IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE AR GAS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Waller, of the Phoenix Engineering
Works, Holland Street, Southwark, in the County of Surrey, and
of the Phoenix Iron Works, Stroud, in the County of Gloucester, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE
AR
GAS"
Sealed the 29th June 1875, and 'dated the 18th January 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Waller at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
.the 18th January 1875.
I, GEORGE WALLER, of the Phoenix Engineering Works, Holland
Street, Southwark, in the County of Surrey, and of the Phoenix Iron
Works, Stroud, in the County of Gloucester, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF GAS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object the construction of retort lids and
mouth-pieces whereby they may be sealed or the joint between them

page_text: *rendered gas-tight without the aid of ordinary luting, and consists in
casting upon the mouth-piece near its front end a flange with a dove-
tailed or other groove therein. The face or front end of the mouth-
piece is cast so as to form a curved and throated flange, which partially
covers the flange first mentioned. The dovetailled groove is filled with a
ring cast in soft malleable metal.
A lug or lugs are cast on each side of
the mouth-piece, and to this lug or lugs is hinged the lid or door, corre-
sponding lugs being also cast upon it. The door is cast with a turned
up and V shaped edge. To the lugs before mentioned is hinged also a
cross bar, which is received into a staple hinged to the mouth-piece on 1
the opposite side to which the door is hinged, and furnished with a small
screw and cross handle. When the door is closed the V shaped edge of
the lid is brought into contact with the soft metal ring, and upon the
staple being brought over the end of the cross bar and the screw turned
such a pressure is brought to bear upon the lid as will cause its edge to 1
bed itself in the soft metal, and thus form a gas-tight joint.
A modification of the foregoing consists in casting a projection upon
the flange of the mouth-picce and a recess for the reception of soft
metal in the edge of the lid, the effect when the lid is closed being
similar.
A second modification consists in casting a projection upon the
flange of the mouth-piece, which projection, together with the surface
edge of the lid, is turned with a flat face.
2
Instead of the staple having a screw as before described, it may have
inserted in the slot a roller, which is brought to bear upon the curved 2
end of the cross bar by means of a short handle attached to the staple
or slotted piece.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Waller in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 16th July 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
WALLER, of the Phoenix Engineering Works, Holland Street, Southwark,
in the County of Surrey, and of the Phoenix Iron Works, Stroud, in the
County of Gloucester, send greeting.

page_text: .
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said George Waller, Her special licence
that I, the said George Waller, my exccutors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said George Waller, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said George Waller, my executors or
5 administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE that I, the said George Waller, do. hereby declare
the nature of my said 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,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
-
This Invention has for its object the construction of retort lids and
mouth-pieces whereby they may be sealed or the joint between them.
rendered gas tight without. the aid of ordinary luting, and consists in
casting upon the mouth-piece near its front end a flange with a dove-
tailed or other groove therein. The face or front end of the mouth-
piece is cast so as to form a curved and throated flange, which partially
covers the flange first mentioned. The dovetailed groove is filled with a
ring cast in soft malleable metal. A lug or lugs are cast on each side
of the mouth-piece, and to this lug or lugs is hinged the lid or door,
corresponding lugs being also cast upon it. The door is cast with a
turned up and V shaped edge.. To the lugs before mentioned is hinged
also a cross bar, which is received into a staple hinged to the mouth-
piece on the opposite side to which the door is hinged, and furnished

page_text: "
with a small screw and cross handle. When the door is closed the
V shaped edge of the lid is brought into contact with the soft metal ring,
and upon the staple being brought over the end of the cross bar and the
screw turned such a pressure is brought to bear upon the lid as will
cause its edge to bed itself in the soft metal or pass into a recess made 5
therein, and thus form a gas-tight joint.
A modification of the foregoing consists in casting a projection upon
the flange of the mouth-piece and a recess for the reception of soft
metal in the edge of the lid, the effect when the lid is closed being
similar.
A second modification.consists in casting a projection upon the flange
of the mouth-piece, which projection, together with the surface edge of
the lid, is turned with a flat face.
1
Instead of the staple having a screw as before described, it may have
inserted in the slot a roller, which is brought to bear upon the curved 1
end of the cross bar by means of a short handle attached to the staple
or slotted piece.
In order that the foregoing may be more easily understood Drawings
are attached hereto, of which the following is a description.
Figs. 1, 2, 3, show sections of parts of retort mouth-pieces and 2
lids; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal and vertical section of a mouth-piece, and
exhibits the use of the curved or throated flange to protect the part
where the junction takes place between the lid and the mouth-piece,
when the coke and other matters are being drawn from the retort;
Fig. 5 is a front elevation of a mouth-piece, lid, and cross bar; Fig. 6 is 2
a sectional plan of a mouth-piece, lid, and cross bar, and represents one
form of fastening; Fig. 8 is a sectional plan of a mouth-piece, lid, and
cross bar with another description of fastening; and Fig. 10 is a
sectional plan of mouth-piece, lid, and cross bar, with a fastening
which is a,modification of the one shown in Fig. 6, and one that is a
preferred.
In Fig. 1 A is the mouth-piece with its flange B, and curved or throated
flange C; D is the soft metal ring inserted in a suitable recess cast in the
flange B, and against which the edge of the dished or curved edged lid E
is brought to bear. In Fig. 2 this soft metal ring is inserted in a groove a
in the lid, and the flange B has a short return or projection which butts
against the ring. In Fig. 3 the soft metal ring is dispensed with and the

page_text: joint made by the butting of the lid against the flange of the mouth-
piece without anything intervening, as shown.
-
In each of the forms exhibited it will be seen that the joint, however
formed, is protected by the curved or throated flange C.
In Fig. 6 it will be observed that the lid E and cross bar Fare both
attached to the mouth-piece by a hinge H, and the fastening is produced
by drawing over the other end of the cross bar the loop or staple I,
which is attached also by the hinge J to the mouth-piece. The pressure
necessary, to form a gas-tight joint is made by turning the handle K of
the screw L, which thrusts the cross bar until it, the cross bar, takes its
bearing upon the central projection M of the lid, when upon turning the
screw somewhat further the edges of the lid are forced against the soft-
metal ring or flange of the mouth-piece, and a tight joint is the
result. N is.a staple which is fastened to the lid, and loosely embraces
the cross bar.
Fig. 7 is a side view of the hinge, screw, and handle, the cross bar
being in section.
In Fig. 8 the pressure exerted upon the cross bar, and consequently
upon the lid, is effected by drawing the roller O of the hinged lever P
against the end of the cross bar, the release of the cross bar taking
place when the lever is moved into the position shown by the dotted
lines.
Fig. 9 is a side view of the hinged lever and roller.
Fig. 10 depicts a fastening which is somewhat similar to that in
Fig. 6.
The staple or loop Q in this case is made more like an open jaw, and
forms part of the cross bar, and between the cheeks of the jaw the
screw L passes. This screw is furnished with a cylindrical nut R, which
is free to turn on its axis in a recess cast in the lug S to receive it. The
pressure is produced in the same manner as described with reference to
Fig. 6, while the release is effected by turning the screw and placing it
in a similar position to that occupied by the dotted line in Fig. 8. The
parts shown in section are colored, and similar letters refer to the same
parts in each of the views.-
The soft ring may be made of any suitable metal or alloy, and may
have an addition of antimony, so as to ensure expansion on cooling or
not, as may be found desirable.

page_text: "
"
Having now described and particularly set forth the nature of this
Invention, and the manner in which the same is used or carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have described or
referred to, as variations may be made therefrom without deviating from
the principles or main features of this Invention, but what I consider to
be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me
by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,—
Firstly. The making of mouth-pieces with a flange B and curved or
throated flange C, as. herein described and shown on the Drawings.
Secondly. Forming recesses in the flange B and inserting therein a
soft metal ring D so as to ensure the lid when cast with a. V or otherwise
shaped edge forming a gas-tight joint when applied as herein described
and shown on the Drawings.
And, Thirdly. The form of fastenings as herein described and shown
on the Drawings as Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Waller, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
GEORGE WALLER (1.0).