IMPROVEMENTS IN THE DESTRUCTIVE DISTILLATION OF COAL, SHALE, AND OTHER BITUMINOUS SUBSTANCES, AND IN THE APPARATUS OR RETORTS EMPLOYED THEREFOR.
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Findlay, of Glasgow, in the County
of Lanark, North Britain, and William Jack, of West Calder, in
the County of Mid Lothian, North Britain, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE DESTRUCTIVE DISTILLATION OF COAL, SHALE,
AND OTHER BITUMINOUS SUBSTANCES, AND IN THE APPARATUS OR RETORTS
EMPLOYED THEREFOR.
"
Sealed the 9th July 1875, and dated the 12th March 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Findlay and
William Jack at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 12th March 1875.
We, JAMES FINDLAY, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
5 Britain, and WILLIAM JACK, of West Calder, in the County of Mid
Lothian, North Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said In-
vention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE DESTRUCTIVE DISTILLATION OF COAL, SHALE,
and other Bituminous SUBSTANCES, and in the Apparatus or RetORTS EMPLOYED
THEREFOR," to be as follows:-

page_text: Ims SuⱭ 10 Yention relates
апи
uniform and perfect distillation of coal, shale, or other bituminous
substances in vertical or angled retorts, and to new or improved con-
structions of these retorts for drawing off and collecting the gases or
other vapours or products of the distillation for subsequent condensation
and treatment.
The body of the retorts may be of the usual cylindrical, conical,
elliptical, round edged and flat sided parallel or tapered forms down to
the curve of their ordinary bottom, which extends outwards a little in
front or to one side of the body part and brickwork, and forming a sort
of knce-shaped and horizontal or slightly drooping residuary discharging
mouth fitted with a sealed or close luted door in front. And instead of
having the exit duct or ducts for conducting or drawing off the gases,
as heretofore, large, and at one end only, that is, near the top or near
the bottom of the retort, the nature and novelty of this Invention
consists in constructing or forming a number of these openings or ducts
(as two, three, four, or more) all projecting laterally by branches or
pipes placed at top and bottom, and intermediately at various heights,
and through the wall of the retort, preferably in a vertical plane or row,
all leading into one vertical pipe common to all the branches, so that
the gases as evolved in the retort would pass either in an upward or
downward current to these exit ducts, giving an upward and downward
distillation, and passing through the ducts into the vertical pipe they
would thence be led off otherwise as heretofore from the bottom into
the main receiver leading to the condenser for producing and separating
the heavy gases or oils from the light or permanent gases. The ends of
thesc lateral branches, and top of the vertical pipe connecting them, arc
fitted with close plugs or caps for removal, and for inserting a bar to
clean the ducts at times when required. The tops of these retorts are
fitted with the usual close or sealed charging lid or cover, and the body
or shell from the top downwards to the knee would preferably be made
of cast iron in one or more pieces, but it might also be made of fire-clay
in one piece or in jointed blocks. The retorts would be built in sets as
usual with the heating fires below and flue chambers above and all
round the retorts, otherwise in any of the ways common and well known
for the heating of other vertical retorts by radiation and heat from
without,

page_text: In some cases these improved ducts for drawing off the gases of
distillation from or towards both ends of the retorts in both directions
may be applied to horizontal retorts.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Findlay and William Jack in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 10th September 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
FINDLAY, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, and
WILLIAM JACK, of West Calder, in the County of Mid Lothian, North
Britain, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing dato the Twelfth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said James Findlay and William Jack,
Her special licence that we, the said James Findlay and William
Jack, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we,
the said James Findlay and William Jack, our executors, admini-
strators, 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 THE
DESTRUCTIVE DISTILLATION OF COAL, SHALE, AND OTHER BITUMINOUS SUBSTANCES,
AND IN THE APPARATUS OR RETORTS EMPLOYED THEREFOR," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said James Findlay and William Jack,
our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our,
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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: or scaled charging lid or cover, and the body or shell from the top
downwards to the knee would preferably be made of cast iron in one or
more pieces, but it might also be made of fire-clay in one piece or in
jointed blocks. The retorts would be built in sets as usual with the
heating fires below and flue chambers above and all round the retorts
in any of the ways common and well known for the heating of other
ordinary retorts by radiation and heat from without.
And in order that the nature, novelty, and mode of performing or
putting our said Invention into effect or practice may be properly
understood, we will now proceed to describe the two Figures on the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings, which we have hereunto appended for
the purpose of showing the best mode we are at present aware of for
that purpose, the same reference letters and numerals indicating the
same or like parts in both Figures where shown.
Figure 1 is a side elevation, and Figure 2 a plan both corresponding
to each other of a cast-iron vertical retort constructed in accordanco
with and illustrative of one modification of our said Invention as applied
thereto, but shown without the heating furnace, surrounding flues, or
supporting brickwork, which may all be of an ordinary construction.
Referring to these Figures A is the body of the retort, which is shown
cylindrical, but might be of an oval or other usual or convenient shape
fitted with the usual close charging top A¹, and with the discharge.
mouth-piece A at bottom for the withdrawal of the waste ash or refuse
laterally through the brickwork in front, all so far in a usual manner.
But instead of drawing off the gases by one branch at the top or bottom
of the retort as usual we cast or form lateral branches 1, 2, 3, 4, at the
top and bottom 1 and 4, and intermediately 2 and 3 (or it might be
more in long retorts) all leading through the flues or heating chamber
and walls of the retort, preferably into one vertical pipe 5 common to
all the branches 1 to 4, so that the gases as evolved from the shale or
other material being treated within the retort A pass to and through
these branches up and down, as indicated by the dotted arrows in
Figure 1, into and through the usual dip pipe b from each retort into
the ordinary hydraulic main B or other large pipe leading to tho
condensers not shown in the Drawings.
The bottom branch 4 is preferably mado larger in diameter than the

page_text: others 1, 2, 3, so that it may carry off any heavy gases or oils which
have condensed or collected at the bottom of the retort, and at the same
time allow the gases to pass out therewith.
The vertical pipe 5 is shown on the Drawings the same diameter as
and cast in one with the drawing-off branches 1, 2, 3, but when 5
preferred it might be larger proportionally to the number of such
branches and be cast separately. On or opposite these branches 1, 2, 3, 4,
and pipes 5 and 6 ordinary cleaning doors a are formed, and fitted with
plugs, caps, or blind flanges for ease of removal and replacement, and
for the insertion of a bar for the cleaning out of these branches when 1
desired.
It will be obvious that these new or improved drawing off branches
or ducts need not be in one plane or vertical line, as another set of
branches arranged in a different plane and different positions along the
retort leading into the same (or a second) pipe 5 may be used; and 1
although these are shown only as applied to a vertical retort they may
be applied to retorts set in an angular or horizontal position.
The principal advantages derived from this new or improved method
of fitting retorts with drawing-off branches and pipes are a more perfect
and uniform distillation of the shale or other material by the upward 2
and downward or reverse double currents of the gases through a greater
number of exits arranged at convenient heights or distances apart to
enable the gases to more directly and speedily pass out as formed,
which prevents the unequal heating or pressure of the materials and
gases within the retort, and improves the quality of the recovered 2
products.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature and
mode of performing our said Invention, we would observe in conclusion
that what we consider novel and original, and therefore claim as the
Invention secured to us by the herein-before in part recited Letters 3
Patent is, the fitting of retorts for the distillation of coal, shale, and
other bituminous substances with lateral branches for the drawing off
of the gases at the top and bottom, and at other intermediate points
along the body of cach retort, all substantially in the new or improved

page_text: manner herein described in reference to and shown in the accompanying
Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Findlay, on behalf of the
said William Jack and myself, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Ninth day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.