Improvements in Charging Gas Retorts and Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 17th June, 1890
Complete Specification Lelt, 18th Nov., 1890-Accepted, 3rd Jan., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Charging Gas Retorts and Apparatus therefor.
1, JOSIAH CLEMENT CHANDLER, of 3, Trent Road, Brixton Hill, in the County of
Surrey, Gas Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
This invention relates to the construction and application to inclined gas retorts of
an arrangement for automatically charging the same, whereby the loss of gas which
now generally takes place when the retorts are charged is prevented and whereby the
stokers are protected from the effects of the flame which now usually issues from the
retort during the charging operation.
In carrying out my invention I apply to the charging end of the retort what I call
a charging receiver, which is advantageously made somewhat in the form of a hopper,
and is provided with a gas-tight closing door at the upper part and at the lower part,
where it communicates with the retort, with a suitable valve or door whereby the
communication between the charging recoiver and the retort can be opened or closed
as required.
In order to charge a retort according to my invention, communication between the
retort and the receiver is shut off by means of the said valve or door, and the receiver
is then charged with coal through its charging door, which is then closed gas-tight.
The said valve is now opened and the charge of coal will by its own weight fall into
the retort and the receiver-door being closed, as above named, it will be obvious that
no gas or flame can escape.
When the retort is drawn it is again charged in the
above stated manner and so on.
It will be obvious that my charging receiver can be made movable so that one of
such receivers will serve for more than one retort.
100A
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Charging Gas Retorts and Apparatus therefor.
I, JOSIAH CLEMENT CHANDLER, of 3, Trent Road, Brixton Hill, in the County of
Surrey, Gas 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:-
This invention relates to the charging of inclined gas retorts and to the construction
and application thereto of apparatus for automatically effecting such charging, whereby
the loss of gas and the rush of flame which now generally take place when the retorts
are charged are prevented.
In carrying out my invention 1 apply to the charging end of the retort what I call
a charging receiver, which is advantageously made somewhat in the form of a hopper,
and I provide two sets of gas-tight closing doors or valves whereby the communi-
cation between the charging receiver and the retort can be opened or closed as
required.
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe the same with
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved charging apparatus shewn as mounted
upon rails in order that it may be moved for charging several retorts.

page_text: Figure 3 is a plan.
of the same; and
Figure 4 is a section of the said charging apparatus on the line x, x Figure 2.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.
a, a indicate the mouths of a series of retorts to be charged, each of which is
provided with a valve 6 for opening and closing the said mouth. c is the receiver
which, at its upper end, is provided with a charging door d and at its lower end is
shaped, for instance, as shewn in the drawings, to fit into a seat e formed on each
retort mouth a. This receiver is mounted upon a carriage f running upon rails
on the charging platform, so that it may be moved to bring it into position for
charging a number of retorts.
As in practice the mouths of the retorts will frequently get out of alignment,
owing to expansion and contraction, tho said receiver is adapted to move transversely
upon the said carriage, and for this purpose I provide it with axles or trunnions h, h
carried on wheels, designed to run upon rails or guides j, j attached to the
carriage, horns j', being provided for preventing the turning of the receiver
relatively to the carriage.
As shown in the drawings the lower end of the receiver is at some distance above
the retorts so that the latter will offer no obstruction to its movement upon the
rails g, 9:
In order to move the said receiver so that its lower end will rest in the seat e of the
retort being charged, I provide means for lowering and raising it and I advantageously
effect this by eccentrically securing the axles or trunnions h, h to two discs k, k upon the
ends of a shaft passing through the receiver. It will be obvious that when the
discs, are moved from the positions shewn in Figures 1, 2 and 4, for instance, by
means of a lever m secured to one of the axles that the said receiver will be lowered.
The shaft is surrounded by a tube l', as shown, in order to protect it and its
bearings and also to prevent the escape of gas.
n, nare pins secured to the horns j₁, for preventing the lever m from being
moved too far in either direction; and o is a removeable pin adapted to be introduced
into a hole in one of the horns for preventing the lever from being moved whilst
the receiver is being traversed along its rails.
P: P are doors forming the bottom of the receiver proper, which doors are provided
with elongated axles or pivots q, q having secured to them arms r, r designed, when
the doors are in their closed positions, as shown in Figure 4, to rest upon a lever s.
This lever is pivoted to move in a lateral direction in such a manner that, when
moved to the left, the arm r of the right hand door will be unsupported and so allow
the said door to drop, and when moved to the right, the arm of the left hand door
will be unsupported and so allow the said left hand door to drop to discharge the
contents of the hopper or receiver, the action of the two doors being practically
simultaneous.
A hole is formed in the lever between the ends of the arms r, r as shewn in
Figure 3, so that when a pin u is introduced into the said hole, as shewn in Figure 1,
the levers is prevented from being moved.
The operation of charging a retort with my improved apparatus is as follows: The
doors P, p are closed and secured as described and the necessary charge having been
placed into the receiver through the door d, the latter is tightly closed to prevent
any escape of gas; the lever m is then thrown over in the direction of the arrow,
Figure 2, to lower the receiver onto the retort, the valve is opened to establish
communication between the retort and the receiver, and the lever s is moved, say,
first to the left and then to the right the doors p, p then drop whereby the charge of
coal falls into the retort, the valve 6 is then again closed and the doors p, p are lifted
as also is the receiver; the latter can then be again filled ready for the next charging
operation.
It will be readily understood that owing to the fact that there is no communication
between the external air and the interior of the retort, during the time of the charging,

page_text: practically no gas escapes from the retort and no flame issues therefrom, thereby
preventing inconvenience to the stokers.
In the foregoing description I have only referred to the moveable receiver; it is
to be understood, however, that in small gas making installations a separate charging
receiver may be used with each retort as probably the cost of a few extra receivers
would be less than that of the carriage and the raising and lowering mechanism.
In cases where separate receivers are employed it is obvious that the said receivers
may be permanently connected to their retorts.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
:―
1. The method of charging a gas retort by means of a receiver connected with the
mouth of such retort and closed at the top by a door, the said receiver having in
combination with it two sets of valves or doors, one of which serves for establishing
communication between the receiver and the retort whilst the other serves for
supporting the charge, substantially as described.
2. Apparatus for charging inclined gas retorts, comprising a receiver closed by an
air-tight door and having a door or valve for supporting the charge therein, the said
receiver being mounted upon a carriage and adapted to be lowered in order to bring
it into contact with the retort to be charged, substantially as described.
3. In apparatus for charging retorts and comprising a hopper supported upon a
carriage, mounting the said hopper in such a manner that it can be moved transversely
on the said carriage, for the purpose described.
4. The improved apparatus for charging inclined gas retorts consisting of the parts
constructed and combined substantially in the manner hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and operating as, and for the purposes, set
forth.
1
L
1000
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
tu day
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.