Improvements in Machinery for Discharging Gas Retorts.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application. 7th Dec., 1897-Accepted. 19th Mar., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Discharging Gas Retorts.
I, GASTON ALOYSIUS BRONDER, of No. 35, Broadway, in the City of New York, in
the State of New York, United States of America, Engineer, 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:-
In machines heretofore used, and now in use, for discharging gas retorts, the rakes
are in part supported by a travelling carrier, which runs forward and backward, for the
purpose of introducing the rakes into, and withdrawing them from, the retorts; and
in part by a lifting bar arranged at a fixed distance from the front of the retorts.
When the travelling carrier is in its most backward position, only about half the
weight of the rake is supported on the lifting bar, but as the carrier runs forward with
the rakes, to project them within the retort, a greater portion of the weight of the
rakes is brought upon the lifting bar. A weighted lever has been, and is, commonly
applied to the lifting bar, for the purpose of counterbalancing the said bar, and that
portion of the weight of the rakes which comes upon it; but as such portion of the
weight of the rakes varies in their inovement back and forth, it is desirable that some
compensation shall be provided for it variation. One object of the present invention
is to provide a simple means by which this compensation can be effected, and to this
end my invention consists in making the fulcrum of the said lever adjustable auto-
matically, according to the movement of the carrier and rakes. Another object of
the invention is to better control the backward and forward movements of the rake
carrier and rakes, and to this end my invention consists in an improvement in the
hydraulic governor by which the movement of the rake bar is checked toward the end
of its travel in either direction.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a side elevation of a retort dis-
charging machine embodying my invention, and a vertical section of one retort of
each of three tiers.
Fig. 2 represents a plan view of the machine.
Fig. 3 represents a transverse vertical section in the line 3-3, of Fig. 1, omitting
rake carrier and rakes.
Fig. 4 represents a side view of the rake lifting bar and its counterbalance, and of
the means for automatically adjusting the fulcrum of the counterbalance lever.
Fig. 5 represents a plan view of the hydraulic governor;
Fig. 6 a longitudinal vertical section of the said governor ;
Fig. 7 a transverse vertical section, in the line 7-7 of Fig. 6;
Fig. 8 a transverse vertical section in the line 8-8 of Fig. 6.
Figs. 9 and 10 are side views of the upper part of the rake lifting bar, the counter-
balance, and the means for automatically adjusting the fulcrum of the counter-
balance lever, showing the fulcrum in different positions.
Fig. 11 is a back view of the upper parts of the fulcrum adjusting devices shown
in Figs. 9 and 10.
Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.
A A¹ A² a a a a¹ designate the main frame of the machine, A being the base or
platform, having erected upon it two uprights A1 A2, which are connected by horizontal

page_text: braces a a a a¹, the whole constituting a carriage mounted on wheels B, which
run on tracks parallel with the front of the bench or stack of retorts C C, which are
represented as in three tiers.
D is the rake carrier, furnished with rollers b, which run between horizontal guides
constituted by two of the braces a of the main frame, the said carrier being moved
back and forth, to move the rakes forward into the retort, and to withdraw them
therefrom, by its connection with an endless chain c, which is wound upon a rotary
drum e, and runs on two pulleys d at each end of the main frame. The pulleys d d
at the rear end of the frane are shown in Fig. 1, but those at the front end are
hidden by other parts of the machinery, and I have not thought it necessary to make
any special representation of them, because the same system of chains, drum, and
pulleys, are common in gas retort discharging machines. The shaft e¹ of the drum e,
running in fixed bearings on the main frame, is furnished with a pinion e², gearing
with a toothed rack es connected with the crosshead et on the piston rod e³.
At one
end of this rod is a piston working in a steam cylinder f, to and from opposite ends
of which the induction and eduction of steam supplied from a boiler by a pipe J¹ is
controlled by any suitable system of valves, for the purpose of producing the move-
ment of the rack. At the other end of the piston rod e, is a piston working in a
hydraulic cylinder g, which constitutes the governor, to control the longitudinal
movement of the carriage back and forth, produced by the winding of the chain c on
the drum e, the rotary motion of which is produced by the action of the rack e³ on
the pinion e². The carrier D, and the rear ends of the bars h of the rakes i, are
provided with connections which provide for the necessary upward and downward
movement of the rake heads, and which provide for the detachinent of such of the
rakes as it may not be desired to operate, and which are to be connected with the
rear upright A¹ of the main frame.
11
These connections may be of any suitable kind. Those which I have used are
illustrated in the detail views Figs. 12, 13, 14; Fig. 12 being a front view, and
Fig. 13 a vertical section of the upper part of the carrier D; Fig. 14 a side view of
the rear end of one of the rake bars h. The bar has a laterally projecting handle w
on each side, and has a gab w¹, through which, and through holes w* in the sides of
the carrier, a movable pin w² is inserted, when the rake is to be attached to the
carrier. This pin w² holds the rake bar up under a pin w³, which is inserted per-
manently through the carrier. When a rake is not required to operate, it is
drawn back, and its gab w is dropped over a pin x in the rear upright A¹ of
the main frame.
E is the lifting bar for giving the rakes the upward and downward movement. This
bar works vertically in guides ¹ on the front upright A2 of the main frame, and it
is furnished with rollers kk, between which the rakes run back and forth, and by
which they are in part supported. The said bar is suspended from the shorter arm
of a lever F, the longer arm of which carries a counterbalance G, for counter-
balancing the weight of the lifting bar, and the portion of the weight of the rakes
which said bar sustains. The upward and downward movement of the lifting bar
and the rakes is produced by means of two T levers ¹ pivotted to the main frame,
the upper arm of each of the said levers being connected with the lower arm of the
other one by means of two rods m m, the front arm of the forward lever being
connected by a link n with the lifting bar, and the rear arm of the rearward lever
being prolonged in the form of a handle o; by which an attendant on the machine
raises and lowers the lifting bar.
The machine, so far as I have above described it, resembles retort discharging
machines heretofore used, and now in use, except that the fulcrum of its counter-
balance lever F, instead of being fixed, is automatically adjustable, to compensate,
in a greater or less degree, for the variation in the weight of the rakes that is
sustained by the lifting bar E; and for this purpose the said fulcrum consists of a
pin p which is supported in the upper arm of a lever H, which works on a fulcrum p¹,
having a fixed position on the top of the front upright A of the main frame or
carriage. The lower and longer arm of this lever H is connected, as shown in

page_text: Figs. 1, 2, and 4, by a rod r, with the crosshead e', so that as the rake carrier D and
rakes are moved forward, and a greater portion of the weight of the rakes is thrown
upon the lifting bar E, the fulcrum of the counterbalance lever is moved forward
nearer to the lifting bar and further from the counterbalance G, and the leverage of
the counterbalance is increased, and as the rake carrier and rakes are moved
backward, and the weight of the lifting bar is diminished, the fulcrum pin p is
moved backward, with the effect of diminishing the leverage of the counterbalance.
This will be understood by reference to Figs. 9 and 10, which are on a larger scale
than Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, Fig. 9 showing the position of the lever H and fulcrum pin p
when the rakes are in their most forward position, and Fig. 10 showing the position
of the said lever and fulcrum pin when the rakes are in their most backward position,
the rakes in both cases being supposed to be lifted.
To provide for the above described shifting of the fulcrum pin of the counterbalance
lever, the said lever is not pivotted directly to the said pin, but is suspended therefrom
by means of two links 8, 8, the upper ends of which are pivotted to the said pin, and
the lower ends of which are pivotted to the said lever by a pin p*. To provide for
the suspension of the counterbalance lever, the upper part of the lever H is made, as
shown in Fig. 11, with a yoke H*, through which the counterbalance lever F passes,
and within which the links 8 s work, one on each side of the latter lever.
permit the counterbalance lever and the links 8 8 to work through the yoke H*, the
fulcrum p of the lever H is made of two pins arranged in line with each other,
and secured one to each side of the yoke, and supported in two bearing blocks t t
affixed to the upright A².
То
In order to provide for receiving the severe lateral thrust to which the lifting
bar E is subjected, in the shifting of the fulcrum of the counterbalance lever, by
reason of the angularity of the fulcrum links 8, the upper guide provided in the
upright or front portion A2 of the main frame of the machine is composed of two
rollers jj, pivotted in said upright or portion of said frame, one in front and the
ather behind said bar. But for these rollers, the lateral thrust above mentioned
would be so severe that it would be difficult, if not impossible, for one man to raise
the lifting bar and rakes.
Referring now to Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8, which are on a larger scale than Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, it
will be understood that the cylinder g of the hydraulic governor is counter bored at
each end, as indicated at e7, larger than the piston e, which works water tight
within the rest of the cylinder, and that there are in said cylinder, near each end
thereof, three ports u, u¹, u³, which, opening into the passage v running lengthwise
of the cylinder outside thereof, form communication between the two portions of
the cylinder on opposite sides of the piston. The ports u are in the counter bore e',
and the ports u¹ u² are in the bore proper, to which the piston fits, but are at different
distances from the heads of the cylinder. The rakes can move forward or backward
no faster than is permitted by the displacement of the water from one end of the
cylinder to the other through the said passage and ports. As the piston approaches
the ends of the cylinder, it covers and closes the ports u² and u¹, one after the
other, and so gradually diminishes the openings through which the water is
displaced, consequently diminishing the speed at which the piston and the rakes
move, as they approach the ends of their stroke in either direction, leaving the
ports in, the counter-bores always open, and thereby obviating any shock to the
machine that might otherwise occur by the very sudden stoppage of the rake carrier
and rakes. It may however be here mentioned that the ports at different distances
from the ends of the cylinder, might all be arranged in the bore proper, so that they
would be all closed in rotation by the piston.
The high portion v¹ of the passage between the ports u, u¹, u², having no vent,
acts as an air-chamber. The cubic capacity of the said higher portion or chamber is
made somewhat greater than the cubic contents of that portion of the piston rod which
is involved in the stroke of the said rod, so that while it contains some air, it may
also receive a quantity, equal in volume to the displacement of the piston rod, of the
water which, while the piston rod is passing into the one end of the cylinder, is forced

page_text: out from the other end, where there is no rod, there being no room for this quantity
of water in the portion of the cylinder occupied by the rod. Without this provision
of this chamber vl, or its equivalent, the movement of the piston in one direction,
viz. that in which the rod enters the cylinder, could not take place.
When, as is sometimes the case, only one tier of retorts is in use, and the use of only
one rake necessary, it, in some cases, may not be necessary to shift the fulcrum of the
counterbalance lever with the movement of the rake carrier and rakes, and in such
cases the rod r may be disconnected by removing either the pin which connects it
.with the lower end of the lever H, or that which connects it with the crosshead et, and
the lower end of the said lever may then be made fast to any suitable part of the main
frame or carriage; or, for working one rake only, the counter-weight G can be
adjusted to suit, by moving it closer to the fulcrum.
K'is a steam engine supplied with steam from the boiler J, and geared with one of
the axles of the wheels B, for the purpose of moving the entire machine along the
front of the retort bench or stack, to present the rakes opposite the several retorts in
succession. This, however, is no part of the present invention.
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:-
1. In a machine for discharging gas-retorts, the combination of a rake-lifting bar
and a counterbalance lever, from which said bar is suspended, and the fulcrum of
which is movable with the rake, substantially as herein described.
2. In a machine for discharging gas-retorts, the combination of a rake, a rake-carrier,
a rake-lifting bar, a counterbalance lever, from which said bar is suspended, and the
fulcrum of which is movable, mechanism for moving the said carrier towards and from the
retorts, mechanism for moving the said fulcrum, and a connection between the carrier-
inoving mechanism and fulcrum moving mechanism, whereby the said two mechanisms
operate together for the shifting of the said fulcrum with the backward and forward
movement of the rake carrier, substantially as herein described.
3. In a machine for discharging gas retorts, the combination of a carriage, two or
more rakes, a carrier for said rakes, and means for moving said carrier backward and
forward on said carriage, a lifting bar on said carriage, common to the several rakes,
a counterbalance lever from which said lifting bar is suspended, and the fulcrum of
which is inovable, mechanism for moving the said fulcrum, means for connecting said
rakes with the said carrier and carriage, whereby one or more of them may be moved
with the carrier, while the other or others are held stationary on the carriage, and a
detachable connection between the fulcrum-moving mechanism and the carrier
moving mechanism, all substantially as and for the purpose herein described.
4. The combination with the rake-lifting bar, the main frame or carriage, and the
counterbalance lever connected at one end with said bar, of a lever as H, having its
fulcrum on the main frame or carriage, and carrying the fulcrum p of the counter-
balance lever, and the swinging links 8 8, by which the latter lever is connected with
its fulcrum, substantially as herein described.
5. The combination of the rake lifting bar, the main frame or carriage, the
counterbalance lever connected at one end with said bar, and having a movable
fulcrum supported on said frame, or carriage, and a guide for said bar, consisting of
rollers pivotted in the frame or carriage, in front of; and behind, the said bar, to
receive the lateral thrust of said bar, substantially as herein described.
6. The combination with the rake-carrier and the mechanism for moving the
same, of a piston connected with said mechanism, and a hydraulic cylinder in which
said piston works, and between the ends of which, on opposite sides of the piston,
there is a passage with ports, at such different distances from the cylinder heads, as
to be successively closed by the piston in its movement, for the purpose of gradually
arresting the movements of the rake-carrier and rakes in either direction,
substantially as herein described.
7. The combination with the rake carrier and the mechanism for moving the

page_text: same,
of a piston connected with the said mechanism, and a hydraulic cylinder in
which said piston works, and between the ends of which, on opposite sides of the
piston, there is a passage with several ports at each end, the said cylinder being
counter bored at each end, the several ports being at different distances from the
cylinder heads, the ports nearest the cylinder heads being within the counterbore,
and the other ports being within the range of the piston, to be successively closed
thereby, substantially as herein described.