MENTS IN APPARATUS OR MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF FUEL AND OTHER PRODUCTS FROM PEAT, FOR CARBONIZING TAN AND SIMILAR SUBSTANCES, AND FOR DRYING HAY, WOOL, GRAIN, AND OTHER MATERIALS, AND FOR SIMILAR PURPOSES
Year: 1879

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Edward Wilson at the Office of tho
Commissioners of Patents on the 29th September 1879.
"IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS OR MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF FUEL AND OTHER
PRODUCTS FROM PEAT, FOR CARBONIZING TAN AND SIMILAR SUBSTANCES, AND
FOR DRYING HAY, WOOL, GRAIN, AND OTHER MATERIALS, AND FOR SIMILAR
PURPOSES."
EDWARD WILSON, of Exeter, in the County of Devon, Engineer.
•
The said Invention relates to apparatus or machinery for drying, moulding, and
otherwise preparing or treating peat, to manufacture the same into blocks or pieces
for fuel, and for carbonizing peat for fuel and other purposes. The said Invention
is also partly applicable for carbonizing tan and similar substances; for drying hay,
wool, grain, and other materials, and for the manufacture of pulp for making paper,
and for other purposes.
According to one part of my Invention I construct an apparatus or machine for
disintegrating or masticating the peat as follows:-The said machine has a
cylindrical or semi-cylindrical casing provided with a hopper at one end, and con-
taining a worm or screw for forcing the material entering from the hopper toward
the other end of the said casing. The latter is partly constructed of a number of
bars, and its diameter is but slightly larger than that of the said feed worm or screw;
the shaft of the said worm is also provided with a series of blades which work in
close contact with the said bars, and thereby cut the fibres of the peat into small
pieces as the same are caused by the said worm to pass through or between the said
bars.
The outer casing of this apparatus is provided with one or more orifices or dies,
through which the material after being cut or masticated passes in a continuous
stream, and in combination therewith I arrange trays carried upon rollers fixed
on a metallic frame. The peat is cut into suitable lengths thereon by knives or
blades near the said orifices, and attached to a horizontal bar provided with a lever
for operating the same. The blocks of peat formed by this apparatus are conveyed
to drying racks. When used for the manufacture of pulp, water is caused to circulate
and pass between the bars, carrying the fibre away from the same. The aforesaid
drying racks form the subject of another part of my Invention, and are constructed
and arranged as follows:-I provide rows of standards or posts fixed in or resting
upon the ground, and which may be constructed of metal or wood. Across these

page_text: posts in a horizontal position I place and rivet or otherwise secure short picces with
a hole at each end. Strong wire is passed through these holes and fastened to the
cross pieces of the end posts or standards, which are provided with means for
tightening the said wires. These wires serve as supports for the trays containing
the peat blocks.
Between alternate rows of the said posts I leave a space wider than that between
the other rows to form a pathway, but the posts are bent at their upper ends so
that at the top the rows of posts are of equal distances apart. And I provide each
row with an adjustable roof or cover constructed of wood, metal, or other suitable
material. This adjustable roof is preferably supported on pivots on the standards,
and they may be moved or adjusted together or separately to any position to protect
the material on the racks from rain, and to direct the wind downward to increase
its drying effect on the said material.
Another part of my Invention relates to the manufacture of carbon or a better
quality of fuel which can be carried on in wet whether. For this purpose I provide
one or more long narrow chambers constructed of bricks or otherwise, each of which
contains an endless band. These bands are formed of frames of wire-work, hoop-
iron, or other suitable material, hinged or pivotted at one side. The peat is
masticated by the apparatus or machine above described, so modified, that the
discharge orifices or dies are made to suit the width of the endless band and the
requirements of the machine. The said masticating machine is also made portable,
so that the same machine may be used for laying the peat upon any desired number
of bands. The said dies or orifices made of any desired section, according to the form
required to be given to the layer or stream of peat discharged from the same.
In some cases the dies may be so formed that the peat issues in the form of a
broad flat strip, in which is formed a series of holes or slots. For forming these
slots I employ a horizontal bar extending across the band, and formed with prongs,
which are forced down at regular intervals through the stream of peat in front of
the discharge orifice. The masticating machine is placed at the top of one end of
the chamber to be fed with peat. A longitudinal plate is so arranged in the said
chamber at the other end of the same, that when the band is full the peat thereon
will press against the said plate and raise the same, causing it to ring a bell;
machine is then stopped and passed on to the next chamber, which is filled, while
the last one filled is closed.
the
I provide for heating each of the said chambers at the top, and at or near the
centre of the same, by the introduction of gaseous or superheated steam, hot air, or
gases direct from the furnace; the heat passes down through the peat or other
material, which is thereby dried very rapidly and uniformly, while the vapors
arising from the same are passed away from the bottom of the chamber at both ends
of the same, where the bye products from the peat or other material are collected.
The aforesaid frames on which the peat or other inaterial is carried on the said band
during the drying or carbonizing process lie flat thereon, but when this process is
completed the band is set in motion, and each frame as it passes over the wheel or
drum, which is preferably (bexagonal) at the end of the machine, it is caused to
discharge the peat or other material, which falls upon a conveyor suitably arranged
for this purpose. For the conveyance of the peat when in a carbonized condition,
I provide boxes properly constructed to prevent the exposure of the peat to the
atmosphere and its consequent combustion. If the peat is intended for fuel, it is
conveyed from the said chamber to a suitable hopper provided with a pipe or spout
arranged in combination with knives, blades, or beaters, fixed on a disc or shaft,
and driven at a high velocity at one end of a long close chamber heated to a high
temperature by gaseous steam. The peat or other material is forced by the said
plunger from the spout against the said knives or beaters, whereby it is thoroughly
disintegrated; it is then stirred in the said heated chamber by blades or agitators
fixed on a horizontal shaft revolving centrally in the said chamber. At the other
end of the latter the peat falls into a hopper, and is delivered into the moulds of a
pressing machine. When used for drying grain and other like materials the band

page_text: may be formed of wire. The grain or other material is delivered from a hopper
upon one end of the said band, and heat is caused to pass down through it.
The necessary heat is generated in a furnace containing a chamber built over the
grate, which chamber is filled with fuel through closed doors at the top. The said
chamber has openings around the sides between the bottom thereof and the fire bars,
and is supported by hollow blocks connected by pipes. These blocks become red
hot, so that when steam is passed through them from the boiler it is rendered
gascous or superheated. The furnace bars are preferably raised in the centre.
According to another part of my Invention I dry the peat or other materials in
trucks or waggons provided with removable shelves or trays, so arranged that when
the peat or other material is placed thereon spaces or passages will be left for the
circulation of the heat. These trucks or waggons are used in connection with a
chamber which is provided with suitable means for the introduction of heat at the
top of the same, and are so constructed that the heat cannot pass down at the
sides of the waggon or truck, but will be compelled to pass through the material in
the same.
The said trucks are closed at the sides, top, and bottom, the top and
bottom thereof being provided with apertures, which may be opened or closed to
regulate the passage of the heated air and vapor through the same. This part
of my Invention is advantageously applicable for carbonizing tan and other
materials.