A New or Improved Charging Trough for Gas Retorts and Apparatus for Raising and Operating the same.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 16th May, 1889-Accepted, 13th July, 1889
A New or Improved Charging Trough for Gas Retorts and
Apparatus for Raising and Operating the same.
I, AUGUST RUNGE, of Stolberg, Rhenish Prussia, Germany, Gas-Works Manager,
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 :-
The charging trough, which in the annexed drawings is marked M, and which in
Figure 5 is represented in cross section, serves the purpose of introducing the coal
into the gas retorts. It is of such capacity as to contain the whole of the coal
necessary for a single charge of the retort; and by means of the raising and operating
apparatus with which it is combined, as shown in figures 1, 2 and 3, a single workman
can by hand charge the retort, emptying therein the whole of the contents of the said
trough, and this without the aid of any other appliances.
The two lateral sides c of the trough M, which are connected by the stirrups a a
and the back piece b, rest loosely on the bottom d, which itself rests on the frame R
and on the rollers e. The said bottom d does not participate in the movement of the
rest of the trough, when charged, into the interior of the retort, but simply enters for
a short distance that is to say until the lateral projections on the front part d' coine
against the mouth of the retort, the result being that the back piece of the trough
pushes the coal, held together by the lateral sides c, into the retort. In withdrawing
the trough from the retort the bottom d is also drawn back until the projection =
rivetted to its under surface comes against the end of the frame R, when the rest of
the trough alone continues to be withdrawn until it again takes up the position in
which it can be filled.
The raising and operating apparatus, which is shown in combination with the
trough in figures 1, 2 and 3, and whose wheels and chains are represented by dotted
lines, is supported at its upper part by the bolt (figures 2 and 3) and the wheel or
roller (figure 1) on the carriage A which latter moves on two rails. In addition,
and for the purpose of preventing its being overbalanced by the weight of the filled
trough M, it rests on rollers which run on the rail when the machine is rotated
round the bolt h.
P. and
When the trough has been filled it is raised to the height required by means of the
hand wheel D, which is turned in the direction shown by the arrow in figure 2, the
desired elevation being attained by means of the sprocket wheels u and u², the sprocket
chain u, the bevil wheels o and o¹, the sprocket wheels
and the endless
chains p and q which pass over the pulleys p and q and which are fixed to the
frame R which carries the trough. The guide-rollers of the frame in rolling on the
vertical rails s maintain the trough in a horizontal position; and the pawl & in
engaging in the ratchet wheel n maintains the trough at the desired height.
The trough and the raising and operating apparatus is brought before the retort to
be charged by means of the carriage on turning the winch-handle B whose motion
is transmitted by the sprocket wheel C fixed on the same spindle, the chain C
and the sprocket wheel C (figure 1) fixed on the axle m of the carriage. The
hand wheel H is then turned in the direction indicated by the arrow in figure 2
and by means of the sprocket wheels E and E¹ and the chain E2, of the pulley V
and the endless chain which passes over the pulley W and which is attached
ty to the trough M, the said trough is thrust into the retort, the bottom d
being detained as hereinbefore mentioned. On turning the hand wheel H in the
opposite direction to that indicated in figure 2 the trough is withdrawn from the
etort leaving the coal therein and takes up its original position with respect to
he bottom d. After having disengaged the pawl from the ratchet wheel n the

page_text: hand wheel D is turned in the opposite direction to that indicated by the arrow_in
figure 2 and the trough is brought back to its original position with respect to the
raising apparatus.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. The new or improved charging trough for gas retorts, substantially as set
forth.
2. The new or improved apparatus for raising and operating the trough for the
purpose of charging the retorts substantially as set forth..
3. The arrangement and combination of parts constituting my complete machine
substantially as set forth with reference to figures 1, 2 and 3.
J. G. LORRAIN, M. Inst. M.E., M. Inst. E.E., &c.,
Agent for Applicant.