Improvements in Retorts or Furnaces for the Distillation of Coal or other Analogous Purposes.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Nov., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 18th Apr., 1890-Accepted, 21st June, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Retorts or Furnaces for the Distillation of Coal
or other Analogous Purposes.
We, JOHN ARTHUR YEADON, of 4, Albion Place, Leeds, Engineer, and WILLIAM
ADGIE, of 68 St. Mark Street, Leeds, Accountant, both in the County of York do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our Invention consists in the use or application of a Revolving Retort or Furnace
for the Distillation of Coal or other analogous purposes.
This Revolving Retort is fitted at each end with a suitable mouthpiece for feeding
and discharging; the one at the feeding end having a hopper with internal shaft fitted
with blades or worms or other suitable arrangement for delivering the coal into the
interior of the Retort; the one at the discharging en being fitted with one or more
sliding doors or valves, or another worm box of similar design to that at the fee ling
end; by means of which a continuous supply of coal or other materials is fed in at
one end, then passed through the Retort where it becomes heated and distilled and
the gases liberated, the cinders or ashes being discharged at the other en 1 without
waste or escape of the gases: the objects being to ensure a regular and continuous
feed or supply of coal, etc., to be distilled; to avoid or materially decrease the labour
and time required, and gases wasted, by the ordinary method of charging and dis-
charging the Retorts; to ensure a more speedy and thorough distillation of the coil;
and to be enabled to use the smallest and inferior qualities of coal as well as the
larger ones.
In the following description we shall use the words "Retort" and "Coal,” but at
the same time we claim the use or application of our Invention as applied to any
Revolving Furnace used for this or other analogous purposes, and also for the
distillation of any other materials instead of coal.
We design our Retorts preferably of a cylindrical form, and they can be made of
any metal, or fire-clay, or other suitable materials. The Reiorts may be turned up on
the circumference at each end or fitted with an annular ring, which revolve on and
are supported underneath by two or more revolving carrying rollers with suitable
shafts or gudgeons which rest in metal frames outside the brickwork of the furnace.
The Retorts are thus suspended, so that the heat can come in direct contact with the
whole of the circumference inside the brickwork as the Retorts revolve.
The interior of the Retort is fitted with a number of continuous blades or vanes
running nearly the whole length. These are preferably made solid with the shell; or
they can be rivetted or secured to it in any other suitable manner. The object of
these blades is threefold; viz., to gradually work or pass the coal through the Retort;
to raise the coal intermittently from the bottom of the Retort to nearer the top, so as
to keep it loose and open and thus accelerate the process of distillation; and also to
strengthen the shell of the Retort so as to make it better able to carry the weight of
the coal and stand the heat in its suspended position. The Retort can be erected to
revolve in a level or horizontal position, or in a slightly diagonal one, preferably the
former; in which case the blades or vanes are made of a spiral form in the shape of a
very coarse screw. The Retorts can be set or erected to work singly, i.e. only one in
each furnace, or with a number together as in the ordinary way.
At the front or feeding end the Retort is fitted up with a mouthpiece or end Plate,
having a hopper, from the bottom of which, the coal is fel through a cylinder or
barrel of smaller diameter than the Retort, this cylinder having an internal shaft
fitted with adjustable blades; the cylinder projecting into and thus delivering the
coal soine little distance into the interior of the revolving retort, whence the coal is
gradually carried forward by the interior blades or vanes. The blades of the internal
feeding shaft are made adjustable for the purpose of altering the pitch so as to

page_text: regulate the proper quantity in feeding the coal, and this can be further regulated if
desired by change wheels or cone pulleys on the end of the internal shaft to alter the
speed or number of revolutions of the same; the objects being to ensure a regular and
continuous delivery of the coal into the Retort, and by keeping this cylinder always
full of coal to prevent any escape of gas from the Retort or ingress of air into the
Retort. This end of the Retort is arranged to run in or against the flange or rim of
the mouthpiece, being fitted with suitable arrangements to allow for expansion with
freedom for revolving without undue friction, but yet preventing escape of gas from
the Retort.
Suitable driving motion can be attached at the front end to the carrying rollers
under the Retort thus causing it to revolve; or if necessary a toothed wheel can be
fixed to the circumference of the Retort. Similar driving motion can be connected
to the internal hopper shaft for feeding the coal.
The discharging end of the Retort is also fitted with a stationary mouthpiece, with
similar arrangements as at the front end to prevent undue friction and escape of gas;
and the discharging of the spent cinders or ashes can be effected in several ways,
preferably one of the following. This mouthpiece can be bent downwards in the form
of an elbow pipe, terminating in a vertical outlet pipe having two sliding valves or
doors, one above the other, each worked by a lever or other suitable means; in
ordinary working, the upper valve is open and the cinders fall upon the lower valve
until they rise nearly to the upper one which is then closed and the lower one opene 1,
thus allowing the cinders to fall out; the lower valve is then shut and the upper one
opened until another quantity is ready to be discharged.. Or, these valves may be
dispensed with and the bottom of the vertical pipe be kept immersed in water. Or,
the bottom of this mouthpiece can be fitted with a hopper, cylinder, internal shaft
and blades for discharging the cinders continuously like the action of feeding the coal
at the front end.
The outlet pipe for the gas can be fixed either to the front or back mouthpiece, as
may be found most advisable.
The operation of our Invention is as follows: The feeding hopper at the front of
the Retort being kept full, the coal is carried by the blades of the internal shaft
through the cylinder (which is of smaller diameter than the Retort) and delivered
into the interior of the Retort. This cylinder being always kept full of coal prevents
the egress of gas through it. Arrived inside the larger diameter of the Retort, the
coal only fills part of the area, the proportion of the fed coal being adjusted by the
speed of the internal shaft and the pitch or twist of the blades. The upper part of
the interior of the Retort is thus clear and unencumbered allowing free escape of the
gases to the outlet pipe. The spiral blades or vanes attached to the interior of the
Retort now get hold of the coal, and by continuously raising it from the bottom and
letting it fall when nearer to the top, keep it open and broken up and the gases are
more speedily liberated; at the same time the blades, from their spiral form, gradually
work the coal along through the Retort to the discharging end, by which time the
gases have become liberated and the coal converted into coke or cinders, which are
discharged through the mouthpiece at the back end in one of the methods described
above.
These Retorts can be erected singly, that is one in each furnace, or in sets as in the
ordinary way; and notion can be given to them by connecting them to a driving
shaft running along the front of the Retorts with suitable gearing and connections to
each. The internal shafts of the feeding hoppers can also be connected in a similar
manner.
4
By way of still further economising labour, we arrange for a creeper or worm box,
or other suitable arrangement to be fixed over the feeding hoppers of the Retorts; the
small coal being delivered by elevators into one end and gradually carried by the
worm or creeper over the hoppers; the bottom of this box being fitted with sliding
doors or outlets, one over each hopper, to regulate the quantity to be fed into the
Retorts.
In the ordinary fixed Retorts, only large or medium sized coal can be used, small

page_text: being objectionable, and this has to remain a certain number of hours in the retorts
before the gases are eliminated. By our invention, the smaller the coal the better for
féeding, and also for the much more speedy liberation of the gases. In the ordinary
method of charging the retorts also, a considerable quantity of gas always escapes
before the doors of the mouthpiece are screwed up; our Invention effectually prevents
that. It also avoids altogether the heavy item of time and labour lost in discharging
the Retorts in the ordinary method and consequent loss of heat in the Retorts during.
discharging and charging. It also allows the utilisation of the very smallest and con-
sequently cheapest coals. which are at present. rejected as unsuitable for the purpose of
gas making with the ordinary retorts."
Our Invention serves therefore to, economise labour and time, to accelerate dis-
tillation, to save loss of gas, and to utilise the smaller and cheaper coals by the use
or application of a Revolving Retort, with suitable mouthpieces and connections,
substantially as herein described.
Dated this 28th day of November 1889
"
JOHN ARTHUR YEADON..
WILLIAM ADGIE.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Retorts or Furnaces for the Distillation of Coal
or other Analogous Purposes.
We, JOHN ARTHUR YEADON, of 4 Albion Place, Leeds, Engineer, and WILLIAM
ADGIE, of 68 St. Mark Street, Leeds, Accountant, both in the County of York 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:
Our Invention consists in the use or application of a Revolving Retort or Furnace
fitted with suitable end plates or mouthpieces, for the distillation of coal, or other.
analogous purposes and by which the materials to be distilled can be regularly and
continuously fed into and passed through the Retort.
In the following description, we shall use the words "Retort" and " Coal," but at
the same time we claim the use or application of our Invention as applied to any
revolving furnace used for this or other analogous purposes, and also for the
distillation of any other materials instead of Coal.
Our Revolving Retort is fitted at each end with a suitable mouthpiece or end-
plate for feeding and discharging; the one at the front or feeding end having a
hopper with internal shaft fitted with adjustable blades, or other suitable arrange-
ment, for regularly and continuously delivering the Coal into the interior of the
Retort; the one at the back or discharging end being fitted with (a) one or more
sliding doors or valves, or (b) having the bottom of the vertical outlet pipe immersed.
in water; by means of which the coal is regularly and continuously fed in at the.
front end, passed through the Retort where it becomes heated and distilled and the
gases liberated, the cinders or coke being discharged at the back end; and both
results attained without waste or escape of the gases; the objects being to secure
this regular and continuous feed or supply, of the Coal to be distilled, to dispense.
with the labour of the stokers, and to prevent the waste of gases as
the ordinary
methods of charging and discharging the Retorts; to ensure a more speedy, and
thorough distillation of the Coal, and to be enabled to utilise the smallest sizes of
Coal as well as or instead of the larger sizes..
15
In the accompanying Drawings, Fig.. 1 represents a longitudinal section of the
Retort; Fig. 2 the back or discharging end view of the same; Fig. 3, the side
elevation; and Fig. 4 the front elevation of feeding end, with arrangement of. Coal
elevators and conveyor in combination with the same; the letters corresponding in..
each figure.
We design our Retorts preferably of a cylindrical form as shown, and they can
be made of metal, or fireclay or other similar material, or a combination of the two,

page_text: In our plans we have shown the body of the Retort A which is exposed to the
fire inside the furnace B, to be made of fireclay, and to rest in the metal sockets C, C¹,
one at each end, to which they are secured by bolts. These sockets are turned up on
the circumference at a, a¹, thus sinoothly revolving on and being supported under-
neath by the bearing rollers D, D, D, D. which have suitable shafts and revolve in
the metal frames or boxes E, E¹, outside the brickwork of the furnace. The bearings
of these shafts can be made adjustable, to take up the wear if required, and the
rollers can be made to revolve in water. The Retorts are thus suspended, with no
brickwork to rest upon, so that in revolving, the heat of the furnace comes in direct
contact with the whole of the circumference inside the brick work.
The interior of the Retort is made with a number of continuous blades b, b, running
nearly the whole length, preferably made solid with the shell. The object of these
blades is threefold, viz., to gradually pass the Coal through the Retort; to raise the
Coal constantly from the bottom of the Retort to nearer the top, thus keeping it
loose an open and accelerating the process of distillation; and also to strengthen
the shell of the retort making it better able to carry the weight of the coal and
stand the heat in its suspended position. We also prefer to make these blades of a
tapering form, deepest at the front or feeding end where the coal requires to be
broken up most, and gradually tapering to nothing about the point d, thus preventing
the coke being unnecessarily broken after the gases have been liberated.
The Retort can be made of the same internal diameter throughout, or it can be
made of a conical form as shown in the plan. It can also be erected to revolve
in a level and horizontal position or in a diagonal one, the blades being made of a
straight or spiral form to suit the position of the retort; we prefer however to
make the Retorts of a conical form as shown in the plan, working in a horizontal
position, and with straight and gradually tapering blades, as they work more satis-
factorily when the centre line is horizontal. The Retorts can be set or erected to work
singly, i.e. only one in each furnace, as shown; or more than one can be arranged to
work in one furnace if required.
At the front or feeding end, the Retort is fitted with a mouthpiece or end plate F,
having a hopper G, from the bottom of which the coal is fed through the cylinder H
which is of smaller diameter than the Retort; this cylinder having an internal shaft I
fitted with adjustable blades i, i; this cylinder projects into and thus delivers the
coal some little distance into the interior of the Retort as at h, the internal annular
ring preventing the coal from working back, whilst it is gradually carried or
worked forward by the internal blades and the conical form of the Retort. The
blades of the internal feeding shaft I are made adjustable for the purpose of
altering the "pitch” so as to be able to regulate the proper quantity of coal to
be fed; and this can be still further regulated by change chain wheels at K and K',
to vary the number of revolutions and to insure thus a regular and continuous
delivery of Coal into the Retort, and by keeping this cylinder always full of Coal,
to prevent any escape of gas from the Retort, or ingress of air into it.
"
The joint at the front end plate F is preferably made as follows: The end of the
Retort socket is turned true and arranged to run or revolve in the turned grooved
recess L of the end plate, this recess having within it a ring or packing of
asbestos or other suitable material between two metal rings and ; at the back
of the ring is a recess or steam chamber'm, fed by the steam pipe n, the pressure
of the steam thus keeping the packings up to the end of the Retort but allowing
for any expansion or contraction of the saine, and thus forming a gas-tight joint;
any condensed water from the steam serving as a lubricant to the packings or
end of the Retort. Or any other suitable arrangement can be applied for this
purpose.
Suitable driving motion is attached to the Retort by the two spur wheels M, M',
one at each end, these being fixed on the metal sockets and driven by the two
spur pinions N, N', on the horizontal shaft O, which again receives its notion by
the bevel wheels P, P', from the main driving shaft R. By this means any
torsional strain on the fireclay body of the Retort is avoided.
The chain

page_text: wheels K, K', give motion to the internal shaft I. The back or discharging end
of the Retort is also fitted with a stationary mouthpiece or end plate S, with
similar arrangements as at the front end for preventing undue friction and escape
of gas. T is the ascension pipe for the gas; t a small manhole for seeing into
the Retort; and t¹ the scraper for guiding the coke or cinders into the outlet pipe.
The discharging of the coke or cinders can be effected in several ways, preferably
by one of the following:-The mouthpiece can be bent downwards with vertical
outlet pipe U, fitted as shown in plan, with two sliding doors or valves e, e¹, one
above the other, with suitable levers to work them, and in combination with the
door f, allowing the discharged coke to be delivered hot right into the furnace B
underneath, or by reversing this door f to let the coke fall into barrows, or an
endless carrier to be mechanically conveyed outside the retort house; or the bottom
of the vertical pipe U can be immersed in a cistern of water, and so make a
water sealed joint. We preferably make the ascension pipe T at the back or
hottest end of the Retort as shown so' as to more thoroughly distil the tarry
matter of the coal and to reduce the liability of "choking," so common in the
ordinary ways of working.
The operation of our Invention is as follows: The feeding hopper G being always
kept full, the coal is pushed forward. by the blades of the internal shaft I, through the
cylinder H (which is of smaller diameter than the Retort) and delivered into the
interior of the Retort. This cylinder being always kept full of coal, prevents
the escape of gas or ingress of air through it; whilst the annular ring g checks the
coal from working back into the recess I. Arrived inside the larger diameter of
the Retort, the coal only fills part of the area, the stratum of coal being purposely
kept thin for securing more rapid distillation. The proportion of the fed coal is
adjusted by the speed of the internal shaft I and the pitch of the blades fitted to the
same. In revolving, the upper part of the interior of the Retort and part of one side
is thus quite clear and unencumbered allowing free escape of the gases through the
ascension pipe T. The blades b, b, in the interior of the Retort now get hold of the
coal, and by constantly raising it from the bottom and letting it fall when nearer to
the top, keep it open and broken up, and the gases are thus speedily liberated; whilst
at the same time these blades, either from their spiral form, or from the conical form
of the Retort, gradually work the coal along through the Retort to the discharging
spout U, by which time the gases have become liberated and the coal converted into
coke which is discharged at U as described above; and as the blades b, b, gradually
taper down to nothing near the pipe d, the coal as it becomes converted into coke is
prevented from being unnecessarily broken after the gases have been liberated, and as
approaches the outlet.
The scraper guides the coke into the vertical outlet U. In ordinary working,
the top valve e is kept open so that the coke continues to fall upon the closed bottom
valve e until it nearly reaches as high as the top valve e, which is then closed and the
bottom one opened thus allowing the coke to fall out, when the bottom valve is closed
and the top one opened again. By turning the swing valve f, the hot coke can be
discharged direct into the furnace B, and by reversing this valve the coke can be dis-
charged into barrows, a water cistern, or into an endless carrier and mechanically
conveyed to the outside of the retort house.
These Retorts are preferably erected singly, as shown in the plans, one in each
furnace; but more than one can be arranged to revolve in the same furnace if
required. Motion can be given to any number by the continuation of the main
driving shaft R running along the front of the Retorts, with suitable gearing to
connect to each Retort and feed hopper as shown in Fig. 4, and any one Retort
can be disconnected from the main driving shaft R without interfering with the
others.
By way of still further economising labour we combine with the above Revolving
Retort an endless coal conveyor or carrier V (Fig. 4.) to be fixed over the feeding
hoppers of the Retorts, the coal being delivered in at one end by the elevators W, and
gradually carried over the hoppers, the bottom of the conveyor being fitted with

page_text: sliding doors, one over each hopper to regulate the quantity falling into the hoppers
and Retorts.
We also combine with the above when required an endless coke conveyor to connect
to the outlet pipe U, and thus to mechanically convey all the coke not required in the
furnace B, to the outside of the retort house.
The whole of the above arrangements to be substantially as herein described.
In working with ordinary fixed Retorts, only large or medium sized coal can be
used, and even then it has to remain in the Retorts five to six hours before all the
gases can be eliminated. By our Invention, the smaller the coal the better, both for
regular feeding, preventing escape of gas, and securing rapid distillation, thus allowing
the utilisation of the very smallest (and consequently cheapest) coals which are now
rejected as unsuitable for gas making in the ordinary way. Our Invention also saves
the considerable proportion of gas which always escapes during the process of
charging in the ordinary ways. It also saves the heavy item of stokers' labour, and
the time and heat lost in the ordinary ways, as well as avoiding the damage done to
Retorts, especially fireclay ones, by the frequent changes of temperature, consequent
on intermittent charging and discharging.
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:
1. The use or application of a Revolving Retort for the Distillation of Coal or other
analogous purposes; substantially as herein described.
2. The use of the above, combined with interior blades for breaking up the coal
and gradually working it forward to the discharging end.
3. The use of the above, combined with recessed end plates or mouthpieces, fitted
with suitable packings and rings for preventing escape of gas or ingress of air.
4. The use of the above, combined with a feed hopper, cylinder, internal shaft, and
knives, at the feeding end, by which the coal can be regularly and continuously fed
into the Retort.
5. The use of the above, combined with sliding doors or other mechanical arrange-
ment at the outlet end for discharging the coke without waste or gas.
6. The use of the above, combined with coal elevators and endless conveyor to feed
any different number of hoppers and Retorts.
Dated this 17th day of April 1890.
JNO. A. YEADON.
WILLIAM ADGIE.