Modern Gasworks Practice

VERTICAL RETORTS AND CHAMBER O VENS 171 Chambers, to which. are attached movable buckets for holding the water seals. These buckets are actuated by a small liydraulic ram, so that the movement of the handle of the water cock serves to push back the bucket, allowing the requisite quantity of coke to fall into the receiving wagon. Aiiother movement of the handle then closes the bucket, which is sealed in water to render it gastight. The retorts, which Fig. 90.—Glasgow System of Vbbtical Retorts. are rectangular in section, are built up of tongued and grooved bricks, and vary in length according to the size of the installation. They are built witli the whole of the taper at the top third of the length, the bottom two-thirds being parallel, but when English. coals are used the taper extends from top to bottom. For this construction it is claimed that unless the deposit of “ scurf ” is allowed to get very heavy there is no trouble with. the holding-up of the charge when the retorts are drawn. The