IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS
Year: 1869

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Turner Carpenter at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 13th March 1869.
I, WILLIAM TURNER CARPENTER, of West Minster, in the Isle of
Sheppy, and County of Kent, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
GAS," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to facilitate the charging and dis-
charging of the retorts used in gasworks by the aid of machinery, and
to decrease the amount of manual labour attendant thereon, and consists
in forming each of the retorts [which may be round, oval, or other
convenient shape in transverse section] of an increasing diameter from
the mouth to the back end, which is open and communicates with a
chamber common to the whole setting. Over the front of the retort
benches coal bunkers are arranged, which receive their supply of coals
from trucks which are constructed to travel along a tram or railway on
or above the bunkers. From each of the bunkers pipes or shoots

page_text: descend and are connected to the mouth pieces of the retorts, the general
arrangement of pipes or shoots being somewhat similar in appearance to
the rising pipes of ordinary retorts. The lid, which is bolted or other-
wise fastened to the mouth piece, has a hole in its centre through which
a short shaft passes, having a worm wheel on its outside end and
a short archimedian screw at the other end, of such diameter as nearly
to fill the transverse sectional area of the interior of the mouth piece.
Along the fronts of the settings and above or below each line of retorts
longitudinal shafts, are supported at intervals, and are made to revolve
by means of a steam or other suitable power engine. On each shaft
immediately above or below each retort a worm is attached which gears
into the worm wheel before alluded to. The chamber at the back into
which all the retorts in each setting are open has a rising and dip pipe
which terminate in a hydraulic main. The bottom of the chamber com-
municates with another or hot coke chamber, and is separated from it
only by a large throttle valve. The bottom of the coke chamber, which
is by preference made of iron, is hinged and opens downwards, but
when closed is rendered gas-tight by means of a water lute constructed
all around its edge, and is so arranged that on being raised it causes water
to issue from a vessel and fill the lute before mentioned.
The action of the apparatus is as follows: Coal being supplied to
the bunkers and the longitudinal shafts made to revolve, the coal by its
own gravity descends each shoot into the mouth piece, and thence by
means of the archimedian screw is forced into the retort, where it begins
to swell by the heat until it comes into close contact with the surround-
ing surface, and thus prevents the escape of gas into the shoots. As the
coal descends it is serewed or forced forward into the body of the retort
where the gas is freely produced, and as the motion of the apparatus is
continuous the coal as it is forced in thrusts forward that previously
introduced until it eventually falls into the coke chamber below. The
gas evolved passes into the chamber and finally makes its exit through
the rising and dip pipe into the hydraulic main in the usual manner.
When it becomes necessary to draw the coke the throttle or other
valve (which is by preference constructed of iron and made hollow so
as to admit of a stream of water passing through to keep it cool) is shut,
the bottom of the coke chamber is opened, and the coke allowed to fall
into a vault beneath, where trucks may be placed to receive it. The

page_text: retorts may be made of iron, clay, or brick, and be set horizontal,
inclined, or vertical, the arrangement for giving motion to the screw
being varied accordingly. The Invention is also adapted to retorts
whether set in single stacks or back to back.

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Turner Carpenter at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 13th March 1869.
I, WILLIAM TURNER CARPENTER, of West Minster, in the Isle of
Sheppy, and County of Kent, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
GAS," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to facilitate the charging and dis-
charging of the retorts used in gasworks by the aid of machinery, and
to decrease the amount of manual labour attendant thereon, and consists
in forming each of the retorts [which may be round, oval, or other
convenient shape in transverse section] of an increasing diameter from
the mouth to the back end, which is open and communicates with a
chamber common to the whole setting. Over the front of the retort
benches coal bunkers are
are arranged, which receive their supply of coals
from trucks which are constructed to travel along a tram or railway on
or above the bunkers. From each of the bunkers pipes or shoots

page_text: descend and are connected to the mouth pieces of the retorts, the general
arrangement of pipes or shoots being somewhat similar in appearance to
the rising pipes of ordinary retorts. The lid, which is bolted or other-
wise fastened to the mouth piece, has a hole in its centre through which
a short shaft passes, having a worm wheel on its outside end and
a short archimedian screw at the other end, of such diameter as nearly
to fill the transverse sectional area of the interior of the mouth piece.
Along the fronts of the settings and above or below each line of retorts
longitudinal shafts are supported at intervals, and are made to revolve
by means of a steam or other suitable power engine. On each shaft
immediately above or below each retort a worm is attached which gears
into the worm wheel before alluded to. The chamber at the back into
which all the retorts in each setting are open has a rising and dip pipe
which terminate in a hydraulic main. The bottom of the chamber com-
municates with another or hot coke chamber, and is separated from it
only by a large throttle valve. The bottom of the coke chamber, which
is by preference made of iron, is hinged and opens downwards, but
when closed is rendered gas-tight by means of a water lute constructed
all around its edge, and is so arranged that on being raised it causes water
to issue from a vessel and fill the lute before mentioned.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-Coal being supplied to
the bunkers and the longitudinal shafts made to revolve, the coal by its
own gravity descends each shoot into the mouth piece, and thence by
means of the archimedian screw is forced into the retort, where it begins
to swell by the heat until it comes into close contact with the surround-
ing surface, and thus prevents the escape of gas into the shoots. As the
coal descends it is screwed or forced forward into the body of the retort
where the gas is freely produced, and as the motion of the apparatus is
continuous the coal as it is forced in thrusts forward that previously
introduced until it eventually falls into the coke chamber below. The
gas evolved passes into the chamber and finally makes its exit through
the rising and dip pipe into the hydraulic main in the usual manner.
When it becomes necessary to draw the coke the throttle or other
valve (which is by preference constructed of iron and made hollow so
as to admit of a stream of water passing through to keep it cool) is shut,
the bottom of the coke chamber is opened, and the coke allowed to fall
into a vault beneath, where trucks may be placed to receive it.
قيام
The

page_text: retorts may be made of iron, clay, or brick, and be set horizontal,
inclined, or vertical, the arrangement for giving motion to the screw
being varied accordingly. The Invention is also adapted to retorts
whether set in single stacks or back to back.