IMPROVEMENTS IN RETORTS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF COAL GAS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Grice, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Ironfounder, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RETORTS USED IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF COAL GAS."
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Grice at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th September 1879.
WILLIAM GRICE, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Ironfounder.
IMPROVEMENTS IN RETORTS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF COAL GAS."
My Invention has reference to the mouth pieces of the said retorts and the valve
apparatus through which the gas passes from the retort, and my said Invention
consists of the improvements hereinafter described, whereby the construction of the
said parts is improved and their action rendered more efficient.
I make the mouth of the retort of cast iron as usual, and provide the door with a
cast iron or steel bar and screw, by which the door is clamped tightly after the retort
is charged. In order to make the door fit more closely when shut and clamped I
plane the edge of the mouth and make a corresponding rebate or recess in the inner
face of the door, in which recess the planed edge of the door fits when the door is
closed.
I make the channel by which the gas passes from the retort on the summit of the
mouth piece, and cast it in one piece therewith. The said channel contains the
throttle valve, which is made automatic by either of the following methods.
arm.
According to one method the axis of the throttle valve has a counterbalance
weight which has a tendency to keep the valve open, but the said axis of the throttle
valve is so connected with the door of the retort that on opening the said door the
throttle valve is closed. According to the other method the lever with which the
clamping arm of the door engages when the door is closed has a counterbalance
weight on its short arm which, when the lever is at liberty to move, raises the long
This lever is so connected with the axis of the throttle valve that on the
ascent of the long arm the throttle valve is closed. In using this form of my Inven-
tion, in bringing down the long arm of the lever to engage with the clamping arm
and close the mouth of the retort the throttle valve is opened. On disengaging the
said long arm of the lever from the clamping arm it rises and closes the throttle
valve, so that the door of the retort cannot be opened until the throttle valve has
been closed. The gas escaping on the opening of the door of the retort is thus
reduced to a minimum.
.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Grice in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 3rd March
1880.
WILLIAM GRICE, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Ironfounder.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RETORTS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF COAL GAS,"
My Invention has reference to the mouth pieces of the said retorts and the valve
apparatus through which the gas passes from the retort, and my said Invention
consists of the improvements hereinafter described whereby the construction of the
said parts is improved and their action rendered more efficient.
I make the mouth of the retort of cast iron as usual, and provide the door with a
cast iron or steel bar and screw, by which the door is clamped tightly after the retort
is charged. In order to make the door fit more closely when shut and clamped I
plane the edge of the mouth and make a corresponding rebate or recess in the inner
face of the door, in which recess the planed edge of the door fits when the door is
closed.
I make the channel by which the gas passes from the retort on the surumit of the
mouthpiece, and cast it one piece therewith. The said channel contains the throttle
valve, which is made automatic by either of the following methods :-
According to one method the axis of the throttle valve has a counterbalance
weight which has a tendency to keep the valve open, but the said axis of the throttle
valve is so connected with the door of the retort that on opening the said door the
throttle valve is closed.
According to the other method the lever with which the clamping arm of the
door engages when the door is closed has a counterbalance weight on its short arm
which, when the lever is at liberty to move, raises the long arm. This lever is so
connected with the axis of the throttle valve that on the ascent of the long arm the
throttle valve is closed. In using this form of my Invention, in bringing down the
long arm of the lever to engage with the clamping bar and close the mouth of the
retort the throttle valve is opened. On disengaging the said long arm of the lever
from the clamping bar it rises and closes the throttle valve, so that the door of the
retort cannot be opened until the throttle valve has been closed. The gas escaping
on the opening of the door of the retort is thus reduced to a minimum.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings the
manner in which my Invention may be performed.
Figure 1 represents in front elevation, and Figure 2 in side elevation, the mouth
piece and valve apparatus of a gas retort constructed according to one part of my
Invention; Figure 3 represents in plan a portion of the same.
indicate the same parts in Figures 1, 2, and 3.
The same letters
a is the mouth piece of the gas retort, made of cast iron. I prefer to give the
said mouth piece the circular figure represented instead of the arched form ordinarily
employed. The mouth piece a is provided with an iron or steel bar b and screw c,
by which the door d is clamped tightly after the retort has been clamped. The
fixing of the door d in its clamping position is effected by parts represented in
Figure 1, but more particularly represented and hereinafter described with reference
to Figures 4, 5, and 6. e is the channel by which the gas produced passes from the
retort; this channel is on the summit of the mouth-piece a, and is cast in one piece
with it. The said channel e contains the throttle valve constructed as shown in
Figures 7 and 8. The throttle valve in Figures 1, 2, and 3 is made automatic in
the following way:-The end of the axis of the throttle valve is prolonged, the
prolonged part f having a lever arm g and a counterbalance weight h upon it; i is
a sliding arm jointed at k to the door d near the axis or joint on which the said
door turns. When the door & is closed the sliding arm i has the position represented
in Figures 1, 2, and 3, and when the door d is open the said sliding arm i has the

page_text: position indicated by dotted lines in Figure 3. In the former position, that is, when
the door is closed, the throttle valve is open; in the latter position, that is, when
the door is open, the throttle valve is closed. In the sliding arm i is a slot m in
which the lever arm g on the axis f of the throttle valve engages. When by the
opening of the door & the sliding arm i is brought into the position indicated in
dotted lines in Figure 3 the lever arm g is drawn into the position in which the
throttle valve is closed, and when by the closing of the door d the sliding arm i is
brought into the position represented in Figures 1 and 2 and by the continuous lines
in Figure 3, the throttle valve is closed. The counterbalance weight h keeps the
lever arm g to its bearing against the end of the slot m in the sliding arm i, and has
a tendency to force the door, when unfastened, open. By placing the counterbalance
weight h on the other side of the centre f the arm g is made to bear against the
other end of the slot m, and has a tendency to close the door d and open the throttle
valve on the axis f.
The counterbalance weight h is not necessary to the action of the door on the
throttle valve, and when it is not wished to give the door a tendency to open or
close the said weight may be dispensed with.
By the arrangement of parts described and represented the opening of the retort
door & closes the throttle valve and prevents the escape of gas from the mouth of
the retort, the closing of the door & reopening the said throttle valve. Figure 4
represents in front elevation, and Figure 5 in side elevation, the mouthpiece of the
retort and the valve apparatus constructed according to another of my improve-
ments; Figure 6 represents a plan of a portion of the same; Figure 7 represents a
vertical transverse section of the mouth piece and channel of Figure 4, and Figure 8
represents a vertical section of the same taken in a plane at right angles to that in
which the section Figure 7 is taken.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8.
The mouthpiece, clamping bar, screw, door, and channel are marked with the same
letters as corresponding parts in Figures 1, 2, and 3.
In this part of my Invention the clamping bar b, when the door is closed, is fixed
in its position by the long arm of the lever n, the turned down or hook like end n
of which engages with the free end of the said clamping bar b. The short arm of
the lever n carries a counterbalance weight p which, when the lever n is at liberty
to move, raises the long arm of the said lever. A slotted arm q on the end of the
prolonged axis f of the throttle valve s is jointed to the long arm of the lever n in
the manner represented at r. When the lever n and slotted arm q are in the positions
represented in the Drawing the throttle valve s is open (see Figures 7 and 8).
When the lever n is at liberty to move, and its long arm is raised by the balance
weight p, the said slotted arm q is moved through such an angle that the throttle
valve s is closed.
In using this part of my Invention the throttle valve s is kept closed by the
action of the balance weight p so long as the door d is open, but when the door
is closed and the clamping bar b is brought into the position proper for clamping
the door, the long arm of the lever n is depressed so as to make its hooked end n³
engage with the free end of the clamping bar b, the parts being fixed in the
positions represented by means of the pawl or catch t carried by the door d. The
pawl or catch t turns freely on a joint at u and takes the position represented in
Figures 4 and 5 when free to move. When the long arm of the lever nis
depressed, it strikes upon the end of the pawl or catch t, forcing it back until the
hooked end of the lever n has engaged with the clamping bar b, when the pawl
t being no longer forced back by the lever n takes the position represented in the
Drawing, and prevents the ascent of the long arm of the lever 1. The throttle
valve 8 is thus maintained open. When it is wished to open the door of the retort
and the clamping screw c is relaxed for that purpose, it is necessary to press back
by hand the pawl t when the long arm of the lever n rises and closes the throttle
valve 8, at the same time liberating the clamping bar b and permitting of the

page_text: opening of the door d. Thus, the door d of the retort cannot be opened until the
throttle valve 8 has been closed.
J
The pawl t and weighted lever n are applied to the fastening of the door in the
arrangement represented in Figures 1, 2, and 3, but in this case the lever n is not
connected with the axis of the throttle valve.
In order to make the door d fit more closely when shut and clamped, I plane its
edge and give it by preference the V shape represented at d², and I make a rebate
or recess a² in the edge of the mouth piece a of a corresponding Figure. When the
door is closed and the parts d2 and a² engaged together in the manner represented
in Figure 8, a very efficient or tight joint is produced. The 'mouth piece a and
door d of the arrangement Figures 1, 2, and 3 are constructed in the manner
described and illustrated with respect to Figure 8.
Having now described the nature of my Invention and the manner in which the..
same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my Invention
of "Improvements in Retorts Used in the Manufacture of Coal, Gas,"-
First. The construction and arrangement of parts herein before described and
represented in Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the accompanying Drawings, whereby the
opening of the door of the mouth piece of the retort is made to close the throttle
valve of the retort, and the closing of the door made to open the throttle valve,
substantially as described and illustrated.
Secondly. The construction and arrangement of parts herein before described and
represented in Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 of the accompanying Drawings, whereby
the liberation of the clamping bar preparatory to the opening of the door in the
mouth piece of the retort is made to effect the closing of the throttle valve, and to
effect the opening of the throttle valve when the parts are brought into the a
position necessary for the clamping of the said door in the mouthpiece, substan-
tially as described and illustrated.
:
ま
Thirdly. The adaptation of the pawl or catch t and weighted lever n represented
in Figures 4, 5, and 6 to that part of my Invention represented in Figures 1, 2,
and 3.
Fourthly. Making a tight joint between the door and mouth piece by forming a
rebate or depression in the edge of the mouth piece, and an annular projection of a
corresponding Figure on the inner face of the door, as herein before described and
illustrated in Figure 8 of the Drawings.
Fifthly. Making the mouth piece and the channel in which the throttle valve is
situated in one piece by the casting process, as described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Grice, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this First day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty.
5
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
Clerk to George, Shaw,
Birmingham.
WILLIAM GRICE. (L.S.)