An Improved Method of Preparing Peat for Heating, Gas Generating, and other purposes.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Feb., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 15th Dec., 1893-Accepted, 20th Jan., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of Preparing Peat for Heating, Gas Generating,
and other purposes.
I, THOMAS ARTHUR DILLON of 4 Forthfield Terrace, Upper Rathmines,
Dublin, Retired Civil Servant late of The Land Registry Office Dublin, Member of
The London Society of Engineers, Victoria Street, London, and of The Statistical
Society of Ireland, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Repeated efforts have been made to convert raw peat by the aid of machinery
into a substitute for coal by compression, fan blast or other modes of climinating
the aqueous clement inherent therein, but those efforts have proved unsuccessful
owing to the expense involved, as well as to the fact that the peat fuel produced
did not possess the heating value of coal. The object of my invention is to prepare
from peat at much less cost and by a swifter and more facile method a fuel
of superior heating power and adapted for steam furnaces, for household use
or for the generation of gas and capable of being imbued with hygienic
properties.
Essentially my invention consists in the causing of either moist or dry peat
to amalgamate with mineral or vegetable oils (separately or together) by the
use of an intervening alkali (as in the case of ordinary soap) which renders it'
possible for moist peat to become a satisfactory fuel in a rapid manner.
I will proceed to describe a suitable way of carrying my invention into effect,
but I do not limit myself thereto.
I take peat freshly cut from the bog in any convenient manner but preferably
by what is known as "breast cutting" and I pack it into an iron vat capable
of containing say from 1 to 10 tons of it. After having screwed a lid on to
the vat. I lower the air pressure therein by means of an air pump. I next
introduce a highly heated combination of mixed oil and alkali into the vat by
a pipe connected to the lower part of same. As water evaporates or boils at a
lower and lower temperature as the atmospheric pressure decreases and as water
boils at a far lower temperature than oil it follows that when the highly heated
mixture of oil and alkali enters the vat the moist peat at once yields its water
in the form of steam influenced by the high temperature of the oil, and because
of the lessened atmospheric pressure caused by the air pump mentioned, whilst
the oleaginous mixture fills the pores of the peat.
As the oleaginous mixture contains an alkali it unites at once with the residue
of moisture in the peat and thus large quantities of fuel can be rapidly produced.
When mixing the oils or subsequently, any detergent, fumigating, deodorizing
or sanitary ingredient may be added. Also bitumen, pitch or such like materials
may be dissolved in the oil if desired.
In cases where dried peat has to be impregnated with such substances, I prefer
to steep it in water and subsequently in the hydrocarbon, mineral or vegetable oils
or melted oleaginous, pitchy or tarry substances.
Deted this 17th dex of February 1893.
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agent.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of Preparing Peat for Ḥeating, Gas Generating,
and other purposes.
I, THOMAS ARTHUR DILLON of 4 Forthfield Terrace, Upper Rathmines,
Dublin, Retired Civil Servant late of The Land Registry Office, Dublin, Member
of The London Society of Engineers Victoria Street, London, and of The Statistical
Society of Ireland, 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 :-
Repeated efforts have been made to convert raw peat by the aid of machinery
into a substitute for coal by compression, fan blast or other modes of eliminating
the aqueous element inherent therein, but those efforts have proved unsuccessful
owing to the expense involved, as well as to the fact that the peat fuel produced
did not possess the heating value of coal. The primary object of my invention is
to prepare from peat at much less cost and by a swifter and more facile method a
fuel of superior heating power and adapted for steam boiler furnaces, for household
use or for the generation of gas and capable of being imbued with hygienic
properties. My invention also includes the manufacture of fire lighters from peat
by the same method.
Essentially my invention consists in the causing of either moist or dry peat to
amalgamate with mineral or vegetable oils, fats or resinous substances (separately
or together) by the use of an intervening alkali which renders it possible even for
moist peat to become a satisfactory fuel.
When mixing the oils and alkali with the peat or subsequently, any detergent,
fumigating, deodorizing or sanitary ingredient may be added. Bitumen, pitch or
such like materials may also be dissolved in the oils if desired.
If a fuel is required for a special hygienic or similar purpose I use oils or essences
of a medicated character, such for example as eucalyptus oil, pinus sylvestris and
the like.
My invention can be carried into effect in various ways.
According to one way I take peat freshly cut from the bog in any convenient
manner, but preferably by what is known as "breast cutting," and I pack it into an
iron vat capable of containing say from one to ten tons of it. After having screwed
a lid on to the vat I lower the air pressure therein by means of an air pump.
next introduce a highly heated combination of mixed oil and alkali into the rat by
a pipe connected to the lower part of same. As water evaporates or boils at a
lower and lower temperature as the atmospheric pressure decreases, and as it also
boils at a much lower temperature than oil, it follows that when the highly
heated mixture of oil and alkali enters the vat the moist peat at once yields
its water in the form of steam, influenced by the high temperature of the oil,
and because of the lessened atmospheric pressure caused by the air pump
mentioned, whilst the oleaginous mixture fills the pores of the peat, and the
aqueous steam is drawn off by the air pump.
According to another way, as in preparing the denser, non-fibrous peat for fuel,
I submit the raw or wet peat to the action of any ordinary or suitable machine
for compressing and moulding it into rectangular, spherical, cylindrical or other
shaped blocks, preferably with perforations through them, and before this com-
pression mix with the peat a suitable quantity of dust or slack of anthracite
or other coal, broken coke, fire clay, asbestos or other suitable substance, which
when the blocks are subsequently used as fuel shall store up some of the heat
produced by the flame and then give it out as the flame lessens. I dry, or
partially dry these blocks by any suitable method, after which I immerse them
for a sufficient length of time in a mixture of oil and alkali. Or the blocks as they
I

page_text: come from the moulding machine may be placed in a vat such as that herein before
described and mixed with oil and alkali under the action of vacuum and heat as
explained. The moulding machine employed should preferably be of such
construction as to express the superfluous moisture from the fibrous kind of peat at
right angles or approximately so to the fibrous grain.
For the manufacture according to my method of a fuel adapted for steam boiler
furnaces, household fire places and the like I preferably employ the lowermost of
the three strata or layers of turf of which a peat bog usually consists, that is to say
the stratum generally known as "black turf" or "coal turf" and which contains
but little fibre and is not injured by disintegration.
For the manufacture of fire lighters on the other hand I employ one of the upper
layers generally known as "white turf" and "brown turf." I cut this lighter peat
into rectangular or other shaped pieces and (preferably without any previous com-
pression) dip them in the mixture of oleaginous fatty or resinous matter and alkali.
As this light, porous peat absorbs liquid very quickly it should not be allowed to
remain in the mixture for more than a short time. When removed from the liquid
the entire body of the peat becomes gradually impregnated therewith by capillary
attraction from the outer portion.
As regards the relative proportions of the oleaginous, fatty or resinous matter
and alkali to be used in the mixture employed for impregnating the peat, they will
partly depend upon the particular quality or kind of peat, which latter varies in
different localities, and even in the same locality. The following may, however, be
taken as approximately suitable proportions for making fire lighters and a peat fuel
for use in steam boiler furnaces, household fire places and the like. For fire
lighters four parts of oleaginous, fatty or resinous material to one part of alkaline
liquid. For the manufacture of the other denser fuel the proportions may be
reversed, viz.-one of oil to four of alkali.
Naturally I employ in all cases cheap alkalies such for example as a solution of
common washing soda, or of caustic soda or potash, or milk of lime. And as
regards the oleaginous, fatty or resinous materials I also employ (except for
hygienic or medicated purposes) those that are cheap, such as creosote oil or a
mixture of same with kerosene or petroleum or with a small proportion of vegetable
oil such as linseed or colza; and I find that by adding a little methylated or other
spirit the fuel will burn nearly free of smoke and smell.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
clajm is :-
The method herein before described of preparing peat for heating, gas generating
or other purposes. which consists in impregnating it with an admixture of mineral
and vegetable oils or fatty or resinous substances and an alkali, substantially as set
forth.
D
T
1000
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agent.