IMPROVEMENTS IN DISTILLING COALS AND BITUMINOUS AND RESINOUS SUBSTANCES, AND PRODUCTS THEREOF
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James de Wolfe Spurr, of 16, Kenyon Terrace,
Birkenhead, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DISTILLING COALS
AND BITUMINOUS AND RESINOUS SUBSTANCES, AND PRODUCTS THEREOF."
Sealed the 5th May 1854, and dated the 22nd February 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James de Wolfe Spurr
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
22nd February 1854.
I, JAMES DE WOLFE SPURR, of 16, Kenyon Terrace, Birkenhead, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN DISTILLING
COALS AND BITUMINOUS AND RESINOUS SUBSTANCES, AND PRODUCTS THEREOF," to be
as follows:-
This Invention relates to the distillation of coals and bituminous and
resinous substances, and products thereof, where the distillation is carried on
at comparatively low temperatures, as compared with the high temperatures
resorted to when distilling such substances to obtain gas, my object being to
obtain the condensible liquid products, and not gas; and my Invention
consists of carrying on such distillation by the aid of vacuum obtained in the
apparatus by means of pumps or other apparatus suitable for obtaining
vacuum; and in those cases where the coals or substances are not of so fusible

page_text: a nature as to admit of their being readily distilled over at a desired tempera-
ture, I employ a quantity of oil or tarry matter therewith, to aid in liquifying
the same, and to cause the heat more freely to permeate the mass.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James de Wolfe Spurr, in the Great Seal Patent Office, on
the 16th August 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES DE
WOLFE SPURR, of 16, Kenyon Terrace, Birkenhead, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said James de Wolfe Spurr, Her special licence that I, the said James de
Wolfe Spurr, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as 1,
the said James de Wolfe Spurr, 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN DISTILLING COALS AND BITUMINOUS AND RESINOUS SUBSTANCES, AND
PRODUCTS THEREOF," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
James de Wolfe Spurr, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be perforined, 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 James de Wolfe Spurr, do hereby
declare 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 fol-
lowing statement thereof (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to the distillation of coals and bituminous and
resinous substances, and products thereof, where the distillation is carried on
at comparatively low temperatures, as compared with the high temperatures
resorted to when distilling such substances to obtain gas, my object being
to obtain the condensible liquid products, and not gas; and my Invention

page_text: consists of carrying on such distillation by the aid of vacuum obtained in the
apparatus by means of pumps or other apparatus suitable for obtaining
vacuum; and in those cases where the coals or substances are not of so fusible
a nature as to admit of their being readily distilled over at a desired tem-
perature, I employ a quantity of oil or tarry matter therewith, to aid in
liquifying the same, and to cause the heat more freely to permeate the
mass.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed to
describe the manner of performing the same.
I prefer to employ a strong cast-iron vessel or retort of a spherical form set
in brick work over a fire. The vessel or retort is provided with a man-hole
near the upper part, for the purpose of introducing the charge of materials
and for removing the residue. The vessel has also a pipe connected with its
upper part, leading to a worm or refrigerator of wrought iron kept cool by
water. The end of the refrigerator communicates with a close receiver,
which at its lower part has a cock or valve for drawing off the condensed
products. The upper part of the receiver has a pipe communicating with an
air pump or other suitable apparatus, for obtaining and maintaining a
vacuum in the whole of the apparatus. I would remark that the form of the
apparatus above described may be varied, and I would state that I make no
claim to the apparatus separately. Into the spherical vessel or retort I intro-
duce a charge of bituminous coal or bituminous or resinous substances, or
tarry products thereof, so as to charge the vessel or retort to the extent of
about one-third its capacity; and in cases where the bituminous coal or matter
is not fusible at a dull or very low red heat, I introduce it in a broken state,
together with coal, or mineral oil, or tarry matter, to the extent of one third or
fourth of the mass. The man-hole being then closed, heat is to be applied
gradually till a low or a very dull red heat is obtained to the lower part of
the vessel or retort. It being desirable to keep the heat to as low a degree as
may be, in order to avoid producing incondensible gas, as good a vacuum as
may be is maintained in the apparatus during the time that heat is applied.
The charge having been distilled over, the heat is to be withdrawn, and the
apparatus allowed to cool; the atmosphere is to be admitted. The fluid product
is to be drawn off from the receiver; the residue is to be removed from the
vessel or retort; a fresh charge is to be introduced, and the working carried
on again as above explained. The product is to be purified as like products
have heretofore been purified when distilled subject to the pressure of the
atmosphere.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, I would have it under-

page_text: stood, that what I claim is, the distilling bituminous coal and bituminous and
resinous substances and products thereof, in vacuo, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James de Wolfe Spurr, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witnesses,
J. MCKEAN, Notary Public,
JAMES DE WOLFE SPURR. (L.S.)
of Saint John, New Brunswick.
JOHN MCGRATH.