Improvements in Apparatuses for Charging inclined Retorts.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Dec., 1895-Accepted, 18th Jan., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements 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 Line 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 apparatus for charging inclined retorts,
which has for its object the method of regulating the velocity and manner of
delivery of coal or other material from overhead measuring chambers into charging
shoots which conduct the coal into retorts or ovens where an even distribution
or layer of the material is required.
It has hitherto been the custom when using measuring chambers for measuring
charges of coal to adopt the powder flask arrangement, whereby there is introduced
a top and bottom sliding shutter or valve, and which are connected by one lever
working on a centre pivot. When the top door is open the bottom one is shut
and consequently the desired quantity or a full chamber measure is obtained. It
has been found however that when the bottom lever attains a full stroke so as to
shut the top door completely there has been no regulation of the area of the opening
for the different varieties of coal, and for the different distances between the tiers
of retorts or ovens, and consequently the discharging aperture remains of the same
area when the main is at full stroke for a long or short drop and also for the
different varieties of coal.
Hitherto this has been attempted by means of fixed shields and in others by
regulating the aperture of the discharging end of the chamber by means of its
sliding valve or shutter, but this also permits of an additional quantity of coal
falling into the chamber from the hopper or in other terms permitting the coal to
by-pass off through the upper valve being only partially shut (the two valves being
attached to one lever on the "shot pouch" principle so that one is not closed until
the other, is open) and consequently preventing the accurate regulation of the
weight or capacity of the charge for which the said chamber is particularly
introduced to regulate.
In some cases to overcome this difficulty of delivery the measuring chamber
instead of being on the "shot pouch" principle having its valves coupled, each
valve has been fitted with separate levers for independent action so that when the
top door is shut the bottom door can be partially opened or closed to reduce or
increase the area but as this is a indefinite regulation and absolutely depends upon
the skill and judgment of the operator, and is variable at each charge it can readily
be seen that to insure more regular charging with unskilled operators, a more
definite means of regulation is a necessity.
We attain this object by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying
drawing, in which―
Fig. 1, is a vertical section of the base of a measuring chamber and the sliding
plate.
Fig. 2, is a transverse section of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3, is a vertical section of a measuring chamber with a double slide or doors.
Fig. 4, is a vertical section of a measuring chamber with a flap and quadrant.
Fig.5, is a vertical section of a measuring chamber with two flaps and levers
and quadrants.
Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

page_text: It is intended in carrying our invention into practice to introduce above the
lower door a regulating slide plate 6 as in Figs. 1, and 2, or double slide plates b
as in Fig. 3, to adjust the aperture of the opening according to the the quantity
and quality of coal. Coal technically described as nuts or round coal require a
smaller aperture than slack. It is customary for measuring chambers to have a
flap inside whereby the weights they contain can be adjusted to the extent
of 25% to 30%. It is therefore in these cases of double importance that a means
of regulating the area of the aperture through which the given quantities of coal
passes in its descent from the chamber without interfering with its capacity should
be made easy of regulation. The accomplishment of this object forms the subject
of this invention and consists of one or more sliding plates & shutters flaps c or
doors placed immediately above the lower discharging valve or door f, which are
made to work in grooves g and to slide preferably but not of necessity in a direction
at right angles to the travel of the main valves to the measuring chamber a. The
same object can also be accomplished by means of a swinging flap c or door as in
Fig. 4, or flaps c or doors as in Fig. 5, both arrangements being provided with
suitable external adjustments, which can be secured by locks and keys, and thus
any interferance on the part of unauthorised persons clearly prevented.
In Fig. 2, we provide a suitable set pin h in order to set the sliding plate b for
fixing the size of the opening between the said sliding plate and a stop piece i
fixed to the opposite side of the measuring chamber a.
b
In Fig. 3, we construct a measuring chamber a with two sliding plates & operating
in a groove g, these said doors or sliding plates 6 may be adjusted by a set pin h or
pins attached to the apparatus by chains j.
In Fig. 4, we provide a measuring chamber a with a single flap c working on
centres or pins k this said flap is operated by a lever e sliding in a quadraut d.
In Fig. 5, we construct a measuring chamber a with two flaps a working on
centres or pins & these said flaps are operated by levers e sliding in perforated
quadrants d, the levers e are fixed by set pins passing through a hole in the
quadrant and lever.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
b
1. In an apparatus for charging inclined retorts, the combination of a sliding
plate & grooves g stop piece i set pin and chain j fitted to a measuring chamber a,
substantially as herein described and according to Figs. 1, and 2, of the accom-
panying drawing.
2. In an apparatus for charging inclined retorts, the combination of two sliding
plates grooves g set pins and chains ; fitted to a measuring chamber a
substantially as herein described and according to Fig. 3, of the accompanying.
3. In an apparatus for charging inclined retorts, the combination of a flap c
centre or pink lever e quadrant d and measuring chamber a, substantially as herein
described and according to Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawing.
4. In an apparatus for charging inclined retorts, the combination of double
flaps c centres or pins k levers e perforated quadrants d and measuring chamber a
substantially as herein described and according to Fig. 5, of the accompanying
drawing.
Dated this 14th day of December 1895.
J. P. BAYLY,
18 Fulham Place, W., Agent for the Applicants.