Improvements in the Manufacture of Blocks or Briquettes of Fuel.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Jan., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 7th Nov., 1893—Accepted, 16th Dec., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Blocks or Briquettes of Fuel.
I, THOMAS WILTON LEE, of Trafalgar Buildings, Northumberland Avenue, in
the County of London, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:
This invention has reference to the manufacture of blocks or briquettes of fuel
and machinery or apparatus for the purpose.
In the Specification of a former application for Letters Patent No. 15748 dated
2nd September 1892 I have described the manufacture of blocks or briquettes of
fuel by intimately mixing small coal, smudge dant or like carbonaceous material
with flour and lime, subjecting the mixture to the direct action of steam, and
compressing the mixture whilst in a moist and heated condition into blocks or
briquettes.
Since the date of the said application for Letters Patent I have discovered that
in carrying out the process therein referred to carbonaceous fuel other than small
coal, smudge or dant or the like; organic substances other than flour; and caustic
alkalies other than lime, can be advantageously used in the manufacture of blocks
or briquettes of fuel.
The following may be employed
―
(a) As the carbonaceous fuel, I have found that peat, may be used.
(b) As a substitute for the flour, starch, or any powdered farinaceous substances
ground oil-cake, potato-flour and the like may be used.
(c) As a substitute for the lime strontia magnesia or. baryta may be used.
In using such substances as above mentioned under heads (a) (b) and (c) the
proportions will depend upon the substances used.
When using ground anthracite coal 1 prefer to use a binding mixture containing
flour of wheat or maize (using damaged flour where practicable for the sake of
cheapness) and lime or flour and strontia, or flour and magnesia, or flour and
baryta, the proportion of these substances depending upon the condition and the
quality of the anthracite coal employed. For instance if the anthracite be damp a
larger proportion of binding material must be used. Also if the proportion of ash
in the anthracite be large a smaller quantity of the binding agent will suffice.
With bituminous coals I have found by experience that it is advantageous to
replace the flour wholly or in part by a proportion of starch, but when starch is
used I find that the proportion of binding agent to the coal has to be increased.
For instance instead of using a binding agent containing two parts of flour and two
parts of lime it will usually be more advantageous to use say one part of flour one
part of starch and two parts of lime, or better still to use four parts of starch or
even more with two parts of lime. And instead of using a binding agent containing
say two parts by weight of flour and two parts by weight of lime to one hundred
parts by weight of coal which is suitable for anthracite coal, it will be usually more
advantageous for example to use with say 100 parts by weight of bituminous coal,
one part by weight of flour, one part by weight of starch, and two parts by weight
of lime; or better still to use four parts of starch or even more, with two parts
of lime and one hundred parts of bituminous coal, flour being wholly dispensed
with.
In all cases it will be advisable when using soft bituminous coal to replace the
whole of the flour by starch, in order to avoid risk of spontaneous combustion when
the finished blocks or briquettes are stored.
When using ground coke or peat, the binding agent employed may consist of
flour and lime or flour and strontia or flour and magnesia or flour and baryta.

page_text: I find, when using caustic alkali other than lime, such as strontia, magnesia or
baryta, that the proportion of these alkalies must be increased it may be for
example about threefold, to obtain the desired result. Consequently I prefer
for the sake of economy to use a binding mixture containing lime and flour for
anthracite coals, and for bituminous coals a mixture of lime and flour, part or the
whole of the flour being replaced by starch.
In carrying out my invention the cereal grain or starch and caustic alkali
employed each in the state of flour or fine powder are mixed together and then
intimately mixed by any suitable means with the carbonaceous material which, as
usual in briquette making, must also be reduced to a fine powder before entering.
the briquette moulding machine. The mixture is conveyed to and put into a
hopper from which it passes into the supply cylinder of a suitable briquette making
machine into which "live" steam enters. A mechanical stirrer passes through the
centre of the cylinder and agitates the mass which eventually falls into the moulding
machine wherein it is converted into briquettes in the ordinary manner. I have
obtained satisfactory results when using steam at pressures varying from about
fifteen pounds to thirty pounds on the square inch, the steam being introduced
through two nozzles each having an outlet of about one inch in diameter. As will
be obvious, however, I do not limit myself to the exact proportions of materials
and steam pressures mentioned, as the same can be varied to suit different classes
of coal without departing from the essential feature of my invention. In all cases,
however the proportion of binding agent need only be small, so that the cost thereof
will not be great, and it will add very little to the percentage of the non-combustible
matter present in the finished briquettes.
In carrying out the present invention variations can be made as to proportion's
and in other respects. The construction of the machinery may be more or less
modified and when dealing with peat as the carbonaceous substance in some cases it
may be found convenient to use the peat in cakes or slices with interposed layers of
a suitable binding agent such as hereinabove indicated and to compress the whole
in a mould with a powerful press so as to consolidate the mass into a compound
block of fuel.
Dated this 6th day of January 1893
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Blocks or Briquettes of Fuel.
I, THOMAS WILTON LEE, of Trafalgar Buildings, Northumberland Avenue, in
the County of London, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
This invention has reference to the manufacture of blocks or briquettes of fuel.
In the Specification of a former application for Letters Patent, No. 15748 dated
2nd September 1892 I have described the manufacture of blocks or briquettes of
fuel by intimately mixing small coal, smudge dant or like carbonaceous material
with flour and lime, subjecting the mixture to the direct action of steam, and
compressing the mixture whilst in a moist and heated condition into blocks or
briquettes.
Since the date of the said application for Letters Patent I have discovered that
in carrying out the process therein referred to, carbonaceous fuel other than small
coal, smudge or dant or the like; organic substances other than flour; and caustic
alkaline earths other than lime, can be advantageously used in the manufacture of
blocks or briquettes of fuel.

page_text: The following may be employed :-
(a) As the carbonaceous fuel, I have found that peat, may be used.
(b) As a substitute for the flour, starch or any powdered farinaceous substances,
ground oil-cake, potato-flour and the like may be used.
(c) As a substitute for the lime-strontia, magnesia or baryta may be used.
In using such substances as above mentioned under heads (a) (b) and (c) the
proportions will depend upon the substances used.
When using ground anthracite coal I prefer to use a binding mixture containing
flour of wheat or maize (using damaged flour where practicable for the sake of
cheapness) and lime, or flour and strontia, or flour and magnesia, or flour and baryta,
the proportions of these substances depending upon the condition and the quality of
the anthracite coal employed.
For instance if the anthracite be dry, suitable proportions, by weight, of the
several substances are say about two parts of flour, 2 parts of lime and 96 parts of
coal; or say 2 parts of flour, 3 parts of strontia, and 95 parts of coal; or 2 parts of
flour, 4 parts of magnesia, and 94 parts of coal; or 2 parts of flour, 8 parts of baryta
and 90 parts of coal.
The proportion of binding material when using damp carbonaceous material
must necessarily vary with the degree of dampness. It must be left to the
judgment and experience of the manufacturer to vary the necessary proportion in
order to allow for the condition of the material but these are matters which can
readily be ascertained in practice after a little experience.
With bituminous coals I have found by experience that it is advantageous to
replace the flour wholly or in part by a proportion of starch, but when starch alone
is used I find that the proportion of binding agent to the coal has to be increased.
For instance instead of using a binding agent containing say two parts of flour and
two parts of lime to 96 parts of coal, which is suitable for anthracite coal, it will
be usually more advantageous for example to use with say 94 parts of bituminous
coal, one part of flour, 3 parts of starch, and two parts of lime; or better still to
use four parts of starch or even more, with two parts of lime and 94 parts of
bituminous coal, flour being wholly dispensed with. Or the two per cent. of lime in
these mixtures may be replaced by about 3 per cent. of strontia; or about 4 per cent.
of magnesia; or 8 per cent. of baryta.
In all cases it will be advisable when using soft bituminous coal to replace the
whole of the flour by starch, in order to avoid risk of spontaneous combustion when
the finished blocks or briquettes are stored.
When using ground peat, the binding agent employed may consist of flour and
lime, or flour and strontia, or flour and magnesia, or flour and baryta. In these
cases advantageous results may be obtained by using 88 parts of peat, and a binding
agent composed of say about 8 parts of flour and 4 parts of lime; or about 80 parts
of peat and about 8 parts of flour and 12 parts of strontia; or about 76 parts of
peat and about 8 parts of flour and 16 parts of magnesia; or about 60 parts of peat
and about 8 parts of flour and 32 parts of baryta.
It will be seen that when using a caustic alkaline earth other than lime, such as
strontia, magnesia or baryta, the proportion of these alkalies must be increased
to obtain the desired result. Consequently I prefer, for the sake of economy,
to use a binding mixture containing lime and flour for anthracite coals, and for
bituminous coals a mixture of lime and flour, or a mixture in which part or the
whole of the flour is replaced by starch.
The alkaline earths referred to can be used mixed but it is not necessary to give
further directions as to the proportions to be used in such cases as they will readily
be deduced from the foregoing.
The proportions of materials herein referred to, are in all cases by weight.
In carrying out my invention, the cereal grain starch or equivalent material such
as herein referred to, and caustic alkaline earth employed, each in the state of flour,
or fine powder, are mixed together and then intimately mixed by any suitable

page_text: means with the carbonaceous material, which, as usual in briquette making, must
also be reduced to a fine powder before entering the briquette moulding machine.
The mixture is conveyed to and put into a hopper from which it passes into the
supply cylinder of a suitable briquette making machine into which "live" steam
enters for the purpose of interaction and bringing the binding materials into a
nascent condition. A mechanical stirrer passes through the centre of the cylinder
and agitates the mass which eventually falls into the moulding machine wherein it
is compressed into briquettes in the ordinary manner.
I have obtained satisfactory results when using steam at pressures varying from
about fifteen pounds to thirty pounds on the square inch, the steam being introduced
through two nozzles each having an outlet of about one inch in diameter. As will
be obvious, however, I do not limit myself to the exact proportions of material and
steam. pressures mentioned, as the same can be varied to suit different classes of
coal without departing from the essential feature of my invention.
In all cases the proportion of binding agent when treated as herein before
described need only be small, so that the use thereof will result in great economy in
the cost of the manufacture, and it will add very little to the percentage of the non-
combustible matter present in the finished briquettes..
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a side elevation, and
Fig. 2 is a part plan illustrating a suitable arrangement of plant for carrying out
my invention.
•
Figs. 3 and 4 are elevations at right angles to each other, and-
Fig. 5 is a plan showing to a larger scale than Figs. 1 and 2, the vertical
cylinder or heater in which the intimate and powdered mixture of carbonaceous
fuel cereal grain and alkaline earth is treated with steam.
1 is a hopper into which the carbonaceous fuel to be formed into briquettes is
delivered from a railway waggon or other suitable source of supply. 2 is a bucket
conveyor by which this fuel is delivered into a shute 3 by which it is discharged
into a measuring vessel 4 into which the powdered mixture of flour and alkaline
earth is also delivered from hoppers 5, 5ª by a screw conveyor working within a
receptacle 6, and a shute 7. 8 is a disintegrator or mixing apparatus by which the
fuel is ground to a fine powder and intimately mixed with the flower and alkaline
earth. The resulting mixture passes into a hopper 9 from which it is raised by a
bucket elevator 10 and discharged into a vibrating screen 11 through which it falls
into a shute 12 by which it is conducted to a heater or cylinder 13 and thence in
the ordinary manner through a lateral adjustable opening 13" to a briquette
moulding machine 14 which may be of any suitable construction and wherein the
mixture is converted into briquettes 15. 14 is a shaft by which such machine is
driven. The briquettes may be delivered onto an endless conveyor belt 16 by
which they can be led to any suitable place..
17, 17 are steam pipes for supplying steam to nozzles 17ª arranged within the
lower part of the heater or cylinder 13, (Figs. 3, 4 and 5). Through these nozzles
the steam issues so as to interact with the binding materials and heat and moisten
the mixture as herein before described, the mixture being kept in constant motion
by a rotary agitator comprising arms 18 fixed to a shaft 184 arranged within the
heater or cylinder and driven by bevel gearing 18 as well understood.
19 (Figs. 1 and 2) is a shute by which material that is too large to pass the
screen 11 is returned to a receptacle 20 and thence to the disintegrator to be further
dealt with. 21 is a driving shaft from which the several elevators, which are
shown diagrammatically, the disintegrator, the vibrating screen, the rotary agitator
and the briquette moulding machine, are driven by pulleys and belting in a
manner that will be readily understood from the drawings without further
description.
•
By my invention I am enabled to produce in an economical manner hard blocks
or briquettes of fuel without the use of pitch and such like objectionable agents.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The manufacture as hereinabove described of blocks or briquettes of fuel by
intimately mixing small coal, smudge, dant or like carbonaceous material with a
binding agent composed of a mixture of one or some of the substances hereinbefore
mentioned under head (6) with one or some of the substances mentioned under
head (c), subjecting the mixture to the direct action of steam, and compressing the
mixture whilst in a moist and heated condition into blocks or briquettes as set
forth.
2. The manufacture as herein before described of blocks or briquettes of fuel by
intimately mixing peat, in a finely divided condition, with flour and lime, or with
one or some of the substances mentioned under head (b) and one or some of the
substances mentioned under head (c), subjecting the mixture to the direct action of
steam, and compressing the mixture whilst in a moist and heated condition into
blocks or briquettes as set forth.
3. Blocks or briquettes of fuel as hereinabove described and referred to in the
preceding claims.
Dated this 7th dex of November 1902
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.