Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Charging Gas Retorts.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Mar., 1895-Accepted, 4th May, 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Charging Gas
Retorts.
I JOHN WEST, of the Albion Iron Works, Miles Platting, Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Engineer, 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 for improvements in machinery or apparatus for charging gas
retorts relates to charging apparatus in which the charger scoop is sent into and
withdrawn from the retort twice once on one side and once on the other to make a
complete charge and in which the scoop is turned over alternately in the direction
of that side up which it is sent to deposit the coal alternately at the two sides of
This invention
the retort and has for its object to improve the mechanism.
consists essentially in sending the scoop centrally into the retort each time and in
automatically moving the scoop sideways from its central position towards that
side on which the charge is to be deposited whilst it is being turned over.
In the accompanying three sheets of illustrative drawings: Fig. 1 is a side
elevation of a charging apparatus constructed according to this invention, and
Fig. 2 is a plan, Fig. 3 a longitudinal section, Fig. 4 a sectional plan, Fig. 5 a
transverse section on the line X-X, Figs. 1 and 2, Fig. 6 a transverse section on
line Y-Y. Figs. 3 and 4 looking towards the scoop, and Fig. 7 a section showing
in dotted lines the position of the scoop when reversed in each direction, of
the same.
The carriage QQ supporting the scoop K is provided with one central front
wheel m² and two back wheels M at the sides. The centre or front wheel m² runs
on the top of the centre rail of the suspended frame of the charging machine while
the two back wheels M run with their upper surfaces bearing against the underside
of the top flange of the suspended frame of the charging machine. The two back
wheels are mounted loosely on the axle R that can be adjusted in slides r to throw
the scoop K level. Upon the axle R and between the sides of the carriage frame
is placed a long pulley or barrel S provided with grooves S1 and S2 for two
chains. The axle R has a stop upon it to prevent the barrel S from making a
complete revolution. There is also a spur wheel T bolted to the barrel. This
spur wheel T transmits motion to another shaft 2 by means of a spur wheel t¹ in
gear with it and fixed to the shaft. On the shaft 2 are placed two bevel
wheels U and U2 running loose upon it but kept in gear with a bevel pinion V
keyed on the end of the crank shaft v¹. One bevel wheel U1 gears with the bevel
pinion V on one side while the other bevel wheel U2 gears with the bevel pinion V
but on the opposite side. Each bevel wheel is provided with clutch teeth and
there is a sliding clutch W between the bevel wheels U and U2 which clutch is
driven by a feather or square on the shaft and can be put into gear with either
of the bevel wheels U¹ and U2 at will by means of a hand lever W which slides
the clutch along the shaft as desired. By these means the shaft v' can be forced
to make a portion of a revolution in either direction according to which wheel the
clutch is in gear with.
In carrying this invention into practical effect the rotary motion of the shaft 1
effects not only the turning over of the scoop but also the sideways movement.
towards the side on which the coal is being deposited.
Instead of directly connecting the shaft v and the scoop headstock socket ²²
the headstock socket w² is fixed to an independent shaft C driven from the shaft v'

page_text: by means of the crank pin 2 working in a slot formed in a disc D on one end of
the shaft C so that the shaft C can be moved sideways without affecting the shaft v
The crank shaft v³ has a crank pin fitted with a sliding block d and revolves in
a circular bearing a¹ formed in the charger box A.
In order to allow of the horizontal sideways motion of the shaft C carrying
the scoop, a tube B is fixed to the carriage box A at one end of the charger
carriage QQ and has one or more horizontally elongated bearings and
and curved internal cam paths 63 corresponding with cams e on the scoop shaft C.
The tube B is recessed at the bottom to receive the cam or cams e of the shaft C
when the shaft and scoop are in their central positions. The cams e are situated
between the two ends of the scoop shaft C in such a position that they hang
vertically when the scoop is in the central position. The outer end of the scoop
shaft C is fitted with a feather and nut to receive the headstock socket w² of the
scoop K.
When the crank shaft is made to revolve by the action of the bevel gear
wheels the crank drives and causes the scoop shaft C to move along the
elongated bearings bb until the distance from the centre of the shaft. C to the
point of the cam e is equal to the distance between the centre of the shaft C and
the end g or g' of the cam path 12 thus allowing the cam e to be carried round the
circular cam path 6 by the continued rotation of the shaft v. The cam e thus
prevents the shaft C and with it the scoop K from returning towards its central
position until the proper time has arrived for reversing the scoop for refilling
with coal. The scoop K does not require to make more than half a revolution in
one direction or the other. When the scoop is desired to empty to the right hand
side of the retort the direction of rotation is right handed and the lateral movement
from the central position is also towards the right. When the scoop is desired to
empty towards the left hand side of the retort the motion is left handed and the
lateral movement from the central position is also towards the left.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is.
1. In a retort charging apparatus, automatically moving the scoop sideways from
its central position towards that side on which the charge is to be deposited
whilst the scoop is being turned over substantially as described for the purpose
specified.
2. In a retort charging apparatus the turning over and sideways traversing
mechanism for the scoop consisting of a main shaft adapted to he rotated in
either direction, an intermediate shaft parallel to but beyond the main shaft and
adapted to hold the scoop, an eccentric driving coupling connecting the two shafts,
horizontally elongated bearings for the intermediate shaft, and a cam operating to
move the intermediate shaft sideways as it is rotated substantially as described for
the purpose specified.
3. In a retort charging apparatus the mechanism substantially as described with
reference to the drawings, for turning over the scoop and automatically moving it
sideways in the direction of that side towards which it is turned over.
Dated this 7th day of March 1895.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.