Improvements in the Quick Removal to a Distance of Town Refuse and in its Conversion into Manure.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Aug., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 24th Apr., 1900-Accepted, 14th July, 1900
[Communicated from abroad by LA SOCIÉTÉ ANONYME DES ENGRAIS COMPLETS, of
No. 2, Rue Corretts, Paris, in the Republic of France, Manufacturers.]
Improvements in the Quick Removal to a Distance of Town Refuse
and in its Conversion into Manure.
The
I, HERBERT SEFTON-JONES, of the Firm of W. P. Thompson & Co., Agents for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both in the County of
Lancaster, and Lower Temple Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object improvements in the means for the rapid
removal from towns of the various refuse materials known as domestic refuse, and
which is collected daily in the centres of population, and to convert the same into
material better adapted for manurial purposes. Hitherto this refuse has been
collected into tumbrils and then filled into wagons which transport it to the fields,
where the same is heaped up without having undergone any treatment.
spreading of this refuse is difficult, and presents certain dangers both for man and
beast, in consequence of the bits of porcelain or glass, fragments of bottles or
other heavy bodies which it contains. Moreover, in consequence of the variety
of materials contained which remain in a very bulky condition, the manure thus
formed possesses little value as a fertiliser, and requires a very long time to take
effect because of the slowness of its fermentation. Methods have been proposed
for treating this domestic refuse in the neighbourhood of cities, and forming a
rich manure from it by mixing it with excremental matter. But this kind of
manufacture is classed among insanitary occupations, and it is the object of the
present invention to avoid such an objection. The object of the invention is
moreover to rapidly remove domestic rubbish from cities, by preference daily,
and to transform the same into short manure easily applied and efficacious for
cultivation.
This is carried into effect as follows:-
The domestic rubbish collected by tumbrils or otherwise, is placed in a recep-
At the
tacle or ditch, having its walls inclined towards the discharge side.
bottom of the said receptacle are placed two transporting beits or travellers, one
placed to the right, the other to the left of the centre of the ditch or receptacle.
The workmen push the rubbish upon these travellers which discharge it upon a
central belt, placed at right angles to the aforesaid transporters and inclined at
about 33° and of sufficient length to raise the rubbish to a height from which it
is delivered upon further transporting mechanism conveying it to the crushers.
If desired the rubbish may undergo a preliminary hand sorting to remove large
These
pieces of iron and the like which might choke or injure the crushers.
crushers are preferably constructed with teeth and actuated on the centrifugal
principle in two opposite directions. They crush hard materials such as bones,

page_text: manufacture is classed among insanitary occupations, and it is the object of the
present invention to avoid such an objection. The object of the invention is
moreover to rapidly remove domestic rubbish from cities, by preference daily;
and to transform the same into short manure easily applied and efficacious for
cultivation. Under the term "domestic refuse is understood all household
refuse which is daily thrown in the dust-bin. This refuse usually comprises bones,
vegetable rubbish, cinders, old pieces of stone and carpet, bits of glass and china,
broken bottles &c., but does not comprise excremental matters.
"
The following description shews how the invention is carried into effect, with
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which,
Figure 1 is a front view partially in section of the various apparatuses or
machines.
Figure 2 is a plan view of the same.
Figure 3 is a sectional elevation on the line
Figure 4 is a transverse section on the line
with the horizontal transporter.
of Figure 2.
of Figure 2 shewing the pit
Figure 5 shews longitudinal and transverse sections on a larger scale of a por-
tion of the raising transporters.
The rubbish is collected by the refuse carts or tumbrils and placed in large
pits such as A shewn in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, the length of which varies accord-
ing to the quantity of rubbish they are to receive.
The rubbish is forked onto a horizontal transporter B (Figures 1 and 2) which
passes it on to an elevating transporter C.
The transporter B consists of an endless belt 1 stretched at both ends over
drums 2 and 3. The central shaft of the drum 3 bears on its extension a pulley 4
over which is passed a driving belt which turns the drum and at the same time
causes the endless belt to move in the direction of the arrow. The transporting
belt is supported in its upper portion which is charged with rubbish by means of
a series of small rollers 5 about a yard apart from each other. The lower part of
the belt is also supported by small rollers 6 which are placed farther apart, for
instance every five yards, as they have only the weight of the belt to support.
The transporter circulates in a kind of tunnel, covered over by hatches 8 of wood
or sheet iron which are lifted up periodically for shovelling in the rubbish on the
transporter, said rubbish having been delivered on the top of the hatches in ir-
regular heaps. In performing this operation, pieces of rubbish which are too large
or too hard, such as pieces of carpet, lumps of old iron and the like which cannot
be reduced by the crusher can be previously removed. This novel arrangement
of transporter enclosed in a kind of tunnel prevents it being stopped while work-
ing by the discharge of rubbish into the trench, as this rubbish would accumulate
unequally on the transporter and fall downwards into the bottom of the trench
in which it is placed.
In order to obviate this defect which may likewise take place when the trans-
porter is charged as set forth, the protecting bands 9 are fixed on the side walls of
the tunnel so as to prevent the rubbish falling down into the bottom of the tunnel
and offering resistance to the movement of the belt. The horizontal trans-
porters B cast the rubbish on to the elevating transporter C which is arranged as
described below.
It will be seen from Figure 3 that the two ends of this transporter are stretched
over drums 10 and 11, the drum 11 bearing on the prolongation of its shaft a
pulley actuated by a belt which causes the movement of the elevating transporter.
The drum 10 of cast iron has sufficient weight to act at the same time as an
extension device to keep the belt taut. For this purpose the ends of its shaft are
journalled on two arms 12 which have their centre of rotation on a shaft or pivot 13.
From this arrangement it will be seen that the drum 10 has by i's weight as
tendency to force the arm. 12 into the vertical position, and as it is held in an
inclined position by the transporting belt, it exercises a trac.ion thereon which
keeps the belt stretched. The transporting belt is formed of bands or strips of

page_text: the undue accumulations of refuse which is delivered on top in irregular heaps,
said hatches being raised periodically and the transporters charged substantially
as set forth.
5. In an apparatus as characterized in Claim 3 the employment of inclined ele-
vating transporters formed of a series of sheet iron plates and strips of belting con-
nected together by means of rivets or other suitable means, said transporters
being kept stretched automatically by means of cast iron drums supported on
two pivoted arms, the weight of the drum producing the tension of the trans-
porting belt substantially as described.
6. In an apparatus as characterized in Claim 3 the operating thereof solely by
means of a combination of pulleys and belts separated by means of partitions from
the belts transporting the refuse so as to prevent the introduction into the driving
gear of fibrous or very hard substances which may exist in the refuse, and free
from any system of gearing chains and the like which would be likely to be easily
broken or worn out by such matters.
Dated this 24th day of Auril 1900.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of London, Liverpool, Manchester, and Birmingham.