Improvements in Apparatus for Charging Inclined Gas Retorts.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Nov., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 15th Aug., 1893-Accepted, 7th Oct., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Charging Inclined Gas Retorts.
We, LUDOVICO VAN VESTRAUT and MAURICE GRAHAM, both of 86
Leadenhall Street, in the City of London, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for charging inclined gas
retorts.
Over the bed or bench of the retorts is fixed a hopper which may be erected over
one bed, in a requisite place, or may be erected over the full length of beds or
bench of settings of retorts and overhead and above the charging mouthpieces.
This hopper contains the supply of coal required for charging or feeding the
several retorts, the coal being first broken and then lifted by machinery and
deposited in the said hopper or bunker.
At the bottom of same are one or more valves, doors or slides of suitable
pattern. Division plates are fixed inside to form compartments if necessary, and
also to strengthen and be a support to the sides of the hopper, necessary stays are
fixed which are used for supporting the conveyors and other machinery for filling
the hoppers.
Upon the bottom of these large or main hoppers are fixed either permanent or
movable secondary hoppers or chambers which act as measuring chambers. At
the top and bottom of these hoppers or chambers are slides or valves of suitable
pattern, which are moved and worked by means of a lever or levers, preferably
fixed so that when the top slide is opened the bottom is shut and vice-versa. The
object of the bottom slide is to prevent the coal falling down the shoot before
the chamber is filled and ready for charging, the object of the top is to prevent the
coal falling into the chamber from above during the operation of charging, and so.
increasing the already measured charge.
Measuring chambers are also used separately and of a suitable design running
full length of the beds or settings of retorts and filled by means of a scraping
conveyor, Archimedian screw or other suitable design. These chambers may also
have the top and bottom doors as before described, although the top door may be
made or built in the conveyor trough as preferred.
The capacity of these hoppers or chambers is regulated by means of slides,
swing flaps, doors, valves, partitions and movable sides, thus increasing or reducing
the charge or charges as required. The weight of the charge can also be
governed by using a measuring chamber under the main hopper and supported by
or fixed upon a spring or springs so that when the required weight of coal or other
substance is deposited in this chamber it will raise or lower, and in doing so come
in contact with a lever or levers which are directly or indirectly connected to the
top or bottom slides, thereby opening or shutting them as preferred for successful
working.
Conveyors and elevators are used of any desirable pattern for supplying the
necessary quantity of coal for the retort charges and also for conveying the said
coal to the place required.
Upon the top of main hoppers, measuring chambers, hoppers, bunkers etc., or
any receiver of coal or upon any coal store we fix an elevator or conveyor or both
if preferred to fill the same.
If an elevator is used it deposits direct into the said hopper but if a conveyor is
used this receives the coal and distributes it along the hoppers trimming and filling
same as it travels on, or scrapes the coal along a trough of any given size, shape,
or material with a number of openings in same, so that when the receptacle is

page_text: filled up to the spout or outlet of the trough, the convenyor scrapes on to next
opening and so on. Upon arriving at the end of hopper or hoppers the surplus
coal is shot down an overflow spout, upon the floor of house or in a movable
waggon to be conveyed again to the coal stack.
Underneath these hoppers, measuring chambers, etc., as described, is a shoot
fixed or movable of any size and shape which directs the flow of coal and checks
the speed of same before entering the retort, thus securing an even layer of coal,
distributed throughout, and upon the floor of the retort. This shoot may be
pushed along the overhead rails, on wheels, or receive its forward or upward
motion by means of chain wheels and gearing or by an endless chain or rope
driven by suitable means.
It will be understood that the same is given by way of illustration only, and
that the materials, parts and shapes, may be varied in many ways within the scope
of my invention.
Dated this 16th day of November 1892.
J. P. BAYLY,
18, Fulham Place, W., Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Charging Inclined Gas Retorts.
We, LUDOVICO VAN VESTRAUT, and MAURICE GRAHAM, both of 86
Leadenhall Street, in the City of London, Engineers, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention 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 improvements in apparatus for charging inclined gas
retorts.
We attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying
drawing, in which―
મ
Fig. 1, is a vertical section of the retort bed with hoppers and shoots in elevation;
Fig. 2, is a view of an Archimedian screw conveyor above the receiver; Fig. 3, is
a front view of the hoppers and shoots placed in position for charging in the
mouth of the retorts, with a scraping conveyor to fill the receiver with material;
Figs. 4, is a section of a measuring hopper with swing flaps, 5 is a hopper with
movable sides, 6 is with a telescopic pipe, 7 with a plank, 8 with a door, and 9
with a double door; Fig. 10, is a view of a conveyer filling a measuring hopper;
Fig. 11, is a view of a coal truck above the receiver; Fig. 12, is a measuring
hopper with movable sides; Fig. 13, is a hopper with springs with top doors open;
Fig. 14, with top doors shut; Fig. 15, is a side view of the guides between which
the door slides Fig. 16, is a plan of Fig. 15 with the adjustable bar or rod to
the sliding door partly shown by dotted lines.; Fig. 17, is a section of a mouth of
retort with the plate or shield placed in position. Several of the figs. are broken
off for convenience.
Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.
Over the bed or bench of the retorts is fixed a hopper.a.in which. may be erected
over one bed a requisite place, or may be erected over the full length of beds or
bench of settings of retorts and overhead and above the charging mouthpieces.
This hopper a contains the supply of coal required for charging or feeding the
several retorts, the coal being first broken and then lifted by.. machinery and
deposited in the said hopper or bunker. At the bottom of the hopper a are one or
more valves, doors or slides of suitable pattern. Division.plates are fixed inside to
forin compartments if necessary, and also to strengthen and be. a support to the
side of the hopper, necessary stays are fixed which are. used for, supporting the
conveyers and other machinery for filling these hoppers.
Upon the bottom of these large or main hoppers are fixed permanent secondary
hoppers or measuring chambers c which act as measuring chambers. At. the top

page_text: and bottom of these hoppers or chambers are slides or valves d of suitable pattern
as shewn in Figs. 15, and 16, which are moved and worked by means of a lever or
levers e, preferably fixed so that when the top slide is opened the bottom is shut
and vice-versa these slides work in guides f as shewn in Figs. 15, and 16. The
object of the bottom slide is to prevent the coal falling down the shoot before
the chamber is filled and ready for charging, the object of the top is to prevent the
coal falling into the chamber from above during the operation of charging, and so
increasing the already measured. charge. The above mentioned slides are fixed in
these measuring chambers and not in the large overhead hoppers.
Measuring chambers are also used separately as in Fig. 10, and not in
conjunction with the large hopper a and are of a suitable design fixed full length
of the beds or settings of retorts and filled by means of a scraping conveyer k,
Archimedian screw as in Fig. 2, truck as in Fig. 11, or other suitable means.
These chambers may also have the top and bottom doors d as before described,
although the top door may be made or built in the conveyer trough if preferred.
The capacity of these hoppers or chambers and the quantity of coal per charge
is regulated by means of movable slides, (pivotted) swing flaps, doors, valves,
partitions and movable sides, thus increasing or reducing the charge or charges as
required. The weight of the charge can also be governed by using a measuring
chamber under the main hopper and supported by or fixed upon a spring or
springs so that when the required weight of coal or other substance is deposited
in this chamber it will raise or lower, and in doing so come in contact with a lever
or levers which are directly or indirectly connected to the top or bottom slides,
thereby opening or shutting them as preferred for successful working.
Conveyers as in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 10, are used of any desirable pattern for
supplying the necessary quantity of coal for the retort charges and also for
conveying the said coal to the place required.
Upon the top of main hoppers, measuring chambers, hoppers, buukers etc., or
any receiver of coal or upon any coal store we fix a conveyer of any suitable
pattern if preferred to fill the same.
The conveyer receives the coal and distributes it along the hoppers filling and
levelling the same as it travels on, or scrapes the coal along a trough of any given
size, shape, or material, with a number of openings g in game, so that when the
receptacle is filled up to the spout or outlet of the trough, the conveyer scrapes on
to next opening and so on. Upon arriving at the end of the hopper or hoppers
the surplus coal is shot down an overflow spout, upon the floor of house or in a
movable waggon to be conveyed again to the coal stack.
Underneath these hoppers, measuring chambers, etc., as described, are shoots h
movable of any size and shape, which direct the flow of coal into the retort and
check the speed of the coal before entering the retort, thus securing an even layer
of coal, distributed throughout and upon the floor of the retort. These shoots
may be pushed along the overhead rails on wheels as shown on drawing.
A plate or shield as shewn in Fig. 17, we use as part of the apparatus is to
overcome the deposit of tar on the mouthpiece, and thereby gives a smooth surface
for the coal to slide upon, for a commencement.
Upon the top and bottom slides or doors will be fixed an adjustable arrangement
either by a pivot, screw, bolt or otherwise so that the travel of the door or slide
can be varied as required and illustrated in Fig. 16.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim, is :-
1. The large hoppers a to supply material to the measuring chambers, sub-
stantially as described.
2. The fixed measuring hoppers or chambers with top and bottom doors or
slides or valves as shewn of any required construction to suit the purpose in
conjunction with the action of the levers, so that when one is shut the other is

page_text: open and vice versa, substantially as herein described and according to the
accompanying drawing.
3. The combination of extended guides and doors or valves for the measuring
hoppers and the adjustable arrangement either by a pivot, screw, bolt or otherwise
so that the travel of the door or slide can be varied as required, substantially as
herein described and according to the accompanying drawing.
4. The movable shoots as shewn and described.
5. In the measuring chamber, the several arrangements as illustrated for
altering the capacity of the measuring hoppers for measuring the charge and for
regulating the amount of the charge of coal, substantially as herein described and
according to the accompanying drawings.
6. A piece of flat iron inserted in the mouth of a retort, substantially as herein
described and according to Fig. 17 of the accompanying drawing.
7. The arrangement or combination of arrangements for filling the main hopper
which works automatically, substantially as shewn and described.
8. The overhead conveyers to receive the coal and to distribute it along the
hoppers filling and levelling the same as it travels on, or scrapes the coal along a
trough of any given size, shape, or material, with a number of openings or shoots,
substantially as herein described and according to the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 15th dor of Aurut 1000
J. P. BAYLY,
18, Fulham Place, W., Agent for the Applicants.
J. P. BAYLY,
18, Fulham Place, W., Agent for the Applicants.