Improvements in Destructors for Burning Night-soil and other Refuse.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Sept., 1893--Accepted, 14th Oct., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Destructors for Burning Night-soil and other
Refuse.
I, ROBERT HENRY FRANCIS RENNICK, Colonel Commanding 18th Bengal
Infantry, at present residing at "La Camusière," St. Avertin, Indre et Loire,
France, 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 destructors for burning night-soil and other refuse and
has for its object to cause such refuse to consume itself and in doing so to serve
as fuel, while the process of combustion is going on.
The invention is based upon that described in my Specification to Letters Patent
No. 16889 dated 21st September 1892, and will be best understood by reference to
the accompanying drawings in which
Figures 1, 2 and 3 are respectively two vertical sections and a horizontal section
taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2, of one form of destructor constructed according.
to this invention Figures and 2 being sections taken at right angles to each
other.
Figures 4, 5 and 6 are respectively two sectional elevations and a horizontal
section the latter taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 4 of another form of the
destructor.
Figures 7, 8 and 9 are respectively two sectional elevations and a horizontal
section the latter taken on the line 9-9 of Figure 8 of, a further form of the
destructor and
Figures 10, 11 and 12 are respectively two vertical sections taken at right angles
to each other and a horizontal section the latter taken on the line 12-12 of Figure 10
of a further modified form of destructor.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
The destructor shown in Figures 2 and 3 consists of a masonry or brickwork
body A provided at the bottom with two openings through which the ash may be
removed. The body A as indicated by the thick black line B is preferably lined
with iron, this lining terminating at the lower set of fire-bars which extend
completely across the lower end of the casing B, which is of rectangular form and
of the same sectional area throughout its height. At a suitable height above the
bars C are supported a further set of fire-bars D which extend only partly across
the casing B, spaces B₁ being left at either side of the bars D so as to allow of the
descent of the materials treated in the destructor in substantially the manner
described in my aforesaid Specification.
A is an opening in the structure A through which access may be had to the
spaces between the two sets of fire-bars C and D to enable a fire to be readily
kindled should the charge at any time become extinguished or for other purpose.
A' are other holes through the structure A for admitting rods to be passed through
to enable the charge to be stirred or agitated so as to allow the ash to fall down
into the pit A* from which it is subsequently removed through the openings A¹.
To the upper part of the chamber B is fitted the taper casing B' the upper open
end of which is covered by a hood B' held at a suitable distance away from the
outlet of B by standards B. B' is a door provided with a handle B, lever
latches B', and plates BB, these fittings admitting of its being readily removed from
the casing B' when it is necessary to fill the destructor and also enabling the door
to be securely retained in place when the destructor is in operation.
The destructor shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6 is of substantially the same
construction as that before described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the

page_text: only practical difference being in the shape of the incinerating chamber B which in
this example is of rectangular form in horizontal section the same as that before
described but is of tapering form throughout its length, the chamber B* constituting
practically a continuation, without appreciable difference in the degree of taper, of
the chamber B. The part of the chamber B having the largest cross sectional area
is in the plane corresponding with that of the upper set of fire-bars D the walls of
the chamber B tapering in opposite directions above and below this plane as
indicated clearly in Figures 4 and 5. The operation of this construction of
destructor will be readily understood from the description already given of that
shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3.
The interior of the destructor shown in Figures 7, 8 and 9 is substantially of the
same shape as that shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6, but in this example the chamber B
is not surmounted by a chamber B2 as it is in the foregoing examples, and the
charging door B³ is fitted in the masonry A. The upper part of the structure A
is covered by a roof or hood B³ supported on suitable standards or brackets B.
A' is an opening formed through the wall of the structure A at a suitable height
above the upper set of fire-bars D so as to admit of a suitable implement being
inserted for stirring the mass within the incinerating chamber B.
The destructor shown in Figures 10, 11 and 12 is substantially of the same
construction as that shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9, but with this difference that it is
built as a closed structure the charging door B being located at the top and there
being also provided a special downcast flue E which admits of the passage of the
gases escaping from the upper part of the mass undergoing treatment in the
chamber B through the openings E¹ to the underside of the upper grate D so that
these gases become consumed when passing upwards through the ignited portion of
the mass within the chamber B. In the operation of this last described form of
destructor the chamber B is filled up to the desired level with the material to be
treated a fire having been previously kindled at the lower part of the chamber and
the cover B being removed so as to cause the necessary draught for getting the
combustion well advanced. As soon as it is considered that combustion is well
under way the cover B is replaced and the gases then emanating from the mass
pass in the direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. 10 and are ultimately.consumed
as previously described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is ;-
1. A destructor having two sets of firebars one above another the lower set
extending completely across the chamber and the upper set extending only partly
across the chamber substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
2. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete destructor
substantially as described and illustrated in Figures 1 2 and 3 of the accompanying
drawings.
3. A destructor having two sets of fire-bars one above another the lower set
extending completely across the chamber and the upper set extending only partly
across the chamber itself being of gradually diminishing sectional area above and
below the upper set of fire-bars substantially as described and illustrated in
Figures 7 8 and 9 of the accompanying drawings.
4. The combination with a destructor constructed substantially as described in
the last preceding claim of a taper chamber such as B forming a continuation of
the combustion chamber substantially as described and illustrated in Figures 4 5
and 6 of the accompanying drawings.
5. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete destructor
substantially as described and illustrated in Figures 45 and 6 of the accompanying
drawings.
6. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete destructor

page_text: substantially as described and illustrated in Figures 7 8 and 9 of the accompanying
drawings.
7. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete destructor
substantially as described and illustrated in Figures 10 11 and 12 of the accom-
panying drawings.
Dated this Eighth day of Santember 100°
R. H. F. RENNICK,
Colonel commanding 18th B.I.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the.Applicant..
R. H. F. RENNICK,
Colonel commanding 18th B.I.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the.Applicant..