US1822541A

US1822541A - Retort construction

Info

Publication number: US1822541A
Application number: US154697A
Authority: US
Inventors: Richard B Parker
Original assignee: SAMUEL E DARBY
Current assignee: SAMUEL E DARBY
Priority date: 1926-12-14
Filing date: 1926-12-14
Publication date: 1931-09-08
Anticipated expiration: 1948-09-08

Description

R. B. PARKER 1,822,541

RETORT CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 14, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a a @e a w Sept. 8, 1931.

Patented Sept. 8, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE, l

RICHARD B. PARKER, F SANEATELES, vNEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO SAMUEL E. DABBY, TRUSTEE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

RETORT CONSTRUCTION Application 1ed-Deeember 14, 1926. Serial No. 154,697.

This invention relates to novel devices for the construction of retorts. Y

One of the objects of this invention is the construction of a retort having within the l* Walls thereof means for maintaining a higher temperature Within the retort than would be obtainable by means of the combustion of the fuel itself Within the retort.

Another object of this invention is the pro- IQ vision of means in the walls of a retort for maintaining a more uniform temperature as Well as means for` varying the temperature therein.

Another object of this invention. is the l5 provision of means at the top of the retort for controlling the point from which the evolved gas is removed.

A further object of this invention is the provision of the controlled openings at the 2@ top of the retort to prevent channelling Within the retort.

Another object is the provision of the controlling gate structure at the top of the retort to provide means for varying the vertical point at which the evolved gas is removed, so that the effective column of material within the retort through which the gas must iiow may be varied for the purpose of controlling the condensation of the gases Within the upper portions of the column. These and other objects are secured by the constructions disclosed herein.

This invention resides substantially in the construction, combination, arrangement and relative location of parts as Will be clearly disclosed hereinafter.

Referring to the drawings in which the same reference numerals Will be used throughout to indicate the same or simllar parts, Figure 1 represents a side elevational view, part of which is in` cross-section of the lower portion of a retort.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the retort taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is the upper portion of the retort shown in cross-sectional view disclosing the gate construction at the top thereof.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view through the top of the retort showing the construction of the opening and showing the mechanism for operating the j gates.

The particular construction -described herein is provided for carrying out the treatment of carbonaceous materials to remove the volatile contents thereof, and for securing thecoke residue therefrom. A complete apparatus and process for the treatment of carbonaceous materials has been fully disclosed in our copending applications, Serial Nos. 154694, 154695 filed respectively Dec. 14, 1926, Dec. 14, 1926.

It has been found that in treating carbonaceous materials for the purpose of securing the volatile Vcontents thereof that more uniform results are secured if some means is provided for maintaining the temperature within the retort fairly constant. I have, therefore, provided a retort construction havin passages in the walls of the retort for eit er suppl ing a heated gas thereto or a heated liqul is also possible by means of my construction, if desired, to burn an inflammable gasv or liquid within the passages to secure the desired heating effects.

I have also provided at the top of the retort a series of vertically disposed o enings and controlling gates therefor, so t at the evolved gases may be removed at any side of the retort and at suitable vertical points.

Several valuable results are secured by this construction, such as reducing or preventing what is known in the art as channelling. Thus, if the gas has a tendency to travel u wardly through the column of material in t e retort to one side thereof, I may minimize this action by opening the gates at the other side, so as to Withdraw the gas at that particular side. I also secure by means of this construction the result of varying the length of the column through which the gases must travel. It is, of course, apparent that the upper portions of the column will be cooled, so that as the heated gases travel therethrough, those of a higher volatilizing nature condense within the column.

This is desirable tn a certain extentV and ioo . nected to chamber l0 by the passages 13 and to chamber 7, by the passages 8. Vertically extending passages or chambers 11 are in communication with chamber 9, and are joined at the top of chambers 12.

The heated gas or liquid may be supplied to the chambers 7 and 10 and removed from the chambers 12 providing a continuous circuit, therefor. When desired an infiammable gas may be supplied to either chamber 7 or chamber 10 and air may be supplied to the other chamber and the gas burned within chamber 9. The heated products of combustion may then travel upwardly through the passages 11 and removed at the top from the passages l2.

It will be apparent without further description that a control of the temperatures within the retort may be readily secured by this construction.

At the to of the retort a Casin 14 is pro` vided, Whic is closed at the top y the Wall 15. A gate or other suitable arrangement 16 is rovided in the walls through which materlals may be fed to the hopper 18 and thence linto the retort. Gas connections 17 are provided at suitable points in casin 14 for the removal of evolved gases. The` opper 18 is supported by the casing 17 within t e retort. A metallic concave annular ring extends around the casing 17 to close oif the space between the casings 17 and 14: from the retort chambers. A series of vertically disposed openings 19 is provided on each side of the casing 17 over the surface of which moves the sliding gate 20. One ate is provided for each set of openings. n the gate is secured toothed rack 21, which meshes with the gear 22. The gear is mounted on the same shaft as a hand wheel 23, which when rotated will cause the gate to move over the casing 17. The openings in the casing 17 and the gates are so arranged that the openings will be uncovered in sequence.

Figs. 4 and 5 showr in greater detail the construction of the gates. The casing 17 which extends from the top of the retort or may be an extension thereof is provided with a plurality of openings 27 arranged in sets on each side of the retort in vertical align. ment. This part of the casing or retort is enclosed by means of the outer casing 14 which is closed at the top by means of the wall 15. Surrounding the casing 17 is another casing 27 which forms with the wall 17 a closed space. The. casing 27 is provided with a plurality of spaced openings 27. Walls 28 extend from the two upper openings 27 on each face of the casing 17 into engagement with the enclosing casing 27, as is clear in Fig. 4. These walls 28 cooperating with the outer casing'27 provide a series of supporting chambers, as indicated at 30, 31, 32. Arranged to slide vertically against each outer face of the casing 27 are the plates 2O having a series of spaced openings 20. These plates provide what may be termed gates. Secured to each plate 20 is a rack 21 which meshes witli'the small gear 22 secured to the shaft 26. The shaft 26 is journalled in the casing 14 and is arranged to be rotated by means of the hand wheel 23. For emphasis it may be pointed out here that the structure shown at the right and left hand sides of the Qretort is, of course, duplicated on the front and back but has been left olf the drawings :for sake of clarity. ln other words, each side of the casing 17 is provided with a series of openings 27 and controlled by gates. By means of this structure the evolved gases can be withdrawn at a number of desiredpoints through the gas take oli:1 connections 17 and furthermore, by opening the gates on any particular side the gases may be removed from that side and not from any of the others. It is also apparent that the gases can be taken oli' on one side at one opening and on another side from another opening either above or below the first opening. Thus by means of such a structure it is possible to prevent channeling which is a well known difficulty in this art. Channeling is the term for the phenomenon of a gas taking the path of least resistance as it lows upwardly through a fuel bed of considerable depth. All the gas tends to go up this path of least resistance which path is usually of limited cross-sectional area. To get the best results with this device for use in accordance with the process ,to be used with it it is desirable to have the gases flow up through the bed in a substantially uniform iow overthe entire cross-sectional area of the bed as is possible. As is apparent from the drawings, the relative size and spacing of the openings 20 on the plate 20 are such that each opening 27 may be uncovered separately or they may all be uncovered at the same time if this is desirable.

It is at once evident from the description ot this arrangement that the point at which the evolved gases are removed from the retort is under manual control.- y

' I have disclosed the principles of my invention in one form of the structure merely for the purpose of illustration, and I do not desire to belimited to this particular arrangement, as I am well aware that many changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts will readily occur to those llO skilled in the art. I, therefore, desire to be limited only to the extent required by the following claims.

What I seek to secure by United States Letter Patents is :-v

1. In a retort construction, the combination of a retort having openings in the walls thereof near the top and a chamber surrounding the top of the retort, with a plurality of slidable gates in said chamber, a rack on said gates, a gear for engagement with the rack and means for rotating said gear, said gate controlling said openings.

Q. In a retort construction, the combination with a retort having a plurality of sides and having a plurality of openings placed vin a vertical line on each side thereof, and a casing enclosing said retort at the openings thereof and spaced therefrom, and means for removing the gases from said casing, of independent means for controlling the areas of the openings on each'side of the retort.

3. In a retort construction the combination with a multi-sided retort having a plurality of openings disposed in alignment on each side thereof and a casing enclosing said retort at the openings thereof and spaced therefrom and having means for removing the gases from said casing of a plurality of independent gates one for the openings on each side of the retort and means for adjusting the gates with respect to the openings to vary the area thereof and to control the point at which the gases are removed from the retort.

4. In a retort construction the combination with a multi-sided retort having a plurality. of openings in the retort wall on each side thereof, and a casing enclosing said retort at the openings thereof and spaced therefrom and having means for removing the gases from said casing of a plurality of shutters one for each side of the retort and independent manual means for moving the shutters.

5. In a retort construction the combination with a multi-sided retort having a plurality of openings in the retort walls on each side thereof, and a casing enclosing said retort at the openings thereof and spaced therefrom and having means for removing the gases from said casing and means for admitting fuel to said retort through said casing of means for controlling the areas of the openings.

6. In an apparatus of the type described, the combination with a multi-sided retort having a plurality of vertically aligned openings in the walls thereof near the top and on each side, of movable gates for said openings, and a rack and gear to move the gates with respect to the openings whereby the point at which the gases are removed may be varied as well as their rate of removal.

7. In a retort construction, the combination of a retort having openings in the walls thereof near the top through which the retort gases may be withdrawn, and a chamber surrounding the to of the retort and enclosing said openings wlth a plurality of gates in said chamber and means for moving the gates with respecttc the openings to vary their areas RICHARD B. PARKER.