IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED FOR THE DISTILLATION OF COAL, SHALE, AND OTHER SIMILAR SUBSTANCES.
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Bernard Peard Walker of Birmingham Consulting
Engineer, and James Alfred Beresford Bennett of King's Heath in the
County of Worcester for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
USED FOR THE DISTILLATION OF COAL, SHALE, AND OTHER SIMILAR
SUBSTANCES.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Bernard Peard Walker
and James Alfred Beresford Bennett at the Office of the Cominissioners of
Patents on the 20th January 1883.
BERNARD PEARD WALKER of Birmingham Consulting Engineer, and JAMES
ALFRED BERESFORD BENNETT of Kings Heath in the County of Worcester,
Science Master "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED FOR THE DISTILLATION OF
COAL, SHALE, AND OTHER SIMILAR SUBSTANCES,"
The object of this invention is to reduce the amount of manual labour employed
in, and to effect more economically the distillation of coal, cannel, shale or other
substances from which hydrocarbon gases or oils may be obtained, by substituting
machinery, and other suitable apparatus to be used in lieu of the ordinary apparatus
now employed.
The invention consists of a horizontal retort, the lower part of which is semi-
circular in transverse section, but the upper part is not limited to any particular
form. The retort is provided with a mouthpiece at each end, and at the top of the
front end there is attached a hopper from which the coal or shale is fed into the
retort. This hopper may be furnished with a feeding screw in connection with a
source of motion, and may, or may not be surrounded, or partially surrounded
with a water jacket. The back end of the retort has also a mouthpiece to the
upper part of which is fixed the pipe for conveying away the gas or hydrocarbon
vapours, and from the lower part of which depends a shoot, terminating in a large
receptacle for receiving the coke or ash. This receptacle is capable of being
opened and closed by a gas tight door. Extending the whole length of the retort,
and projecting through stuffing boxes in, and beyond the mouthpiece at each end,
is a hollow cast or wrought iron shaft. That part of the shaft within the retort

page_text: has formed around it a screw made up of segments or otherwise, and is so placed
that the lower part of the screw comes nearly into contact with the bottom of the
retort. The front end of the shaft outside the mouthpiece has a spur wheel,
pinion, or worm fixed to it, through the intervention of which the said shaft may
be made to revolvo by any suitable motive power. The opposite end of the shaft
has a pipe attached to it by which the heated air passing through the shaft may
be conveyed to the furnace. By this means the furnace is supplied with heated
air while the shaft is kept sufficiently cool to prevent it from bending. If found
necessary provision may be made for the attachment of an iron plate extending
the whole length of the upper part of the inside of the retort and is so arranged as
to be removed and re-inserted or renewed from time to time.
The action of the apparatus is as follows. The rotort being beated by the
ordinary or other suitable form of furnace, the hopper being supplied with coal, or
other material, and the jacket also being supplied with water, on motion being
imparted to the screw, the coal will fall or be fed from the hopper into the mouth-
piece, and from thence by the revolution of the screw in the retort it will be
slowly propelled towards the back end thereof, and in the course of its transit will
yield up its gus, or hydrocarbon vapours which will be conveyed away by the pipo
at the back of the retort, while the coke will fall into the receptacle constructed
for it and be removed at convenient times.
The screw within the retort may be made of fire clay, or of asbestos, or a
combination of both, or the screw may be made of iron and coated with clay or
asbestos, or a mixture of the same, or of any material suitable for protecting the
screw, and so as to allow of any deposit of carbon that may be formed thereon to
be readily removed

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Bernard Peard Walker and James Alfred Beresford Bennett in
the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th July 1883.
BERNARD PEARD WALKER of Birmingham Consulting Engineer, and JAMES
ALFRED BERESFORD BENNETT of Kings Heath, in the County of Worcester,
Science Master "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED FOR THE DISTILLATION OF
COAL, SHALE AND OTHER SIMILAR SUBSTANCES,"
The object of this invention is to reduce the amount of manual labour employed
in, and to effect more economically the distillation of coal, cannel, shale, or other
substances from which hydro-carbon gases or oils may be obtained, by substituting
machinery, and other suitable apparatus to be used in lieu of the ordinary
apparatus now employed.
The invention consists of a horizontal retort, the lower part of which is semi
circular in transverse section, but the upper part is not limited to any particular
form. The retort is provided with a mouthpiece at each end, and at the top of the
front end there is attached a hopper from which the coal or shale is fed into the
retort. This hopper may be furnished with a feeding screw in connection with a
source of motion, and may or may not be surrounded or partially surrounded with
a water jacket. The back end of the retort has also a mouthpiece, to the upper
part of which is fixed the pipe for conveying away the gas' or hydrocarbon
vapours, and from the lower part of which depends a shoot terminating in a large
receptacle for receiving the coke or ash. This receptacle, is capable of being
opened and closed by a gas tight door. Extending the whole length of the retort
and projecting through stuffing boxes in, and beyond the mouthpiece at each end,
is a hollow cast or wrought iron shaft. That part of the shaft within the retort
has formed around it a screw made up of segments, or, otherwise, and is so placed
that the lower part of the screw comes nearly into contact with the bottom of the
retort. The front end of the shaft outside the mouthpiece has a spur wheel,
pinion, or worm fixed to it, through the intervention of which the said shaft may
be made to revolve by any suitable motive power. The opposite end of the shaft
has a pipe attached to it by which the heated air passing through the shaft may
be conveyed to the furnace. By this means the furnace is supplied with heated
air while the shaft is kept sufficiently cool to prevent it from bending. If found
necessary provision may be made for the attachment of an iron plate extending
the whole length of the upper part of the inside of the retort and is so arranged as
to be removed and re-inserted or renewed from time to time.
The screw within the retort may be made of fire clay or of asbestos, or a
combination of both, or the screw may be made of iron, or iron coated with clay
or asbestos, or a mixture of the same, or of any material suitable for protecting the
screw, and so as to allow of any deposit of carbon that may be formed thereon to
be readily removed. To keep the screw from revolving on the shaft, the latter
may have a feather or feathers attached to it and the fire clay, or other screw, may
have one or more corresponding indents.
In order that the foregoing may be more easily understood drawings are
attached hereto of which the following is a description. Fig 1 is a longitudinal
sectional elevation. Fig 2 is a front end elevation and Fig 3 a back end elevation.
Fig 4 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the back part of the retort showing a
modification of it and the arrangement of the coke chamber. Fig 5 is a cross
section of the screw, and Fig 6 is a back end elevation of the retort bench, with
coke chamber arranged as in Fig 4. In each of the Figs similar letters refer to

page_text: the same parts. A is the furnace, N the fire grate and QQ the furnace flues, B the
retort, C the coal hopper, with, lever and screw O for fastening the lid, and D, D
the screw, that part within the mouthpiece and a little way within the retort
being made of cast iron, while the rest of the screw is made of fire clay, in short
lengths, with interlocking toggles. E' is a cast iron driving clutch acting on the
fire clay screw and secured to the internal wrought or cast iron tube F by cross
pins F is the wrought or cast iron central axis or shaft that carries the screw D.-.
G, G are stuffing boxes having asbestos packing to prevent escape of gas, and His
the driving gear consisting of a worm'and worm wheel. J is an air tight box to
receive the coke, and has a valve K packed with asbestos and opening with n
weighted lover P.-L is a branch for connecting the ascension pipe with the retort
and the hydraulic main.-M is the support for coal hopper and driving gear. A
further modification to that shown in Fig 4 is proposed when found desirable namely,
to drive the principal screw D independently of the iron screw R from gearing at
the back end of the bench instead of in front as shown in Fig 1, the solid shaft of
such gearing running from end to end of, and revolving within the hollow shaft F.
The action of the apparatus is as follows. The retort B being heated by the
ordinary or other suitable form of furnace A, the hopper C being supplied with
coal or other material and the jacket also being supplied with water, on motion
being imparted to the screw D, the coal will fall or be fed from the hopper into
the mouthpiece and from thence by the revolution of the screw D in the retort it will
be slowly propelled towards the back end thereof, and in the course of its transit will
yield up its gas or hydrocarbon vapours which will be conveyed away by the
pipe L at the back of, the retort, while the coke will fall into the receptacle J
constructed for it and be removed at convenient times.
Having now described and particularly set forth the nature of this invention
and the manner in which the same is, or may be used, or carried into effect, we
would observe in conclusion that we do not confine or restrict ourselves to the
precise details, or arrangements which we have described or referred to, as
variations may be mado therefrom without deviating from the principles or main
features of this invention, but what we consider to be novel and original and
therefore claim as the invention secured to us by the hereinbefore in part recited
Letters Patent is,-
Firstly. The hollow shaft or tube. E supported in bearings at the end of the
retort and mouthpiece, as herein described and shown on the drawings.
Secondly. The scrow D made of fire clay, or of iron, or of iron covered with fire
clay or asbestos, or a mixture of the same, or any material suitable for protecting
the screw, as herein described and shown on the drawings, and
Thirdly. The general arrangement of the apparatus as herein described and
shown on the drawings
In witness whereof we the said Bernard Peard Walker and James Alfred
Beresford Bennett have hereunto set our hands and seals this eighteenth
day of July in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
(1.8.)
BERNARD, PEARD, WALKER
JAMES ALFRED BERESFORD BENNETT (LS.)