An Improved Retort for Chemical Processes.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Feb., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 11th Nov., 1895-Accepted, 8th Feb., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Retort for Chemical Processes.
We, EDWARD LLOYD PEASE. and ASHMORE, BENSON, PEASE & Co., Ln.,
both of the Parkfield Works, Stockton-on-Tees, in the County of Durham
Engineers do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the construction of retorts with the view more especially
of adapting them to chemical processes in which the materials under treatment
are subjected to the action of steam and air at a high temperature.
A retort embodying the essential features of our invention is constructed in the
form of a combined outer and inner cylindrical casing forming an annular chamber
closed in at both ends. The retorts are supported and fixed in walls or the like
fixed structures at each end; provision being made for expansion and contraction
by any suitable means. The inner cylindrical casing finds its supports in recesses
formed in the retort lids which leave sufficient space for end wise extension thereof.
But we do not confine ourselves to any precise means for effecting this purpose.
The annular chamber or space so formed between the two casings is charged with
the material to be treated in the retort, which material is enclosed within a jacket
or envelope of perforated sheeting for the admission of steam or air whi h are forced
into the retort according to the requirements of the process in hand.
In addition to the perforations, longitudinal conduits or passages are also formed
by a series of internal ribs or ridges on the outer casing, or by corrugating the
jacket of sheet casing within.
The inlet for steam and air is formed on the outer circumference of the retort
and communicates with a passage cast in the outer shell all round the retort end like
a belt, from which the steam or air is discharged into the whole series of longi-
tudinal passages formed by the ribs or ridges on the casing or by the corrugations
on the jacket; the object in view being to force the steam or air uniformly through
the whole mass of material within the perforated jacket or envelope; it being
important that every portion of the chemical substance under treatment should be
equally subjected to the action of the steam and air supplied to the retort.
In order the more effectually to attain this end, the inner casing is sometimes
placed eccentrically to the outer casing leaving a greater mass of material in the
upper half of the annular chamber than in the lower half, and thus the tendency of
the steans and air to rise to the higher side of the retort is rectified.
The inlet and outlet for steam and air may be arranged so that the inlet commu-
nicates with the larger circumference, and the outlet with the smaller circumference,
or vice-versa. But we prefer to use them so that by passing the steam or air to the
larger circumference first its passage is equalised by the back pressure caused by
the outlet being on a smaller circumference.
In one form of retort the inlet is arranged at one end, and the outlet at the
opposite end; or the inlet and outlet may be at the same end, in which case
the outlet pipe passes through the vacant space contained within the inner retort.
We also prefer to employ asbestos packing at each end of the retort to prevent
the escape
of the steam or air as it passes through the chemical substance under
treatment.
Dated this 9th day of Februar 1905
G. J. CLARKSON,
Chartered Patent Agent,
Stockton-on-Tees, Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: We, EDWARD LLOYD PEASE, Engineer, of Harworth Moor, and ASHMORE,
BENSON PEASE AND COMPANY, LIMITED, Engineers, of the Parkfield Works,
Stockton-on-Tees, both in the County of Durhain, 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 relates to the construction of retorts with the view more especially
of adapting them to chemical processes in which the materials under treatment are
subjected to the action of steam and air at a high temperature.
In carrying oar invention into effect we provide a retort in which the air and
steam which are alternately passed through the materials under treatment or
contained in the retorts are equalized or caused to uniformly penetrate the mass by
setting up a pressure of the steam or air in the manuer hereinafter described with
reference to the accompanying drawing. The process is carried out in an apparatus
of simple construction of which a few modifications are illustrated by way of
example in Figurės 1, and 3, each of which figures is a longitudinal sectional view
of our improved retort fixed in position.
A retort embodying the essential features of our invention is constructed in the
Torm of a combined outer and inner cylindrical casing a and closed in at both ends
and forming an annular chamber c into which is charged the material under treat-
ment or by the aid of which the process in hand is carried out. The inner
cylindrical casing finds its supports in recesses formed in the retort lids d where
these lids are provided at both ends of the retort as shown in Figures 1 and 2; or
the inner casing is supported in recess in the outer casing at one end aud in the
retort lid d at the other end as shown in Figure 3; sufficient space being provided
in any case for the endwise expansion and contraction of the casings a and b. The
retorts are supported and fixed in walls or the like fixed structures at each end, and
the means employed for retaining the lids d in contact with their seats on the retort
ends will be varied and adapted according to the structural arrangements involved
in fixing the retorts into walls or the like fixed supports, care being taken that the
lids d retain at all times an air or steam tight contact with the retort ends, and the
device of a set screw e taking its thrust from a resistance bar f
only to be taken
s representing any suitable device or mechanism for effecting the same purpose.
The inlet pipe for steam or air is formed on or extends from the outer circum-
ference of the retort and communicates with a passage à cast in the outer shell k
all round the retort end like a belt. From this passage the steam or air is
discharged into the mass of material in chamber e either directly or through a
series of conduits or passages formed by ribs or ridges on the casing or by corru-
gations in the jacket or envelope which is made of some perforated material
adapted for the admission of steam or air into the mass within, and Figures 4 to 8
inclusive are transverse sectional views of the retort at the parts where these
features of the apparatus are shown as for instance on line x x of the Figures 1, 2
and 3, except that the outlet or discharge pipe is omitted. Referring to these
figures, it will be observed in Figure 4 that the annular chamber c is charged to
its full capacity with the material under treatment or employed in the process,
and when this is so, the inner casing is preferably placed eccentrically to the
outer casing a leaving a greater mass of material in the upper half of the chamber c
than in the lower half, and thus the tendency of the steam and air to rise to the
bigber side of the retort is rectified. This construction would also apply to Figure 5
which shows the material enclosed in a perforated jacket or envelope but without
corrugations as shown in Figure 6, or ribs as shown in Figures 7 and 8 forming
longitudinal passages or conduits along both casings a and b.
j

page_text: The inlet and outlet pipes g and can be attached to or fitted into the apparatus
in any convenient manner for instance as shown in Figure 1 in which the inlet is
arranged at one end and the outlet at the opposite end, or the modified arrange-
ments in Figures 2 and 3 in which the inlet and outlet tubes both extend from the
retort at the same end, the particular arrangement adopted being a matter only of
structural convenience. But it should be observed that the air or steam is admitted
or diffused into the chamber c through the passage h extending round the circum-
ference of the outer casing a, whereas the air and steam are discharged from the
annular chamber c through a passage at m extending round the circumference of
the inner casing b, and consequently a pressure uniformly affecting the transmission
of the air or steam through the chamber c and its contents is set up with more or
less energy according to the excess of area provided for the inlet over that provided
for the outlet of the steam or air passing through the retort, and this in the manner
required for the purpose of our invention as hereinbefore described. Asbestos
packing is preferably provided at n to render the retort steam tight.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
A retort consisting of an annular chamber formed between an inner and outer
casing adapted by their construction and arrangement of parts to pass steam or air
through the material contained in the chamber with equal or uniform penetration
of the mass, substantially in the manner as hereinbefore described with reference to
the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 9th day of November 1805
G. J. CLARKSON,
Chartered Patent Agent,
Stockton-on-Tees, Agent for the Applicants.
G. J. CLARKSON,
Chartered Patent Agent,
Stockton-on-Tees, Agent for the Applicants.