A Val, Applicable also to Regenerative Furnaces.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Nov., 1887
Complete Left, 20th Feb., 1888
Complete Accepted, 18th May, 1888
A Hydraulic Gas Valve to be Fixed between Retort and Gas Main
on Retort Bed, Applicable also to Regenerative Furnaces.
I, GEORGE WATSON 9 St. Martin's Row, Broad Street, Birmingham Warwick-
shire, Gasfitter, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:―
A hydralic gas valve to be fixed between the pipo from the retort and the gas
main; which valve will work in such a manner as to allow the old hydralic main to
be dispensed with, or rather, converted into a dry main.
When the valvo is open it allows the gas to have a free passage into the main
without coming into contact with water, thus preventing condensation, and relieving
the retort of the pressure formerly caused by the dip pipe in the hydralic main.
When the valve is shut it is impossible for the gas to return to the retort.
This valve is made in the shape of an oblong box with one end bellied outwards at
each side, so as to make room for the valve or sleeve pipe.
.
At the narrow end the inlet pipe is placed as close as possible to the top; and the
outlet pipe is placed at the bottom of the wide end, underneath; this outlet pipe
projects upwards into the valve box 12 inches.
Suspended over the outlet pipe and working up and down over it, is the valve or
sleeve pipe, which is worked by levers or connecting rods fastened to a spindle at the
narrow end of the valve-box. This spindle runs through a stuffing box at each side
of the valve box and the ends project just far enough for a lever to be fixed thereon
at each side; the one lever to have a balance weight attached, and the other to be
connected by means of a chain to the screw which fastens the retort lid.
At the narrow end of the valve box, underneath, is placed a water-supply pipe of
suitable diameter, which will be connected to a cistern; which cistern will be fitted
with an equilibrium ball-valve and overflow, by which means the water will be kept at
one uniform height in the valve-box.
At the wide end of the valve-box is fixed a dip-pipe which will act as a tell-tale
should the water get one inch lower than its normal height; the gas escaping through
this dip-pipe will be conveyed by a small pipe to a point underneath the nearest gas
burner kept alight continually, and igniting will indicate the want of water.

page_text: The water supply pipe will also act as an outlet for the accumulating tar and
will be so arranged as to discharge the tar automatically into the tar-well.
The lid of the valve box will be fastened down by set pins, and the joint made on
the flange of the box which will project inside.
On the top of the lid, at the wide end, in the centre, will be a dome. This dome
will be hollow, and in a cross bar fixed at the bottom, will work a small rod, fastened
to the centre of the top of the sleeve pipe, thus keeping it steady and over the
projecting outlet pipe.
When the retort is charged and the lid fastened on the retort, the chain of the
valve is hooked on to the screw in front of retort lid, so opening the valve and
allowing the gas to proceed direct to the main without coming into contact with the
water.
Before the retort lid can be taken off, the chain must be unhooked and instantly
and automatically the balance weight closes the valve, the sleeve pipe or valve
shutting down over the outlet pipe and into the water.
This valve will be made in various sizes so as to be suitable for any regenerative
furnace as well as for gas retorts.

page_text: A Hydraulic Gas Valve to be Fixed between Retort and Gas Main
on Retort Bed, Applicable also to Regenerative Furnaces.
I GEORGE WATSON, of 9 St. Martin's Row Broad Street Birmingham Gasfitter
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This valve is made in the shape of an oblong box, one end being bellied outwards
at each side as shown in accompanying drawings.
At the narrow end, the inlet pipe A, is placed close to the top, and the outlet pipe B,
is placed at the bottom of the wide end, underneath, this outlet pipe projects upwards
into the valve-box.
Suspended over the outlet pipe, and working up and down over it, is the valve or
sleeve-pipe C, which is worked by levers or connecting rods D. D. fastened to a
spindle E at the narrow end of the valve-box.
This spindle runs through a stuffing box F. F. at each side of the valve box, and
the ends project outwards just far enough for a lever to be fixed thereon at each side;
the one lever G. to have a balance weight H attached and the other lever I. to be
connected by means of a chain or rod to the screw which fastens the retort lid.
At the narrow end of the valve box, underneath is placed a water-supply pipe K.,
which will be connected to a cistern, which cistern will be fitted with an equilibrium
ball-valve and overflow, by which means the water in the valve will be kept at an
uniform height. Water line L.
At the wide end is fixed a dip-pipe M. which will act as a tell-tale should the
water get one inch lower than its normal height; the gas escaping through this dip
pipe will be conveyed by a small pipe to a point underneath the nearest burner kept
alight continually, and igniting, will indicate the want of water.
The water-supply pipe K. will also act as an outlet for the accumulating tar.
The lid N. of the valve box will be fastened down by means of screw pins O, and
the joint made on the flange P. which projects inside.
On the top of the lid, at the centre of the wide end will be a dome Q. This dome
will be hollow, and in a cross bar fixed at the bottom will work a small rod R. fastened
to the centre of the top of the sleeve pipe C., thus keeping it, (the sleeve pipe) steady
and over the projecting outlet pipe B.
When the retort is charged, and the lid fastened on the retort, the chain or rod of
the valve is hooked on to the screw in front of the retort lid, so opening the valve
and allowing the gas to proceed direct to the main without coming into contact with
the water.
It is impossible to remove the lid of the retort until the hook is first removed from
the crossbar, when the valve closes automatically, the balance weight shutting down
the sleeve pipe over the outlet pipe and into the water, thus sealing the valve.

page_text: -
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is,
1stly. That by the use of this valve the gas will pass direct from the retort to the
main without coming into contact with the water, and that this will do away with
the pressure that the gas formerly had to overcome in passing into the main through
the water, and
2ndly. That the great amount of condensation that used to take place in con-
sequence of the gas having to pass through the dip-pipe and into the water will not
now take place and the old hydraulic main will be dispenced with, or converted into
a dry main.