AN IMPROVED FASTENING FOR THE LIDS OR COVERS OF GAS RETORTS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex; Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"AN IMPROVED FASTENING FOR THE LIDS OR COVERS OF GAS RETORTS."—A
communication from abroad by George Stancliff and James Robert
Floyd, both of the City, County, and State of New York, United
States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville
Clark at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 10th June 1872.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED FASTENING FOR THE LIDS OR COVERS OF
GAS RETORTS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object to provide a means for easily and
quickly fastening and unfastening the lids of gas retorts, and to over-
come the cumbersome, expensive, and tedious screw fastening now in

page_text: general use, by which, especially in securing the lids, much gas is
allowed to escape before the retorts can be effectually closed.
The Invention consists in the use of a sliding fastener hook combined
with an eccentric and lever in such manner that by a a short motion of
the lever the hook is moved sufficiently to draw the projecting ear of the
lid resting on it tightly against the mouth of the retort. Thus the lid
can be very quickly and effectively closed and much gas will be saved
The unfastening of the
by the prompt stopping of its means of escape.
lid and its removal can by the same means be as promptly and rapidly
effected as thic closing.
The Invention also consists in making the other rest of the lid slightly
yielding by a spring connection in order to draw the lid tight against
the retort, and also to cause it to give or yield when the lid is being
swung open for removal.
The lid of the gas retort has two projecting ears at opposite sides
which resting on hooks form the bearing parts of the lid, the hooks
being also arranged on opposite sides of the retort. The shank of one of
these hooks is fitted through an eye or socket which projects from the
side of the retort so as to slide therein. Behind this cye or socket a
lever is pivoted to the shank, which lever carries an eccentric or is
otherwise so shaped that it bears eccentrically against the back edge
of the socket when swung on its pivot. Thus when the lever with its
eccentric is in a raised position the book is slid forward to loosen the
lid and allow it to be opened or removed, but when the lever is shut
down the hook is drawn back by the distance between the pivot of the
lever and the socket being increased and the lid is consequently drawn
tight against the mouth of the retort, thus a slight motion of the lever
will suffice to unfasten or securely fasten the lid. The other hook may
be rigidly affixed to the side of the retort, but it is deemed advisable
also to make it sliding in its support that projects from the retort.
In that case a spring is applied around it at back of its support bearing
agains a pin projecting from the hook. The spring thus interposed
between the immovable support of the hook and the pin serves to draw
the latter back and thus to hold the lid with due tension against the
mouth of the retort. The spring, however, allows the hook to be moved
forward when the lid is being swung open, thus facilitating the removal
of the lid and the opening of the retort.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 5th December 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Alexander Melville Clark Her special
licence that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexander Melville
Clark, 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,
usc, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"AN IMPROVED FASTENING FOR THE LIDS OR COVERS OF GAS RETORTS," a com-
munication to me from abroad by George Stancliff and James Robert
Floyd, both of the City, County, and State of New York, United States
of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Alexander Melville Clark, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said In-
vention, 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 Alexander Melville Clark, do
hereby declare the nature of the 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 accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon
(that is to say):
This Invention has for its object to provide a means for easily
and quickly fastening and unfastening the lids of gas retorts, and to

page_text: and bearing against a pin u
The spring m thus interposed
hook e and the pin u serves to
affixed to the side of the retort, but it is deemed advisable to also make
it sliding in its support that projects from the retort, and in that case
to apply a spring m around it back of
projecting from e, as shown in Figure 5.
between the unmovable. support 7 of the
draw the latter back, and thus to hold the lid with due tension against
the mouth of the retort; but the spring allows the hook e to be moved
forward when the lid is being swung open, thus facilitating the removal
of the lid and the opening of the retort.
Having described the nature of the Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim as the
Invention to be protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,―
1st. The sliding hook d applied as support for a retort lid, as set
forth.
2ndly. The lever C applied to the sliding lid support for drawing it
back to close the lid or forward for opening the the same, as set forth.
3rdly. The hook e connected with the spring m to constitute a yielding
support for the lid as specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of December, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
two.
5 Witness,
JAS. O. DEWEY,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
A. M. CLARK. (L.S.)