IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR HINGING, ADJUSTING, AND FASTENING GAS RETORT LIDS, COVERS, OR DOORS, AND OTHER LIDS, COVERS, AND DOORS
Year: 1870

page_text: .
LETTERS PATENT to Stephen Holman, of 10, Laurence Pountney
Lane, in the City of London, Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR HINGING, ADJUSTING, AND FASTENING
GAS RETORT LIDS, COVERS, OR DOORS, AND OTHER LIDS, COVERS, AND
DOORS."
Sealed the 28th June 1870, and dated the 1st January 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Stephen Holman at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 1st January 1870.
I, STEPHEN HOLMAN, of 10, Laurence Pountney Lane, in the City of
London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR HINGING, ADJUSTING, AND FASTENING GAS
RETORT LIDS, COVERS, OR DOORS, AND OTHER LIDS, COVERS, AND DOORS," to be
as follows:-
This Invention consists mainly in making and applying eccentric or
differential pins or bolts to cross bars and lugs used for the purpose of
securing the lids or doors to the mouth pieces of gas retorts (particularly

page_text: for securing Morton's Patent, No. 575, 24th February 1869, self-scaling
"lids).
In order to effect a sound scaling of the mouth piece of the retort
with great facility and at a comparatively little cost I construct two
lugs, one with a catch at its outer end, and the other with an eye or half
joint at the outer end, the latter having a hole 'therein to receive the
small bearing of an eccentric or differential pin or bolt. The cross bar
is made with a hole at one end to receive the large bearing of the
eccentric pin or bolt, and is made to bear on the half jointed lug aforo-
said; the other end of the cross bar rests on the lug which forms the
catch. The eccentric or differential pin is put through both the cross
bar and the jointed lug, having a nut or other fastening at the bottom
to prevent the pin from working out, and at the same time leaving the
pin sufficiently free to work both. in the jointed lug and the end of the
<cross-bar.
On the top of the eccentric or differential pin a lever is
"formed or connected for the purpose of turning it around in the joint,
which operation of turning around (by reason of the eccentric action
given to it) fastens the lid or door to the mouth piece of the retort
when turned.in. one direction, and releases it when turned in an opposite
.direction.
In order to compensate for wear and for the purpose of adjustment I
attach the lid or door to the hinged cross bar by means of a flat céntre
piece rivetted or otherwise secured to the lid or door, and having a hole
made in the same to receive the larger bearing of an eccentric or
differential adjusting pin or bolt, and a corresponding hole is made near
the centre of the cross bar to receive the small bearing of the adjusting
pin or bolt. On turning the adjusting pin or bolt around the lid and.
cross bar will be moved from or towards cach other to any relative
position within the range of the eccentric movement given by the
differential diameter of the pin or bolt. Whenever the desired adjust-
ment is effected I prefer to screw up the adjusting pin or bolt so as to
bring the cross bar and flat centre picce tight together; the said pin or
bolt may however be set tight in either the cross bar or centre picce, and
allowed to work freely in one or other of the said holes. The adjustment
of the lid or door to a proper position for tightening up by means of the
lever eccentric may also be effected by having a shifting screw, bolt, or
stop to work in a suitable slot in the lug, centre piece, or cross bar.
The action of the eccentric or differential pin will cause a proportionate.

page_text: lateral traverse in the operation of fastening or releasing the lid or
door; this will have the effect of removing extraneous grit or other
substances that might occasionally get between the surfaces (or between
the bearing edge of a Morton's Patent lid and the mouth piece); the
lateral traverse can however: be entirely prevented (when desirable) by
olongating one of the holes in which the lever eccentric pin works.
"
Modifications may be made without departing from the principle of
this Invention. The lever eccentric or differential pin may be applied
at the middle instead of at the end of the cross bar, as above described,.
or an eccentric or differential pin may be applied to one or both lugs
to act against the edge of the cross bar at.one or both ends (if at both
ends the cross bar would not be hinged, but merely rested on the lugs);
and other minor variations may be practicable..
The particular novelty claimed is, the powerful application of eccentric
or differential pins or bolts, substantially for the purposes. herein
described..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Stephen Holman in the. Great Seal Patent Office:
on the 1st July 1870..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, STEPHEN.
HOLMAN, of No.. 10, Laurence Pountney Lane, in the City of London,,
Engineer, send greeting:..
:
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-third
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs. and successors, give. and
grant unto me, the said Stephen Holman, Her special, licence. that. I,..
the said Stephen Holman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or:
such others as I; the said Stephen. Holman, my executors,, administrators,..
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time:
to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein. expressed,,
should and lawfully might make, use; exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the. Channel Islands,,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for " IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
HINGING, ADJUSTING, AND FASTENING GAS RETORT. LIDS, COVERS, OR DOORS, AND

page_text: OTHER LIDS, COVERS, AND DOORS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Stephen Holman, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Stephen Holman, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
My Invention consists mainly in making and applying eccentric or
differential pins or bolts to cross bars and lugs used for the purpose' of
securing the lids or doors to the mouth pieces of gas retorts (particularly
for securing Morton's Patent self-sealing lids) “dated 24th February
1869, No. 575."
In order to effect a sound sealing of the mouth piece of the retort
with great facility and at a comparatively little cost I construct two
lugs, one with a catch at its outer end and the other with an eye or half
joint at the outer end, the latter having a hole therein to receive the
small bearing of an eccentric or differential pin or bolt. The cross bar is
made with a hole at one end to receive the large bearing of the eccentric
or differential pin or bolt, and is made to bear on the half jointed lug.
aforesaid; the other end of the cross bar rests on the lug which forms.
the catch. The eccentric or differential pin is put through both the cross
bar and the jointed lug, having a nut or other fastening at the bottom to
prevent the pin from working out, and at the same time leaving the pin
sufficiently free to work both in the jointed lug and the end of the
cross bar. On the top of the eccentric or differential pin a lever is formed
or connected for the purpose of turning it around in the joint, which
operation of turning around (by reason of the eccentric, action given to
it) fastens the lid or door to the mouth piece of the retort when turned
in one direction, and releases it when turned in an opposite direction.
In order to compensate for wear and for the purpose of adjustment I
attach the lid or door to the hinged cross bar by means of a flat centre
piece rivetted or otherwise secured to the lid or door, and having a hole
made in the same to receive the larger bearing of an eccentric or.

page_text: differential adjusting pin or bolt, and a corresponding hole is made near
the centre of the cross bar to receive the small bearing of the adjusting
pin or bolt. On turning the adjusting pin or bolt around; the lid and
cross bar will be moved from or towards each other to any relative
position within the range of the eccentric movement given by the
differential diameter of the pin or bolt. Whenever the desired adjust-
ment is effected I prefer to screw up the adjusting pin or bolt so as to
bring the cross bar and flat centre piece tight together; the said pin or
bolt may however be set tight in either the cross bar or centre piece
and allowed to work freely in one or other of the said holes. The
adjustment of the lid or door to a proper position for tightening up
by means of the lever eccentric may also be effected by having a
shifting screw bolt or stop to work in a suitable slot in the lug, centre.
piece, or cross bar. The action of the eccentric or differential pin
will cause a proportionate lateral traverse in the operation of fastening
and releasing the lid or door; this will have the effect of removing
extraneous grit or other substances that might occasionally get between.
the. surfaces, (or between the bearing edge of a Morton's Patent lid and
the mouth piece); the lateral traverse can however be entirely prevented.
(when desirable) by elongating one of the holes in which the lever.
eccentric pin works.
Modifications may be made without departing from the principle of
this Invention. The lever eccentric or differential pin may be applied
at the middle instead of at the end of the cross bar as above described,
or an eccentric or differential pin may be applied to one or both lugs to
act against the edge of the cross bar at one or both ends (if at both ends
the cross bar would not be hinged but merely rested on the lugs) and
other minor variations may be practicable.
The particular novelty claimed is, the powerful application of
cccentric or differential pins or bolts, substantially for the purposes
herein described.
In order that this Invention may be fully understood, I will now
describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
Fig. 1 represents the front elevation of a gas retort mouth piece with
the lid and fastenings in the positions which they occupy when the lid
is closed on the orifice or mouth of the retort. A shews a cast-iron
mouth piece; B shews a Morton's Patent lid (before mentioned); C.is a
cross bar, to which the lid is attached by means of stud D, and secured.

page_text: by an eccentric or differential adjusting pin or bolt E (shewn also in
Fig. 2 with cross bar in section); F is a lever having an eccentric or
differential joint pin or bolt all in one piece (in this instance); (shewn
mark'd L in Fig. 4 with boss of jointed lug in section). The large or
eccentric part of the pin or bolt is made to work in a hole formed in one
end of cross bar C; the smaller part of the pin or bolt works in the holo
of the jointed lug G, which lug is fixed in the car of the mouth picce
by means of the cotter H or other convenient mode of fastening. Suffi-
cient freedom is allowed at the joint for the plain end of the cross bar to
be readily lifted in or out of the catch I.
Fig. 3 shews a
plan of the mouth piece with the lid (in section).
closing the orifice. Lever F is here shown in its proper position when
the lid is securely fastened against the mouth piece; by moving the
lever F in the direction of the arrow K the eccentric action of the pin
or bolt (marked L in Fig. 4) will cause the lid to withdraw from the
mouth piece through the medium of cross bar C, to which the lid is
connected as aforesaid; the action of the eccentric part L also gives a
lateral movement to the lid causing it to scrape the surface of the moutli
piece, thus removing extraneous grit or other subtances and rendering
the sealing of the mouth of the retort more certain and effectual.
An arrangement for lifting the cross bar out of the catch I mechanically
by one and the same operation of lever F is shewn also in Fig. 1.
N is a strong stud rivetted or otherwise secured to cross bar C, having a
roller O made to work thereon; P is an eccentric trip washer or cam
secured to the differential joint pin or bolt operated by lever F. In the
process of releasing the lid for the purpose of charging or drawing the
retort it is disengaged from the mouth piece when the lever F is moved
about a quarter of a circle, as from Q to R in Fig. 3, and by continuing
the circuit of the lever in the direction of the arrow K. the cam P will
come in contact with roller O, and cause the plain end of the cross bar C
to lift out of catch I, thus enabling the stoker to fully open the mouth of
the retort by a single movement of lever F.
Fig. 5 shews lever I applied to the centre of the cross bar and the:
adjusting pin E placed at the joint. The operation will be similar to
that already described in reference to Fig. 1, of which it is only a
modification.
Figures 6 & 7 shew a method of applying a quick thread screw and
lever for the purpose of fastening the lid. The same letters apply to

page_text: similar parts before described. A is the mouth picco; B, the lid; C, the
cross bar; E, the adjusting pin or bolt; F, the lever attached to screwed
ferrule U; G, the jointed lug, in which adjusting pin E works (in this
instance), and I the catch to secure plain end of cross bar C. In theso
illustrations a boss formed in the cross bar is shewn at T, in which
screwed ferrule or bearing U works, and on the outer end of which
lever F is keyed or otherwise secured; the lid will be fastened against
the mouth picce by moving the lever in one direction, and released by
moving it in an opposite direction (according as the screw may be made
what is known as right or left hand thread). This arrangement is also a
modification of the arrangement shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, & 4. I prefer
to use the eccentric lever joint pin wherever practicable.
In all the illustrations Morton's Patent lid is shewn, but the
fastenings herein described are applicable to other lids, covers, &
doors. By the adoption of this Invention much time, labour, and gas
arc economised, and much wear and tear prevented by reason of the
lids and cross bars being hinged, so that no delay occurs in closing the
mouth piece, and no damage occurs by the rough usage consequent
upon the prevailing practice of throwing the lids and cross bars loosely
about when lifted away hot from the retort.
Having now described and particularly set forth the nature of this
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may used or
carried into effect, I would observe that I do not confine myself to the
precise details or arrangements which I have described and illustrated.
or referred to, as variations may be made therefrom without departing
from the essential features of this Invention; but what I consider to be
novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to mo
by the hercin-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
Firstly. The construction and application of eccentric or differential
joint pins or bolts, as herein described and more particularly illustrated
in Figures 1, 2, 3, & 4, or any merc modification thereof.
Secondly. The construction and application of eccentric or differential
adjusting pins or bolts, as described and illustrated in Fig. 2.
Thirdly. The construction and application of apparatus for lifting the
cross bar out of the catch mechanically, as herein described and shewn
in Fig. 1.

page_text: Fourthly. The construction and application of eccentric or differential
joint pins or bolts similar to bolt E in Fig. 2, when used in conjunction
with a fastening screw, as shewn in Figures 5 and 6, or any mere
modification thereof.
°
In witness whereof, I, the said Stephen Holman, have hereunto set 5
my hand and seal, this First day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
STEPHEN HOLMAN. (L.S.)