IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FUEL AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR
Year: 1884

page_text: I THOMAS EDWARD HEATH of Cardiff in the County of Glamorgan, South Wales,
Patent fuel manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FUEL AND IN APPARATUS
EMPLOYED THEREFOR and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention has for its object the improvement of the manufacture of artificial
fuel by what is known as the "dry heat" process according to which as heretofore
conducted the pitch employed for amalgamation with the small coal has been more
or less burnt or evaporated by being subjected to too intense a heat either from
highly heated air or gases or plates but by my invention the pitch is subjected
to a heat which can be regulated so as to melt the pitch without burning or
evaporating it.
My invention is an improvement principally upon Letters Patent granted to
Henry Walker Wood dated 8th Nov 1870. No. 2941. and to Heath, Evens, and
Heath dated 13th July 1872. No. 2123. and consists of various combinations and
arrangements of apparatus by which large quantities of small coal can be readily
and economically heated to a suitable temperature (which is regulated by suitable
contrivances) in a chamber or chambers wherein the coal is agitated and exposed
to heated air or gases from a furnace (or other source of heat) and in the combina-
tion therewith of suitable contrivances for feeding the hot small coal which has
passed out of the heating apparatus and a suitable proportion of powdered pitch
(or powdered pitch mixed with cold small coal or other suitable material) into a
mixing chamber or pug mill in which the hot coal and powdered pitch are mixed
and amalgamated ready for being pressed into blocks of artificial fuel. If desired
steam, hot air, or gases at a temperature of about 350° Fahrenheit (more or less
according to the nature of the pitch used) may be injected into the mixing chamber
or pug mill for maintaining the heat of the material. The small coal may be
delivered to the heating apparatus by a discharging and elevating apparatus which
is vertically and horizonally adjustable so as to pick up the coal across the lighter
or wagon from which it is usually supplied and deliver it to a fixed elevator which
tips it into a screen for separating from it the rubbly coal. previous to its entering
the heating apparatus. If desired the small coal may also be ground in any suitable
mill.

page_text: And in order that my said invention may be well understood I shall now
proceed particularly to describe the same reference being made to the accompanying
sheet of drawings like letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in the
respective figures.
Figure 1 is a side elevation representing the apparatus which may be used for
discharging and elevating the small coal to the heating apparatus from the lighters
or wagons supplying the coal.
A represents an endless band or Jacob's ladder carrying suitable buckets and
links B the drums C of which are carried by a frame D which also serves as a
guard or protection to the buckets B. This frame D is hinged at the upper drum
shaft bearings C to radial bars or supports E (one at each side of the frame D)
which are hinged at their lower ends so as to be capable of vibrating upon the
bearings of a horizontal shaft F which is an intermediate shaft for transmitting
the power to the elevator drums C by means of suitable bands or chains G and
pullies H.
By this arrangement the elevator A may be moved so that it scoops up the coal
right across the lighter I (or wagon) by means of suitable chains or ropes J. K.
and pullies L. M. or other contrivances attached to a jib or frame N and if the
lighter I (or wagon) is pulled forwards or backwards as required the greater part
of the coal (or other materials) therein may be discharged by the elevator A
whilst the remaining quantity which it cannot reach may be shovelled into the
buckets B. These discharge their contents into a shoot O which is hinged to the
frame D and shoots the material into a fixed elevator P. or carrying band or
hopper as the case may be.
From the elevator, P the coal is discharged into a screen to separate the
rubbly or nut coal (or into a disintegrator or grinding machine if desired) and
from this screen the fine small or "duff" coal passes into a hopper R over tho
Leating apparatus seen in figure 2 (or into modifications thereof as hereafter
described) which consists of a horizontal cylindrical heating chamber S containing
revolving agitators T which are set at a suitable angle and throw the coal about
causing it to traverse or pass along the chamber (or chambers) S. the latter being
closed to the atmosphere except where necessary for admitting and letting out
the coal or heated gases, these agitators T are carried by the shaft U which may
be rotated by any suitable power.
V represents a furnace through the flue W of which the heated air or gases pass
or are forced into the heating chamber (or chambers) S. and finally pass out
through the flue X. By means of a jet of steam from a blast pipe Y which is
regulated by a valve Z the quantity of heat forced into the heating chamber S
may be conveniently regulated. a is a waste heat flue which carries the heat away
from the furnace V. and heating chamber S when not required to heat the coal
and is provided with a suitable damper b.
In the hopper R is a screw feed c for regulating the admission of the small coal
to the heating chamber S and a slide d for shutting off the supply of coal when
desired.
The small coal passes through the chamber (or chambers) S and being continually
stirred and thrown about by the agitators T is thereby exposed to the heated air or
gases forced through the chamber S from the furnace V and leaves the chamber S
so that it attains a temperature which is regulated by the action of the blast Y Z
to that considered necessary for melting the pitch used. The hot coal is then
carried by an elevator e and tipped by the buckets f. of the latter on to a shoot g
(seen in figure 3). Simultaneously powdered pitch (mixed if desired with a
suitable quantity of small coal or other material) is tipped by similar but smaller
elevator buckets i (Figure 3) on to a shoot j and from these shoots g and j the hot
coal and pitch are respectively fed or allowed to fall in regulated quantities by
joggers and . which are rocked by a cam wheel m and levers n. The buckets f,
and i are provided with adjustable bottoms f' and 'whereby their capacity may
be varied to any required extent. By this means I arrange that a regulated shower
i

page_text: of hot small coal and of powdered pitch fall simultaneously and in any required
proportions into a mixing chamber or pug mill o which may be a vertical cylinder
as in figure 3 or a horizontal or inclined cylinder or trough as in figure 4 and in
this pug mill the pitch is melted and amalgamated with the small coal. Figure 4
shows an alternative plan for regulating the proportions of hot coal and powdered
pitch. In this arrangement the hot coal is carried by the elevator to a hopper p
from which it is fed or allowed to fall in regulated quantities by a screw or other
suitable feeding contrivance q the supply being shut off when required by the
slide r.
The speed of the feed q is regulated by a conical pulley 8. The powdered
pitch is also fed from a similar hopper t provided with regulating slide u screw
feed and conical pulley 8.
Figure 5 is a section showing a vertical cylindrical heating chamber S' which I
may use in preference to S in figure 2. This heating chamber S' is divided into a
series of compartments ww¹ w³ by perforated plates xx¹ x² over which revolve
the agitators T for stirring the coal which entering at the top of the chamber S¹
falls successively through the openings in the plates xxx² to the lowest compart-
ment of the chamber S¹. whence it passes out through the opening y it being
heated in its passage through the chamber S¹. by the hot air or gases from the
furnace V which with the flue W, waste flue a hopper R, screw feed c and slide d
are similar in arrangement to the corresponding parts in figure 2, but in this case
the hot air or gases in lieu of being forced through the chamber S₁ by the steamy
blast Y Z at the entrance flue as in figure 2 are shown drawn through the several
compartiments of the chamber S₁ the blast Y. Z being placed in the exit flue in
consequence of which I place a star wheel or other suitable feeding contrivance
at the outlet y which wheel whilst allowing the heated coal to pass out prevents
the entrance of cold air to the chamber S'.
Figure 6 is a sectional view of another modified form of heating apparatus
which consists of a series of horizontal cylindrical chambers 1. 2. 3. (or more if
desired) arranged one above the other and communicating with each other by
suitable openings, 4. 5. for allowing the coal to descend from one chamber to the
other it being stirred during its passage through the chambers by the revolving
agitators T and heated by the hot air or gases from the furnace V which
with the other combined arrangements are similar to the corresponding parts in
figure 5.
If preferred the coal and pitch may be mixed in a Carr's disintegrator (or
otherwise) whilst cold and may then be heated together and amalgamated in the
apparatus shewn in Figure 6 without the pitch being burnt or evaporated for
which purpose the time occupied by the materials whilst passing through this
apparatus being longer the hot gases from the furnace may be diluted with cold
air admitted through the furnace door (or in any other convenient manner) so
that their temperature is reduced below that which would burn or evaporate
the pitch.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect I would observe in conclusion. that I do not claim mixing cold pitch with
heated coal. apart from the particular method of so doing as herein set forth as I
am aware that this has been done before in various ways, though inefficiently,
but what I do consider novel and original and therefore claim as my
invention is,
1. The combination and use of a chamber or chambers through which small coal
is passed and agitated and exposed to heated air or gases forced or drawn through
the chamber or chambers with suitable contrivances for regulating the supply of
heat and coal and with suitable feeding contrivances for supplying the coal which
has passed out of the heating apparatus and a certain proportion of powdered
pitch (or powdered pitch mixed with any other suitable material) to a mixing
chamber or pug mill in which the hot small coal and powdered pitch are mixed
and amalgamated substantially as herein before described and illustrated by

page_text: figures 2 and 3, (or 4) or by figures 5 and 3 (or 4) or by figures 6 and 3 (or 4)
on the accompanying drawing.
(2) The Combination and use of a series of heating chambers arranged one above
the other with suitable passages for allowing the coal and pitch (or other analogous
material) used in the manufacture of artificial fuel to descend from chamber to
chamber and whereby air or gases from a furnace (or other source of heat) may be
forced or drawn through the chambers and used at such a temperature that they
will melt without burning or evaporating the pitch substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated by figure 6 on the accompanying drawing.
(3) The combination and use of a heating chamber divided into a series of com-
partments by suitably perforated plates with a furnace the hot air or gases from
which are forced or drawn through the compartments whilst the material to be
heated descends in showers through the perforated plates substantially as herein-
before described and shewn by fig 5 on the accompanying drawing.
(4) The construction and use of a vertically and horizontally adjustable dis-
charging and elevating appliance for supplying small coal to a heating apparatus
substantially as herein before described and illustrated by figure. 1. on the
drawing.
(5) The general combinations and arrangements of apparatus substantially as and
for the purposes herein before described and illustrated by the accompanying
drawing.
Dated this 1st day of January 1884.
THUMAD EDWARD LAIN.
Edward W. Furrell, M. Inst. M.E.
Agent,
Bank Buildings, 124 Chancery Lane,
London, W.C.