Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for the Carbonization of Coal in the Manufacture of Coal Gas.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Mar., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 17th Dec., 1894-Accepted, 16th Feb., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for the Carbonization
of Coal in the Manufacture of Coal Gas.
1, GEORGE WILTON, of The Gas Light and Coke Company's Products Works,
Beckton, in the County of Essex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the carbonization of coal in the manufacture of coal gas,
and the main object thereof is to materially reduce the present excessive wear and
tear of retorts and their settings caused by external heat, and hence the cost of
maintenance. By my invention also fuel and labour are economised and less time
is occupied during and in the manufacture of gas.
According to my invention I construct the retort or that part of a long or
continuous retort which is over the furnace and subject to the fiercest heat of fire-
clay, and all the rest of the retort or series of retorts of cast iron or suitable metal,
and I travel the coal charge continuously along the retort or series of retorts by
mechanical conveyors; also. I arrange for better carbonization of the gases by
circulating same as frequently as may be required over and amongst the coal
during its carbonization."
By my arrangement I may employ a series of comparatively short and
superposed horizontal or suitably inclined metallic retorts connected each to each
at their ends, the lowest retort of the series over the furnace alone being of fire-
clay (with which material the greatest wear and tear occurs). In this arrangement
the coal is suitably fed to one end of the uppermost retort of each series, and each
retort except the lowest is provided with a suitable internal conveyor by which the
coal is gradually travelled along to the end and then drops to the next retort
wherein it is travelled back, and so on to the lowermost or fire-clay retort which
may be set at such an angle as to prevent the resting of the carbonized coal (coke)
therein and deliver it to the lower end; this is sealed as usual and provided with
a mouthpiece and rising pipe to deliver the gas. In connection with the delivery
end of the metallic retort, next the inlet, end of the lowermost fire-clay retort, or
at the outlet of the fire-clay retort when inclined a hopper may be arranged to
receive the coke, a suitable valve being provided to remove the coke without loss
of gas. These retorts are set in brickwork in such manner as to expose only a
certain section of the lower part of each to the waste gases from the underlying
furnace required for heating the fire-clay retort section, and after acting upon each
retort they escape to the chimney. The conveyors are geared and driven at suitable
speeds and in the required directions by power.
Or instead of the above arrangement I may arrange a series or several series of
inclined or horizontal metallic retorts of considerable length, the lower part of each
length which is over the furnace being of fire-clay. The setting is so arranged
that the waste gases from the furnace after heating the fire-clay section of the
retort are caused to pass backwards and upwards over suitable baffles to the
chimney, thereby sufficiently heating the metallic retorts, which are set so as to
expose a suitable degree of heating surface to said gases. Each of these retorts is
suitably fed from a common reservoir supplied by a hopper, a double valve
arrangement being provided for preventing loss of gas and admitting of supply of
coal being maintained during the working of the retorts.
In each retort is set a
suitable conveyor by which the coal is travelled down to the lower or fire-clay
section. The lower ends are sealed in the usual way, and cast iron pieces with

page_text: suitable sliding valves are or may be interposed between the cast iron and fire-clay
parts for facilitating jointing and manipulation.
By the above arrangement only a thin layer of coal (which is a bad heat
conductor) is allowed to exist upon the floor of the retort, and since it is continually
moved along, carbonization is more rapid than in ordinary sealed retorts with the
usual thick layer of coal, and further, that part of each retort or series of retorts
which is exposed to the fiercest heat is of fire-clay and can be renewed when
required without disturbing the rest of the retorts or series of retorts and the
settings and accessories..
Lastly, in combination with apparatus for accomplishing any of the methods
above indicated I employ an exhauster blower or fan connected by pipes to certain
of the retorts and to the rising pipes in such manner as to cause the gases to be
drawn or forced over and through the whole system of hot retorts over the
incandescent coal as frequently as may be required, a natural outlet for superfluous
gases being provided whereby a level gauge is readily maintained, and by this
circulation more perfectly carbonized gas is produced.
Dated this 16th day of March 1894.
J. C. CHAPMAN,
Agent.
Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for the Carbonization
of Coal in the Manufacture of Coal Gas.
I, GEORGE WILTON, of The Gas Light & Coke Co.'s Product Works, Beckton,
in the County of, Essex, 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 :-
My invention relates to the carbonization of coal in the manufacture of coal gas,
and the main object thereof is to materially reduce the present excessive wear aud
tear of retorts and their settings caused by external heat, and hence the cost of
maintenance. By my invention also fuel and labour are economised and less time
is occupied during and in the manufacture of gas, and a practically uniform
temperature in the retorts which is of great importance.
According to my invention I construct the retort (or that part of a long or
continuous retort) which is over the furnace and subject to the fiercest heat, of fire-
clay, and all the rest of the retort or series of retorts of cast iron or suitable metal,
and 1 travel the coal charge continuously along the retort or series of retorts by
mechanical conveyors; also I arrange for the better carbonization of gases
evolved from coal by circulating same as frequently as may be required over and
amongst the coal during its carbonization.
I will describe my invention in reference to the accompanying drawings in which
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of one complete arrangement for carrying out my
invention; Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively front and back end elevations thereof,
the lower part of Fig. 3 being shown in section on line -x of Figure 1 and
hereinafter described.
In the arrangement illustrated in these figures I employ a series-composed of
any suitable number of comparatively short and superposed horizontal (or they
may be suitably inclined) cast iron circular retorts R', R', R, R' connected each
to each at alternate ends as shown at rr; the lowest retort R of the series over
the furnace F alone is of fire-clay, with which material the greatest wear and tear
occurs. Coal is fed through a double valved hopper of known construction to one
end of the uppermost cast iron retort of each series, as shown for example at in

page_text: This is
Fig. 1, and each retort except the lowest one is provided with a suitable internal
conveyor such as illustrated at C by which the coal is gradually travelled along
the retort to the end, and then drops through connections to the next retort
wherein it is travelled back and so on to the inclined fire-clay retort R.
or may be set as illustrated at such an angle as to prevent the resting of the
carbonized coal (coke) therein, and deliver it to the lower end which is sealed as
usual and provided with a mouthpiece M and rising pipe P to deliver the gas. In
connection with the delivery end of the cast iron retort R¹ next the inlet end of
the lowermost fire-clay retort R I may employ the arrangement shown in Fig. 3,
consisting in duplicating the fire-clay retort R and attaching a cast iron mouth-
piece M enclosing the end of the lowest cast iron retort R' and the upper ends of
both the fire-clay retorts RR, in this I fit a 3-way valve such as V, either
pivotted at vas shown, or I may employ equivalently two sliding gas-tight valves
working through slots in the sides of the mouthpiece, in either case adapted to
connect the retort R' with either of the retorts R R while shutting off the other.
Thus the discharge of gas and coke can be continued down one of the inclined
retorts R whilst the other is being cleared from its lower end. The retorts are set
in brickwork as shown and in such manner as to expose only a certain section of
the lower part of each to the waste gases from the underlying furnace required for
heating the fire-clay retort section, the upper parts being suitably protected
against the action of the heat, and after acting upon each retort the furnace
gases escape to the chimney. The conveyors are geared as shown, or in any
convenient manner, and driven at suitable speeds and in the required directions by
power.
Lastly, in combination with apparatus for accomplishing the methods above
indicated for the purpose of effecting the more complete and effective carbonization
of the gas evolved from the coal I cause the gas to be circulated throughout the
whole system as frequently as may be required. For this purpose I employ an
exhauster blower or fan as indicated at S, Fig. 1, connected by pipes s to one of
the retorts, for example to either end of the top one R' as illustrated, and to the
rising pipe in such manner as to cause the gases to be drawn or forced from
pipe Pinto retort R and over and through the whole system of hot retorts
amongst the incandescent coal again and again as frequently as may be required.
The superfluous gases escape at a natural outlet to the hydraulic main so as to
readily maintain a level gauge, and by this circulation more perfectly carbonized
gas is produced.
By the above arrangement only a thin layer of coal (which is a bad heat
conductor) is allowed to exist upon the lower part of the metallic retort, and since
it is continually moved along carbonization is inore rapid than in ordinary sealed
retorts with the usual thick layer of coal; and further, that part of each group or
series of retorts which is exposed to the fiercest heat is made of fire-clay and can
be renewed when required without disturbing the rest of the series of retorts and
the settings and accessories.
Amongst other advantages accruing from the arrangement above set forth is as
stated more uniform temperature in the retorts, and owing to this together with the
fresh coal supply, and the constant movement, the make of gas is considerably
increased, and more ammonia is obtainable, (since none is destroyed by extreme
variations of temperature). The practical uniformity of temperature obtained by
my invention has the effect in fact of producing the greatest possible volume of gas
from the coal distilled.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. In the manufacture of coal gas the hereinabove described improved method of
effecting the carbonization of coal which consists in continuously passing the same
through a series of superposed metallic retorts, connected each to each at alternate

page_text: ends, the lowest retort or that subject to the greatest furnace heat being made of
fire-clay, substantially as and for the purposes above set forth.
2. The arrangement and mode of setting of retorts and apparatus connected
therewith substantially as and for the purposes above set forth and in reference to
the drawings.
3. The combination with a series of superposed metallic retorts connected
together and arranged as above referred to of two lower inclined fire-clay retorts
and the intermediate 3-way valve arrangement, substantially as and for the purpose
above set forth.
4. The method of effecting better carbonization of gas evolved during the
distillation of coal in the manner above described, which consists in circulating
same as frequently as may be required over and amongst the coal during its
carbonization by means of an exhauster and connections, substantially in the
manner above set forth.
For the Applicant,
J. C. CHAPMAN,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.