IMPROVEMENTS IN RETORTS AND SEALS THEREFOR
Year: 1885

page_text: I, DEMING JARVES, of Detroit, in the County of Wayne, and State of Michigan,
one of the United States of America, Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of
my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RETORTS AND SEALS THEREFOR" and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to the construction of retorts in which destructive.
distillation is carried on by means of applied heat, and to the seal necessary to
prevent the escape of gases therefrom.
The said invention consists in so constructing a retort that, when used in a
vertical position, as in the manufacture of bone-black by the destructive distillation
of bones, the mass to be acted upon by the heat is prevented from dropping down
below the point where there is no heat applied; in the peculiar construction of the
retort by means of which the gases are retained and discharged; in the peculiar
construction of the seal; in the employment of viscid tar as a means for sealing;
and in the peculiar construction, combination and operation of the various parts, as
more fully hereinafter described.
In the accompanying drawing,
Figure 1 is a vertical central section of my improved retort.
Figure 2 is a cross section of the same on the line X X, Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a plan view of the slide gate.
Figure 4 is a view showing the manner of securing the end of the slide way to
prevent the exit of gas from that point.
Figure 5 is a vertical central section through my improved gas tight expansion
joint, or seal.
A is a rectangular retort, having lugs a cast or otherwise secured thereto, which
lugs, when the retort is in use, rest upon the floor of the kiln, the contracted mouth b
projecting below the floor, and terminating in a thickened rim c in which is formed
an annular recess d. There are also cast or formed upon the outer walls of said
retort other lugs e, which support the roof of the kiln, the upper end of the retort
projecting above such roof. At the upper end of the retort, one side of the same
is contracted, thereby providing a comparatively small mouth d' upon which a
cover B is adapted to be luted and secured in any suitable manner. Around the
upper end of this mouth, which is thickened for the purpose, is formed an annular
Pins33

page_text: recess like that described as surrounding the opposite or discharge end of the retort.
The covers of both ends are alike, each having an annular recess h, formed upon its
inner face, so that when in place a flange surrounding the annular recess in the
cover will fit into a similar recess in the end of the retort.
A discharge pipe C for the gas, projects vertically from the larger section of the
body, and communicates with the retort chamber, as shown.
At or about the point where the contraction of the lower end of the retort
commences is formed a rectangular box D, connected at one end to the side wall of
such retort, and forming a guide for the slide gate E. This slide gate is adapted
to be projected into and across the interior of the retort, and, when thus projected,
to rest upon a lug or ledge i, formed on the inner face of the wall opposite the
opening in the wall through which the slide is projected. This slide forms a
removable bottom for that portion of the retort which is subjected to the action of
heat in the kiln. The projecting end of the slide box has a cover k bolted thereon,
with a central hole therein, through which hole a removable handle F is inserted to
operate the slide. The latter has a hole near its end, with which a lug or hook m
on the handle is adapted to engage. Upon the outside of the cover k is formed a
hollow projection n, the opening through which is coincident with the opening in
the cover; this projection is externally screw-threaded and is provided with a
screw-cap o. To operate the slide, this cap is removed and the handle F is passed
through the cover k and the hook m inserted into the hole 1, the handle is then
withdrawn, and the cap replaced to prevent the escape of gas at this point.
In practice these retorts are set in benches, with their lower ends projecting
through the floor of a kiln, and their upper ends projecting through the roof of the
said kiln, the cover is secured and luted to the lower or discharge end, and the
slide is projected within the retort to form a bottom. The upper cover being
removed, the retort is filled with bones for instance, the cover is then replaced
and secured and luted. By these means the gases are prevented from escaping
except through the discharge pipe C, which conveys them to the point where they
are utilized, for instance, in making ammonia.
When the process of destructive distillation has been carried on sufficiently long,
the lower cover is removed, and the slide withdrawn, when the contents of the
retort, in the form of bone black, will be discharged through the lower end, which
is contracted to form a discharge mouth, and to avoid tho necessity of luting so
The
large a joint as would be necessary had not such contraction been made.
contraction of the lower end is equal on all sides of the retort, thereby providing
a central discharge for the contents without anything to interrupt such free
discharge. One object of contracting the upper end of the retort is to lessen the
amount of luting to be done, and the contraction being from one side only gives
room for the discharge pipe for the gases to project vertically from the body of the
retort, thereby avoiding the usual L-shaped connection for that purpose, in which
extraneous matter requiring to be frequently removed collects.
The expansion of retorts longitudinally under applied heat, and a corresponding
contraction when the fires are drawn, renders, it necessary to use expansion joints
at the discharge pipes through which the emanations resulting from the calcination
of bones, or from destructive distillation in general are carried off, and as these
emanations are hot, very penetrating and offensive to the smell, and of a peculiarly
destructive nature, great difficulty has been heretofore experienced in constructing
a suitable gas-tight expansion joint for this purpose.
The joint which I prefer to employ is constructed as follows:-M and N are the
two sections of the discharge pipe, or M is the discharge pipe at the upper end of
my retort, and N an extension thereof, my improved seal being interposed between
the two and so arrauged as to counteract the expansion and contraction of the
retort. A is a collar or coupling secured to the upper end of the pipe N;
and B', C¹ are two pipes secured by screw-threads or other joints to the
coupling A¹, so as to form an annular chamber or cup D', between them.

page_text: The annular chamber D¹ is closed at the bottom and open at the top. The inner
pipe joint C is of the same diameter as the pipes M, N, and its top is preferably a
little lower than the top of the pipe B₁. The pipe M has secured to its lower end,
or formed thereon, a pipe section O¹, which projects into the chamber D¹, and
extends to near the bottom thereof, dividing the said annular chamber into an
inner and an outer section.
'
The inner and outer sections of the annular chamber D' are filled with a
packing or seal which consists of tar, preferably bone tar, boiled down to a
syrupy consistency before being used. This substance may be introduced into the
chamber D' before the pipe section O¹ is inserted.
In practice I have found that this joint gives the discharge pipe of the retort the
necessary freedom to expand and contract readily, and the indestructible nature
and permanancy of the tar will keep the joint gas proof for a long period.
I have found that bone tar is especially suitable, as it maintains its viscid
nature under the influence of the heat, to which it is liable to be subjected in the
discharge pipes, to a remarkable degree. All tar which is deficient in this quality
is unsuitable for the purpose. It is obvious that the expansion joint herein
described is only applicable to vertical pipes.
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. A retort provided with means for supporting it upon the floor of a kiln,
and for supporting the roof of said kiln, the said retort being centrally contracted
to form a discharge mouth at its lower end, contracted towards one side at its
upper end, and having a vertical discharge pipe by the side of the contracted upper
end, substantially as, and for the purposes, described.
Second. A retort having an opening in its side wall communicating with a
rectangular open ended box, and having an interior lug or ledge, in combination
with a slide-gate, a handle for operating said slide-gate, and means, as described,
for closing the outer end of such slide enclosing box to prevent the escape of gas,
substantially as specified.
Third. In a gas proof expansion joint, a packing or seal of viscid tar of the
nature described, in combination with the necessary parts for retaining such viscid
tar in place, substantially as, and for the purposes, described.
Fourth. In a gas proof expansion joint, an annular cup formed around the lower
section of the discharge pipe, in combination with the upper section of the discharge
pipe which forms a division in the said cup, and with the packing or seal in the
annular cup, consisting of tar boiled down to a viscid consistency, all arranged and
operating substantially as, and for the purposes, specified.
Dated thin bond l
ET.... 100K
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.