IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF CHARGING AND DISCHARGING FUEL IN GAS RETORTS OR OTHER GAS DISTILLING APPARATUS,
Year: 1869

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Henri Adrien Bonneville at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
16th August 1869.- A communication from Henry Ludovic,
residing at 98, Boulevart Richard Lenoir, Paris, in the Empire
of France, Manufacturer.
I, HENRI ADRIEN BONNEVILLE, of the British and Foreign Patent
Offices, 10, Sackville Street, Piccadilly, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF CHARGING AND DISCHARGING FUEL IN
GAS RETORTS OR OTHER GAS DISTILLING APPARATUS," a communication to me
from Henry Ludovic, a person resident at 98, Boulevart Richard Lenoir,
Paris, in the Empire of France, Manufacturer, to be as follows:-
The said Invention relates to a new system of charging and discharging
gas retorts with fuel.
The first part of the Invention consists of a charging apparatus set
on a rotary carriage, and intended to charge speedily and mechanically
a retort or other receiver with coal, peat, or other fuel to be distilled' for
manufacturing gas and coke.
The second part of said Invention refers to a discharging apparatus to

page_text: turn out the fuel contained in the retort when transformed into coke
by distillation. These operations have been effected heretofore by
manual labour, and by means of a shovel, and it is to save the operators
this excessive exertion that the following mechanical device has been
contrived.
First. With regard to the charging apparatus. It is set upon a carriage
running on rails, and is composed of a semi-cylinder of sheet iron or
other metal, one end of which is provided with a weight so as to balance
the charge which is in the cylinder. The apparatus thus contrived
borne upon its carriage is made to sink into the bottom of the retort, the
sheet iron cylinder with its charge; when introduced the semi-cylinder
gets half expanded or separated lengthwise in two parts by means of
levers so as to spread the fuel in the retort or oven in regular layers.
This operation requires but a few seconds, and is a very advantageous
substitute for the charging by shovel as done in works at present. This
latter process takes about three minutes, during which time the purest
and richest caloric and gas evolve to a great extent, and thus constitutes
a great waste.
The distinctive principle of the apparatus is the opening and
separating into two parts the cylinder, each part describing a course
similar to the configuration of the retort employed. This apparatus is
intended to serve successively and speedily for all the retorts in
use.
In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 shows an elevation of the
apparatus charged ready to be immersed in the retort; Fig. 2 is a plan of
the same; Fig. 3 is an end view of the lever mechanism which operates
the semi-cylinder, causing it to expand. In this Figure the red lines show
the position when the levers have acted, in other words, when the two
halves of the cylinder are disjointed for the discharging of the fuel.
Lastly Figures 4 and 5 show the semicircular cylinder in the retort
prior to and after its being charged. In all these Figures the same
letters indicate like parts.
A is a gas oven, within which are ranked the crucibles B; C is the
carriage running on rails D, and conveying the apparatus opposite to
each retort. This carriage may be made to change its direction by means
of double pairs of wheels F either raised or lowered by any suitable
system of gear wheels and racks. G is the frame on the carriage serving
as guide to the cylinder and its mechanism. In this guide frame,

page_text: working up and down at will by means of an endless chain or screws, is
the said cylinder so as to bring it just opposite the mouth of the retort.
H is the semi-cylinder separating into two parts by the action of levers
I pivoted at J, the two parts moving according to the configuration of
the retort, during which movement they cause the fuel they are loaded
with to drop and lay evenly. This arrangement is very clearly shown in
Figures 4 & 5.
Secondly. With regard to the discharging apparatus. It is but a
complement of the said charging apparatus just described, and serves to
complete the principle of my Invention. After the charge in the gas
retort has been operated by means of the above-described apparatus and
the fuel has been distilled into coke, the latter has to be discharged.
This discharging operation is effected by means of the apparatus shown
in the Drawings, and of which Fig. 6 is a plan, Fig 7 an elevation when
introduced to the bottom of a retort charged with fuel, Fig. 8 an end
view of the same during the discharging operation, and Fig. 9 a section
of a retort showing the pokers which break the fuel, the brace whereby
they are connected, and the moveable bottom plate which completes the
apparatus. In these Figures also similar letters indicate like parts.
a is a carriage set upon wheels b and running on rails, it may be made
to move vertically or to rise by means of screws or otherwise so as to
stand opposite to each retort it is to discharge. On this carriage a are
arranged five rods c, d, f, g, h, maintained in this position by iron
braces i, said rods being of a curved shape so as to fit on the retorts and
facilitate their introduction into the space existing between the upper
part of the retort and the charge contained therein. Two of these rods
c, d, are secured to the carriage a, and their ends are jointed by means of
hinges to a similarly curved plate k, which is moveable and made to
rock by the action of a third rod f moving to and fro by means of a lever l.
The two other rods g & h bear the iron bars m, and have two distinct
motions, one rotary, imparted by hand levers n to turn about the pokers
and make them break the fuel, and the other a longitudinal to-and-fro
motion imparted to them by little levers p, and whereby they are made
to withdraw the said pokers after the breaking operation, so as to leave
a free space to lodge the bottom plate in. The apparatus having
thus penetrated into the retort, as seen in Fig. 7, the workmen seize
upon the levers n and force them down so as to cause the rotation of
the rods g, h, and break or cut the fuel by means of the pokers m.

page_text: This first operation over they raise up the lever / which at the same time
causes the moveable plato k to oscillate and draws out the pokers and
the fuel, and thus leaves between the two last pokers an empty space
wherein the moveable plate is to be lodged. In this position the apparatus
is drawn by means of the handle o, and the crucible is discharged as seen
in Fig. 8.
I will observe that all these movements do not require more than
fifteen to twenty seconds, which permits of the machine discharging a
great number of retorts and yet undergo but little alteration.