Improvements in the Means of and Apparatus for Treating Refuse.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Dec., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Sept., 1889-Accepted, 16th Nov., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Means of and Apparatus for Treating Refuse.
I WILLIAM WARNER, of Traffic Street Works, Nottingham in the county of
Nottinghamshire, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Refuse and especially town refuse is usually treated by burning in furnaces known
as Destructors."
"
The object of the present invention is to increase the efficiency of such furnaces
and their appurtenances, to utilize as far as possible beat hitherto wasted, to
minimise noxious effects and to so complete the treatment of the residue as to
bring it to a fitter condition for use than hitherto, and at a considerable saving in
the cost of treatment.
According to my invention I construct the furnace preferably with a reverberatory
arch over the grate and I apply to it a drying hearth made of iron or other good
heat conducting material with or without suitable radiating ribs. This drying hearth.
is arranged to form the roof of the main flue through which the products of com-
bustion must pass, and thus heat is transmitted from the said flue to the refuse
placed on the hearth. I protect the brickwork at the sides of the furnace by
the employment of perforated plates or bars set at or about at right angles to the
ordinary fire bars. These plates or bars are kept at a lower temperature than the
furnaces by air caused to circulate behind them and thence through the apertures
to the furnace, and thus while combustion is improved the duration of the furnace is
increased.
Each furnace is provided with two dampers in connection with the outlet fluss
at the back of the furnace and arranged to be operated from the outside of the
apparatus by suitable means.
By these dampers any single furnace may be shut off from the outlet flues and
the carriage of dust out of the furnace into the flues and chimney shaft is prevented
whilst raking down or clinkering, as is also the inrush of cold air to the furnace
and flues.
The ash pits are closed with iron doors and air is or may be forced through a
special arrangement of tubes at the sides of the furnaces underneath the fire bars.
The tubes are branched from a larger tube or pipe fixed inside the main flue
where the air is heated. A fan or blower may be used to force the air through
the pipes, and into the branch tubes, and each tube has a plunger valve which is
arranged to admit either forced air or the ordinary atmospheric air as required.
Adjacent to each furnace I provide a hopper for feeding the refuse specially
constructed with a movable cover at the top and a door at the base.
By this arrangement air or gases is or are effectually prevented from passing
through the hopper, for whilst the top cover is opened for charging the hopper
with refuse the door at its base is closed, and vice versa, whilst discharging the
contents on to the hearth through the base door the top cover is closed, and thus
also waste of heat and the escape of noxious gases is prevented.
In order to further economise the heat of the products of combustion and apply
same to a useful purpose I use with furnaces constructed as specified a steam
generator suitably disposed in regard to the main flue, and thus I derive power
to drive the fan aforesaid and also the apparatus hereinafter described for com-
pleting the treatment of the refuse, and without any further cost for fuel.
said generator may be of any suitable type; and in combination with the flues
leading from the furnaces to the chimney provision is made for catching and
The

page_text: .
intercepting the fine furnace dust and ashes and for removing the same when
required.
Such arrangements may consist of pockets or pits with sliding covers operated
from the outside of the flue; Suitable deflectors are provided and the pits are
normally open to the fire but closed when required to remove the dust, and a side
door is provided for this purpose: Thus air is excluded at all times.
For completing the treatment of clinker and other hard residuals I provide a mill
with three horizontal rolls with screen arrangements to divide the particles of clinker
after passing through the rolls.
The rolls are set in position similar to those employed in sugar mills, where one roll
is made to crush against the other two rolls. The top roll may be provided with
blunt spikes to help the material forward to the position where the crushing takes
place between the rolls. The residue clinker is thus reduced to such form that it is
better adapted for subsequent use, and old tins and the like are compressed to a more
portable size.
D21
17000
J. C. CHAPMAN,
Agent for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Means of and Apparatus for Treating Refuse.
I WILLIAM WARNER, of Traffic Street Works, Nottingham, in the county of
Nottinghamshire, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Refuse and especially town refuse is usually treated by burning in furnaces known
as destructors."
"
The object of the present invention is to increase the efficiency of such furnaces
and their appurtenances, to utilize as far as possible heat hitherto wasted and to
minimise noxious effects.
In order that my invention may be fully understood I have illustrated in the
accompanying drawings an apparatus constructed according to my present improve-
ments. The illustrations show an apparatus having six complete furnaces and the
following constructive description of a furnace and its adjuncts fittings flue and
appurtenances is applicable to each such furnace, while the general arrangement of
flue leading from the furnace or furnaces to the chimney shaft will necessarily vary
according to local conditions and circumstances.
Figure 1 is a plan of a complete nest of six furnaces the flue leading from them
being shown in section. Figures 2 and 3 are sections taken respectively on lines A A
and B B of figure 1. Figures 5 and 6 are cross sectional views of a detail and
figures 7 to 12 are hereinafter fully explained. In all the figures similar letters
indicate similar parts.
According to my invention I provide behind the furnace F a drying hearth H and
I construct a reverberatory arch f over both. I make the furnace mouth wide to
facilitate stoking etc. and for the same purpose, as well as to preclude inrush of
cold air during the operation, I fit it with two sliding doors f2f2, so that any
area of opening required may be obtained with ease. Furnace doors of the ordinary
types may however be used when desired.
The drying hearth H behind the grate G is of good heat conducting material such
as cast iron with radiating ribs on one or both sides the upper side being advan-
tageously protected by fire clay covering as illustrated figure 2; or it may be of iron
ribs supporting intermediate fire clay bricks or slabs.
The hearth H is arranged in all cases to overlie and form the roof of the main
flue B through which the products of combustion must necessarily pass on their
way to the chimney and thus heat is transmitted from said flues to the refuse

page_text: placed on the hearth H. In the sextuple arrangement illustrated it will be seen
that the two main flues B B pass beneath all the drying hearths H H H.
I protect the brickwork at the sides of the furnace grate G by the employment
of metal side plates P P having hollow air spaces pp' formed in the brickwork
behind them: The plates P P may be solid but it is advantageous to furnish them
with air passages which may be simple perforations such as are illustrated at p p
in figures 2 and 3, and the detail figures 7 and 8-which are respectively a section
and an elevation; or, for perforated plates may be substituted iron bars suitably
spaced apart: Such bars may be arranged with the air passages p horizontal or
inclined in either direction as shown in the cross sections figures 9, 10, 11 and 12;
in all cases however the said side plates P P are at or about at right angles with
the surface of the bars forming the grate G. The hollow spaces pl pl behind
said plates are of suitable area and air circulates behind them. Such circulation
may in some cases be by natural draught but according to my improvements I
employ generally a forced blast. For this purpose air is conveyed in pipes T T
having smaller branches t t each of which is or may be furnished with a plunger
valve of ordinary construction adapted to open or shut a port in the branch pipe
as indicated at t figure 3, and operated by a rod from the furnace front; or I may
construct an air flue in the brickwork forming the main flue walls and lead thence
the branch pipes tt as explained.
The ashpits F F¹ are closed with iron doors and the blast is caused to impinge
upon the lower side of the grate and the back of the side plates P P, thence passing
through the air spaces and passages thereof as indicated by the arrows figures 7 to 12.
Thus the plates P P whether solid or not are kept at a lower temperature than the
furnace and while combustion is improved by the added air the duration of the
furnace is increased.
Each furnace F has two outlet flues bb arranged preferably at the back of either
side of the furnace above the drying hearth H; and these flues communicate with
the vertical shafts 6 which lead down to the main flues B B, and are carried up and
provided with a cover for access. In each outlet flue bb I provide a hinged
damper D provided with a rod leading to the furnace front for operation, as
illustrated at d' d'. By these dampers D D any single furnace may be shut off from
the main flues and the carriage of dust out of the furnace into the flues and
chimney is prevented whilst raking down or clinkering, as is also the inrush of
cold air to the furnace and flues.
Adjacent to each furnace I provide a hopper E which is best located above the
drying hearth H for feeding the refuse to said hearth. The body of the hopper E
may be built, or it may be of cast iron; its top is formed to receive a tight fitting
movable cover e and at its base is hinged a door or gate e¹ with a lever e² for
operating it from the outside. By this arrangement air or gases are effectually
prevented from passing through the hopper for whilst the cover e is removed for
charging the hopper with refuse the door e¹ at the bottom is shut, and vice versa
whilst discharging the contents of the hopper on to the hearth H through the base
door e the top cover e is replaced and closed, and thus also waste of heat and the
escape of noxious gases are prevented.
In order to intercept the fire furnace and flue dust and ashes and to facilitate
removal of same I construct the main flues with a special intercepting device. This
is illustrated in figures 5 and 6.
B is the main flue in the bottom of which at
suitable intervals are formed pockets or pits W extending laterally to the outside of
the walls and fitted with a sliding cover or it may be two sliding covers to or one
horizontal sliding cover and one vertical door a in the flue wall operated by suitable
handles. These pits W are normally open, i.e. with the cover or covers withdrawn ;
at each pit a deflector w² is provided which causes the dust etc. to be deposited in
the pit W, and when it is required to remove the dust the covers, or the cover and
door a, are manipulated and closed in such a manner that cold air is at all times excluded
from the flues, and the dust removed. The bottom of the pit may be either square
as illustrated or ramped or curved as indicated by the dotted lines figure 5.

page_text: The whole structure is of suitable materials, retractory where exposed to heat, and
it is strongly tied together by through bolts and suitable girders, washers and
the like.
In the case of large apparatus where there are many furnaces I construct the chimney
flue with a chamber for the reception of a steam generator of suitable type, and I
arrange a bye-pass flue and suitable dampers whereby the heated gases may be
diverted to pass beneath and around the said generator and thereby further economise
heat, or may be allowed to flow direct to the chimney shaft.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. An apparatus for treating refuse having its essential parts viz.: Furnace, drying
hearth, dampers, feed hopper and flues combined together and arranged substantially
in the manner described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. In apparatus for treating refuse a furnace constructed with side plates or
equivalents such as P P with or without air passages, placed at either side of and at
or about at right angles to the grate surface and with open spaces behind same as and
for the purposes described and illustrated.
3. In apparatus for treating refuse the combination of the furnace and a drying
hearth arranged to over lie the main flue thereof and a damper to each outlet flue
therefrom substantially as and for the purposes setforth.
4. In apparatus for treating refuse the combination with furnace, drying hearth and
dampers arranged as specified and claimed above, of a feed hopper with movable cover
and base door disposed and operating substantially in the manner and for the
purpose setforth.
5. In apparatus for treating refuse a feed hopper constructed as and for the purpose
setforth.
6. In apparatus for treating refuse the combination with a furnace and drying
hearth constructed and arranged as specified and claimed of sliding fire and ash pit
doors as and for the purposes setforth.
7. In apparatus for treating refuse the employment of a forced blast caused to
impinge upon the lower side of the fire bars and the backs of side plates P P furnished
with air passages substantially as setforth.
8. In apparatus for treating refuse the provision in the main flue thereof of dust
intercepting and collecting devices constructed substantially as above described in
reference to figures 1, 5 and 6.
Dated this 23rd day of September 1889.
v of September 1889.
J. C. CHAPMAN, Fel. Inst. Patent Agents,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for Applicant.