Improvements in Apparatus for Charging and Drawing Gas Retorts.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Sept., 1890
Complete Specification Left. 17th June, 1891-Accepted, 5th Sept., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Charging and Drawing
Gas Retorts.
I, JOHN RUSCOE, of Hyde, in the County of Chester, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in the apparatus described in the Specifica-
tion of Letters Patent applied for by me No. 18108 of 1889 and is designed
primarily with the object of adapting or modifying the apparatus therein described
to actuate or work in conjunction with the movable division plate for charging
inclined retorts described in the Specification of Trewby's Patent No. 19,256 of 1889
though it may also be applied to operate an ordinary charging scoop or drawing
rack in inclined retorts.
In the apparatus described in my earlier Specification the scoop or rake moves
horizontally into and out of the retorts while in this case the division plate or the
scoop or rake moves into and out of the retorts in an inclined plane and the
apparatus has been altered whenever necessary to the carrying out of this move-
ment and also with the view of supplying a specified charge or quantity of coal
to each retort which shall fall in by its own gravity without the intervention
of a travelling scoop the necessary mechanism being provided to actuate or
regulate it.
In carrying out the invention the frame work as before will be constructed or
built up of wrought iron beams of any convenient section. Instead however of
being rectangular in side elevation the back supports will be longer than the front
ones and the top beams will be inclined to correspond with the inclination of the
retorts which it is to work.
The inclined top beams being not so well suited to carry the driving mechanism
this mechanism is placed on a bed-plate at the lower part of the frame between the
uprights.
The apparatus will have the same three primary movements as before viz. :-the
movement into and out of the retorts; the raising and lowering movement vertically
and the movement to and fro on rails from one part of the retort house to another.
The main parts of the driving mechanism although placed in a different position
and in consequence differently arranged will act very similarly to that described in
the former Specification being actuated by an endless rope and the movement of
the several parts controlled by friction or other clutches which may be thrown into
gear with bevel wheels or the like.
To the inclined division plate is attached or connected a carriage running on
rollers similar to that described with reference to the scoop or rake and in like
manner this carriage is carried by a vertically moving frame the longitudinal
members of which are however placed on an incline. A chain wheel or pulley
carried by this frame is connected by worm gearing with a vertical shaft upon
which a worm slides up and down as the frame is raised and lowered. A chain
attached by both ends to the division plate carriage when set in motion draws the
carriage along the inclined members of the vertically sliding frame. The vertical
shaft gears with bevel wheel on the cross shaft which gears with the second motion
shaft.
The inclined vertically sliding division plate frame is suspended by chains passing
up from drums on the bottom bed plate and passing over pulleys on the top of the
frame work. Two drums are placed on a cross shaft geared to the second motion
shaft by a worm and wormwheel one at each side of the frame. At each side of
the frame the chains from the front and back end of the suspended frame are

page_text: connected together-the difference in length of the two being sufficient to
give the required inclination to the frame-and a single chain is attached to each
drum.
The wheels which support the apparatus on the rails and which carry it to and
fro in the retort house are connected with the second motion shaft by an inclined
shaft which gears with the axle of the wheels.
The different movements are set in action and reversed by hand levers as before
as however these levers connect with the clutches placed at the base of the framing
the connecting links and levers are reduced in numbers. To prevent two of the
levers being moved so as to set different parts in motion at the same time they are
caused to move in conjunction each with a quadrant over which a spring catch
moves engaging with a central hole or slot. On each lever is placed a cam or
bracket extending out so as to engage with the spring catch on the adjacent lever.
When the levers are at their central positions and the machine is at rest or the part
of the machine controlled by the particular lever is at rest the spring catch is
lifted up by the adjacent cam but when one lever is moved from its position of rest
the cam upon it releases the spring catch on the other which engages with the
notch on the quadrant and so prevents the moving of that lever until the other has
been brought back to its position of rest and the cam thereon has again lifted the
spring catch. By this arrangement the operator is prevented accidentally putting
two parts of the apparatus in motion at the same time.
For automatically stopping the apparatus when the inclined division plate has
reached the end of its travel in either direction there is connected to the shaft
which moves the friction clutches, which regulate the movements of the second
motion shaft, an auxiliary or tumbling lever. This lever is actuated by any suitable
gearing or connection with the vertical shaft. At present I prefer to actuate it by
means of a small train of wheels acting on a cam shaft so that the cam shaft makes
a portion of a revolution during the travel of the division plate. The cam on this
shaft engages with a slide which is moved to and fro in one direction or the other
according to the direction of movement of the vertical shaft. The slide carries
two pins or lugs each of which engages with the tail piece of a spring hammer or
tumbling lever. The movement of the slide in either direction moves one of the
hammers and causes it to strike the auxiliary lever thereby throwing the friction
clutches out of gear and stopping the machine or if desired the clutch may be
thrown into gear at the opposite side and the movement reversed.
It is obvious that instead of being applied to the first motion clutches a similar
reversing mechanism may be applied to the second motion clutches. Also that for
reversing the vertical movement or stopping it at the end of its travel the clutches
may be thrown out of gear in a similar way either by operating the same mechanism
or similar mechanism applied to the same pair of clutches or to the second motion
clutches which more directly control the vertical movement.
As these machines are usually used in pairs in the retort house one to charge the
retorts at one side and the other the retorts at the other side, but running on the
same set of rails and driven by the same rope, I attach to each machine a rod or
lever or other suitable mechanism, which should the two machines come in contact
will engage with a slide, tumbling lever, or other reversing mechanism on the other
one and thus stop or reverse the machines and so prevent damage from collision.
The same reversing mechanism will also stop or reverse the motion of the machine
at the end of its travel in the retort house.
A second cam preferably in the same shaft with the cam which actuates the
reversing mechanism and operated by the same gearing is used to lift the division
plate one or two inches more or less-clear of the coal in the retort before being
withdrawn so as not to disturb the layer of coal charged into the retort.
This I
at present carry out by means of a bell-crank or other lever carrying a bowl which
bears against the lifting chain drawing it out of the straight or vertical line. When
the division plate is at the end of its travel in the retort the cam releases the lever
and bowl and allowing the chain to become straight drops the plate an inch or so.

page_text: When the driving mechanism is reversed the first action of the cam is again to
draw the chain out of the straight and thus lift the plate clear of the coal as the
longitudinal movement commences.
On the top of the framing of the apparatus—the inclination of the top beams of
which renders it more suitable for the purpose-is placed a coal tank or hopper
which carries sufficient coal to charge all the retorts in a row say 7 to 8 tons and
also measures off the charge for each retort and delivers the same as soon as the
division plate is in position. The coal tank is of any suitable construction preferably
with an inclined bottom. Below this tank is placed an inclined shoot or hopper of
a capacity to hold the required charge. The large tank communicates with the
hopper by means of sliding doors or revolving bucket wheels or the like which will
allow of the passage of coal at certain times and stop it when required at present I
prefer to use the sliding doors. At its lower end the measuring hopper is provided
with another sliding door or its equivalent at a point where it enters or communicates
with a vertical shoot. This vertical shoot corresponds with the hopper described
in the Specification of Trewby's Patent and transfers the coal to the shoot beneath
the division plate. The sliding doors in the bottom of the coal tank are opened
and closed by means of a train of gearing with the necessary cross shafts, worm
worm wheel, and rack from the vertical shaft which moves the division plate
longitudinally. When the division plates is moving into the retort the slides are
closed, when the division plate is moving out of the retort the slides are opened.
A rotating bucket wheel may be used instead to conduct the coal into the measuring
shoot which will continue to revolve until the compartment is full when a lid will
be raised and the wheel stopped by the throwing of a clutch or other mechanism
which drives it out of gear.
The vertical shoot may be made telescopic to suit the different heights of the
several ranges of retorts but I prefer to make it enclosed at the three outer sides
The inner side when it
and to raise and lower with the division plate frame.
comes in contact with the wall of the coal tank and measuring hopper is open and
below the measuring hopper is applied a series of sliding plates somewhat in
the form of a venetian shutter. These rise and fall one after the other as the plate
frame is raised and lowered being supported one upon the other by ribs along their
top and bottom edges. The slide between the vertical and inclined hopper may
moved by gearing or by hand.
be
The division plate may also act as a drawing rake by having pivoted to its lower
end a rake head which will carry before it the spent charge discharging same at
the lower end of the retort. By means of lever and rod or chain connected to it,
it may be raised out of contact with the coal before it is withdrawn or the operator
at the lower end of the retort may lift it out of the way.
It will of course be understood that some of the improvements herein specified
may also be applied to the horizontal discharging and drawing apparatus described
in the Specification of my foriner Patent when such are intended for use with the
horizontal gas retorts.
Dated this 13th day of September 1890.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
6, Bank Street, Manchester, Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Charging and Drawing Gas Retorts.
I, JOHN RUSCOE, of Hyde, in the County of Chester, 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 improvements in the apparatus described in the
Specification of Letters Patent applied for by me No. 1810% of 1889 and is

page_text: direction. Thus by the clutch E¹ the shaft E-which imparts motion to the other
parts of the apparatus-is started reversed or stopped.
The motion to project the inclined division plate C into and out of the retorts is
conveyed from the second motion shaft E to the vertical shaft F by the bevel
wheels through the shaft f" and wheels f¹ and fill the wheel is loose on
the shaft E and is set in motion when in gear with the clutch F¹. The vertical
shaft F carries a sliding worm G which gears with a worm wheel g on a shaft g'
which is journalled to the underside of the frame H which supports the inclined
division plate C. On the shaft g' is a chain drum G' upon which the chain which
draws back the division plate is wound.
The division plate frame H is supported with its longitudinal members in an
inclined position to correspond exactly with the inclination of the retorts.
To the upper end of the inclined division plate is attached a carriage I the
wheels of which run in the longitudinal channel frame H. The chain / from the
drum G¹ passes over a pulley at the end of the frame H and is attached to the
upper end of the inclined plate C. The plate is lowered into the retort by throwing
the clutch F into gear with the bevel wheel f whereby the chain is slackened
and the plate descends of its own gravity. It is raised by reversing the movement
of the shafts E and F and intermediate wheels when the chain h is wound up upon
the drum G¹.
ין,
The division plate frame H is suspended in its inclined position by chains J,
which are wound upon the drums K K¹ affixed to the bottom bed plate and pass
over pulleys kk at the top of the frame A. The two drums K K are placed --
one at each side of the apparatus-on a cross shaft L geared to the second motion
shaft E by a worm wheel and worm l. The worm / engages with one side of the
double clutch L' and receives motion therefrom. The chains K K are preferably
arranged as shown with the ends which attach to the front and back ends of the
division plate frame H connected together the two ends being made of different
length to give the required inclination to the frame and one chain only being
attached to each drum.
Movement is given to the wheels M which run on the rails M' and which move
the apparatus from place to place in the retort house from the second motion shaft E
by the inclined shaft N through the bevel wheels n n¹ the bevel wheel n being
loose on the shaft E and set in motion when the clutch L' is thrown into gear with
it. On the other end of the shaft N is a worm n" which gears with a worm
wheel on the axle m.
The different movements are set in action and reversed by the hand levers W. X
and Y. The lever W is loose on the shaft Y' and has pivoted to it a rod or link w
which acting upon the shaft W' through the levers or cranks w¹ gives motion to the
shaft to throw the clutch E' into gear with either of the bevel wheels e e¹ according
to the direction of motion required. The lever X is similarly pivoted and through
the rod a cranks or levers a¹ and shaft X¹ moves the clutch L into gear with either
the worm or the wheel n to set the lifting mechanism or the travelling mechanism
in motion. The lever Y is attached to the shaft Y¹ which through the crank or
lever y moves the clutch F into gear with the wheelf to project the inclined division
plate C into and out of the retorts.
To prevent the levers X and Y being inadvertently moved to throw the
clutches F and L' into gear at the same time with their respective wheels I attach
to each a spring catch R which engages with a quadrant O and falls into a notch o
therein as soon as the other lever is moved out of its central position. Affixed to
the side of each lever is a small cam or inclined bracket R' which extends out to
engage with a bracket r on the top of the catch R. The catch R is pressed down
by the spring. When the levers X and Y are at their central positions and the
machine is at rest the spring catch R in each is lifted up by the cam R' on the
adjacent lever but when one lever is moved from its position of rest the cam upon it
moves away from and releases the spring catch on the other which engages with

page_text: the notch o on the quadrant O and so prevents the moving of that lever until the
other has been brought back to its position of rest and the cam R' thereon has
again lifted the spring catch R of the other. By this arrangement the operator is
prevented accidentally putting two parts of the apparatus in motion at the same
time.
Each lever is in addition provided with a separate spring catch O¹ with rounded
face which engages with indentations o' on the quadrant O.
On the top of the framing A is placed a coal tank or hopper Q preferably of a
size to carry sufficient coal to charge all the retorts in a row say from 7 to 8 tons.
From this hopper the charge for each retort is measured off and delivered thereto as
soon as the division plate is in position. The coal tank Q is of any suitable con-
struction preferably with an inclined bottom in which one or more holes Q¹ preferably
three are made through which the coal passes. Below the tank Q is placed an
inclined shoot or hopper P of a capacity to hold the required charge for each
retort. Between the large tank Q and the hopper I place sliding doors or valves P¹
which will allow of the passage of coal at certain times and stop it when
required.
The sliding doors P' cover the holes Q' and are opened and closed by the rack
with which the rack wheel pl gears. The rack wheel p' is actuated by the shaft
which at its upper end carries the worm s which gears with the worm wheel s¹ on
the shaft of the rack wheel pl. At its lower end it gears with the cross shaft S¹
by the bevel wheels s" which at the other end is geared by the wheels with the
vertical shaft F which moves the division plate C longitudinally. When the
division plate C is moving into the retort the slide doors P¹ are closed and when
the division plate C is moving out of the retort the slides are opened. A. rotating
bucket wheel may be used instead to conduct the coal into the measuring shoot P
which will continue to revolve until the compartment is full when a lid will be
raised and the wheel stopped by the throwing of a clutch or other mechanism which
drives it out of gear.
At the lower end of the measuring hopper P is placed a vertical shoot T by which
the coal is delivered from the hopper to the inclined shoot C₁ beneath the division
plate C. Between the measuring hopper P and the vertical shoot T is a vertical
slide T with an upright rod and chain which passes over a pulley or pulleys t
and has at the other end suspended a balance weight Z which the attendant can
use as a handle to open the slide when he is ready to deliver the coal into the
retort.
The vertical shoot T is preferably made with three sides and is lifted and lowered
with the division plate frame H the hoppers Q and P being stationary. The coal
passes from it into the shoot C¹ through the hole e cut in the division plate C. To
prevent dust flying about lips or plates are fixed as shown and when the
frame H and division plate Care lowered to the lower range of retorts a board or
plate may be mounted upon the plate " to enclose the intervening space.
The division plate C may be arranged to act as a drawing rake by pivoting to its
lower end a rake head which will carry before it the spent charge discharging same
at the lower end of the retort. By means of a chain attached to such rake head
at one end and to the chain at the other it may be raised clear of the coal before
the division plate is withdrawn.
As these machines are usually used in pairs in the retort house one to charge the
retorts at one side and the other the retorts at the other side, but running on the
same set of rails and driven by the same ropes, I may attach to each machine a
rod or lever or other suitable mechanism, which should the two machines come in
contact will engage with a slide tumbling lever or other reversing mechanism on the
other one and thus stop or reverse the machines and so prevent damage from
collision. The same reversing mechanism will also stop or reverse the motion of
the machine at the end of its travel in the retort house.
It will of course be understood that some of the improvements herein specified

page_text: may also be applied to discharging and drawing apparatus described in the Specifi-
cation of my former Patent when such are intended for use with horizontal gas
retorts.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The general arrangement and construction of apparatus for inserting in and
withdrawing from inclined gas retorts a division plate charging apparatus or rake
substantially as described and shown.
2. In apparatus for charging inclined gas retorts the combination with the
inclined plate shown and described in Trewby's Patent No. 19256 of 1889 of the
carriage I and the supporting frame H suspended by chains or otherwise substan-
tially as described.
3. In apparatus for charging inclined gas retorts the combination with a shoot
such as C to deliver the coal into the mouth of the retort of a coal hopper Q and
a measuring hopper P with sliding doors or valves substantially as described.
4. Apparatus for charging gas retorts having a coal hopper such as Q and
measuring hopper such as P with sliding doors or measuring buckets between and a
vertical shoot by which the measured quantity of coal is delivered to the mouth of
the retort substantially as described and shown.
5. In apparatus for charging and drawing gas retorts the combination with the
hand levers to prevent them being inadvertently moved of a spring catch on one
lever raised by a cam or the like on the other lever when the two are at rest
substantially as described.
6. Apparatus for charging and drawing gas retorts with the several parts of the
lifting, lowering, projecting and travelling mechanism constructed and arranged
substantially as described and shown.
י.
J
T.na 1oni
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Manchester, Liverpool, & London, Patent Agents.