An Improved Apparatus or Oven for the Production of Coke and Lighting Gas with Recovery of the By-products.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Oct., 1898-Accepted, 10th Dec., 1898
An Improved Apparatus or Oven for the Production of Coke and
Lighting Gas with Recovery of the By-products.
I, COUNT ALBERT DILLON DE MICHEROUX, of No. 3, Rue Delvaux, Namur, in
the Kingdom of Belgium, Landlord, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement;-
The present invention relates to an apparatus or oven with a progressive,
constant, or momentary compression action for the production of coke for
metallurgical or commercial purposes, of illuminating gas enriched or not en-
riched, and of heating gas with recovery of the by-products, tar, ammonical
liquors, &c. This apparatus allows of converting small or finely crushed coal
into coke by exerting by means of a piston a progressive constant or momentary
compression action upon the coal during its distillation in the retort. It will
therefore now be possible with the help of this new oven to produce coke and gas
at a much lower price than by means of the processes at present in use.
Several forms of construction of this oven are shown by way of example in the
accompanying drawing. Figure 1 is a vertical section of the oven on the
line X, XI, of Figure 2. Figure 2 is a part horizontal section on a larger scale
of the same oven on the line Y Y₁ of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a vertical section of
a different form of construction of an oven of the same kind, and Figure 4 is a
vertical section of an oven likewise of the same kind but designed more par-
ticularly for gas works.
The oven shown in Figures 1 and 2 consists of any desired number of retorts B
arranged either vertically as shown in the drawing, or obliquely or horizontally
in a mass of brickwork A and carried by iron I-beams A' fixed in the brickwork.
The retorts A are formed of rings 6 of suitable form made of metal or refractory
material and which are arranged over one another and are connected together by
means of tenon and mortice joints which are embedded in cement or in a suitable
mortar in such a manner as to close the retorts hermetically so as to prevent the
gas produced from escaping to the outside. The rings of the retorts are pro-
vided with flues or passages I moulded therein and in which there is effected a
combustion of the gas for heating the retorts. The gas arrives from the gas
generator by the pipes M from which branch off vertical gas brackets m which
in their turn distribute the gas into the flues I by means of the pipes m' which
are provided with taps for regulating the consumption of the gas. The entry
of the atmospheric air is effected through passages Z from which branch off
vertical brackets z which are arranged in the escape flues I of the burnt gases
and which distribute the air through the tubular necks z¹. The gas pipes m¹
D

page_text: and the tubular necks z¹ discharge into common passages 22 provided in the
flues I and which are distributed over the whole height of the retorts for the
purpose of heating the latter in a uniform manner. The retorts are provided
at their lower ends with doors having one or two leaves and which are kept closed
At their upper
by means of a transverse metal bar or by any suitable device.
ends the retorts are provided with a metal crown H provided with a groove con-
taining a sand bath or seal and which is closed hermetically by means of a cap 1
provided with a stuffing box through which passes the rod J of the compressing
piston H'. Also the crown H carries likewise a ipe E which serves to carry
off the gas produced by the distillation of the coal and to convey this gas into
a barrel F containing water. The end of the pipe E may either be immersed
in the liquid in the barrel F, in order to wash the gas, or it may discharge above
the level of the liquid as shown in Figures 1 and 3, and in that case it may be
closed at the time of charging the retorts by means of a cup E' which contains
water to prevent the air from being drawn up by the exhaustor and which during
the operation of the oven is led down into the water in the barrel F by means of
any suitable device. The cover D of the retorts is provided with a tubular
neck D which is closed air-tight at ordinary times and which allows of intro-
ducing into the retort a suitable metal rod which is thrust into the mass of coal
in order to form passages to facilitate the disengagement of the gas.
piston His connected by means of a rod J to the piston L which is operated in
the cylinder K by steam, compressed air, water under pressure, or any other
motive agent of any kind, which is admitted to the cylinder K by means of the
cocks N, N, and which, after having actuated the piston L, passes out of the
cylinder through apertures 0, 0', provided with cocks. The piston H¹ might
also be operated by any other suitable mechanical means, and the rod J of this
piston is suitably guided in a vertical manner by means of guide blocks P, P,
sliding in the guide slots R, R. The cylinder is mounted on trunnions or
journals in such a manner that the entire arrangement consisting of the cover D),
the piston H, and the rod J, may be capable of being shifted as shown in
Figures 1 and 3, for the purpose of uncovering the orifice of the retort B by
means of which the charging is effected. In this oven the heating of the retorts
is effected by the combustion of the gas mixed with air at its exit from the
pipes in the flues I in which it circulates and then escapes into the chimney,
passing through the flues I¹ in which it gives up its heat to the air pipe which
acts as a regenerator.
This oven is
=
The
Figure 3 shows another arrangement of the compression oven.
composed as in the preceding case of groups of 2, 4 or 8 retorts B which are not
formed of superposed rings but are constructed of blocks of refractory materials
or with metal plates forming conical or non-conical retorts according as they
are arranged vertically, obliquely, or horizontally. The heating of these retorts
is effected as in the former case by the combustion of the gas, coming from some
suitable gas generator, in the flues which surround the retorts. The lower part
of the retorts is closed by a metallic plate C which is lined with refractory
material and is adapted to roll in a slot and to be operated by means of a rod
passing through to the outside. The tight jointing of the slab C against the
lower part of the retort is effected by means of an eccentric C² fixed on an axle C
provided with a counterweighted lever which through the medium of the eccentric
presses the plate C against the retort. The oven shown in Figure 4 is more
particularly intended for gas works and differs from the preceding constructions
by the fact that the retorts are moulded in one single piece of a suitable pris-
matic or pyramidal or ovoid shape. Further, in this oven the heating of the
retorts is effected directly by the flame of the furnace M which passes through
the flues I and escapes by the flue I into the chimney.
The lower part of the retort is closed by means of a breech piece C mounted
on a hinge to allow of discharging the retorts, and provided with a tubular

page_text: neck D having a self-closing device by means of which a rod can be introduced
into the mass of coal for the purpose already mentioned. The upper crown H
is fixed and carries a hopper G by means of which the coal is introduced into the
retort B. The piston H¹ is lined with a refractory material and slides on rollers
arranged along its circumference. This piston is actuated in the same manner
as in the foregoing ovens, but the cylinder K is fixed, the piston H¹ and the cover
of the retort needing no longer to be removed for the purpose of charging the
retort.
The gas escapes from the retort by means of the tube E by which it is con-
veyed to the barrel F whence it is drawn by the exhaustors.
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:-
(1) An oven with compression action for the production of coke and illuminat-
ing gas, characterized by retorts of suitable shape composed of a series of rings
of metal or refractory material with flues or passages formed in the thickness of
the walls and surrounding the whole retort, the heating of the same retort being
effected by the combustion of gas in the said passages, and the compression of
the coal contained in the retorts being produced by means of a piston operated
by any suitable external motive power, the said piston passing through the cover
of the retorts which also allows of the introduction of a rod for the purpose of
perforating the mass of the coal in order to facilitate the escape of the gas pro-
duced by the distilling process, as set forth.
(2) In an oven with compression action for the production of coke and of
illuminating gas as claimed in Claim 1, a heating device characterized by an
external gas bracket to which connect branch passages connected to tubes
arranged in the admission flues of the retort and distributed over the whole height
of the latter, the said last mentioned tubes communicating by means of branch
pipes with an air collector arranged inside the escape flue for the burnt gases
and forming a regenerator of heat, the said collector being supplied with air
coming from the atmosphere and which air after being heated mixes with the
gas and produces the combustion of the latter which is supplied from any suitable
gas generator if illuminating gas is being manufactured, or which is produced by
the coal itself when coke is being manufactured for commercial purposes, and
is distributed by the gas bracket and its branches over the whole height of the
retort in order that the heat may be uniformly distributed over the whole sur-
face of the latter, the said heating device being capable of serving for two or any
greater number of retorts grouped in one and the same oven, as set forth.
(3) In an oven with compression action for the production of coke for com-
mercial purposes and of gas, the arrangement in the barrel of an obturating cup
which is raised at the moment of charging and discharging the retort in order
to close the gas supply pipe which arrangement allows of leaving the aperture
of said pipe above the level of the water in the barrel so as to obviate the counter-
pressure exerted in the retort by the bubbling of the gas in the water in the
barrel, as set forth.
(4) An oven consisting of rings heated by gas as specified in Claim 1, for the
manufacture of illuminating gas, or of heating gas, or of coke, or for the dis-
tillation of schists or shales or other materials with or without the compressing
arrangement, as set forth.
(5) In an oven with compression action for the production of coke and of
illuminating gas as specified in Claim 1, a retort moulded in one single piece and
closed at its lower part by means of a hinged breech piece or by any other ob-
durating device for discharging purposes, and closed at its upper part by a
cover through which passes the rod of a compressing piston intended to compress
the coal contained in the retort during its distillation, the said piston being coated
with a refractory material and being provided with guide rollers, and the said

page_text: retort being heated directly by the flame of a furnace arranged at the lower part
of the retort or in any other suitable manner, as set forth.
(6) An apparatus or oven for the production of coke and lighting gas, sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described and shown.
Dotad th
- 1000
ROBERT E. PHILLIPS, Assoc. M. Inst. C.E., M.I. Mech. E.,
Chartered Patent Agent,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Associate Agent.