Improvements in or relating to Refuse Destructors and the like.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Oct., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 3rd July, 1899-Accepted, 13th Jan., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Refuse Destructors and the like.
We, JOSEPH ALLEN BAKER and WILLIAM KING BAKER, Engineers, both of
58, City Road, in the County of London, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:
This invention relates to refuse destructors and the like, of the type in which
the draught passes over a large area of hot refuse, some of which is supported on
a water grate or grates.
Hitherto difficulty has been experienced in working such generators, because
of the tendency of certain sorts of refuse to become compacted upon the grates
under the action of the draught which thus became impeded, and also because
of the reluctance of the material in certain states thereof, to pass with the
desired freedom along its proper path in the operator, from one grate to the
one next beneath it. The object of the present invention is to improve the con-
struction of such destructors so as to obviate the advantages above referred to
and to combine with the improved destructor when desirable, a device for com-
pletely digesting animal matter or for reducing and cremating the same, and
also an automatic stopping apparatus for a detail of the destructor hereinafter
referred to.
According to this invention while the draught follows the same general course
as in former types, it is now diverted just before it arrives at the end of its path
and led upwards through the incandescent layer on the last of the series of
grates before being allowed to pass out of the destructor.
By thus diverting the draught it has a tendency to lift up and open the layer
of fuel on the last grate, in neutralizing the tendency of the same to clog and
making the draught easier; moreover any foul gases in the draught current are
delivered into the incandescent fuel and destroyed.
Another important feature of this invention is the employment of a specially
arranged dryer and elevator for drying the refuse and delivering it to the grate
on which it is burnt. This elevator is arranged in an inclined passage up which
the air draught flows to the furnace, and up which also the elevator conveys
the refuse, which in its passage is heated by a flue through which hot waste
gases from the grates pass; preferably the flue is contained within the elevator
or otherwise so arranged that the elevator blades or buckets convey the refuse
along its upper surface.
:
The blast of fresh air flowing up the passage mingles with- the gases of
decomposition arising from the drying refuse thereby producing with them
a combustible gaseous mixture containing a considerable proportion of oxygen.
The air draught aforesaid may be caused to pass through a heating chamber,
so that it is heated before it enters the flue in which the elevator aforesaid is
situated.
This heating chamber may be provided in the ash-pit, furnace, or flues of the
apparatus as may be most convenient.
To prevent injury to the elevator by the entry thereinto of any mass too large

page_text: to pass properly up the drying flue, we may provide at the mouth thereof a
spring-controlled or other yielding barrier which will be moved by any such
mass and put into action a belt shifter or clutch or other convenient device
whereby the motion of the elevator may at once be stopped.
The sterilizing, reducing and cremating apparatus aforesaid may be arranged.
as follows:-
A process tank in proximity to the destructor receives the material to be
treated; it is therein submitted to the sterilizing action of direct steam under
pressure derived from the destructor boiler. If the residue is not to be utilized
industrially, the process of reduction is continued until the fatty, glutinous,
gelatinous and other products of a nature fluid under heat are separated when
they are expelled by steam pressure derived from the same source direct to the
destructor furnace.
In the complete process the solid matter is now passed direct to a special
cremator, where it is submitted to the direct or indirect action of fire.
In a direct cremator, a separate furnace causes flame to play by an action
direct upon the material introduced; the gases of combustion being carried below
the main furnace of the destructor and passed through the burning refuse therein.
In an indirect cremator the heat of the hot gases in the destructor main flue is
utilised without permitting them to come into direct contact with the material,
they being led through flues which encircle the cremator; the resulting gases
are drawn off by the furnace draught and destroyed by being passed through the
burning refuse.
The combination of these sterilizing, reducing and cremating appliances with
a destructor is more advantageous and is an important feature of the present
invention.
Dated this 14th day of October 1898.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in or relating to Refuse Destructors and the like.
We, JOSEPH ALLEN BAKER and WILLIAM KING BAKER, Engineers, both of
58, City Road, in the County of London, 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;
This invention relates to refuse destructors and the like, of the type in which
the draught passes over a large area of hot refuse, some of which is supported on
a grate or grates.
Hitherto difficulty has been experienced in working such destructors, because
of the tendency of certain sorts of refuse to become compacted upon the grates
under the action of the draught which thus became impeded, and also because
of the reluctance of the material in certain states thereof, to pass with the
desired freedom along its proper path in the destructor, from one grate to the
one next beneath it. The object of the present invention is to improve the con-
struction of such destructors so as to obviate the disadvantages above referred to.
We may combine with the improved destructor when desirable, a device for com-
pletely digesting animal matter or for reducing and cremating the same.
According to this invention while the draught follows the same general course
as in former types, it is now diverted just before it arrives at the end of its path
and led upwards through the incandescent layer on the last of the series of
grates before being allowed to pass out of the destructor.

page_text: By thus diverting the draught it has a tendency to lift up and open the layer
of fuel on the last grate, neutralizing the tendency of the same to clog and
making the draught easier; moreover it is an incidental advantage of this arrange-
ment that any four gases in the draught current are delivered into the incandescent
fuel and destroyed.
Another important feature of this invention is the employment of a specially
arranged dryer and elevator for drying the refuse and delivering it to the grate
on which it is burned. This elevator is arranged in an inclined passage up which
the air draught flows to the furnace, and up which also the elevator conveys
the refuse, which in its passage is heated by a flue through which hot waste
gases from the grates pass; preferably the flue is contained within the elevator
or otherwise so arranged that the elevator blades or buckets convey the refuse
along its upper surface.
The blast of fresh air flowing up the passage mingles with the gases of
decomposition arising from the drying refuse thereby producing with them
a combustible gaseous mixture containing a considerable proportion of oxygen.
The air draught aforesaid may be caused to pass through a heating chamber,
so that it is heated before it enters the flue in which the elevator is situated.
This heating chamber may be provided in the ash-pit, furnace or flues of the
apparatus as may be most convenient.
The sterilizing, reducing and cremating apparatus aforesaid may be arranged
as follows:
A process tank in proximity to the destructor receives the material to be
treated; it is therein submitted to the sterilizing action of direct steam under
pressure derived from the destructor boiler. If the residue is not to be utilized
industrially, the process of reduction is continued until the fatty, glutinous,
gelatinous and other products of a nature fluid under heat are separated when
they are expelled by steam pressure derived from the same source direct to the
destructor furnace.
In the complete process the solid matter is now passed direct to a special
cremator, where it is submitted to the direct or indirect action of fire.
In a direct cremator, a separate furnace causes flame to play by an action
direct upon the material introduced: the gases of combustion being carried below
the main furnace of the destructor and passed through the burning refuse therein.
In an indirect cremator the heat of the hot gases in the destructor main flue. is'
utilised without permitting them to come into direct contact with the material,
they being led through flues which encircle the cremator; the resulting gases
are drawn off by the furnace draught and destroyed by being passed through the
burning refuse.
The combination of these cremating appliances with a destructor is most
advantageous and is an important feature of the present invention.
In the accompanying drawings which illustrate diagrammatically portions
of one construction of refuse-destructor according to this invention.
Figure 1 is a plan partly in section.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, and
Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the accompanying drawings.
A are furnaces each having an inclined grate A where the refuse is burned
and a grate or other baffle A over which the material passes on its way to the
grate A doors A3 are provided in order that the refuse upon the grate A¹
may be raked from either end; and the floor A5 of the ash pit A is inclined at
an angle to facilitate the removal of the ashes. The gases from the furnaces
pass, as hereinafter described, to a tubular boiler B and it is found convenient to
heat one boiler with the gases from two furnaces.
The refuse to be burned is conveyed to the furnaces A by drying elevators C
and is delivered by them on to the grates A³. Each elevator C comprises belts,
chains or equivalents C¹ passing over pulleys C and having blades C3 suspended

page_text: at intervals between the belts or chains C¹. The elevators are driven in any
convenient way as, for example, by the belts and pulleys C4 C5 from a small
engine supplied with steam from the main boiler.
The refuse is delivered on to the elevators as at C6 and the blades C³ cause it
to pass up over the surface of a flue D down which the gases pass on their way
from the boiler B. Each drying elevator C operates in a tunnel or passage E,
and the material passing over the flue D is dried and gives off gases into the
passage E.
The air supplied to the furnaces passes up this passage E, and
thus mixes with the gases given off by the drying refuse, renders them com-
bustible and carries them to the furnace where they are burned.
The course taken by the air and gases in this destructor is as follows:-
The air enters through pipes F whence it passes up through the passage E
over the material in the elevator C, mixing with the gases given off by the refuse
in the elevator. The air mixes with the gases and then passes down over the
refuse upon the grate A in the furnace A, thence it passes out through a flue G
in the furnace wall into the ash pit A up through the grate A¹ and the layer
of incandescent material upon it and through a flue H to the space surrounding
the tubes B of the boiler B. Having passed around these tubes the gases proceed
through a flue J to the internal flue D of the drying elevator C whence they pass
out through an underground flue K leading to a fan or chimney. The pipes F
through which the incoming air is drawn are preferably placed in this under-
ground flue K in order that the air may be heated before entering the passage E.
An auxiliary inlet is provided as at A in order that if desired air may be admitted
straight to the underside of the grate A in addition to, or instead of, the
mixture of air and gases coming through the flue G. This inlet A in common
with all the various flues herein described may be controlled as desired by dampers
or similar devices, for regulating the passage of the gases.
L is a process tank or digester having a connection L¹ with the steam drum
of the boiler B, and another connection L which enters the furnace A above the
grate Al
Steam entering by the connection L' sterilizes and reduces any
material which may be placed in the digester L, and the semi-solid contents of
the latter are expelled, if desired, through the pipe L2 and pass into the furnace A,
while any fluid is drawn off by the cock L at the bottom of the digester. Valves
or cocks are provided as at L3 in order that the contents of the digester at
various elevations may be run off separately if desired.
Cremators are provided in which the solid matter from the digester, or objec-
tionable material such as animal carcases, etc. is destroyed.
A “direct” cremator is shown at M (Figure 2). This comprises a separate
furnace M' from which the gases pass as at M² and are deflected down upon the
material as at M³ thus cremating it. The products of combustion pass through
a flue N into the ash pit A whence they pass up through the grate A¹ and are
destroyed.
:
An indirect" cremator is sometimes used; in this form the hot gases are
merely taken round the chamber in which the material to be cremated is placed,
and do not come into actual contact with such material. The gaseous products
of decomposition are drawn off and consumed-as in the other form of cremator--
in the main furnace.
Throughout the accompanying drawings the course of the gases is indicated
by small arrows.
It is obvious that various alterations may be made in the design and arrange-
ment of the various parts comprised in the refuse-destructor above described
without departing from the spirit of this invention. For instance more than
two furnaces may be arranged to serve one boiler with hot gases, or only one
furnace may be coupled to each boiler. Again the number of cremators and
digestors will naturally vary according to the general character of the refuse
which has to be dealt with.
Further, the baffle A2 may be in the form of a shallow enclosed tank supported

page_text: upon say a brick arch, or may be simply a brick baffle protected by some refractory
material.
:
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:―
1. A refuse destructor in which the foul gases are delivered up through the
incandescent material for the purpose described.
2. A refuse destructor in which the hot refuse descends along inclined surfaces
and the foul gas arising therefrom is first led over such refuse and finally
delivered upward through a grate for the purpose described.
3. in a refuse destructor drying the material as it is mechanically conveyed
to the furnace.
4. In a refuse destructor a mechanical conveyor which serves also as a dryer.
5. In a refuse destructor a mechanical conveyor which serves also as a dryer
and is heated by the exhaust gases from the destructor.
6. In a refuse destructor the combination of an elevator for conveying the
material to the furnace and a flue through which hot gases pass and over which
such material travels.
7. In a refuse destructor the combination with a grate upon which the material
is burned and through which the gases pass of a grate or other baffle and a
drying elevator delivering on to the latter.
8. A refuse destructor in which the gases from the refuse in a drying-chamber
are mingled with air on their way to the furnace to render them combustible.
9. The combination with a refuse destructor of cremating apparatus such
as M N substantially as described.
10. The combination with a refuse-destructor of a cremator the gases from
which are delivered upward through incandescent fuel in the main refuse
destructor.
!
11. The complete refuse-destructor substantially as described or illustrated in
Figures 1, and 3 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 1st day of July 1899
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicants.