Improvements in Appliances for Discharging Coke and like Ovens.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Appliances for Discharging Coke and like Ovens.
I, JAMES BUCHANAN, Junior, of 105, Brasenose Road, Liverpool, in the County
of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
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The object of this invention is to provide appliances for discharging coke and
like ovens which shall be strong, durable, efficient in operation, to some extent
automatic in action, and not liable to get out of order.
For these purposes I make use of a ram or beam fitted at one end with a push
piece to bear against the contents of the oven. The said ram is provided with a
toothed rack, and is carried on rollers or guides on a framework or carriage
mounted on wheels. A toothed pinion is provided gearing into the rack on the
ram, and motion is communicated to such pinion, for moving the ram outwards
or inwards, by gearing operated by steam or other power. The wheels of the
carriage run on rails, and gearing is provided whereby such carriage can be caused
to travel along the rails, and I so arrange the gearing by means of clutches con-
nected together or the like, that the carriage cannot be moved when the ram is
discharging an oven or vice versa. Wheels or catches bearing against the rails
are secured to the carriage to take the thrust when an oven is being discharged.
To prevent damage which might be caused by the ram travelling too far I provide
such ram with a stop or stops or the like, which, when the ram arrives at either end
of its stroke, so acts on the operating gear as to cause such ram to be brought to
rest.
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A T T 1008
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Appliances for Discharging Coke and like Ovens.
I, JAMES BUCHANAN, Junior, of 105, Brasenose Road, Liverpool, in the County
of Lancaster, 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, reference being had to the accompanying
drawings:
The object of this invention is to provide appliances for discharging coke and
like ovens, which shall be strong, durable, efficient in operation, to some extent
automatic in action, and not liable to get out of order.

page_text: For these purposes I make use of a ram or beam fitted at one end with a push
piece to bear against the contents of the oven. The said ram is provided with a
toothed rack, and is carried on rollers or guides on a framework or carriage
mounted on wheels. A toothed pinion is provided, gearing into the rack on the
ram and motion is communicated to such pinion, for moving the ram outwards or
inwards, by gearing operated by steam or other power. The wheels of the carriage
run on rails and gearing is provided whereby such carriage can be caused to travel
along the rails, and I so arrange the gearing by means of clutches connected
together or the like, that the carriage cannot be moved when the ram is discharg-
ing an oven or vice-versa. Wheels or catches bearing against the rails are secured
to the carriage to take the thrust when an oven is being discharged. To prevent
damage which might be caused by the ram travelling too far I provide such ram
with a stop or stops or the like, which, when the ram arrives at either end of its
stroke, so acts on the operating gear as to cause such ram to be brought to rest.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figs. 1 and 1 on Sheets I and II are a side elevation and Figs. 2 and 2 on
Sheets III and IV are a plan of appliances constructed under my invention for
discharging coke ovens parts of the length being broken away. Fig. 3 is a trans-
verse section at the line AA. Fig. 4 is an end view of the clutch operating
mechanism, and Figs. 5 and 6 are views at right angles to each other of part of the
automatic stop gear.
1 is a ram consisting of a beam or girder provided at one end with a push piece
or head 2 which bears against the coke being discharged. The head is provided
with side and bottom rollers in the usual way. 3 is a toothed rack formed with,
or secured to the ram 1 in any convenient manner and extending nearly the whole
length of the ram. In practice I prefer to form the rack in sections attached to
the ram by counter sunk rivets, the teeth of the rack being caped at the sides for
greater strength. 4 are rollers free to rotate in bearings 5 on the framework or
carriage 6. The rollers 4 are preferably provided with shoulders 4" and support
the ram which can be moved backwards and forwards thereon as hereinafter
described. 7 are guides on each side of the ram to prevent side motion of the ram.
The framework or carriage 6 is mounted on wheels 8 running on rails 9 and some
of such wheels 8ª have secured thereto or to the axle thereof toothed wheels 10.
Bevel and spur gearing 11 operated from the reversible engine and gear 12 and
engaging with the wheels 10 is provided whereby such wheels 10 and thereby the
wheels 8 are caused to rotate so as to traverse the carriage 6 and ram along the
rails 9 to any oven which it is desired to discharge. I prefer that a pair of
wheels 8 8b should be rigidly secured on the same axle so that if the level of the
rails should vary, one or other of such wheels will always be in contact with its
rail and thereby ensure accurate traverse of the carriage at each end thereof. If
desired the wheels 10 might instead of driving the wheels 8, be made to gear into
a rack laid alongside the rails and thereby traverse the carriage 6. 13 is a toothed
pinion mounted on a shaft 14 carried in bearings on the carriage: the said pinion
gears into the rack 3 on the ram, and when the shaft 14 and pinion 13 are rotated
in one direction or another the said ram is caused to move backwards or forwards
as desired. 15 is spur gearing operated from the engine and gear 12 whereby the
shaft 14 can be caused to rotate in one or other direction. 16, 17, are clutches on
the shaft 12. The clutch 16 connects the traversing gear 11 to the engine gear 12,
and the clutch 17, connects the ram operating gear to the engine gear 12.
The clutches are operated by levers 18, 19 and rock shafts 20. The levers 19 are
actuated by the right and left handed screw 21 so that when the clutch 16 is in
gear for the purpose of traversing the carriage 6 the clutch 17 is out of gear and
the ram cannot be moved and vice versa. If desired stop gear may be provided to
prevent the clutch 16 being thrown into gear unless the ram is clear of the ovens.
22 is a handwheel and bevel gear for operating the right and left hand screw 21.
23 are wheels on axles 23ª secured to the carriage 6. The wheels 23 bear against

page_text: one of the rails 9 so as to prevent the carriage 6 being forced off the rails by the
thrust of the ram when an oven is being discharged. 24 is a longitudinally move-
able bar carried in guides 24" on the carriage 6. 25 is a bell crank lever one arm
of which is connected to the bar 24 at 25 and the other arm to a rod 26 which
operates the lever 27 of a valve 28 of any usual kind which is closed when the
lever is in mid-position and open when the lever is at either side of mid-position.
The valve 28 controls the passage of steam from the boiler 29 to the engine 12.
The bar 24 is provided at each end with a bell crank lever 30 the lower arm of
which slides on a guide 31 on the carriage 6. 32 is a finger or projection attached
to the ram,1. This projection when the ram is at either end of its travel strikes
against the upright arm of one or other of the bell crank levers 30 and moves
such lever and the bar 24 in the same direction thereby operating the bell crank
lever 25 so as to bring the lever 27 to midposition and so cut off steam from the
engine thereby bringing the ram to rest. In order to prevent the bar 24 being
moved too far so as to bring the lever 27 past midposition and so open the valve
again I arrange the bell cranks 30 so that when the lever 27 is in midposition the
pivots of such bell cranks are over the edges of the guides 31 and when in that
position any further pressure of the projection 32 against the bell cranks only
tumbles them over as shown in Figs. 5 and 6 without moving the bar 24. On the
return stroke of the ram the bell cranks are restored to their normal position.
Instead of closing a steam valve the bar 24 and lever 25 might be arranged to
bring the reversing links of the engine to midposition so as to bring the engine
to rest,
The operation is as follows-The ram is run back on the carriage so that the
ram head is clear of the ovens, the clutch 17 is then thrown out of gear and the
clutch 16 thrown into gear the engine is then started and the carriage caused to
travel along the rails 9 until the ram is opposite any desired oven, when the engine
is stopped; the clutch 16 is then thrown out of gear and the clutch 17 thrown into
gear the valve lever 27 is raised into its highest position and the engine is again
started, and the ram is caused to travel outwards into the oven and push the coke
before it. When the ram has pushed the coke completely out of the oven the
projection 32 on the ram comes against the bell crank lever 30 on the front end
of the carriage, and pushes it and the bar 24 along thereby shutting the valve 28.
The engine is then reversed, the valve lever 27 is placed in its lowest position and
the ram is run back on the carriage until the projection 32 comes against the bell
crank lever 30 at the rear end of the carriage thereby shutting the valve 28 again
and bringing the engine to rest. The clutches are then again operated so that the
carriage can be moved opposite another oven when the same series of operations
take place.
Although I have described the appliances as operated by a steam engine I do
not confine myself to such method as it will be obvious that hydraulic power,
electricity, compressed air, a flying rope, and gearing, or shafting might be used
to operate the appliances; the clutch mechanism, and automatic stop gear being
suitably modified according to the agent employed; for instance if electricity was
employed the automatic gear would be used to break the circuit and so stop the
motor; if a flying rope was used the automatic stop gear would be used to operate
a clutch disconnecting the rope from the operating gear:
Fig. 7, on Sheet III is a part plan of an arrangement of gearing suitable for use
when electricity is employed as the motive power. 12 is a shaft corresponding to
the engine shaft in the previously described arrangement, and from this shaft the
ram and traversing gear are operated as before described. 33 is a countershaft
which drives the shaft 12 through spur gear 34. 35 and 36 are fast pulleys on the
shaft 33. 37 are loose pulleys. 38, 39, are straight belts and 40 is a crossed belt
all leading from a countershaft on the carriage 6 driven by an electric motor. The
belt 38 and pulley 35 are used for giving a slow outwards motion to the ram 1
when the clutch 17 before described is in gear: and the crossed belt 40 and
pulley 36 are used for giving a quick return motion to the ram. When the

page_text: clutch 16 is in gear the belts 39 and 40 and pulley 36 are used for giving traversing
motion in either direction to the carriage 6. In this arrangement the movable
bar 24 of the automatic stop gear is caused to act on a switch so as to break the
electric circuit to the motor when the ram arrives at either end of its stroke.
41 are the usual sliding bar and fingers for moving the belts.
I do not confine myself to the particular arrangements of parts described as
many modifications may be made without departing from my invention.
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:-
First. Appliances for discharging coke and like ovens consisting of a ram carried
on rollers or guides on a moveable carriage, gearing for moving the ram back-
wards and forwards, gearing for traversing the carriage, clutches or like devices so
connected that the traversing gear and the ram moving gear cannot be operated
at the same time, wheels or catches on the carriage bearing against the rails to
take the thrust and automatic stop gear to prevent the ram travelling too far in
either direction all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Second. In combination with appliances for discharging coke ovens automatic
stop gear to prevent the ram travelling too far in either direction substantially as
and for the purpose set forth.
Third. In combination with appliances for discharging coke ovens, clutches or
like devices so constructed together that the traversing gear cannot be operated
at the same time as the ram moving gear or vice versa substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
Datal this Tecanto airth dow of Anril 1900