IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CHARGING AND DISCHARGING RETORTS, OVENS, AND FURNACES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Robinson, of West Bromwich, in the
County of Stafford, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CHARGING AND DISCHARGING RETORTS,
OVENS, AND FURNACES."
Sealed the 12th December 1873, and dated the 12th July 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Robinson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th July 1873.
I, JOHN ROBINSON, of West Bromwich, in the County of Stafford,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CHARGING AND DISCHARGING
RETORTS, OVENS, AND FURNACES," to be as follows:-

page_text: distilling retorts, also ovens and furnaces, for which Letters Patent
were granted to John Somerville and myself, bearing date the 9th of
December 1871, Number 3335.
According to my improved arrangement of the said machinery I
propose to fix a steam boiler and pair of engines in the centre in lieu of
on the sides of the travelling platform, whereby more room is afforded
for the engines, and the weight is more equally distributed over all the
bearings of the running wheels of the said platform, whilst greater
facility is afforded for introducing intermediate shafts for regulating the
speed of the apparatus. A substantial upright quadrelateral frame is
constructed on both sides of the said platform in lieu of upon one side
only, as heretofore, and the scoops and rakes travel along stationary
I bars or channel irons, which are supported directly by the corners of
the frame in lieu of mounting them upon a secondary rising and falling
platform or cradle.
In lieu also of supplying the coals from a special receptacle below I
dispense with that receptacle, and supply them direct from the coal
stores or other convenient place by means of waggons, which are elevated
by a vertical lift or drawn up inclined planes, such waggons being
provided with falling bottoms or with sides hinged at the top edge.
Each tier of retorts is provided with its own scoop and rakes, and a
separate archimedean screw feeder is employed for each scoop. These
screw feeders are disposed transversely over the scoops in lieu of parallel
therewith.
When more than one horizontal row of retorts is used I employ a
fixed straight vertical shoot for supplying the highest scoops and other
shoots which are curved, so as to pass clear of the straight shoots for
supplying the lower scoops. In order to drive these parts of the machine
I employ two vertical shafts working in bearings secured to the frame-
work, such shafts being driven from the main driving shaft by bevel or
mitre gearing, and transmitting motion to the screw feeders by an over-
head horizontal shaft and bevel gearing, whilst the scoops and rakes arė
driven by endless chains passing round horizontal pullies on the vertical
shaft and on the framing.
The hors which slide within the hollow of the Ushaned bars for the

page_text: actuated according to my improved arrangement by means of a steam
piston working in a cylinder mounted on the top of the framing, such
piston being connected to a rod or rods carrying tappets which work the
actuating levers of the sliding bar, in lieu of working those levers by
hand, as heretofore.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Robinson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 12th January 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
ROBINSON, of West Bromwich, in the County of Stafford, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her:
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Robinson, Her special license:
that I, the said John Robinson, my executors, administrators, and.
assigns, or such others as I, the said John Robinson, my executors, admi-,
nistrators, or 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 MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS FOR CHARGING AND DISCHARGING RETORTS, OVENS, AND FURNACES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Robinson,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, 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.

page_text: performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My said Invention relates to improvements in and modifications of the
arrangement of apparatus for charging and discharging gas and oil-
distilling retorts; also ovens and furnaces, for which Letters Patent were
granted to John Somerville and myself, bearing date the Ninth of
December One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, No. 3335.
.
According to my improved arrangement of the said machinery I
propose to fix a steam boiler and pair of engines in the centre or as
near as practicable to the centre, and within or between the two quadri-
lateral frames herein-after referred to, in lieu of on the sides of the
travelling platform, whereby more room is afforded for the engines, and
the weight is more equally distributed over all the bearings of the
running wheels of the said platform, whilst greater facility is afforded for ]
introducing intermediate shafts for regulating the speed of the apparatus..
A substantial upright quadrilateral frame is constructed on both sides of
the said platform, in lieu of upon one side only, as heretofore, and the
scoops and rakes travel along stationary I bars or channel irons, which are
supported directly on cross girders secured to the columns at the corners
of the quadrilateral frame, in lieu of mounting the said I bars upon a
secondary rising and falling platform or cradle as heretofore.
In lieu also of supplying the coals from a special receptacle below, I
dispense with that receptacle, and supply them direct from the coal
stores or other convenient place by means of wagons, which are elevated
by a vertical lift or drawn up inclined planes, such wagons being
provided with falling bottoms or with sides hinged at the top edge. Each
tier of retorts is provided with its own scoop and rake, and a separate
archimedean screw feeder is employed for each scoop.
These screw
feeders are disposed transversely over the scoops in lieu of parallel a
therewith.
When more than one row of horizontal retorts is used I employ a fixed
straight vertical shoot for supplying the highest scoops and other shoots
which are curved, so as to pass clear of the straight shoots for supplying
the lower scoops. In order to drive these parts of the machine I employ 3

page_text: the flanges of the cross pieces being bolted or rivetted to the channelled
bars, and the whole forming a species of double or hollow girder,
presenting by reason of the top and bottom outside flanges great strength
to resist lateral strains. These two compound girders are connected at
or near each end by the I girders A', A¹, (Figures 1, 2, and 5). The
entire cradle or platform is mounted upon three or more wheels B, B¹,
on opposite sides, which run along. rails at C, C, on the floor of the
retort house, or other locality, as is now well understood. On the two
opposite sides of this cradle or platform I construct an upright quadri-
lateral frame composed of four upright columns D, D, and D¹, D¹, bolted
to the cradle, and four longitudinal beams or girders E, E, and E', E',
which rest upon the tops of the said columns. These two quadrelateral
frames are tied together or united at each end by the transverse beams
or girders F, F, so as to form a firm and rigid structure for carrying the
various parts of the apparatus. Between these quadrilateral frames, and
as near as practicable to the centre of the platform I mount the steam-
generator G, which supplies the steam engine H, also mounted between
the quadrilateral frames, and near the centre of the platform, as shewn
clearly in Figure 6.
Within one of the before-mentioned quadrilateral frames I mount the
charging scoops I, I, and within the opposite frame are mounted the
discharging rakes K, K; three scoops and three rakes disposed one
above another being shewn in my Drawings, but any other number may
be used.
By the general arrangement of the machine herein-before described,
I am enabled to make one part or set of mechanism balance the other,
thus imparting increased steadiness and stability to the entire machine.
The machine is actuated or driven from the engine in the following
manner:- -On the crank shaft L of the engine there is keyed a spur
pinion M which gears into a large spur wheel N mounted on an
intermediate shaft O, which carries a spur pinion P gearing into a spur
wheel Q fast on the third motion shaft R mounted in bearings in the
cradle. This shaft R carries also a mitre wheel S, which gears into a
corresponding mitre wheel T fast on the shaft U, which works in
bracket bearings V, V, bolted to the side of the cradle to which the said
shaft is parallel, as shewn clearly in Figure 6. This shaft U transmits

page_text: motion not only to the propelling wheels B¹ of the machine, but also to
the scoops I and their feeding mechanism, as well as to the rakes K, as
herein-after explained. The travelling motion is obtained directly from
the shaft U by means of the mitre wheel W, which is loose on the said
shaft, and thrown into and out of action by a sliding clutch X, as is well
understood. This wheel W gears into a corresponding mitre wheel Y
fast on the axle Z of the two propelling wheels B', B', consequently by
throwing the clutch X in or out of action the machine may be brought
opposite to any set of retorts to be operated upon, and by theus throwing
the clutch out of action the machine may be allowed to remain
stationary till such time as the scoops or rakes have performed their
several functions.
The coal for supplying the feeding hoppers a, a¹, a", which fill the
scoops, and which are disposed transversely thereto, is carried up from
the floor in a wagon b, which runs along the inclined beams or rails c, c,
such wagon being connected to and hauled up by the endless pitch
chains d, d, which pass over the several guide or carrier pullies e, e, e,
and round chain pullies f, f, on the long tubular boss g. This boss is
mounted loosely upon the shaft U, being coupled therewith when
required for action by the sliding or friction clutch h. The wagon
having been lowered is disconnected from the endless chains d by means
of a spring hook attached to two short pieces of chain d³, which are
hooked to the endless chains d, and is run along the floor of the retort
house to the coal stores, where it is filled and run back again to be
coupled or connected to the elevating chains. Any number of wagons
may be employed, so that a full one may always be in readiness at the
foot of the inclined rails (c). The full wagon is hauled up the inclined
rails till it arrives immediately over the three hoppers a, a¹, a", into
which it discharges its contents on opening the hinged bottom i or side
of the wagon.
Within each hopper there is fitted longitudinally an archimedean
screw j, j, j", which moves forward the coal supplied thereto to a dis-
charging aperture made in the bottom of each hopper near one end
thereof. Each of these apertures corresponds with a shoot k, k¹, k¹¹, all
3 of different lengths, and so curved or bent sideways as to bring their
several mouths over their corresponding scoops at or near the front ends
thereof, as shewn in Figures 1 and 2, so that on the scoops being either

page_text: collectively or separately run into the retorts, as herein-after described,
they will each be filled with coal from its own shoot from the front to
the rear as it passes along into the retort.
The several archimedean screws of the hoppers are driven from the
shaft U in the following manner: -A mitre wheel (Figure 1) loose on
the said shaft U, and coupled therewith when required for action by the
ordinary sliding clutch m gears into a corresponding mitre wheel n fast
on the lower end of the vertical shaft o, which works in bearings p, p, in
the main framing of the machine. This shaft carries at its upper end a
mitre wheel q, by preference loose on the shaft, and coupled therewith
by an ordinary friction clutch (not shewn in my Drawings). The
wheel q gears into a corresponding mitre wheel » fast on one end of the
horizontal shaft 8, which works in a bearing at each end of the
quadrilateral frame, as shewn clearly in Figure 6. Three other mitre
wheels u, u, u", are mounted loosely on the shaft s, being coupled
therewith each by its own clutch v, v¹, v¹¹, and gearing into the corre-
sponding mitre wheels w, w¹, w¹¹, fast on the ends of the shafts of the
three archimedean screws herein-before referred to. By this arrangement
the the whole or any one or two of the screws may be operated according
to the particular scoop or scoops to be supplied. These scoops are by :
preference made in two halves x, x, divided longitudinally, as described
in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to John Somerville and
myself, No. 3335, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-one, each half being made with a long tubular boss y, y,
which is keyed on to a separate spindle z, z, of its own, which spindles 2
work in collar bearings in the scoop carriage 1, all of which is clearly
shewn in Figures 3 and 4 of my Drawings; 2, 2, are diagonal tension
stays for supporting the overhanging weight of the scoop. On to each
spindle 2, 2, there is keyed a bevil pinion 3, 3, and into both these pinions
gears a double-faced bevil wheel 4, 4, having a spur wheel 5 (see 3
Fig. 3) cast in one piece therewith between the two bevil faces, the
said double-faced bevil wheel being supported in two bracket bearings
bolted to the bottom of the scoop carriage. In this spur wheel there
engages a sliding rack 6, which slides in guides 7, 7, secured to each end
of the scoop carriage 1 for the purpose herein-after described; 8, 8, are 3
two volute springs respectively screwed at one end to the two spindles z, z,
and at the other end to a portion of the scoop carriage 1; 9 is a catch

page_text: lever secured to one of the spindles z for the purpose of releasing the said
springs, and allowing them to act in the manner herein-after explained
when describing the mode of action of the scoop.
The scoop mechanism 1 is provided with a pair of rollers 10, 10,
(Figures 1 and 4) which run along and bear against the under side of
the top flange of the supporting I bars 11, the rollers 10 of the lowest
scoop carriage running along the under surface of the top flanges of
the I bars A¹. Two other rollers 12, one of which is shewn in Fig. 4
are disposed near the front end of the carriage and take their bearing
upon the surface of the bottom flange of the I bars 11, 11, and A'..
These latter rollers are mounted in metal blocks 13 which have a free
vertical play along the upright spindles 14, 14, secured by nuts to the
carriage. 15, 15, are two upright spindles screwed at their lower ends
into the said blocks 13, and bearing at their upper ends against the ends
of the transverse bearing spring 16 which is screwed at the centre to a
bracket 17 in the front end of the carriage (see Fig. 4). So soon as the
scoop has discharged its contents into the retort the spring 16 by its
pressure on the spindles 15, 15, clevates slightly the front or scoop end
of the carriage and lowers the rear end, thereby easing the back traverse
or outward run of the scoop carriage along the supporting I bar. The
two I bars 11, 11, are mounted on short cross girders 18 secured
between the columns of the quadrilateral frames, as shewn clearly in
Figure 1, and with a view to adjusting each individual scoop laterally so
as to adapt it to the exact position of its corresponding retort, each of
the two I bars 11, 11, may be provided with two transverse racks 19 (sec
Figure 1) which engage into spur pinions 20 mounted on a spindle
parallel to and below each I bar, the said spindle being turned more or
less by means of a lever handle or spanner, as occasion may require.
When this lateral adjustment of the I bars 11 and corresponding scoops
is employed it will be requisite that the corresponding feeding shoots.
should also be capable of a lateral adjustment, so that the mouth of each
shoot shall always be directly over its corresponding scoop.
The longitudinal traversing motion of the scoops into and out of the
retorts is effected in the following manner :-The vertical driving shaft o
and the carrier shaft 21 which work in bearings in the main framing
carry each a set of chain pullies 22, 22¹, round which pass the three
endless chains 23. The chain pullies 22 on the shaft o which is driven

page_text: as herein-before described are all loose and coupled therewith by the
sliding clutches 24 worked by projecting arms 25 which have a vertical
sliding motion along the upright sliding guide bars 26 (Fig. 1)
imparted to them separately by means of small eccentrics or their
equivalent 27 working in slots in the sliding sockets of the said arms, a
spanner or other equivalent device being employed for severally raising
or lowering the said arms, and throwing the corresponding clutch out of
or into gear with its chain pulley. A simultaneous action upon all the
clutches is obtained by causing the upright guide bars 26 to slide up or
down by the action of a lever arm 28 on the end of the rocking shaft 29
which engages into a slot in the top of the guide bars, the said rocking
shaft being actuated by the hand lever 30 (Fig. 1). Thus provision is
made for throwing any one or more of the scoops into or out of action,
or for throwing the whole of them simultaneously into or out of action, as.
may
be required. One side of each of the endless chains 23 passes over
the centre of each scoop carriage, to which it is coupled in any con-
venient manner, so that when the chains are travelling in the direction
of the arrows (Fig. 6) the scoops are being run into the retorts, and
when travelling in the reverse direction they were being run out again,
any well known arrangement of reversing gear being employed for
reversing the motion of the shaft o as required, or in lieu of using a
reversing gear the engine itself may be reversed which is the arrange-
ment shewn in my Drawings.
The action of the scoops is as follows:-The two longitudinal
halves x, x, of each scoop are maintained, closed against the action of
the volute springs 8 by the catch lever 9 which engages with a pro-
jection on one of the two spindles z, z, in which condition the scoops
receive their charge of coal and are run into the retorts. By the time
they have fully entered the retorts the tail of the catch lever 9 strikes a
fixed stop in the front part of the main framing and releases the volute
springs, which by their action upon the bevel gearing inside the scoop
carriage cause the two halves x, x, to turn outwards and deposit the coal
against the sides of the retort. The rotation of the spur wheel (5)
which forms the centre portion of the double faced level wheel 4 thus
produced by the volute springs causes the sliding rack 6 to traverse
from the position shown in my Drawings (Figs. 2 and 4) to its full
extent outwards or towards the back of the machine, that is to say,

page_text: lever (37), and has a projecting arm which engages with the catch lever
(40) working on a centre attached to the saddle 31. The tail ends of tho
levers (39) when the rakes are run back pass underneath the corres-
ponding antifriction rollers (41) carried in the vertical siding bars (42),
which bars are coupled at their upper ends to the rod (43) of a piston
working in an inverted steam cylinder (44), which is mounted on the top
of the main framing, as shewn clearly in Figure 1. On admitting steam
above the piston in the said cylinder by turning the valve by means of
the lever handle (45), the sliding bars with their rollers will be depressed
and will thereby cause the levers (39) to turn on their axes and coil up
the springs (38), which are secured at one end to the central axes and at
the other to the saddles (see Figure 5). When fully coiled or set the
springs are retained in that condition by the engaging of the catch
lever (40) with the end of the projecting arm of the actuating lever (39).
The movement of the lever 37 causes the sliding bar (32) to be traversed
forward, and thereby elevates the rake heads so as to permit of their
entering the retorts above the surface of the coke therein. In this
condition the rakes are run into the retorts, one or more of them being
run in at a time, by an arrangement of endless chains (23¹) carried on
chain pullies (22", 22¹¹¹), mounted on upright driving shafts (0¹), and
corresponding carrier shaft precisely as herein-before described with
reference to the charging scoops, motion_being imparted to the shaft o¹
by the metre gearing land n¹. By the time the rake heads have
entered sufficiently far into the retorts the tail of the catch lever (40)
strikes a stop (not shewn in my Drawings) attached to any convenient a
part of the framing, and releases the spring 38 which instantly causes a
backward movement of the sliding bar (32), and brings the rake heads 35
into the position shewn in Figure 5 ready for drawing the charge. In
this condition the rake bar K is withdrawn by reversing the engine and
the charge is drawn along with it. As the levers (39) arrive at the limit a
of their back travel they pass under their several depressing rollers (41),
and are depressed by the downward movement of the sliding bars 42
produced by the pressure of the steam in the steam cylinder 44 herein-
before referred to, thereby resetting the severals springs and elevating
the rake heads in readiness for entering the next set of retorts. It is 3
obvious that the same general arrangement of apparatus may be applied
to the charging and discharging of ovens and furnaces, as well as gas, oil,
distilling, or other retorts.

page_text: Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or:
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider.
to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured.
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
i
First. The general combination and arrangement of machinery or
apparatus for charging and discharging retorts, ovens, and furnaces,
substantially as herein-before described and illustrated by my Drawings.
Second. The mounting of the scoops and rakes in quadrilateral frames
secured to or constructed on opposite sides of the main framing or
cradle, and the disposal of the steam generator and engine between the
said two quadrilateral frames, substantially as herein-before described
and illustrated by my Drawings.
Third. The mounting the I bars along which the scoops and rakes
travel upon stationary cross girders bolted to the columns of the
quadrilateral frames, substantially as herein-before described and
illustrated by my Drawings.
Fourth. The mode of elevating the coals to the feeding hoppers by
waggons which are run into the coal stores and hauled up an incline, or
lifted vertically to a convenient position for discharging the coal
into the feeding hoppers, substantially as herein-before described and
illustrated by my Drawings.
Fifth. The use of one or more stationary feeding shoots in combination
with one or more scoops, which scoops are so arranged as to receive their
supply of coal from end to end, whilst being run into the retort or
retorts, ovens, or furnaces, substantially as herein-before described and
illustrated by my Drawings.
Sixth. The arrangement of the screw feeders or hoppers transversely
to the scoops and to the track of the supplying wagon, whereby the
operation of filling the said feeders or hoppers is greatly facilitated,
substantially as herein-before described and illustrated by my Drawings.
Seventh. The combination of the horizontal chain pullies and endless
chains for actuating the scoops and rakes with the pecular arrangement
of sliding disengaging clutch arms, substantially as and for the purpose
herein-before described and illustrated by my Drawings.

page_text: Eighth. The actuating the levers which coil or reset the rotate springs
and which push forward the longitudinal sliding bars or rods contained
inside the U. shaped rake bars by means of rollers, tappets, or their
equivalents, mounted in a sliding bar or bars moved by a piston in a
steam cylinder, substantially as herein-before described and illustrated
by my Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Robinson, have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of January,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.