Improved Destructor Furnace for Refuse, and Apparatus connected therewith.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 14th May, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 9th Feb., 1892-Accepted, 12th Mar., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Destructor Furnace for Refuse, and Apparatus connected
therewith.
I HENRY WHILEY, of Trafford Bank House, Old Trafford, Manchester,
Sanitary Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The improvements relate to destructor furnaces and apparatus connected there-
with, for burning and disposing of town's and other refuse, and have for object the
more automatic or continuous operation of such.
To accomplish this and to effect my improvements, I construct the destructor
furnaces of suitable materials, such as brick, stone, iron, and concrete, and, for the
purpose of feeding the same with refuse to be burnt, I provide a feeding hopper
which is fixed at the front end of such furnace, and, by preference, is large enough
to hold as much refuse as the furnace will burn in say 24 hours. Near the bottom
of and within the hopper I mount a revolving shaft on which are arranged blades
or spikes, or other projections, which, in turning round, disturb and loosen the
refuse, allowing the same to drop on to firebars, which project within the furnace.
These firebars have given to them alternately a to and fro, as well as a rising and
falling motion, which carries forward the refuse as it is deposited. Upon being
sufficiently calcined, the refuse is allowed to fall over the ends of the bars into a
vessel or well of water.
I may either as in the case of large examples of my apparatus-provide in this
vessel of water, carriages, perforated to allow of water escape, into which the
calcined refuse is first deposited, and afterwards drawn out of the water bodily; or
the slacked refuse may be raked out of the well or vessel, in the case of small
examples; or travelling lattices or creepers may be employed both for this
purpose, and for bringing forward the refuse in the furnace while being burnt.
The products of first combustion in the furnace, together with the steam arising
from the well or vessel of water, I pass through suitable flues or pipes to a heated,
or secondary combustion chamber, wherein all the material in gaseous or dust form
is completely burnt, and nothing but the final products of combustion are allowed
to escape through the chimney where one is used, or are allowed to escape by any
other means, such as a blast or fan, where no chimney is employed.
In connection with the heated chamber or secondary combustion furnace, I
mount a steam boiler which by utilizing the heat provides the power to drive the
moving parts of the apparatus or for other and exterior purposes.
Variations in detail, such as the form and material of the various furnaces,
chambers, flues, hopper and feeder, the fire bars or substitutes, and the vessel or
well, as also in the size and number thereof may be made without departing from
the peculiar character of the invention.
Dated this 13th day of May 1891.
WILLIAM GADD, C.E.,
64, Barton Arcade, Manchester, Agent.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Destructor Furnace for Refuse, and! Apparatus connected
thèrewith.
I HENRY WHILEY, of Trafford Bank House,. Old Trafford, Manchester,
Sanitary 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 :-
The improvements relate to destructor furnaces and apparatus connected there-
with, for burning and disposing of town's and other refuse, and have for object the
more automatic or continuous operation of such.
To accomplish this and to effect my improvements, I construct the destructor
furnaces of suitable materials, such as brick, stone, iron and concrete, and, for the
purpose of feeding the same with refuse to be burnt, I provide a feeding hopper,
which is fixed at the front end of such furnace, and, by preference, is large enough
to hold as much refuse as the furnace will burn in, say 24 hours.
Near the bottom of, and within the hopper, I mount a revolving shaft, on which
are arranged blades or spikes, or other projections, which, in turning round, disturb.
and loosen the refuse, allowing the saine to drop on to firebars, which project within
the furnace.
Or, by preference, I may construct the hopper with the lower orifice of greater
area than the upper, in manner shewn in the accompanying drawings, or in other
suitable form whereby the refuse will be enabled to readily fall on to the firebars,,
by which means the revolving shaft and its blades or spikes may be dispensed
. with.
The firebars have given to them alternately a to and fro, as well as a rising and
falling motion, which carries forward the refuse as it is deposited.
Upon being sufficiently calcined, the refuse is allowed to fall over the ends of
the bars into a vessel or well of water. I may either, as in the case of large
examples of my apparatus-provide in this vessel of water, carriages, perforated to
allow of water escape, into which the calcined refuse is first deposited, and after-
wards drawn out of the water bodily; or the slacked refuse may be raked out of
the well or vessel, in the case of small examples; or travelling lattices or creepers
may be employed both for this purpose, and for bringing forward the refuse in the
furnace while being burnt.
The products of first combustion in the furnace, together with the steam, arising
from the well or vessel of water, I pass through suitable flues or pipes to a heated,
or secondary combustion chamber, wherein all the material in gaseous or dust form,
is completely burnt, and nothing but the final products of combustion are allowed
to escape through the chimney, where one is used, or are allowed to escape by. any
other means, such as a blast or fan, where no chimney is employed.
In connection with the heated chamber or secondary combustion, furnace, I mount
a steam boiler, which, by utilizing the heat, provides the power to drive the moving
parts of the apparatus, or for other and exterior purposes.
But that the improvements may be better understood, I will, with, the aid, of the
accompanying drawings, proceed more fully to describe means employed by me.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1. shews a longitudinal section, and Figs. 2 and 3 cross sections, on lines
indicated, of apparatus arranged in accordance with my improvements.
The same letters indicate corresponding parts wherever they occur.
a. a is the hopper, for conducting the refuse to the furnace, and is, in this case,
shewn in a form which allows such refuse to fall readily, without the employment
of disturbing spikes or blades, which are therefore not shewn in the drawings,
though they may be employed in addition if required.

page_text: b. is the furnace, provided with the firebars c. c, or, it may be, creepers or
travelling lattices, which firebars are caused to move in the desired manner by
means of the eccentrics d', on the shaft d, the necessary motion being imparted
from the main shafting through gearing such as e. e. and f. f'; f and
friction disc and bowl, but other forms of gearing may be substituted for that
shewn in the drawings.
being a
The calcined refuse is carried forward by the motion of the firebars, until it falls
through the opening g', into the well or space g, from which it may either be raked
by hand, or carried away by perforated or other carriages, by creepers, or by other
means, as will be readily understood.
h. is the passage through which the products of combustion together with the
steam arising from the well, are conducted, to a secondary combustion chamber k,
for destroying all but the final products of combustion, which are allowed or caused
to escape by chimney or by other means through the main flue 1.
In practice, it is convenient to construct a number of these elemental destructor
furnaces in one range of buildings, and connect them together by means of the
main flue aforesaid, to one chimney or other outlet.
Variations in detail, such as the form and material of the various furnaces,
chambers, flues, hopper and feeder, the firebars or substitutes, and the vessel or
well, as also in the size and number thereof, may be made without departing from
the peculiar character of the invention.
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 :-
1. In destructor furnaces for refuse and the like, the combination of the hopper a-
whether or not provided with disturbing spikes or blades-and furnace space b,
with passage h, and secondary combustion chamber k, in connection with the main
flue 1, for the purpose and in manner substantially as herein shewn and described.
2. In destructor furnaces for refuse and the like, the combination of Claim 1,
with movable firebars c, or means for carrying forward the refuse thereon, together
with gearing, for the purpose and in manner substantially as herein shewn and
described.
3. In destructor furnaces, for refuse and the like, the combination and arrange-
ment of parts and apparatus for the purpose specified, and in manner substantially
as herein shewn and described.
Dated this 8th day of February 1809
WILLIAM GADD, C.E.,
64, Barton Arcade, Manchester, Agent.