IMPROVEMENTS IN COKE. OVENS, AND IN THE MEANS OF CHARGING THE SAME
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Moses Rowlands, of Penygraig Colliery, Dinas,
near Pontypridd, in the County of Glamorgan, Colliery Proprietor,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN COKE. OVENS, AND IN THE MEANS
OF CHARGING THE SAME.
"
Scaled the 10th October 1872, and dated the 19th April 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Moses Rowlands at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
19th April 1872.
I, MOSES ROWLANDS, of "PenyGraig Colliery, Dinas, near Pontypridd,
5 in the County of Glamorgan, Colliery Proprietor, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN COKE OVENS, AND IN THE
!
MEANS OF CHARGING THE SAME," to be as follows :——

page_text: And, Secondly. To means of charging coke ovens with coal whereby
the ordinary labour of shovelling is dispensed with.
.
I construct my ovens with the floors at an incline, and with one or
more openings at the back leading from (or as part of) a hopper or shoot
into which the coal is placed preferably from a truck or trolly. The t
neck or one end of the shoot is closed when desired by a damper or door
which may be free to slide in a vertical or horizontal direction, and be
luted when in place to close the neck or the end.
The incline at which I prefer to arrange my floor is at about 2 inches
to the foot, more or less, rising from the front to the back, and to incline 1
or shape the roof or crown in a corresponding manner or nearly so, in
order that when the coal is charged through the shoot, and levelled on
the top surface, the same degree of heat is maintained in the whole body
of the fuel being transformed, consequently the charge when sufficiently
fired or burned into coke is of a more useful character, and can be with- 1
drawn in larger particles than is usual.
My method of charging by the hopper or shoot at the back or at the
opposite end to that at which the door is situated is also applicable to
ovens with flat level floors or with floors of other shapes.
:
I propose to combine the charging aperture or apertures and the 2
smoke stack in one, and to close the charging hole only by a damper; by
this means only one opening is made at the back of the oven for each
shoot.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Moses Rowlands in the Great Seal Patent Office 25
on the 19th October 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MOSES
ROWLANDS, of PenyGraig Colliery, Dinas, near Pontypridd, in the
County of Glamorgan, Colliery Proprietor, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her 30
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,

page_text: give and grant unto me, the said Moses Rowlands, Her special licence
that I, the said Moses Rowlands, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Moses Rowlands, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
5 others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, uso, exercise, and-
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
COKE OVENS, AND IN THE MEANS OF CHARGING THE SAME," upon the condition
) (amongst others) that I, the said Moses Rowlands, 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 Seal Patent
5 Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Moses Rowlands, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
O following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings here.
unto annexed, that is to say :—

page_text: order that when the coal is charged through the shoot and levelled on
the top surface, the same degree of heat is maintained in the whole body
of the fuel being transformed, consequently the charge when sufficiently
fired or burned into coke is of a more useful character, and can be with-
drawn in larger particles than is usual.
My method of charging by the hopper or shoot at the back or at the
opposite end to that at which the door is situated is also applicable to
ovens with flat level floors or with floors of other shapes.
I propose to combine the charging aperture or apertures and the
smoke stack in one, and to close the charging hole only by a damper; by
this means only one opening is made at the back of the oven for each
shoot.
The method of carrying my Invention into effect is represented in the
accompanying Drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a longitudinal section
of an oven with the floor a at an incline rising from the front to the back,
as before referred to, the roof 6 being also inclined to correspond to
equalize the heat within the oven during the burning. The back wall c
of the oven is formed with an opening & leading to or forming part of a
shoot e down which the coal to be transformed is free to slide when the
slab or closer f is clear therefrom, either by being removed by hand slid
to one side, or lifted by a chain and counterpoise.
In the Drawing I have shown the closer as removable, and with the
top edge of the shoot with rails g, upon which trucks or trollies can be
run, so that they can discharge their loads in succession until the oven is
charged with the requisite quantity. The discharge of the coal from 2
trucks or trollies must in this case be from the bottom when they are
brought over the opening or shoot, but by placing the rails at the back
of the opening the discharge can take place from the sides of the trucks
or trollies.
The front of the oven is provided with a door or closer h riding 3
between guide frames i, i, as seen more clearly in Figure 2, which is a
front view, the door being held suspended by a counterpoise ; and
chain k passing over pullies I, m. The upper part of the back wall c of
the oven is carried above the level of the ground at or about the centre,
and forms one wall of the chimney, the other three walls being formed 8
at or above the smoke outlet arranged just in front of the shoot, as is
clearly shown in the perspective view, Figure 3.

page_text: Any number of these ovens can be arranged side by side and back to
back, if necessary, in regular or irregular order, such as is shown at
Figures 4 and 5, one pair of rails serving to receive the trucks or trollies
of coal for both sets. The shoots of say a pair of ovens set back to back
in regular order may be provided with a hinged partition which can be
thrown over to one side or the other to suit the particular oven which
has to be charged, the partition being arranged upon end, and mid-distance
between the two shoots, so that it can be thrown or shifted over as
desired for the filling of either oven. Figure 6 shows the charging hole
and chimney combined in one.
The advantages derived from this automatic charging of coke ovens
direct from trucks or trollies are many, not only financially but com-
mercially, because the coke when made is more regular in size; there is
also not so much small coke nor so much dust by the adoption of my
system as by the old method.
In the charging operation the workman after drawing a charge simply.
removes the shoot closing slab f, and then pushes a trolly over the
opening, when he unfastens the bottom catch and the coal falls through
the shoot into the oven by gravitation alone, whereby it lies lighter upon
the bed of the oven than is possible by any method of shovelling. Each
shovelfull thrown in by the old method acts as a rammer to and upon the
previous ones, and compresses the whole into close contact, a decided
advantage, particularly when the coal is wet so as to mass the pieces and
prevent the free passage of heat through the body.
:
Another advantage derived from my system is the almost self-levelling
of the coal by the inclination of the oven bed whereby the coal is inclined
to run not only to the front but also to the sides; the top surface only
after the required amount is inserted is levelled by a forked rake. This
levelling is done from the front of the oven by an attendant who then
lowers the front door and lutes the joint, if necessary, as also the closing
slab at the back, so that all smoke and vapour passes away by the
chimney. The chimney top can be more or less closed by a slab placed
it to regulate the draft or to retain the heat for the coking process.
upon
When the coking is sufficiently effected which can be ascertained in
the usual manner by looking through the sight hole n, the front door is
raised and water is injected upon the incandescent mass to cool it down
and to enable the workman to withdraw, which he does by means of a

page_text: pronged fork, the handle of which is rested upon the cross bar p, and slid
to and fro for the purpose. The coke is thus removed in much larger
pieces than is usual, and very little if any dust or ash is made.
The process of burning is also expedited by reason of the coal laying
lighter upon the oven bed, consequently the coke is more valuable i
because it contains a higher per centage of heat giving properties than is
possible to obtain from coal that has been so to speak compressed in the
charging operation.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,—
Firstly. The construction of coke ovens as shown, with inclined floors
and inclined roofs in combination, and when such ovens are charged at
the back, substantially in the manner described.
Secondly. I claim the construction of coke ovens with inclined
charging holes at the back whether the ovens have inclined floors and 1
inclined roofs or not, as described.
Thirdly. I claim the combination of a charging hole and a smoke
stack in one body, as described, at the back of a coke oven.
Fourthly. I claim the means of charging coke ovens automatically
through apertures at the back, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Moses Rowlands, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of October, One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
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