provements in Apparatuses for Charging Inclined Retorts.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Dec., 1895-Accepted, 15th Feb.,
1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Im provements in Apparatuses for Charging Inclined Retorts.
We, WALTER RALPH HERRING, of The Gas Works, Huddersfield, in the
County of Yorkshire, Engineer, and MAURICE GRAHAM, of 3 Lime Street
Square, in the City of London, 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 :-
Our invention relates to improvements in apparatuses for charging inclined
retorts, which is intended to facilitate the expeditious and even charging of coal
gas retorts, when the latter are placed at an angle with the horizontal, for this
purpose the coal is by preference contained in an overhead hopper of any capacity
at the base of which a chamber moveable or fixed regulating a given weight of
charge is fixed and actuated by levers. This measuring chamber discharges into a
traversing shoot which forms the subject of our invention.
Hitherto the traversing shoots used for this purpose have proved faulty from
either being cumbersome, or difficult of adjustment but chiefly owing to their
failing to so regulate the charge of coal as to produce an even and level layer in the
retort or oven into which the charge is put consequently both waste of material and
labor have resulted from these defects.
We have discovered that these defects and deficiencies can be overcome by a
properly designed traversing shoot in which provision is made for properly regulating
the speed of the falling coal in such a manner as to be under the control of the
operator whereby he can proportion the speed of the falling coal in accordance with
its physical condition either the smallest dust or what technically known as nut
coal or any mixture of coals can all and each be regulated by means of our
invention as to produce an even layer of coal in any retort or oven of any length
and of an uniform thickness throughout, irrespective of the weight of the charge.
We attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying
drawings, in which-
Fig. 1, is a side elevation of the measuring chamber and the traversing shoot
fitted to the mouthpiece of retort. Some parts of this figure are shown in
section.
Fig. 2, is a section of the shoot on line A B.
Fig. 3, is a detail of the door.
Fig. 4, is a plan of the catch.
Fig. 5, is a section on line C D.
Fig. 6, is a back elevation.
Fig. 7, is a plan of the overhead gear.
Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.
The following will convey a brief description of our invention to accomplish the
object. Upon a line of rails overhead the usual small traversing carriage or
hopper shaped trolley g is made to run. Attached to this by pivots h on
either side longitudinally with the direction in which the shoot bis to be traversed
is the trunk portion of the shoot b which is of such a length as to be sufficient for

page_text: slide bars i support and carry a foot or shoe piece with guides affixed correspond-
ing with the guide bars attached to the shoot mouth, and in which it moves or
slides at the will of the operator. These guides are fixed at an angle which is
determined for each special circumstance the traversing shoe b' therefore also moves
at the same angle and just so far in a downward direction as to rest on the lip of
the mouthpiece c of the retort a stop bolt on bar preventing this going farther, and
the length of the trunk a combined with the angle of the shoe insuring a constant
level which however can be slightly varied by the swaying of the trunk a on the
pivots before mentioned in order to overcome the slight irregularities of the
continuous line or level of the retorts.
The actuation of these sliding shoes b' for the various levels of the retorts from
the stage or floor line forms au integral part of this invention, and is accomplished
by a simple arrangement of levers, no telescopic sleeves or shoots with its
consequent complications being resorted to.
The bottom shoot is usually at such a level as to simply require a handle j at the
back thereof by means of which the operator can after the charge is finished draw
up the shoe b smartly such act bringing into play a self adjusting catch e which
strikes against the cross-bar el fixed to the guides e swinging round by the force
of the blow against the bar el on its pivot the said catch e falls over and
engages with the cross-bar e', (as shewn by dotted lines in Fig. 1.) thus preventing
the shoe from again sliding down until the catch e is released by the nove-
ment of the thumb or finger of the operator at will. The shoot for the middle
and upper lines of retorts however many there may be is operated by levers
and links with the main lever of such a length as to be within reach of the
operator on the stage or ground floor the arrangement of levers being such as to
produce the simple up or downward movement of the sliding shoe b¹ by one
movement on the main lever or handle j the aforementioned catch e for auto-
matically catching and holding the same up being used in all cases.
The regulation of the impetus of the falling coal and its consequent rate of
travel into the retorts is also an integral part of this invention. Hitherto
attempts to accompish this very necessary provision by means of tripping bars,
plates, combs &c. particularly when attached to the lip of the lip of the shoot have
signally failed in practice and ever aggravated the defect chiefly by reason of
their impeding it just at the point where the flow ought to be at one uniform
speed. Our invention overcomes the deficiency and is accomplished by means of
a flap k or valve in the square or lower portion of the trunk of the shoot with
a means of actuating the same from the outside by a lever and quadrant m.
The flap kis placed in such a position as to direct the current of falling coal
in the reverse direction to which it will flow into the retort through the shoe
piece and against an impact plate or door d, by this means the coal is directed
against the back of the trunk at such a speed as to give on its rebound there-
from exactly the impetus required to direct the coal in a level layer into the
retorts irrespective of the weight of the charge or thickness of the layer which
may be varied at will.
In Fig. 3, shown in detail, is the door d' at the back of the curved portion of
the shoot for opening and looking into the retort when the shoot is in position.
The flap actuated by a lever I also k¹ and lever forms an integral part of
our invention.
We also connect lever and by means of a connecting rod a',
having adjustment holes and pins on both levers by which means the movement of
lever can also be made to actuate the movement of lever l, either to the same
extent or by the adjustment permitted by the holes allowing the power to be
compounded or reduced.
Having thus practically described our invention and arrangement of parts
whereby the same may be carried into practical effect we wish to state that we
do not restrict ourselves to the precise details therein described and shewn, as
the same results may be accomplished by other modified arrangements.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. In an apparatus for charging inclined retorts, the combination of the trunk a
shoot shoe 6' grooved sliding bars i handle or lever; pivots h and h¹ door d
catch e flap k lever / lever lever connecting rod a¹ door d' quadrant m and
other levers and bars with the travelling trolley 9 and other parts for the purpose
of forming the apparatus described in this Specification and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
2. The combination of the apparatus for regulating the impetus of falling coal
down a vertical shoot and its resulting travel into a retort or oven by means of a
valve or flap which directs the current of falling coal against an impact plate fixed
in the interior of the body of the shoot, whereby the recoil of the said coal can be
easily adjusted to cause a uniform and constant flow of the said coal into and along
the base of a retort or oven, substantially as herein described and according to the
accompanying drawings.
3. A combination of an improved form of shoot set at such an angle at the lower
end so as to receive the coal from the impact plate formerly mentioned and
conduct the same into the retorts the methods of attachment to the mouth of the
vertical shoot by means of grooved guides causing a parallel sliding motion,
substantially as described.
4. The combination of the apparatus whereby this sliding shoot is actuated by
means of links and levers, substantially as herein described and according to the
accompanying drawings.
5. The combination of the self-fastening catch, substantially as herein described
and for the purpose specified.
6. That the combination of the apparatus with the movable flap or valve
discharges the coal with a uniform impetus or velocity upon entering the three or
more tiers of retorts irrespective of the distance.
7. The combination of the compounding adjustment of flaps k and k¹ by means
of connecting rod and adjustment holes in levers, substantially as described and for
the purpose specified.
Dated this 16th day of December 1895.
J. P. BAYLY,
18 Fulbam Place, W., Agent for the Applicants.