Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Apr., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 25th: Jan., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 25th Apr., 1889
.
I, GEORGE HUGHES of 38 Chancery Lane London W.C. Patent Agent, communi-
cated to me from abroad by André Henri Francois Chapelle of Loire France,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This my Invention relates to a new and Improved means for Hygienic and
economical cremation, the plan of construction being as follows.
A Stove or Kiln for drying the wood previous to use, with a fire grate constructed
in two sections, the lower section having bars placed horizontally, and the bars of
the front section are oblique, so that the half consumed wood falls through and
accumulates on the hearth beneath and thereby causes. a sharp and fierce
combustion.
The fire can be seen through an aperture, which also serves as a ventilator and
can be regulated as desired.
I also provide another, or false grate, placed directly underneath the one above
mentioned (with iron bars) also in two sections the bars of the lower section being
placed horizontally and corresponding with the bars above, the bars in the front
section being placed at first obliquely and then vertically complete, that is to say
are so constructed, or closed up as to form a reflector to the furnace, which forces
the heat and flames towards the interior of the chamber in which the corpse is placed
for disintration, and also forms a hygienic fire guard for the Inspector or stoker.
All sections of both the grates are of the same size and dimensions.
I place on the right hand side of the furnace, a calorifer or series of hot air pipes
and which is fed by contact with the furnace and communicates with the stove or
kiln, for drying the wood.
On the left hand side, I place a chimney, the draught of which is regulated by the
adjustment or manipulation of two shutters or dampers, which may be opened or
closed to the extent desired.
The fire grate runs the length of the hot stove or chamber, compelling the flames
to traverse twice the length of same before reaching the chimney.

page_text: The corpse is supported on a metallic grid-iron placed th of an inch above a
bronze tray, which bronze tray is destined to receive the ashes of the corpse and is
placed rd of an inch above the hearth. By this means the flames traverse beneath
and above the metallic grid-iron and burns the corpse above and below at one and
the same time-more than this the flames, rush, gush, and spout forth from the
hollow lateral parts of the bronze tray placed directly underneath the grid iron, and
completely envelop the corpse, the fats, juices and other products of the body disperse
on the tray, below the grid-iron for supporting the corpse and are consumed and
evaporate.
The corners of the above mentioned tray are provided with rollers or runners to
facilitate the entry and removal of same.
I also construct a moveable fireproof door for adapting and adjusting the furnace,
proportionately according to the size of the corpse, thus much reducing the expense
of the cremator in its use for children.
The hot stove or chamber being of a reverberating form and construction augments
the heat to such intensity that the gases and smoke are entirely consumed before their
introduction into the chimney.
HUGHES & Co.,
38, Chancery Lane,
Agents for the Application.

page_text: I GEORGE HUGHES of 38 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agent, a communication from André Henri Francois Chapelle of Loire France
Gentleman 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 :-
My Invention relates to an Improved crematorium embodying the most economical
heating devices for the purpose of rapidly and efficiently incinerating human bodies
or corpses.
And in order that my Invention may be more fully understood I have shewn the
same in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a plan of the crematory.
Fig. 2 shews the details of the grate and of the hearth whose feet or castors aro
shewn in Fig. 3. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the crematory. Fig. 5. is a front
view of the pawl or catch. Fig. 6 is a side elevation. Fig. 7 is a rear elevation.
Figs. & illustrate the pawl or catch separately showing the same in a standing
and in a reclining position. Fig. 10 is a transverse vertical section. Fig. 11 shews
the movable door and Fig. 12 is a longitudinal vertical section.
My Improved furnace is provided with a depressed arch M (Figs. 1. 10. & 12
arranged under the hearth and serving as drying chamber for wood. When the wood
is dry it is carried as fast as required for heating purposes to an ash pit O (Figs. 1,
& 12 arranged below the fire place, where it is placed upon a special grate
provided therefor in order to finish drying and be ready for brisk consumption in
the furnace, thus an economy of heat and of time is ensured. The furnace grate is
divided in two sections, the lowermost section E' (Fig. 12) which is horizontal and
the front section E (Fig. 12) which is slant, so that the wood partly consumed
slides and becomes heaped up at the bottom of the furnace thus maintaining a very
brisk combustion and enabling the fireman watching through the eye hole of the
furnace E (Fig. 12) to judge whether the fire requires replenishing. This eye hole
serves also for the purpose of creating a draught and may be arranged to open or
close at will, by means of a knob or other suitable contrivance.
Below the grate and parallely thereto is arranged another grate or false grate
likewise divided in two sections, the lowermost section F (Fig. 12) which is
horizontal and is furnished with fire bars arranged so as to correspond with the
intervals between the fire bars of the upper grate and capable of retaining the
incandescent charcoal escaping from the latter, and the front section F F
(Figs. 7 & 12) which slanting at first, and then vertical is solid that is to say closed
so as to constitute a reflector which retains and returns the heat of the furnace and a
hygienic fire screen for the fireman who is constantly obliged to walk thereabout.
For the false bottom could be substituted a grating having close meshes and made of
strong wire or of thin metal bars which grating may slide loosely within guides so
as to be shaken from time to time, in order to cause the extinguished charcoal to
fall. On the right hand side of the furnace, there is arranged a heat reservoir P
(Fig. 1) in which air is heated by contact with the furnace and communicating with
the arch or heated space serving to dry the wood by means of a heat outlet Q (Fig. 1)
which is close to the pedestal of the furnace.

page_text: On the left hand side of the furnace passes the flue U₁ (Fig. 1) receiving heat also
by contact and whose draught is thereby increased. This draught is regulated by
two dampers or valves (Figs. 7 & 12) one of which the damper A is arranged in the
chimney hood while the other the damper S (Fig. 7) is placed at the bottom of the
furnace and somewhat in front of the subterranean passage: these two dampers aro
arranged on the same face of the furnace and, hence handy for the fireman. The
damper S is a rotary or butterfly valve whose outer knob is formed of a cross piece
the longest bar of which indicates exactly at one glance the position of the valve
inside the chimney. The fire place V (Fig. 12) is made slant at the top in order to
increase its capacity and its draught and to assist with the grate in collecting
together at the bottom of the fire place, the partially consumed logs. The said fire
place and the hearth K (Fig. 12.) which forms a continuation thereof occupy the
whole length of the furnace so that the flame may be caused to traverse the length
of the furnace twice before reaching the chimney. This length varies according as
the crematory is intended for adults or children's corpses: A bed plate of bronze
or other suitable material L (Figs. 2 10 & 12) of suitable thickness to resist the
unavoidable shocks to which it is exposed while being manoeuvered and get thin
enough to become easily red hot under the action of the fire, extends above the fire
place and the hearth and serves to collect the ashes from the corpse. This bed plate
or sole is of the same length as the furnace and rests by means of its bent up
edges upon ledges extending along the side and the whole length of the furnace.
This bed plate forms a stretcher with a metallic grating placed a small distance above
the same (Fig. 2. 10 & 12) and rigidly secured thereto by metal bars erected at
regular intervals and twisted at their extremities in order to form suitable feet for
supporting the grating at the required distance from the bed plate. Upon this
stretcher is placed the corpse requiring to be incinerated which can burn above as
well as below, while the liquids and the fatty matter run out upon the red hot bed
plate so that the former evaporate and the latter becomes ignited and helps to urgo
the combustion of the remaining parts of the body, instead of forming upon and with
the exterior and already carbonized corpse a coating protecting the internal parts
from the action of the fire. Moreover the flames from the logs as they rush from the
narrowed portion of the bed plate surrounded the corpse like a whirlwind, this bed
plate being at a very short distance either from the ledges of the furnace at the side,
or from the movable inner door, in front. It is further held at a distance from the
said door by the projecting eyelets D D (Fig. 2.) placed at each anterior corner
thereof in order to facilitate its operation. In this manner the boniest, the dampest,
and the fleshiest parts of the body (head, chest, abdomen and thighs) are most
exposed to the destructive actions of the flames. The bed plate or sole is divided in
the direction of its length in three distinct parts having a different width. The first
part A B (Fig. 2) is applied exactly upon the ledges leading along the sides to the
end of the furnace, another part BC (Fig. 2) which rests entirely upon the lateral
ledges of the furnace is larger than the first and has a convenient length corresponding
to that of the furnace or to the sizes of the corpses. The third part CD (Fig. 2)
of somewhat smaller dimensions than the former is the narrowed portion hereinbefore
mentioned. The corners formed by the bed plate as it increases in width carry each
a castor having a flat wheel Ax similarly to those of bed-stead castors, which wheel
.however does not turn in all directions upon its pivot like the others. When the
stretcher is introduced in the furnace, these castors roll in a path or groove formed
in the ledges of the broadest part of the furnace and when the bed plate reaches the
end of its course, these wheels drop into sockets B2 (Fig. 3) whose depth equals the
entire height of the castor, and thus the bed plate is brought to rest exactly along
the whole of its length upon the horizontal surface of the ledges. The wheels are led
into the sockets by a slightly inclined plane so that they can be easily withdrawn
therefrom, when the incineration is terminated by means of the above described
eyelets.
These flat wheels may be replaced by rollers having the same diameter, in which
case the paths or grooves in the ledges could be dispensed with, except at the front

page_text: part of the furnace where the pawls move in consequence whereof the bed plate
would be propelled when entering or issuing from the furnace by rolling upon its
own castors and by sliding over the flat wheels of the pawls hereinafter to be
described.
An internal and movable door G G G (Figs. 11 & 12) allows of the furnace
being shortened according to the length of the bed plates which depends upon the
size of the corpses; any loss of heat being thus prevented in the case of small corpses.-
This stone door which is light in weight and of refractory material such as pumico
or other similar stone or artificial compound is formed of three parts:-the first G³
(Figs. 12 & 11) forming a base occupies the whole of the lower width of the furnace
including the hearth and has a suitable height, whilo the other two parts which are
equal and similar to one another, serve each to close one of the sides of the furnace
arch by moving through the concave base about the cylindrical top of the founda-
tion G (Fig. 12) after the manner of a knee joint. The part G which is in contact
with the fire bridge (at the top of the furnace arch) slants towards the furnace
(Fig. 12) so as to deflect the flames licking the same onto the corpse. Lastly as no
metal could be fixed to this stone on the fire side for fear of too rapid a separation
resulting from the dilatation caused by heat or from the contraction caused by
cooling the before mentioned knee joint serves instead of hinges and the two
doors GG are held closed by reason of the weight of their bases which are formed
like.culs-de-sac (Fig. 12). The arch of the furnace has not everywhere the same
height, being lower at the end of the furnace T (Figs. 10 & 12) then assuming
further on the appearance of a reverbatory furnace owing to a spherical arch
commencing at T and finishing at T when it reaches its greatest height and
becomes horizontal in the front part of the furnace as clearly shown in Fig. 12.
The surface occupied by the furnace above the fire place and the hearth has not
the same width everywhere.
-
At the end and above the fire place it is narrowest at T while from that point
until the front of the fire bridge it increases in width there being more space required
for the corpse's body so that the heat can be better condensed, the smoke and gases
being brought down for consumption upon the reddened bed plate which serves as a
top or ceiling to the fire place.
Above the end of the furnace which is provided with a top piece N (Fig. 12) of
inetal or of mineral sufficiently hard to withstand without injury the shocks of the
bed plate, and immediately above the fire place which owing to its permanent heat
increases the draught in the chimney starts the hood U (Fig. 12) of the latter.-
From this hood the chimney follows the right side of the furnace U¹ by means of a
hexagonal conduit and then traverses the whole length of the masonry U2 (Fig. 12)
finally passing above the furnace opening in order to return through the masonry U
(Fig. 12) and be lead into the ground at the left side of the furnace U (Fig. 1).
Hence the heat of the fire place instead of being immediately lost with the smoke in
the ground or in the flues, commences on the contrary to heat the masonry or
brick-work of the furnace, thus producing a great economy of combustible. The
hood is a rectangle slightly slanting as it joins the fire bridge.
In the middle of the short travel accomplished by the chimney above the opening
of the furnace is arranged an air hole closed by a stone plug J (Figs. 4 & 12) the
removal of which enables the chimney to be swept from time to time by means of a
scraper having a flexible handle. This horizontal travel of the chimney causes a
pause in its ascending course at the right or at the left of the masonry or brick-
work U2 U (Fig. 12).
Instead of entering the ground by the side of the furnace, the chimney may be
made to take an oblique direction and become aerial by extending to the top of the
extrados of the furnace Y (Fig. 10) immediately above the fire place.
The upper extremity of the chimney inay in this case be closed with an easily.
removable stone plug A³ (Fig. 12). Two catches or holdfasts having for object to
maintain the outer fire door closed and to facilitate the introduction and the move-
ment of the bed plate when in a reclined position (Fig. 9) are arranged in front of

page_text: the furnace at the outer extremities of the ledges and on each side of the fire
bridge D D (Fig. 4). Each catch is composed of a couple of iron bars joined at one
extremity by a small cross iron bar G (Fig. 5) and at the other extremity by a flat
wheel A (Fig. 5) likewise of metal. These bars are split nearly through so as to
admit through their slit the metallic axis B³ upon which the catch has to operate.
This axis is arranged horizontally in the ledges so as to allow the catch to move
either in the inner and horizontal groove of the latter in order to be depressed
(Fig. 9) or in their outer and vertical groove (Fig. 8) in order to be erected against
the door and exert thereon a constant pressure. When depressed the catch exhibits
the greatest part of its wheel while its rod disappears in the groove of the ledges so
as to allow a passage in this groove for the feet of the bed plate (Fig. 9).
When the catch is uptanding, the whole of the wheel appears outside and the rod
is entirely seen in front or upon its thickness while its width is nearly wholly
concealed within the ledges (Figs. 5 & 8). At the opening of the furnace is placed
a thick metal door slightly inclined forward and closing the whole of the orifice H
(Fig. 4) or H (Fig. 12).-To allow this door to pass, the catches are fully drawn by
the wheel end thereof, that is to say until the other extremity is stopped by the
aforesaid axis when they hang outside the ledges and the wheels no more obstruct the
setting up of the door.
The external door H (Fig. 4) H (Fig. 12), the inner door and the bottom
piece of the inner door G G G2 (Figs. 11 & 12).are cach provided with a bandle
of as little oxidisable metal as possible wherewith they are operated, when required.-
The handle of the said bottom piece is horizontal but the others are slightly obliquo
and converge towards the centre of the furnace. At the back of the furnace and
above the fire place there is an opening or eye hole B formed in the masonry or
brick-work (Figs. 7, 10 & 12) through which the inside can be seen. This eye hole
has the form of two truncated cones joined by their summit and it is provided at the
junction of the two cones and level with the outer facing with transparent disks of
mica or glass which enable the fire man to watch constantly the progress of the
incineration. The small inner disc is movable in a metal ring from which it can be
withdrawn when required for cleaning purposes. The large outer disc is also
movable but on hinges being encased in a round frame like a watch glass and
opened in a like manner to the latter.
The door of the fire place is provided near its two hinges or in connection there-
with with two bent over feet which by resting upon the fire screen. when the door
is open maintain it in a horizontal position in which it must be placed to receive the
logs and facilitate their forward motion in a furnace which is too hot for anyone to
introduce therein without danger the arm or the hand.
.
In towns where gas is used for public lighting the crematory fired by logs as
above described may be converted into a gas crematory by dispensing with the fire
place, the ledges of the hearth which form a continuation thereof and the calorifer,
(the arch of the drying room being preserved for another purpose) by decreasing the
height of the furnace of that of the ledges by considerably narrowing the chimney
hood and flues by raising the stretcher above the bed plate and finally by surrounding
the said stretcher with a set of metal pipes furnished with numerous gas jets having
long flames arranged in close proximity to one another, upon two
rows and
alternately so that the apex of their flames may be directed one above and the other
below the corpse in order to thoroughly envelop it like a shroud of fire. In this
case the above mentioned narrowed portion of the bed plate is dispensed with, this
bed plate taking the exact form of the furnace hearth with its two different widths
(Fig. 10).
Having now particularly described' and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
The Improved economical and hygienic crematorium which is characterized by the
combination of parts contributing to effect a close and rapid combustion and whose

page_text: prominent features are: a chamber for previously drying the wood required by means
of the lost heat of the fire place transinitted through a calorifer: an ash pit with
grating for completing said drying operation: a fire place slanting at the top and
having a double and partly inclined grate for concentrating the heat and for automati-
cally heaping the half consumed wood in a single point; a bed plate and an
independant stretcher for burning the corpso above and below and disposing of the
liquids and fatty matters by evaporation and ignition respectively, said bed plate
serving as a top to the fire place and being thus immediately and directly reached
by the flames: two doors secured to the furnace one of which being an inner
removable door serving to shorten the length of the furnace according to the size of
the corpses; the reverbatory form of the principal part of the furnace designed to
economically increase the heat; the narrowing of the bottom of the furnace above
the fire place to produce an intense heat for completely consuming the gases and
the smoke previous to their introduction in the chimney: the two different manners
of arranging and conveying the chimney fiue within and around the masonry or brick-
work, the same issuing either above or below the furnace in order to increase the
draught through the heat of the fire place and to promptly heat such masonry or
brick work without any additional consumption of fuel, substantially as herein-before
described and shewn in the drawings hereunto annexed and for the purpose set
forth.