Partly Applicable to other Furnaces.
Year: 1886

page_text: Partly Applicable to other Furnaces.
BRIERLEY DENHAM HEALEY of 37 Victoria Street, Liverpool in the County of
Lancaster Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN REFUSE FURNACES AND APPARATUS THEREFOR, PARTLY
APPLICABLE TO OTHER FURNACES and in what manner the same is to be.
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
This invention has reference to the conversion of Towns Refuse into clinker by
a system of crematory furnaces in which the combustible matter is dried and
burnt whilst the resulting gases from one or more furnaces newly charged are
passed over the fire of another furnace. In order to expedite the combustion the
firegrates are formed of movable bars laid across each furnace in two widths each
half grate being provided with agitating gear rotating stop and a movable steel bar
which fits into a short arm under the dead-plate and this part of the invention is
applicable to other furnaces.
In order that this invention may be clearly understood a sheet of drawings is
attached hereto on which like reference letters refer to the same or similar parts
where repeated on the various figures.
Figure 1 is a section at the centre of figure 2, and figure 2 is a plan of figure 1,
taken below the main arch. Figure 3 is a plan of three duplex furnaces illustrative
of the method of grouping them together. Figure 4 is an enlarged diagram in
plan of a firegrate, figure 5 being a section of same, figure 6 a side view of one of
the firebars and figure 7 a front view partly in section of the controlling gear.
Figure 8 is an enlarged section of the upper part of a firebar shewing the groove
in same.
Referring to figures 1 and 2 the valves are shewn in position for passing the
fumes and waste gases from the front to the back fire. In commencing operations
a coke fire is lighted on each grate and the valves are reversed half hourly until
the furnaces are thoroughly dried. According to this invention the furnaces are
worked in pairs and are charged and clinkered alternately at intervals of about one
hour so that each cycle of operations comprising the withdrawal of the clinkers
from the fires, drawing dried refuse to the grates, and charging raw refuse on to
the slopes, is completed in about two hours.

page_text: The first charge of raw refuse is fed on to the slope of back furnace B and one
hour afterwards the valves are reversed and the second charge is fed on to the
slope of front furnace A. In another hour the valves are reversed, the first charge
is drawn down to the grate of back furnace B and the third charge is then fed on
back slope. At the end of another hour, the refuse on back grate being fairly
lighted the valves are reversed, the second charge of dried refuse is spread over
the front grate and the fourth charge of raw refuse is fed on front slope.
The fires will then be working as indicated on the drawings and in one hour
afterwards the back fire will be ready for clinkering. The valves are then reversed,
the back grate is clinkered, covered with the dried refuse of the third charge, and
the fifth charge is fed on to the back slope. At the end of the following hour the
front grate is clinkered, re-covered with dry refuse and the slope re-fed with raw
refuse and in a similar manner every hour afterwards one of the grates is thus
dealt with.
The green smoke from front fire A passes over the flue valves D and through the
upper flue C above the secondary arch to the front flues E. The back fire B being
at a good heat the combustible matter in the gases which issue from the front
flues E is burnt up in passing over the fire towards the main flue G. When the
valves are reversed the currents take the opposite direction.
The refuse is fed through the charging valve F only which has a trunk reaching
up to the top floor line. The valves D have L frames both at top and bottom and
being without upper trunk the waste gases pass over the upper edge and between
the main arch and secondary arch to the front or back furnace as may be required.
These flue valves are in fact large fourway valves with a central flap which allows
the currents of gases from the green fire to pass over whilst the heated gases from
the clear fire pass under them.
Between the regular periods for clinkering the fires may be covered with thin
_layers of dried refuse but a portion of the hottest fire which is working direct to
the chimney flue is always kept bright from side to side, so as to attack the
combustible matter in the waste gases which are passing from the green fire.
The bars are placed across the firegrates H and the bearers run the length of the
ash caves J. The first and last bars are made with teeth like combs and are fixed,
but all the other bars are movable and are actuated by a link-bar which catches
bold of each bar below the centre thereof.
When the refuse is too low in carbonaceous matter to maintain sufficient heat
for drying the refuse on slopes of furnace a small proportion of light coke or other
cheap fuel is added to the fired refuse on the grate or if the refuse is very inferior
and contains an excessive amount of moisture the resulting gases from the
furnace or furnaces are passed through special coke fires built with closed fire-
grates in the doors of which suitable regulators are fixed for admitting the requisite
quantity of air.
Figure 3 shews such coke fires arranged to take the gases from the refuse
furnaces adjoining. In the illustration the grates for burning refuse are marked H
but the firebars are removed. The plan is taken under the main arch of the coke
fires and above the grates of the refuse furnaces. The refuse furnaces are provided
with flap valves K which are opened to the main flue when the fires are clear and
the side exits L and flues M allow of the green smoke and vapours passing to the
front flues E of coke fires when required or to the opposite flues when the valves D
and F are reversed, the valves K being then shut.
The coke fires are fed and reversed at suitable intervals the heat therefrom
passing over the arch C and through the flues N to the front flues E or in the
opposite direction when the central valves are reversed. The refuse for the end
furnaces is charged through the hoppers O.
Figures 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 illustrate the movable firebars P which rest in bearers Q
the latter being bolted at back end to plate R and at front end to cill S. The
firebars and projections on same are grooved on upper edge to prevent the clinkers
adhering to them, the projecting teeth being cast with sufficient bevil from the

page_text: upper edge of bars to point of each tooth, to allow of their being moulded with the
groove. The firebars have pivots Y at each end which are carried by the bearers Q,
and are connected under the centre by a link-bar T the travel of which (when
bars are to be moved) is regulated by the control slot in the steel locking roller U.
A short socketed arm W of steel, carries the end of link-bar T, and a hole V is
provided for a steel agitating bar which is removed when not in use, or the latter
may be inserted in a hole at W and the arm cut off below the link-bar.
The firebars in elevation are fish-backed, the depth at ends being about two
thirds of the depth in centre and in section the web is thinner at lower side than
at the top and is made with or without a bulb. The link-bar is always attached
about the centre of the bars, and the gearing for working same is placed under the
dead-plate S and does not project in front of the furnace.
The control slot in roller U locks the lever W as indicated when the firebars are
at rest. The roller is turned right or left by a movable key and it regulates the
extent to which the firebars can be moved backwards and forwards.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1.-The construction of furnaces with reversing valves for burning towns refuse
substantially as herein shewn and described.
2. The method of working the said furnaces substantially as herein described
with or without the coke fires.
3. The use of the moving firebars as herein shewn and described for the fire-
grates of said furnaces.
.
4. Making the said firebars fish-backed with control slot in locking roller and
short arm for lever substantially as herein shewn and described for refuse and
other furnaces.
5. Placing the said agitating gear under the dead-plate within the front line of
furnace and about the centre of each grate.
6. Casting the firebars and teeth on same with a groove on upper face as herein
shewn and described.
Dated this 17th dow of July 1886