IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FUEL
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Barker, of Northfleet, in the County of
Kent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
ARTIFICIAL FUEL."
Sealed the 28th January 1870, and dated the 12th August 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Barker at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th August 1869.
I, DAVID BARKER, of Northfleet, in the County of Kent, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
PACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FUEL," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in certain improvements in the treatment
of coal, lignite, coke, peat, charcoal, and other carbonaceous substances,
so as to produce artificial fuel capable of being applied to a variety of
useful purposes.
The coal or carbonaceous material is reduced to a state of powder or
minute division, and the particles combined or agglomerated by the
means herein-after mentioned.

page_text: For the treatment of one ton of coal or other carbonaceous material
about fifty-six pounds of pitch or other ordinarily insoluble analogous
resinous substance are added to about five gallons of carbolic acid
and from five to ten pounds of chloride of sodium (common salt),
together with such a quantity of water as may be considered requisite,
and then boiled, by which means perfect mixture of the materials is
effected, and a permanently liquid compound produced. This liquid
compound is then mixed, either in a hot or cold state, in the proportion
before mentioned with the coal or other carbonaceous material, and the
substances thus combined then formed into blocks by any of the known
means or machinery adapted to the purpose. The blocks of artificial
fuel having been thus formed are subjected to the influence of heat,
whereby the aqueous moisture contained therein is evaporated, and an
artificial fuel produced, which when burnt is free from smell, is strongly
cohesive, and at the same time waterproof or impervious to moisture
under the conditions to which artifical fuel is ordinarily subjected.
It should be observed that the above-mentioned proportions are
approximative only, and may be somewhat varied according to the
nature of the carbonaceous material under treatment, and the degree of
cohesiveness which it is desired to impart to the fuel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said David Barker in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 11th February 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DAVID
BARKER, of Northflect, in the County of Kent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said David Barker, Her special licence that
I, the said David Barker, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said David Barker, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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,

page_text: within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FUEL," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said David Barker, 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 David Barker, do hereby declare
the nature of my said. Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, that is to say :-
My said Invention consists in certain improvements in the treatment
of coal, lignite, coke, peat, charcoal, and other carbonaceous substances,
so as to produce artificial fuel capable of being applied to a variety of
useful purposes.
:
The coal or other carbonaceous material is reduced to a state of
powder or minute division, and the particles combined or agglomerated
by the means herein-after mentioned.
For the treatment of 1 ton of coal or other carbonaceous material
about 1 hundredweight of pitch or other ordinarily insoluble ana
logous resinous substance is added to about two gallons and a half
of carbolic acid and from five to ten pounds of chloride of sodium
(common salt) or other analogous salts, together with such a quantity
of water as may be considered requisite. The compound is then boiled,
by which means perfect mixture of the materials is effected and a per-
manently liquid compound produced. This liquid compound is then
mixed, either in a hot or cold state, in the proportion before mentioned
with the coal or other carbonaceous material, and the substances thus
combined are subjected to heat, whereby the aqueous moisture con-
tained therein is evaporated; this mixture is then formed into blocks
by any of the known means or machinery adapted for the purpose. The
blocks thus formed on leaving the machine become perfectly solid and
ready for use, producing an artificial fuel which when burnt is free from
any disagreeable smell, perfectly clean, and strongly cohesive, and
unlike all other fuels where pitch or tar has been introduced it becomes

page_text: hard in the fire and forms itself into coke, so that no crumbling or
melting can take place, at the same time it is waterproof or impervious
to moisture under the conditions to which artificial fuel is ordinarily
subjected.
It should be observed that the above-mentioned proportions are
approximative only, and may be varied according to the nature of
the carbonaceous materials under treatment and the degree of cohe-
siveness which it is desired to impart to the fuel. The cohesiveness of
the materials may also be increased and the production of the fuel
economised by the addition of farina to the ingredients before mentioned.
Having thus fully described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which it is to be performed, I would
observe in conclusion that I do not, except as herein-after mentioned,
claim the exclusive use for the purposes aforesaid of the several sub-
stances herein-before mentioned as being combined with the coal or
other material of which the fuel is formed separately and apart from
each other; but what I consider novel and therefore claim as constituting
my said Invention are,―
Firstly. The use of carbolic acid for the purposes and in the manner
herein-before mentioned.
And, secondly. The manufacture of artificial fuel by means of the
combination and treatment of the several before-mentioned substances,
as herein-before substantially set forth and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said David Barker, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Tenth day of February, in the year. of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.