A NEW OR IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF FILTERING, DISINFECTING, DEODORIZING AND DECOLORIZING MEDIUM
Year: 1884

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I GEORGE HENRY ELLIS of Moor View Lodge Pennsylvania, Exeter in the
county of Devon, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for
"A NEW OR IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF FILTERING, DISINFECTING, DEODORIZING
AND DECOLORIZING MEDIUM " and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to the manufacture of a filtering, disinfecting, deodorizing
and decolorizing medium having the properties of animal charcoal.
In carrying out my invention 1 take that particular kind of carbonaceous
material known as lignite or Bovey coal found in the Bovey basin near Bovey
Tracey and Newton Abbot, in the county of Devon, the said material containing
when calcined from forty to eighty per cent of silicious matter with a small quantity
of alumina and iron.
This material I submit to a red heat in any suitable form of gas oven or retort
such as are well known in the technical arts, under which treatment the material
becomes sufficiently carbonized for all ordinary purposes; but in order to render
the material which is left in the retorts thoroughly pure and suitable for the
purposes of my invention I introduce superheated steam by means of a nozzle and
jet, attached to the outlet of the retort in a similar manner to that in which an
injector is arranged; which has the effect of removing the volatile hydrocarbons
and other products at an accelerated speed and also of extracting portions of
sulphur which by the ordinary methods of treatment are left behind in the
carbonized material.
I also obtain the following further advantages by the introduction of superhoated
steam in the manner I have already described, videlicet:-
The volatile hydrocarbons obtained from lignite by the ordinary methods of
distillation which hydrocarbons consist of paraffin and carbolic and acetic acid,
ammonia, dyes &c have heretofore been submitted to a further treatment in order
to separate them but by the introduction and blending of superheated steam with
the sulphurous acid fumes according to my invention I separate the greater portion
of the paraflin and other products in one and the same operation.
The material remaining in the retorts, when sufficiently carbonized, I draw either
into tanks of water or tanks which can be rendered air tight (or nearly so) and
there leave it to cool.
After removing the carbonized material from the tanks I granulate it to the
required sizo or grind it to powder as may be required, when it will be fit for use

page_text: or I may quench it by throwing water over the carbonized material immediately it
is withdrawn from the retorts or ovens.
I also treat in the following manner the material known locally as "Deads" and
which is found in association with the lignite beds and consists of an admixture of
carbonaceous matter and detached particles of lignite with clay; this I reduce to a
suitable plastic or semi-plastic condition in a mill arranged for such purposes and
after drying it by natural evaporation or artificial heat I place the material in
retorts or ovens and carbonize it in the manner hereinbefore described. When the
material has become sufficiently hard for the purposes of my invention I occasionally
.find it advantageous, where a higher per centage of carbon is required, to remove
the covers or doors from the retorts or ovens and to add a further charge of lignite
mixing the whole together with a rake or rabble or other suitable contrivances and
then again closing up the retorts or ovens for a further period of carbonization, and
I sometimes add the lignite by mixing it with the "deads " or carbonaceous clay
when roducing it in the mill previous to carbonization. Either of these methods
In some
enables me to fortify the material with carbon to any required extent.
instances, and with the same object of augmenting the proportion of carbon, I mix
a certain portion of pure lignite-carbon with the carbonized lignite clay or "deads
both after treatment by my process. In cases where I desire to make the material
to be carbonized of additional hardness I sometimes add from ten to fifty per cent
of an aluminous clay, preferably such as is obtained near the coast of Somersetshire.
After admixture I carbonize by the improved method herein before described.
Amongst other advantages of this filtering material may be mentioned.
"
Firstly. Its superiority over animal charcoal for water filtration, inasmuch as it
is free from phosphate of lime, water filtered through animal charcoal being known
to favour the growth of the lower forms of animal life which are so fruitful in the
propogation of disease.
Secondly. My filtering material is not only unfavourable to such growths but it
is an active agent in their destruction.
Thirdly. It is valuable for filtering acids, whereas animal or wood charcoal
is not.
Fourthly. It can be manufactured and supplied at less than half the price of
animal charcoal.
Fifthly. It is an excellent deodorizer and decolorizer.
Sixthly. It can be used with economy and advantage for sugar refining as it
causes less waste in consequence of retaining less of the saccharine matter.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
(1) The manufacture of a filtering disinfecting, deodorizing and decolorizing
medium by treating the herein before described species of lignite and also the herein
described material known as "Deads."
(2) The process herein described for the manufacture of a filtering, disinfecting,
deodorizing and decolorizing medium from the carbonaceous materials hereinbefore
described.
DIL OIL
Na 100A