IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS RETORTS to be as follows:-
Year: 1884

page_text: I WILLIAM THOMAS WALKER of Bishopswood Road Highgate in the County
of Middlesex Engineer do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS RETORTS to be as follows:-
"
The object of this Invention is to improve and cheapen the cost of surfaced
retort mouthpieces and their lids and the appliances for opening and closing
gas
making their working more perfect and their gas tightness more reliable than
heretofore.
According to my Invention the lid of the mouthpiece of the retort which by
preference I make of a perabolic curve in section has no projecting ribs or brackets
such as are ordinarily used which ribs or brackets I find when the lid is exposed
to expansion and contraction by unequal heating and cooling cause its shape to be
distorted and make it leaky.
The lid is formed with a recess in its centre at or about the outer side and has
its facing surfaced and is pressed home to and released from the facing of the
mouthpiece (which is also surfaced) by a screw working through a screwed cross
bar The end of this screw carries an eccentric which engages with the recess in
the lid before referred to which recess may be in communication with a long slot
so that the eccentric on the screw can be passed upwards along this slot and into
the recess forming its seating. By this construction the seating can be bored out
by a boring tool and all expensive modes of connecting the screw to the lid are
dispensed with and their cost saved.
One of the defects of apparatus of this class as heretofore constructed has been
the constant tendency of the lid to get out of its horizontal position and hang
downwards by reason of the constant strain upon the hinge in consequence of
which the action becomes impaired and the apparatus is rendered unservicable.
To obviate this I make the vertical pin of the hinge to turn in the eye on the
mouthpiece but I fix the said pin to the cross-bar so that instead of the cross bar
moving loosely round the pin as has heretofore been the case the pin thus firmly
fixed to the cross bar moves in the eye on the mouthpiece which eye is made
deep or long and is bored out to receive the pin which is also turned to fit it
easily.

page_text: &
For the purpose of steadying the lid and sustaining it in position I provide
projection or projections upon the lid the said projection or projections being
situated at the side or sides of the bar.
Upon the side of the mouthpiece opposite the hinge I provide a moveable hinge
support or loop. This support or loop moves in and out of action laterally so as
to support secure or release the bar the said support or loop when closed upon the
end of the bar sustaining it in its horizontal position in such a way as to avoid
the damaging strain upon the hinge of the cross bar which results when the said
bar has to be slidden up an incline to fall into a catch as in the ordinary
arrangements.

page_text: I WILLIAM THOMAS WALKER of Bishopswood Road Highgate in the County
of Middlesex Engineer do hereby declare the nature of said invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS RETORTS" and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
The object of this Invention is to improve and cheapen the cost of surfaced Gas
Retort mouthpieces and their lids and the appliances for opening and closing
making their working more perfect and their Gas tightness more reliable than
heretofore.
According to my Invention the lid of the mouthpiece of the retort which by
preference I make of a parabolic curve in section has no projecting ribs or brackets
such as are ordinarily used, which ribs or brackets I find when the lid is exposed
to expansion and contraction by unequal heating and cooling cause its shape to be
distorted and make it leaky.
The lid is formed with a recess in its centre at or about the outer side, and has
its facing surfaced, and is pressed home to, and released from the facing of the
mouthpiece (which is also surfaced) by a screw working through a screwed cross
bar. The end of this screw carries an excentric which engages with the recess in
the lid before referred to, which recess may be in communication with a long slot,
so that the excentric on the screw can be passed upwards along this slot and into
the recess forming its seating. By this construction the seating can be bored out
by a boring tool and all expensive modes of connecting the screw to the lid are
dispensed with and their cost saved.
One of the defects of apparatus of this class as heretofore constructed has been
the constant tendency of the lid to get out of its horizontal position and hang
downwards, by reason of the constant strain upon the hinge, in consequence of
which the action becomes impaired and the apparatus is rendered unserviceable.
To obviate this, I make the vertical pin of the hinge to turn in the eye on the
mouthpiece, but I fix the said pin to the cross-bar so that instead of the cross bar
moving loosely round the pin as has heretofore been the case the pin thus firmly
fixed to the cross bar moves in the eye on the mouthpiece, which eye is made.
deep or long and is bored out to receive the pin which is also turned to fit it
easily.
For the purpose of steadying the lid and sustaining it in position, I provide a
projection or projections upon the lid, the said projection or projections being
situated at the side or sides of the bar.
Upon the side of the mouthpiece opposite the hinge I provide a moveable hinge
support or loop. This support or loop moves in and out of action laterally so as
to support, secure, or release the bar, the said support or loop when closed upon
the end of the bar, sustaining it in its horizontal position in such a way as to avoid
the damaging strain upon the hinge of the cross bar which results when the said
bar has to be slidden up an incline to fall into a catch as in the ordinary
arrangements.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer
to the several figures on the annexed sheet of drawings the same letters of
reference indicating corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 is a front elevation.
Figure 2 a plan and Figure 3 a longitudinal section of a D shaped retort mouth-
piece and lid constructed according to my Invention.
The lid P of the retort (which is made by preference of a parabolic curve in
section) has no projecting ribs or brackets such as are ordinarily used, which ribs

page_text: or brackets I find when the lid is exposed to expansion and contraction by unequal
heating and cooling, cause its shape to be distorted and make it leaky. The said
lid is formed with a recess p in it at or about the central portion of the outer side,
and bas its facing surfaced, and is pressed home to and released from the facing
of the mouthpiece (which is also surfaced) by a screw a working through a screw
nut in the cross bar T. The end of this screw 9 carries an eccentric q' which
engages with the recess p in the lid P, which recess may be in communication with
a slot p³ so that the eccentric q' can be passed upwards along this slot and into the
recess p forming its seating. By this construction the seating can be bored out
by a boring tool and all expensive modes of connecting the screw to the lid are
dispensed with and their cost saved. Figure 4 is a front view of a circular retort
and lid with the screw q in section and part of the bar removed. The parts are
the same as on the other Figures and are marked with the same letters of
reference.
One of the defects of apparatus of this class as heretofore constructed, has been
the constant tendency of the lid to get out of its horizontal position and hang
downwards, thereby giving a constant strain on the hinge in consequence of which
the action becomes impaired and the apparatus is rendered unserviceable. To
obviate this I make the vertical pin 8 of the hinge to turn in the eye t on the
mouth piece but I fix the said pin to the cross bar r (by a groove and feather as
at 8² or otherwise) so that instead of the cross bar moving loosely as has hitherto
been the case, the pin s thus firmly fixed to the cross bar r moves in the eye t
on the mouth piece, which eye is made deep or long as shewn and is bored out to
receive the pin 8 which is also turned to fit it easily.
For the purpose of steadying the lid and sustaining it in position I provide a
projection or projections upon the lid, the said projection or projections being
situated at the side or sides of the bar r for example as shewn at p³ Figure 1.
Upon the side of the mouthpiece opposite the hinge I provide a moveable hinged
support or loop u. This support or loop moves in and out of action laterally so ag
to support, secure or release the bar r, the said support or loop when closed upon
the end of the bar sustaining it in its horizontal position in such a way as to avoid
the damaging strain upon the hinge of the cross bar which results when the said
bar has to be slidden up an incline to fall into a catch as in the ordinary
arrangements.
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 :-
First. Making retort lids with a recess therein with which engages an excentric
on the fastening and releasing screw, substantially as and for the purpose herein-
before described.
Second Making retort lids with a recess therein in communication with a slot
opening therefrom, so that an excentric on the fastening and releasing screw can
be passed along the said Slot to engage in the said recess as hereinbefore described
and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Third. Lids for retorts constructed without ribs or brackets and with a cross bar
having the hinge pin secured thereto and turning in a long eye on the mouth
piece there being a loop or moveable hinge at the opposite end of the mouthpiece
to engage with the outer end of the cross bar to fasten it, all substantially as
hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.