MEANS FOR EFFECTING TIGHT CLOSURE OF GAS RETORTS
Year: 1884

page_text: COMPLETE
I, HENRY GREEN, of N° 108 Fishergate, Preston, in the County of Lancaster,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "MEANS FOR
EFFECTING TIGHT CLOSURE OF GAS RETORTS" and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
Various means have, from time to time, been and are employed with the view of
effecting the tight closure of gas retorts. In some cases mortar or luting is
interposed between the mouth piece and lid the latter being separate from the
mouth piece and having to be lifted into position. The mortar or luting has to be
replenished at frequent intervals that is to say, every time the lid is removed to
permit of the retort being charged and on such occasions the used mortar that
adheres has to be chipped away before placing the new mortar upon the lid.
operation is dirty and involves considerable expense in time and material. Another
mode sometimes adopted is to make the faces of the mouth piece and lid smooth
in order that they may fit together with a contact so true and even as to form,
without interposed packing, a gas tight joint. With this arrangement it is usual
to hinge the lid to the mouth piece.
This
In consequence however of liability to accumulation of tarry and other matters
on the smooth surfaces, it often happens in practice that the joints are not gas tight,
and leakage results.
Now my invention has for object the production of a gas tight closure by simple
means that shall not be liable to derangement or rapid deterioration and shall not
require frequent renewal-I provide the lid with a ring or packing of asbestos
secured to it in such a way as to adhere to, and move with, the lid when the latter
is opened. The lid is hinged to the mouth piece by means of a hinge constructed
to allow of a certain amount of play, and means are provided whereby the surface
of the asbestos is, during the turning of the lid on its hinge or hinges, kept from
contact with the surface of the mouth piece in proximity to the hinge or hinges
until the lid is nearly closed.
And in order that the nature of my invention and the manner of carrying it
into practical effect may be fully understood I append a sheet of illustrative
drawings, whereof Fig 1 illustrates in elevation a retort mouth piece and lid with
my invention applied thereto, the lid being shewn open. Fig 2 is a plan,--Fig 3 a

page_text: horizontal section Fig 3ª is a horizontal section shewing the position of the lid
when closed so far as it can be closed by turning on its hinges,-Fig 4 a front
elevation and Fig 5 a side elevation all shewing the lid closed. A is the mouth
piece, which is formed or provided with a lug or projection B for a purpose to be
mentioned presently. C is the lid, which is connected to the mouth piece by a
slotted hinge D. E is a packing ring of asbestos. It is secured to the lid C, and
this can be done conveniently by means of cement, such as that commercially
known as Vulcan cement, in conjunction with rivetting, using wire nails as rivets.
F is a projection or part of the hinge or lid C so formed as to be in contact with
the face of the lug or projection B when the lid is partly open and to slide in
contact with that face until the lid is nearly closed, the object being to prevent
contact of the asbestos packing with the mouth piece in proximity to the hinge
during the turning of the lid upon its hinge (or hinges) in the act of closing and
which contact might cause injury to, or displacement of, the said packing.
In lieu of the arrangement illustrated in Fig 3, the modification illustrated in
Fig 6 may be employed. Here a projection F* attached to the lid acts upon the
face of the mouth piece during the turning of the lid on its hinge but passes into
a position clear of the said face when the lid is parallel with the face of the mouth
piece. It can readily be understood that this projection F* may be a continuous
rib extending the whole length of the side of the lid next the hinge it being
outside and projecting beyond the asbestos-The arrangement for tightening up
the lid will be readily understood from the drawing and I would remark that any
other well known or convenient arrangement for the purpose may be employed.
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. A gas retort lid provided with asbestos packing secured thereto so as to
prevent the said asbestos from leaving the lid when opened repeatedly and to form
à gas tight closure when the lid is closed substantially, as described.
2. A gas retort lid provided with asbestos packing secured thereto and means for
preventing contact of the packing with the face of the retort mouth piece during
turning of the lid upon its hinge or hinges substantially as described.
Dated this 19th day of January 1884.
W. LLOYD WISE,
Applicant's Agent,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, W.C.