Method and apparatus for producing charcoal

Claim 1

A METHOD OF PRODUCTING CHARCOAL WOOD OR THE LIKE IN SMALL PIECES CONSISTING OF THE FOLLOWING STEPS: A. CONTINUOUSLY INTRODUCING SAID WOOD INTO THE HIGHER END OF AND ELONGATED, SLIGHTLY INCLINED RETORT WHICH IS INCLINED DOWNWARDLY TOWARD ITS OPPOSITE OR EXIT END, B. ROTATING THE RETORT ABOUT IS LONGITUDINAL AXIS, WHEREBY THE WOOD PIECES ARE CONSTANTLY TUMBLED AND ADVANCED TOWARD THE LOWER END OF THE RETORT ALONG THE LENGTH THEREOF, IN THE FORM OF A BED ONLY PARTIALLY FILLING SAID RETORT, C. HEATING SAID WOOD BY COMBUSTION OF AN EXTERNAL FUEL LONG ENOUGH ONLY TO DRY AND INITIATE CARBONIZATION OF A PORTION OF SAID WOOD, WHERBY A COMBUSTIBLE WOOD GAS IS DRIVENRTION FROM SAID WOOD, AND D. INTRODUCING AIR TANGENTIALLY INTO A PERIPHERAL PORTION OF THE RETORT NOT OCCUPIED BY THE WOOD BED, IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO THE ROTATION OF THE RETORT AND AT A POINT ANGULARLY REMOTE FROM THE BED, CONSIDERED IN THE DIRECTION OF CIRCULATION OF THE AIR, WHEREBY WOOD GAS DRIVEN OFF IS ENTRAINED INN THE CIRCULATION, MIXED WITH THE AIR, AND BURNT TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY THE AVAILAVLE OXYGEN OF THE ADMITTED AIR, BEDFORE THE CIRCULATING GASES AGAIN ENGAGE SAID BED, THE HEAT OF SAID COMBUSTION SERVING TO DRY SUBSEQUENTLY ADDED WOOD AND BRING IT TO CARBONIZATION TEMPERTURE, AND THE TUMBLING OF THE WOOD PIECES IN THE BED SERVING TO EXPOSE THE ENTIRE MASS OF SAID BED TO THE HEAT OF SAID COMBUSTION, AND E. REMOVING THE RESULTING CHARCOAL FROM THE LOWER END OF SAID RETORT.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF PRODUCTING CHARCOAL WOOD OR THE LIKE IN SMALL PIECES CONSISTING OF THE FOLLOWING STEPS: A. CONTINUOUSLY INTRODUCING SAID WOOD INTO THE HIGHER END OF AND ELONGATED, SLIGHTLY INCLINED RETORT WHICH IS INCLINED DOWNWARDLY TOWARD ITS OPPOSITE OR EXIT END, B. ROTATING THE RETORT ABOUT IS LONGITUDINAL AXIS, WHEREBY THE WOOD PIECES ARE CONSTANTLY TUMBLED AND ADVANCED TOWARD THE LOWER END OF THE RETORT ALONG THE LENGTH THEREOF, IN THE FORM OF A BED ONLY PARTIALLY FILLING SAID RETORT, C. HEATING SAID WOOD BY COMBUSTION OF AN EXTERNAL FUEL LONG ENOUGH ONLY TO DRY AND INITIATE CARBONIZATION OF A PORTION OF SAID WOOD, WHERBY A COMBUSTIBLE WOOD GAS IS DRIVENRTION FROM SAID WOOD, AND D. INTRODUCING AIR TANGENTIALLY INTO A PERIPHERAL PORTION OF THE RETORT NOT OCCUPIED BY THE WOOD BED, IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO THE ROTATION OF THE RETORT AND AT A POINT ANGULARLY REMOTE FROM THE BED, CONSIDERED IN THE DIRECTION OF CIRCULATION OF THE AIR, WHEREBY WOOD GAS DRIVEN OFF IS ENTRAINED INN THE CIRCULATION, MIXED WITH THE AIR, AND BURNT TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY THE AVAILAVLE OXYGEN OF THE ADMITTED AIR, BEDFORE THE CIRCULATING GASES AGAIN ENGAGE SAID BED, THE HEAT OF SAID COMBUSTION SERVING TO DRY SUBSEQUENTLY ADDED WOOD AND BRING IT TO CARBONIZATION TEMPERTURE, AND THE TUMBLING OF THE WOOD PIECES IN THE BED SERVING TO EXPOSE THE ENTIRE MASS OF SAID BED TO THE HEAT OF SAID COMBUSTION, AND E. REMOVING THE RESULTING CHARCOAL FROM THE LOWER END OF SAID RETORT.

Claim 3

An apparatus for producing charcoal from wood or the like in small pieces comprising: a. an elongated retort the axis of which is inclined slightly from horizontal whereby to have upper and lower ends, b. means operable to introduce said wood into the upper end of said retort at a regulated rate, c. means operable to rotate said retort about its longitudinal axis at a rate sufficiently slow that said wood gathers in a bed in the lower portion of said retort, said bed tending to rise along the ascending side of the retort until gravity causes the wood pieces to tumble, said bed also being moved along the length of said retort as a result of said tumbling and the inclination of said retort, d. means operable to burn an external fuel in or adjacent said retort long enough only to dry and bring to carbonization temperature a portion of said wood, whereby carbonization is initiated and a combustible wood gas emanates from said wood, and e. means operable to inject air in regulated amounts tangentially into a lower peripheral portion of said retort not normally occupied by said wood bed, and to direct said air peripherally of said retort in a direction opposite to the rotation of said retort, whereby said wood gas is intermixed with said air and burned to the extent permitted by the available oxygen of said air, as it flows peripherally around said retort, before the hot, oxygen-deficient gaseous products of its combustion again flow over said wood bed to entrain additional wood gas, and f. means operable to remove the resulting charcoal from the lower end of said retort.

Claim 4

An apparatus for producing charcoal from wood or the like in small pieces comprising: a. an elongated retort the axis of which is inclined slightly from horizontal whereby to have upper and lower ends, b. means operable to introduce said wood into the upper end of said retort at a regulated rate, c. means operable to rotate said retort about its longitudinal axis at a rate sufficiently slow that said wood gathers in a bed in the lower portion of said retort, said bed tending to rise along the ascending side of the retort until gravity causes the wood pieces to tumble, said bed also being moved along the length of said retort as a result of said tumbling and the inclination of said retort, d. means operable to burn an external fuel in or adjacent said retort long enough only to dry and bring to carbonization temperature a portion of said wood, whereby carbonization is initiated and a combustible wood gas emanates from said wood, and e. means operable to inject air in regulated amounts tangentially into a lower peripheral portion of said retort not normally occupied by said wood bed, and to direct said air peripherally of said retort in a direction opposite to the rotation of said retort, whereby said wood gas is intermixed with said air and burned to the extent permitted by the available oxygen of said air, as it flows peripherally around said retort, before the hot, oxygen-deficient gaseous products of its combustion again flow over said wood bed to entrain additional wood gas, and f. means operable to remove the resulting charcoal from the lower end of said retort.