IMPROVEMENTS IN HEATING RETORT AND OTHER OVENS FOR THE DISTILLATION OF SHALE, COAL, AND OTHER SHONORS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James George Beckton, of Whitby; in the. County
...of York, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HEATING
RETORT AND OTHER OVENS FOR THE DISTILLATION OF SHALE, COAL, AND OTHER
SHONORS
"
Sealed the 21st March 1865, and dated the 10th October 1864.'
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James George Beckton.
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his .Petition, on-the
10th October 1864..
I, JAMES GEORGE BECKTON, of Whitby, in the County of York, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare 'the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE.
MENTS IN HEATING RETORT AND OTHER OVENS FOR THE DISTILLATION OF SHALE,
COAL AND OTHER SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object the heating of retort and other ovens
employed for the distillation of lias and other shale, coal, and other substances
for the manufacture of petroleum or other oils or gases in a more economical
manner than heretofore, and consists in so combining or connecting such
retort or other ovens with the blast furnaces employed in the manufacture of
iron, or with other furnaces of like character, as that the waste gases there-
from may pass into and be utilized and employed for heating such retort or
other ovens.
For the purposes referred to I arrange the series of ovens at suitable
intervals apart above a flue or tunnel, whereby the gas or gases required to
וגס.מ

page_text: be utilized is or are conveyed from the blast or other furnace or furnaces.
Each oven may contain ten or any other convenient number of retorts sus-
pended from or attached by their upper ends. leaving their lower ends
unconfined, excepting in so far as regards lateral movement to suitable girders
carried by the walls of the oven, and formed as troughs or pipes through or
along which a circulation of water may be kept up for the purpose of pre-
venting injury to the girder by the heat of the oven.
The oven or, chamber in which the retorts are suspended, as described, is
by preference made oblong in form, and the retorts are suspended in two or
more rows running parallel with the direction of the flue or tunnel so as to
leave space between the rows. to act as a chamber for the combustion of the
gas or gases.
The manner of introducing the gas or gases from the flue or tunnel into
the chamber and effecting their combustion is as follows:-In the upper part
of the flue or tunnel beneath the opposite ends of the chamber are two or
more passages or thoroughfares (provided with slides or valves for regulating
the admission of gas to the chamber), and terminating above two or more
grates upon which fuel is burnt for the purpose of igniting the gas or gases,
and which are arched over, so. as to partially confine and guide the ignited
gases into the chamber where they divide and pass between the retorts. The
products of combustion are carried off by flues, connected with flues or tunnels
situated at each side of the flue or tunnel whereby the gas is supplied to the
several ovens. The upper ends of the retorts are provided with removeable
covers for the purpose of allowing the lias, shale, or other material to be
supplied to them, and are connected together by lines of rail running from
end to end of the entire series of ovens so as to enable wagons or carriages
containing the material to be brought over and discharged into any required
retort, the wagons being raised from, the ground to the level of the rails by
means of a steam or other platform lift, and (after being emptied), being
lowered by means of a balance lift at the contrary end of the railway. The
products of distillation pass from the retorts by means of pipes which hang
down within them (and are suitably perforated to permit the entrance of the
products), and thence into a main or pipe whereby they are carried off. The
matters remaining in the retort after the distillation has been completed are
discharged from their lower ends (which are fitted with removeable covers
for the purpose) into wagons running upon suitable lines of railway beneath
them.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent. filed
by the said James George Beckton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 8th April 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
GEORGE BECKTON, of Whitby, in the County of York, Civil Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign. did, for Herself, Her heirs, and successors, give and grant unto me.
T. the said
the said James George Beckton. Her special licence that
James George Beckton, my executors. administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I. the said James George Beckton, my executors, administrators,
and assigns. should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man. an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HEATING RETORT AND OTHER OVENS FOR THE
DISTILLATION OF SHALE. COAL AND OTHER SUBSTANCES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I. the said James George Beckton, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their. or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent..
NOW KNOW YE, that I; the said James George Beckton, do hereby
declare the nature of my said 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 has for its object the heating of retort and other ovens
employed for the distillation of lias and other shale, coal, and other substances
for the manufacture of petroleum or other oils or gases in a more economical
manner than heretofore, and consists in so combining or connecting such
retort or other ovens with the blast furnaces employed in the manufacture of
iron, or with other furnaces of like character, as that the waste gases there-
from may pass into and be utilized and employed for heating' such retort or
other ovens.

page_text: For the purposes referred to I arrange the series of ovens at suitable
intervals apart above a flue or tunnel, whereby the gas or gases required to
be utilized is or are conveyed from the blast or other furnace or furnaces.
Each oven may contain ten or any other convenient number of retorts sus-
pended from or attached by their upper ends. leaving their lower ends uncon-
fined. excepting in so far as regards lateral movement to suitable girders
carried by the walls of the oven, and formed as troughs or pipes through or
along which a circulation of water may be kept up for the purpose of pre-
venting injury to the girders by the heat of the oven.
The oven or chamber in which the retorts are suspended. as described. is
by preference made oblong in form, and the retorts are suspended in two or
more rows running parallel with the direction of the flue or tunnel so as to
leave space between the rows to act as a chamber for the combustion of the
gas or gases.
The manner of introducing the gas or gases from the flue or tunnel into the
chamber and effecting their combustion is as follows:-In the upper part of
the flue or tunnel beneath the opposite ends of the chamber are two or more
passages or thoroughfares (provided with slides or valves for regulating the
admission of gas to the chamber), and terminating above iwo or more grates,
upon which fuel is burnt for the purpose of igniting the gas or gases, and
.which are arched over so as to partially confine and guide the ignited gases
into the chamber where they divide and pass between the retoris. The
products of combustion are carried off by flues connected with' flues or funnels
situated at each side of the flue or tunnel, whereby the gas is supplied to the
several ovens. The upper ends of the retorts are provided with removable
covers for the purpose of allowing the lias. shale, or other material to be
supplied to them, and are connected together by lines of rail running froin
end to end of the entire series of ovens so as to enable wagons or carriages
containing the material to be brought over and discharged into any required
retort, the wagons being raised from the ground to the level of the rails by
means of a steam or other platform lift, and (after being emptied) being
lowered by means of a balance lift at the contrary end of the railway. The
products of distillation-pass from the retorts by means of pipes which hang-
down within them (and are suitably perforated to permit the entrance of the
products). and thence into a main or pipe whereby. they are carried off. The
matters remaining in the retorts after the distillation has been completed are
discharged from their lower ends (which are fitted with removable covers
for the purpose) into wagons running upon suitable lines of railway beneath
them.

page_text: In the accompanying Sheets of Drawings the same letters of reference relate
to similar parts throughout the Figures.
Fig. 1. Sheet 1. is a vertical cross section of one of a series of ovens
arranged according to one modification of my Invention, and Fig. 2. Sheet 2.
a plan, partly in section. of the same.
a represents a flue or tunnel communicating with the blast or other furnace
or furnaces. the gas or gases from which it is required to utilize, and bare
passages or thoroughfares (provided with regulating slides c) for admitting gas
or gases from the tunnel to the spaces above the two fire-grates d, upon which
coke or other suitable fuck is burnt for the purpose of effecting the combustion
of the gases. Above the grates d are arches e, which terminate at e' in the
retort chamber %, and serve to guide the inflamed gases into the chamber.
The retorts g, which in this case are ten in number in each oven. are sus-
pended by means of the trough girders h. which are supplied with water to
prevent their sustaining injury from the heat of the chamber, and are formed
with ribs which serve as rails for the purpose herein-after described. In
each retort is a perforated pipe i communicating by a pipe with the pipe
or main . which is continued from end to end of the entire series of chambers
or ovens, and carries off the products of distillation from the whole of the retorts
they contain. From the chamber flues or passages communicate with the
two side flues or tunnels 1, whereby the products of combustion from the whole
of the chambers or ovens are carried off. The lower ends of the retorts g ter-
minate in tunnels or passages m, and are held laterally by plates n, which
allow them perfect freedom of vertical movement as necessary to allow for the
expansions and contractions of the retorts due to the variations in the tem-
peratures of the chambers or ovens. The plates g' whereby the lower ends of
the retorts are closed, and which may be secured by bolts or in any other con-
venient manner, are removable for the purpose of discharging the maiters
remaining in the retorts after distillation into wagons travelling upon the rails o,
and which may be brought under any retort of the series, as required.
Fig. 3 (Sheet 2) is a plan shewing the general arrangement of a series of
retort ovens, according to this modification of my Invention, together with the
lines of rail upon which the wagons for supplying them with the lias, shale, or
other material to be distilled travel, and the platforms whereby the wagons are
raised to and lowered from the level of the rails. The wagons containing the
lias, shale, or other material to be treated, are raised from the ground by the
platform lift p, and are thence moved along one or other of the lines of
rails hover the retort required to be charged. After being discharged into

page_text: the retorts, the wagons are moved forward along the rails to the balanced
platform q. by means of which they are lowered for refilling.
Fig: 4 (Sheet 3) is a plan, partly in section. of a group of four retorts
constituting one of a series of such groups capable of being arranged in line
(as shewn at Fig. 5) with rails above and beneath the retoris for convenience
in charging and discharging them, as explained with reference to the preceding
arrangement..
Fig. 6 (Sheet 4) is a vertical section through the line A. B. of Fig. 4.
Fig. 7 (Sheet 5). a vertical section through the line C. D. of Fig. 4. and
Fig. 5 (Sheet 3), a general plan shewing the arrangement of a series of such
groups of four retorts and the general plan of the lines of rail for carrying the
wagons from which the retorts are charged. In this modification of my
Invention the gases to be. utilized are conducted from the blast or other
furnace or furnaces by a flue or tunnel a communicating by suitable passages
or thoroughfares b.to the openings b¹ situated above the grate. d at: the lower
part of the chamber or oven f, wherein the gases (having become ignited by
fuel burnt upon the grate d) are consumed, and from whence the heated
products of combustion pass by openings into the retorts g, and after heating
them are, together with the products of distillation, drawn off through the
pipes i into the condensers or mains i, injectors s being made use of for. the
purpose of creating a sufficient draught through the retorts. The matters, for
distillation are in this as in the former modification, supplied to the retorts
through openings closed by removable covers at the upper ends of the
retorts. The covers in this case are conical, and provided with rings g³,
which, when the covers are in their places, dip into water or other suitable
fluid contained in annular troughs surrounding the openings, and thus forming
gas-tight joints to prevent the escape of gases from or the admission of air
into the retorts. The lower ends g' of the retorts are in this case formed, by
preference, of cast iron perforated with holes, as shewn in Fig. 4, for the
'purpose of allowing the gases or vapours to be drawn from the retorts through
the circular chamber g, and thence (by the injectors s) into the condensers or
mains . The openings in the bottoms of the retorts, whereby the matters
remaining after distillation are discharged, are in this case closed by conical
valves g, opening upward and connected by leverst, having fulcra at t¹-with
pistons u fitted into suitable cylinders, so that when it is required to dis-
charge the matters remaining in the retorts after distillation, the admission of
steam into the cylinders. v above the pistons u will cause the pistons u to be
depressed, and the valves g raised, thus allowing the contents of the retorts

page_text: to fall into suitable wagons travelling on rails in the tunnels m, and placed
beneath to receive them.
It will be observed that this modification of my Invention differs from the
foregoing principally in the manner in which the heated gases or products of
combustion produced in the oven or chamber are made to act upon the
retorts, such action in the first modification being external, so that the heat
of the gases or products of combustion in the oven or chamber is conveyed
to the matters contained in the retorts by the conducting power only of the.
iron or other material of which they are composed, while in the modification
last described such heated products are conducted from the ovens or
chambers directly into the retorts and come into absolute contact with the
matters for distillation.
I have found by experiment that the heated gases resulting from com-
bustion in the heating stoves and under the boilers will pass into an oven
or chamber f at a temperature of about 950 degrees, which is amply sufficient
for effecting the distillation of various matters for the production of mineral
oils, such, for example; as lias shale for the production of petroleum, and the
arrangements described being especially adapted to the treatment of large
quantities, are particularly adapted for the treatment of such shale and other
minerals as are not rich in oil.
In order that the amount of heat in the retorts may be properly regulated
to suit the material treated, I place upon each of them a pyrometer for the
purpose of indicating the temperature within and regulate the admission of
heat by slides as necessary.
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same may conveniently be carried into effect, I
desire to point out that it admits of being variously modified without departing
from its distinguishing features; I do not, therefore, confine or limit myself
to the precise arrangements or details described, but what I claim in respect
of the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,
Firstly, the arrangement for conducting the waste gases from a blast or
other furnace or furnaces, and causing them to pass over a grate or grates of
burning fuel as required, and to be consumed in a combustion chamber or
oven for the purpose of heating retorts, substantially as described.
Secondly, the arrangements for charging the retorts, substantially as
described.
Thirdly, the arrangements described with reference to the second modi-
fication of my Invention for closing the lower ends of the retorts, and for

page_text: opening the same when necessary for the discharge of the matters remaining
in them after distillation, and for other purposes, substantially as described. .
Fourthly, the arrangement and combination of vertical retorts with lines of
rail beneath their lower ends for the purpose of enabling their contents when
required to be discharged into wagons (constructed to run upon the rails)
placed beneath to receive them.
Fifthly, the general arrangement and combination of paris constituting an
apparatus for heating retorts by means of the waste gases from blast and other
furnaces, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the. said James George Beckton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this First day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
JAMES. GEORGE BECKTON.. (L:S.)