IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DISCHARGING GAS RETORTS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Somerville, Gas Engineer, of the Gas
Works, Dublin, and John Robinson, Engineer, of West Bromwich,
in the County of Stafford, formerly of Dublin; for the Invention of
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Somerville and
John Robinson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 16th July 1873..
We, JOHN SOMERVILLE, Gas Engineer, of the Gas Works, Dublin,
and JOHN ROBINSON, Engineer, of West Bromwich, in the County of
Stafford, formerly of Dublin, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for " IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DISCHARGING GAS RETORTS,"
to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is the construction of rakes in such a
manner as to make them applicable for drawing, retorts of any section
commonly employed, and is specially adapted for use in combination
with the charging and drawing machines for which Letters Patent,
No. 3335, dated December 9, 1871, were granted to us.
w!

page_text: 1
The rake or rakes are made of suitable material, and hinged to
one end of a tubular U shaped or any other section of iron or steel bar
that may be convenient, provided it be hollow or tubular, so as to allow
of a stream of cold water or air to pass through it for the purpose of
keeping the rods and bars cool.
The rakes are constructed in two, three, or more parts having hinges
or flaps joined to the centre part, which is pivotted and secured to the
rake bar by a strong bolt. A second bolt is employed to attach the
rake to two connecting bars or plates, which are fastened to cross
heads fitted into slots in the sliding bar, through which motion is trans- 1
mitted to the rake head.
The slots in the sides are for receiving and guiding the cross heads,
which are made of flat iron or steel, having attached to each arm a
collar with an oblong hole or slot in it, and fitted on to the flat part of
the arm, giving it the necessary amount of strength without weakening 1
the rake bar or beam. .
The rake bar may be furnished with an auxiliary or supplementary
rake of similar construction to that described and attached to the bar at
any suitable distance from the end thereof to facilitate the removal of
the coke near the mouth piece of the retort.
The rake head flaps may be furnished with two or more hinges, and
may be made of such a shape as to fit them for drawing the particular
form of retort to which they are applied.
The rake bar being of a tubular or U shaped section may be con-
structed with a number of holes or slots in the top and sides for the s
admission and circulation of air or water for the purpose of keeping it
cool, and maintaining its rigidity.
E
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said John Somerville and John Robinson in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 16th January 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
SOMERVILLE, Gas Engineer, of Gilford House, Sandymount Square,
3

page_text: Dublin, late of the Gas Works, Dublin, and JOHN ROBINSON, Engineer,
of West Bromwich, in the County of Stafford, formerly of Dublin,
send greeting.
•
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-seventh year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto us, the said John Somerville and John Robinson, Her special
licence that we, the said John Somerville and John Robinson, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
John Somerville and John Robinson, our 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DISCHARGING
GAS RETORTS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
John Somerville and John Robinson, our executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under our, or one of our, 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 we, the said John Somerville and John
Robinson, do hereby declare the nature of our 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 object of this Invention is the construction of rakes in such a
manner as to make them applicable for drawing retorts of any section
commonly employed, and is specially adapted for use in combination.
with the charging and drawing machines described by us in the Speci-
fications of Letters Patent, No. 3335, dated December 9, 1871, and
No. 2404, dated July 12, 1873, or such a modification thereof as is herein
doganihod

page_text: The rake or rakes are made of suitable material, and hinged to one
end of a tubular Ụ shaped or other section of iron or steel bar that may
be convenient, provided it be hollow or tubular, so as to allow of a
stream of cold water or air to pass through it for the purpose of keeping
the rods and bars cool.
Each rake head is constructed in three or more parts, that is to say, a
centre piece with one or more flaps or wings hinged thereto on each
side. The centre piece is pivotted to the rake bar by a strong bolt, and a
second bolt is employed to pivot it to the ends of two connecting bars or
plates, the other ends of the said bars or plates being attached to cross
heads, which are fitted into slots in a bar that slides within the rake
bar, and through which motion is transmitted to the rake head.
The slots in the sides of the rake bar or beam are for receiving and
guiding the cross heads, which are made of flat iron or steel, having
attached to each arm a collar with an oblong hole or slot in it, and fitted
on to the flat part of the arm, giving it the necessary amount of strength
without weakening the rake bar or beam.
The rake bar may be, and is by preference furnished with an
auxiliary or supplementary rake head of similar construction to that
just described, and attached to the sliding and rake bar in the same ?
manner and at any suitable distance from the ends thereof to facilitate
the removal of the coke near the mouthpiece of the retort.
The rake head flaps may each be made of one or more pieces hinged
together, and to the centre piece, and of such shape as to fit the rake
for drawing the particular form of retort to which it is applied.
The rake bar being of a tubular or U shaped section may have a
number of holes or slots pierced in its top or sides for the admission and
circulation of air or water for the purpose of keeping it cool and main-
taining its rigidity.
2
In order that the foregoing may be more easily understood Drawings 3
are attached hereto of which the following is a description :-
"
Fig. 1, Sheet 1, is a side elevation of the principal and auxiliary rake,
a part of the principal rake head being shown in section.
Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the principal rake head, and Fig. 3 is a
front elevation of the auxiliary rake head.
Fig. 4 is a plan of the cross head.

page_text: Fig, 5 is a side elevation of part of the sliding bar, and exhibits the
slot therein, and the end of the cross head I; and Fig. 6 is a side
elevation of the end of the bar showing the notched or indented piece
wherein the finger takes for the purpose of communicating such motion
as is necessary for raising and depressing the rake head.
Fig. 7 is an end elevation of the Drawing machine to which the
improved rake is attached.
Fig. 8, Sheet 2, is a side elevation of the machine; and Fig. 9, Sheet 3,
is a plan of the same.
In Fig. 1, A, A, is the rake bar; B is the centre piece of the principal
rake; and C, one of the flaps or wings, while D shows the wing or flap
of the auxiliary rake; E is the bolt by which the centre piece is pivotted
to the rake bar; F, F, are the rods or bars which are connected at one
end to the centre piece of the rake head B and auxiliary rake D by the
bolts G and H, and at the other to the cross heads I, I; J, J, being the
collars before referred to; K, K, are the slots in the rake bar in which
the cross heads slide, and L is the sliding bar within the rake bar A;
M, M, Fig. 1, are the pins of the hinges connecting the flaps with their
respective centre pieces, which, together with the wings or flaps, are
provided with suitable stops to prevent their yielding when subjected
to pressure, and to hold them in proper position while entering the.
retort. In all the Figs. similar letters indicate the same parts.
The machine to which these rakes are applicable have already been
described in the Specifications of the Letters Patent before referred to,
but the one to which they are specially applicable and the method of
actuating the rakes will be seen on reference to the Drawings, and
understood by the following description :-N, Fig. 7, is the steam
boiler, and O, the steam engine, which gives motion to the main or
driving shaft P, and through it communicates motion to the pitch
chains Q, Q. These pitch chains pass over pitch chain wheels R, R, at
the top of the machine, and cause the shaft S to rotate. The shaft S
has upon it a worm T, which by means of a worm wheel causes the
pitch chain wheel U to revolve, and so transmit motion to the pitch
chain V, the two ends of which are attached to the cradle W, whereon
the saddle X and rakes are supported; and by this means the rakes are
raised or lowered to suit the elevation of the particular retorts to be
drawn. The motion by which the rakes are thrust forward and drawn

page_text: backward is obtained by the pitch chains Q, which in their course pass
over the projections of pitch chain wheels Y, one of which is shown in
Fig. 8, Sheet 2, and so cause the shaft Z, upon which they are mounted,
to revolve. This shaft Z has also two ordinary chain pullies a, a, keyed
upon it, and these pullies are made so as to be clutched into the pitch
chain wheels Y, Y, by a sliding clutch on the shaft Z, or other well-
known method. The ordinary chains e, e, being fastened to the saddle
of the rake it is evident that when motion is communicated to the pitch
chain wheels Y, Y, it will be transmitted to the ordinary chains e, c;
and as these are connected to the saddle both the principal and auxiliary
rakes, as they are attached to the same bar, will be driven forward or
drawn backward corresponding to the direction in which the main shaft
revolves.
Before the rakes are introduced to the retort the lever 6 is pulled
down. This causes the finger C to take into the notched or indented
piece at the end of the sliding bar (shown as Fig. 6 in Sheet 1), and
thrust it forward, where it is retained by the catch d until released. The
thrusting forward of the sliding bar has the effect of raising both the
principal and auxiliary rake heads, and in this position they enter the
retort. On reaching a suitable distance in the retort the catch is released
by coming in contact with a stud when the rake heads become depressed
by the action of a volute spring on the axle f of the lever b. On the
reversal of the engines the rakes are withdrawn, bringing with them the
coke, and in this manner the retorts are discharged with the greatest
celerity.
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, we would observe in conclusion that we do not
confine or restrict ourselves to the precise details or arrangements which
we have described or referred to, as variations may be made therefrom
without deviating from the principles or main features of this Invention;
but what we consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as
the Invention secured to us by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,―

page_text: Secondly. The construction of the auxiliary rake head in a similar
manner as shown on the Drawings.
Thirdly. The rods or bars connecting the centre pieces to the sliding
bar.
And fourthly. The sliding bar with cross heads, as shown on the
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Robinson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
JOHN ROBINSON. (L.S.)