RETORTS.

131

SETTING OF THREE CLAY RETORTS.

The general use of clay retorts in Scotland, in small as well as in large works, has beenalready noticed, and the following description of a setting of three, given by an experiencedengineer, in the ‘Journal of Gas-Lighting,’ shows the construction and practical working ofthat small number of clay retorts, and the success that has attended the adoption of them onsuch a scale.

In the woodcuts on the preceding page, Fig. 32 is a front elevation, the facing of brick-work, as well as a cast-iron front plate, with furnace-door, etc., being removed; Fig. 33 isa plan showing the internal setting, and one retort in its place.

The pillars C C C are compactly built, without having bond into the side walls, so thatthe main arch is never disturbed. The fire-clay lumps, D D, for springs to the arch E,rest upon C C C. The arch, E, is then thrown over the furnace for support and protectionto the parts nearest the fire. An opening, F, is left between the arch and front wall. Thearch, E, extends a little behind the middle of the retorts, and sustains the pillar, K, whichbears up the middle of the upper retort. The back ends are supported on a 4^-inch wall,I, and a back pillar, C. The two low r er retorts being placed, the upper one is introduced,and has a rest on the pillar, K, in the middle, and on the pieces L L, interspersed atintervals between the upper and lower retorts. In every case the mouth-pieces are fixedbefore setting, and no difference is made wdiether the retorts are in one entire piece or intwo sections.

The outlet-port, ,\I, is nine inches from the front of the arch, and leads into the top flue,0. The damper, N, is immediately behind it. There is a second outlet-port, with damper,placed in the corner of the arch, and within one foot of the back end. Two such outlets tothe draught have been found of great use, as proper attention to them insures a uniformtemperature within the oven.

Fig. 34. Fig. 35.

Figs. 34 and 35 show' the mode of fitting the retorts in pieces and of fixing the mouth-pieces. The latter are made as light as possible, and the lids can be put on and taken offwith the greatest facility, without jolting or straining in any degree. Each mouth-piecehas a broad flange, and four or five three-quarter bolts with T heads are sunk or inserted inthe body of the retort, as shown at S, and when ready the w'hole skin is chipped from theend of the retort and notched w'ith a sharp bill-hammer, as is done with mill-stones. A