IMPROVEMENTS IN BURNING AND REBURNING ANIMAL CHARCOAL
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Picciotto, of Crosby Square, in the
City of London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BURNING
AND REBURNING ANIMAL CHARCOAL."-A communicati on.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Picciotto
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 30th August 1853.
I, JAMES PICCIOTTO, of Crosby Square, in the City of London, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN BURNING AND REBURNING ANIMAL CHARCOAL" to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to arrange apparatus in a suitable
manner for burning and reburning animal charcoal, using retorts of
fire clay. And the Invention consists of making the upright retorts
each of several pieces of clay tiles moulded to a form suitable to admit
of several like pieces or bricks being brought together and built one on
another, to produce the desired form of retort. These retorts are built
in an upright position, and several of them are combined into one stack.
The fire place or furnace is near the lower ends of the retorts; the
heat and products of combustion pass from the fire amongst the retorts,
and then pass away by a flue at the upper part of the building. The
material is introduced into the retorts at the top, and when burnt is
drawn from the lower part, with the atmospheric air excluded as much
as possible.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Picciotto in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 23rd February 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JAMES PICCIOTTO, of Crosby Square, in the City of London, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the seven-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said James Picciotto, Her special licence
that I, the said James Picciotto, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said James Picciotto, 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
BURNING AND REBURNING ANIMAL CHARCOAL," (communicated to me from
a certain foreigner residing abroad,) upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said James Picciotto, 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 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 James Picciotto, 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 following statement thereof (that is to say):
The object of this Invention is to arrange apparatus in a suitable
manner for burning and reburning animal charcoal, using retorts of
fire clay. And the Invention consists of making the upright retorts
each of several pieces of clay tiles moulded to a form suitable to admit
of several like pieces or bricks being brought together and built one on

page_text: another to produce the desired form of retort. These retorts are built
in an upright position, and several of them are combined into one
stack. The fire place or furnace is near the lower ends of the retorts;
the heat and products of combustion pass from the fire amongst the
retorts, and then pass away by a flue at the upper part of the building.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to
describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1, shows a vertical section of apparatus constructed according
to the Invention. Figure 2, shows a horizontal section. Figure 3,
shows a plan of two half tubes such as are used in constructing the
apparatus. Figure 4, shows a plan of the same parts when separated;
and Figure 5, shows an interior view in elevation of one of the parts
separately. In each of these Figures the same letters of reference
indicate similar parts. a, a, are the fire places, from which the heat
and products of combustion pass into the chambers e, e, in which are
placed tubes b, of fire clay, each tube b, being composed of several
parts, as shown. c, c, are partitions, which enclose the spaces e, e, at
top and bottom. f, is the flue leading to the chimney. i, is a metal
plate, having holes through it corresponding with the tubes b, and the
matters burned are heaped up on this plate, so that there is at all times
a constant supply to the tubes b. At the lower end of the tubes b, they
rest in sockets formed in the metal plate d, and at the lower ends of
the tubes b, there are valves to close them, which when opened allows
the burned or charred matter to descend in the tubes b. I would state
that although I believe the forms of the parts of the fire clay tubes 6,
shown in Figures 3, 4, and 5, to be the best and most convenient for
the purpose of the Invention, I do not confine myself thereto, as such
forms may be varied, so long as the peculiarity of the Invention, that
of making the tubes b, of several parts, vertically and horizontally, be
retained. And in place of the horizontal joints being formed as shewn
they may be made to enter into each other; but it has been found that
the arrangement and construction shown are sufficient to prevent the
ingress of atmospheric air to the charcoal, and yet allow of expansion
and contraction without breaking of the tubes b. The charcoal is

page_text: drawn from the tubes b, from time to time by opening the valves,
when a quantity from within the tubes b, descends down the incline
under the lower ends of the tubes, and care is to be taken to prevent
the atmosphere coming in contact with the charcoal till it is cooled
down, and it will be understood that the portion of charcoal in each
tube b, which is for the time being below the lower partition c, will be
comparatively cooled. The quantity which is allowed to descend down
the incline into the chamber is not taken away therefrom, but remains
till the next quantity is allowed to descend, and water is sprinkled over
the still comparatively hot charcoal, which is allowed to descend from
the incline into the chamber at the back of the apparatus. I would
remark that I am aware that vertical metal retorts have been before
used for such purposes, and the discharging of the charcoal from time to
time from them has been similarly conducted to that above stated. h, h,
are arms or handles on the axes i, i*, which by suitable arms are con-
nected to the valves which close the several tubes b, at their lower ends.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that what
I claim is the application, in constructing apparatus for burning and
reburning animal charcoal, of tubes of fire clay made in several parts.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Picciotto, have hereunto
set my hand and seal; this Sixteenth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
MATTEO LEONE.
Witness,
A. J. M. NUNIS VAIS.
JAMES PICCIOTTO. (L.S.)