Improvements in and relating to Retorts for the Destructive . I Distillation of Shale.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd June, 1897.
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Mar., 1898-Accepted, 23rd Apr., 188
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Retorts for the Destructive
. I
Distillation of Shale.
.}
We, WILLIAM YOUNG, of Priorsford, Peebles, Chemical Engineer, and JoHN
FYFE, of 1, Montgomerie Drive, in the City of Glasgow, Shale Oil Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
This invention has reference to and comprises improvements in and relating to
retorts for the destructive distillation of shale for the obtainment of oil and ammonia
in accordance with the principles of the invention described in Letters Patent
granted to William Young one of the present applicants and George Thomas
Beilby and dated 21st March, 1882, No. 1377.
"The objects of the invention are to reduce labour, save fuel and increase the
products, and to enable existing but worn out retorts that have been erected in
accordance with the above invention to be economically replaced upon existing
foundations by similar retorts, provided with improved and enlarged multiple hop-
pers for the reception of the shale to pass through the retorts, and also enlarged
chambers for the reception of the ash or exhausted shale; the retorts being provided
with mechanical arrangements for the continuous passage of the fresh shale into
them from the multiple hopper and the continuous discharge of the ash or spent
shale into the receiving chamber. These improved mechanical alterations in the
structure of the retorts greatly reduce the manual labour, enabling most of the
work to be done during the day, the multiple hopper and spent shale chamber
being of such dimensions as will supply fresh shale, and receive the spent shale,
during the night shift, the only labour then required being that of supervision,
regulating the temperature of the retorts, and seeing that the mechanical arrange-
ments are working properly.
The multiple hoppers are preferably built of mild steel plates rectangular in
form, with flat bottoms to which the retorts are. bolted by flanges, the flat steel
bottoms admitting of the differential expansion, to which the retorts are liable,
to take place without damage to the retorts or the hoppers; and, to ensure that
the shale may regularly pass to the retorts from the hoppers, each hopper is pro-
vided, with a rocking shaft or equivalent mechanism to which are attached rods or
chains hanging into the mouths of the retorts. These rods or chains are thus
made to rise and fall into the retorts and cause the shale to drop into the retorts
and thus replace that which has been continuously discharged at the bottom.
The spent shale receiving chambers at the lower end of each retort are similar
in construction to those in ordinary use, but are greatly enlarged. This is accom-
plished by thinning the division walls and replacing the front wall of the chambers
by iron plates.
The lower end of each retort is provided with a mechanical device for the con-
inuous discharge of the spent shale into these chambers. A convenient mechanical
levice for use when the shale ash is soft and free from grit consists of a worm

page_text: or screw placed upon a shaft carried through the front plate of the chamber and
rotated by any suitable gearing. The worm or screw is one half right handed,
and the other half left handed, the junction of the screws taking place in the
centre of the rectangular retort, and the pitch of the worm or screw increasing
towards the ends so as to cause the spent shale' to be more rapidly discharged at
the back and front, where the heating surface of the retort is larger in proportion
to the mass of contained shale. The screw or worm has no sole plate or base,
but is placed between two longitudinal bars. The spent shale is either carried
by the screw through the space between those bars and the central shaft, or dis-
charged over their edges or carried to their ends.
When the shale ash is hard and gritty a better or more convenient mechanical
discharging device consists of a shaft placed in a like position to that of the screw
or worm, the worm being replaced by a series of prongs, but which, instead of
rotating, are oscillated back and forward. One set of these prongs serves to dis-
charge the spent shale from the lower end of the retort on to a bottom plate or
grating. Through the gratings in this plate the other set of prongs pass and push
the shale over its edges into the spent shale chamber. By keeping the bottom
grating lower at the ends of the retorts and the prongs longer, the shale is more
rapidly discharged at the back and front of the retort, as with the screw with
increasing pitch.
The spent shale chamber being made with a sloping bottom to facilitate the
discharge of the spent shale into the trucks, and the retorts being placed over the
back and shallow part of the chamber, the spent shale would be apt to fill up and
interfere with the discharge of the shale from the back part of the retort. To
overcome that difficulty we place in the spent shale chamber a sloping shelf or
shelves, so as to cause the shale coming from the front and central part of the
retort, instead of falling vertically, to fall upon the sloping shelf and to be carried
to the front of the chamber and thus leave a larger storage for the spent shale
discharged from the back part of the retort.
Dated this 2nd day of June 1897
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Of the Firm of Cruikshank & Fairweather,
Chartered Patent Agent,
62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow,
Agent for the Applicants.
Improvements in and relating to Retorts for the Destructive
Distillation of Shale.
We, WILLIAM YOUNG, of Priorsford, Peebles, Chemical Engineer, and JOHN
FYFE, of 1, Montgomerie Drive, in the City of Glasgow, Shale Oil Manufacturer, 4
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 fol-
lowing statement:-
―
This invention has reference to and comprises improvements in and relating to
retorts for the destructive distillation of shale for the obtainment of oil and ammonia
in accordance with the principles of the invention described in Letters Patent
granted to William Young one of the present applicants and George Thomas
Beilby and dated 21st March, 1882, No. 1377.
The objects of the invention are to reduce labour, save fuel and increase the

page_text: products, and to enable existing but worn out retorts that have been erected in
accordance with the above invention to be economically replaced upon existing
foundations by similar retorts, provided with improved and enlarged multiple hop-
pers for the reception of the shale to pass through the retorts, and also enlarged
chambers for the reception of the ash or exhausted shale, the retorts being provided
with mechanical arrangements for the continuous passage of the fresh shale into
them from the multiple hopper and the continuous discharge of the ash or spent
shale into the receiving chamber. These improved mechanical alterations in the
structure of the retorts greatly reduce the manual labour, enabling most of the
work to be done during the day, the multiple hopper and spent shale chamber
being of such dimensions as will supply fresh shale, and receive the spent shale,
during the night shift, the only labour then required being that of supervision,
regulating the temperature of the retorts, and seeing that the mechanical arrange-
ments are working properly.
The multiple hoppers are preferably built of mild steel plates rectangular in
form, with flat bottoms to which the retorts are bolted by flanges, the flat steel
bottoms admitting of the differential expansion, to which the retorts are liable,
to take place without damage to the retorts or the hoppers; and, to ensure that
the shale may regularly pass to the retorts from the hoppers, each hopper is pro-
vided with a rocking shaft or equivalent mechanism to which are attached rods or
chains hanging into the mouths of the retorts. These rods or chains are thus
nade to rise and fall into the retorts and cause the shale to drop into the retorts
and thus replace that which has been continuously discharged at the bottom.
The spent shale receiving chambers at the lower end of each retort are similar
in construction to those in ordinary use, but are greatly enlarged. This is accom-
plished by thinning the division walls and replacing the front wall of the chambers
by iron plates.
The lower end of each retort is provided with a mechanical device for the con-
tinuous discharge of the spent shale into these chambers. A convenient mechanical
device for use when the shale ash is soft and free from grit consists of a worm
or screw placed upon a shaft carried through the front plate of the chamber and
rotated by any suitable gearing. The worm or screw is one half right handed,
and the other half left handed, the junction of the screws taking place in the
centre of the rectangular retort, and the pitch of the worm or screw increasing
towards the ends so as to cause the spent shale to be more rapidly discharged at
the back and front, where the heating surface of the retort is larger in proportion
to the mass of contained shale. The screw or worm has no sole plate or base,
but is placed between two side plates on the bottom of the retort.
The spent
shale is either carried by the screw through the space between those plates and
the central shaft, or discharged by being carried to their ends.
When the shale ash is hard and gritty a better or more convenient mechanical
discharging device consists of a shaft placed in a like position to that of the screw
or worm, the worm being replaced by a series of prongs, but which, instead of
rotating, are oscillated back and forward. One set of these prongs serves to dis-
charge the spent shale from the lower end of the retort on to a bottom plate or
grating. Through the gratings in this plate the other set of prongs pass and push
the shale over its edge into the spent shale chamber. By keeping the bottom
grating lower at the ends of the retorts and the prongs longer, the shale is more
rapidly discharged at the back and front of the retort, as with the screw with
increasing pitch.
The spent shale chamber being made with a sloping bottom to facilitate the
discharge of the spent shale into the trucks, and the retorts being placed over the
back and shallow part of the chamber, the spent shale would be apt to fill up and
interfere with the discharge of the shale from the back part of the retort.
overcome that difficulty we place in the spent shale chamber a sloping shelf or
shelves, so as to cause the shale coming from the front and central part of the
То

page_text: retort, instead of falling, vertically, to fall upon the sloping shelf and to be carried
to the front of the chamber and thus leave a larger, storage, for, the spent, shale
discharged from the back part of the retort.
Ste
In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention, Figure 1 is a
part elevation and part vertical section of an oven of retorts forming part of a
bench, and Figure 2 is a vertical section at right angles to Figure 1, and showing
the construction of the feeding hoppers and of one modification of the mechanical
spent shale discharging apparatus. Figure 3 is a vertical section. and Figure 4-a
sectional elevation of the lower part of an oven showing two retorts with another
modification of the spent shale discharging apparatus.
•
7
As shown particularly at Figures 1 and 2 the retorts are. of, the class described
in the specification before referred to and known as Young, and Beilby retorts,
'the improvements being especially applicable to retorts of that-type, the existing
foundations and ironwork being utilized in adapting the present invention thereto.
At the upper ends of the retorts A, hoppers B are fitted each to cover and
supply four retorts or other number of retorts. These hoppers are built of mild
steel plates with flat steel bottoms to which the retorts are bolted by flanges at b.
These hoppers are periodically filled with the shale to be treated; and, to ensure
that the shale, may be continuously delivered from them into the retorts A to
replace that which is discharged as waste at the bottom; rods or chains C are sus-
pended in the mouths of the retorts and are caused to reciprocate or rise and fall
and thus loosen the shale or prevent its choking up the mouths of the retorts.
These rods or chains C are attached to a rocking shaft or as shown to a slit tube I)
attached to a rocking shaft. D' and through which tube the vapours and gases
generated in the retorts are drawn off to the hydraulic main E, the rocking shaft D¹
being carried, through the side of the hopper B and fitted with a lever arm D³
having an oscillating movement imparted to it. As shown one length of chain
may pass round the shaft D and have its ends depending into two adjacent retorts,
two chains being employed for the four retorts under the hopper; and as the shaft
(which is placed centrally) is rocked one end of each chain C will rise as the other
end falls or is left free to fall with the shale delivered into the retort..
.
At the lower end of the retorts, which are formed of brickwork as usual in
Young and Beilby retorts, receiving chambers Fare provided into which the
spent shale from the retorts above is discharged. by the operation of mechanical
devices which in the example shown by Figures 1 and 2 consist of prongs or
arms G secured, upon a rocking shaft H, the upper.. ends of the prongs. G being
suitably formed to loosen or disengage the spent shale within the lower end of
each retort whilst at their lower ends the prongs pass. through a grating I and
serve to dislodge the spent shale dropping thereon and deliver it into the receiving
chamber F. The rocking shaft H is fitted at its ends,, which protrude through
the shell of the receiving chamber F with lever handles J which extend between
or are engaged-by studs or projections on horizontal reciprocating bars K, placed
alongside the chamber F. The rocking of the shaft H to oscillate the prongs. G
may be effected by other mechanical means.
In the modification shown by Figures 3 and 4 these rocking shafts and prongs 4
are replaced by worms or screws G₁ secured upon a shaft H rotated by ratchets J¹
and pawls J2 or other means, the pawl levers J3 being engaged between studs on
the reciprocating bar K. The screw G¹ fitted under each retort is, formed; one
half with a right hand thread and the other half with a left hand thread each
starting from the mid length of the screw, and the pitch of each portion gradually 5
increases from the centre towards the ends, the object being to effect the discharge
of the spent shale more rapidly towards the back and front or sides of the retorts
where the shale is more rapidly heated and spent.. Each screw G¹ is placed
between two longitudinal side plates between the edges of which and the centre
shaft the spent shale is discharged or is carried to their ends by the action of the 5
This latter device is suitable for dealing with soft spent shale whilst that
screws.
F

page_text: represented at Figures 1 and 2 is better adapted for dealing with gritty or hard
material.
The spent shale receiving chambers F are formed with inclined bottom plates F
in order to direct the material towards doorways of formed on each side at their
lower ends and provided with doors which when opened allow of the discharge of
the shale on to trucks placed below.
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 combination with retorts of the class set forth of mechanically operated
devices constructed as described for continuously feeding or delivering the supply
of fresh shale into the retorts and for disengaging and discharging the spent
shale.
2. The combination with retorts of the class set forth of multiple hoppers built
of steel plates and bolted at the bottom to flanges on the upper ends of a plurality
of retorts and permitting of differential expansion of the retorts and hoppers sub-
stantially as described.
3. The combination with retorts of the class set forth and shale supply hoppers
secured thereover of rods or chains suspended in the mouths of the retorts and
reciprocated or raised and lowered therein by means of a rock shaft or like device
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
4. The combination with retorts of the class set forth of a rocking shaft fur-
nished with prongs in part extending through a grating at the lower end of each
retort the prongs being oscillated to effect the disengagement and discharge of the
spent shale substantially as described.
5. The combination with retorts of the class set forth of a screw shaft having
ight and left handed threads formed on it under each retort the said shaft being
rotated in order that the screw threads may effect the discharge of the spent shale
at the bottom of the retort substantially as described.
Dated this 2nd day of March 1898
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Of the Firm of Cruikshank & Fairweather,
Chartered Patent Agents,
62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow,
Agent for the Applicants.