IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CHARGING GAS RETORTS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Robinson, of West Bromwich, in the
County of Stafford, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR CHARGING GAS RETORTS."
Sealed the 13th May 1875, and dated the 21st November 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John-Robinson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st November 1874.
I, JOHN ROBINSON, of West Bromwich, in the County of Stafford,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARatus FOR CHARGING GAS RETORTS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of
scoop for charging gas retorts, suitable for use in combination with what
are known as mechanical or steam stokers, and has for its object the

page_text: affording of greater facility of charging gas retorts, more especially in
those cases where "cannel" and other large coal is used.
My improved scoop consists of two segments of a cylinder of any con-
venient radius or depth, according to the transverse area of the retorts
employed. The outer edges of these two segments may if desired be
considerably above the centre line of the shaft or spindle upon which
they are mounted, and may form, in fact, about two-thirds of a cylinder
with a mouth or long opening on the upper side of about one-third of
the circumference of the said cylinder to allow of the coals falling
readily into the scoop when being filled, whilst at the same time pre-'
venting any coals from falling over the sides of the scoop when entering
the retort.
The two segments before mentioned are mounted on two separate
heads or bosses; the larger or outer segment, which folds completely
over and encloses the smaller one when the scoop has discharged its
contents and is being withdrawn, being made fast on to a hollow or
tubular spindle, whilst the smaller segment is mounted on a head or
boss which is keyed or otherwise secured to the end of a solid shaft or
spindle which turns inside the outer or tubular spindle.
With a view to the opening and closing of these two segments various·|
mechanical arrangements may be adopted, but I have found the following
to answer well in practice:- Upon the tubular & solid shafts or
spindles there are mounted two bevel wheels or pinions, one on each
spindle, both of which bevel wheels or pinions gear into a third bevel
wheel having a spur wheel cast upon the back thereof. This spur wheel
engages into the teeth of a horizontal reciprocating rack, deriving there-
from a rotary motion which it transmits through the bevel gearing to
the spindles, and causes the segments to turn in opposite directions,
thereby opening the bottom of the scoop and discharging the contents
into the retort.. The larger segment folds over the smaller one, and both
segments are thus brought vertically over the centre of the spindles,
leaving a larger free space for the coals or charge than is afforded by the
ordinary mechanical scoops, and obviating the inconvenience of some of
the coals being dragged out of the retort by the scoop during its with-
drawal. The segments are locked in their proper relative positions
whilst entering and being withdrawn from the retort by a notched disc

page_text: .
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
ROBINSON, of West Bromwich, in the County of Stafford, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of November, 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 suc-.
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said John Robinson, Her special
licence, that I, the said John Robinson, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Robinson, my 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 make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR CHARGING GAS RETORTS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Robinson, my executors or admini-
strators, by an instrument in writing under my, 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.

page_text: cation of my said former Patent. This carriage has a long overhanging
collar bearing or tubular boss C cast on the front end thereof, within
which turns the hollow or tubular shaft D carrying a bracket E, to
which the larger or outer one of the two segments F and F of å
cylinder composing the scoop is rivetted. These segments are, by pre-
ference, composed of sheet steel bent to the proper curve, as shown, and
having a lip or turned-up edge formed at their outer ends to prevent the
coals from falling out. In the interior of the hollow shaft D there is
fitted, to turn freely and concentrically therein, the solid shaft D', which
carries at its front end a bracket E' to which the inner or smaller
segment F¹ is rivetted, as already described. On the rear end of the
hollow shaft D there is forged the bevel pinion G, a corresponding
pinion G¹ being secured to the inner shaft D'. Both these pinions gear
simultaneously into the teeth of a horizontal bevel wheel H having spur
teeth I cast thereon, and mounted loosely on a fixed stud centre K
secured into the bottom of the scoop carriage and steadied by a cross
bar L bolted to lugs on the opposite inner sides of the carriage, as
shown clearly in Figure 3. M is a rack sliding to and fro in guides in
the scoop carriage and gearing into the spur teeth I. This rack projects
sufficiently beyond the carriage to admit of its receiving the requisite.
traverse for imparting the desired amount of rotation to the segments,
one end of the rack being fitted with a buffer N to check its inward
traverse and deaden the blow, as herein-after explained. O is a tooth or
catch mounted on the inner shaft D¹ and engaging or locking with the
jointed lever catch P which projects slightly beyond the side of the
carriage (sec Figure 3). A powerful volute spring Q is secured by its
inner coil to the long collar boss C, whilst its outer coil is connected by.
a bar R with the periphery of the bracket carrying the outer segment F,
whereby greater power over the segment is obtained. A second volute
spring Qis secured at its outer coil to an angle piece b rivetted to the
back of the scoop carriage, whilst its inner coil is fitted to a square
portion on the projecting end of the inner or solid shaft D'. The two
springs are arranged to turn the two segments of the scoop in opposite
directions, and to maintain them one over the other in an elevated
position, as shown in Figure 5. As the carriage is run back to withdraw
the scoop the end of the rack strikes a fixed stop, and by imparting the
requisite traverse to the rack transmits a partial or say one-third of a
revolution to the segments in opposite directions through the inter-

page_text: Third. The working the outer segment of the scoop by a volute spring
arranged to operate on the periphery of the segment, substantially as
and for the purpose herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Robinson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
Witness,
JOHN ROBINSON. (L.S.)
EDWIN P. ALEXANDER,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent,
14, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane,
W.C.