IM- PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF COKE, AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN THE SAID MANUFACTURE.
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Homfray, of Witley Lodge, Halesowen, in
the County of Worcester, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF COKE, AND IN MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN THE SAID MANUFACTURE.'
Scaled the 7th May 1869, and dated the 7th December 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Homfray at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th December 1868.
I, ALFRED HOMFRAY, of Witley Lodge, Halesowen, in the County
of Worcester, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF COKE, AND IN MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN THE SAID MANUFACTURE," to be as follows:-
My Invention has for its object principally to make coke from small
coal or slack, but may also he applied to the manufacture of coke from
lumps of coal.

page_text: In making coke according to my Invention I take slack or coal
broken into slack and consolidate the said slack into blocks by driving it
little by little into moulds or rings of iron, fire-clay, or other strong
material, the slack being by preference wetted with water during the
consolidating process. The consolidation of the slack in the said
moulds or rings, is effected by the percussive or stamping machinery
herein-after described. The moulds containing the consolidated blocks
are heated in a furnace and the coal is thereby converted into coke.
I prefer to pile the moulds filled with consolidated coke upon one
another, so as to prevent as far as possible the combustion of the coal
during the coking process; or the blocks of consolidated coal may
be coked without being protected by their moulds or rings.
Although any ordinary furnaces may be employed for the purpose
of coking the blocks of consolidated coal, yet I prefer to effect the
coking in a furnace or apparatus constructed in the following manner :-
A chamber heated by a furnace is provided with a series of tubes
passing across it from top to bottom or from side to side; the blocks
of consolidated coal either alone or contained in the moulds or rings
are introduced into these-tubes at one end and slowly passed to the
other, they thereby become coked, the volatile matter driven off from
the coal during the coking process escaping through holes in the said
tubes into the said chamber, and by its combustion rendering only a
small fire necessary on the furnace grate.
The machinery or apparatus by which the consolidation of the slack
is effected consists of an anvil block and a ram or hammer worked
by a steam or other hammer or press. The mould or ring is placed
on the anvil block and slack supplied. thereto, the ram of the hammer
or press being so worked as to produce a series of blows similar to
those employed by the miner in the process of "tamping." The slack is
thereby consolidated into a dense coherent block of coal which is coked
in the manner herein-before described.
Although I prefer to add a little water to the slack during the
consolidating process, yet I do not limit myself thereto. Pitch or tar
or other bituminous matter may be used instead of water, but the use
of these materials is not necessary.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Lettors Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Homfray in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 25th May 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME. I, ALFRED
HOMPRAY, of Witley Lodge, Halesowen, in the County of Worcester,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Alfred Homfray, Her special
licence that I, the said Alfred Homfray, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alfred Homfray, my exe-
cutors, 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, usc, 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 MANUFACTURE OF COKE, AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED
IN THE SAID MANUFACTURE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Alfred Homfray, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and scals,
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 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 Alfred Homfray, 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 hy
he following statement thereof, that is to say :-
My Invention has for its object principally to make coke from small
coal or slack, but may also be applied to the manufacture of coke from
umps of coal.
My Invention is applicable to coking both caking and non-caking
coals, but is especially applicable to the latter. Heretofore non-caking

page_text: slack has been coked with the addition of bitumen or caking slack.
By my Invention non-caking slack can be coked without the addition
of bitumen, or caking slack and coke made from caking slack according
to my Invention is made more solid than that made in the ordinary
way, and is also wholly or in part desulphurized.
In making coke according to my Invention I take slack or coal
broken into slack, and consolidate the said slack into blocks by driving
it little by little into moulds or rings of iron, fire-clay, or other strong
material, or into a chamber of a furnace, the slack being by preference
wetted with water during the consolidating process. The consolidation of
the slack in the said moulds, or rings, or chamber, is effected by the
_ percussive or stamping machinery herein-after described. The moulds
containing the consolidated-blocks-are-heated in a furnace and the coal
is thereby converted into coke. I prefer to pile the moulds filled with
consolidated slack upon one another so as to prevent, as far as possible,
the combustion of the coal during the coking process; or the blocks
of consolidated coal may be coked without being protected by their
moulds or rings.
--
In making ordinary coke I "tamp" the slack or drive it by
percussion in a ground or finely crushed state, and mixed with water
or salt and water into a furnace or muffic in a furnace, so as-to make
a mass of slack as hard as possible, and I apply pressure to it during
the coking process. so as to prevent expansion. This pressure may be
applied by a screw, or press, or otherwise.
For making hard solid coke I drive the slack mixed with water or
salt and water little by little by percussion into moulds, and I take the
consolidated blocks so formed and pile them in a furnace as close as
possible, and apply pressure to them to keep them solid while burning.
Non-caking slack will not coke even when mixed with water by being
pressed into a mould unless it be beaten or crushed to the consistency
of mortar, either during the filling of the mould or before it is pressed
into the mould. This beating with water and making the coke into
a sort of mud having the consistency of mortar causes the smaller
particles to insinuate themselves into the interstices between the larger
particles, thereby effectually filling up the said interstices, excluding
air during the coking, and causing the consumption of less carbon
during the coking.

page_text: In applying my Invention to some kinds of coal very deficient in
bitumen, such as anthracite, it is necessary to add some bituminous or
caking slack thereto when the percussive action applied in the manner
herein-before described will cause the caking of the said coal.
When the coal is coked for the purpose of obtaining gas as well as
coke therefrom it may advantageously be prepared according to my
Invention, that is the slack or coal mixed with water or with salt and
water is forced into the gas retorts or into moulds by percussion, and
the consolidated masses of coal so obtained are either heated or distilled
in the retorts, when coal has been forced into retorts, or when it has
been forced into moulds the masses are taken from the moulds and
introduced into the retorts. When I use salt in conjunction with water
I do not limit myself to any particular quantity, but I have found in
practice that 10 lbs. of salt is in most cases sufficient to be used with
2 tons of slack. The object of introducing salt into the slack is
to effect the desulphurizing of the coke.
Although any ordinary furnaces may be employed for the purpose
of coking the blocks of consolidated coal, yet I prefer to effect the
coking in a furnace or apparatus constructed in the following manner:-
A chamber heated by a furnace is provided with a series of tubes passing
across it from top to bottom, or from side to side; the blocks of con-
solidated coal either alone or contained in the moulds or rings are
introduced into these tubes at one end and slowly passed to the other,
they thereby become coked; the volatile matter driven off from the
coal during the coking process, escaping through holes in the said
tubes into the said chamber, and by its combustion rendering only a
small fire necessary on the furnace grate.
The machinery or apparatus by which the consolidation of the slack
is effected consists of an anvil block and a ram or hammer, worked by
a steam or other hammer or press. The mould or ring is placed on
the anvil block and slack supplied thereto, the ram of the hammer or
press being so worked as to produce a scries of blows similar to those
employed by the miner in the process of "tamping." The slack is
thereby consolidated into a dense coherent block of coal which is coked
5 in the manner herein-before described.
Although wherever practicable I prefer to apply percussion by means
of machinery, yet where machinery cannot be conveniently applied I
employ percussion by hand with the ordinary tamping tools. A mortar

page_text: mill may be employed to reduce the slack mixed with water to mud or
to a pasty consistency.
Although I prefer to add a little water to the slack during the
consolidating process, yet I do not limit myself thereto, as for some kinds
of coal percussion alone is sufficient without the use of water to effect
the consolidation of the slack. Pitch or tar or other bituminous matter
may be used instead of water, but the use of these materials is not
necessary.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that
I do not limit myself to the precise details herein described, as the
same may be varied without departing from the nature of my Invention;
but I claim as my Invention,-
Firstly. The improvements in the manufacture of coke hiercin-before-
described, that is to say, consolidating slack by percussion in moulds
or in a furnace so as to produce blocks of coal, and afterwards coking
the same cither with or without pressure, the said slack being either
beaten or crushed mixed with water or water and salt, so as to produce a
mixture having the consistency of mortar or thick mud or without.
previous preparation, substantially-as herein-before described.
Secondly. The improvements in machinery or apparatus herein-before
described to be used in the said manufacture, that is to say, the arrange-
ment of coking furnace and the rings or moulds described to be used
in consolidating slack to be afterwards coked.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Homfray have hereunto
set my hand and scal, this Twenty-second day of May, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
ALFRED HOMFRAY. (L.S.)