of Gas Retorts, Applicable to other like Purposes.
Year: 1885

page_text: of Gas Retorts, Applicable to other like Purposes.
I, JAMES FRANCIS BRAIDWOOD of the South Metropolitan Gas Works Greenwich
in the County of Kent Engineer do hereby declare the nature of niy invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR CLOSING THE MOUTHS OF GAS
RETORTS APPLICABLE TO OTHER LIKE PURPOSES to be as follows: -
"
My Invention relates to the arrangement and application of an improved self
sealing retort lid together with apparatus for fastening the same.
The improvement in the lid (or door) consists in forming it with a V or double
V shaped edge all round the face which is forced tightly against the planed face of
the mouth piece and thereby makes a gas tight joint.
The advantage of the double edge is that a certain portion of tar is collected
between these edges which causes a better joint to be inade.
The lid is binged to a moveable lug made for that purpose in wrought or
malleable cast iron, which fits into ears cast on the side of the mouth piece of the
retort.
The apparatus for fastening the lid or door consists of a wrought or malleable
cast iron cross bar which is hinged at one end to the same lug that carries the lid
and is fastened at the other end by means of a self acting catch.
The action of closing the lid also fastens the end of the cross bar in the catch,
then a lever is moved a short distance and a gas tight joint is thereby made.
The lever is tixed on a spindle in the centre of the cross bar while the other end
of the spindle is inserted a short distance into the lid, while the larger portion of
the spindle is cam shaped on its face and eccentric with the said spindle.
A corresponding cam is cast on the back of the lid (or is secured by screws or
otherwise) with a concentric projection of the same diameter as the large part of
the spindle, the obvious result being that when the lever before referred to is moved
the two cam faces tighten on each other at the same time the excentric presses the
concentric thus rubbing the lid on the face of the mouth piece and the pressure
thus caused on the lid together with the rubbing motion makes a gas tight joint.
By the arrangement of the moveable hinge lugs and catches these lids and cross
bars can be easily fixed to most of the existing mouth pieces.
The whole of the working parts are protected from tar and other impurities by
means of a guard cast on the lid.
The spindle is made either of wrought iron or steel and hardened on the face.
The parts may be readily adjusted to compensate for any wear which may take
place on the face of the cams.

page_text: Figure 7 mounted on the end of the bar g' which is capable of adjustment by
means of a key or cotter inserted through the passage g².
By the arrangement of the moveable hinge lugs and catches these lids and cross
bars can be easily fixed to most of the existing mouth pieces.
The whole of the working parts are protected from tar and other impurities by
means of a guard c¹ cast on the lid c.
The spindle b is made either of wrought iron or steel or other metal and
hardened on the face and may have the requisite movement given by a lever such
as a or by a cross bar or other lever.
The parts may be readily adjusted to compensate for any wear which may take
place on the face of the cams and the various parts may be constructed of any
suitable metal.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
First. The improved arrangement and construction of self sealing gas or other
retort lids and apparatus combined therewith substantially in the manner herein-
before described and represented in the drawings hereto annexed.
Second. The arrangement and application of the cam faced eccentrics-the
movable lugs the adjustable self acting catch and the V or double V shaped edge or
face of the retort lid as and for the purpose herein before described and represented
in the drawings annexed.