Improvements in Apparatus for Charging Inclined Gas Retorts.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 24th July, 1591
Complete Specification Left, 12th Mar., 1892-Accepted, 30th Aor., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Charging Inclined Gas Retorts.
I, GEORGE ERNEST STEVENSON of 7 Temple Chambers, Temple Avenue, in
the City of London, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object the construction of a machine or apparatus
whereby the charging of inclined gas retorts may be greatly facilitated, and the
labour and expense attendant thereon be considerably reduced.
To carry out this invention I make a quadrilateral framework mounted upon
wheels capable of running upon a rail or tramway laid in front of the retorts at
their upper end. Within this framework there is an inner frane or cage so
arranged that it may rise and fall by means of wire ropes or chains attached to it,
and passing over pulleys fastened to the outer frame, the other end of the ropes or
chains being fixed to the head of a vertical hydraulic ram. Within the upper part
of the inner frame there is a primary or principal coal hopper which communicates
with three, or more, or less, secondary hoppers below it, each terminating in a
shoot that can enter the mouthpiece of the retort to which it is applied. Both the
principal and secondary hoppers are suspended in the inner frame or cage by wheels
running on inclined rails, and are moved diagonally to and from the retort mouth-
pieces by chains or wire ropes attached to them, and passing over pulleys, the ropes
or chains being actuated by a hydraulic ram placed horizontally on the floor of the
cage, or in other convenient position. At the top of each secondary hopper and
also at the bottom of the same where the shoot commences, are valves moved by a
lever so that on the upper one being opened the lower one is closed, by a single
operation, thus allowing coal to fall from the upper into the lower hopper.
By a
reverse action of the lever the upper valve is shut and the lower one opened,
thereby permitting the coal in the secondary hopper to fall into the shoot and from
thence to the retort.
The action of the machine or apparatus is exceedingly simple.
The hoppers
having been charged with coal the machine is placed in front of the retorts, and the
hoppers are raised to the appropriate height. The shoots are then adjusted so as
to enter the retort mouthpieces, whereupon the lever of each secondary hopper is
operated upon so as to open the lower and close the upper valve when the coal will
fall into each retort as desired. The levers being then reversed the hoppers are
recharged with coal and on the withdrawal of the shoots the machine may be
moved to the next set of retorts to be charged, and the lids applied to those
already done.
When three secondary hoppers are used three retorts can be charged simul-
taneously, thus effecting a saving both in time and labour expended on the
operation.
The machine may be made to travel to and fro on the rails by a continuous wire
rope wound round a wheel or drum on the machine, and driven by any suitable
power.
The vertical and diagonal movements of the hoppers and cage may also be
effected by a wire rope applied similarly to that just mentioned.
Dated this 24th der of Jul. 1901
W. H. BENNETT,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Charging Inclined Gas Retorts.
I, GEORGE ERNEST STEVENSON, of The Corporation Gas Works, Rochdale
Road, Manchester, late of 7, Temple Chambers, Temple Avenue, in the City of
London, Civil Engineer, 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 :-
This invention has for its object the construction of a machine or apparatus
whereby the charging of inclined gas retorts may be greatly facilitated, and the
labour and expense attendant thereon be considerably reduced.
To carry out this invention a quadrilateral framework is mounted upon wheels,
capable of running upon a rail or tramway laid in front of the retorts at their
upper end. Within the frame there is a primary or principal coal hopper which
communicates with secondary hoppers below it, each secondary hopper terminating
in a fixed shoot on which slides a moveable shoot that can enter the mouth-piece of
the retort to which it is applied. The shoots and hoppers are thus raised and
lowered together so that the distance through which the coal has to fall before
entering the retorts is always constant.
At the top of each secondary hopper and also at the bottom of the same where
the fixed shoot commences, are valves moved by a lever, so that on the upper one
being opened the lower one is closed, by a single operation, thus allowing coal to
fall from the upper into the lower hopper. By a reverse action of the lever the
upper valve is shut and the lower one opened, thereby permitting the coal in the
secondary hopper to fall into the shoot and from thence to the retort.
The action of the machine or apparatus is exceedingly simple. The hoppers
having been charged with coal the machine is placed in front of the retorts, and the
hoppers are raised to the appropriate heights. The shoots are then adjusted so as
to enter the retort mouth-piece, whereupon the lever of each secondary hopper is
operated upon so as to open the lower and close the upper valve when the coal will
fall into each retort as desired. The levers being then reversed the hoppers are
recharged with coal and on the withdrawal of the shoots the machine may be
moved to the next set of retorts to be charged and the lids applied to those already
done.
.
When three secondary hoppers are used three retorts can be charged simul-
taneously, thus effecting a saving both in time and labour expended on the
operation.
The machine may be made to travel to and fro on the rails by a continuous
rope, wound round a wheel, and driven by any suitable power. The vertical
movements of the hoppers may also be effected by a rope applied similarly to that
just mentioned.
In the accompanying two sheets of illustrative drawings
Fig. 1. is a front elevation of apparatus for charging inclined retorts constructed
according to this invention and Fig. 2. is a side elevation of the same.
A quadrilateral framework a is mounted on wheels capable of running upon a
Within the frame-
rail or tramway laid in front of the retorts at their upper end.
work is a primary or principal coal hopper c which communicates with three
secondary hoppers d below it, each terminating in a fixed shoot e and a sliding
shoot. The sliding shoots are made slightly larger, but of the same shape as
the fixed shoots e so that they fit outside the latter, and are of sufficient length to
bridge the space between the end of the fixed shoots e and the mouthpiece of the
retorts; they are mounted on wheels y running on rails or in channel iron guides h
set at the same angle as the fixed shoots and are raised or lowered diagonally and
independently of the remainder of the apparatus by means of chains i attached to

page_text: their sides, the other ends of the chains being wound round drums or wheels 7 fixed
on a shaft m actuated by a handle n. At the top of each secondary hopper d and
also at the bottom of same, where the fixed shoot commences are valves o operated
by a lever p and so arranged that on the upper one being opened the lower one is
closed by a single operation thus allowing coal to fall from the upper into the lower
hopper. By a reverse action of the lever the upper valve is shut and the lower
one opened, thereby permitting the coal in the secondary hopper to fall into the
shoot, and from thence into the retort. Both the principal hopper c and the
secondary hoppers d together with the shoots e, and, guides h and connected parts
above described are suspended by chains or ropes fastened to the principal
hopper and passing over pulleys r fixed on the top of the outer frame and then
attached to the drums s on the shaft t, so that the hoppers with their shoots are
made to rise or fall by rotating the shaft t.
0
The action of the machine is as follows:-The hoppers d having been filled with
coal, the machine is placed in front of the retorts and the hoppers are raised to the
appropriate height by rotating the shaft t. The sliding shoots are then allowed
to slide forward so as to enter the mouthpieces of the retorts, whereupon the
lever P of each secondary hopper d is operated upon so as to open the lower and
close the upper
valve o when the coal will fall into each retort, as desired. The
lever being then reversed the hopper is re-charged with coal and on the
withdrawal of the shoots the machine may be moved to the next set of retorts to be
charged and the lids applied to those already done.
When three secondary hoppers d are used three retorts can be charged simul-
taneously thus effecting a saving both in time and in labour expended on the
operation.
The machine is made to travel to and fro on the rails either by hand or by
power. When by power an endless rope or band passes round a wheel or drum
on the machine and is driven by any suitable motor. The motion of the wheel or
drum is conveyed to the travelling wheels by bevel or other gearing w, the motion
being stopped or reversed by means of a clutch worked by the handle y as clearly
shown. The hoppers and shoots are raised and lowered by hand or power: when
by power the vertical movement is effected from the drum through the bevel and
worm gearing the motion being stopped or reversed by means of a clutch worked
by the handle v.
The travelling and vertical movements of the machine may also be effected by
hydraulic power.
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. In an apparatus for charging gas retorts, one or more secondary_hoppers
attached to and supplied from a main hopper and provided at the top and bottom
with valves operated simultaneously substantially as described for the purpose
specified.
2. In an apparatus for charging gas retorts, fixed shoots attached to secondary
hoppers and raised or lowered together with the hoppers so that the length of the
shoots and the distance through which the coal has to fall before entering the
retort remains the same in all positions of the hoppers and shoots, the whole
substantially as described.
3. In an apparatus for charging gas retorts, an inclined moveable shoot sliding
over the fixed shoot and provided with wheels running on rails or guides set at the
same inclination as the fixed shoot so that it can be adjusted to the mouths of the
retorts substantially as described.
4. In an apparatus for charging gas retorts, the combination of several secondary
hoppers and shoots attached to and supplied by one principal hopper by means of
which several retorts can be charged simultaneously substantially as described.

page_text: 5. Apparatus for charging gas retorts substantially as described with reference
to the drawings.
Dated this 12th day of March 1892.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London,
Successors to the late W. H. Bennett, Agent.