IMPROVEMENTS IN UTILIZING BOG STUFF OR PEAT WHEN APPLIED FOR TREATING METALS AND CERTAIN MINERAL AND ALKALINE SUBSTANCES
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jacob Geoghegan Willans, of 2, Clarence Place,
Belfast, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN UTILIZING BOG STUFF OR
PEAT WHEN APPLIED FOR TREATING METALS AND CERTAIN MINERAL AND
ALKALINE SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 7th October 1859, and dated the 4th May 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jacob Geoghegan Willans
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 4th May 1859.
I, JACOB GEOGHEGAN WILLANS, of 2, Clarence Place, Belfast, do hereby
declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN UTILIZING BOG
STUFF OR PEAT WHEN APPLIED FOR TREATING METALS AND CERTAIN MINERAL AND
ALKALINE SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
When bog stuff or peat is applied for treating any of the "metals," my
improvements are to mix it in the undried state with the metal previously
granulated or divided, also to mould the mixture for being dried for after
use of any kind of forge or furnace.
When peat is applied for calciping limestone for lime purposes, myimprove-
ments are to collect at same time the tarry vapours and gases, and also to
use one or more jets of water in a pipe (as in a trompe water engine), or one or
Prins 81

page_text: more jets of steam (similar to a locomotive chimney), to cause a suction into
the same, pipe, for collection of the vapours and gases from peat whilst
calcining mineral.
When bog stuff or peat is applied for treating ores of iron, tin, or copper,
or for treating sulphate of baryta or sulphate of soda, my improvements are to
mix the bog stuff or peat in the undried state with the mineral or alkaline
substance crushed or pulverised, also to mould the mixture for being dried
for after use in any kind of kiln, oven, mound, or furnace.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Jacob Geoghegan Willans in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 2nd November 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JACOB
GEOGHEGAN WILLANS, of 2, Clarence Place, Belfast, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Jacob Geoghegan Willans, Her special licence
that I, the said Jacob Geoghegan Willans, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Jacob Geoghegan Willans, 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
UTILIZING BOG STUFF OR PEAT WHEN APPLIED FOR TREATING METALS AND
CERTAIN MINERAL AND ALKALINE SUBSTANCES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Jacob Geoghegan Willans, 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 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 Jacob Geoghegan Willans, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same

page_text: same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in utilizing bog stuff or
peat when applied for treating metals and certain mineral and alkaline
substances.
When bog stuff or peat is applied for treating iron, my improvements
are to mix it in the undried state with the metal previously granulated or
divided, also to mould the mixture for being dried for after use in any kind
of forge or furnace.
When peat is applied for calcining limestone for lime purposes, my im-
provements are to collect at the same time the tarry vapours and gases,
and also to use one or more jets of water in a pipe (as in a trompe water
engine), or one or more jets of steam (similar to a locomotive chimney), to
cause a suction into the same pipe, for collection of the
from peat whilst calcining mineral.
vapours and gases
When bog stuff or peat is applied for treating ores of iron, or for treating
sulphate of baryta or sulphate of soda, my improvements are to mix the bog
stuff or peat in the undried state with the mineral or alkaline substance
crushed or pulverised, also to mould the mixture for being dried for after use
in any kind of kiln, oven, mound, or furnace. When treating pig or cast iron,
I take the metal to be operated upon in a granulated or otherwise divided
state, which may be obtained by allowing the metal in a molten state to fall
into water, or by any other convenient means; and I prefer that the granules
or particles should not exceed ths of an inch in thickness or diameter. I
then intermix therewith the bog stuff or peat in the undried state, in variable
proportions, but I prefer to take four times the metal's weight of bog stuff or
peat in that state of moisture as to shew little wet on strong pressure in the
hand. If the water be in excess I make an allowance of a further quantity of
the bog stuff or peat, and if there be so little as to shew no moisture on
pressure, I take only 3 times, and also add afterwards water so as to render
it as plastic as the first mentioned; I then temper up the mixture in any
convenient manner, as clay is done for pottery use, or as mortar is done for
building purposes. When well tempered together, I mould it into any con-
venient sizes or shapes, in the same manner as bricks or tiles are done when
formed from wet clay, preferring the size of a brick 4 × 4 × 9 inches. I
then dry the said moulded mixture in any convenient manner by air, as bricks
and tiles are done, protecting them from rain and sun. When solidified so as
to withstand the pressure of the finger, they may advantageously be dried by
artificial heat, in like manner as bricks are sometimes dried before burning.

page_text: When thoroughly dried, so that the peat therein be sufficiently inflammable,
they are fit for use in the refinery forge or furnace, which I prefer to be of
that kind known as the German charcoal forge or refinery. When the said
refinery.is ignited and in working order, I take as many of the compound
bricks as contain 2 cwt. of metal, and also about one-half or more the amount
of the charcoal before applied for the melting down of the said quantity of
pig, and I throw the same on the fire in alternate layers, commencing with
the charcoal, and apply the blast. When the metal is brought down more
or less refined, it is to be afterwards treated as is usual with metal reduced
to a similar state in charcoal forges or refineries.
I also better utilize peat, whilst acting as the calcining fuel, in contact with
carbonate of lime in limekilns, by withdrawing for condensation and collection
the vapours containing tar and other hydrocarbons given off from the peat
which may be done in any convenient manner. I prefer to have a closely
covered circular channel, 12 inch by 12 inch (with removable top, and
accessible to allow of the removal of any non-fluid substance that may
accumulate therein), around the upper part of the limekiln and close to the
inner wall, with 8 or more holes in the said wall to allow the vapours from
the interior of the kiln to pass through into the channel. I also have
another similar sized straight pipe or channel communicating therewith at
one end, the other extremity in connection with an apparatus for causing
a suction; the channel around the kiln and the other communicating there-
with to have such a fall as will prevent any fluid remaining therein.
For the purpose of withdrawing the above vapours, I prefer to use an
apparatus same as a trompe, viz., a jet of water at any available pressure,
falling into a pipe 10 or more feet deep, and about one foot diameter, with
orifices beneath the jet (as in a trompe blast engine), which open into the
aforesaid pipe or channel communicating with the interior of the kiln; when
the suction caused by the descent of the water withdraws vapours from the
kiln through its wall into the circular channel, and thence through the other
pipe into that in which the water is falling, whereby the said vapours are
carried down in contact with the water, and whatever be condensed flow
out at the bottom (as in a trompe), for collection in any reservoir for the
purpose. The uncondensed vapours and gases being driven through
another pipe (as in a trompe) may be collected, if desired, or otherwise
may be allowed to escape. Jets of steam may be applied to produce a
draft in place of a fall of water, if desired.
When bog stuff or peat is applied for treating ores of iron, I take the bog
stuff or peat in the undried state, and mix it up with such ores of iron as are

page_text: used for the extraction of the metal therefrom previously crushed or pulverize 1,
and I prefer to use ores containing less than 20% earths, and that the largest
particles of the ore do not exceed th of an inch in thickness; also that such
as are carbonates or hydrates of iron be previously calcined. I estimate the
proportions for admixture as follows, viz. :-I first ascertain by analysis the
amount of earthy matter and of metallic iron in the ore to be operated upon,
and the amount of oxygen combined therewith forming oxide; I also ascertain
the quantity of charcoal yielded by a fair sample of the undried bog stuff or peat
intended to be used, by first drying it, then calcining it thoroughly in a close
vessel, and cooling it without access of air or moisture. From the weight of
the product I estimate the quantity any given weight of the undried bog stuff
or peat would yield. I then weigh off any quantity of the said ore, and so
much of the undried bogstuff or peat as would yield of charcoal a weight equal
to that of the oxygen in the ore weighed off. When the ores contain 20% or
less earthy matter, I at this time add to either the above the same proportion
of the same flux (crushed as the ore) as would be required therewith in a coke
blast furnace. If containing more than 20%, the extra quantity of flux
necessary should be added in the furnace in the form of burnt lime broken to
the size of walnuts. I then intermix the ore, bog stuff, peat, and the fluxes, and
temper up, mould, and dry the mixture in the same manner as before described
with the metal, when they are fit for use in the oven, kiln, mound, or furnace
for the deoxydation or carbonization of the ore preparatory to its being reduced
to the metallic state.
I prefer to use a cupola furnace not exceeding 10 feet high, 3 feet diameter
at the top,and tapering down to 18 inches square at the tuyere, placed 14 inches
from the bottom, and supplied with about 250 cubic feet of air per minute,
heated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Atthe crucible opposite the tymp, I have
an arch temporarily built up and removable at will, to admit the withdrawal of
any iron which may not be fluid enough to run off at the tap hole.
When the furnace is in working order and charged with fuel, I throw in the
ore and peat compounds, with a further supply of charcoal fuel interstratified
therewith equal in quantity to one half or more the amount the charges of ore
would require if treated in the ordinary manner in a blast furnace. The sizes
of the pieces of the added charcoal fuel should be as nearly as possible the.
same as the moulded and dried compound. I also add whatever flux be
necessary, in the shape of burnt lime broken to the size of walnuts. I then
apply the blast at a pressure from lb. to 14 lb. according to the compactness
of the added fuel and peat compounds, which latter will differ according to the
decomposition of the peat when raised, the lighter kinds requiring less pressure
.

page_text: than the dark colored, when the ores are deoxydized by the peat in contact
therewith, and afterwards reduced to the metallic state and accumulate in the
crucible for removal when required.
I also use bog stuff or peat for mixing with the sulphate of baryta or
with the sulphate of soda, in order to decompose the said acid by means of
the carbonaceous matter of the peat. When so treating the sulphate of
baryta, I take a quantity of same, previously ground to a fine powder,
and I intermix therewith eight times its weight of the undried bog stuff or
peat, in the state of wet or moisture before described in the treatment of
metallic particles. I temper, mould, and dry the mixture as before described.
When dried so as to be inflammable, I char the same in an oven or mound, as
wood or peat charcoal is produced, whereby the sulphuric acid is decomposed,
and the mineral reduced to a state fitted for use in manufactures.
When treating the sulphate of soda, I take of the undried bog stuff or peat
(preferring that which contains so little moisture as not to be visible on strong
pressure) so much as will afford of charcoal a weight equal to that of the saw-
dust or other carbonaceous matter heretofore used for same purpose; I grind
up the same along with the sulphate of soda until they are most intimately
mixed; I then dry the same in any convenient manner by heat. When
thoroughlydried the compound is to be calcined and desulphurized in thesame
manner as if the usual forms of carbon had been used.
When peat is employed for the manufacture of soda, as above explained, it
is not necessary that the mixture of peat and sulphate of soda should be
moulded previous to the process of calcination.
The term undried bog stuff or peat used in this Specification is to be under-
stood to signifybog stuff or peat which contains its original wet or moisture,or
so much thereof as would render it uninflammable in the ordinary acceptation
of the term, and would render it unfit to be used alone as fuel for general
purposes.
It is also to be understood, that the proportions of bog stuff or peat above
given, and the results from its use, which are herein specified, refer to bog
stuff or peat of a character such as is to be met with in the parish of
Glencolumkill, County Donegal, Ireland, which is of a bituminous nature, and
found to contain less than 2% ashes (air-dried weight); any bog stuff or peat
containing less bituminous matter and more ashes will require due allowance
to be made by the use of a larger proportion along with additional fluxes, and
should the same contain clay, sand, or other impurities, such would have a
prejudicial effect in the furnace and calcining processes herein alluded to.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the manner of

page_text: performing the same, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself
to the exact details described, but what I claim is,―
First, the mixing bog stuff or peat in the state above defined as undried, with
pig or cast iron in a divided state; also the moulding of the same preparatory
to its being exposed to heat in contact with the said bogstuffor peat intermixed
therewith, as herein described.
Second, the collection of tar and other condensible products given off from
bog stuff or peat whilst being used as fuel in limekilns, as herein described.
Third, the adding to and intermixing with ores of iron previously broken or
pulverised bog stuff or peat in the state above defined as undried; also the
moulding the said mixture preparatory to its being exposed to heat, as herein
described.
Fourth, the use of bog stuff or peat in the state above defined as undried, for
mixing withsulphate of barytaor sulphate of soda, preparatory tosuchsulphates
being reduced to sulphurets by the application of heat as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jacob Geoghegan Willans, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
J. G. WILLANS. (L.S.)