AN IMPROVED METHOD OF •
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John West, Gas Engineer, of Maidstone, in the
County of Kent, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF
•
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John West at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th April 1878.
I, JOHN WEST, Gas Engineer, of Maidstone, in the County of Kent,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED
METHOD OF MANufacturing Gas, AND FOR THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREWITH,”
to be as follows :—
The objects of this Invention are, firstly, to effect a more rapid and
perfect carbonization of the material submitted to distillation whereby a
larger yield of gas of higher illuminating power and purity will be
obtained than by the ordinary system now adopted in gas works; and,
secondly, to ensure an economy which is produced by the decrease of

page_text: plant and saving in labour when the apparatus or machinery for charging
and discharging the retorts about to be described is employed.
The improved method consists in charging and spreading a thin layer
of coal over the bottom surface of the retort at frequent intervals, and
discharging the same by the use of machinery.
The apparatus consists of retorts or ovens set horizontally, or inclined,
either singly or combined, in an arch in the usual manner, care being
taken that they shall be so arranged as to be maintained of an equal or
nearly equal temperature throughout their length. These retorts may
be made of either iron, clay, or other suitable material, and in section
they may be of any suitable form, but those of a D shape are preferred.
The front of the retort has attached to it a mouth piece, which is pro-
vided with a hopper or reservoir capable of being closed, and is either filled
with coal by a workman or receives it from a waggon or truck, which
can be made to run upon a tramway laid on the top of the retort bench,
or other convenient manner. The mouth piece has a lid secured to it at
the front end in the usual way, and is large enough to contain a chamber
or receptacle, herein-after called the charger, of sufficient capacity to
hold one charge of coal. Attached to the charger is a rod, shaft, rack,
or screw which passes through the lid, and is of sufficient length to
reach nearly the whole course of the retort. On the outside of the
mouth piece either friction or gearing wheels are placed to suit the
power, whether manual or otherwise. The charger, which is open at
top, is mounted upon wheels, and carries within it a shaft upon which a
number of teeth, tines, or prongs are fixed. There is also a deeply fluted
roller, which revolves in the charger between the shaft just mentioned
and the slot or opening from whence the coal issues into the retort.
Attached to the charger is a disc, hoe, or rake, the bottom edge of which
may be raised or depressed through the intervention of a lever and
gearing by a turn or partial turn of the rod. To the back end of the
retort is fixed the pipe for carrying away the gas to the hydraulic main
or other conduit, but this exit pipe may be fixed in any convenient
position with regard to the retort. The receptacle for receiving the coke
is also attached to the back end of the retort, and this receptacle is made
either to dip into a vessel containing water or is closed by a lid adapted
for the purpose. Provision is also made to obtain access to both ends of
the retort.

page_text: The action and method of employing the apparatus is as follows,
assuming that the retorts are heated and that they have not been
charged previously:-The hopper or reservoir being filled with coal a
valve is opened, or a wheel, or screw, or other suitable appliance is made
to act in such a manner that the coal will fall into the charger; the hoe
or rake is then raised by a turn of the rod, which is now thrust forward,
driving before it the charger, which as its wheels revolve deposits a thin
layer of coal over the bottom of the retort; the rod is now drawn back,
bringing with it the charger up to its resting place in the mouth piece,
when the coal is left to give off its gas which passes away through the
outlet appointed for it. As soon as the whole of the gas has been
evolved the charger is again filled with coal, but the rake head is
depressed this time, so that when the charger is propelled forward the
rake shall drive before it the coke arising from the first charge until it
(the coke) arrives at the extreme end of the retort and falls into the
receptacle or coke chamber, before mentioned, to receive it, where it will
either be quenched by water or remain to be removed at convenient
periods; the rake head is then raised, as before described, and the
charger drawn back to the mouth piece ready for the operation to be
renewed at such intervals as experience may dictate.
Under some circumstances it may be found necessary to provide the
mouth piece with a second door or lid immediately in front of the retort
so as to cut off the heat and gas from the charger when it is not in
actual use.
In constructing the charger I do not confine myself strictly to the
description given above, as the arrangement may be varied to suit the
material to be carbonized; and the Invention comprehends any com-
bination of wheels or rollers which will distribute the material most
effectively over the surface of the retort.
Steam or other suitable power may be applied in combination with
manual labour for actuating the apparatus and raising the coal to such
an elevation as to supply the hoppers with the requisite material.
By the adoption of this process a larger quantity of gas is obtained
from a given quantity of coal; and from the frequency with which the
retort may be charged a much greater quantity of coal can be carbonized
in a given time.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said John West in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 4th October 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
WEST, Gas Engineer, of Maidstone, in the County of Kent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-sixth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John West, Her special licence that
I, the said John West, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said John West, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF MANu-
FACTURING GAS, AND FOR THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREWITH," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said John West, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was
to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John West, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
The objects of this Invention are, firstly, to effect a more rapid and
perfect carbonization of the material submitted to distillation, whereby
a larger yield of gas of higher illuminating power and purity will be
obtained than by the ordinary system now adopted in gas works; and
secondly, to ensure an economy which is produced by the decrease of

page_text: plant and saving in labour when the apparatus or machinery for
charging and discharging the retorts about to be described is employed.
The improved method consists in charging and spreading a thin even
layer of coal, shalo, peat, or other suitable gas producing substance over
the bottom surface of the retort at frequent intervals, and discharging
the same by the use of machinery.
The apparatus consists of retorts or ovens set horizontally, or slightly
inclined from the horizontal, cither singly or combined in an arch in the
usual manner,
care being taken that they shall be so arranged as to be
maintained at an equal or nearly equal temperature throughout their
length. These retorts may be made of either iron, clay, or other
suitable material, and in section they may be of any suitable form, but
those of a D shape are preferred. The front of the retort has attached
to it a mouth piece, which is provided with a hopper or reservoir capable
of being closed, and is either filled with coal by a workman or receives
it from a waggon or truck which can be made to run upon a tramway
laid on the top of the retort bench, or other convenient manner. The
mouth piece has a lid secured to it at the front end in the usual way, and
is large enough to contain a carriage or receptacle, herein-after called
the "charger," of sufficient capacity to hold a suitable quantity of coal.
Attached to the charger is a rod, shaft, rack, or screw, which passes
through the lid and is of sufficient length to reach nearly the whole
course of the retort. On the outside of the mouth piece either friction
or gearing wheels are placed to suit the power, whether manual or
otherwise. The charger, which is open at top, is mounted upon wheels
which are indented or serrated on their peripheries and carries within it
a shaft upon which a number of teeth, tines, or prongs, are fixed.
There is also a deeply fluted roller, which revolves in the charger
between the shaft just mentioned and the slot or opening from whence
the coal issues into the retort. Attached to the charger is a disc, hoe,
or rake, herein-after called the "disc" the bottom edge of which may
be raised or depressed by pulling or pushing a rod which passes through
and projects beyond the end of the driving rod. To the back end of the
retort is fixed the pipe for carrying away the gas to the hydraulic main
or other conduit, but this exit pipe may be fixed in any convenient
position with regard to the retort. The coke chamber or receptacle for
receiving the coke is also attached to the back end of the retort, and

page_text: this receptacle is closed with a Morton's Patent or other suitable lid,
so as to allow of the coke being removed at intervals.
In order that the foregoing may be more easily understood Drawings
are attached hereto, of which the following is a description :-
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of a bench of retorts; Fig. 2 is a back
elevation of them; and Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the same.
Fig. 4 is a section of a retort lid upon a larger scale; Fig. 5 is a
front elevation to an enlarged scale of the charger, with the handles of
the driving and disc rods removed; Fig. 6 is a side elevation of it; and
Fig. 7 is a plan of the same.
In Fig. 1 A, A, represent the retorts with their long mouth pieces B,
B, and lids C, C; D, D, are the coke chambers with their lids E, E; Fis
a general outline of the charger, the details of which are exhibited in
Figs. 5, 6, and 7; G is a travelling truck or waggon to supply coals to
the hopper H, which in its turn supplies coal to the charger F by
means of the shoot I; J, J, being valves attached thereto; M is the
ascension pipe.
In Fig. 3 is shown a coal elevator N, which is worked by steam or
other suitable power, and lifts the coal into a reservoir O from which
the waggon or truck G derives its supply.
In Fig. 4, which shows partially in section the details of the long
mouth piece lid, P is the body of the lid; Q, the conical cup to receive
the conical boss 8 of the charger, and R, the stuffing box; while S is
the sheave or roller to support the rod of the charger when being moved
forward or backward in the retort.
Fig. 5 exhibits the front elevation of the charger, T being the body
of the carriage, U, U, the indented or serrated wheels, and V a
cogged wheel loose upon the shaft with studs W, W, which clutch into
slots in the driving wheel U. These studs are thrown in and out of the slots
by means of a fork X, the other end of which is attached to an eccentric
Y which is operated upon by a partial turn of the handle Z of the driving
rod a, Figs. 6 and 7.
In Fig. 6 the dotted lines indicate the gearing by which the several
shafts are put in motion. When the studs of wheel V are clutched into
the driving wheel U, the wheel V is thrown into gear with a toothed

page_text: wheel b. This drives another toothed wheel c fixed to the shaft d
which carries the fluted roller or bladed wheel e. Upon the same
shaft d is another cogged wheel f, which communicates motion to a
wheel g of similar size keyed upon a shaft that carries a corresponding
fluted roller or bladed wheel h. The wheels f and 9 give motion to
pinions i and j which are fixed to the shafts k and 1, these shafts being
furnished with the teeth, tines, or prongs m before referred to. The
ends of the body of the charger slope towards the middle of the machine
at an angle of about 45 degrees, so that the bottom edges meet within a
few inches, and this space n is left open. Over this opening or slot and
above the bladed wheels or shafts is fixed a sheet of iron, bent some-
what in the shape of an inverted V, also forming angles of about 45
degrees. This leaves two openings towards the slot, and in these
two openings the bladed shafts revolve. When the charger is put
in action the gearing causes the bladed shafts to revolve and pass the
coals or other material from the upper part of the machine under the
V piece and fall through the slot n on to the bottom of the retort, the
charger being mounted high enough to pass over the layer of coals or
other material thus distributed. The number of slots and bladed shafts
may be increased when the requirements of the case make it necessary.
To the front of the charger is fixed a disc o, Figs. 6 and 7, which is
moveable upon a rod p stretching across the front of the charger at
about half its height. To the upper part of this disc is attached a rod q
which passes through the charger and through the driving rod a. This
driving rod is made tubular so as to admit of the passage of the disc
rod, which on being pulled by means of a knob or handle causes
the lower edge of the disc to be raised, and on being pushed to be
depressed.
In Figs. 6 and 7 the conical boss which fits into the conical cup Q of
Fig. 4 will be seen at 8. The serrated wheels are connected together
on one side of the charger by a rod t, seen in Fig. 7.
The power required to make the various distributing shafts revolve is
communicated from the indented wheels upon which the carriage rides,
these being connected to the gearing as before described. When the
gearing is not clutched into the wheel U the charger may be moved to
and fro without discharging the coal. The gearing is boxed in or
provided with a guard w to prevent the introduction of extraneous
matter. Similar letters refer to the same parts in all the Figs.

page_text: The action and method of employing the apparatus is as follows:-
Assuming that the retorts are heated and that they have not been
charged previously, the hopper H being filled with coal, the valve J is
opened or a bladed wheel is made to revolve, so as to allow the coal to
fall or to be forced from the hopper to the charger F. The disc o is now
raised by pulling the disc rod q, and the driving rod a is then thrust
forward, driving before it the charger F, which as its wheels revolve
deposits a thin layer of coal over the bottom of the retort. The same
effect can be produced by the return movement of the charger if desired.
After the charge has been spread the charger is drawn up to its resting
place in the mouth piece B. As soon as the whole of the gas has been
evolved the charger is again filled with coal, but the disc o is depressed
this time so that when the charge is propelled forward the disc o shall
drive before it the coke arising from the first charge until it (the coke)
arrives at the extreme end of the retort and falls into the coke chamber
or other receptacle placed to receive it. The disc o is then raised as
before described and the charger drawn back to the mouth piece ready
for the operation to be renewed at such intervals as experience may
dictate.
Under some circumstances it may be found necessary to provide the
mouth piece with a second door or lid immediately in front of the
retort so as to cut off the heat and gas from the charger when it is not
in actual use.
In constructing the charger I do not confine myself strictly to the
description already given, as the arrangement may be varied to suit the
material to be carbonized, as the Invention comprehends any com-
bination of wheels or rollers which will distribute the material most
effectively over the surface of the retort.
Steam or other suitable power may be applied in combination with
manual labour for actuating the apparatus and raising the coal to
such an elevation as to supply the hoppers with the requisite material.
Having now described and particularly set forth the nature of this
Invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that I do not confine
or restrict myself to the precise details or arrangements I have described
or referred to, as variations may be made therefrom without deviating
from the principles or main features of this Invention, but what I

page_text: consider to be novel and original and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,—
Firstly. The construction, use, and application of the charger F,
Fig. 1, and shown in detail in Figs. 5, 6, and 7, with all its appliances
as herein described and set forth on the Drawings.
Secondly. The construction, use, and application of long mouth pieces
with lids as herein described and set forth on the Drawings.
Thirdly. The arrangement of coke chambers as herein described and
shown on the Drawings.
And Fourthly. The improved method or process of manufacturing
gas, whereby the coal or other substance is more rapidly and perfectly
carbonized by the use of the apparatus herein described and shown on
the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John West, have hercunto set my
hand and scal, this Fourth day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three