IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF KILNS OR RETORTS FOR COKING AND FOR APPARATUS CON- NECTED THEREWITH FOR COLLECTING THE PRODUCTS OF DISTILLATION THROUGH THE AGENCY OF HYDRO-CALORIC OR SUPERHEATED STEAM, THESE APPLIANCES BEING APPLICABLE TO MAKING WOOD CHARCOAL AND COLLECTING PYROLIGNEOUS ACID DURING THE PROCESS
Year: 1864

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Thomas Vincent Lee at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 11th February
1864.
I, THOMAS VINCENT LEE, late of 6, Bank Chambers, Lothbury, in the City
of London, but now of Macclesfield, in the County of Chester, Civil Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF KILNS OR RETORTS FOR COKING AND FOR APPARATUS CON-
NECTED THEREWITH FOR COLLECTING THE PRODUCTS OF DISTILLATION THROUGH THE
AGENCY OF HYDRO-CALORIC OR SUPERHEATED STEAM, THESE APPLIANCES BEING
APPLICABLE TO MAKING WOOD CHARCOAL AND COLLECTING PYROLIGNEOUS ACID
DURING THE PROCESS," to be as follows:-
I construct a kiln or retort of cast-iron plates, which when put together
form a square or circular steam-tight chamber; the plates are cast with pipes
on them, having male and female sockets to correspond cast upon them, so that
when jointed together the interior surface of the kiln or retort is surrounded
with a continuous pipe, which being perforated with small holes emits the
hydro-caloric, which operates upon the coal or wood with intense heat and
electric rapidity, producing coke from the coal and charcoal from the wood in
three hours, the quality of which is greatly superior to that made by fire heat,
with thirty per cent. on the whole produce being saved instead of as by all
known or practised methods dissipated. The kiln or retort (there may bo
any number) is placed virtically and charged at the top; when the coking or
charring is completed the bottom end, which runs on a slide, is drawn and the

page_text: coke or charcoal falls into or upon a cart placed for its reception and the
operation is repeated, a jet of simple steam having been first introduced to
extinguish the latent heat of the coke or charcoal before the admission of the
atmosphere. A blow-off pipe carries away the sulphur from the coal during
the process and at the bottom of the kiln or retort is a pipe which conveys
the tar to a receptacle outside, from whence it is conveyed to the distilling
chamber and creasote is produced therefrom. The same arrangements, with
some slight modifications, are used for making wood charcoal and collecting
the pyroligneous acid resulting from the operation. The hydro-caloric or
superheated steam I create in a similar manner to the description given in
the Specifications of Patents granted to me as follow, viz., No. 2969, dated
the 21st Dec. 1853, for "Improvements in the Manufacture of Bricks and
Tiles," and in that of 29th May 1855, No. 1229, for "Improvements in
Generating Steam in Marine and other Boilers," and also in that filed 24th
Aug. 1863, for improvements in machinery for digging, compressing, and
drying peat and making peat charcoal, No. 528.
My said Invention and improvements have for their object the preparation
of coke from coal and the making wood charcoal in a much more expeditious
manner and at less cost than any heretofore practised within this realm.