IMPROVEMENTS IN PEAT MACHINES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PEAT MACHINES."-A communication from abroad
by Charles Luxton, of Hudson City, County of Hudson, and State
of New Jersey, United States of America.
Scaled the 12th August 1873, and dated the 18th March 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville
Clark at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 18th March 1873.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PEAT MACHINES," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to the construction of machines for working
peat and preparing it for fuel or other purposes; and it consists in a
series of knives and circular cutters with spiral conveyors on a revolving
shaft enclosed in a suitably constructed cylindrical casing, and in a trap

page_text: or box for receiving stones and other foreign substances, with a door for
clearing the same from the machine, the construction being as herein-
after more fully set forth and described.
The cylindrical casing or shell is supported on stands or legs, and
has at the lower part a bed composed of angular-shaped plates for a
purpose herein-after mentioned, and also a stone trap consisting of an
oblong box projecting from an opening in front of the bed with a door
which opens downward from the under side.
The machine is provided with a cover, both it and the lower part
of the casing being semicircular in cross section, and they are hinged
together so that the cover can be thrown back to expose the interior.
The crude peat is introduced at an opening made at the top of the
casing, directly beneath which is placed one of the spiral conveyors,
which moves the peat forward to a series of knives carried on four
(more or less) rings or discs slipped on to the shaft. Collars are
interposed between the knife rings to keep the knives a proper distance
from each other. The bed above referred to consists of a row of vertical
triangular-shaped plates placed a short distance from each other, so as
to form slots for the passage of the knives. A series of circular cutters
are also fastened on the shaft in the same manner as the knives, which
cutters also engage with the slots in the bed, and are separated from
each other by collars. A second conveyor moves the peat from the
cutters to the discharge orifice, each conveyor consisting of a spiral web
which makes one turn (more or less) around the shaft.
For washing or cleaning the machine the shaft may be revolved in
an opposite direction.
By this machine the peat is operated on as it is taken from the
peat bed, and is delivered in a finely comminuted state in a sheet
suitable for drying, but is cut before drying into pieces suitable for
handling after being dried.
The machine is driven by steam, water, or any convenient motive
power, applied by meams of a belt or crank, as may be found advisable.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 15th August 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Alexander Melville Clark, Her special
licence that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexander
Melville Clark, 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 PEAT MACHINES," a communication to me from
abroad by Charles Luxton, of Hudson City, County of Hudson, and
State of New Jersey, United States of America, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, 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 Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, 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, reference being had to the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon
(that is to say) :—
This Invention relates to the construction of machines for working
peat and preparing it for fuel or other purposes; and it consists in a

page_text: series of knives and circular cutters with spiral conveyor rings on a
revolving shaft inclosed in a suitably constructed cylindrical casing,
and in a trap or box for receiving stones and other foreign substances,
with a door for clearing the same from the machine, the construction
being as herein-after more fully set forth and described.
In the accompanying Drawing, Figure 1 is a side clevation of the
machine; Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on the
line x, x, of Figure 3; Figure 3 is a vertical cross section of Figure 2
on the line y, y.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding
parts.
A represents stands or legs upon which the machine is supported;
B is the shaft upon which the knives, circular cutters, and the conveyor
rings are fastened; C is the lower part of the cylindrical casing or
shell, to the bottom of which is attached the bed D; E is the stone
trap consisting of an oblong box projecting from an opening F in front
of the bed with a door G which opens downward from the under side;
H is the cover. The part C and the cover are semicircles in cross
section, and they are hinged together so that the cover can be thrown
back to expose the interior; I is the opening through which the crude
peat is introduced. Directly beneath the opening I is one of the spiral ?
conveyor rings J which moves the peat forward to a series of knives K.
The form and position of these knives is seen in the cross section Figure 3.
There are four (more or less) rings or discs slipped on to the shaft, each
of which has one or more knives K; L represents collars between the
knife rings to keep the knives a proper distance from each other. The a
bed D consists of a row of vertical triangular-shaped plates placed a
short distance from each other so as to form slots M between them for
the passage of the knives, as seen in Figures 2 and 3. N represents
a series of circular cutters fastened on the shaft in the same manner
as the knives K; these cutters also engage with the slots in the bed, a
and are separated from each other by the collars O%; P is the other
conveyor which moves the peat from the cutters to the discharge
orifice Q, each conveyor is a spiral web which makes one turn (more
or less) around the shaft.
For washing or cleaning the machine the shaft B may be revolved in
an opposite direction.
By this machine the peat is operated upon as it is taken from the
meat had and is delivered in a finely comminuted state in a sheet

page_text: suitable for drying, but is cut before drying into pieces suitable for
handling after being dried.
The machine is driven by steam, water, or any convenient motive
power, applied by means of gearing, a belt, or crank, as may be found
advisable.
Having described the nature of the Invention and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim as the
Invention to be protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,-
1st. A machine for working peat having a series of knives K, in
combination with a series of circular cutters N, bed D, and conveyors
J and P, arranged substantially as shown and described.
2ndly. In combination with a peat machine a stone trap E, sub-
stantially as and for the purpose described.
3rdly. A peat machine having a series of knives or cutters, spiral
conveyor rings, and stationary bed, in combination with a stone trap,
substantially as shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of August,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
three.
Witness,
HENRY W. DEWEY,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
A. M. CLARK. (L.S.)