IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS AND APPARATUS TO BE USED FOR THIS PURPOSE
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Russell Crampton, of Great George
Street, Westminster, in the County of Middlesex, for
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS AND
APPARATUS TO BE USED FOR THIS PURPOSE.”
the Invention
.
FUEL, AND IN
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Russell
Crampton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
his Petition, on the 29th July 1872.
'
I, THOMAS RUSSELL CRAMPTON, of Great George Street, Westminster,
in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS AND FUEL, AND
IN APPARATUS TO BE USED FOR THIS PURPOSE," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the manufacture of
gas and fuel from powdered coal.. Regular streams of powdered coal
are caused to pass freely through a sufficient length of heated chambers
or retorts, so that in its passage the gases shall be sufficiently distilled or
evolved from the coal, and the gases and particles of coke thus formed

page_text: continue their passage through or between cooled chambers until the tar
and other distilled products are condensed. The coke particles and gas
are separated, or nearly so, by preference by allowing them at a low
velocity to traverse cooling chambers, or by bringing them in contact
with projecting surfaces, the gas then passes out of the apparatus and, if
desired, 'cleansed by water of any dust remaining in it, or otherwise
purified by ordinary means.
The coke dust charged with the tar is removed from the apparatus
into proper receptacles, or, if desired, direct into any ordinary pressing
machine, and formed into blocks of fuel.
When required additional adhesive matter usually employed in making
blocks of fuel may be added to the coal or coke at any stage of the
operation found desirable. Previously to the blocks being pressed the
material may be reheated.
In some instances substances such as lime may be mixed with the
coal dust, either to assist in purifying the gas, or to assist the coke dust
to adhere together on being pressed. Coal dust may be added to the
coke dust previously to their being formed into blocks.
In some cases the gas after being made may be separated from the
coke dust by depositing the coke in heated chambers previously to con-
densation being effected. In such instances the gas will be condensed
and purified in the ordinary manner, the coke dust being removed in a
hot state, and then made into blocks either in a heated or cool condition.
The atmospheric air is to be excluded from entering the retorts with the
coal in the first instance, also when the coke dust leaves the apparatus.
Other suitable substances for producing gas may be treated partially
or wholly in the same manner as the coal.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Russell Crampton in the Great Seal-
Patent Office on the 29th January 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
RUSSELL CRAMPTON, of Great George Street, Westminster, in the County
of Middlesex, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Thomas Russell Crampton, Her special
license that I, the said Thomas Russell Crampton, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Russell
Crampton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at 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, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS AND FUEL, AND IN APPARATUS
TO BE USED FOR This Purpose," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Thomas Russell Crampton, my executors or administrators, 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 In-
vention, 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 Thomas Russell Crampton, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the manufacture of
gas and fuel from powdered coal and other suitable solid gas making
material. For this purpose regular streams of powdered coal are caused
to fall freely through a sufficient length of heated chambers or retorts,
so that in its passage the gases shall be sufficiently distilled or evolved
from the coal, and the gases and particles of coke thus formed continue
their
passage through or between cooled chambers until the tar and
other distilled products are condensed, or partially so, and the coke
particles and gas are separated, or nearly so, by preference, by allowing
them at a low velocity to traverse the cooling chambers, or by bringing
them in contact with projecting surfaces.
'
The evolved gas passes out of the apparatus, and, if desired, is cleansed
by water of any dust remaining in it, and otherwise purified. by ordinary
>

page_text: The coke is removed as required from the lower end of the apparatus
and will be found in the form of a dry powder, which may be mixed
with suitable adhesive materials, and moulded into blocks and dried, and
in that state will be found to be fuel of superior quality, or the powdered
coke may be otherwise utilized.
In some cases the gas, after being made, may be separated from the
coke dust by depositing the coke in the heated chamber or retort
previously to condensation being effected. In such instances the gas
will be conducted away to condensers, and condensed and purified in
the ordinary manner, the coke dust being removed either in a hot or
cold state.
.
The gas is prevented from escaping from the retorts as the coal enters
them in the first instance, also when the coke dust leaves the apparatus
in the manner herein-after more particularly described.
Other suitable carbonaceous substances for producing gas may be
treated partially or wholly in the same manner as the coal.
In order that my Invention may be fully understood, and readily
carried into effect, I have in the Drawings hereunto annexed shewn
various arrangements of apparatus constructed according to my
Invention, and so arranged that gas may be manufactured from
powdered coal in a continuous process, the escape of the gas manufac-
tured being prevented at the respective ends of the retort or heating
chamber by the powdered coal at the entrance end, and the deposited
coke dust at the exit end, or by valves or water seals in conjunction
therewith.
In each of the arrangements one retort only is shewn for the sake of
illustration. Any convenient number of retorts however may be worked
in sets, and heated by one furnace.
"
In Figure 1 of the Drawings A, A, A, is a vertical retort made
parallel or taper of any convenient form, either cylindrical or square,
constructed of any well-known material used for the purpose, and
heated by a heated flue or furnace B of any usual construction for a
portion of its length sufficiently long to cause the gases to be evolved from
the coal in its passage through it, the length of such heated portion of
the retort depending chiefly upon the size and quantity of coal used..
Coal which will pass through an ordinary sieve, 30 to the inch, on

page_text: passing through a retort 14 inches diameter properly heated for 20 feet
of its length will suffice. This should be taken as approximate. That
quantity of coal only should be let into the retort that is found to be
carbonized to the extent required. C is a feeder at or near the top of
the retort about 9 feet above the heated portion. At this distance the
feeder is kept sufficiently cool for its proper working without being '
cooled by water. A greater distance may be.used, but if the top of the
retort is surrounded and cooled by water a much less length than 9 feet
will suffice. Beneath the furnace B the retort is extended for- about
20 feet, by preference surrounded with water containing within it a
hollow revolving vertical shaft with blades attached, water being by
preference allowed to circulate through it. The length will have to be
determined by the amount of surface necessary to sufficiently cool the
products on their passage between the bottom of the furnace and the
outlet for the gas C¹; the coke dust with the solid condensed products
falls below the opening on to the bottom D, and is allowed to accu-
mulate to a sufficient depth, so that the pressure of the gas inside the
retort will not allow the gas to pass freely through it, the coke dust
forming a seal or nearly so. This depth of coke dust will depend
upon the size of the particles of coal used, and the depth will have to be
arranged accordingly.
.
In place of allowing the coke dust to gradually accumulate up the
retort when commencing to work it is preferable to commence by filling
the lower part of the retort to the extent desired with coke dust.
The coke dust is ejected from the bottom in regular proportion corre-
sponding with the quantity of coal fed into the retort by an arm
revolving with the upright shaft, or by other means, into any ordinary
archimedian screw or other suitable conveying apparatus, and conducted
away to be made into fuel blocks, or otherwise utilized, the coke dust
being in a condition in which it may be advantageously moulded into
shapes required for fuel.
The coke in the coke seal, unless very fine and of great height, will,
when open at the bottom, allow gas to pass; but in many cases an
aperture at the bottom of the pipe having a gas-tight cover, slide, or
valve attached can be periodically open, and the coke dust extracted,,
the quantity of gas escaping during the operation being of no practical
importance, and thus a very good seal may be formed by the coke dust.
Or the bottom of the retort may be scaled by an ordinary. water seal, as
°

page_text: shewn at Figure 2, the coke dust falling into it, and the coke being
extracted from beneath the retort through the water by inclined or other
convenient extractors, see Figure 2, or it may displaced by manual
labour, care being in all cases taken that the coke is extracted propor-
tionally to the coal that enters at the top, so as to keep the coke at the
required height in the retort.
A certain amount of accumulated coke dust must always be left
above the water seal to prevent the production of steam by the hot
coke falling directly into the water. The gas passing from the
outlet C¹ is cleansed and purified by any of the ordinary well-known
means.
The feeder F consists of an open topped vertical and parallel pipe E,
about two feet high, and 5 or 6 inches in diameter, at the bottom of
which is a horizontal chamber G, the full width of the vertical part E;
a cylindrical projecting portion I enters the side of the retort to any
convenient distance, and a shaft passes through it having blades at a
suitable angle fixed on it, as shewn in Figure 1, provision being made
for driving the shaft at various speeds to suit the quantity of coal dust
required to be fed. Under the vertical part E the blades are so arranged
that in revolving they disturb the whole bottom area of the column of
coal, by which means the coal will fall without clogging. These blades,
by the angle given them, also force the coal dust into the cylindrical
part I, which also has blades set on the same spindle at a proper angle,
feeding the coal into the retort.
When the coal dust is required to be spread, so as to fall near the
surfaces of the retort, it may be allowed to fall upon a cone, or other
suitable spreader; or it may be allowed to fall into a short vertical pipo
to ensure its descending mainly through the centre of the retort.
To supply the pipe E with coal, as it descends by its being withdrawn
at the bottom by the screw blades, an ordinary worm may be used, such
as is generally employed in flour mills for conveying flour, by placing it
over the pipe E, having a hole in the screw case corresponding to the
vertical pipe; the coal, on being screwed over this aperture, keeps it
supplied, the surplus passing onwards. There are various means by
which the vertical pipe may be kept full of coal dust, that mentioned
being simple.

page_text: A slide L is used to close the aperture when desired; I have found
that with two inches of water pressure in the retort a depth of 2 feet
of dust coal capable of passing through an ordinary sieve 30 to the inch
is an effectual seal. The form of this feeding apparatus for supplying
a continuous stream of powdered coal to a vertical retort may be con-
siderably modified, so long as the escape of gas from the retort is scaled
by the column of powdered coal in the feeders, and so long as the lower
end of the column of powdered coal is unable to drop away from the
lower end of the apparatus by gravity, but is expelled horizontally
therefrom as above described, as for example, the construction of feeding
apparatus may be modified in the manner shewn at Figure 5. In this
modification the lower end of the column of powdered coal rests upon
a fixed plate M, and is continuously pushed off therefrom by blades O
fixed on a revolving shaft N.
It should be observed that the above arrangement of retorts may be
varied. It is not absolutely necessary in all cases that the whole
apparatus be in one vertical line. The hot gases and coke may fall into
a horizontal chamber having agitators in them, or other means may be
employed in assisting the cooling before the coke and gases separate..
A casing of water may also be used outside the cooling apparatus as
before stated, and the agitators may also have cold water circulating
through them if desired. The coke dust may also be allowed to fall into.
a chamber at the bottom of the retort, depositing itself on the bottom
partially cooled, the gas separating itself from the coke without being
agitated with it and passing away to be condensed and purified in the
ordinary manner.
The coke dust may be displaced from time to time or by being con-
tinuously screwed or conducted out of this chamber through a water
scal, or from the deposit made after having passed through other sealing
apparatus referred to, and then utilized..
To clean the retort from time to time a hollow cylinder, ring, or
frame M, Figure 1, forming a scraper made of iron or steel is placed
inside the retort attached to a rod or rods N passing through stuffing
boxes in the cover of the retort with a chain fixed to them, passing over
a pulley O with counterweights. This scraper when not in use rests at
the top in the cool part of the retort, as shewn in Figure 1, and is let.
down into it, when desired, either for cleaning the sides or (if no stirrers
are used) disturbing the coke at the bottom.

page_text: Figure 2 shews a section in which the gas is separated from the coke
before being cooled, and the process is conducted entirely in a vertical
retort, the coal entering at the top and the coke falling out at the bottom
into trucks or other receptacles. The coke in falling is allowed to
accumulate up to the hot part of the retort A, say for about 3 or 4 feet
in height, the total heated part being about 20 feet, the gases being
taken off by a pipe at the top at B or at other convenient part of the
retort, either above the furnace or heated portion or out of the heated
portion of the retort situated within the furnace C, say, at the dotted
line D above the deposit of coke; the gas being conducted away and
purified in the ordinary manner. The depth of the heated part, also
that of the portion below may be varied, that below depending upon the
temperature the coke is required to pass out of the bottom.
In some cases also it may be found advantageous to conduct the gases
as they pass from the retort through a second heated retort before the
gases enter the coolers and purifiers.
The gas is prevented from escaping from the retort by sealing it with
water at the bottom, or by two slides E, E, as shewn at Figure 3, and in
dotted lines at Figure 2, or by other suitable valves. When slides are
used, on the top one being pulled out the coke dust falls to the bottom
slide; the top being then closed the bottom is opened and the coke
previously resting upon it falls into any convenient receptacle. This
would have to be repeated at regular intervals so as to keep the top of
the coke at the required level. The light particles of coke will have
little tendency to stick to the sides; if they do so they can easily be
detached during the making of gas by lowering the scraper on to the
coke, or by other arrangements, such as inserting a tool through the
bottom or sides, care being taken to exclude any escape of gas during
the operation, or a bar which may, if desired, have projections upon it
may be supported in that part of the retort occupied by the coke, and
the bar may be agitated from the exterior from time to time, or kept
constantly in motion.
Figure 3 shews a similar arrangement of vertical retort with the
outlet A for the gas beneath the heated part of the retort C, and above
the deposited portion of the coke dust F; those portions of the retort
either above or below the heated portion may be wholly or partially
surrounded with water, to assist in cooling them.

page_text: At Figure 4 is shewn a modification of the arrangement, shewn at
Figure 2, whereby' the coke deposited at the lower end of a vertical
retort may be extracted either continuously or intermittently through
scals or valves without arresting the working of tlie retort. In this
arrangement the part A of the retort is branched or forked into one or
more branches C, C, the ends of the branches or forks being closed by
water, or other seals, or valves at which the coke can be extracted.
With this arrangement of apparatus the powdered coal is fed into the
top of the retort by a feeder, as previously described, and the coke
collecting at the bottom is from time to time pushed by the rabble or
rake B into the branch or branches C, C, the lower ends D, D, of which
are sealed as described, the gas being taken off at any convevient point..
The stem or rod of the rabble passes out through a stuffing box.
I am aware that several propositions for dropping or inserting finely
divided coal into vertical retorts or chambers for making gas have been
made, which system is very old, therefore I make no general claim to
making gas from powdered coal which is dropped or passed into a
heating chamber; but I would have it observed. that in none of the
forms of apparatus which have hitherto been proposed to be used for
producing gas in the way above mentioned has there been any successful
provision for rendering the process of making the gas continuous. The
operation has been stopped from time to time when it has been necessary
to remove the accumulation of deposited coke, an inconvenience which
is successfully remedied by my Invention.. Again, in no case has the
escape of gas from the upper end of the retort or heating chamber been
prevented, by utilizing in the manner adopted by me the powdered coal,
nor has the gas been prevented from escaping at the exit end of such
retorts by coke dust, either alone or in conjunction with valves or
water seals.
1st. The employment, as herein described, for the manufacture of gas
from powdered coal or other powdered gas-making material, of a vertical
retort or heating chamber, into the upper end of which the powdered
material is introduced continuously, which, after giving off its gas, is
deposited as coke dust at the other end, and is then withdrawn through
scals or valves which prevent the escapc of gas.

page_text: 2nd. The combinations of parts forming respectively modifications of
my improved gas producing apparatus, constructed and used substantially
as herein described and respectively shewn in Figure 1, in Figure 2, in
Figure 3, and in Figure 4.
=
3rd. The application, for the purpose and in the manner substantially
as herein described and shewn in Figures 1 and 5 respectively, of feeding
apparatus for continuously supplying powdered material to the retort or
heating chamber, and stopping at the same time escape of gas from the
entrance end.
4th. The application, for the purpose and in the manner substantially
as described, of the apparatus for allowing the coke dust to be removed,
and preventing any material escape of gas by means of the coke dust
alone, or in combination with slides, valves, or water seals.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Russell Crampton, have
hercunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of
January, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-three.