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US 4,478,601 AGranted
Coal briquette and method
OwnerLeonard Stephensinventor
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OwnerLeonard Stephensinventor
Estimating the term…
A fuel block containing concentrated combustibles is provided in a stackable, clean package which is readily ignited, and after an initial ignition burn, is consumed from the inside out with minimal smoke release. In the preferred form of the invention, ends and sides of the block have parallel faces, but the base is concave to permit an air entry passageway when the block is so positioned and burned on any generally flat surface. The top or opposite face is congruently convex to the bottom face permitting stacking of individual blocks both in storage and use. When stacked in combustion use, interior air passages or flues both horizontal and vertical, through the exterior faces of the individual block align to provide a "coking" action, as is also the case when burning of an individual block alone. The block is formed principally from coal mine particulates, coke particulates, etc., by a section defining extrusion of the plastic mix from partially dehydrated coal or coke particles most of which are not greater than about 1" nor less than about 100 mesh containing minor proportions of macro clumps of fibrous wicking material, a liquid hydrocarbon distillation fraction and methyl cellulose. The section of the extruded mass may be of any geometrical form, but the preferred form is in accordance with the accompanying drawings.
A combustible fuel block comprising:
The method of forming a fuel block which comprises admixing a major amount of a particulate hydrocarbon fuel, the particulates of which are characterized by a continuity of size-frequency range particulates of from about one inch to about 100 mesh screeh size, said fuel particulates wetted with from at least about 5% but not more than about 16% by weight of water with a small but effective amount of lime and minor amounts of macro clumped fibrous capillary combustible organic material wetted with and containing an amount of less than about 25% by weight of said fuel particulates of a liquid hydrocarbon distillate dispersed in said capillary fibrous clumps and an amount, but not exceeding about 5% by weight, of said particulate fuel of a water soluble methyl cellulose having a viscosity grade of from about 30,000 to 60,000 centipoise and subjecting said admixture to an extrusion pressure of at least about 1,000 lbs. per square inch, extruding the admixture cohesive mass over a horizontal mandrel and through an appropriate extrusion orifice to produce a self-supporting block characterized by at least one continuous horizontal air passageway longitudinally co-extensive with said extruded section.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.