Improve; MENTS IN CHARGING AND DRAWING RETORTS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOB, ALSO IN THE MEANS OF OPENING AND CLOSING RETORTS
Year: 1875

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by James Steel at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 18th
December 1875.
I, JAMES STEEL, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of “ Improve;
MENTS IN CHARGING AND DRAWING RETORTS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOB, ALSO IN THE MEANS OF OPENING AND CLOSING
RETORTS," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention which relates to improvements in charging and
drawing gas and other retorts, consists as regards the machinery, or
apparatus whereby the charging operation is effected, of a hollow
cylinder or tube, which may either be straight or curved throughout its
length and laid. borizontally or inclined; one end of the hollow
cylinder or tube is situated near to the mouth of the retort which is to,
be charged, and into the said hollow cylinder or tube one or more
annular jets.or.nozzles are introduced..
.i.
Behind the jets or nozzles a hopper is situate in communication with
the, hollow cylinder or, tube, and in the said hopper: the coal or other
.

page_text: material to be charged into the retorts is placed. When it is desired to
charge a retort steam is introduced through the nozzles or jets herein.
before referred to, which steam by its inducing action forcibly draws the
coal or other material from the lower end of the hopper and through the
hollow cylinder or tube, so that the coal thereby becomes deposited
within the retort.
The apparatus herein-before described may be mounted on a carriage
or truck running on rails or otherwise in front of the bench of retorts,
or it may be suspended by ropes or chains from the roof. or from beams
or girders within the retort house. Under either arrangement the
mechanism is capable of being raised and lowered to the level of
different retorts in the series. A screen is or may be provided at the
charging end of the apparatus to protect the operator from the steam
escaping at that end, and also from the heat of the open retorts.
As regards improvements in machinery or apparatus for drawing
retorts, the Invention consists under one modification of a tube or
hollow rake, to one end of which a flexible pipe communicating with a
steam boiler is secured. - The opposite end of the tube or rake is bent
downwards, and formed with one or more holes or openings made parallel
with or at an angle to the length of the tube. When it is desired to
withdraw the charge from the retort the bent end of the tube or rake is
pushed thereinto through the retort mouth; a cock or valve is then
opened so as to admit steam from the boiler to the tube or rake, which
steam on issuing through the holes or openings in the bent portion of
the tube blows or forces the charge of material out of the retort through
the open mouth thereof. A shield is or may be fitted to the front of the
retort to protect the operator and to guide the discharged materials into
the hutch or wagon placed to receive them, and a carriage may also be
provided if desired on which to support the tube and its connections,
which are capable of being raised and lowered to the level of any retort
in a bench.
..
The boiler in which the steam employed in both the charging and
drawing apparatus is generated may either be a fixed boiler, in which
case it may conveniently derive its heat from the heated waste products
of combustion passing through the flues of the retort setting, or it may,
be a movable boiler and mounted on a carriage or truck.
* Under another modification of this Invention the tube or hollow raké

page_text: is dispensed with, and the flexible pipe is provided with a cock or valve
and with a nozzle, through which the steam passes into the retort to
blow or force out the charge therefrom. In accordance with this
arrangement an opening is made in the rear end of the retort to receive
the nozzle, which opening when the retort is in operation is closed by a
stopper or plug, which may be luted with clay or other material to
prevent escape of gas. When the charge is to be withdrawn the stopper
or plug is removed and the nozzle inserted; the door at the retort
mouth is then opened, and steam being conducted through the nozzle,
the charge is forced out through the retort mouth. A fixed or movable
boiler may also be used with this form of the apparatus.
In lieu of employing steam in connexion with the charging and
drawing apparatus herein-before described, compressed air may be used
for the purposes of this Invention.
The Invention further relates to improved means or apparatus for
opening or closing retort mouths, and which improvements it is
preferred to employ in conjunction with the charging and drawing
mechanism herein-before described.
These improvements consist in forming the retort mouth bevilled or
inclined upwards or downwards, and in closing the same with a
correspondingly inclined door, which when it is desired to open the
retort slides upwards or downwards in guides. By so forming the lid
and retort mouth the end of the lid in closing scrapes against the mouth,
and removes therefrom any adherent grit or matter; a close sealing of
the lid is thereby obtained.