Improvements in Means for Fastening the Lids of Retort Mouth- pieces and other Self-sealing Lids and Doors.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 4th July, 1896-Accepted, 15th Aug., 1396
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Fastening the Lids of Retort Mouth-
pieces and other Self-sealing Lids and Doors.
I, GEORGE WINSTANLEY of The Gas Works, Coventry, in the County of
Warwick, Gas Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what.
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly describel and ascertaine:1
in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to means for fastening the lids of retort mouthpieces or
other self-sealing lids and doors and is applicable to all such appliances where
ordinary screws or eccentric lever movements are at present employed.
The various arrangements at present in use (especially in gas works) for
tightening the lids of retort mouthpieces furnace doors and firing doors used in.
regenerator settings comprise a cross bar fitted with a tee piece screwed to work
through a threaded boss in the centre thereof; or eccentric pins and levers.
adjusted and fitted into specially prepared joints in lugs cast or fitted on to the-
mouthpiece and various other methods all needing repeated adjustment in order to
enable sufficient pressure to be put upon the lids to form a tight faced joint. In.
the screw arrangement above referred to, owing to the short length of thread in
the boss of the cross bar, one or both threads soon wear away. Fastenings of the
eccentric lever type also very soon lose their power and have to be readjustet.
Pins with six-sided necks have been put into cross bars at the point of suspension
of the lids for the purpose of taking up the loss of power to tighten the lid due to
faulty eccentric action caused by wear.
In the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings Fig. 1 represents a sectional
plan of a gas retort mouth and lid fitted with a fastening device constructed
according to this invention, and Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same.
A cross bar a is hinged at one end by a pin 6 to a lug c on the retort mouth d
the other end being detachably secured by an open link e hinged to a pocket lug f
to facilitate its ready attachment or detachment in the usual manner. The lid 9,
which is shown elliptical, is formed with a central boss h hollowed out in its back
part and bored to admit an eccentric i forming a part with the spindle k which
passes through the cross bar a and is secured to the wrench lever I as shown.
A cam m having two inclined faces p p working against corresponding faces on the
boss his mounted on the spindle and free to slide longitudinally thereon, but
prevented from turning independently of it by square flats, or by a feather or other
well known means, the back face of the said cam being against the back of the
cross-bar a all as shown. The eccentric bolt k is secured in the lid g by means of
a cover plate n which also prevents the entry of dirt or grit. A guide fork o
secured to the cover and clipping the cross bar a ensures their proper and constant
relative positions.
In order to close the lid the end of the cross-bar a is secured in the link e and
the lever turned, the inclined faces p, p, of the cam m sliding on the corresponding
faces on the lid and pressing the peripheral edge q, firmly against the face of the
retort mouthpiece while the eccentric i at the same time, causes the said edge to
move on the mouthpiece face and clear away any foreign matter thereby ensuring:
a perfectly tight joint.

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 :-
1. In a fastening device for the lids of gas retorts and the like; a tightening
cam mounted on an actuating spindle and working in conjunction with a cross-bar
on the said lid substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.
2. A fastening device for the lids of gas retorts and the like comprising a
tightening cam working between a cross bar and the face of the lid centre and
mounted on an actuating spindle carrying an eccentric working in the lid centre
substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.
3. The combination of parts constituting an improved means for fastening the
lids of retort mouthpieces or other self sealing lids and doors, the whole arranged,
constructed and operating substantially as described in the foregoing specification
and illustrated in the drawings hereunto annexed.
Dated this 4th day of July 1896.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.