IMPROVEMENTS IN LIDS OR COVERS FOR GAS RETORTS AND IN THE MEANS FOR SUPPORTING AND OPENING AND CLOSING THE SAME
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Purvis Wilson, of Brockley, in the County of
Surrey, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LIDS OR COVERS
FOR GAS RETORTS AND IN THE MEANS FOR SUPPORTING AND OPENING AND
CLOSING THE SAME."
Sealed the 27th December 1879, and dated the 1st July 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Purvis Wilson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st July 1879.
WILLIAM PURVIS WILSON, of Brockley, in the County of Surrey, Engineer.
“IMPROVEMENTS IN LIDS OR COVERS FOR GAS RETORTS AND IN THE MEANS FOR
SUPPORTING AND OPENING AND CLOSING THE SAME."
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of the lids or
covers for gas retorts, and to the means for supporting and opening and closing the
same, whereby I obtain the advantages of a ready, simple, and effective mode of
closing the lid, the supporting of the weight of the lid and its accessories inde-.
pendently of the cross bar; the obtaining a clean joint surface at all times without
any of such surface being exposed when the lid is closed; also the ensuring a
supply of steam from the lid or cover to the interior of the retort to pass off along
with the gas, or to be decomposed by passing through or over the coke.
In carrying out my Invention I make the lid or cover hollow and of any con-
venient form, and supply the interior thereof with water from which steam is
generated, such steam escaping into the interior of the retort. I prefer to make
the front or retort side of the lid of a diaphragm of wrought iron cast in the metal
of the lid itself. A stud pin, situate slightly eccentrically in the lid, enters the
jaws of an independent hinged suspending bracket connected by a wrought or cast
iron ear or lug to the retort mouthpiece. Vertically through one end of this sus-
pending bracket arm and through the ear or lug passes an ordinary hinge pin, on
which pin also fits loosely a single eccentric forming the boss of the actuating lever
arm, such boss entering and working within an opening in the end of the cross bar
which fits between the jaws of the supporting bracket, and has an opening therein
through which the eccentric stud pin passes, allowing freedom of horizontal and
vertical movement of the said cross bar. The end of this cross bar is inclined
upwards slightly and its underside, and upon the upper surface of this end of the cross
bar bears an inclined portion of the said eccentric boss, so that on turning the lever

page_text: arm slightly the end of the cross bar will receive a combined horizontal and vertical
motion, which will tend to draw the lid slightly from the mouthpiece and at the
same time to raise the opposite end of the cross bar clear of the holding catch.
The lid is then free to be swung back along with the independent hinged bracket
and cross bar. In closing the lid again, should it be found that the joint faces are
coated with dirt, these can be cleaned by simply imparting by a handle for that
purpose a partial rotary eccentric motion to the lid on its eccentric pin. The joint
surface on the lid is flat and made with an annular face groove therein, thus enabling
the entire bearing surfaco of the mouthpiece to be cleaned by a comparatively slight
eccentric movement of the lid. My improved lids are applicable to the ordinary 1
mouthpieces, as no increased width of joint surface on the mouthpiece is required
and both the joint surfaces are of the same width. In lieu of using an eccentric,
turning freely on an ordinary hinge pin and forming the boss of the actuating lever,
as herein before described, it is obvious that a cam surface or incline may be made
on the end of the cross bar itself or on the outer periphery of the lever boss. The 1
water is supplied to the hollow lid through a suitable supply pipe which descends
inside nearly to the bottom of the water space, and an opening is left in the upper
part of the retort side of the lid for the escape of the steam generated therein into
the retort.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by 2
the said William Purvis Wilson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 31st
December 1879.
WILLIAM PURVIS WILSON, of Brockley, in the County of Surrey, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LIDS OR COVERS FOR GAS RETORTS AND IN THE MEANS FOR
SUPPORTING AND OPENING AND CLOSING THE SAME."
2
My said Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of the lids
or covers for gas retorts, and to the means for supporting and opening and closing
retort lids, whereby I obtain the advantages of a more ready, simple, and effectual
mode of closing the lid. I support the entire weight of the lid and its accessories
independently of the cross bar and obtain a clean joint surface at all times without 3
any of such surface being exposed when the lid is closed, the joint surfaces on the
lid & mouthpiece being both of the same width. I also ensure a supply of steam
from the lid or cover to the interior of the retort to pass off along with the gas, or
to be decomposed by passing through or over the coke.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall now 3
proceed more particularly to describe the same, & for that purpose shall refer to
the Figures on the explanatory Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the same
letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in both the Figures.

page_text: Fig. 1 of my Drawings represents a front or face view of my improved retort lid,
here shown of a hollow form, illustrating also my improved arrangement for sup-
porting & for opening & closing the same, applicable also to other forms of retort
lids. Fig. 2 is a corresponding plan of the same, with a portion of the corre
sponding mouthpiece.
A is the retort lid or cover, which may be of any convenient form, but I prefer
to make it hollow & to supply the interior thereof with water from which steam is
generated, such steam being allowed to escape into the interior of the retort. I
prefer to make the back or retort side of the lid of a diaphragm a, a, (Fig. 2) of
wrought iron, cast in the metal of the lid itself, though the lid may obviously be
cast hollow in one piece if desired. A stud pin B, situate slightly eccentrically
in the lid, enters the double jaws b, b', of a binged suspending bracket C which is
entirely independent of the usual or other cross bar D, and is connected by a fixed
or removeable wrought or cast iron lug E to the mouthpiece F of the retort; G is
an ordinary binge pin passing vertically through one end of the suspending
bracket C and also through the ear or lug E. Upon this pin there is fitted to work
loosely a single eccentric c, forming the boss of the actuating lever arm ■, such
eccentric boss being made to work within an opening in the end of the cross bar D.
An enlargement d in the middle of the cross bar fita between the jaws b, b¹, of the
suspending bracket C, & has an opening therein (shown dotted in Fig. 1) through
which the eccentric stud pin B passes the form of the said opening, allowing freedom
of horizontal & vertical movement in the said cross bar. The end of this cross bar
is inclined or bent upwards slightly, as shown at e (Fig. 1), & upon the upper surface
of this inclined end of the cross bar bears an inclined surface (shown dotted in Fig. 1)
formed on the underside of a portion of the before mentioned eccentric boss o of the
actuating lever, so that on turning the said lever slightly this end of the cross bar D
will receive a combined downward or vertical & horizontal motion, which will first
tend to raise the opposite end of the cross bar clear of the holding catch ƒ & then
to draw the lid & cross bar slightly from the mouthpiece. The lid is then free to
be swung back along with its cross bar on the independent suspending bracket C,
which thus supports the weight of both.
In lieu of using an eccentric, turning freely on an ordinary hinge pin and forming
the boss of the actuating lever & working within a corresponding opening in the
cross bar, as hereinbefore described, it is obvious that the periphery of the boss of
the actuating lever may form an eccentric or cam acting against one side of the end
of the cross bar. In order to protect the loose eccentric boss and the rubbing parts
in connection therewith from tar a protecting hood k may be fitted to the top of the
hinge pin (see Fig. 1).
When closing the lid again, should it be found that the joint faces are coated
with dirt, these can be cleaned by simply imparting by a handle I for that purpose
a partial rotary eccentric motion to the lid on its eccentric pin B; g is a small
catch hinged to the suspending bracket arm C & engaging between studs or pro-
jections on the lid in order to maintain it in proper position for closing after it has
been partially rotated.
The joint surfaces on the lid & mouthpiece are both flat, & that on the lid is
made with an annular face groove h therein, of such a width as will enable the
entire width of bearing surface of the mouthpiece to be traversed & consequently
cleaned by a comparatively slight eccentric movement of the lid. My improved
lids are applicable to the ordinary mouthpieces, as shown in Fig. 2, no increased
width of joint surface on the mouthpiece being required & both the joint surfaces
are of the same width.
The water is supplied to the hollow lid through a suitable supply pipe i which
descends inside nearly to the bottom of the water space, & an opening 7 (Fig. 1)
is left in the upper part of the retort side of the lid for the escape of the steam
generated therein into the retort.
I am aware that flat joint surfaces on both the mouth piece & lid of a retort
have been employed, also that a minimum amount of bearing surface on the lid

page_text: has been used in conjunction with a much wider flat bearing surface on the mouth-
piece; but it has been found difficult to keep such surfaces clean, owing to the fact
of a considerable amount of surface on the mouthpiece being left exposed laterally
to receive tar & dirt when the lid is closed. Moreover, in order to remove such
dirt & to clean the entire joint surface it has been necessary to impart a lateral
movement to the lid equal in extent to the width of the joint surface to be cleaned,
whereas by my arrangement no portion of the joint surface is exposed, and the
smallest movement of the lid suffices to clean the entire surface. I am also aware
that it has been proposed to employ hinge pins for carrying cross bars, certain
portions of which pins are turned eccentric, rendering them costly to make. I
therefore do not claim such forms of hinge pins for supporting the cross bars of
retort lids, nor do I claim generally the action of an eccentric or eccentrics on the
cross bars of retort lids for tightening up the same.
Having now described & particularly ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, & the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, I
would observe in conclusion, that what I consider to be novel & original &
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part recited
Letters Patent is,-
First. The manufacture and use of hollow retort lids adapted to be supplied with
water from which steam is generated & allowed to escape into the retort, sub-
stantially as herein before described and illustrated by my Drawings.
Second. The manufacture & use of retort lids having flat joint surfaces with one
or more annular grooves therein, substantially as & for the purpose hereinbefore
described & illustrated by my Drawinga.
Third. The application and use of an independent hinged suspending bracket for
supporting the weight of retort lids and their cross bars, substantially as hereinbefore
described & illustrated by my Drawings.
Fourth. The application & use of an independent hinged supporting bracket,
carrying the retort lid in combination with a cross bar acted upon by a loose
eccentric or cam mounted on an ordinary hinge pin, the whole being arranged and
caused to operate substantially as and for the purpose herein before described and
illustrated by my Drawings.
Fifth. The combination in a retort lid of an eccentrically disposed supporting
pin & a flat annularly grooved bearing surface of equal width with the bearing
surface on the mouthpiece to which it is to be applied, substantially as & for tho
purpose hereinbefore described.
Sixth. The opening or releasing of retort lids by the action of an eccentric or
cam, so arranged as to produce at one operation a vortical & horizontal motion
in the cross bar, substantially as hereinbefore described & illustrated by my
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Purvis Wilson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred & soventy nine.
Witness,
EDWIN P. ALEXANDER,
Consulting Engineer & Patent Agent,
14, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane,
W.C.
W. P. WILSON. (L.S.)