IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF APPARATUS FOR DRYING REFUSE
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Hailwood, of Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF APPARATUS
FOR DRYING REFUSE."
Sealed the 16th August 1878, and dated the 11th June 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Hailwood at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th June 1878.
WILLIAM HAILWOOD, of Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster.
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF APPARATUS FOR DRYING REFUSE."
"IMPROVEMENTS
This Invention relates to the drying of human and other excreta, the refuse of
slaughter houses, and such other refuse as is required to be reduced by drying to a
state of powder for use as artificial manure, or otherwise.
The apparatus consists, firstly, of a fixed horizontal cylindrical vessel, enclosed in
a steam jacket, for heating the contents, and having a revolving axle passing
through the centre of the ends, and provided with radial arms or agitators to keep
the refuse in a state of motion and subdivision whilst the drying is taking place.
The inner cylinder is deeply corrugated in a circumferential direction in order to
present an increased heating surface to the action of the steam.
The corrugations
are not carried entirely round the inside of the cylindrical vessel, the bottom part
of the cylinder being left plain to facilitate the removal of the dried refuse there-
from.
Man-holes are provided above and below (passing through the steam space) for
the introduction of the refuse at the top, and its removal from the bottom in the
state of powder when dried.
There is also a flue passing upwards through the top for the passage to the
chimney of the steam and effluvium emitted from the refuse during the drying
operation.
A second arrangement of apparatus I propose to construct as follows :-I provide
a room or chamber fitted with one or more sloping tables or platforms, and placed

page_text: one above another. These tables may be either stationary or provided with moving
arms or creepers to carry the refuse along. A hopper or shoot is fixed in the wall
of the room, through which the material is fed. This hopper is provided at or near
its lower end with crushing rollers, which pulverize the material as it passes
through on to the tables. Beneath these tables are a series of coiled steam or hot-
water pipes for drying the material as it falls from one table on to another, until it
falls from the last one into a suitable chamber in a perfectly dry and powdered
state, ready to be carted away for manure. There is also an arrangement of cold
water pipes around the room for condensing the steam.
I also employ a fan fixed in the ceiling or other suitable part of the chamber
which draws off the condensed steain or vapor from the room, which comes into
contact with a bed of charcoal or other suitable material, through which it passes to
the atmosphere thoroughly disinfected.
If preferred an endless travelling cloth or apron with rollers may be employed
instead of the tables.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Hailwood in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th
December 1878.
WILLIAM HAILWOOD, of Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster.
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF APPARATUS FOR DRYING REFUSE."
IMPROVEMENTS
This Invention relates to the drying of human or other excreta, the refuse of
slaughter houses, and such other refuse as is required to be reduced by drying to a
state of powder, for use as an artificial manure, or otherwise.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention, I will now proceed to
describe in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or
carried into practical effect, and in order that the same may be clearly understood
I have annexed hereunto two Sheets of Drawings illustrative thereof, and have
marked the same with figures and letters of reference, corresponding with those in
the following explanation thereof:―
In Sheet 1 of the Drawings, Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section and Fig. 2 a trans-
verse section of one modification of my Invention.
This apparatus consists of a fixed horizontal cylindrical vessel a, a, enclosed in a
steam jacket b, b, for heating the contents, and having a revolving axle c, c, passing
through the centre of the ends, and provided with radial arms or agitators d, d, to
keep the refuse in a state of motion and subdivision whilst the drying is taking
place.
The inner cylinder a, a, is provided with deep corrugations e, e, in a circumfer-
ential direction in order to present an increased heating surface to the action of the
steam. The corrugations e, e, are not carried entirely round the inside of the
cylindrical vessel a, a, the bottom part of the cylinder being left plain to facilitate
the removal of the dried powdered refuse therefrom.

page_text: Man-holes ff, and g, g, are provided above and below (passing through the
steam space) for the introduction of the refuse at the top and its removal from the
bottom in the state of powder when dried.
There is also a flue h, h, passing upwards through the top for the passage to the
chimney of the steam and effluvium emitted from the refuse during the drying
operation.
In Sheet 2 of the annexed Drawings, Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section and Fig. 4 a
transverse section of another modification of my Invention. I provide an enclosed
room or chamber a, a, with a sloping table or platform (or two or more placed one
above the other). These tables may be either stationary and provided with moving
arms or creepers to carry the refuse along, or they may be made in the form of an
endless travelling cloth or apron b, b, as shown in the Drawings. This cloth or apron
b, b, passes round rollers c, c, heated by steam entering through the pipes d, d.
When fixed sloping tables are used a series of coiled steam pipe is placed beneath
them for drying the material as it passes along the tables.
As the refuse is being dried into powder it is carried forwards and falls off the
end of the travelling cloth or table through an opening e, e, into a chamber f, f,
beneath.
A hopper or shoot g, g, is fixed in the wall of the room a, a, through which the
material is fed. This hopper is provided at or near its lower end with a pair of
crushing rollers h, h, which pulverize the material as it passes through on to the
table or on to the endless travelling cloth b, b.
This hopper is provided with a fine perforated or wire cloth lining or false bottom
g', g', through which the liquid part of the refuse percolates; and at the bottom is
a chamber g, g, containing charcoal and a layer of felt, through which the liquid
filters and passes off by the pipe g, g. i, i, is an arrangement of cold water
pipes for condensing the steam.
I also employ a fan above the ceiling or in any other suitable place to draw off
the uncondensed steam or vapor from the room, which is compelled to pass through
or in contact with a bed of charcoal or other suitable material, supported on a per-
forated plate or ceiling k, k, so that it may pass into the atmosphere in a thoroughly
purified and disinfected state.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention, together with
the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical
effect, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my Invention, the novel construc-
tion and use of apparatus for drying refuse, substantially as herein-before described,
and illustrated by the Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Hailwood, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
WILLIAM HAILWOOD. (LS.)