Apparatus for the Manufacture of Coke.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Mar., 1892-Accepted, 2nd Apr., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for the Manufacture of Coke.
I, THOMAS REHRER OSBOURN, a citizen of the United States, residing at
1207 Spruce Street in the City of Philadelphia, County of Philadelphia, State of
Pennsylvania, United States of America, Engineer, 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 :--
The object of my invention is to provide a simple durable and efficient apparatus
for the production of coke in which the coal is first subjected to heat, or coked, in
an oven, and is then removed from said oven and quenched in a separate receptacle.
By the employment of my apparatus the lowering of the heat of the oven incident
to the operation of quenching the coke therein is avoided with the result that great
economy of heat is attained, while the quenching, being performed in a receptacle
apart from the oven and especially adapted for the purpose, is much
thoroughly expeditiously and uniformly effected than when performed in the
oven itself.
more
A preferred and convenient form of apparatus conveniently embodying my
invention is shown in the accompanying drawings and is hereinafter described,
the particular subject matter claimed as novel being hereinafter specified.
In the drawings,
Figure is a central vertical sectional elevation of an oven embodying my
invention, sight being taken toward the front wall of the oven, the portable
bottom or floor being shown as down upon a truck, but connected with the lifts
and jack spider and in readiness to be elevated into position.
Figure 2 is a central vertical sectional elevation of the oven, in a plane at right
angles to its front, showing, however, the portable bottom in position to receive a
charge of fresh coal to be coked.
Figure 3 is a sectional plan of the oven.
Figure 4 is a view in side elevation of the apparatus for quenching the coke.
In the drawings,
A indicates the masonry forming the exterior shell of a series or battery of
ovens, the linings thereof being preferably formed of brick work. Each oven is
composed of an upper portion and a lower portion, which I designate respectively
as the oven and the pit, the line of division between the two being the bottom
when in its usual position. The oven shown is of the general hemispherical form
to which the term "bee hive" has been applied, and its ceiling or enclosing wall
embodies a charging opening C covered by a plate Cx. The front wall of the
bee hive oven embodies at or above the ordinary level of the bottom a door C¹,
and below said bottom level a door C2, of width at least equal to that of the
floor D. E is a track or tramway extending along the top of the battery or series
of ovens.
Generally stated the operation of the oven is as follows:
A car of coal is drawn into position over the opening C and a quantity of coal
charged through said opening and down upon the floor D, and the oven having
preferably been previously heated to a high temperature, the charge is fired. The
operation of coking then proceeds in a manner well known to those familiar with the
art. To remove the charge, when brought to the proper stage of incandescence,
the portable bottom is lowered into the pit and upon a truck F mounted upon
rails leading out through the door C,-is detached from its support, and carried
away by said truck to the quenching apparatus in which said charge is placed,
whereupon said bottom is returned to the pit, again connected to its supports or

page_text: lifts and elevated into the position shown in Figure 2, in readiness to receive
another mass of coal to be coked.
In my improved construction the oven is, as stated, of a bee hive form, but the
pit, while it is, in length and breadth conveniently of about the same measurement
as the greatest diameter of the oven, is of general quadrangular plan, so that its
diagonal measurement being greater than the diameter of the oven, its corners
extend or project beyond the circular line of the niasonry of the oven wall, and
the bottom D, being similarly quadrangular and of nearly the same plan as the
pit, the charge of coke placed upon said bottom is, owing to the large size of
the latter, not liable to be shaken off while being carried away from the oven on the
truck. This increased area of the bottom is secured without enlargement either of
the body of the structure or the breadth of the door C2, because said structure and
door being necessarily large enough to suit a round bottom of size equal to the
diameter of the oven, equally accommodate a square bottom of similar breadth.
Three of the walls of the pit are shown as straight and continuous, while the fourth
or front wall embodies near its top an arch C³ above the pit door C³. At or just
above the position which it is desired that the bottom or floor should occupy when
a charge is being fired, a stop G is conveniently provided, which may be a
projection of any preferred character. I prefer, however, to form it as a plate the
body of which is built into the masonry of the wall and the edge of which projects
into the interior of the oven. The interior plan of the structure changes at this
point from a general quadrangle to a circle, and to accomplish this in constructing
the oven I resort to the use of what I term "hive sills" H, being plates of metal,
each resting upon the tops of the two straight walls contiguous to a corner of the
pit, and constituting a bridge across said corner, which plates are as to their front
edges preferably of curved form to correspond to the radius of the lower portion of
"the bee hive oven. These plates or sills may, if desired, be supplemented by other
intermediate straight plates extending from one to the other, or a continuous
annular hive sill may be employed.
Upon the sills and upon the top of the straight walls of the pit is built the wall
of the bee hive oven, the same being, apart from its foundation upon the hive sills,
constructed in a manner familiar to masons and oven builders. The plates or hive
sills and also the tops of the pit walls, are quite broad.
Said hive sills serve as a convenient means by which an oven of circular plan
may be built upon a pit of quadrangular plan, a construction very desirable and
only made possible by the presence of said hive sills. As will be further apparent,
by the employment, of the construction herein set forth, it becomes possible to
take down, when desired, the masonry of the bee hive oven and construct upon
the foundation furnished by the pit walls and the hive sills an oven of larger
or smaller cubic area or of a different shape, without the necessity for taking
lown and reconstructing the walls of the pit. The bee hive oven therefore to
this extent may be said to be adjustable.
In order to provide for the regulated admission of such small quantity of air
as may be desirable in connection with the coking operation, I provide air inlets
or ducts z opening into the respective bee hive ovens a short distance above
their bottoms.
The outer ends of these ducts, which may be equipped with any suitable valves,
are located at any convenient points but preferably at the front of the ovens. I
prefer to form in the masonry between each pair of ovens a channel divided into
two ducts or air ways which channel extends from the front of the structure
rearwardly to a point abreast of the rear portions of the bee hive ovens, where
said ducts diverge, each leading into the oven adjacent to it.
Each oven in the
battery will according to this arrangement be provided with two air inlets.
In order to protect the projections G, and the hive sills if the latter happen to
"project inwardly beyond the plane of the interior wall of the oven, from contact
with the masses of incandescent material supported by the bottom, I prefer in
constructing the bee-hive oven and in laying the first few courses of the brick

page_text: work, to set the bricks to project or overhang to mask or cover said projections G
or hive sills or both.
In building a battery of bee-hive ovens I prefer to slightly flatten the opposing
walls of each adjacent pair of ovens so as to allow of said ovens being built closely
together with considerable portions of their respective walls in contact, whereby
waste of heat is reduced inasmuch as through the said contacting surfaces the heat
generated in the two ovens is mutually radiated from one to the other.
The arrangement described is indicated in Figure 3.
The means to which I resort to manipulate the bottom are as follows:
I II I are a series of bores or tunnels, passing vertically through the structure
exterior to the oven and opening as to their lower ends through the lower face of
those portions of the structure which overhang the corners of the pit, and preferably
behind or through the hive sills hereinbefore referred to.
JJJJ are a series of metal rods or lifts one of which is mounted in each of the
bores or tunnels referred to, and each of which is provided with means by which
it may be detachably connectel with the bottom. Any desired arrangement for
detachably connecting the rods with the bottom may be resorted to but I prefer to
simply bend the lower end of each rod to form a hook j which by rotation of the
rod may be carried beneath the bottom or out from beneath the same as desired,
and to enable such rotation to be made 1 equip each rod at its upper portion with
an operating handle *. Each lift is preferably provided with a shoulder j² situated
intermediate of its length, at such point as to be about level with the upper face
of the masonry when the bottom is drawn to its upper position so that a block or
stay pin may be inserted through or beneath each shoulder to support said bottom.
K is a lever to which one or a set of such blocks are to be connected in any pre-
ferred manner so that by its throw the blocks are set in and out of position.
Lis a truck adapted to be run upon rails, upon which is mounted a jack, a
hydraulic ram, or kindred device, M, upon or in connection with which is mounted a
spider Mx provided with hooks m
adapted to engage with rings mounted in the
upper extremities of the lifts. The truck, jack, and spider, are adapted to be
propelled along the track E and to successively operate the bottoms of the oven
of the series.
In the construction described the lifts are always in their places and ready to he
as to their extremities attached to or disconnected from the spider and the bottom
respectively, and are, moreover, by the provision of the bores or channels exterior
to the oven protected from the great heat of its interior. In the operation of the
oven when the charge, after being fired, is in readiness for removal, the truck I, is
brought into position and attached to the lifts, the blocks are withdrawn from
below the shoulders, the bottom lowered upon the truck F, and the lifts rotated
by their handles to clear the hooks from the bottom D and elevated to permit the
lateral movement of said bottom. After the bottom has been removed and its
contents discharged into the quenching device it is returned to the pit, the lifts are
again engaged with it, and the jack operated to elevate the bottom until it comes
into position against the projection or ledge G, herein before described, in which
position the shoulders of the lifts are in position to receive the supporting blocks,
whereupon after the insertion of said blocks, the truck and spider may be disen-
gaged from the lifts and be passed along to the next or any selected oven.
The quenching device into which the bottom D discharges its load is especially
depicted in Figure 4 of the drawings, in which N represents a box-like receptacle
conveniently formed of sheet metal and mounted on wheels n which enable it to
run upon a track O supposed extending along in proximity to a battery of ovens.
The box or car as I hereafter term it is of any preferred dimensions and form,
being designed to receive the contents of one or any number of coke ovens.
P is a lid, adapted to be seated upon the top of the car so as to enclose the same,
aud is preferably of an oblique walled or hip-roofed form for two purposes, namely,
first, to enclose the coke when its highest portions may project above the edge of

page_text: the car, and, second, to promote the circulation of steam and gases generated by
the treatment with water. The lower edges of the roof overhang the edges of the
car to some extent, by which arrangement the roof is caused to center and properly
seat itself upon the car.
y is a stop located upon the under side of the lid and adapted by contact with
the edge of the car or box to support the lid in position.
In the drawings this stop is shown as consisting of a continuous ledge.
Rare a series of holes in the wall of the car and its lid, designed to permit the
escape of steam and gas, and e is a door provided with a lid which will be lifted
by any such excess of steam as cannot escape through the holes R.
S is a lidded inspection opening in the lid or roof through which the condition of
the contents may be observed.
Spray pipes are arranged in any preferred manner to distribute water in desired
quantities over the mass of coal.
T is a supply pipe leading into the end of the car and are branches of said
supply pipe, two of said branches conveniently extending along each side of said
car, but said branches may in practice be of such number and so otherwise located
on the sides and bottom of the car as to effect the most thorough and uniform
treatment of every part of the mass with water and steam.
U is a pipe extending along the exterior of the lid, provided with a series of
branches extending through to the interior of the lid and provided therein with
perforated extensions or roses u*.
V is a flexible or jointed supply pipe leading to the pipe U.
Ware ropes by which the lid or roof may be litted and lowered at will.
In operation, after the heated charge from the oven is deposited within the car
the lid is lowered into position. The valves of the pipes are then set so as to permit
the influx of the desired quantity of water and the completion of the coke making
operation is thus effected."
In the operation of the apparatus a series of cars may be brought one by one
heneath the cover or lid P.
As will be understood the quenching apparatus described would be useful in
connection with other types of coking ovens such for instance as the Belgian
Coppee oven.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to he performed I declare that what.
I claim is:
1. A structure consisting of a pit of angular plan, a support such as hive sills
resting upon the walls of said pit, and an oven of the bee hive type superimposed
upon said support, the arrangement being such that bee hive ovens of dissimilar
capacity can be successively constructed upon the support and pit walls, substan-
tially as set forth.
2. A structure comprising an oven and a pit, each provided with a door or
opening, a portable bottom, lifting bars extending to the top of the structure, and
adapted to be operated from the top of the structure to be connected with and
disconnected from said bottom, and means for raising and lowering said lifts, sub-
stantially as set forth.
3. A structure comprising a pit of angular plan, the corners of which are
each spanned by a metal support resting upon the walls thereof and adapted
to support an oven of the bee-hive type superimposed thereon, a movable bottom,
and means for elevating and lowering said bottom, substantially as set forth.
4. In a coke oven, a portable bottom, lifts, a jack mounted on wheels and adapted
to run upon ways extending to or across the top of said oven, and a spider adapted
to be detachably connected with said lifts, substantially as set forth.
5. In a coke oven, a structure forming a pit and a bee-hive oven situated:
above the same, and embodying in its masonry vertical lift channels bores or

page_text: tunnels exterior to the bee-hive oven and extending from the top of the structure
to the pit, a movable bottom, and lifts situated within said lift channels, substan-
tially as set forth.
6. In a coke oven, a structure forming a bee-hive oven and a pit situated beneath
the same, and embodying in its masonry vertical channels extending from the top
of the structure to the pit, a portable bottom, lifts composed of rigid bars situated
within said lift channels, the lower ends of which lifts are detachably connected
with the floor, and the upper ends of which are adapted for connection with
suitable lifting and lowering mechanism.
7. In combination with a coke oven comprising a pit and a bee-hive oven and the
wall of which embodies vertical lift channels, a portable or movable bottom, lifis
extending through the lift channels and the lower ends of which are detachably
connected with the floor, lifting mechanism, and means by which the lifts may be
locked or secured in an elevated position to secure the bottom in position between
the bee-hive oven and the pit, substantially as set forth.
8. As a device for quenching coke, a box or car, a lid, water distributing
pipes, in communication with a source of water supply, and embodying suitable
spraying perforations, arranged along the sides hottom or ends of said car, sub-
stantially as set forth.
9. The combination to form a device for quenching coke of a box or car,
a lid or cover fitted thereto, water distributing pipes situated within the box,
and water distributing pipes mounted in or supported by the lid, substantially as
set forth.
10. A structure comprising two bee-hive ovens arranged with broad contacting
surfaces, substantially as set forth.
11. A bee-hive oven the wall of which embodies a flattened portion, substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 4th day of February A D 1809
Signed in the presence of
FREDERIC NORMAN DIXON,
ROBERT MONTGOMERY RUSSELL.
THOMAS REHRER OSBOURN.