IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Percy John Wates, of The Brooklands, Bedford Hill,
Balham, in the County of Surrey, Civil Engineer, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Percy John Wates at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st December 1880.
PERCY JOHN WATES, of The Brooklands, Bedford Hill, Balham, in the County
of Surrey, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANU-
FACTURE OF GAS."
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for the manufacture
of gas.
In order to simplify and render more convenient the arrangements by which
gas retorts are connected with the pipes or channels by which the gas is led away,
I form the outlet in the lid of the retort and adapt a connecting pipe to it by a
spherical joint. This connector carries the cover, and is moveable with it. Another
spherical joint at the other end of the connector adapts it to the fixed receiving
pipe or gas channel.
The mouth piece is secured to the retort by bolts in the usual manner, but
instead of having a socket upon it to receive a pipe for conveying the gas away,
and in consequence being about 12 inches long, it is made only about 3 inches long,
and has no such socket.
The face of the mouth piece is cast with a V form projection upon it, and the
top of the V only is turned up to a true surface.
The retort itself instead of being fixed flush with the brickwork is projected
therefrom some three or four inches, so as to remove the bolts and nuts which
hold the mouth piece on from the action of the heat and permit of its removal at
any time.
The lid is made with a flat turned inside surface to shut against the V projection,
and so when it is secured thereto prevent the gas from escaping.
The gas is conveyed through the lid into a short horizontal pipe or connector,
and the turned spherical joint by which the connector is attached to the lid
L Price Car

page_text: permits the lid to follow any movement which may take place in the mouth piece
itself by settlement or other cause.
The spherical joint at the end of the connector farthest from the retort acts as a
hinge for the connector and lid permitting the lid to be opened.
The upper part of the connector at the hinge end has an upright pin cast upon
it, which is controlled and held in position in a fixed bearing by two eccentric
bushes working one within the other, by which adjustment when necessary is
readily effected.
The lid is kept closed by means of two lugs, one fixed at the front of the furnace
and the other on the connector pipe. An eccentric pin and a lever securely fixes
the lid and also the spherical joint therein.
Inside the lid may be fixed an arrangement of wire forming a tar separator
similar to that described in my Provisional Specification, No. 4167, in the present
year.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Percy John Wates in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th June 1881.
PERCY JOHN WATES, of The Brooklands, Bedford Hill, Balham, in the County
of Surrey, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANU-
FACTURE OF GAS,"
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for the manufacture
of gas.
In order to simplify and render more convenient the arrangements by which
gas retorts are connected with the pipes or channels by which the gas is led away,
I form the outlet in the lid of the retort and adapt a connecting pipe to it by a
spherical joint. This connector carries the cover and is moveable with it. Another
spherical joint at the other end of the connector adapts it to the fixed receiving
pipe or gas channel.
The mouth piece is secured to the retort by bolts in the usual manner, but
instead of having a socket upon it to receive a pipe for conveying the gas away,
and in consequence being about 12 inches long, it is made only about 3 inches long,
and has no such socket.
The face of the mouth piece is cast with a V form projection upon it, and the top
of the V only is turned up to a true surface.
The retort itself instead of being fixed flush with the brickwork is projected
therefrom some three or bur inches, so as to remove the bolts and nuts which
hold the mouthpiece on from the action of the heat and permit of its removal
at any time.
The lid is made with a flat turned inside surface to shut against the V projection,
and so when it is secured thereto prevent the gas from escaping.
The gas is conveyed through the lid into a short horizontal pipe or connector,
and the turned spherical joint by which the connector is attached to the lid permits
the lid to follow any movement which may take place in the mouthpiece itself by
settlement or other cause.
The spherical joint at the end of the connector farthest from the retort acts as a
hinge for the connector and lid, permitting the lid to be opened.
Various modifications may be inade in the way of coupling the connector to the
lid and to the receiving pipe or gas channel, and various ways may also be
adopted, as herein after described, for securing the lid against the front of the
mouthpiece.
Inside the lid may be fixed an arrangement of wire forming a tar separator
similar to that described in the Specification of a former Patent granted to me,
No. 4167, in the year 1880.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention I will proceed to describe
more fully the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a front elevation, and Figure 2 a side elevation showing the appli-
cation of the Invention to a setting of six retorts. In this arrangement the lid of
each retort and the pipe leading therefrom are formed together in one piece.
A, A, is a hollow rectangular pipe surrounded by an annular water jacket
(shown on an enlarged scale at Figures 3 and 4), and divided longitudinally into
two distinct compartments by the partition F.
At suitable positions the holes C, C, are formed in the front face thereof (or they
may be put on the side) onto which are bolted the valve boxes D, D. These boxes

page_text: contain a metallic valve Y actuated through a stuffing box by a handle (as
described in the Specification of a previous Patent, No. 4338, in the year 1880 by
which means communication with the valve box and the rectangular vertical pipe
is closed or opened as desired.
In the top of the valve box is a hole of the same diameter as the pipe required
to bring the gas from the retort as generated, and which is turned spherical to
form a gas tight seat for the end of the pipe aforesaid, which is also turned
spherical to work therein.
To this pipe the lid of the retort is attached, and by turning on the faced scat G
is enabled to be opened from the face of the mouthpiece H for charging the retort
and closed against the same when that operation is completed..
The faces of the mouthpiece and retort lid are both turned true to ensure a gas
tight joint. The pipe E with the lid J attached is kept in position by the spindle M,
which is fixed thereto, and which works through a hole in a bracket N, fixed to
the vertical rectangular pipe A, A. The pipe E is kept on to its seat G by means
of a cam and lever L working between the bracket N and a shoulder on the pipe E,
so that it may be tightened or raised as required.
The lid is closed gas tight against the mouthpiece and held there, as shown in
Figures 5 and 6, or by a screw and cross bar, or other suitable means.
To the bottom of the pipe A, A, is fixed, by means of flanges and bolts, an
arrangement for taking away the tar and other fluids condensed therein. These
fluids flow from each division of the pipe A, A, through the pipes O, O, into a tar
main Prunning under the stage or floor of the retort house, and to which
communications are made for carrying away the tar,. etc., produced from each
bench.
By means of the valve O' the pipe A, A, may be entirely shut off. from com-
munication with P. The thick tar collecting on the interior of A, A, is cleared by
means of the plunger X, X, working therein, and flows down through the valve T
and pipe T into a suitable arrangement placed to receive it.
When the valve T is opened for this purpose communication between A, A, and
the atmosphere is cut off by allowing the pipe T¹ to dip below the surface of tar
or liquor contained in the vessel placed beneath it.
The gas produced from each setting of retorts is conducted from the side of each
vertical pipe A, A, nearest the setting by means of a pipe V, V, and which in
turn communicates with a main V2 by means of V₁, connection therewith being
open or closed by the valve V³.
The main V runs on either side of the retort setting the whole length of the
retort house, and may be carried on the girders used to support the railway for the
supply of the coals to the retort house, or in any other suitable manner, com-
munication being effected with each retort setting as described.
The pipes A, A, take the place of and answer the purpose of the usual buck-
staves being held against the face of the setting, and supporting the same by
means of tie rods running from one extremity of the setting to the other, and above
and below the same similar to the method usually adopted.
The weight of A, A, being carried by a projecting shoe W, built into the brick-
work of the bench or other suitable manner.
Figures 3 and 4 are respectively a front and side sectional elevation of the
pipe A, A.
F is the longitudinal partition dividing A, A, into two sections A2, A3, which are
kept free from all deposit of tar, etc., by the two plungers X, X, which are actuated
by rods working through stuffing boxes at the top of the pipe.
The weight of the plungers may be counterbalanced by a chain with a weight
attached working over a grooved wheel fixed in a suitable position, and which wil
also serve to maintain the vertical position of the rods.
The plungers are so constructed that while the four sides thereof effectually free
the pipe A, A, from any obstruction, the centre space is left open so as not to stoj
the passage of gas during their descent, these spaces being themselves cleared wher

page_text: the plunger is again returned to its highest point by means of the projections
X', X, on the flange covering the pipe A, A.
The sides of the pipe A, A, are made double, as shown by F1 and F', the annular
space between F and F forming a water jacket A', so that A, A, may be kept at
any required temperature by means of water circulating through it.
Figures 6 and 7 show to a larger scale the arrangement of the mouthpiece, lid,
and valves, the same letters applying as before.
Figure 5 shows a modified arrangement of the retort lid and the pipe leading
therefrom, which in this case is not made in one with the lid, but distinct from it,
connection being made by a spherical joint similar to that described for the swivel
joint on the top of the gas valve, the pipe being kept against its seat on the lid by
forming the spherical end of larger diameter than the pipe itself, so as to allow of
a collar K, made if necessary in two halves, being forced against the back of the
sphere by means of adjustable bolts screwed into the lid J and thus keeping the
connection gas tight while it allows the lid to adjust itself to any variation of the
mouthpiece H.
A method of tightening the pipe and lid against the mouthpiece when the retort
is charged is also shown in the Figure, Q being a link, one end of which is fixed
by a joint to the mouthpiece, the other end forming a strap in which works an
eccentric actuated by the lever L³, the lever being continued through the cam and
engaging in a lug on the pipe E; when the lever L' is moved towards the retort,
the lower end of it being moved eccentrically, approaches the retort likewise, and
thus forces the pipe E and with it the lid against the mouthpiece.
Figure 6 shows details of this fastening.
Although this arrangement is shown, the lid may be fastened in other ways by
means of screws, cotters, &c.
Figure 7 shows another modification for forming the connection between the lid
and the vertical retangular pipe.
A portion of the pipe E is made in one with the lid, the lid being made bulged
out at the lower portion, as shown to admit of this, and allow all the tar formed
in the mouth piece to drain down the pipe E and through the valve box in to the
tar main P.
The short pipe E terminates at the end farthest from the lid itself in a flange B',
to which is attached another flange B³, having on its lower side a segment of a
sphere (the centre being perforated to allow the passage of the gas), and which
works on a seat formed in another flange B³, which in turn is fixed to the flange B*
on the elbow pipe E'. This method allows of the ball and socket joints, which require
to be turned in a lathe to be made quite distinct from the lid and pipe themselves, and
facilitates the performance of any required repairs, since a new flange can be very
rapidly substituted.
The joint G on the lower part of the pipe E' is made in a similar manner, the
pipe E being maintained in any required position by means of bolts projecting.
from the side of the valve box and passing through the flange on which the
segment of the sphere is formed, and which, when the nuts are tightened, force the
sphere tightly into its seat and maintain it in the required position.
Figure 8 is a section showing the arrangement of the moveable flanges. Figure 8×
is a section of these flanges on a larger scale.
Figure 9 is a front elevation, and Figure 10 is a side sectional elevation, showing
the application to this improved mouthpiece and lid of apparatus such as is
described in a previous Patent, No. 4167, in the year 1880 for extracting tar and
other impurities from the gas.
It is composed of a series of parallel wires with a dash plate behind them, these
are fixed to the inside of the lid J, the spaces between the wires are kept clear, as
shown by comb teeth, which can be caused to traverse to and fro along the spaces
between the wires by a handle working through a stuffing box formed in the lid.
In Figures 9 and 10, R, R, are the wires fixed concentric to the rod S in the.
manner shown, to which rods are attached the comb teeth R¹, R', so that by

page_text: actuating the handle S¹ the teeth may be moved through a portion of a circle and
clear the wires of any deposit that may have formed upon them.
The gas after passing through the wires impinges against the dash plate Z which
is also kept clear by the scrapers Z' and Z³, and thence passes out through the
pipe E, as before described.
Instead of the valves Y, Y, water -seals may be used to shut off connection
between the retort and the pipe A, A, when required for the purpose of charging
the retort, the general arrangement remaining the same as previously described.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I would have it understood that I claim as my improvements in apparatus
for the manufacture of gas,-
First. Forming the outlet for gas from gas retorts through the retort lid,
substantially as herein before described.
Second. The combinations of apparatus, substantially as herein before described
and illustrated in the Drawing annexed, for conducting gas from gas retorts to the
vertical pipes or channels by which the gas is conveyed away.
Third. The combination with the retort lid of apparatus for separating tar
from the gas, substantially as herein before described and illustrated at Figures 9
and 10.
In witness whereof, I, the said Percy John Wates, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty eighth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
P. J. WATES. (L.S.)