Improvements in the Treatment of Dust-bin and similar Refuse and in Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Jan., 1889
Complete Specificat on Left, 28th Oct., 1889-Accepted, 14th Dec., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Treatment of Dust-bin and similar Refuse
and in Apparatus therefor.
We, THE REFUSE DISPOSAL COMPANY, Limited of 23 Bucklersbury, in the City of
London, JOHN CHARLES WILLIAM STANLEY, of 5 Dewhurst Road, West Kensington
Park, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, and JOSEPH RUSSELL, of 22 Charing
Cross, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to so treat the refuse collected from dust bins ash
pits dust-boxes and the like (and which consists of a great variety of different
inaterials and articles especially small coal, cinders, coke, ashes, pieces and scraps of
paper, straw, glass bottles, nails. scraps of iron and tin, old kettles and pans, pieces
of string and many other things) as to separate them into their respective species,
collecting the coal cinders etc. for fuel, the paper string and other suitable materials
for paper pulp, the metals for scrap (recovering the solder or tin from the tinned
articles or
tin plate) carbonising the vegetable refuse into charcoal and the
absolute refuse of which very little remains at the end of the process for disposal in
the most convenient manner. To effect such a result as this with such material
involves an elaborate and continuous process and various special machines and
apparatus to which the materials are successively delivered, a system of subdivision
constantly going on as the operation progresses and the various sorted species
radiating as it were from the common centre at which the refuse is tipped out of the
cart and the treatment begins.
The process may be described as follows though many variations can be made
especially in the machines or apparatus without departing from the spirit of the
invention: The ordinary dust cart delivers the whole of its contents into a large
revolving drum or screen No. 1 open at the lower part of both ends but partially
boxed or closed in at the upper parts and carried in a suitable casing and driven at
a slow rate by a toothed iron ring at or near each end with which gear two pinions
carried on a shaft running parallel with the axis of the drum. Opening into the upper
part of this drum is a pipe or flue through which by a strong suction or exhaust
blast the light dust and floating particles are drawn and delivered to the engine_fire
or into water or otherwise according to the requirements of the special case.
drum is in fact a coarse sieve preferably made with longitudinal wooden laths (to
prevent breaking the glass bottles and avoid noise) between which all but the larger
articles and pieces fall into the casing or shoot, the larger articles gravitating or
travelling to the lower end of the drum, which lies a little off the horizontal plane,
(or if level provided with a worm, or equivalent) where they are hand picked out of
the drum and sorted as required the slow speed of the drum making this easy of
accomplishment.
This
The casing or shoot over which the drum works has a sharply sloping bottom
which causes all the materiais to gravitate to one part where is an elevator
which carries them to Machine No. 2 which may be at a higher level where a
further sorting goes on.
(Several elevators conveyors and the like may be used in
this process but it will be understood that more or fewer of these may be required
according to the site and construction of the works; if placed upon the side of a
hill with the large drum at the bighest level the elevators might to a large extent be
dispensed with.) As difficulty would arise from the elevator getting choked as each
cart load was shot into the drum No. 1 a door is provided to prevent too much
material passing at once, and as the restricted opening thus provided would choke
preferably two or more rods or equivalent are disposed in the passage way and caused

page_text: to reciprocate so as to help the material through. These rods may be hollow for
lightness and roughened or provided with projections if desired.
The material is now delivered into the shoot or hopper of machine No. 2 a
revolving screen or sifter. This revolving screen No. 2 is preferably in the form of
a long cylinder say for example 2 ft. 6 diameter by 20 ft. long sloping (or if hori-
zontal provided with a worm) so that the contents gravitate or travel towards the
end remote from that by which they entered. This screen is preferably formed in
two shapes one half or portion of the drum being circular and the other formed
with any convenient number of flat sides or faces; it is preferably driven by external
toothed rings with which pinions gear as in the case of the large drum No. 1. This
screen also revolves at a slow speed and has a comparatively fine mesh or a series of
meshes of different sizes and all that passes through this mesh falls on to a travelling
band which carries it to a third revolving screen machine No. 4. As the materials
drop off the end of the No. 2 screen they are met by a blast through which the heavy
articles such as metal, glass coal coke clinkers etc. fall upon a revolving table, thie
lighter particles being carried upwards by a blast to a shoot where they meet a water
jet or spray and fall into a tank from which the water overflows to waste leaving
the dust at the bottom in the form of mud or carrying it off with it as may be
arranged. The materials suitable for paper making, as they meet the angular
blast at the end of the No. 2 screen are carried on to a travelling creeper in
machine No. 3 which delivers them over an angular blast sufficient to blow them
into the hopper of the "Devil" or carding machine allowing any heavy material
unsuitable for the "Devil" or "Carder" (such as iron, glass or the like) to fall
into a chamber beneath. The devil or carding machine tears the. fibrous material
up in the well known manner and from the devil the material is again blown
through suitable shoots or conveyed by bands or creepers to a drying oven.
This
oven is preferably in the form of a chamber with coils of steam piping in it upon
and amongst which the materials fall on to a perforated bottom beneath which are
more coils. It will be understood however that so long as this chamber is properly
heated so as to thoroughly dry the materials any convenient means of heating it
may be adopted. From this chamber the materials are taken to one 'machine or a
series of machines where they are crushed and sifted preferably several times over so
that the mineral matters remaining in or adhering to this mass of materials may be
as effectually as possible removed. There is preferably an air trunk from the top of
the oven to the steam boiler furnace by which the dust and offensive fumes or vapours
given off in the drying process are conveyed to the furnace. From the rolling and
sifting process just described the paper making materials pass by a sloping table where
they are subjected to another hand picking process for the removal of straw or any
improper materials which may still remain, to the pulping machine.
Those materials which do not pass through the mesh of screen No. 2 chiefly coal
coke wood iron glass and the like fall on to a revolving table preferably having an
iron top and toothed ring underneath by which it may be driven, of large diameter
15 feet, for instance, and open in the centre so that attendants can stand on both
sides to hand-pick the materials upon the table which pass at a slow speed before
them. The fuel and material from this table is sorted and washed ready for use.
In machino No. 3 are deflecting plates to divert the blast and allow the paper
making material to enter the shoots allotted to them in a calmer atmosphere in which
the creeper carries them along to meet the angular blast already described.
The materials passing through the mesh of screen No. 2 fall as already stated on
to a travelling band which conveys them to another revolving screen machine No. 4,
having a finer mesh than the previous ones and provided with an internal spiral
which keeps the materials for a long time in contact with the mesh of the sieve and
thus very thoroughly sifts out all the fine ashes dust and more or loss useless
materials. The larger pieces which are useful fuel full into the buckets of an
elevator which first traverses in a horizontal direction through a trough of water and
thon rises in a more or less vertical direction against a stream of falling water so as
to thoroughly wash and cleanse the fuel which is finally delivered on to the upper

page_text: end of a shoot down which the material falls into a heap ready for use. It generally
happens that there are a certain quantity of potato peelings and tho like still left by
the time this material arrives at the top of the shoot and in order to get rid of
these one or more openings are provided in the bottom of the shoot which is placed
at a sufficiently sharp angle to ensure the rapid traverse of the fuel; by this means
the fuel being clean and free falls quickly down the shoot without dropping through
the openings while the potato peelings and the like which are more sticky cling to
the shoot and slide down close against the surface and fall through the openings
provided for the purpose. The fuel from the end of this shoot is found to be
exceedingly clean and serves excellently for steam boilers.
The boiler fires are preferably worked by a forced draught supplied by the fan or
blower which removes the dust etc. from screen No. 1 and thus acts both as a suction
and pressure blower; from this arrangement ensues the' additional advantage that
exceedingly poor fuel and small ashes eliminated during this process can be burnt
in the furnaces of the boilers which supply the steam for working the machines.
The larger pieces of paper rags etc. which are hand-picked from the open end of
drum No. 1, may be placed at once in a devil or carding machine and then delivered
preferably by a blast into the drying oven. The straw vegetable and other carbonaceous
material recovered during the process is carbonized in air tight chambers or retorts
or ground up with other manurial products.
A furnace is provided where the tin and solder are recovered and collected and as
most of the larger pieces of tin and iron such as kettles pans etc. are at once removed
by the first hand-picking direct from the drum No. 1 this furnace should be placed
for convenience near that drum.
For the purpose of disposing of such portions of the refuse as are of no practical
value such as old baskets wooden boxes bottle envelopes and the residue from the
revolving sorting table a specially prepared furnace is provided by which the products
of combustion are utilised for the purpose of generating steam and the smoko and
fumes are passed over a glowing fire with a proper supply of air so as to produce as
perfect combustion as possible and the escaping gases are passed through a scrubber
or water washer. This furnace may be arranged as follows. The boiler is preferably
but not necessarily a multi-tubular one and may be set in brick or otherwise disposed
as required leaving a flue, smoke box, or equivalent at each end. Beneath the
boiler is the furnace proper which I prefer to make a double furnace having a brick
arch or bridge in the centre, fire-bars at each side of the arch and a fire door at each
end of the chamber the space underneath each set of fire bars may be enclosed for
the purpose of introducing a forced blast; the blast however can be introduced where
ever found most desirable. In or in connection with each of the spaces at the ends
of the boiler is arranged a damper or equivalent which are preferably connected in
any suitable manner so that when one is closed the other is open. The action is as
follows:-The offensive fuel is fed into one of the fires say No. 1 the damper at that
end being closed consequently the products of combustion from fire No. 1 pass over
firo No. 2 which is in a highly heated bright condition and then pass by the smoke
box of fire No. 2 to the boiler through the tubes or flues thereof and out into the
smoke box at the other end that is the smoke box of No. 1 fire which though closed
to its own fire is open to the flue. When No. 1 fire has received a sufficient
quantity of the fuel and that has been sufficiently burnt up the dampers may be
reversed and No. 2 fire fed with the fuel the products of which now pass over No. 1
fire and by No. 1 smoke box through the tubes of the boiler iuto No. 2 smoke box
and so to the flue the process being reversed as often as may be necessary. By this
arrangement it will be seen that the gases from that fire which is receiving the fuel
must pass over another and very hot fire before escaping to the boiler and Hue. The
blast may be arranged to deliver alternately to Nos. 1 and 2 fires or continuously
to one or both as may be desired.
131
1000

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Treatment of Dust-bin and similar Refuse and
in Apparatus therefor.
We, THE REFUSE DISPOSAL COMPANY, Limited, of 23 Bucklersbury, in the city of
London, JOHN CHARLES WILLIAM STANLEY of 5 Dewhurst Road, West Kensington
Park in the county of Middlesex, Gentleman, and JOSEPH RUSSELL, of 22 Charing
Cross in the county of Middlesex, 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 object of this invention is to so treat the refuse collected from dust-bins, ash-
pits, dust-boxes and the like (and which consists of a great variety of different
materials and articles especially small coal cinders, coke, ashes, pieces and scraps of
paper, straw, glass-bottles, nails, scraps of iron and tin, old kettles and pans, pieces of
string and many other things) as to separate them into their respective species,
collecting the coal, cinders etc., for fuel, the paper, string and other suitable
materials for paper pulp, the metals for scrap (recovering the solder or tin from the
tinned articles or tin plate if desired) carbonizing the vegetable refuse into charcoal
and collecting the absolute refuse of which very little remains at the end of the
process for disposal in the most convenient manner. To effect such a result as this
with such materials involves an elaborate and continuous process and various
special machines and apparatus to which the materials are successively delivered,
a system of sub-division constantly going on as the operation progresses and the
various sorted species radiating as it were from the common centre at which the
refuse is tipped out of the cart and the treatment begins.
To secure the desired result many different arrangements both as regards the
order in which the refuse is treated and the machines for treating it may be
resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention and in order that the
said invention may be clearly understood we have as an example illustrated in the
accompanying drawings a series of machines for carrying our invention into practice.
In these drawings ;—
Figs. 1 and 1 are two parts of the same plan Fig. 1 being a longitudinal con-
tinuation of fig. 1 of a complete plant constructed according to our invention.
Figs. 2 to 18 inclusive are views of the various machines or apparatus employed in
such plant and all of which are hereinafter more particularly described.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings. Fig. 2 is a plan and
figs. 3 and 4 respectively a side and front elevation of the revolving reception drum
or screen into which the refuse is tipped directly from the cart or other vehicle by
which it has been conveyed to the works.
This reception screen consists essentially of a cylindrical cage A constructed
preferably of longitudinally disposed wooden laths advantageously about three inches
apart and suitably braced together so as to form with the two ond rings a and the
T-iron bars a (shown in thick lines in figure 4 and in detail in figure 4") con-
necting such rings a structure of rigidity sufficient to withstand the effects of
vibration and the shock due to the tipping in of the refuse, while by the employment
of wooden laths instead of metal bars bottles, glass and crockery are saved from
breaking. The size of the drum A or front opening thereof and the position of the
said drum relatively to the floor level are such that the wagons conveying the
refuse to the works may tip their contents directly into it. As shown more clearly
in Fig. 3 the cage A is preferably supported in an inclined position on rollers a² in
the peripheral grooves of which the rims or flanges of the rings a engage. Besides
the rollers a thrust rollers (not shown in the drawings) may if necessary be
provided to bear against the rear end of the drum to take the thrust when the refuse
is introduced into it. The two rollers a carried by the shafts a are formed in part
with the toothed pinions a³ which engage toothed racks a formed externally on the
rings a. The pinions a³ are secured to the shaft a which through bevil gearing a

page_text: has rotary motion transmitted to it from the shaft a' which may be driven in any
convenient manner.
The upper part of the drum A is surrounded by a suitable casing as which however
does not close-in the ends of the drum these being left exposed the front one for
the introduction of the refuse and rear one for the withdrawal of those portions of
the refuse which are too large to pass between the laths of the drum and which may
be picked out by hand. The drum itself is situated immediately over a pit a which
is shaped like a hopper so that it will conduct all the matter falling from the
drum into it towards the lower end of an elevator B by which it is conveyed to the
next machine.
The drum throughout a part of or throughout its entire length may he provided
with an internal helix or screw creeper or conveyor a0 to assist in moving the refuse
from the front to the rear end; this is especially requisite when the drum is
horizontal or supported at but a slight incline but if the drum be supported at a
more or less steep incline the refuse itself will gravitate towards the rear end and
will render such a screw creeper unnecessary.
a" Fig. 3 is a door provided in the outlet opening of the pit a' for checking the
passage of the refuse to the elevator B so as to prevent the said elevator from
becoming choked. This door may be adjusted after the manner of a damper so that
the refuse may be allowed to pass more or less quickly. a Fig. 3 are two rods
which are reciprocated alternately in and amongst the refuse at the upper side of the
door a" so as to agitate the refuse and keep it steadily moving downwards to the
elevator B. A convenient way of operating these rods as shown in figs. 2 and 3 is
by means of an eccentric a¹³ secured on the before mentioned shaft a' and the rod of
which oscillatos a rocking shaft at which carries a lever, to the opposite ends of
which the rods a are respectively connected; but means other than these may be
provided for operating the rods a¹
Into the upper part of the drum A and projecting from the rear towards the front
is the inlet end of the exhaust pipe C which end is preferably widened out after the
manner of a trumpet mouth. The pipe which at its inlet end serves to draw off
from the drum A the dust raised during the rotation thereof is as shown in Fig. 1ª
connected to a powerful fan D which serves the double purpose of withdrawing the
dust from the druin A and supplying the forced draught to the furnaces of the
boilers EE and F whereby the dust from the drum A is burnt.
Although the reception drum A has been described as rotating on a horizontal or
nearly horizontal axis yet there may be used a drum which rotates on a vertical or
nearly vertical axis.
The elevator B which may be of any ordinary and suitable construction and
operated in any convenient manner conveys the refuse from the lower part or outlet
opening of the pit a up to a short shoot or hopper g by which it is introduced into
the screen G which is shown most clearly in plan in fig. 5 and in elevation in fig. 6,
and the reference letters for which are the same as those employed for the drum A.
This screen which may be cylindrical but is preferably of octagonal or other polygonal
section is supported on rollers a³ and driven by pinions a³ in a manner similar to
that herein before described when referring to the drum A. A convenient size for
the mesh of this screen is an inch and a half but it may be of any other required
size. Inside the screen is provided a helix or screw conveyor a¹ for moving the
refuse from the end where it is received to the other or outlet end. The said
screen is encased in a suitable casing as the lower part of which forms an inclined
shoot for conducting the matter which falls through the meshes of the screen, on to
an endless continuously-travelling band H Figs. 1, 1 and 6 which conveys the said
matter to a distant part of the building as shown in fig. 1ª there to be treated in
what may be termed the finishing screen J as hereinafter described.
.
The particles of the refuse which have not fallen through the meshes of the screen G
are discharged through the outlet end and falling down are met by a strong blast of air
from the fan D' which separates the lighter from the heavier particles driving the former
up through the duct K into the drying oven M and allowing the heavier particles to

page_text: fall through the blast of air into the shoot L which delivers them to an olevator N.
It may be that some of the heavier particles by reason of their formation will be
carried past the entrance to the shoot L and to a slight extent up the duct K but not
all the way to the oven M; it is to catch such particles as these that we provide the
opening which forms the inlet to the chamber entrance to which for periodical
cleaning may he had through a suitable door. As an example of the utility of this
provision may be cited the effect on such a particle of the refuse as a cabbage leaf; if
the said leaf when falling receives the blast as it were broadside on then by reason of
its comparatively large surface it will be carried up the duct K past the opening k but
by reason of its weight or by a change in its movement and consequent removal of its
large surface from the influence of the blast the said blast will not carry it to the oven;
it will therefore fall on to the lower side of the shoot and will slide down antil it
reaches the opening k through which it will fall into the chamber k¹ to be subsequently
disposed of by burning or otherwise as may be found most convenient. K' is a door
by the removal of which access may be had to the interior of the duct K for cleaning
or other purposes.
The elevator N into which are conducted by the shoot L the heavier particles falling
from the outlet of the screen G conveys the said heavier particles up to the
screon figs. 5, 6, 10 and 11, which is hereinafter termed the separating screen.
This screen may be of cylindrical or polygonal section and like all the other screens
may be provided internally with a helix or screw creeper or conveyor for moving the
matter introduced, from the inlet to the outlet end, and the said screen is composed of
wire-netting or cloth of varying dimension of mesh that at the inlet end being
preferably of two inch mesh while that at the outlet end is preferably of three inch
mesh one half of its length being advantageously of the former and the other half of
the latter size though the change of mesh may be gradual if desired. This screen 0
as shown clearly in figs. 10 and 11 is situated above the upper end of two inclined
shoots P while the outlet end of the said screen discharges the refuse which has not
passed through the wire work wall of the screen on to a third shoot 1" practically
similar to those marked P. To the lower ends of the shoots P are connected by
plates P2 or their equivalent other shoots Ps in such manner that gaps P are left
between the adjacent ends of the shoots P and P³ and in like manner to the lower end
of the shoot P is connected a shoot P between which and the shoot P¹ a gap P* is
left. The lower end of the shoot I discharges on to the adjacent shoot P³ and
the lower end of the shoots P³ discharge the matter which gravitates down them
on to the revolving table Q figs. 1, 5, 10 and 11.
The construction of this revolving table will be best understood by reference to
fig. 12 wherein part of it is represented in plans taken at different levels and to fig. 13
which is an elevation representing on a larger scale tho means for driving and
supporting the said table.
In these figs. Q is the table top which is in the form of a ring and may be made up
of a number of suitably shaped iron plates rivetted or otherwise conveniently connected
together. Qare standards beneath the table Q and upon which are mounted
rollers QQ which are preferably surrounded by india-rubber rings or tyres g. The
rollers support the table against vertical displacement and the rollers Q3 secure it
against horizontal displacement by bearing against the two vertical sides of the toothed
rack q which is rigidly secured to the underside of the table in any suitable manner.
Qis a shaft supported in bearings Q carried by brackets Q and upon which shaft is
keyed or otherwise secured a pinion Q7 which gears with the circular rack q¹ to which
it transmits the motion imparted to the shaft Q. The brackets Q are secured to one
of the standards Q' by bolts and nuts 9 or otherwise as may be found most convenient.
From this description it will readily be understood that when rotary motion is
imparted to the shaft Q the table is caused to move round horizontally at a com-
paratively slow speed. In place of the table Q as described a band or table travelling
in a straight line could be employed; the table Q is however preferred.
R Fig. 1 is a "devil" or carding machine which may be of any ordinary construc-
tion and which is preferably situated near the drum A as it is the large pieces of

page_text: paper, rag and such like material picked out by hand from the drum A that the said
"devil" is chiefly intended to operate upon. R¹ is a powerful fan which is so applied
to the "devil" that its blast will force the torn-up particles of paper, rag &c. leaving
the "devil" along the duct R² into the before mentioned oven M.
This oven is
preferably constructed in the manner shown in fig. 7 in end elevation and Figs. 8
and 9 respectively in longitudinal and transverse vertical sections though any other
suitable form of oven may be employed in its stead. In Figs. 7, 8 and 9 M is the
oven casing which is provided with a conveniently counterbalanced door M¹ so that ready
access to the interior may be had for removing the contents. M² is a perforated plate
and M³ a coil of pipes part of which is above and part below the plate Mand through
which the waste steam from the engine S Fig. 1 is passed. M* are doors or dampers
for cleaning out from below the perforated plate M² or relieving the pressure in
the oven caused by the two blasts delivered into it by the ducts R and K.
M® are bearers for supporting the pipes or coils of pipes M³. If desired the dust
which is raised in the oven M may be drawn or forced into an outlet pipe such
as is represented in dotted lines and marked M in fig. 9 and wherein it may be
deposited by means of a water spray or steam jet, the resulting mud being burnt
or otherwise conveniently disposed of.
The before mentioned finishing screen J being of no special construction and
practically similar to the screen G is not shown in detail in the accompanying
drawings but its position relatively to that on the other machinery is clearly
indicated in fig. 1 and its position relatively to the washing elevator T which
treats the matter discharged through the outlet end of J is clearly shown in figs. 1*
and 14. Of this screen however it may be explained that the mesh is preferably
about half an inch and that it is provided with an internal screw conveyor for
moving the matter introduced gradually from the inlet to the outlet end where it
is discharged on to a shoot J¹ Fig. 14 down which it falls into the elevator T. This
elevator is shown in vertical section in fig. 14 wherein T represents the buckets or
elevator proper which buckets are carried on preferably to endless parallel chains &
(only one of which is shown in fig. 14) and the bottoms of which buckets are
perforated or formed of wire cloth or the equivalent thereof. T T T T are wheels
or rollers around or over which the chains pass so as to move the buckets T in
the desired directions. Of these rollers that marked T is the driving roller and
that marked T is for tipping the buckets so as to discharge their contents on to a
shoot U this roller T2 being provided with rods adapted to support the lower
ends of the buckets T in the manner shown in fig. 14. T is a trough at the
opposite ends of which the rollers T T are situated so that the buckets and their
contents may be moved through the water contained in the trough. T is a vertical
casing preferably connected at its lower end to the trough To and up through which
the buckets are drawn when passing from the roller or wheel T to the tipping
roller T and down through which a constant and heavy fall of water is maintained
from the inlet 2 into the trough T the overflow pipe 3 of which carries off the
superfluous water to a suitable outlet. Thus it will be seen that whatever impurities,
dust and the like may be present amongst the matter discharged from the outlet end
of the screen J will be removed by the thorough washing process to which the said
matter is subjected while in the buckets T, it being observed that by the bottoms of
the buckets being perforated the water entering through the inlet is able to scour
every particle of the matter subjected to its influence.
Although in fig. 14 there is represented the preferred manner of constructing the
washing elevator yet there are various modifications that could be made in the con-
struction which would still embody the same principle.
U is a shoot preferably of sheet iron, on to which the shoot U delivers the
matter cast on to it by the buckets T. The shoot U' which is most clearly shown in
section in fig. 15 is formed with an opening U2 and under the shoot at this part are
provided one or more (in the case shown in the drawing two) short adjustable shoots u
which are provided for the purpose of forming one or more gaps Us in the main shoot
for "trapping" certain of the particles which gravitate down the said shoot ; the main

page_text: portion of which particles according to their nature will however leap across the
gaps and be discharged from the extreme lower end of the shoot U'.
The before mentioned boilers E shown only in fig. 1 and the arrangements for
firing them may be of ordinary construction a forced draught as before explained
being applied to the furnaces so as to fit them to the burning of small and inferior
kinds of fuel such as are recovered from the refuse treated according to this invention.
The boiler F however besides being adapted to be heated by this class of fuel is also
fitted with furnaces specially constructed with the object of burning up the garbage
and other such matter as may he separated from the refuse and cannot be applied to
any other useful purpose and the said hoiler may he heated by a mixture of the svid
garbage and the before described small fuel. In fig. 16 this boiler and setting are
shown one half in side elevation and the other in longitudinal vertical section ;
Figs. 17 and 18 are sectional views of the special damper arrangement of the furnaces
of the boiler F which the consumption of the smoke is effected as hereinafter
explained.
The boiler F as represented in the drawings is of the Cornish type though it will
be obvious from the subsequent explanation that boilers having more than one flue
tube may be as readily employed in its place. As shown in fig. 16 the furnace is not
located in the boiler tube as is usual but is arranged exteriorly that is to say the
heat is applied to the outer shell of the boiler, the tube F being used merely as a flue.
There is a furnace F at one end and another furnace F12 at the other end of the
boiler these being separated by the bridge F; these furnaces are of similar construc-
tion but to each is applied a distinctive reference letter to facilitate the explanation of
the working thereof. F are chambers which extend beyond the ends of the boiler
and form practically extentions of the tube F. Both of these chambers and the parts
directly connected therewith being of like construction the following description of
one of them will be sufficient to enable the working thereof to be clearly understood.
The chamber F at its lower part is formed with an opening F communicating
directly. with the front of the furnace and at its upper part with an opening F
communicating directly with flues and through them with the uptake F³, as
shown clearly in fig. 1. F is a damper or valve which is movable within the
chamber F and may be lowered so as to close the opening F as shown in fig. 16
and thus cut off the communication between say the furnace F³ and the boiler
tube F which at the end thus adjusted is thrown into communication with the
uptake; or the said damper or valve may be raised so as to close the opening Fe
and thus as shown in figs. 17 break the communication at this end between the
tube F and uptake and establish one directly between the furnace F2 and the
tubo F. Now the damper or valve F at one end is connected to the corresponding
damper or valve at the other end by a chain or the like conveniently fastened thereto
by the slings F the arrangement being such that when one damper closes the one
opening F and uncovers the opening Fe at one end of the boiler the other damper
closes the opening F and uncovers the opening F at the opposite end of the boiler
and vice versa. (is the pipe for introducing the forced draught into the furnace which
it does through the nozzles fitted into the fire bridge F³.
The furnaces F and F¹² are alternately charged with fuel and the following is the
manner in which is effected the consumption of the smoke which could not be allowed
to escape into the atmosphere in an unconsumed condition being of a very noxious
character, consequent on the nature of the garbage &c. from which it is evolved.
Supposing that it was the furnace that was last charged with fuel (garbage) and
that it is now burning brightly that is to say in a glowing condition and that it is
desired to supply the furnace F with garbage fuel, the dampers are operated so that
the opening of the furnace to be "stoked" is closed and the corresponding opening
of the other furnace, in this example F1 is opened. The garbage is then charged in
to the furnace F and the door closed; those of the dense and noxious fumes now
driven off from this new charge which are not consumed in the furnace F" will pass
over the bridge F's and over the glowing fire F12 where they will be wholly consumed
the resulting gases passing through the opening F of the "unstoked" end into the

page_text: boiler tube F³, from the opposite end of which they escape through the opening F" of
the stoked end to the flues F and uptake Fe substantially as indicated by the arrows
in fig. 16. In the reverse manner when it is desired to charge the furnace F1 with
garbage the dampers F are so adjusted that the course of the products of combustion
under and through the boiler will be reversed the fumes from the furnace F passing
in one direction beneath the boiler and over the furnace F and in the opposite
direction through the boiler tube F to the uptake F³. Suitable doors are provided
for enabling the flues to be cleaned. Before being allowed finally to escape into the
atmosphere the products of combustion of all the boilers E E and F may be passed
through washing scrubbers similar to those employed in gas works so that all the
carbonaceous matter will be deposited and only a colourless and inocuous vapour
allowed to escape into the atmosphere.
In fig. 1 V represents a furnace wherein old metal fragments especially tin in the
form of boxes, canisters, cooking utensils and other such articles may be treated for
recovering the solder therefrom this furnace being any convenient construction suited
to the purpose. W fig. 1 is a furnace or chamber into which are thrown articles
such as mattresses there to be baked for disinfecting purposes or carbonized as may be
found most desirable. X fig. 1 is an ordinary mortar mill. Generally the manner of
treating the refuse by the before described series of apparatus is as follows:-
The refuse is tipped out of the vehicle by which it is conveyed to the works
preferably directly into the rotating reception drum and though load after load may
be thus tipped in at suitably adjudged intervals of time it will be most convenient for
the purposes of this specification to trace ont the course pursued by one such quantity
it being explained that all the refuse treated will be divided and sub-divided and
otherwise operated upon
in a practically similar manner.
By the revolving drum A the largest particles of the refuse will be separated from the
smaller and will move towards the back end of the drum where they will be picked
out by hand, the slow rate of speed permitting of this being done and at the same
time allowing them to be disposed of according to their nature-the paper, rags and
such like material being fed into the devil Ŕ to be therein torn or shredded and
subsequently blown to the oven M by the fan R and through the duct R³, the tins
pans and such like to be conveyed if so desired to the furnace V for the recovery of
the solder and tin therefrom, the mattresses and other such articles to be conveyed to
the furnace W for disinfecting or carbonization, the pieces of crockery and like
material to be conveyed to the mortar mill X wherein they may be ground and if
desired mixed with lime for making mortar and in fact dealt with in the manner
which may be found most profitable.
The refuse falling through the circular wall of the drum A reaches the elevator B
by which it is introduced into the revolving screen G. The smaller particles of the
refuse here fall through the meshes of the screen and are conducted by the lower part
of the casing of such screen on to the travelling band H which conveys it to the
finishing screen J. It may here be mentioned that the material which the band H
conveys to the screen J is found to consist chiefly of small pieces of coal, cinders and
ashes and by the screen J the dust and smaller particles of these are separated from
the larger. The said smaller particles fall through the meshes of the screen on to a
suitable shoot which may discharge them into a suitable receptacle which in the case
of riverside or canal side premises might conveniently be a barge by which when a
sufficient quantity has accumulated the said matter would be conveyed to brick-makers
to whom it is readily saleable for brick-making purposes. The larger particles
delivered through the outlet end of the screen J fall into the washing elevator T
wherein they are thoroughly scoured as has been herein before described and from
which they are discharged on to the gravitation shoot U'. Having arrived here
where the matter treated, is generally found to consist principally of small pieces of coal
coke and cinders, it is desirable to remove any vegetable matter such as potato peeling
which has accompanied this fuel up to this stage. It is for this purpose that the
shoot U' is provided for while passing down this the vegetable matter by reason of its
B

page_text: sticky nature will cling to the shoot U¹ itself and slide slowly down until it reaches
the gaps Us through one or other of which it will fall and may be received in a
suitable receptacle for subsequent disposal as may be desired, whereas the coal, coke
and such like material being of a free nature in passing down the shoot 01 will gain
an impetus which will carry it across the gaps Us and it will be discharged into a
convenient receptacle from which it may be taken as required for firing the boilers E E
and F the fuel so recovered being generally sufficient to keep the boilers working it
being here explained that besides the garbage consumed in the furnaces of the
boiler F a small quantity of this small coal and coko fuel may be used.
Should more of this fuel be recovered than is wanted for the boilers it can be sold
or if desired it may all be sold and other fuel used for the boilers; though generally
this fuel would be the cheapest to use.
To return now to the main course of the operations of which the last constitutes
but one of the branches, the material which was not small enough to pass through the
wire-work wall of the screen G is delivered through the outlet end and in falling
therefrom is met by the blast from the fan D¹ which separates from the heavier the
lighter particles which mainly consist of pieces of paper, rag and perhaps some
fragments of straw and such like material and drives the said lighter particles through
the duct K into the oven M wherein they are dried and from which they are
periodically taken for further separation if necessary and subsequent treatment in
beaters by which they are converted into paper pulp in the ordinary well known
manner for subsequent conversion into paper. Those of the particles falling from
the outlet end of the screen G which are heavy enough to cross the air blast fall into
the shoot L by which they are delivered into the elevator N which conveys them
into the separating screen O. Here they are separated out over the large surfaces of
the shoots P and P' and the vegetable or other such matter of a sticky nature will
cling to the said surfaces and slide slowly down until they reach the gaps F through
which they will fall into sacks or other suitable receptacles from which they may be
collected for disposal as may be found most convenient. The material which is not
of a sticky nature when falling down the shoots P and P¹ will gain impetus enough
to carry it across the gaps P4 on to the shoots P and P by the shoots Ps of which
the said material is deposited on the slowly revolving table Q. At the inside or
outside or at both the inside and outside of this table are stationed attendants whose
duty it is to sort out the material which is slowly but continuously moved towards them.
This material is here fonnd to consist of a large variety of different species among
which may be mentioned large pieces of coal, metal and crockery; the coal here
found is conveyed to a suitable part of the building and may be sold as fuel for
domestic purposes or burnt under the boilers, the metal may be sold as scrap and the
pieces of crockery and like matter may be placed in the mill X and there ground up
and if necessary mixed with lime and water to make mortar, and in fact all the
species separated at the table Q wili bo treated in the manner best suited to the
ensuring of a profitable return upon the expenditure for cost of plant and time and
labour involved in the dividing of the refuse into the respective and numerous species
of which it is composed. As a result of this process there is found but very little
really useless matter to dispose of and what there is may be reduced to the smallest
possible bulk by consuming it as far as may be possible in the furnaces of the
boilers E and F, and even then the resulting clinker may be ground up in the mill ✗
and subsequently utilized.
It will thus be seen that from the beginning to the end of this process a complete
and as it were self supporting cycle of operations is performed for while many of
the species separated out from the refuse will be most profitably disposed of for
outside manufacturing and other purposes and thus yield a satisfactory return for
the expenditure of recovering such species, there will still remain fuel sufficient to
generate the power for operating the apparatus used for attaining such a result.
It will readily be understood that many modifications may be made in the manner
of carrying this invention into practice and in the various apparatus employed-for

page_text: example instead of revolving drums reciprocating sieves may be used though such
would be far less desirable. Instead of using air blasts as before described steam or
other blasts may be employed if desired.
A certain number of boilers, one of them of particular construction have been
described as used in the carrying out of this process, but any desired number of
boilers and of any suitable construction may be employed. The paper making plant
may be upon the same premises as the other machinery and be driven from the same
power, or may be entirely distinct and in another building.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is;
1. In the treatment of dust-bin and similar refuse the reception drum substantially
as and for the purpose herein described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
2. In the treatment of dust-bin and similar refuse the combination with the outlet of
a pit such as a³ of one or more reciprocating rods such as a¹ for preventing
congestion in the outgoing matter operated upon by such screen substantially as
herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. In the treatment of dust-bin and similar refuse the combination with a perforated,
reticulated or like revolving drum or screen for separating the larger from the smaller
particles of an air or equivalent blast for separating the lighter from the heavier
particles substantially as herein described.
"devil"
4. In the treatment of dust-bin and similar refuse the combination with a
or carding machine of an oven or drying chamber into which the material torn by
the said devil is conducted by means of an air or equivalent blast substantially as and
for the purpose herein described.
5. In the treatment of dust-bin and similar refuse the combination with a perforated
reticulated or like revolving drum or screen of an oven or drying chamber into which
the lighter particles of the material leaving the said screen are conducted by an air
or equivalent blast substantially as herein described.
6. In the treatment of dust-bin and similar refuse the employment of the ring-
like table substantially as herein described and illustrated in figs. 12 and 13 of the
accompanying drawings.
7. In the treatment of dust-bin or similar refuse the combination with a revolving
table such as Q of a perforated reticulated or like revolving drum or screen such as Ö
and shoots such as P¹ P3 P4 provided with gaps such as P constructed and operating
substantially as and for the purpose herein described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
8. In the treatment of dust-bin and similar refuse a shoot provided with one or
more gaps or openings through which of the material passing down such shoot the
more or less adhesive particles will fall while those of a free nature will leap across
the said gap or gaps substantially as herein described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
9. In the treatment of dust-bin and similar refuse a washing elevator such as T
substantially as herein described and illustrated in figure 14 of the accompanying
drawings.
10. In the treatment of dust-bin and similar refuse the combination with a steam
generating boiler of two furnaces such as F F12 adapted to be alternately "stoked "
and so connected to each other and to the uptake and provided with valves or dampers
that the fumes or smoke generated in one furnace may be passed over the other
furnace before being allowed to escape into the atmosphere substantially as and for
the purpose herein described and illustrated in figure 16 of the accompanying
drawings.
11. The general arrangement and combination of apparatus for dividing and
sub-dividing dust-bin und similar refuse into its constituent species or parts

page_text: substantially as and for the purpose herein described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
12. Mechanically dividing and sub-dividing dust-bin and similar refuse into its
constituent species or parts to enable each to be separately dealt with substantially as
herein described.
neth dose
1000
THE REFUSE DISPOSAL COMPANY, LIMITED,
Herman Hendriks, Secretary.
JOHN CHARLES WILLIAM STANLEY.
JOSEPH RUSSELL.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicants.