Hydraulic-main Cleaner for Gas Works:
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Oct., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Nov., 1892-Accepted, 17th Dec., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Hydraulic-main Cleaner for Gas Works: An Apparatus for Cleaning
out the Hydraulic-main whilst at Work.
I STEPHEN CARPENTER, of The Gas Light & Coke Company Bow Common
Station London E. in the County of Middlesex Manager of Gas Works do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of the invention is to remove the thick tar or other sediment from
the bottom of the hydraulic main whilst it is in action, & to obviate the necessity
of stopping gas making, opening the main and drawing off the tar when it is
required to clean the main, as is usually done.
The apparatus consists of a screwed shaft running through the entire length of
the hydraulic-main, working through a stuffing box attached to the outside of the
plate at each end of the main, and supported where necessary & convenient by
intermediate bearings attached to the inside of the main.
Upon this screwed shaft work a number of shaped plates called scrapers, cach
having a screwed hole into which the worm of the screwed shaft works, so that
upon the shaft revolving the scrapers will travel forward or backward along the
shaft in the direction of its length, according to which way the shaft turned.
The scrapers are of such depth that there is considerable clearance between
them & the bottoms of the dip pipes. The screwed shaft is placed at one side in
the interior of the main, and the screwed holes in the scrapers are at one end of
the scrapers, and not in the centres, so that the shaft shall not come directly
under the bottoms of the dip pipes.
At the outside of the main at either end or at the one most convenient the shaft.
is furnished with a crank handle by means of which the shaft may be caused to
revolve either from right to left or in the opposite direction as may be desired.
The scrapers extend right across the main in a transverse direction, and travel
on sliding bars fixed longitudinally at the bottom of the main on each side.
The scrapers do not quite touch the bottom plates of the main but just allow a
slight clearance to prevent friction. At intervals at the bottom of the main are
attached mud-boxes into which the main opens, and into which the thick tar or
other sediment is caused to fall by the scrapers passing along and drawing the
sediment at the bottom of the main to the openings which communicate with the
mud-boxes. The mud-boxes are continued from below the main up the side to
the same level at the top but distinct from the main, so that the tar or other liquid
contained in the main is at the same level as that in the mud-boxes. The tops of
the mud-boxes are covered with plates that may be removed, and the thick sediment
drawn out at any time while gas is being made without interfering with the seal of
the dip pipes.
Dated this 3rd day of October 1892.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Hydraulic-main Cleaner for Gas Works: An Apparatus for Cleaning
out the Hydraulic-main whilst at Work.
1, STEPHEN CARPENTER, of Bow Common Station, London, Manager, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what mauner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
The object of this invention is to remove the thick tar or other sediment from
the bottom of the hydraulic main whilst it is in action, and to obviate the necessity
of stopping gas-making, opening the main, and drawing off the tar when it is
required to clean the main, as is usually done.
My invention consists essentially in the combination with the hydraulic main of
deposit boxes or pockets fixed in open connection with the bottom thereof and
carried up independently of same above the level of the contained liquor, suitable
scrapers extending transversely across the main at or about its base, adapted to be
travelled to or fro in the main between said pockets by means of a rotary screwed
spindle so as to scrape off and carry the deposit to an adjacent pocket from whence
it can be removed by scoops or the like when required during and without inter-
fering with the continuity of the process of gas manufacture.
I will now fully describe my invention in reference to the accompanying drawing
in which
Fig. 1 is a plan, Figs. 2 and 3 sections on lines K-L and G-H thereof
respectively, and in which similar letters refer to similar parts. M is the hydraulic
main and m, m, its end flanges or covers. The cleaning apparatus consists of a
longitudinal shaft S arranged at a suitable level in and running the entire length
of the main; it works through stuffing boxes B, B, in the end flanges m m, and to
prevent deflection is or may be supported where necessary by intermediate bearings
such as b, attached to the inside of the main as shown. The shaft S may be
screwed for the whole of its length or according to the number of deposit pockets
hereinafter described. In the drawings it is illustrated as screwed at intervals s, s,
and upon each screwed length is mounted a threaded boss carrying a suitably
shaped plate or scraper A, so that upon revolution of the shaft S the scraper will
accordingly travel forward or backward along same. D, D, are the usual dip
pipes beneath the feet of which and the top of the scraper a considerable clearance
is left, and the shaft S is preferably arranged at one side of the main as shown, so
as to avoid the dip pipes. C is a cranked handle for revolving the shaft, or any
convenient power may be substituted. The scrapers A extend practically across
the base of the main transversely, only the necessary clearance being left at the
free ends, and they may be supported by and travel on a bar or bars a a fixed
longitudinally at or about the bottom of the main to keep them practically hori-
zontal at all times. P P are the deposit pockets arranged at suitable intervals.
and in open connection with the bottom of the main. Each pocket extends trans-
versely below the main and is continued up the side thereof to the same or about
the same level as the top of same, as best shown in Fig. 3, but the rising part P
is separate from the main, and thus the level of the contents of the main and the
pocket is the same. Pp are removable plates covering the open tops of the
pockets P. To clear the hydraulic main the scrapers are travelled to and fro so
as to scrape off all deposits and carry them into the pockets P, then by removing
the plates p the collected deposits can be removed through P' without interfering
with the seal of the dip pipes or the continuity of the process of manufacture
of gas

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A hydraulic main cleaner for gas works, consisting in the combination with
the main of deposit pockets fixed in open connection with its base and carried up
independently as described, a screwed rotary spindle mounted longitudinally in the
main and carrying scrapers adapted to be travelled thereby to and fro along the
bottom of the main, the whole operating substantially in the manner and for
the purposes hereinabove set forth.
2. The construction and arrangement of parts together forming an apparatus for
cleaning out the hydraulic main whilst at work and without interfering with the
continuity of gas manufacture, substantially as described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.