December 18, 1914.

THE COLLIERI GUARDIAN.

1269

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B

e

mW

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Fig. 3.—Cross Section through Ovens.

Reference : A = Coal Charging Lorry way; B = Coke Handling and Quenching Machine; C = Coke Ram
and Coal Levelling Machine Track ; D = Coke Screening and Loading Machine; E = Coke Bench.

Fig. 4.

5.5$o

3.<?oo

/.* 00

Platform

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Fig. 5.

Figs. 4 and 5.—Side Elevation and Plan of Coke Screening Machine.

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ovens. The method of working is as follows:—The
heated air from the No. 1 regenerator necessary for the
complete combustion of the burner gases in one oven is
drawn by the influence of the chimney draught up a
series of vertical flues, where it meets the gases from a
series of burners on the top of the flues and combustion
takes place. As the products of combustion and
surplus air are drawn from corresponding flues, the
combustion is completed at the bottom of the vertical
flues. This forms the first stage of fractional com-
bustion The products of combustion and unused
surplus air now pass forward to another series of
vertical flues, and a second regulated supply of com-
bustible gas from a second series of burners, and again,

in a similar manner, combustion takes place and absorbs
more of the air, and this forms the second stage of
fractional combustion, and so on until the whole of the
surplus hot air is absorbed and combustion is com-
pleted. The products of complete combustion then
pass direct to the No. 2 regenerator. The No. 1
regenerator will give up its heat in a period of half an
hour, and in the meantime the No. 2 regenerator has
absorbed the heat given off by the products of com-
bustion. Special reversing valves are arranged so that,
by a very simple method, the chimney draught is
reversed, and cold air is drawn through No. 2 regenerator
and fractional combustion proceeds as before.

Several novel and important improvements have been

incorporated into the design and working of these ovens,
and some particulars of these may be of interest.

The arrangement of the burners on the top of the
oven ensures that they are always in a workable
condition, as it is impossible for them to get choked up
or blocked by falling pieces of fireclay, etc. Moreover,
the regulation of the gas supply to the burners is
effected from the top of the ovens, and is, therefore,
very easy of access, and only one regulating cock is
required for each oven. The system of fractional
combustion also prevents all overheating of the ovens
and absolutely stops all carbon deposits. The coke is
discharged in the usual way by means of an electrically-
driven ram engine. The quenching of the coke is