Pressure Devices for Retort Lids.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Oct., 1893-Accepted, 2nd Dec., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Pressure Devices for Retort Lids.
I, FREDRIK VICTOR MATTON, of 532 Cooper Street, in the City of Camden
and State of New Jersey, United States of America, Mechanical 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 :-
The following is a Specification of my said invention, reference being had to the
accompanying drawings.
In said drawings
Fig. 1 represents a top or plan view of the neck of a retort and its lid with my
improvements applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a front end elevation thereof; and Figs. 3
and 4 are opposite side elevations thereof.
The primary object of my invention is to provide a retort lid with means whereby
it may be effectually sealed, or caused to form a close joint with the mouth of the
retort, the organization of the parts being such that pressure from a single screw
or equivalent device is utilized in the best manner to produce this result.
In the drawing A represents the neck of the retort, which is attached to the
The outlet for the
main bcdy thereof (not shown) by means of the flange, a.
products of distillation is indicated at A'. The lid, B, conforms in general
outline to the approximately oval mouth of the neck and fits truly against the
peripheral flange, A¹, thereof.
Upon the opposite sides of the neck, A, pair of brackets, C C¹, and D D¹,
respectively, are mounted, the ends of said brackets being both forwardly and
outwardly prolonged, so as to project in front of the plane of the mouth at points
a short distance beyond the opposite sides thereof.
A vertical pin, g, extends across between the brackets, C C¹, and upon said pin
at points adjacent to the inner faces of said brackets, are pivotally mounted a pair
of short links, G G¹, each of which is in effect a lever with unequal arms.
The lid, B, is pivotally secured to the inwardly extending short arms of said
links by means of a pin, I, which passes freely through their inner ends and finds
bearings in the projecting ribs, 6 61, formed on the outside surface of the lid.
A cotter-bar, E, bifurcated at one end, as indicated at e, e¹, extends horizontally
across the lid and neck, the said bifurcated arms, e e¹, being pivotally attached
to the outwardly extending long arms of the links, G and G', by means of the
pin H. Thus the lid whilst directly supported upon the pin, I, is in fact hinged,
as a whole upon the pin, g.
Near the middle of the cotter-bar, E, is a boss, E¹, internally threaded to
engage with a hand screw, F, whose inner end rests upon a bearing surface, f, at
the central portion of the lid, B.
A pivot, K, extends across between the brackets, D D', and upon said pivot
are mounted a pair of levers, J J', whose inwardly projecting shorter arms, j, bear
against the projecting ribs, 62, 63, formed upon the outer face of the lid, B, at the
extremity opposite to the hinge. Mounted on the outer ends of the longer arms
of said levers, J J', is the pin, L, upon which are pivoted the bifurcated arms, m m³,
of a swinging latch, M.
The inner portion of said bifurcated arms, m m³, are squared to fit loosely
within rectangular recesses, 1, 1, formed in the proximate sides of the lever
arms, JJ, at the outer ends thereof. The bifurcation of the latch, M, extends
through a sufficient portion of the whole length thereof to enable it to receive the
free end, E, of the cotter-bar, E, and said latch terminates in an outwardly
projecting curved finger, M'.

page_text: i
The lid, B, is provided with a closed guide piece, O, through which the
cotter-bar, E, passes and by which its outward movement with relation to the lid
is limited. A guide finger, N, having an inclined upper surface, is rigidly
mounted upon the neck, A, in such relation to the cotter-bar, E, as that when the
latter is thrown inwards in the act of closing the lid, B, the under surface of the
bar shall engage with the incline and ride up thereon, thus bringing the free
end, E, of the bar to the proper position for engaging in the latch, M.
The operation of the device is as follows:
Assuming that the door is closed, and the other parts are in the position shown
in the figures, the screw, F, is actuated so as to thrust inwards against the bearing
surface, upon the lid. The correlative outward thrust of said screw upon the
cotter-bar itself, is transmitted through the levers, G G', on the one side, and the
levers, J J', on the other side, to the bearing points, b, 61, 12, and b³, of the inner
ends of said links upon the lid, B. These points in the present instance are four
in number, symmetrically arranged about the periphery of the lid, but obviously
they might be fewer or more numerous. Thus a large fraction of the outward
thrust of the screw, which otherwise would be expended, without useful result,
upon the bearings of the cotter-bar itself, is directly applied to the periphery of
the lid at a plurality of points properly situated for distributing the pressure and
causing a close contact between the lid and the mouth throughout the whole of
their respective periphery.
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. The combination with the retort neck, the lid, and the cotter-bar; of a
primary pressure device supported by said cotter-bar and adapted to bear directly
against said lid; a support adjacent to the hinged side of the lid; a link pivotally
mounted upon said support and connected at its respective ends to the cotter-bar
and to the lid, whereby a secondary pressure derived from the outward thrust upon
the cotter-bar is applied to the lid, substantially as set forth.
2. The combination with the retort neck, the lid hinged at one of its sides, and
the cotter-bar; of a primary pressure device supported by said cotter-bar and
adapted to bear directly against said lid; a support adjacent to the non-hinged side
of the lid; a lever pivotally mounted upon said support and bearing at one end
against the outer face of the lid ; and a latch connecting the other end of said
lever with the free end of the cotter-bar, whereby a secondary pressure derived
from the outward thrust upon the cotter-bar is applied to the non-hinged side of
the lid, substantially as set forth.
3. The combination with the retort-neck, the lid and the cotter-bar; of a primary
pressure device supported by said cotter-bar and adapted to bear directly against
said lid; a pivotally mounted link adjacent to the hinged side of the lid; pivotal
connections whereby said link is attached at one end to the cotter-bar and at the
other end to the lid; a lever mounted adjacent to the non-hinged side of the lid
and having one end adapted to bear against said side thereof; and a latch con-
necting the other end of said lever with the free end of the cotter-bar, whereby a
secondary pressure derived from the outward thrust upon the cotter-bar is
applied to both the hinged and non-hinged sides of the lid, substantially as set
forth.
4. The combination with the retort-neck, and the lid; of a bifurcated cotter-
bar; a screw mounted therein and adapted to apply primary pressure directly
upon the lid; a pair of pivotally mounted links adjacent to the hinged side of the
lid; aud pivotal connections whereby said links are respectively attached at one
end to the bifurcations of the cotter-bar and at the other end to the lid, substantially
as set forth.
5. The combination with the retort-neck, and the lid; of a bifurcated cotter-
bar; a screw mounted therein and adapted to apply a primary pressure directly

page_text: upon the lid a pair of pivotally mounted links adjacent to the hinged side of the
lid; pivotal connections whereby said links are respectively attached at one end
to the bifurcations of the cotter-bar and at the other end to the lid; a pair of
levers adjacent to the non-hinged side of the lid, each of which is adapted to bear
at one end against said side of the lid; and a bifurcated latch connecting the other
ends of said levers respectively with the free ends of the cotter-bar, substantially
as set forth.
Deted this 20th day of Sentember 1802
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.