for the Manufacture of Briquettes or Fuel Blocks.
Year: 1885

page_text: for the Manufacture of Briquettes or Fuel Blocks.
I WILLIAM BLACK of Stanrigg Airdrie in the County of Lanark Coal Master
do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for "AN IMPROVED LIGHTER OR
FLOATING VESSEL ADAPTED AS A FACTORY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BRIQUETTES
OR FUEL BLOCKS to be as follows :—
"
The object of my invention is to provide a lighter or floating vessel specially
adapted as a factory for the preparation and manufacture of briquettes or fuel
blocks from coal dross or dust.
The manufacture of such fuel blocks is at present commonly carried on in
factories on land, but with this disadvantage that the blocks which are mainly
produced for export have to be conveyed by rail to the port of shipment at an
enhanced rate of carriage as compared with the rate chargeable for conveying the
unmanufactured coal dross and that in transit the manufactured blocks are liable
to get broken or crushed.
According to my invention however considerable economy in production may
be effected by converting a steam lighter barge or other vessel into a factory in
which the manufacture of briquettes may be carried on within the port where
shipment of the goods is to take place, the coal dross being shipped at any con-
venient place manufactured into blocks and transhipped at the same or at any
other post. This arrangement also permits of the employment of the steam boilers
and part of the engine power used in propelling the vessel, to actuate the machinery
employed in the production of the briquettes.
1 employ by preference a lighter or vessel of considerable carrying capacity and
divide the holds into compartments one or more of which may serve to contain the
coal dross or dust while others may serve as receptacles for the briquettes or fuel
blocks manufactured on board the vessel.
The machines for compressing and moulding the dross or dust to the required
form may be of the ordinary construction and may be conveniently located on the
decks which should be roofed over or similarly covered to protect the workmen.
In one typical arrangement the compressing and moulding machines are fitted
between the holds which contain the dross and those which receive the briquettes

page_text: in order that the dross or dust may be fed to the machines by elevators or similar
appliances be transformed into fuel blocks and be delivered in that form into the
holds forming the receptacles for the manufactured goods the operations of feeding
the dross manufacturing it into blocks and delivering the same being continuous.
The compressing machines may be so placed that they may be driven from a single
shaft carried along or over the deck and operated by the engines of the winches or
other hoisting gear of the vessel or by separate engines the boilers (or one or more
of them) which supply steam to the main engines being in any case available for
supplying steam to the engines operating the compressing machinery. In some
cases the main engines which furnish the propelling power for the vessel may be
arranged to disconnect from the propeller shaft and may then be applied to operate
the compressing machines.

page_text: An improved Lighter or Floating Vessel adapted as a Factory
for the Manufacture of Briquettes or Fuel Blocks.
I, WILLIAM BLACK, of Stanrigg, Airdrie Lanarkshire, Coal Master 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:-
The object of my invention is to provide a lighter or floating vessel specially
adapted as a factory for the preparation and manufacture of briquettes or fuel
blocks from coal, dross or coal dust,
The manufacture of such fuel blocks is at present commonly carried on in
factories on land, but with this disadvantage that the blocks, which are mainly
produced for export, have to be conveyed by rail to the port of shipment at an
enhanced rate of carriage as compared with the rate chargeable for conveying the
unmanufactured coal dross, and that in transit the manufactured blocks are liable
to get broken or crushed.
According to my invention, however, considerable economy in production may
be effected by converting a steam lighter, barge or other vessel into a factory in
which the manufacture of briquettes may be carried on within the port where
shipment of the goods is to take place, or during transit by water, the coal dross
being shipped at any convenient loadiag berth, manufactured into blocks, and
transhipped or discharged at the same, or any other port. This arrangement also
permits of the employment of the steam boilers and part of the engine power,
used in propelling the vessel, to actuate the machinery employed in the production
of the briquettes.
I employ, by preference, a lighter or vessel of considerable carrying capacity and
divide the holds into compartments one or more of which may serve to contain the
coal dross or dust while others may serve as receptacles for the briquettes or fuel
blocks manufactured on board the vessel. The machines for compressing and
moulding the dross or dust to the required form may be of the ordinary con-
struction and may be conveniently located on the decks which should be roofed
over or similarly covered to protect the workmen. In one typical arrangement
the compressing and moulding machines are fitted between the holds which contain
the dross and those which receive the briquettes in order that the dross or dust may
be fed to the machines by elevators or similar appliances be transformed into fuel
blocks and be delivered in that form into the holds forming the receptacle for the
manufactured goods, the operations of feeding the dross manufacturing it into
blocks and delivering the same being continuous.
The compressing machines may be so placed that they may be driven from a
single shaft carried along or over the deck and operated by the engines of the
winches or other hoisting gear of the vessel or by separate engines, the boilers (or
one or more of them) which supply steam to the main engines being in any case
available for supplying steam to the engines operating the compressing machinery.

page_text: In some cases the main engines which furnish the propelling power for the vessel
may be arranged to disconnect from the propeller shaft, and may then be applied
to operate the compressing machines.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
A floating factory for the manufacture of briquettes or fuel blocks, consisting of
a steam lighter or other vessel provided with holds for carrying the fuel blocks
and the raw material from which they are manufactured and with moulding or
compressing machines operated by or from the engines which propel the vessel
or by separate engines, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.