IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF PEAT, AND IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS TO BE USED THEREIN
Year: 1874

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Frederick Ludewig Hahn
Danchell at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 12th June 1874.
I, FREDERICK LUDEWIG HAHN DANCHELL, of Horwich, in the County
of Lancaster, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF PEAT, AND IN MACHINERY
AND APPARATUS TO BE USED THEREIN," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the treatment of
peat, and in machinery and apparatus to be used therein.
In order to pulp or macerate peat I employ a machine having a barrel
which revolves within a cylinder. The barrel consists of a series of
cutting screw blades, and the cylinder contains perforated plates or
brackets, so that the peat which enters at the one end of the cylinder
through a hopper is screwed forward and cut and macerated, or cut and
macerated, and forced through the perforated plates or brackets while on
its road to the other end of the cylinder, where it is ejected through an
opening in the front plate, and through a mouth-piece fixed to it, which
gives the peat the form in which the fuel is required, and which I prefer
to be round or cylindrical.

page_text: Sometimes I use two macerating barrels in a machine, they have a
single, double, or more threaded screw on their circumference, the one
forming a left hand screw whilst the other is a right hand one. These
two screw barrels are driven in opposite directions to each other, and the
screw blades of the one barrel are so placed between those of the other
that they form a cutter which macerates and cuts the fibres of the peat.
The peat enters into this machine similarly to the afore described onc
barrel machine, and is also delivered in the same way.
The casing or box in which these cylinders move may also be provided
with cutters, so as to give an additional chance of the fibres being cut if
the particular nature of the peat requires it.
The macerated peat coming out through the mouth-piece is delivered
on to boards or trays which run on rollers supported by a frame, and are
propelled forward by the pressure or friction of the ejected peat. After
a board or tray has got filled the peat is cut into desired lengths by a
cutting apparatus constructed with bow arms fitted on to a shaft in such
a way that they can be fixed at different distances from each other, and
provided with iron or steel wires which cut the peat.
The drying sheds are constructed of wood and consist of a series
of stands with shelvings running longitudinally. through the shed.
Between each line of stands is left a space for the conveyence of the
macerated peat into the shed, which is done by an endless band or chain
propelled by drums supported by rollers, and carrying the boards or
trays coming from the macerating machines. The moulded peat is
rolled off the trays on to the shelves; and when the boards or trays are
emptied they return to the macerating machines by the same means of
conveyence below, where the band or chain moves in opposite direction
to the peat..
The artificial drying ovens into which the macerated and air dried
peat is placed and dried before it finally undergoes the charring process,
are constructed of a series of flues, each of which consists of an upper
and under flue, the former to receive iron waggons with the peat, and
the latter forming the firing flue. The heat passes thus from the under
flue into the back-end of the drying flue, goes through the whole length
of this and enters at last in a flue communicating with the chimney.
After the peat comes from the drying ovens it is ready for charring,
which operation is performed by means of charring ovens, which either

page_text: may consist of iron or other cylinders or holders built into or above the
bag and covered by suitable air-tight covers, or the peat may be charred
in cylinders placed into a furnace, or I use my new perpetual charring
ovens which consist of a vertical iron cylinder or tube coated on the
inside with fire-bricks, and divided into two compartments by means of
two horizontal plates which can be drawn by a screw out and in, thus
either shutting off the under compartment from the upper or making
the two into one. The under end of the cylinder is closed by a movable
bottom plate, which when removed gives an outlet for the charred
material.
When the charring oven is to be filled with material the horizontal
plates are screwed in, thus forming the bottom of the upper compart-
ment; and when the material is charred sufficiently they are drawn out
by their suspension screws. When the bottom compartment is thus
filled with charcoal it is closed and the bottom plate removed, and the
contents of the under compartment is emptied into iron coolers which
consist of cylinders with air-tight lids. Near the top of the charring
oven is a hopper through which the peat is lowered, and the top of the
cylinder or its continuation is furnished with a regulating or closing
valve, so that the cylinder may be closed entirely when required.
A. modification of this oven may be made so as to collect the gases
and the tar. In this case the charring cylinder has its top closed, the
gases and tars are made to pass through a pipe at the top of the cylinder
and drawn off by a fan or other suitable means. I convert the macerated
moulded and dried peat into fire lighters by saturating it with heavy
oil or other such like inflammable material.