IMPROVEMENTS IN RETORTS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF ILLuminating GaS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO RETORTS USED FOR OTHER PURPOSES." PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Grico, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Ironfounder, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RETORTS FOR
THE MANUFACTURE OF ILLuminating GaS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO
APPLICABLE TO RETORTS USED FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Grico at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th June 1881.
WILLIAM GRICE, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Ironfounder.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RETORTS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF ILLUMINATing Gas,
WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO RETORTS USED FOR OTHER
PURPOSES."
My improvements relate to the lids of the said retorts and the fastenings of the
said lids, and have for their object principally to provide for the easy and rapid
removal of any obstruction between the lid and mouth of the retort, and thereby
to secure the close fitting of the lid to the mouth of the retort, and the prevention
of leakage between the lid and mouth of the retort, and also to provide a simple
and efficient fastening for fixing the lid of the retort. My improvements are
especially applicable to retorts used in manufacturing coal or illuminating gas, but
are also applicable to retorts used for other purposes.
I will describe my improvements in connection with a gas retort.
The lid of the retort is carried on the end of a wrought iron screw pin, the end
of the screw pin being conuected with the centre of the door, in the manner herein-
after described. The screw pin carrying the door passes through a screw box in an
arm or lever jointed to the mouth of the retort, by the motion of which arm or
lever the lid of the retort is brought into position to close the mouth of the retort,
or turned aside so as to leave the mouth of the retort open for charging the
retort.
I connect the lid and screw pin carrying the lid in the following manner :-On
the end of the screw pin is a head, and in the centre of the lid is a depression or
cavity of a size and shape suitable for the reception of the head of the pin. The
Paving B1

page_text: head of the pin is retained in the recess in the lid by means of a gland. The
lid while being thus connected the screw pin is capable of rotating. When the
lid is brought to its place against the mouth of the retort for the purpose of
closing the retort should any small particles of coal or other obstruction have
accumulated on the parts of the mouth of the retort against which the lid fits, it is
only necessary to give the lid a slight rotary motion on the end of the pin, when
the coal or other obstruction is either detached and falls from the mouth of the
retort, or is ground up so as no longer to interfere with the production of a sound
joint on the subsequent closing and fixing down of the lid. Where the meeting
surfaces of the mouth of the retort and the lid are flat the head on the end of the
screw pin on which the lid turns may be eccentric.
On the turning of the lid any obstructing matter between the lid and the mouth
of the retort is rapidly removed by the eccentric motion of the lid. To facilitate
the rotary motion of the lid bosses having holes in them may be made near the edge
of the lid. Levers inserted in these holes form temporary handles, by which the
lid may be readily turned.
I fasten or clamp the arm or lever carrying the lid of the retort by means of a
side lever turning upon a centre on on the side of the mouth of the retort.
This side lever is so weighted that its acting end has a tendency to rise. Its
upward motion is limited by a stop, which also forms a protecting shield to the
joint.
The acting end of this side lever is inclined, so that when the end of the arm or
lever carrying the lid is brought over it the said side lever is depressed, and the lid
lever engages behind the shoulder or latch formed by the said inclined end. The
side lever may act by a descending motion instead of a rising motion.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Grice in the Great Scal Patent Office on the
25th November 1881.
WILLIAM GRICE, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Ironfounder.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RETORTS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF ILLUMINATing Gas,
WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO RETORTS USED FOR OTHER
PURPOSES."
My improvements relate to the lids of the said retorts and the fastenings of the
said lids, and have for their object principally to provide for the easy and rapid
removal of any obstruction between the lid and mouth of the retort, and thereby
to secure the close fitting of the lid to the mouth of the retort and the prevention
of leakage between the lid and mouth of the retort, and also to provide a simple
and efficient fastening for fixing the lid of the retort. My improvements are
especially applicable to retorts used in manufacturing coal or illuminating gas, but
are also applicable to retorts used for other purposes.
I will describe my improvements in connection with a gas retort.
The lid of the retort is carried on the end of a wrought iron screw pin, the end
of the screw pin being connected with the centre of the door, in the manner herein
after described. The screw pin carrying the door passes through a screw box in
an arm or lever jointed to the mouth of the retort, by the motion of which arm or
lever the lid of the retort is brought into position to close the mouth of the retort,
or turned aside so as to leave the mouth of the retort open for charging tho
retort.
I connect the lid and screw pin carrying the lid in the following manner :—On
the end of the screw pin is a head, and in the centro of the lid is a depression or
cavity of a size and shape suitable for the reception of the head of the pin. The
head of the pin is retained in the recess in the lid by means of a gland. The lid
while being thus connected to the screw pin is capable of rotating. When the lid
is brought to its place against the mouth of the retort for the purpose of closing the
retort should any small particles of coal or other obstruction have accumulated on
the parts of the mouth of the retort against which the lid fits, it is only necessary
to give the lid a slight rotary motion on the end of the pin when the coal or other
obstruction is either detached and falls from the mouth of the retort, or is ground
up so as no longer to interfere with the production of a sound joint on the sub-
sequent closing and fixing down of the lid. To facilitate the rotary motion of
the lid bosses baving holes in them may be made near the edge of the lid.
Levers inserted in these holes form temporary handles, by which the lid may be
readily turned.
I fasten or clamp the arm or lever carrying the lid of the retort by means of a
side lever turning upon a centre on the side of the mouth of the retort.
This side lever is so weighted that its acting end has a tendency to rise. Its
upward motion is limited by a stop, which also forms a protecting shield to the
joint.
The acting end of this side lever is inclined, so that when the end of the arm or
lever carrying the lid is brought over it the said side lever is depressed and the lid
lever engages behind the shoulder or latch formed by the said inclined end. The
side lever may act by a descending notion instead of a rising motion.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawing tho
manner in which my Invention is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in front elevation and Figure 2 in side elevation the mouth
piece of a gas retort containing my improvements; Figure 3 represents a
horizontal section of a portion of the mouth piece, its lid and the apparatus,

page_text: constructed according to my Invention, connected therewith. The same letters of
reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of the Drawing.
a is the mouthpiece of the gas retort and 6 the lid of the same. The said lid b
is carried on the end of the horizontal screw or screw pin c passing through a
screw box at d in the horizontal front lever or arm e, jointed at e² to the mouth-
piece a of the retort. The said screw c carrying the lid is worked by the
handle c. By turning the horizontal arm or lever e upon its joint e the lid b
carried by the screw c passing through the said arm or lever may be made to close
the mouth of the retort a, or be turned aside so as to open the said mouth piece for
charging the retort.
By means of the screw c the lid 6 after it has been closed upon the mouth piece
may be pressed with any required degree of tightness to its scat in the mouth
piece, so as to form a tight joint. In the face of the mouth piece is an angular
groove, and a nearly corresponding shaped projection at g on the lid b fits in the
said groove as seen in the section, Figure 3. I prefer to make the projection g of
a somewhat less angle than that of the groove f. The position of the groove f
prevents it being injured by the stoker in charging the retort. The groove f is
cleared when necessary in the manner herein after explained. The lid b is so
connected to the inner end of the screw c that the said lid may have a rotary
motion given to it, without affecting the screw in the manner shewn in the section
Figure 3, that is to say, on the end of the said screw c is a head h, which takes
into a depression or cavity at i in the centre of the lid b, the said head / being
retained in its place in the recess i by the gland k. The lid b is thus connected to
the screw c, but is capable of rotating upon the head h of the said screw. When
the lid b is brought to its place against the mouthpiece a for closing the retort,
should any small particles of coal or other obstructive matter have accumulated
in the groove fin which the edge of the lid fits, it is only necessary before forcing
home the lid by the screw c to give the said lid a backward and forward rotary
motion through a small angle upon the head or end h of the scrow, when the coal
or other obstructive matter is either detached or falls from the said groove or is
ground up, so as no longer to interfere with the production of a sound joint on the
subsequent closing and fixing down of the lid. For the purpose of turning the lid b
when required tubular snugs or bosses l, l, l, are made near the edge of the lid b,
into which snugs or bosses levers or bars may be temporarily placed to act as
handles.
As the lid 6 turns freely on the end of the screw or screw pin c the driving home
of the said screw to tighten the lid on its bearing produces no rotatory motion in
the said lid. Hence when there is no obstructive matter in the groove f the lid b
is closed and tightened by the screw c without giving to the lid bany rotatory
motion. When however it is required to clear the groove fa backward and forward
rotatory motion, as herein before described, is given to the said lid.
It will be observed by an examination of Figure 1 that the backward and
forward rotatory motion is confined to an angle less than 180 degrees, as tho rod
or lever put in the snug or boss I cannot pass the arm e and fastening lever m.
When however it is desirable to turn the lid through a greater angle than
180 degrees this may be effected by changing the handle from one snug to
another.
The rotary motion of the lid b it will thus be seen is wholly independent of the
screw c, and cannot be effected by the said screw. There is consequently no
rubbing or grinding of the projection g of the lid b in the groove of the mouth
pieco on closing the said lid, and driving home the screw C. It will also be
observed that the lid b is incapable of any angular motion about the axis of the
screw c other than a circular motion.
The outer face of the projecting rim g of the lid b and the groove fin which it
bears never require to be ground in the working of the retort, it being only
necessary to keep the groove f clear of obstructive matter, which is readily effected
by the circular motion described of the lid.

page_text: Injury to or wear of the interior of the mouth of the retort does not interfere
with the tight fitting of the lid b in the groove f in the mouth piece a.
The front arm or lever e carrying the lid b of the retort is fastened or clamped
when closed by the side lever m turning on the joint m³, and having a weight m³
on its short arm, and an inclined shoulder or latch m' on the end of the other arm.
The acting or latch end m of the side lever m is made to rise or take the fastening
position represented by the counterbalance weight m³ on the other arm, the
upward motion of the said lever m being limited by the shield or stop n (sec
Figure 2) against which it bears. The said shield or curved stop n also serves to
protect the joint m² of the side lover m.
In opening the lid 6 the pressure on the lid is first relaxed by slightly withdrawing
the clamping screw c by means of the handle c, and the side lever m is next
pressed down so as to disengage its latch end m from the front or lid carrying
lever e. After the retort has been charged the lid b is closed by pushing the lever e
towards the mouth pieco a.
As the lid closes the free end of the front lever e is
brought over the inclined or latch end m of the sido lever m, depressing the
latter, and when the lid has reached its closed position the said side lever rises by
the action of its weight m³, and the shoulder or latch part m* engages behind the
lid carrying or side lever e, and thereby fastens the lid in its place, the final
clamping of the edge of the lid in its groove ƒ to secure a tight joint being effected
by driving home the scrow c.
Before driving home the screw c the lid b if necessary may be partly rotated to
clear the groove f, as herein before described.
The side weighted lever m instead of having an ascending motion to clamp the
lid carrying levere may have a descending motion.
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 for the Manufacture of Illuminating Gas,
which Improvements are also Applicable to Retorts for other Purposes,”-
First. Supporting the lids of the said retorts upon a screw or screw pin c carried
by the front arm or lever e, upon which said screw or screw pin the lid is capable
of turning freely, for the purpose and substantially as herein before described and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.
Secondly. Providing the lid of the retort with moans whereby when required
the groove in the mouth piece of the retort may be cleared of any obstructive
matter by giving the lid a backward and forward rotary motion upon the end of
the supporting screw or screw pin, substantially as herein before described and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.
Thirdly. The combination of the parts of the fastening herein before described
and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing for fixing or clamping the lids of the
said retorts, that is to say, the combination with the front or lid carrying lever e of
the weighted side lever m, m³, m³, m², substantially as described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I the said William Grice, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty fourth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
WILLIAM GRICE. (L.s.)