IMPROVEMENTS IN THE UTILIZATION OF THE WASTE HEAT FROM COKE OVENS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SODA ASH
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Hugh Williams, of Wigan, in the County of
Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE UTILIZATION OF
THE WASTE HEAT FROM COKE OVENS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SODA ASH,
"
Sealed the 18th May 1873, and dated the 23rd January 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Hugh Williams at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd January 1873.
I, HUGH WILLIAMS, of Wigan, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby
3 declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
UTILIZATION OF THE WASTE HEAT FROM COKE OVENS FOR THE MANUFACTURE
OF SODA ASH, CAUSTIC SODA, AND FOR OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES," to be as
follows:-
My Invention consists principally in arranging two or more coke
ovens side by side, in such a manner that their flues unite in one

page_text: chamber, and charging and working such coke ovens alternately or in
succession, and in employing the heat and gases evolved therefrom in
a secondary furnace adjoining the said coke ovens for the manufacture
of soda ash, caustic soda, and other similar manufacturing purposes.
By using two or more ovens side by side and working them in succession,
there is always a sufficient amount of heat in the chamber to consume
the gases evolved from the oven or ovens last charged, and the flame
and waste licat from the chamber may be employed for a variety of other
similar chemical or manufacturing purposes.
The arrangement of the furnace for utilizing this waste heat and
flame will depend upon the purpose for which it is to be employed, but
for the sake of illustration I will here describe the arrangement which
I propose to employ for the manufacture of soda ash. I build (say)
four coke ovens side by side, so that their front walls form half an
octagon, and their partition walls radiate to a central chamber behind;
this chamber forms a combustion chamber where the heat and gases
from all the ovens unite and proceed by a central opening into a
revolving furnace containing the salt cake, soda, limestone, and coal
slack or other materials commonly employed, and thence over an evapo-
rating pan to the flue.
The finishing furnaces may be built above the coke ovens, and the
licat therefrom also pass into the combustion chamber at the top.
This chamber may also be provided with a fluc at the bottom leading
to the chimney flue, and having a damper, by means of which it may bo
opened or closed. If all the heat from the combustion chamber is 2
required to pass through the revolving furnace, then this damper is kept
closed, but should the heat be greater than is required, by opening this
damper more or loss, a portion of the heat may be allowed to pass off
direct to the chimney.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Hugh Williams, Her special license that I,
the said Hugh Williams, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Hugh Williams, my executors, administrators,
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, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE UTILIZATION OF THE WASTE
HEAT FROM COKE OVENS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SODA ASH, CAUSTIC SODA,
AND FOR OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Hugh Williams, 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 Scal Patent Office within
six calender months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
* NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Hugh Williams, do hereby declaro
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement and accompanying Drawings (that is to
say) :-
My Invention consists principally in arranging two or more ovens side
by side, in such a manner that their flucs unite in one chamber, and
charging and working such coke ovens alternately or in succession, and
in employing the heat and gases evolved therefrom in a secondary
furnace adjoining the said coke ovens for the manufacture of soda aslı,
caustic soda, and other similar manufacturing purposes. By using two
or more ovens side by side and working them in succession, there is
always a sufficient amount of heat in the chamber to consume the gases
evolved from the oven or ovens last charged, and the flame and waste
heat from the chamber may be employed for a variety of chemical or
manufacturing purposes.

page_text: Such being the nature and object of my said Invention I will now
proceed to describe more in detail the manner in which the same is to
be or may be performed or carried into practical effect, and in order that
the same may be clearly understood, I have annexed hereunto a Sheet of
Drawings illustrative thereof, and have marked the same with figures
and letters of reference corresponding with those in the following
explanation thereof :-
The arrangement of the furnace for utilizing this waste heat and
flame will depend upon the purpose for which it is to be employed, but
for the sake of illustration I will here describe the arrangement shown
in longitudinal section at Fig. 1 in the annexed Drawing and plan, or
horizontal section at Fig. 2, and which I propose to employ for the
manufacture of soda asli. I build (say) four coke ovens a, b, c, d, side
by side, so that their front walls form half an octagon, and their partition
walls e, e, radiate to a central chamber ƒƒ, behind; this chamber ſ, ſ,
forms a combustion chamber where the heat and gases from all the
ovens a, b, c, d, unite and proceed by a central opening 9, 9, into a
revolving furnace h, h, containing the salt cake, soda, limestone, and
coal slack or other materials commonly employed, and thence over an
ovaporating pan i, i, to the flue k, k, leading to the chimney.
The finishing furnaces may be built above the coke ovens, and the
heat therefrom also pass into the combustion chamber at the top if
preferred.
The chambers, may also be provided with a fluc l, l, at the bottom,
leading to the chimney fluc, and having a damper m, m, by means of
which it may be opened or closed. If all the heat from the combustion
chamber is required to pass through the revolving furnace, then this
damper m, m, is kept closed, but should the heat be greater than is
required, by opening this damper more or less, a portion of the heat may
be allowed to pass off direct to the chimney.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention,
together with the manner in which the same is to be or may be per-
formed or carried into practical effect, I wish it to be understood that
I claim as my Invention arranging two or more coke ovens side by side,
in such a manner that their flues unite in one chamber, and charging and
working such coke ovens alternately or in succession, and employing the

page_text: the said coke ovens for thic manufacture of soda ash, caustic soda, and
for other similar purposes.
In witness whereof, I, the said Hugh Williams, have hereunto set
my hand and scal, this Twenty-first day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
Witnessed by
JOHN HUGHES,
Clerk to Geo. Davies, C.E.,
Patent Office,
St. Ann's Squarc,
Manchester.
HUGH WILLIAMS. (L.S.)