An Improved Method of and Apparatus for Charging Retorts for the Manufacture of Gas and other like purposes.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Sept., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 29th June, 1891-Accepted, 22nd Aug.,
1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of and Apparatus for Charging Retorts for the
Manufacture of Gas and other like purposes.
I JAMES FRANCIS BRAIDWOOD of the Gas Works Thames Street Greenwich
in the County of Kent Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention has for its object the charging of sloping gas retorts so that by
its use the retorts can be placed at a much greater angle say 36 degrees or
thereabouts.
My improved method of charging sloping gas retorts consists in arranging one
or more tilting boxes mounted on a frame so that by the movement of a lever the
door at the front is opened and the tilting box released and commences to tip.
The speed at which the box is allowed to tip is regulated by an oscillating air
cylinder fixed on the frame and attached to the tilting box.
By this means a steady flow of coal at the required speed is admitted into the
retort where it distributes itself equally throughout. The great advantage obtained
by charging gas retorts in the manner previously described is that by the greatly
increased angle at which the retort lies the removal of the coke or other material
after being carbonized is very greatly facilitated and the labour very much
reduced.
My invention is also applicable for charging other materials into retorts or other
receptacles.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of and Apparatus for Charging Retorts for the
Manufacture of Gas and other like purposes.
I JAMES FRANCIS BRAIDWOOD of the Gas Works Thames Street Greenwich
in the County of Kent 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 relates to the charging of sloping or inclined gas retorts so that
by its use the retorts can be placed at a much greater angle say 36 degrees or
thereabouts and my present invention is applicable to other like purposes.
My improved method of charging sloping gas retorts consists in arranging one
or more tilting boxes so mounted that by the movement of a lever the door at the
front is opened and the tilting box released and commences to tip.
The speed at which the box is allowed to tip is regulated by an air or pneumatic
cylinder suitably mounted and attached to the tilting box.
By this means a steady flow of coal at the required speed is admitted into the
retort where it distributes itself equally throughout.
One great advantage obtained by charging gas retorts in the manner previously
described is that by the greatly increased angle at which the retort lies the
removal (from the lower end of such retort) of the coke or other material after
being carbonized is very greatly facilitated and the labour very much reduced

page_text: and moreover unskilled labour can be used for operating my improved apparatus
and thus charging gas retorts by means of such labour.
My invention is also applicable for charging other materials into retorts or the
like receptacles.
The tilting box or receptacle for holding the charge of material may be mounted
on wheels in the form of a truck running on rails, or such tilting box may be carried
by an overhead crane, or swung from a carriage running on an overhead railway
or in any suitable manner as desired.
The air or pneumatic cylinder is advantageously mounted so as to oscillate and
thus the piston rod may be connected directly to the bottom part of the tilting
box but if desired the air or pneumatic cylinder may be fixed and the piston rod
thereof connected to the tilting box by means of an intermediate connecting rod or
in any other suitable manner as will be easily understood.
The air or aeriform fluid is allowed to escape from the cylinder by an aperture
or apertures the size of which can be increased or diminished as desired so as to
allow the piston to move quicker or slower so as to give the desired speed at which
the charge is desired to be tipped while valves opening inwards allow the piston
to return freely after tipping.
Instead of expelling the air while tipping-the pneumatic action may be reversed
that is the piston may slowly draw in air while tipping and freely expel same again
(after tipping) through valves opening outwards.
It will be obvious that water might be adapted for the purpose of my invention;
that is a hydraulic cylinder might be adapted in place of the pneumatic cylinder
herein described for the purpose of regulating and controlling the tipping of the
box or receptacle for holding the charge of material.
And in order that my present invention may be easily understood and readily
carried into practice I will proceed to further describe same with reference to the
drawings hereunto annexed which illustrate my invention as applied to gas making
purposes.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a view of a range of sloping retorts y showing two tilting boxes (or
receptacles for holding the charge of material) mounted in the form of tilting
wagons or trucks running on rails a laid above the retorts y y--the tilting box on
the left hand side being shown in its normal position while that on the right hand
side is shown "tilted "in the act of tipping the charge of coal into a gas retort y.
The coal is conducted from the outlet of the tilting box to the mouth of the
retort y in the case illustrated by means of a conducting shoot z of special con-
struction which shoot z forms the subject matter of an application for Letters
Patent dated the 26th June 1891 No. 10902-or the coal may be conducted into
the retort y in any other suitable manner.
Figure 2 is a side view in elevation of the tipping wagon and I may here
mention that I find it convenient to arrange two tilting boxes on each truck or
carriage running on the rails x.
Figure 3 is a plan of such double wagon.
Figure 4 is a side view in elevation of such wagon showing the backs of the
two tilting boxes.
Figure 5 is a view in elevation of the opposite side of such tilting wagon showing
the front of the tipping boxes.
Figure 6 shows a sectional side elevation of a pneumatic cylinder piston and
piston rod suitable for my purpose and Figure 7 is a plan of same showing the
air check valves.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout.
By pulling the lever a the outlet door b (Figure 5) of the tilting box is raised
by means of the intermediate cord or chain which latter is actuated by the
pulley wheel c which in its turn is actuated by the pulley wheel a'—both c¹ and a'
being mounted and fixed on the same axis c.

page_text: The pulley wheel a¹ is actuated by the returned end a of the lever a so that
when the lever u is pulled out from the back by the operator (as shown in Figure 1)
it will thereby pull up the outlet door and the coal will commence to discharge.
The same movement of the lever a that opens the door at the same time
releases the catch that holds down the box d and allows the box d to commence to
oscillate on its bearings or axes at e (Figure 2) in the direction shown by the
arrow 1. Figure 2.
This release is effected by means of a shoulder or fixed projection a³ on the
lever a (see Fig. 2) which when the lever a is drawn back engages the upper
end f¹ of the side lever which latter swings on its axis at f2 and so moves the
lower end f³ in the direction of the arrow 2 (Figure 2) thus disengaging same
[from the catch on the truck framework h and leaves the box d free to tilt over in
the direction of the aforesaid arrow 1.
fx is a guide to keep the lower end of the lever fin position.
is a shield or guard mounted on the lever arms; having a counterbalance
weight thereon-this shield i being dropped down (as in Figure 2) before tipping
is commenced so as to prevent the coal (as it is being tipped down the guide d'
Figure 2) from scattering about.
This shield i may be used or not as desired.
To prevent the box d suddenly overbalancing on its axis e when released by the
catch lever and to regulate and govern the speed of tilting the pneumatic
cylinder m is suitably mounted in the carriage framework and is free to oscillate
therein on trunnions m¹ (or other suitable bearings) turning in brackets /¹ on the
framework h.
The piston rod n of this pneumatic cylinder m is suitably connected at n¹ direct
to the underside of the box d as shown in Figure 4.
A suitable valve (or valves) control the speed at which the air (or it may be
gas) is allowed to escape from the cylinder-the size of such valves being capable
of being varied as desired so as to regulate the speed of the piston.
Thus when the operator has once pulled the lever a and released the tilting box
the speed of tipping is regulated automatically and entirely by the pneumatic
arrangement described and in no way depends upon the skill of the workman.
When the coal has all been discharged from the box d the workman then (by
means of the handle o on the back of the box or receptacle d) pulls down the
tilted box into its normal position as in Figure 2.
The emptied box d is readily restored from the tilted position to the normal
position--as the air rushes freely into the cylinder m through the inlet valves p in
the piston q in the cylinder m the bottom of said cylinder m being left quite open
if desired-see Figure 6.
As soon as the box d is brought back to its normal position the lever a is pushed
back by the workman and the second projection a* thereon (Figure 2) forces the
side lever f back again so that its lower end f³ again engages the hook or catch g
and so holds down the box upon the carriage frame h.
s is a safety bolt which locks the lever a when the box d is in its normal position
such safety bolts being automatically actuated by the weighted arm or bell crank t
which turns on the axis t¹ and has the weight 2 on its free end thereby always
keeping the bolts pressed outwards towards the lever a in a slot in which it
automatically engages when the lever a is not drawn out.
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 improved method of automatically regulating the speed of a tilting box-
for charging a sloping retort for gas making or other purposes-by means of a
pneumatic cylinder arranged and acting substantially in the manner and for the
purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated in the drawings hereunto annexed.
2. In apparatus for charging sloping retorts for gas making or other purposes

page_text: I claim the combination of a box or receptacle-capable of tilting-for holding
the charge of material with an air cylinder for controlling the speed at which such
box or receptacle is allowed to tip its contents into the retort.
3. In apparatus for charging sloping retorts for gas making or other purposes I
claim the use and application of a pneumatic cylinder for regulating as desired the
speed at which the tilting box or receptacle for holding the charge of material is
tipped substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the drawings hereunto annexed.
Dated this 29th day of June 1891.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Patentee.