Improvements in Apparatus for Charging Inclined Gas-retorts.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd June, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Mar., 1892-Accepted, 9th Apr., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Charging Inclined Gas-retorts.
We, BENJAMIN GIBBONS and WILLIAM PIKE GIBBONS, both of Dibdale Fire
Clay Works, Lower-Gornal, in the County of Stafford, Contractors, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists in the hereindescribed improvements in apparatus for
charging those inclined gas-retorts, which are known as "through
retorts, the
charging mouthpiece being at the upper end of the retort, and the retorts being set
in beds or groups.
It is, as is well known, very important that the charge in the inclined retort
should, as in a horizontal retort, lie in an even stratum along its entire length; this
result is readily obtained by the apparatus hereinafter described.
In carrying out this invention we provide beyond the charging mouths of the
retorts an inclined coal shoot or coal trough by preference parallel of about the
same cross sectional area as the retort to be charged and of about the same length.
The inclination of this shoot or trough to the horizou is about the same as the
inclination of the retorts, that is preferably a little steeper than the angle of rest of
the coal or slack with which the retorts are to be charged, but, as hereinafter
described, the inclination of the shoot or trough can be varied to suit different
qualities of coal. The upper end of the shoot or trough or the frame supporting it,
is, or may be, pivotted to allow of the shoot or trough being turned radially so that
its lower end will correspond with either of the retorts in one tier in the same bed;
and the shoot or trough is, or may be, also provided with means for vertical
adjustment so that it can be raised or lowered to reach either of the tiers of retorts;
or, the shoot or trough may be made so that it cannot he adjusted vertically, in
this case a separate shoot or trough has to be provided at the different levels of the
retort mouths to suit the different tiers of retorts; which shoot or trough instead
of having the radial movement, may be arranged to move horizontally to reach the
different retorts in one tier in different beds or groups.
The upper end of the shoot or trough is adapted to receive coal from an overhead
hopper or other source of supply and the lower end of the said shoot or trough is
provided with one or more stops or gates and also has a moveable lip or tongue
(preferably made either to slide or hinge) which can be inserted into the mouthpiece
of the retort.
When it is desired to charge any one of the retorts, the lid on the mouthpiece
thereof is opened (the vertical height of the shoot or trough having first been
adjusted to suit) and the shoot or trough is swung round on its pivot or otherwise
noved to face the open mouthpiece into which the lip or tongue is inserted. The
bottom end of the shoot or trough is closed by its gates or stops and the gate or lid
on the hopper is opened and the coal moves down the shoot or trough and gradually
fills the same with the required charge. The gate on the hopper is now closed and
then the gate or gates at the lower end of the shoot or trough is or are opened and
the charge moves down from the shoot or trough into the retort. If the angle of
the shoot or trough is properly adjusted and the retorts are set at the proper
angle the charge of coal (which is of uniform thickness in the shoot or trough)
noves down into the retort en masse and a regular stratum of coal in the retort is
The result.
The inclined shoot or trough may be either wholly or partially covered over, or
open its entire length, and it may or may not be furnished with cross pieces at
ntervals (either fixed or hinged) a certain distance above the bottom under which
the coal has to pass thus equalizing or controlling the flow of the coal.

page_text: For the purpose of dealing with coals of varying size and quality we provide
means for adjusting the angle of inclination of the shoot or trough and for fixing
the shoot or trough at any desired angle, but it will be understood that, this angle
having been fixed, the raising or lowering of the shoot or trough in order to reach
the several tiers of retorts does not affect the angle of inclination.
When using the shoot or trough with radial movement we make the faces of the
mouthpieces of the outer rows of retorts of each bed by preference slightly bevelled
inwardly in order to more conveniently reach them by means of the shoot or trough
and the lip or tongue thereof.
Dated this 2nd day of June 1891.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Charging Inclined Gas-retorts.
We, BENJAMIN GIBBONS and WILLIAM PIKE GIBBONS, both of Dibdale Fire
Clay Works, Lower Gornal, in the County of Stafford, Contractors, 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:-
22
This invention consists in the hereindescribed improvenients in apparatus for
charging those inclined gas retorts which are known as through retorts, the
charging mouthpiece being at the upper end of the retort and the retorts being set
in beds or groups.
It is, as is well known, very important that the charge in the inclined retort
should, as in a horizontal retort, lie in an even stratum along its entire length; this
result is readily obtained by the apparatus forming the subject matter of this
invention which we will describe by referring to the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 represents in side elevation (partly in section) an arrangement of the said
apparatus, Fig. 2 is a plan, Fig. 3 is a front elevation and Fig. 4 is a back elevation
of the same.
In carrying out this invention we provide beyond the charging mouths A¹A² A³
of the retorts an inclined coal shoot or coal trough B by preference parallel of
about the same cross sectional area as the retort to be charged and of about
the same length. The inclination of this shoot or trough B to the horizon is
about the same as the inclination of the retorts, that is, preferably a little
steeper than the angle of rest of the coal or slack with which the retorts are
to be charged, say from thirty to thirty-three degrees with the horizon, but we
do not confine ourselves to any particular angle of inclination of the shoot or
trough as that has to be varied to suit different qualities of coal. The shoot
or trough B is carried by a frame work C which as hereinafter described can
be moved so as to bring the lower end of the shoot or trough opposite the
mouth of any retort in one bed or group; or in one tier in the different beds
or groups.
The upper end of the shoot or trough B is adapted to receive coal from an
ordinary overhead hopper or other source of supply the bottom of which is
shewn and marked D and the lower end of the shoot or trough B is provided
with a hinged or other gate E which can be opened by the lever F and also
has a moveable lip or tongue G which can be moved to and fro and inserted
into the mouthpiece of the retort or withdrawn therefrom.
When it is desired to charge any one of the retorts, the lid on the mouth-
piece thereof is opened and the shoot or trough is moved to face the open
mouthpiece into which the lip or tongue G is inserted (see Figs. 1 and 2). The

page_text: bottom end of the shoot or trough B is closed- by its gate E, and the gate or
lid on the hopper D (of the ordinary kind not shewn on the drawing) is opened
and the coal moves down into the shoot or trough B and gradually fills the
same with the required charge. The said gate or other outlet of the hopper
is now closed so as to prevent any more coal passing out into the shoot or
trough and then the gate E at the lower end of the shoot or trough B is opened
and the charge moves down from the shoot or trough B into the retort. lf
the shoot or trough is set at the proper angle herein before mentioned and the
retorts are also set at the proper angle, the charge of coal (which is of uniform
thickness in the shoot or trough) moves down into the retort en masse and a
regular stratum of coal in the retort is the result.
The upper end of the shoot or trough or the frame supporting it, is or may be
pivotted to allow of the shoot or trough being turned radially so that its lower
end will correspond with either of the retorts in one tier in the same bed; and
the shoot or trough is, or may be, also provided with means for vertical adjust-
ment so that it can be raised or lowered to reach either of the tiers of retorts.
This is shewn in the arrangement illustrated by Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 where it
will be seen that the frame C carrying the shoot or trough B is pivotted so as
to turn about an upright shaft H which at its upper and lower ends
by cross pieces which can be moved up and down in upright guides 1 J*
fixed to the wall opposite the bed of the retorts. As shewn by the dotted
lines in the plan Fig. 2 the shoot or trough B can be turned about the shaft li
so that the lower end of the shoot or trough will correspond with the outer retorts
in the bed or group; the vertical adjustment of the shoot or trough is obtained by
the worm fixed on the shaft H and gearing with the rack fixed to the wall, this
carried
worm and the shaft H being turned by the bevel wheels and wheel worked
by the endless rope or chain n from below. The faces of the mouth pieces of the
outer rows of retorts of each bed may be made slightly bevelled as shewn in Fig. 2
in order to more conveniently reach them by means of the shoot or trough B and
the lip or tongue & thereof.
Instead of the shoot or trough being pivotted and furnished with means for
vertical adjustinent as above described and shewn by Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, the shoot
or trough B may as in the arrangement shewn by Figs. 5, 6 and 7 be made so that
it cannot be adjusted vertically; in this case a separate shoot or trough (three of
which are shewn and marked B B B2) has to be provided at the different levels of the
retort mouths to suit the different tiers of retorts, and each of these shoots or
troughs instead of having the radial movement may be arranged on a separate frame or
carriage c so as to be moved horizontally on wheels o' oo o along the rails p' p
to reach the different retorts in one tier in the different beds or groups.
arrangement shewn by these Figures 5, 6 and 7 the travelling along of the carriage
or frame c is effected by a man on the platform y turning the handler so as to
communicate motion to the axle of the wheels o' o. The handle g of the tongue G
shewn on an enlarged scale in Fig. 8 and the handle which is connected to the
lever F of the gate E are carried along the shoot or trough B (see Figs. 5, 9 and 10)
so that the tongue G and the gate E can also be operated from the platform q.
In the
The inclined shoot or trough B is by preference open at the top but it may,
without departing from the nature of our invention, be either wholly or partially
covered over, and it may or may not be furnished with cross pieces at intervals
such as those marked (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) or (Figs. 6 and 7) located on the
level of the top of the coal in the shoot or trough so that as the coal passes under
the cross pieces the flow of the coal will thereby be equalized or controlled.
For the purpose of dealing with coals of varying size and quality means may be
provided for adjusting the angle of inclination of the shoot or trough and for fixing
the shoot or trough at any desired angle but we find that this is unnecessary and
that it is better for the angle of the shoot or trough to remain constant as in the
arrangements hereinbefore described and illustrated by our drawings.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
1. In an apparatus for charging inclined gas retorts the employment of an
iuclined shoot or trough (such as B) for holding the charge this shoot or trough
being set a little steeper than the angle of rest of the coal and made of such a size
and of the shape substantially as shewn so as to hold the charge of coal in an even
stratum of about the same width and thickness as the charge when in the retort,
substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
2. In an apparatus for charging inclined gas retorts and in combination with the
inclined shoot or trough (such as B) thereof of the kind denoted under Claim 1,
the use of the controlling gate such as E and the sliding lip such as G either
separately or in combination for the purposes and substantially as hereinbefore set
forth.
3. In an apparatus for charging inclined gas retorts furnished with an inclined
shoot or trough (such as B) of the kind denoted under Claim 1, means for
supporting the said shoot or trough so as to permit of the shoot or trough being
moved radially and of being raised and lowered so as to reach any retort in the
same bed or group substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by
Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.
4. In an apparatus for charging inclined gas retorts furnished with an inclined
shoot or trough (such as B) of the kind denoted under Claim 1, means for
supporting the said shoot or trough so as to permit of the shoot or trough being
moved along to correspond with any retort in the same tier in the different beds or
groups substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by Figs. 5, 6 and 7 of
the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 2nd day of March 1892.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicants.