IM- PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS FOR CHARGING AND DRAWING RETORTS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Hillyer Warren, of Crewe, in the County
.
of Chester, Engineer, and Percy John Wates, of Greenwich, in
the County of Kent, Gas Engineer, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS FOR CHARGING AND DRAWING
RETORTS."
Sealed the 5th January 1875, and dated the 11th July 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Hillyer Warren
and Percy John Wates at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 11th July 1874.
We, SAMUEL HILLYER WARREN, of Crewe, in the County of Chester,
Engineer, and PERCY JOHN WATES, of Greenwich, in the County of.
Kent, Gas Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention >
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS FOR CHARGING AND DRAWING
RETORTS," to be as follows:-
-
The objects of this Invention are the charging and discharging of gas
retorts and similar apparatus by machinery in a better manner and at.

page_text: less cost than heretofore. The machine for this purpose consists of a
stout quadrilateral frame mounted upon wheels and capable of travelling
as a whole to and fro in the retort house on a line of rails parallel to the
front of the retorts. Within this frame, regulated by suitable guides,
a table or framework is placed, carrying the scoop and rake, which can
be raised or lowered at pleasure by means of screws, racks, and pinions,
or other equivalent mechanical means, a screw being preferred, so that
the scoop and rake may be brought to the level of the retorts to be
operated upon. Extending the whole length of this frame are two
horizontal screws which are caused to rotate at a suitable speed, and by
so doing to push forward nuts to which the charging and discharging
tools are fixed, thus putting them into the retort to be operated upon.
By reversing the direction of the rotation of the screws the nuts, and
rakes, and scoops, are withdrawn. The scoop is fixed to the one nut
and the rake to the other, and they may be propelled or withdrawn either
together or separately.
The scoop consists of a steel semi-cylinder of the usual description
attaclied to a cylindrical barrel at its back end, which is grasped in a
collar on the nut. A second collar is fixed in front upon this cylinder,
and is threaded to work on a screw upon the cylinder, so that when the
nut is advanced so that the scoop is within a short distance of its total
travel this collar is stopped by suitable means; and the nut continuing
to advance the cylinder is caused to make a semi-revolution by means of
the screw upon it working in the fixed collar, and in so doing to deposit ·
the contents of scoop in the retort. In order to obtain a great length of
bearing between these collars, and yet that the scoop may be turned
over within a short distance, a second cylinder is placed within the front
collar which can make a three-quarter revolution before the scoop is
acted unon

page_text: communication from this shaft to the various parts being obtained by
means of an arrangement of frictional cones and suitable bevel wheels.
A hopper is also attached to the machine for the purpose of holding
coal and delivering it in given quantities into the scoop. The delivering
apparatus consists of a cylinder partially open at top and bottom, the
openings being covered by discs, so that the top one being open one of
the divisions of the cylinder is filled; and then, by making a partial
revolution of the discs to the other side, the coal is discharged at bottom
and the opposite side filled, ready to be discharged in like manner at the
next partial revolution. This is also driven by a pulley actuated by the
rope.
Automatic means are arranged that the motion of the scoop or rake
may be reversed. Instead of the elevating arrangement one or more
scoops and rakes may be used, or the charging and drawing machines
may be made separately. Any number of machines may be driven by
the same rope upon either or both sides of the retort house.
.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Samuel Hillyer Warren and Percy John Wates in
the Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th January 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, SAMUEL
HILLYER WARREN, of Crewe, in the County of Chester, Engineer, and
PERCY JOHN WATES, of Greenwich, in the County of Kent, Gas
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Samuel Hillyer Warren and Percy
John Wates, Her special licence that we, the said Samuel Hillyer
Warren and Percy John Wates, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said Samuel Hillyer Warren and
Percy John Wates, our 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

page_text: .
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS FOR CHARGING AND
DRAWING RETORTS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the
said Samuel Hillyer Warren and Percy John Wates, our executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or one of our, 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 we, the said Samuel Hillyer Warren and Percy
John Wates, do hereby declare the nature of our 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 :-
The objects of this Invention are the charging and discharging of gas
retorts and similar apparatus by machinery in a better manner and at
less cost than heretofore. The machine for this purpose consists of a
stout quadrilateral frame mounted upon wheels and capable of travelling
as a whole to and fro in the retort house on a line of rails parallel to the
front of the retorts. Within this frame, regulated by suitable guides, a
table or framework is placed carrying the scoop and rake, which can be
raised or lowered at pleasure by means of screws, racks, and pinions, or
other equivalent mechanical means, a screw being preferred, so that the
scoop and rake may be brought to the level of the retorts to be
operated upon. Extending the whole length of this frame are two
horizontal screws which are caused to rotate at a suitable speed, and by
so doing to push forward nuts to which the charging and discharging
tools are fixed, thus putting them into the retort.
By reversing the direction of the rotation of the screws the rakes and
scoops are withdrawn.
The scoop is fixed to the one nut and the rake
to the other, and they may be propelled or withdrawn either together
or separately.
.
All the motions of the various parts of the machine are obtained by
means of an endless rope running from end to end of the retort house.

page_text: corresponding bevilled pinions O, P, and Q, by means of friction cone
clutches R and S, which slide upon a feather attached to the shaft K.
The same shaft also imparts motion to a worm T which actuates a worm
wheel U keyed to an upright shaft V. At the lower part of the shaft V
there is a mitre wheel, which gears into another mitre wheel fixed to the
axis of the flanged wheels B that support the frame; W, X, Y, are three
levers fastened to the friction cone clutches for the purpose of throwing
their respective pinions in and out of gear, the levers being dotted in only.
to prevent obstruction of the view of the other parts. The pinion or
wheel P is fixed to a shaft Z having a strong screw formed
upon nearly
its entire length. This screwed shaft passes through a nut fixed to the
scoop and rake carriage a, which it raises or depresses according to the
direction in which it is turned. The pinion or wheel Q is fixed to a
shaft b, on which is also keyed a pinion c that gears into another
pinion d fixed to a leading screw e which reaches the whole length of
the machine, and is seen in Fig. 1. The pinion or wheel o is fixed to
an upright shaft ƒ which imparts motion by means of the bevil wheels
g and to a leading screw i, seen in Fig. 2.
:
The scoop carriage consists of a frame j, between the sides of which
the screw e revolves. The scoop k is made semi-cylindrical, and is
attached to a shaft 7 at its back end, where it is grasped in a collar m
on the nut n. A second collar o is fixed in front upon the same shaft 1,
and is threaded to work on one or more threads of a quick screw formed
upon the said shaft, so that when the nut n is advanced by. the motion
of the leading screw e and the scoop is within a short distance of its
total travel the collar o is stopped by coming in contact with a stud or
the end of the frame; and as the nut n continues to advance the shaft
is caused to make a semi-revolution by means of the screw upon it
working in the fixed collar o, and in so doing deposits the contents of
the scoop in the retort. In order to obtain a great length of bearing
between these collars, and yet allow the scoop to be turned over within
a short distance, a cylinder p is placed within the front collar, which can
make a three-quarter revolution before the scoop is acted upon.
The rake carriage consists of a frame similar to that of the scoop,
between the sides of which also works the leading screw i. This screw a
carries a nut 2, to which the rake bar is loosely hinged at 'S. At a
suitable distance from one end of the rake carriage is fixed a support
guide and fulcrum 't for the guide or manipulating .bar u, which is:

page_text: formed with an eye at its extremity v, so that the rake bar may pass.
through it and be free to slide. It will be seen that on moving the
handle or other extremity w of the guide rod the rake head x may be
raised, depressed, or moved from side to side, while the revolution of the
leading screw will cause it to advance or recede as occasion may dictate,
in accordance with the direction of the revolving screw.
The scoop and rake carriage is guided in the course of its being raised
or lowered by suitable guides y bearing against the frame, the rising or
lowering being produced through the medium of the screws Z, Z, which
are made to revolve in unison through the intervention of the shaft z,
to which mitre wheels are attached at each end.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-Motion to the driving
wheel being imparted and communicated to the upright shaft v, the
frame is caused to travel till it reaches the proper point for charging the
retort. The scoop carriage is then adjusted to a height level with the
bottom of the retort. The scoop. having received its charge of coal is
then thrust forward by the action of the leading screw e, and when it
has attained nearly its full travel is turned over, as before described, and
in so doing strikes against a stud, which operating upon one end of a
lever causes the other end to act upon one of the friction clutches, and
so reverse the action of the machine automatically, thus drawing the
scoop out and counteracting any negligence shown by the attendant.
For discharging, the rake head is brought opposite to the retort to be
drawn and the leading screw is made to revolve. This causes the
nutq to advance, and the rake head x is thrust into the retort; and
when a sufficient distance has been entered the rake is pressed down by
the guide bar u and the motion reversed, when the coke will be
withdrawn.
Although only one scoop and rake is shown in the machine there may
be several mounted on carriages to suit the particular heights of the
retorts, and thus save the necessity for adjusting the position of the
frames at each charging or drawing. Also, if found more desirable, the
scoop carriage and the rake carriage may be mounted' upon separate
frames, thus making the charging and drawing machines distinct and
independent of each other.
Having now described and particularly set forth the nature of this
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried

page_text: into effect, we would observe in conclusion that we do not confine or
restrict ourselves to the precise details or arrangements which we have
described or referred to, as variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of this Invention; but
what we consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the
Invention secured to us by the herein, before in part recited Letters
Patent, is:-
Firstly. The shaft 1, collar m, and nuts n and o, attached to the scoop,
for the purpose of turning it over, as described and shown on the
Drawings.
"
Secondly. The nut q, guide t, and guide bar ", as described and shown
on the Drawings.
And, Thirdly. The general arrangement of the machine and application'
óf friction cones, as described and shown on the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Percy John Wates, have hereunto
I set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.