Method and apparatus for coal coking

A method for charging a coking oven with coal, the coking oven having an exhaust-flue heated floor, substantially parallel vertical side-walls, a pusher door adjacent an oven entrance, a coke door adjacent an oven exit and an arched substantially closed roof, the method comprising:

• locating a coke oven pusher and charging machine adjacent the pusher door, the coke oven pusher and charging machine including a movable, elongate charging plate having a first end and a second end, retractable side-walls adjacent the charging plate, a first end wall adjacent the second end of the charging plate, a charging plate moving device for moving the charging plate into and out of the oven and a movably separate coal guide section adjacent the first end of the charging plate for spanning an area between the first end of the charging plate and the oven entrance, the coal guide section having a bottom wall, opposed fixed side walls attached to the bottom wall and opposed second and third end walls movable with respect to the bottom wall and fixed side walls;
• feeding particulate coal to the charging plate between the side walls and second end wall of the coal guide section and to the coal guide section between the second and third end walls to form first and second coal beds;
• compacting the coal in the first coal bed between the retractable side walls and first and second end walls;
• removing the pusher door from the coking oven entrance;
• removing the coke door from the oven exit;
• pushing coke out of the coking oven into a hot car;
• reattaching the coke door to the oven exit;
• transporting a portion of the coal guide section into the oven entrance in order to span a distance between the oven entrance and the charging plate;
• retracting the second and third end walls from the bottom wall of the coal guide section in order to deposit uncompacted coal in at least a portion of the oven;
• retracting the retractable side walls from the compacted coal on the charging plate;
• moving the charging plate containing compacted coal into the oven over the coal guide section while pushing uncompacted coal ahead of the compacted coal so that the uncompacted coal forms a layer of substantially uncompacted coal between the heated oven floor and the charging plate;
• repositioning the second and third end walls adjacent the charging plate;
• retracting the charging plate from the oven while holding the compacted coal in the oven using the third end wall;
• withdrawing the coal guide section from the oven entrance and reattaching the pusher door on the oven.