IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION, ARRANGEMENT, AND APPLICATION OF RETORTS AND SETTINGS IN COMBINATION WITH MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF COAL OR OTHER GASES
Year: 1866

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Percival Ashton Batchelor and
Frederick Reddal! at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 11th January 1866.
We, PERCIVAL ASHTON BATCHELOR, of No. 34, Upper Berkeley Street,
Portman Square, W., Engineer, and FREDERICK REDDALL, of No. 81, Bride
St., Westbourne Road, Barnsbury, N., Accountant, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION,
ARRANGEMENT, AND APPLICATION OF RETORTS AND SETTINGS IN COMBINATION WITH
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF COAL OR OTHER GASES," to be
as follows:-
This Invention relates to the employment and adaptation of one, two,
or more retorts of cylindrical form, composed of steel or other suitable
material calculated to bear a high degree of heat, and made to revolve or
rotate at any desired speed. From the constant revolution of the retorts
the charge contained therein is continually turned over and thoroughly
and effectively exposed to the intense action of the heat from the furnace,
which is permitted to circulate freely around the exterior of the retorts.
By these means a larger quantity of gas for a given amount of fuel will be
produced, of superior quality as regards illuminating power, with a less
amount of residual products as compared with the present system. The
retorts are so constructed and arranged by our Invention as to admit of
being elevated to a suitable angle or inclination, in which position the
requisite charge is fed or conducted into the retort at the upper mouth;

page_text: it is then lowered and secured, and on rotary motion being imparted it is
then exposed to the action of the heat from the furnace. When it is
required to withdraw or empty the exhausted charge, the retort is by any
simple mechanical arrangement disconnected and again elevated in a position
similar to that when it is being charged, and on the removal of the lid or
cover at the lower end the contents will be at once discharged into a
suitable receptacle without interfering in any way with the arrangements
of the furnace or lessening the degree of heat, thereby effecting a great
saving of labour, time, and cost, as well as obviating many objections to
the present system, including that of painful labour occasioned to the
operatives. In elevating the retorts either for the purposes of charging or
discharging, the heat from the furnace or furnaces is shut off until they
are again in position as described. We prefer to arrange the retorts
according to our Invention in couples to each furnace, each retort being
of sufficient capacity to effectually carbonize, say, one ton of coal at
each charge, but the size and proportions of the said retorts, as well as the
number of furnaces for heating the same, may be increased or diminished
as the circumstances may require. The settings are so constructed and
arranged as to secure the greatest required amount of heat, and admit of
the retorts freely revolving and being elevated from their horizontal
position, as herein described. A considerable saving will thus be effected,
causing a material reduction in the number of retorts and furnaces and
also of settings, ascension and other pipes and connections, as compared
with the present system.