IMPROVEMENTS TY THE DRODIICTION OF A DINICIAL FITEL " SP
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Walters, of Wadbury, Frome, in the County
of Somerset, Gentleman, and William Morgans, of Bristol, in the County of
Gloucester, Civil and Mining Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
TY THE DRODIICTION OF A DINICIAL FITEL "
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Walters and William
Morgans at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th March
1881.
GEORGE WALTERS, of Wadbury, Frome, in the County of Somerset, Gentleman,
and WILLIAM MORGANS, of Bristol, in the County of Gloucester, Civil and
Mining Engineer.
" IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF ARTIFICIAL
FUEL."
The object of this Invention is to provide a sanitary and economical fuel, the
basis of which shall consist of coal, whilst lime, either employed alone or in con-
junction with other cementing and purifying ingredients, is compounded therewith
in such a manner as will neutralize, counteract, or modify the effect of deleterious
substances in the coal, and produce an abatement of smoke and objectionable
fumes by arresting or absorbing obnoxious gases and odours given off during
combustion, instead of allowing such gases and odours to escape into the
atmosphere.
In carrying out this Invention in order to effect the object before mentioned, we
proceed in the following manner :-
We take a given quantity of coal, by preference of a bituminous quality, coal of
the size known as small, or even dust coal will be found most suitable, but when
large coal only is available, it may be crushed or pulverized to the required size or
condition. To the coal thus provided, we add a suitable proportion, say, from one
quarter to one tenth of slacked' lime, the coal and lime being then thoroughly
mixed, ground, or pugged together by suitable appliances, whilst sufficient water
is added to produce a plastic mass capable of being moulded or pressed into
convenient pieces or blocks. The blocks are then dried or baked and hardened.
It will be found that the blocks of fuel so concreted will readily ignite and burn
freely in ordinary grates, furnaces, or other places, with the special result that
Price &

page_text: sulphurous and other gases evolved from the combustion of the coal will combine
with the associated lime, and their combustion will be controlled and retarded
whilst such portion as is not consumed will remain in an innocuous state, mixed
with the ashes instead of passing into and polluting the atmosphere. When burnt
in ordinary stoves and grates, it will be found to have very lasting qualities,
and there will be an absence of clinker in the ash or residuum, and the fuel
will be found in burning to be free from liability to decrepitate or hop out of the
grate.
It is obvious that the process here described admits of the combination with the
lime and coal mixture of any other substance which possess chemical affinity for
any of the obnoxious products of combustion. All such substances as are success-
fully employed in the purification of coal gas are therefore fit for compounding with
the small coal and lime to be used in the manufacture of the sanitary fuel.
Another effect of the lime is to hinder the escape of deleterious elements until they
are burnt.
Further advantages to be derived from this process are:-First. The facility it
offers for incorporating substances, such as saw dust, with the coal, either for utilizing
the refuse, or for giving off a wood like or other agreeable odour in place of the
irritating and objectionable fumes from raw coal.
Secondly. The advantage is of an economical character, whereby small coal and
other substances otherwise of little value may be utilized and converted into a
hard and valuable concrete fuel, consisting of inflammable, cementing and purifying
substances.
Thirdly. The ash or residuum from the combustion of the fuel is of a wholesome
or purifying nature, and is at once fit for manuring purposes, and so improving the
quality of soils.
Fourthly. The presence of the lime has the effect of regulating and therefore
perfecting the combustion. It thus tends to prevent imperfect and extravagant
consumption of fuel, and the consequent undue production of soot and smoke.
It will be seen therefore that the fuel produced according to our Invention
possess special properties which fit it for use in ordinary grates, stoves, and
furnaces, and for locomotives running in tunnels in which it is important to avoid
the pollution of the air.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said George Walters and William Morgans in the Great Seal Patent
. Office on the 8th September 1881.
GEORGE WALTERS, of Wadbury, Frome, in the County of Somerset, Gentleman,
and WILLIAM MORGANS, of Bristol, in the County of Gloucester, Civil and
Mining Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF ARTIFICIAL
FUEL.'
Hitherto the object usually aimed at in the production of artificial fuel from
small coal, coke, breezes, and the like, has been merely to agglomerate the particles
of fuel together, and in some instances also to add to their inflammability. For
agglomerating purposes clay or earthy puddle has long been employed for its binding
property, though not possessing setting or cementing action, or exercising any
marked affinity for obnoxious matters in the fuel. Starchy or glutinous substances
have also been used with good agglomerating results, but with disadvantage as
regards cost. A substance very commonly employed is pitch possessing inflammable
as well as adhesive properties, but giving rise during the burning of the fuel to
disagreeable products of combustion rendering it unfit for ordinary domestic use,
and especially in the sick chamber.
The object of this Invention is to provide a sanitary and economical fuel, the
basis of which shall consist of coal, coke, or breezes, whilst lime, which possesses
setting or cementing properties, is compounded therewith in such a manner as will
neutralize, counteract, or modify the effect of deleterious substances in the coal, and
produce an abatement of smoke and objectionable fumes by arresting or absorbing
obnoxious gases and odours given off during combustion instead of allowing such
gases and odours to escape into the atmosphere.
In carrying out the said Invention in order to effect the object before mentioned
we proceed in the following manner :-
We take a given quantity of coal (for example), by preference of a bituminous
quality, coal of the size known as small, or even dust coal will be found most
suitable, but when large coal only is available it may be crushed or pulverized to
the required size or condition. To the coal thus provided we add a suitable
proportion (say from 1/6th to 1/10th) of slaked lime, the coal and lime being then
thoroughly mixed, ground, or pugged together by suitable appliances, whilst
sufficient water is added to produce a plastic mass capable of being moulded or
pressed into convenient pieces or blocks. The blocks are then allowed to set (by
preference slowly), and are then dried or baked, or otherwise hardened.
་
When the coal used is more or less bituminous, by baking the moulded blocks in
ovens, or on heated surfaces raising the temperature until slight distillation of the
coal takes place, the incorporation of the bitumen with the lime communicates an
additional binding character to the mass and gives it increased firmness when it
has cooled down. The object of this treatment is to add to the cohesion of the
blocks when they have to undergo rough usage in transit. It is important to raise
the temperature by slow degrees for baking, otherwise the blocks are liable to
crack during the operation.
The classes of lime known as white lime, blue lias lime, and brown lias lime, and
all hydraulic limes are fit for carrying out this process.
We use the lime in as fresh a state as possible, but we prefer to thoroughly slake
it before it is mixed with the coal, otherwise there is a risk of the slaking operation
going on after the mixing is completed, and the result would be numerous small
light-coloured specks in the fuel, affecting the uniformity as well as interfering
with the setting of the blocks of fuel.

page_text: Not any more water should be used than is sufficient to properly moisten the
lime and coal mixture for setting, since if an excess of water is used the moulding
and pressing operation is rendered less satisfactory, and the blocks are longer
drying.
With powerful machine moulding presses the mixture can be used in a less moist
state than with hand pressure, and with a better result.
It will be found that the blocks of fuel so compounded or concreted will after
drying readily ignite and burn freely in ordinary grates, furnaces, or other places
with the special result that sulphurous gases and certain deleterious principles
evolved from the combination of the coal will combine with the associated lime,
and their combustion will be controlled and retarded, whilst such portion as is not
consumed will remain and be retained in an innocuous state in combination with
the ashes and calcareous residue instead of passing into and polluting the atmosphere.
When burnt in ordinary stoves and grates it will be found to have very lasting
qualities and to emit great heat, whilst there will be an absence of clinker in the
ash or residuum, and the fuel will be found in burning to be free from liability to
decrepitate or to hop out of the grate.
The presence of the lime has the effect during combustion of promoting the heat
retaining properties of the fuel, and it will often be found long after the fire has
apparently gone out that sufficient heat remains for kindling fresh fuel. The
residue will be found to be of a powdery but not of a floating dusty nature.
These properties render the fuel especially fitted for office and domestic use.
Another effect of the lime is to hinder the escape of deleterious elements until
they are burnt.
When coke or breeze is substituted for coal the lime may be employed in similar
proportions to those used in the case of coal.
Further advantages to be derived from this process are the following, vizt. :-
Firstly. The advantage is of an economical character whereby small coal and other
substances otherwise of little value may be utilized by the employment of a
generally abundant and cheap cementing and sanitary material, and converted into
a solid and valuable concrete fuel consisting of inflammable, cementing, and
purifying substances.
Secondly. The ash or residuum from the combustion of the fuel is of a wholesome
or purifying nature, and is at once fit for manurial purposes, and so improving the
quality of soils. It may also be used in the preparation of cement or mortar.
Thirdly. The presence of the lime has the effect of regulating and therefore
perfecting the combustion. It thus tends to prevent imperfect and extravagant
consumption of fuel, and the consequent undue production of soot, smut, and
smoke.
It will be seen therefore that the fuel produced according to our said Invention
possesses special properties which fit it for use in ordinary grates, stoves, and
furnaces, and for locomotives running in tunnels in which it is important to avoid
the pollution of the air.
In furnaces used for the reduction of ores and the refining of metals the fuel can
be used with the advantage of the lime for fluxing being combined with the fuel
instead of its being introduced into the furnace separately. For this use anthracite
coal and charcoal dust may be employed for the manufacture of the fuel.
When this fuel is made with bitumenous coal and used in gas retorts sulphur
and other deleterious principles are arrested by the lime in the retorts instead of at
a later stage, and a useful ash results from the subsequent combustion of the retort
coke.
It is a distinguishing feature of the said Invention that, with the exception of
the water used for slaking the lime and for mixing, the sole ingredient requisite for
incorporating with the coal or other carbonaceous matter is lime, which is a cheap
and abundant commodity, and which we have found to possess all the cementing
and purifying properties requisite for the production of a sanitary fuel in a
convenient form for use, whilst the slight increase of incombustible matter caused

page_text: by the presence of lime is compensated by the useful character of the residue, and
by the heat retaining property which the lime confers.
Whilst however we do not consider it necessary to employ any ingredients other
than lime for admixture with the coal, coke, or breeze, it is obvious that subsidiary
ingredients (such, for instance, as substances which are used in the purification of
coal gas) may be added without neutralizing or nullifying the action of the lime
which constitutes the operative and indispensable agglomerating and purifying
material used for the purposes of our Invention.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, we would observe in conclusion that what we consider to be novel and original,
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the hereinbefore in part
recited Letters Patent is,-
The employment in the production of artificial fuel of lime mixed with coal,
coke, or breeze, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Morgans, on behalf of myself and the
said George Walters, have to this our Specification set my hand and seal,
this Seventh day of September, One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
one.
WILLIAM MORGANS. (L.S.)