Improvements in Apparatus for Stirring and Drawing the Charge of Gas Retorts.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 31st July, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 30th Apr., 1891-Accepted, 27th June, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Stirring and Drawing the Charge of
Gas Retorts.
I, WILLIAM FOULIS of 45 John Street, Glasgow in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention which relates to improvements in apparatus for stirring and
drawing the charge of gas retorts consists firstly in the stirring or breaking up of
the coal in the retort after the process of carbonization has proceeded for a certain
time, so as to hasten or expedite the said process of carbonizing, and the apparatus
by which this is effected consists of a frame or bar suitably mounted on a travelling
bogie or carriage which may be actuated by hand or other power, this frame or
bar is so constructed as to enable a slide or carriage to be travelled backwards and
forwards by means of two hydraulic cylinders suitably fixed to the said frame or
bar the said slide or carriage has attached to it in any suitable manner one or
more flat iron bars or rods, which enter into the retort and stir or break up the
partially carbonized coal therein. The hydraulic cylinders for actuating the said
slide or carriage are preferably made shorter than the travel of the said slide or
carriage, and the necessary travel obtained by a rope or chain which passes over
one or more pullies suitably arranged on the frame or bar; the said frame or bar
and its connections are suitably suspended in the centre in such a manner as to
enable them to be raised and lowered by means of an hydraulic cylinder or
cylinders.
.
The action of the whole is such that on the rods or flat bars being pushed into
the retort underneath the coal, they rest on the retort mouthpiece or they may be
caused to rest upon a separate bearing, either of which will act as a fulcrum, so
that when the said bars or rods are inserted a sufficient length into the retort, the
centre of the frame or bar is depressed or lowered, and consequently the front
ends of the said bars or rods are raised, thus breaking or stirring up the partially
carbonized coal therein.
My said invention also relates secondly to a modification of the foregoing
apparatus the said modification being used for withdrawing the coke from the
retorts after carbonization has taken place, and consists in attaching a rake and
rake rod to the slide or carriage in lieu of the flat bars or rods already mentioned.
The frame or bar in which the slide or carriage travels, is in this instance
preferably made of an I iron or steel bar to which is attached the hydraulic
cylinders, valves, levers, pullies, etc., the whole being suitably suspended at the
centre in such a manner as to be raised or lowered by hydraulic power. The back
end of the frame or rod is supported in a suitable block which is held in position by
a rope or chain attached to the suspending rope or chain, in such a manner that the
relative positions of the centre of the frame and block are the same in all the
different positions of the frame. The lever or levers for working the cock or
valve, which actuates the hydraulic cylinders, are so connected to the said block
that when the said lever or levers are placed in position for pushing the rake into
the retort they also depress the back end of the frame or rod thus elevating the
rake so as to enable it to pass over the coal or coke, and on the said lever or levers
being reversed the back end of the frame is raised up, thus causing the rake to be
depressed into the coal or coke before withdrawing the same.
At the front end of the said frame I connect a plate to the supports of the
machine in such a manner that when drawing the top retorts, the said plate is
caused to drop or hang down thus preventing the coal or coke from being scattered
over the floor.

page_text: The water supply to the various hydraulic cylinders is preferably conveyed to
them by means of flexible pipes or metallic jointed tubes.
Dated this 30th day of July 1890.
JOHNSONS,
115, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicant's Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Stirring and Drawing the Charge of
Gas Retorts.
1, WILLIAM FOULIS, of 45 John Street, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Civil 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 :-
This invention which relates to an apparatus for drawing the charge from gas
retorts, and also for stirring the charge for the purpose of breaking up the coal in
the retorts after the process of carbonization has proceeded for a certain time, so as
to hasten or expedite the said process of carbonization. The apparatus by which
these operations are effected consist of a frame or bar mounted on a travelling
bogie or carriage, which may be actuated by hand or other power. This frame or
bar is so constructed as to enable a slide or carriage to be travelled backwards and
forwards, by means of two hydraulic cylinders, suitably fixed to the said frame or
bar; the said slide or carriage has attached to it a rake, and rake rod, if the
apparatus is to be used for drawing the charge, or a flat bar or rod, or flat bars or
rods, if the apparatus is to be used for stirring the charge, which rake or bar enters
into the retort to draw or to stir the charge therein. The hydraulic cylinders for
actuating the said slide or carriage are preferably made shorter than the travel of
the said slide or carriage, the necessary travel being obtained by a rope or chain
which passes over one or more pulleys carried by the frame or bar and rams; the
said frame or bar and its connections are suitably suspended in the centre in such
a manner as to enable them to be raised and lowered by means of a hydraulic
cylinder or cylinders.
The action of the whole is such that (in stirring) on the bar or bars being pushed
into the retort underneath the coal, they rest on the retort mouthpiece or they
may be caused to rest upon a separate bearing, either of which will act as a
fulcrum, so that when the said bars or rods are inserted a sufficient length into the
retort, the centre of the frame or bar is depressed or lowered, and consequently
the front ends of the said bars or rods are raised, thus breaking or stirring up the
partially carbonized coal therein.
When the apparatus is arranged as a drawer of the charge the rake will be
passed in above the charge, and then be caused to descend so that on being
withdrawn the charge is withdrawn with it.
I will proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying drawings, apparatus
constructed according to my invention. In the said drawings I have shewn an
apparatus for withdrawing the charge from the retorts. As the general features of
the two machines or apparatuses are the same with the exception of the substitution
of a rake in the one case for a rod or rods acting as stirrers in the other case and
certain minor details incidental to the different purposes of the two machines or
apparatuses, all as hereinafter more fully explained, it is unnecessary for me to
specially illustrate, also an arrangement of the apparatus for stirring as it will be
well understood from the following description.
Figure 1, is a side elevation,
Figure 2, a plan,
Ligure 2 an and

page_text: :
I construct a frame or bar A preferably of an I iron or steel bar, and I mount
or suspend it at its centre to the upright standard B, of the travelling bogie or
carriage C, which may be actuated by hand or other power gearing D. The said
frame or bar A, is so arranged and constructed as to enable a slide or carriage E,
being travelled backwards and forwards by means of two suitably mounted-hori-
zontal acting hydraulic cylinders, F, F, which are fixed to the said frame A, in
such a manner that the necessary travel may be given to the slide or carriage E,
by means of the chains or ropes f', f, and pulleys, which are mounted on
the front ends of the cylinder rams F2, F3, the said front ends of the rams being
provided with suitable guide or slipper blocks as shown at f Figure 3, which
work in corresponding guide plates G, G, secured to the frame or bar A; the said
slide or carriage E, is connected to the back end of the rake-rod H, which carries
at its forward and a rake or plate J. The said frame or bar A, is suspended at its
centre by means of a carrier K, the top end k, of which is secured to the one end
of a raising or lowering chain L, which after being passed around the guide
pulley L mounted on standard B, and around the guide pulley L, mounted on the
lower end of the ram N, of the hydraulic raising and lowering cylinder M, is secured
to a snug or projection m, on the cylinder M, in such a manner that the whole may
be raised or lowered by actuating the valve P, through the medium of the lever Pi.
The said frame or bar A, is supported near its back end by means of a block or
carrier Q, connected and held in position to the main carrier K, by means of chains
or ropes R, and guide pulleys R', by connecting the ends of said ropes or chains R,
to the main raising and lowering chain or rope 1, (as at 1, Figure 1), thus always
keeping the two carriers K, and Q, in their relative positions to each other. The
said carrier Q, is preferably composed of two cross stays, 7', connected to each
other by means of two links q³, and provided with adjustable means for
attaching the ends of the chains or ropes R to; the said top stay, is attached to
the ends of two crank levers S¹, which are secured on a rocking shaft s, carried
in the top ends of a saddle-piece Q', which is secured to the main frame or bar A ;
the said rocking shafts, is provided with an operating handle S, and the valve
regulating lever T, which is connected to the said regulating or reversing valve U,
by means of a rod or link t; the said valve U, being connected by piping V, to the
cylinders F and F, actuating the rake and supplied with water by means of the
pipe V, a branch V2, from which pipe V₁ also supplies the raising and lowering
valve P, which is connected to its cylinder or cylinders, by piping V³, and which
piping may be flexible and have metallic joints, or they may be ordinary
metallic jointed tubes or pipes ; the exhaust or waste water from the valve U, I
preferably lead away to the front end of the frame or bar A, by means of piping W,
and provide it with two perforated nozzle pieces w, which direct the flow of said
waste water on to the rake and rake-rod, and so tend to keep them cool.
In order to prevent the coke or coal from being scattered over the floor when
withdrawing the same from the retort, I connect to the front end of the frame or
bar A, a drop plate X, which is caused to act automatically so as to fit the various
retorts, by means of the levers a, connecting links a', and pulley, the latter of
which runs up and down the curved race Y, of the standard B, when the machine
is being raised or lowered.
The general arrangement and action of the foregoing apparatus is such, that
on the operator, who may stand on the platform Z, provided at the rear of the
travelling bogie or carriage C, having brought the apparatus in front of the
retort from which the charge is to be withdrawn, he manipulates the lever F, and
so raises or lowers the frame or bar A, and its connections to the desired level, after
this has been accomplished he pulls the lever S, in the direction of the arrow and
so causes the ram F2, to move forwards, and the ram F3 backwards, the said
ram pulling the slide E, rake rod H, and rake J, forward with it over the top
of the coke owing to the saddle piece Q having been depressed by the movement
of the lever S; after the rake has reached the end of its travel, the operator
reverses the lever S, and so causes the rake to be depressed down into the coke

page_text: before withdrawing the same, which coke is kept from being scattered by the
automatic drop plate X, thus providing an apparatus which is simple and effective
in its action.
When the apparatus is to be used for stirring the charge I preferably construct
the main frame or bar A of an I shaped iron or steel bar, the said I shaped bar
being mounted or suspended as hereinbefore described at its centre to the upright,
standard B, of the travelling bogie or carriage C, both of which are preferably
constructed broader than in the case of the apparatus illustrated so as to permit of
a broader or larger slide or carriage than that shewn at E, being used, & so as to
enable the back ends of one or more (preferably three) flat iron bars or rods to be
attached thereto.
The said I shaped frame or bar is raised and lowered by hydraulic power as
described with reference to the frame or bar A, in the arrangement illustrated, and
the slide or carriage and bars or rods are actuated horizontally backwards and
forwards by an arrangement of hydraulic cylinders, rams, pulleys and chains, as
shewn with reference to the drawing apparatus, though in the stirring apparatus I
dispense with the back carrier Q, and saddle-piece Q¹, and their connections
including the chains R and pulleys R', and I mount the operating lever S, directly
on to the regulating or reversing valve U, as the said stirring apparatus is depressed
or lowered at its centre, and not at its back end as with the drawing apparatus, the
said lowering or depressing being effected through the medium of the raising and
lowering cylinder and its connections; and lastly, in the apparatus as arranged for
stirring I dispense with the automatic drop plate X and its connections.
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 :-
1st. The general arrangement, construction and combination of the various parts
constituting the apparatus for the purposes described, whether the same be arranged
for stirring or for drawing the charge of gas retorts, all substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings as applied to the arrange-
ment for drawing the charge.
2nd. In apparatus for drawing the charge of gas retorts, the arrangement and
combination of the suspended frame or bar A, centre carrier K, back carrier or
block Q, saddle-piece Q', chains and pulleys R, R', and their various connections,
whereby the two carriers are always kept in their relative position to each other,
all substantially as hereinbefore described and shewn m the accompanying
.drawings.
3rd. In apparatus for drawing the charge of gas retorts the combination of the
parts constituting the automatic drop plate X whereby the withdrawn charge is
prevented from being scattered during the withdrawal, substantially as hereinbefore
described and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 29th day of Anril 1801
JOHNSONS,
115, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicant's Agents.