment
on the top of the fire, but into which the fire has no access; or such compartiment
may be at the side of such building containing fire, or wholly or partly surrounding
or within a chimney which carries off the products of combustion.
Figure 2, of the annexed Sheet of Drawings shews such an arrangement.—The
blower A', forces the air through the pipe C¹, below the closed fire-grate B', on
which are the burning coals, and causes the gas to be evolved which is consumed
in the chamber D¹, by more air preferably heated entering through the pipe E';
this gas is reduced to the proper temperature by more air being admitted by the
pipe F, after which it passes by the pipe G, through the materials in the tower II.
-The temperature of the air or the gases to be used depends on the kind of
material and the quantity of material it is desired to expel water or moisture from,
but so far as my experience goes I have found that very good results are got by using
the air or gas at from 150° to 350° Fahrenheit but I do not confine myself to
using air or gas at this temperature as higher or lower temperatures may be
employed.
A very simple arrangement for drying the aforesaid substances in Gas Works
where the usual horizontal retort is used and where the retorts are fed with shovels
or scoops is to provide a hopper or holder near the retorts and to dry the material
therein as herein before described and then to shovel it whilst dry and hot direct
into the retort, or the material may be brought in wagons or barrows from any of
the apparatus herein before described and charged whilst hot and dry into the
retorts or the top or sides of the retort bench may be encased as hercinbefore
described and the heated air forced or drawn through the materials from the space

page_text: or spaces so encased, or the materials may be placed in spaces at the sides or top of
the retorts and heated and dried by the radiating heat; or the heat from the
ascension-pipes and hydraulic maius and condensers may be utilized by charging
the materials into a a space or spaces formed upon or around them by a casing and
then forcing or drawing heated air through the space and so heating and drying
the materials therein.
In all cases it is desirable to use the materials at once when dried and hot, as, if
allowed to cool they re-absorb water from the atmosphere.
In the drying chambers it is sometimes preferable especially when drying
materials in small pieces or in the state of dust to use agitators, and the heated air
or gas, if desired, may be passed into the drying chamber or chainbers through theso
agitators, which are made hollow or tubular for this purpose, or cross-bars or
chains may be arranged at different positions in the chamber or chambers so as to
cause the materials in their descent changing their places relatively to one another,
or the material may be placed on hinged shelves in towers and dropped from one
shelf to another whilst dried or heated air or gas is caused to ascend the tower.
I am aware that materials to be used in gas works have been kept from getting
wet, as it was thought that a better production of Gas was obtained, but it was
not known that more Benzole is obtained by drying the coal and using it in the
dried state and at the same time hot. It is not then to be understood that I claim
as part of my Invention the sheltering of coal so as to prevent it getting wet by
rain or atmospheric moisture, but what I do claim in regard to this part of my
Invention is
The drying of coal, shale and lignite to be used in retorts or ovens, Furnaces or
fires by driving off the water or moisture held therein, with the objects and for the
purposes herein before stated and according to any manner or method described or
by their equivalents substantially as set forth.
The second part of this Invention relates to treating coal, shale, lignite, wood,
peat or moss, sawdust and other carbonaceous and bituminous substances, for the
production of coke, gas, oil, tar, bitumen, resin, spirit, sulphur and ammoniacal or
cyanogen compounds and to the apparatus used in the carrying out of these
improvements.
When I desire to make coke of the quality or kind produced in ordinary
bechive or analogous coke ovens I place a flue or flues in the bottom of the
ordinary beehive oven or other such oven, covering the flue or flues with slabs of
fire-clay or other material having holes in then and which holes are preferably
wider at the bottom than at the top; or instead of such slabs I place perforated
pipes in the bottom of the said ovens, or in lieu of either using perforated pipes or
the aforesaid slabs, the flues may be covered with thin and narrow bricks or pieces
of metal, a space being left between each such brick or piece of metal which is
preferably wider at the bottom than at the top.-These flues or perforated pipes
are connected by means of a pipe to condensers and scrubbers and absorbers.-As
the gases are driven out from the materials in the said ovens they are drawn
downwards through the said materials by the action of an exhauster and thrown
through a condenser and absorber where the gases are treated for the extraction of
the ammonia and spirit by any of the methods now known or practised for
absorbing the same, and after this separation has been effected the residue or non-
condensed portion of the said gases is forced or drawn back into the top portion of
the oven above the material and is there burned by means of air preferably heated,
and which air I prefer to take into the oven at numerous points as shown and
described in the Specification filed in pursuance of Letters Patent granted to me
the said Henry Aitken N° 57 A.D. 1874.-The air however may be drawn into the
oven at one point or at a few points; the gas in like manner may be drawn into
the oven at one or at a fow points.
Figure 3, shews in transverse section such an oven-The chamber A³, is filled
to the usual height with coal and kindled on the top. After it is fairly kindled
the exhauster is set in operation and the gas evolved from the carbonaceous matter

page_text: is drawn down through the materials into the Flues G2, G3, G², (Figure 4) and
passes through the pipe H, to the condenser, ammonia scrubbers, and oil or spirit
absorber. These scrubbers may be of the form usually employed in Iron, Gas, and
Oil Works, and the absorbers for taking from the gas the oil or spirit may be of the
form used in Oil Works.-After the ammonia oil, tar, and spirit are separated the
residual gases are returned into the top portion of the oven through the pipe F,
and the holes F1, the air being drawn in by means of a chimney or exhauster
through the holes D¹, to consume the gas and so afford heat to coke the coal.-The
pipe D, may be dispensed with when cold air is used and the air may be drawn
through the holes D¹, or the air and gas may be drawn in through one or more
holes. When the material in the oven is coked the charge is withdrawn or it may
be watered out in the oven as is well understood and then withdrawn.
It is preferred that a portion of the pipe H, be made moveable so that it may be
taken out when the oven is being watered.-By means of such removeable portion
of the pipe H-the ilues C, may be opened when necessary and cleaned of any
dust or sinall coal or coke that may fall into them. Each oven is fitted with a
valve on the pipes D, and F, so that it may be closed off from the other ovens
when the charge is being drawn and the oven filled.-When more than one oven
is worked in place of allowing the coal to kindle as before described the gas is
passed into the oven and ignited and so heats up the coal.
Under this head of my invention I claim in the making of coke and the
obtaining of liquid products utilizing the non-condensed gases by returning the
same into the oven as the means of obtaining the necessary heat for coking
the coal, the air for burning the said gases (preferably heated) being drawn in to
consume the gases at one or more points as hereinbefore described.-Farther I
claim the making of coke and getting liquid products therefrom as hereinbefore
described when the air and gas are blown or forced in at one or a few points only.
In certain circumstances it may be of advantage to use the residual gases
produced by coke ovens for other purposes and to employ blast-furnace or other
gases for raising the required heat in the ovens for coking the material.-When the
ovens are so worked such blast-furnace or other gases are forced or drawn into the
top portion of the oven and there consumed by air preferably heated and I claim
for this manner of working where the air is drawn into the oven by one or more
entrances.
In place of taking the gases from the ovens direct to the condensers they may be
drawn through the coal in an adjoining oven by connecting the ovens by means of
flues. The gases may be drawn in succession through any number of ovens in like
manner. During the period that the gases are so passing through the coal in the
second oven there is no fire in the second oven-I take the gases through one or
more ovens with the objects of obtaining a harder coke and a different quality of
hydro-carbon liquid products.-This process of taking the gases through the
materials to be carbonised in one or more chambers or vessels may also be applied
to retorts and I claim under this head of my Invention the working of coke ovens
by taking the gases from one oven, and passing them through the material in one,
or more ovens in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
In place of watering out the coke in the oven it may be steamed out with steam,
or water added, and the steam carried off by the pipe to the condensers and the
ammonia obtained, or a vacuum or partial vacuum may be applied to the oven and
a little water or preferably steam employed so that the last portions of the ammonia
are obtained. The vacuum may be made by means of an air pump or other
equivalent for causing a vacuum. When this system is adopted it is obviously
advisable to cover the ovens with a casing of iron, or the coke may be placed in
tight chambers and there treated in the same manner as if it were in an oven or
retort.
My claim under this head is for the application of a vacuum or partial vacuum
to coke ovens and retorts and chamber or chainbers containing coke preferably
accompanied by a little steam so as to take off ammonia and also the cooling of

page_text: coke in ovens and retorts or chambers by means of steam or water in order to
obtain ammonia as hereinbefore described.
When it is desired to make the gas for illuminating or other purposes and also to
obtain the liquid products I construct brick chambers with thick walls high and
narrow, for example according to the kind of coal or other material to be treated
from 8 to 13, inches wider at the top than bottom and from 6 to 30 feet high and
from 6 to 20 feet broad I burn in these chambers gas, and raise the heat to a very
high degree and then run the coal into them from the top.-Metal may be used
in place of brick for division walls. The walls for absorbing the heat are mado
very thick and the spaces into which the material to be carbonised is put aro made
very narrow, the usual connections for taking off the gases and applying stoam
being adopted.
My claim under this head is for the utilising the heat of the walls of a chamber
for carbonising materials charged thereinto.
According to a further feature of my present improvements I make use of the
heat contained in liquid slag or iron as they issue from a blast-furnace or other
furnace, as a source of supply of heat for carbonising the aforesaid materials with
the view of making gas, oil or tar and for obtaining ammonia therefrom:-I do
this by placing a cover over the pit or receptacle into which hot slag is run
and I place the carbonaceous material therein in order to be carbonised or I run in
the slag among the said materials to be carbonised; or the material to be carbonised
(preferably in small pieces) or dust may be run in together with the slag.-The
cover has attached to it a pipe whereby the gases are drawn off through the
condensers, scrubbers, absorbers and other apparatus of the kinds herein before
described. When the slag is run into wagons the wagons are placed in a chamber
and the doors by which they entered the chamber are then closed when the process
hereinbefore described is carried on.-By this means materials which contain very
little volatile matter may be successfully treated for the purposes of this invention.-
Tar, oil, and grease may be distilled with advantage.-Steam or water may also
be added as hereinbefore described with reference to coke ovens but I prefer to
add these after the carbonising is well advanced.
With reference to this part of my Invention what I claim is:-The utilisation
of the heat contained in slag and iron for the purposes hereinbefore described
In place of working these and other ovens or retors by draught or by forcing
the air into them separate from the gas I may use the gas exhauster for forcing in
the air as well as the gas mixed together into the oven or round the retorts.-This
may be accomplished by having valves at or near the Exhauster one on the pipe
from the condenser or scrubbers and one for air and regulating the quantity of air
and gas to pass through the Exhauster according to the quality or richness of the
mixture of air and gas that is required, or if desired the gases and air may be
drawn into the oven together or separately by means of an exhauster or draught
acting on the products of combustion after they have left the oven and so drawing
off the gases from the ovens or retorts through the condenser and scrubbers, the
quantity of air and gas being regulated when they enter the ovens or pass into
the combustion chamber where the retorts are.-When this method of working is
adopted it is advisable to make the ovens as tight outsile as possible, say by
enclosing them in iron, and the retorts in like manner should be made as tight as
circumstances will admit of.-It may be sufficient in working ovens to raise the
tight lining a little above the level of the coal in the oven.
In working all such ovens or apparatus as is herein before described there is a
chance of explosion if the current of Gases coming into the oven is arrested by the
exhauster stopping, so I put on to the Engine of the exhauster a valve and
regulator which is actuated by the exhaustion of the exhauster so that the moment
the engine stops, this arrangement opens a steam valve which admits steam not
only into the pipes and condenser but also into the coking chambers and so all
risk of explosion is avoided.-Such arrangements have been in use in Gas Works
for regulating speed of the Exhauster, I claim under this head the applying of a

page_text: regulating valve or valves for the purpose of admitting steam into or amongst
gascous products in condensers or other apparatus so as to prevent explosion of
such gaseous products
In Witness Whereof I the said Henry Aitken have bereunto set my hand and
seal this twenty fourth day of March in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty four.