IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING " SHALES AND THE LIKE
Year: 1884

page_text: I ROBERT BELL Broxburn North Britain Engineer do hereby declare the
nature of said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING
"
SHALES AND THE LIKE" to be as follows:-
My Invention has for its object to provide retorts or apparatus for distilling
shales and the like which apparatus or retorts can be readily and cheaply con-
structed and operated with great facility-According to my Invention I build a
furnace preferably of fire bricks or the like and over this furnace I erect the lower
chamber or chambers of the retort also preferably of fire bricks or the like over
which I mount the upper chamber or chambers of the retort which is or are
preferably of iron-Surrounding these chambers is an outer wall the space between
the said outer wall and the said chambers of the retort being in communication
with the furnace by suitable openings-The bottom chamber of the retort has a
passage from its lowermost part leading out in a downward direction at the side
of the outer wall just over another passage downwardly inclined and opening into
the furnaco beneath-These two openings are covered at their outer ends by a door
or doors so arranged that when it or they is or are opened outwards an inclined
plane or shoot is formed upon which the contents of the bottom chamber of the
retort are discharged through the upper inclined passage and from which they are
caused to descend into the furnace through the lower inclined passage The fire
bars of the said furnace are arranged so that they can be swung downwards to tip
the contents thereof into a lower chamber or ash pit to further utilize their heat
and to enable this to be done with facility a counterweighted lever may be
employed the said lever projecting to the outside of the furnace so that the said
tipping can be effected by raising the said lever-Between the chambers of the
retort a valve or slide or valves or slides is or are arranged which can be operated
from the outside of the apparatus to allow the contents of the higher chamber or
chambers to be discharged therefrom and be passed into the chamber below as
required-The retort is required with openings and pipes for the outlet of the
volatile products of distillation at different levels-These may all be in the upper
chamber or chambers of the retort or the lower one or ones of such openings or
pipes may be in the lower chamber or chambers-The space between the chambers
of the retort and the outer wall may have at intervals strut pieces or supports for
supporting the parts firmly in position.
A number of retorts constructed as hereinbefore described may be arranged in
one bench.

page_text: I, ROBERT BELL of Broxburn North Britain, Engineer do hereby declare the
nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING
SHALES AND THE LIKE" and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
My Invention has for its object to provide retorts or apparatus for distilling
shales and the like which retorts or apparatus can be readily and cheaply con-
structed and operated with great facility.
I will describe my Invention with reference to the accompanying Drawings,
Figures 1 and 2 of which represent respectively vertical sections taken at right
angles to each other of retorts or apparatus constructed or arranged according to
my Invention. Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 1-2 of Figure 2:
I will describe one of the retorts, the description applying also to the others there
may be in the bench. I build a furnace A preferably of fire bricks or the like and
over this furnace I erect the lower chamber B of the retort, also preferably of fire
bricks or the like, over which I mount the upper chamber C. of retort, which is
preferably of iron and is provided at top with the usual charging opening and
cover. Surrounding these chambers is an outer wall. D, the, space E between the
said outer wall and the said chambers B and C. of the retort being in com-
munication with the furnace by suitable openings as at a— -The bottom chamber B
of the retort has a passage or shoot b from its lowermost part leading out in a
downward direction at the side of the outer wall' just over another passage or
shoot a downwardly inclined and opening into the furnace A. These two openings b
and a² are each covered at their, outer ends by doors or covers marked respectively
ff so arranged that when the door or shoot f' is opened or moved, an inclined
plane or shoot is formed or exposed, upon which the contents of the bottom
chamber of the retort are discharged through the upper inclined passage b when the
door or cover f is opened or removed, and from which the said contents are caused
to descend into the furnace A through the lower inclined passage a²-The fire bars
or perforated plate or other support in the furnace A for the contents so
discharged are arranged (for example upon a hinge as at 2) so that they can be
swung or turned downwards to tip the contents thereof into trucks run into the
lower chamber I; and to enable this to be done with facility a counterweighted
lever K may be employed, the said lever projecting to the outside of the furnace A,
so that the said tipping can be effected by raising the said lever K. The retort is
provided with openings and pipes c c² for the outlet of the volatile products of
distillation at different levels. These may all be in the upper chamber or chambers
of the retort; or the lower one or ones of such openings or pipes may be in the
lower chamber or chambers. In, the drawings I have shewn one outlet from the
upper part of the chamber C, and another from the lower part of the said chamber.
These are provided with valves and with removeable lids or covers for cleaning
purposes and may be led together or separately to the place of reception of the
products of distillation; but I do not limit myself to any particular arrangement of
the said outlet pipes. The space E between the chambers B and C. of the retort

page_text: and the outer wall may have at intervals strut pieces or supports, as at 1, for
supporting the parts firmly in position. Retorts constructed as herein before
described may be arranged singly or in any required number in one bench.
The lower chamber B and the upper chamber C. may be of any desired height.
Any suitable arrangement of door or doors and shoot may also be used for
discharging the spent shale into the furnace-In order to prevent air from entering
the chambers B and C when the doors are open, a jet of steam may be turned into
the shoot b when the doors are open.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
Retorts or apparatus for distilling shales or the like, constructed or arranged
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.