US1704686A - Regenerative heating furnace - Google Patents

Description

'March 5, 1929. VAN .AKEREN 1 1,704,686

REGENERATIVE HEATING FURNACE Filed April.22,' 1922 4 ShetS- -Sheet '1 z: 5% L I II II 1.

March 5, 1929. J. VAN ACKEREN REGENERATIVE HEATING FURNACE Filed April 22, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet March 5, 1929. .1. VAN ACKEREN 1,704,686

REGENERATIVE HEATING FURNACE Filed April 22. 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 DUDD DD UUDDIIDDCIDUDUDDD March 5, 1929- J. VAN ACKEREN 1,704,686

REGENERATIVE HEATING FURNACE Filed April 22. 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Mar. 5, 1929.

UNITED STATES 1,704,686 PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH vAn ACKEREN, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TOIHE KOPPERS COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

REGENERATIVE HEATING FURNACE.

Application filed April 22, 1922. Serial No. 555,941.

This invention comprehends improvements in regenerative heating apparatus generally and particularly to apparatus that is especially adapted for distilling carbonaceous materials; the invention has for an ob]ect the provision of a. construction that is highly eflicient in operation andwhich Wlll produce high grade coke, when employed or distilling coal, and effect a substantially complete by-product recovery by a distill ng operation conducted with great conservatlon of heat.

Important characteristics of the invent on are: the provision of a system of combustion in the flame or combustion fines of the heating walls of the distilling chambers, by which system flame or combustion is mamtained concurrently in all of the fines of each heating wall, with periodic reversal in direction of fiow of the heating gases and the attainment of efiicient combustion and heating effects in each direction of flow of the heating gases; the combination of this 1mproved system of combustion with a complete reversible regenerative system for conserving'the heat from the combustion fines and imparting such heat to the medium fed into the fines, the regenerative system being constructed and arranged with respect to the fines and connected therewith 1n such manner as to attain great efiiciency in heat conservation and equality in distribution ofthe heating effect in the several distilling chambers of the battery; a ready adaptabilitv for operation with an extraneously derived gas such as producer gas or blast furnace gas, for fuel, with a resulting conservation of the entire product of the relatively richer gas of distillation evolved from the distillation of the material, such as coal, in the distilling chambers: and. as a further characteristic combinable with the above mentioned improvements, the provision of a structure hav ing gas-fiow passageways leading directly between the regcnerators and the fines and arranged so as to promote maximum simplicity in constructionof the flow areas connecting the regcnerators with the fines, with the concurrent attainment of a structure of great strength for withstanding expanding and contractive forces, and in which the regenerative regions may expand or contract independently of the fine and port areas.

In addition to the general objects recited above, the invention has for further'objects purposes of exemplificatioma pre erred,

form and manner in which the invention may be embodied and practiced, but without limiting the claimed invention specifically to such illustrative instance or instances:'

Figure 1 is a composite vertical sectional I and elevational view of a vertical retort construction embodying features above specified and constructed in accordance with the improvements of thepresent invention, the view being taken in the several vertical planes indicated by the lines AA, B-B and CC of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a composite vertical sectional elevation of the retort construction taken in planes indicated by the lines DD and EE of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a composite horizontal sectional and plan view, the sectional portions of the figure being taken in the different horizontal planes indicated by the lines FF and GG of Fig. 5;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional elevation taken in a plane indicated by the line HH of Fig. 5: and

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken in a plane indicated by the line. KK of Fig. 3.

The s21inc characters of reference designate the v ame parts in each of the several i'icws of the drawings.

In its present embodiment, the invention is incorporated in a. vertical retort construction for producing metallurgical coke and one that is especially designed for the employment oi an extraneonsly derived gas, such as producer gas, for fuel. For con venicncc. the present description will be coniined to this embodiment of the invention; features of construction and operation are, however. capable of other valuable applications. for example. to apparatus generally useful in the heat treatment of materials or to constructions employing as fuel the distillate gas derived from the distilling chambers, or to constructions embodying the combination principle exemplified in my co pending application for Letters Patent of the l'nited States for vertical retort battery, filed February 4, 1921, Serial No. 442,357;

consequently the invention is not confined in its scope to the specific use and embodiment herein described as an illustrative example.

Referring to the drawings: there are illustrated views of a vertical retort battery of the by-product type, as hereinbefore mentioned. The vertical retort battery embodies in its construction two series of distilling chambers, such as the series 11 and 12 of vertically elongated retorts or coking chambers, the retorts of each series being contiguous to intermediate heating walls arranged 'in the two series 13 and l t corresponding to the respective series of retorts ll, 12. The heating walls and the retort chambers extend to a great height as compared with their respective widths and the other crosswise dimensions of the retort hattery, and the two series of retorts with their corresponding intermediate heating walls are, according to the present embodiment of the invention, respectively arranged and ex tend along the opposite sides of the central longitudinal vertical plane of the battery assembly so as to provide an enclosed space intermediate the opposite sides of the bat tery for the regenerators. as will hereinafter appear. The heating walls 13, 11 form the side walls of the respective retorts 11, 12, as shown, and the outer ends of the respective retorts as well as the heating walls are reinforced by side refractory walls designated generally by the reference character 15. Between the oppositely facing inner ends of the two series of retorts 11, 12 and their cor responding series of heating walls 13, 14 is located a mediate chamber and wall structure 16 employed for the regenerators and other parts hereinafter described.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 4. the retorts of the two series 11 and 12 may be respectively grouped into pairs K and L and the heating walls of the series 13 and 14 may be arranged in groups M and N, corresponding to the pairs of retorts K and L of the series 11 and 12. This arrangement permits the location of a relatively thick transverse wall 17 between each pair of 'retorts and its corresponding group of heating walls, with the result that ample space is provided for handling of the material carbonized in' the reretorts of the battery.

The coal to be coked is contained in coal hoppers 18 and 19 corresponding to the series 11, 12 of retorts and supported by the superstructure 20 of the retort battery. These coal hoppers discharge into coal chutes 21 and 22. the lower ends of each communicate with charging holes 23 and 24 in the upper ends of the retorts of the series 11, 12. The discharge of coal from the several hoppers may be controlled by the manually-operated combined gate and regulating valves 25 individual to the respective chutes 21, 22 and interposed between said chutes and the hoppers 18, 19 above them. The fresh coke is discharged through discharge openings 26 at the bottom of the retorts 11, 12. In order to facilitate discharge of the coke from said retorts, the side walls of the latter diverge toward the bottom, as shown more particularly in Fig. 1. Because of the great height of the retorts as compared with their width and crosswise dimension, the retort battery is preferably employed as a continuous vertical retort. lVhen so employed, a continuous feed of material is maintained through the retorts 11 and 12, with a continuous discharge of the finished coke from the bottoms of said retorts into discharge chutes 27 individual to the retorts 11, 12. In the upper portion of the chutes 27, the coke is.quenched by water supplied from the pipe connections 29 individual to the several chutes 27, the steam produced from the quenching operation being allowed to pass upwardly through the open discharge outlets 26 at the bottoms of the retorts 11, 12 and through the mass of forming coke in said retorts. The introduction of this steam into the retorts may be supplemented by steam pipes 29 and permits the continuous maintenance of a water gas reaction in the forming coke. with the result that. the gas yield from the retorts 11, 12 is improved. In discharging through the chutes 27 the coke is guided by pivoted aprons 30 into the path of rotary discharges 31 which insures substantial continuous movement of the tinished coke through the chutes 27. From the bottoms of the chutes 27 the col may be discharged at will through manually-controlled gates 32 on to inclined coke wharves 33, there being an inclined wharf corresponding to each series of retorts 11 and 12. The wharves 33 converge downwardly, as shown in Fig. 2, toward an intermediate coke conveyer 3-1 and the discharge from the wharves 33 on to the coke conveyer 34 may be controlled by the individual pivoted gates 35 operated by slides 36.

The heat for coking the charges of coal in the several retorts 11. 12 is derived from the heating walls 13, 14 corresponding to said retorts. Each heating wall 13, 14 is constituted of a plurality of vertical combustion tines 37 that are operatively disposed into ,single groups in their respective heating walls. That is to say. all of the heating fluesof each heating wall operate concurrently for flow in the same direction; in fact the flow is in the same direction during a reversal period throughout the entire system of each unit of fines of the battery, as will hereinafter appear.

The regenerators 38 are incorporated in the above mentioned internal structure 16. As shown in Fig. 4, the several regenerators of the battery are structurally disposed into groups T, the several groups being separated llt) by the intermediate crosswise walls 17 and the regenerators of each group functioning only with respect to the flues 13, 14 that are between the same transverse walls as those manner from the other units of the'battery.

without any effect on such other units, each unit being in fact a complete small heating battery in itself. Operatively, each group T of regenerators is disposed into two subgroups R and S, the sub-group R comprising the two centrally located regenerators of the entire group and the two regenerators at the extreme ends thereof and thesubgroup S comprising the two pairs of regenerators which are disposed on the opposite sides of the center pair of regenerators of the sub-group R. When the several regenerators constituting the group R are operating for inflow, that is to say, for delivering preheated gaseous media to the flues of the heating walls, the several regenerators of the other group S are operating for outflow to extract heat from the flue gases discharged into the regenerators from the flues. On reversal of the battery, at the end of an operating period determined by practice, the inflow regenerators become outflow regenerators and the outflow regenerators become inflow regenerators.

Each regenerator 38 is preferably a high narrow upright chamber containing open brickwork, commonly called checkerwork and indicated at 40 with a sole channel 41 underneath such checkerwork, the channels 41 forming the soles of such chambers and opening up into the checkerwork. The several regenerators are heated, by the hot combustion products that are exhausted from the flame or combustion flues hereinbefore mentioned and then, on reversal, impart such heat to the medium that they feed into these flame flues.

In the operation of the battery, according to the present embodiment of the invention which employs an extraneously derived gas, such as producer gas. for fuel, the several regenerators constituting the group R, when in inflow operation, deliver air and fuel gas to the flame flues during the period when the latter are operating for downflow combustion; these regenerators R receive the ex haust gases from the flame flues after reversal. that is to say. during the period when generators constituting the group Soperate for inflow of air and fuel gas to deliver the,

same to the flues when the latter are operating for upflow combustion, and the. said regenerators S operate for outflow to receive the exhaust gases from the flues during the period when the latter are operating for downflow combustion. This method of operation requires the regenerators R to be connected with the upper ends of the flame flues 37 and the regenerators S to be connected with the lower ends of said flaiiile flues. The several regenerators of each group R and S are constituted of air regenerators A and gas regenerators B, when op erating for inflow, and all the regenerators of'each group are constituted of waste gas regenerators W when operating for outflow. However, the several regenerators R operate for inflow while at the same time the several regenerators S operate for outflow and, on reversal of the flow through the flame flues, the several regenerators S are switched to the inflow function while concurrently'the other regenerators R are switched to the outflow function.

As shown, the regenerators A of the subgroup R communicate at their upper ends by ports 41 with horizontal feed channels 42 disposed at the opposite ends of their respective regenerators and leading over the 'tops of the flues of the heating walls 13 and 14, whereby each flue of each heating wall on both s des of the battery may have connection with an air supplying regenerator through the top of the flue, whenever the direction of combustion is downwardly through the flue. The horizontal channels 42 communicate with the individual flues by ports 43. As shown in Fig. 3 the horizontal feed channels 42 which are con nectcd to the end regenerator A of the subgroup R lead only to single heating walls on opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the battery, whereas the horizontal feed channels 42 companion to the centrally located regenerator A respectively lead, on opposite sides of the battery, to a pair of adjacent heating walls. The regenerators P of the sub-group are also cornmunicably connected by ports 44' with horizontal channels 45 leading from the opposite ends of said regenerators P to and extending over the tops of the flues of the heating walls 13 and 14 and communicably connected with the in dividual flues thereof by ports 46. The end regenerator P is communicably connected by such channels 45 with only single heating walls on the opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the battery, but the centrally located regenerator P is communicably connected with pairs of adjacent heating walls on both sides of the aforesaid longitudinal center.

regenerators P and A of the subgroup B have low connections with the upper ends of all theindividual flucs corresponding to 5 each main group T of regenerators.

The several regener-ators A of the subgroup S lead at their upper ends into horizontal feed channels 51, the latter communieating at their opposite ends by ports 52 A with vertical teed channels 53 disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the battery. These vertical teed channels 53 communicate at their lower ends with horizontal channels 54 extending beneath the 1 groups of tlucs of both series 13, 1-1 of heating walls and comnuuiieably connected with the individual tlues by ports 55. The channels 5t leading from one ot the regenerators A of the subgroup S coinnuinicate with only single heating walls on both sides of the battery, whereas the channels 54 leading from the other regenerator A of the subgroup S communicate with pairs of adjacent heating walls on the opposite sides of the battery. In the same manner, the regenerators 1 of the sub-group S lead at their upper epds into horizontal channels 56 and the latter are coinmunicably connected at their opposite ends by ports 57 with vertical feed channels 58 disposed at opposite sides of the battery. The vertical teed channels 58 similarly communicate at their lower ends with horizontal channels 59, the latter extending beneath the flues of both series 13, 14 of the heating walls and being communicably connected therewith by means of ports 60. The channels 59 leading from one of the regenerators' Pot the sub-group S communicate with only single heating walls on the opposite sides of the battery, whereas the channels leading from the other regenerator P of the sub-group S communicate with pairs of heating walls on the opposite sides of the battery. \Vith the above construction, as shown, the. lower ends of the flues of both series 13, 14 of heating walls are communicably connected by channel and duct means with air and fuel gas regenerators for supplying to the said fiues air and fuel gas when the direction of combustion is upwardly through the flues.

Extending longitudinally of the battery is a pair of waste gas tunnels or stack flues 61 and 62, the waste gas tunnel 61 serving for the sub-group R of regenerators of each main group T and the waste gas tunnel 62 serving for the sub-group S of regenerators of the aforesaid main group T. Both said waste gas tunnels lead to the usual waste gas stack. Flow boxes 63 connect the sole channels of the several regenerators individually with'their respective Waste gas tunnels ()1 or 62. The flow boxes 63 are provided with valves 64 for controlling the flow 65 between the individual regenerators and \Vith this construction, the

their respective waste gas tunnels. The valves 6-1 of all of the regenerators of the group S are open, while concurrently the valves 64 of all of the regenerators of the group R are closed. ()n reversal of the battery, the valves 64 ot the group R of regenerators are open and the corresponding valves of the group S are closed. Each regenerator A of both groups R and S is provided with a lid 65 which when open permits air to flow into the regenerator. The series of air lids 65 of the regenerators of the groups R and S are opened in alternation, whereby all the regenerators A. of the group lt operate cmicurrently for inflow ot air during one reversal period and thereafter, dur in; the next reversal period, the regenerators i\ of the group S operate for intlow of air, while the regenerators A of the group R are operating for outflow of the waste gases. A fuel gas main (it; extends loi'igitudiually ot the battery and'is provided with individual valve connections (57 to the several regenerators P of both groups It and S. In the operation of the battery, the valve connections of the regenerators P of the group R are operated in unison to permit the flow of fuel gas into said regeuerators trom the main (i6, while the valve connections (57 of the regeuerators l of the group S are closed to shut oil the supply of fuel gas. ()n reversal of the battery, the valve connections (37 are operated to permit the supply of gas into the regenerators 1 of the group S and concurrently to cut off the supply of gas from the regenerators P of the group R.

The operation of the retort battery, assuming that a relatively lean or dilute gas, such as ordinary producer gas is employed as the fuel in the heating walls is as follows: If it be assumed that the several regenerators composing the group R be operating for inflow, and the Hues throughout the battery be operating for downflow. it follows that during this period of operation the regenerators P of the group R are employed t'or preheating the fuel gas which is subsequently introduced into the tines. The regcnerators A of the group R are employed for preheating the air to support the combustion of the gas in the flues. Concurrently, all the regenerators of the group S operate for outflow, or as waste gas regenerators W'. The air and fuel gas passes upwardly through the regenerators A and P of the group R, thence into the longitudinal channels 42 and 45, from which the air and fuel gas passes through the ports 43 and 46 into the flues 37 of both series 13, 14 of heating walls. The waste gases from the bottoms of the fines exhaust through the bottom horizontal channels 54 and 59 into the vertical channels 53 and 58 which deliver the waste gases into the tops of the several regenerators of the group S.

Lil

Passing downwardly through the regenerators S, the waste gases flow through the open flow boxes 63 of such regenerators into the waste gas tunnel 62. On reversal of the battery. the regenerators A and P of the group S deliver to the bottoms of the tines the air and fuel gas through the vertical channels 53 and 58 and horizontal channels 54 and 59. The waste gases from said flues exhaust from the top thereof into the channels 42 and and thence pass directly into the tops of the regenerators of the group It. Flowing downwardly through said regenerators, the waste gases ultimately pass through their open flow boxes 63 into the waste gas tunnel 61.

The by-products and distillate gases from the several retorts or coking chambers of both series 11, 12 pass out of the tops of said retorts through ascension pipes 68, 69 individual to the respective retorts of the series 11, 12. These ascension pipes carry the distillate and by-products to a common collecting main 70, through which the distillate and by products may pass to the usual by-product recovery apparatus.

In the construction of the battery, the crosswise expansion joints, such as the joints 71, may be located between the individual units T of regenerators, heating walls and retorts and in vertical planes and remotely from the heating walls. In addi tion to these joints 71, each chamber 11, 12 has a crosswise expansion joint 72 permitting longitudinal expansion of the individual chambers. Longitudinally-extending expansion joints 73 are located at the ends of the several rcgenerators and between them and the chamber and port regions, with the result that the regenemtors 0t each unit of the battery between crosswise expansion joints 71 may expand or contract independently of their corresponding cham her and port regions, and expansion of the chamber and port regions which are heated to different temperatures from the regenerators will not effect the expansion or contraction of the strlwture of the regenerators. Vith the main expansion joints so disposed in vertical planes and between independently operable units of the battery leakages or short circulating of the flow of the various gaseous media are avoided.

The invention as hereinabove set forth may be variously embodied within the scope of the claims hereinafter made.

I claim:

1. In a vertical retort battery, in combinanation: a plurality of high narrow retort chambers. each adapted to receive through its top the charge to ceited and adap ed to t" harge through its: mien the c l charge: h -.ng walls con guous suci tort chambers and respectively co ipris'r, combustion flucs alternately operable in unison for either upflow or downflow combustion; two groups of high narrow regenerators disposed at the same level, one operating for inflow during upflow combustion of the flues and the other group operating for inflow during the alternate downflow combustion of the flues, each group of the said regenerators comprising air and fuel gas regenerators; flow connections communicably connecting the first mentioned group of regenerators with said flues at the bottoms of the flued walls; and flow connections communicably connecting the second mentioned group of regenerators with said flues at the tops of the flued walls; the regenerators, heating walls and coking chambers being disposed into operating units with the flow connections between the regenerators and flues of one unit operating independently of the flow connections of the other units, whereby each unit of the battery may be operated and'controlled independently of the other units; substantially as specified.

2. In a vertical retort battery, in combination: a plurality of high narrow retort chambers; heating walls contiguous to such retort chambers and respectively comprising combustion flues alternately operable in unison for either upflow or downflow combustion; two groups of high narrow regener ators disposed at the same level, one operating for inflow during upflow combustion of the flues and the other group operating for inflow during the alternate downflow combustion of the flues, each group of said regenerators comprising air and fuel gas regenerators; flow connections communicably connecting the first mentioned group of regenerators with said flues at the bottoms of the flued walls; and flow connections communicably connecting the second mentioned group of regenerators with said flues at the tops of the fines; the regenerators, heating walls and coking chambers being disposed into operating units with the flow connections between the regenerators and fiued walls of one unit operating independently of the flow connections of the other units, whereby each unit of the battery may be operated and controlled independently ot the other units; substantially as specified.

3. In a vertical retort battery, in combina tion: a plurality of high narrow retort chambers; heating walls contiguous to such retort chambers and respectively comprising combustion flucs; two groups of high narrow regenerators disposed at the same level, one operating for inflow during upflow combustion of the fines and the other group operating for inflow during the alternate downflow combustion of the flues, each group of e s i V 2.1 or; comprising air and fuel regenerate! fie connections communi ably connecting the first mentioned group or regenerators with said lines at the bottoms .Inunicabl col of the fined f and thaw conn ct in fng the second merit; group of regenerators with said lines at, the tops of the lined walls: the regenerators. heating walland coking chambers being disposed. into operating units with the fiow connections between the icgencrators and fines of one unit operating ii'nlcpenriently ot the flow coimections ot the other units. whereby each unit: of the battery may be op erated and controlled independently of the other units; substantially asspecilied.

4. In a vertical retort battery. in combination: a plurality of high narrow retort chambers; heating walls alternating with such retort chambers in a longitudinal row and respectively comprising combustion flues; two groups of high narrow regenerators disposed at the same level as the heating fiues and on the same side thereof, one operating for inflow when the other operates for outflow; flow connections cominunicably connecting each group of regenerators with said fine the regenerators,heating walls and coking chambers being disposed into operating units with the flow connections communicably connecting the regenerators with the fines of one unit operating independently of the flow connections of the other units, whereby each unit of the battery may be operated and controlled independently of the other units; substantially as specified.

5. In a vertical retort battery, in combination: a plurality of high narrow retort chambers, each adapted to receive through its top the charge to be coked and adapted to discharge through its bottom the coked charge; heating walls contiguous to such retort chambers and respectively comprising combustion flues alternately operable in unison for either upflow or downtlow combustion; two groups of high narrow regenerators disposed at the same level. one operating for inflow during upflow combustion of the fines and the other group operating for inflow during the alternate downflow combustion of the tires; flow connections communicably connecting the first mentioned group of regenerators with said fines at the bottoms of the fined walls; and flow connections communicably connecting the second mentioned group of regenerators with said flues at the tops of the flued walls; the regenerators. heating walls and coking chambers being disposed mto operating units with the fl ow connections between the regenerators and flues of one unit operating independently of the flow connections of the other units, whereby each unit of the battery may be operated and controlled independently of the other units; substantially as specified.

6. In a vertical retort battery, in combination: a plurality of retort chambers; heating walls contiguous to such retort chambers and respectively comprising combustion unison innit/action: on: operating tor mm oi the liner: g ior intlow i .t .u low combustion of the ti es: d w timilm'ti 'is communirably l iillt, ting the first, mentioned gr up of rcg nerators with said tlues at the bottoms of the fined walls and tlow connections communicably connecting the second men tioned group of rcgenerators with said fines at the tops of the tlued walls; the flow connections between each regenerator and its communicably connected tines being independent of the flow connections between any other rcgenerator and fines; substantially as specified.

7. In a vertical retort battery, in combination: two series of high narrow retort chambcrs respectively disposed along opposite sides of the battery; heating walls contiguous to such retort chambers and respectively comprising combustion fines alternately operable in unison for either upflow or downflow combustion; two groups of high narrow regenerators disposed in the interior of the battery "between the two series of retort chambers, one operating for inflow during upflow combustion of the fines and the other group operating for inflow during alternate downflow combustion of the flues; and flow connections communicably connecting the first mentioned group of regenerators with said flues at the bottoms of the fined walls, and flow connections communicably connecting the second mentioned group of regenerators with said fines at the tops of the fined walls; the flow connections communicably connecting each regenerator and its communicably connected tlues being independent of the flow connections between any other regenerator and fines; substantially as specified.

8. A battery structure for distilling carbonaceous materials comprising high narrow distilling chambers and fined heating walls contiguous to such distilling chambers; the walls and chambers being disposed in series along the opposite sides of the battery structure, combined with high narrow regenerators disposed in the interior of the structure and between the opposite series of said distilling chambers and heating walls and ill i o enlicr uptlow or down 1 ups of r gencrat um during upric iand the. other during the :ii

communicably connected with the fines of i bonaceous materials having distilling charm bers and fined heating walls contiguous ta said distilling chambers, the walls and chambers being disposed in series along the oppo-' site sides of the battery structure, combined with regenerators disposed in the interior of the structure and between the opposite series of said distilling chambers and heating walls, each regenerator being comn'iunicably connected with flues of said heating walls independently of the other regenerators; substantially as specified.

10. A vertical retort battery having vretort chambers, heating walls alternating with the retort chambers in a longitudinal row, said heating walls comprising vertical combustion flues, combined with regenerators disposed in a series extending along one side, only, of the series of the aforesaid retort chambers and heating walls, each regenerator having flow connections communicably connecting the rcgenerator with fines of the heating 'alls independently of the flow connections communicably connecting the other regenerators with tlues of the heating walls; substantially as specified.

11. A regenerative battery structure for effecting heat treatment of materials embodying: a series of regenerators. chambers and contiguous heating walls disposed in series along the series of regcnerators with longitudinal expansion joints between the regenerative region and the chamber and heating wall region for permitting the regenerative region to expand or contract independently of the chamber and heating wall region; substantially as specilied.

12. A regenerative battery structure for effecting heat treatment of materials embodying: a series of regenerators, chambers and alternate heating walls disposed in series along the series of regenerators; the regenerators, chambers and alternate heating walls being separated by crosswise walls into separately operable units with cross wise expansion joints permitting independent expansion or contraction of each battery unit, there also being longitudinal expansion joints between the regenerative region and the chamber and heating wall region of each unit for permitting the regeneratiw re 'i n to expand or contract independently oi the chamber and heating wall region: substantially as specified.

IS. in a vertical retort batt in combination: a plurality of substautiai parallel high narrow retort chambers, e; adapted to receive through its top a c to be coked and adapted to discharge 1. rough its bottom the eoked charge; heating walls between and contiguous to said retort chambers and respectively comprising combustion fines; high narrow regcnerators serving the flues of the heating walls respectively and arranged alongside of the series of l'ctorts and heating walls, said regcnerators being disposed in position side by side and spa ed from each other by regenerator well parallel with said retort chambers an-i heating walls; and expansion joints in the walls, of said retort chambers, that are adjacent said rcgencrators, said joints extending from the retort chambers to the said regenerator walls.

14. In a vertical retort structure: a coking chamber; a heating wall contiguous thereto and having flues; a regenerator at one side of and, contiguous to, the coking chamber communicably connected to the fines of the flued wall; and an expansion joint between said coking chamber and the regenerator chamber.

15. In a vertical retort structure;a coking chamber; a heating Wall contiguous thereto and having fiues; a regenerator chamber at one side of, and contiguous to, the coking chamber communicably connected to the flues of the flued wall; and an expansion joint extending from the coking chamber through the side Wall thereof that is adjacent said regenerator chamb r.

16. In a vertical retort structure; a coking chamber; a. heating wall contiguous thereto and on the same level therewith and having flues; a walled regenerator contiguous to said coking chamber and on substantially the same level as said coking chamber and the flued heating Wall and communicably connected to the fines of the flued wall; and an expansion joint between said coking chamber and said regenerator, said joint extending from the coking chamber to a wall of said regenerator.

17. The combination as defined in claim 14, in which a vertical channel is provided in saidexpansion joint between the coking chamber and regenerator chamber.

18. The combination as defined in claim 16, in which a vertical channel is provided in said expansion joint.

19. In a coke oven structure, the combina tion of a row of sections; each of said sections comprising a structural unit consisting of a tlued heating wall, and walls at each end of said heating wall; said sections be ing disposed adjacent to and laterally of each other with the heating walls parallel and together forming vertical retort coking chambers; each section being connected for expansion with an adjacent section by an expansion joint extending through the walls at eat-.1 end of the heating walls from the coking chamber to the outside of said sec tion.

30. In a coke oven structure, the combination of a row of sections; each of said sectious comprising a structural unit consistin; of a flued heating wall, and walls at ca h end of said heating wall; said sections being disposed adjacent to and laterally of each other with the heating walls parallel and together forming vertical retort coking chambers; each section being connected for expansion with an adjacent section by an expansion joint, the successive joints being space; ironi each other substantially the same tiisiarc-e as successive coking chambers.

21. in vertical retort oven, in combination: a plurality of substantially parallel vertival coking chambers; heating walls between and contiguous to said coking chambers and respectively comprising combustion tlues; a series of regenerators arranged alongside of the series of coking chambers and heating walls and communicably connected with the fines of said heating walls,'

said regenerators being disposed in position side by side and spaced from each other by regenerator walls parallel with said coking chambers and heating walls; a wall extending transversely of said coking chambers,

messes healing walls, regencrators and. said renew erator walls and interposed between 1 coking chambers and their heating walls on the one hand and the regenerators and said regenerator walls on the other hand; and an expansion joint extending laterally through the transversely extending interposed wall, from each of said coking chambers to one of said regenerator walls, each of the expansion joints extending upwardly throu h the transversely extending interposed wal from the bottoms to the tops of the said vertical coking chambers.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set any hand.

JOSEPH VAN ACKEREN

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