IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR BREAKING COAL, AND FOR CHARGING AND DISCHARGING GAS RETORTS."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John West, of Maidstone, in the County of Kent, Gas
Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR BREAKING
COAL, AND FOR CHARGING AND DISCHARGING GAS RETORTS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John West at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd March 1880.
JOHN WEST, of Maidstone, in the County of Kent, (Gas Engineer.) "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR BREAKING COAL, AND FOR CHARGING AND DISCHARGING
GAS RETORTS."
The objects of this Invention are, firstly, to secure a more thorough distillation of
the coal in gas retorts,. and generally render the operation more efficient by
breaking up the coal prior to charging, and by effecting a continuity between the
breaking and charging processes; and secondly, to further facilitato the charging
and discharging or drawing of gas retorts by means of a combined apparatus for
performing both these operations.
The coal breaker or crusher constructed according to my Invention consists of
one or soveral pairs of rolls furnished with claws, teoth, or serrations, and contained
within a suitable fraine in which they revolve. Both rolls of one pair may work
at equal speed; or else one may be made to work more slowly than the other, so
as to increase the crushing power of the apparatus and more thoroughly break up
the coal; and the two rollers may also be equal to or different from one another
in size and pitch, according to requirements. The rolls may be actuated by steam
or other motive power, motion being imparted to them by cog-gear by riggers and
belts, or by any other suitable appliance. I also furnish the crusher with one of
the usual friction arrangements, so that, in the event of an excessively hard
substance getting between the rolls and suddenly stopping their motion, the
driving gear may be allowed to slip and no injury be inflicted on the engine. With
the coal breaker or crusher I combine an elevator for raising the broken coal to
any desired height and conveying it eithor into the charging and drawing apparatus
constructed according to my Invention, or wherever else it may be wanted. This
elevator consists of a beam or jib supported at its top end by tie rods and held at
the bottom within suitable brackets; and the coal is picked up by the buckets

page_text: with which I furnish an endless belt or chain passing over the pulleys at the top
and bottom end of the beam or jib.
By a modification in the arrangement of the coal breaker or crusher constructed
according to my Invention, I provide a movable crushing jaw and a fixed jaw held
within a suitable framing; the movable jaw being actuated by or from an eccentric
or crank engaging it at one end, and supported at the other end by one or several
toggles, and made to oscillate towards and away from the fixed jaw. Both the
movable and fixed jaw may, or may not, be serrated; and the necessary motion
may also be imparted to the movable jaw by a connecting rod, one end of which is
actuated by a crank or eccentric, while the other end acts upon the movable jaw
directly through one or more toggles. At the bottom of the fixed jaw, and resting
in bearings or brackets in front of the movable jaw, I provide one or several rolls,
each furnished with teeth or claws and working between corresponding teeth or
claws formed upon the movable jaw; or else I provide one or several pairs of rolls
furnished with claws working into one another for the purpose of breaking up or
crushing the coal, and revolving beneath the movable and fixed jaws. This modi-
fication is intended to suit the requirements of smaller gas works.
The second part of my Invention embodies improvements on, and additions to,
the Inventions for which Her Majesty's Letters Patent, No. 3225, dated October 4th
1873, No. 1978, dated June 8th 1874, and No. 2346, dated June 28th 1875, have
been granted to inc. I construct an apparatus combining the charging trolly, and
the drawing or discharging gear described in my Specifications of the aforesaid
Inventions. This apparatus consists of a frame made of iron bars of varying
section supported on travelling wheels, and furnished with a suitable propelling
gear by means of which I cause the apparatus to move to and fro along one or
several rails in front of the retort bench. At the top of the frame I suspend a
hopper for holding a stock of coal, and this hopper may be raised or lowered, so as
to suit the various levels at which the retorts are placed, being guided in its up
and down motion by the angle irons that form the corners of the frame. With
the sliding hopper I combine the rails required for carrying the retort charging
machine, which consequently ascends and descends simultaneously with the hopper
itself. With the charging frame or trolly either on one side or on both sides
thereof, I connect arms or brackets to which I fit the drawing or discharging rake
described in the Specifications herein before alluded to. To one end of these arms
or brackets 1 fit guide pulleys for leading and supporting the rake when in action;
and these arms or brackets may also be raised or lowered in accordance with the
level on which the retorts are placed.
The mode or method of working the charging and drawing trolly in connexion
with the coal breaker constructed according to my Invention is as follows:-Tho
coal breaker may be moved parallel to the front of the retorts to any part of the
retort house where the trolly may happen to be located at the time when the
sliding hopper is empty; and thence the hopper of the trolly may be constantly
fed directly from the crusher. By this means I am able to dispense with the fixed
hopper and fixed elevating gear employed in the apparatus constructed according
to my Invention, as adapted to larger gas works; and also to dispense with the
foundations otherwise required for the coal breaker, and to greatly reduce the cost
of establishing the same.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John West in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th September
1880.
JOHN WEST, formerly of Maidstone, in the County of Kent, but now of
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
BREAKING COAL, AND FOR CHARGING AND DISCHARGING GAS RETORTS."
The objects of this Invention are, firstly, to secure a more thorough distillation of
the coal in gas retorts, and gonerally render the operation more efficient by breaking
the coal prior to charging, and by effecting a continuity between the breaking and
charging processes; and, secondly, to further facilitate the charging and discharging
or drawing of gas retorts by means of a combined apparatus for performing both
these operations, part of the apparatus being specially adapted for small gas
works.
The coal breaker or crusher constructed according to my Invention consists of
one or several pairs of rolls furnished with claws, teeth, or serrations, and contained
within a suitable frame in which they revolve. Both rolls of one pair may work at
equal specd, or else one may be made to work more slowly than the other so as to
increase the crushing power of the apparatus and more thoroughly break up tho
coal, and the two rollers may also be equal to or different from one another in sizo
and pitch, according to the requirements. The rolls may be actuated by steam or
other motive power, motion being imparted to them by cog-gear, by riggers and
belts, or by any other suitable appliances. I also furnish the crusher with one of
the usual friction arrangements, so that in the event of an excessively hard substanco
getting between the rolls and suddenly stopping their motion the driving gear may
be allowed to slip and no injury inflicted on the engine. With the coal breaker or
crusher I combine an elevator for raising the broken coal to any desired height, and
conveying it either into the charging and drawing apparatus constructed according
to my Invention, or wherever else it may be wanted. This elevator consists of
a beam or jib supported at its top end by tie-rods and held at the botton
within suitable brackets; and the coal is picked up by the buckets with which
I furnish an endless belt or chain passing over the pulleys at the top and
bottom end of the beam or jib.
By a modification in the arrangement of the coal breaker or crusher constructed
according to my Invention, I provide a movable crushing jaw and a fixed jaw
held within a suitable framing, the movable jaw being actuated by or from an
eccentric or crank engaging it at one end, and supported at the other end by
one or several toggles, and made to oscillate towards and away from the fixed
jaw. Both the movable and fixed jaw may or may not be serrated, and the
necessary motion may also be imparted to the movable jaw by a connecting rod,
one end of which is actuated by a crank or eccentric. At the bottom of the
fixed jaw and resting in bearings or brackets in front of the movable jaw I
provide one or more rolls, each furnished with teeth or claws, and working between
corresponding serrations formed upon the movable jaw; or clse I provide one or
several pairs of rolls furnished with claws working into one another for the purpose
of breaking up or crushing the coal and revolving beneath the movable and fixed
jaws. This modification is intended to suit the requirements of smaller gas
works.
The second part of my Invention embodies improvements on and additions to the
Inventions for which Her Majesty's Letters Patent; No 3225, dated October 4 1873;
No. 1978, dated June S, 1874; and No. 2346, dated June 28, 1875, have been
granted to me. I construct an apparatus combining the charging trolley and the
drawing or discharging gear described in my Specifications of the aforesaid
Inventions. This apparatus consists of a frame made of iron bars of varying

page_text: section, supported on travelling wheels and furnished with a suitable propelling
gear by means of which I cause the apparatus to nove to and fro along one or
several rails in front of the retort bench. At the top of the frame I suspend a
hopper for holding a stock of coal, and this hopper may be raised or lowered so as
to suit the various levels at which the retorts are placed, being guided in its up and
down motion by the angle irons that form the corners of the frame. With the
sliding hopper I combine the rails required for carrying the retort charging machine,
which consequently ascends and descends simultaneously with the hopper itself.
With the charging frame or trolly either, on one side or on both sides thereof, I
connect arms or brackets to which I fit the drawing or discharging rake described
in the Specifications herein before alluded to. To one end of these arms or brackets
I fit guide pulleys for leading and supporting the rake when in action, and these
arms or brackets may also be raised or lowered in accordance with the level on
which the retorts are placed.
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 side elevation
of the crusher; Fig. 2 is a part sectional elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a modified
crusher having elevating gear attached and suitable for small gas works; Fig. 4 is a
plan of the samo; Fig. 4A is a modification of Fig. 3, showing a reversal of the
arrangement of the case jaws and roller in relation to the elevator, so that the case
may be more conveniently charged with coals when lying, as they are assumed to
be, to the left, as shown; Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the combined charging and
drawing apparatus; Fig. 6 is a plan of it, and Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the
same. In Fig. 1, A is a steam engine cylinder connected to the driving shaft B,
which has attached to it the fly wheel C. On the same shaft is a pinion D that
transmits motion to the spur wheel E keyed on to the shaft of one of the lower
rollers F. On the opposite end of the same shaft is fixed a pinion G, which gears
into another larger pinion H, and thus gives motion to the other corresponding
roller I. The pinion H also gears into a large toothed wheel J, which is keyed on
the shaft K of one of the upper rollers L, and so obtains motion therefrom. On
tho other end of the shaft K there is a pinion M, which drives another pinion N
fastened to the shaft O of the corresponding roller P; Q is a pulley that drives an
endless band with buckets attached to elevate the coal, and receives motion from
the spur wheel E through the intervention of a pinion keyed on the same shaft as
the pulley Q. It will be readily understood from the above that when coal is
introduced within the case R (which as well as some other parts are seen more
distinctly in Fig. 2), and motion is imparted to the rollers, the coal will undergo a
certain amount of crushing by the upper rollers, and on falling through upon the
lower pair of rollers will receive a further and final crushing to a size suitable for
clevation, and adapted for introduction to the retort by means of the chargers
employed under my system.
In Fig. 3, S is one of the fly wheels keyed upon the driving shaft T, shown (as
well as some other parts) more distinctly in Fig. 4. On this shaft is an eccentric
U which causes the movable crushing jaw to oscillate towards and away from the
fixed crushing jaw W. As before said, both the movable and fixed jaw may or
may not be serrated. X is a roller furnished with claws, is situated as shown, and
is caused to revolve by a pulley Y fixed to its shaft, and over which and a pulley Z
fixed to the driving shaft a belt a runs. On the other end of the roller shaft there
is a pinion 6 that gears into another pinion c, giving motion to the shaft & and
elevating band e and buckets f. These pass over a pulley attached to the upper
part of the jib h, which is supported by the tie rods i, i; j is the case into which
the coal is introduced previous to its being crushed and delivered into the
buckets f; h, k, are wheels whercon the machine runs. The apparatus may derive
its power from either an engine fixed to its bed plate, or from a stationary engine
provided with an endless rope running along the side of the retort house, or any
other suitable motive power:
In Figs. 5, 6, and 7, is the roller for supporting the rake bar, the said roller

page_text: being inserted in a frame m which slides up and down a T iron frame work n
fixed to the side of the charging apparatus. It is raised or lowered by means of
the hand wheel o which has a worm on its arbor, and drives a worm wheel p that
has on its shaft a chain pulley q. One end of a chain is fixed to the frame m, and
passing over the pulley r is fastened at the other end to the pulley q beforo
mentioned. It will thus be seen that on turning the hand wheel o the frame m may
be raised or lowered at pleasure, and to suit the varying height of the retorts;
8, 8, are bars to support the rake handlo when not engaged in use. The rest of the
apparatus is similar to that described in the Specifications of my Patent before
alluded to. By thus combining the charging and drawing arrangements in one
apparatus, economy of both expense and space is effected.
The mode or method of working the charging and drawing trolley in connection
with the coal breaker constructed according to my Invention is as follows:-Tho
coal breaker may be moved parallel to the front of the retorts to any part of the
retort house where the trolley may happen to be located at the time when the
sliding hopper is empty, and thence the hopper of the trolley may be constantly
fed directly from the travelling crusher. By this means I am able to dispense with
the fixed hopper and fixed clevating gear employed in the apparatus constructed
according to my Invention as adapted to larger gas works, and also to dispense
with the foundations otherwise required for the coal breaker, and to greatly reduce
the cost of establishing the same.
Having now described and particularly set forth the nature of this Invention,
and the manner in which the samo is or may be used or carried into effect, I would
observe in conclusion that I do not confine or restrict myself to the precise details
or arrangements which I have described or referred to, as variations may be made
therefrom without deviating from the principles or main features of iny Invention;
but 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,—
First. The construction of a coal breaker or crusher, as herein described and
shown on the Drawings Figs. 1 and 2.
Second. The construction of a travelling coal breaker or crusher combined with
elevating apparatus, as herein described and shown on the Drawings Figs. 3, 4,
and 4A.
Third. The construction of an apparatus for drawing or discharging retorts in
combination with the apparatus for charging, and as herein described and shown on
the Drawings Figs. 5, 6, and 7.
In witness whereof, I, the said John West, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Eighteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.