Improvements in the Treatment of Organic Matters for the Production of Manure, and in Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Apr., 1890-Accepted, 25th Oct., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Treatment of Organic Matters for the
Production of Manure, and in Apparatus therefor.
I, JULES GUILLAUME, of 41 Rac de Lyon, Paris, Engineer, 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 the treatment of organic substances in general, and has
for its object to avoid all impregnation of the atmosphere with the gaseous and liquid
raw material and the solid products in such a manner as to practically and economi-
cally carry out the salubrious treatment of night soils &c.
In the annexed drawings relating to the present application,
Figure 1 represents an entire view of the installation.
Figure 2 represents in elevation and tranverse section, the wheel of buckets
keyed upon the shaft of the drying machine.
Figure 3 shows a front view of the same.
Figure 4 represents in transverse section the wheel of buckets hollowed at the centre
in order to give a passage to the current of hot air.
Figure 5 shows a front view of the same.
Figure 6 represents on a large scale a portion of one of the bucket-wheels.
Figure 7 is a transverse section of the desiccator and its steam-jacket.
Figure 8 shows a longitudinal section of same.
Figure 9 represents a view of the end of the desiccator at which a current of hot
air is introduced.
Figure 10 shows an elevation of the apparatus.
Figure 11 represents a view of the opposite end of the desiccator from that
shown in Figure 9.
Figure 12 is a detail of the steam-jacket.
Figures 13 and 14 are sections of another apparatus, viz.: the substance drying-
room.
Figures 15, 16, 17 & 18 show in section and elevation the refrigerating
apparatus.
Figures 19 to 20 are respectively sectional elevation and plan of the furnace for
burning the gases.
As will be understood by the description of the figures the installation is composed
essentially of five systems of apparatus; the desiccator D, the air-drying room H, the
substance drying-room K, the furnace for burning the gas E, and the refrigerator I.
These apparatus of which Figure 1 shows them in continuity all of which can also be
arranged in two ways, for example, the air drying-room H and the refrigerator I
being placed not in alignment, but behind the furnace E and the ventilator F.
The refuse matters raw or solid, containing about 87% of water are diverted into
the receiving basin A when they arrive at the works. The propulsion of air forced
under a pressure of about 25 centimetres of water, is maintained in all the apparatus
comprising the receiving basin, no foetid emanation escaping from this basin. The
raw material is therein acidified by sulphuric acid, which operation has the double
advantage of partially disinfecting it and fixing the ammoniacal products which are
capable of separating therefrom to the detriment of the manure
After having undergone this acidification, the matters are carried automatically by
an elevator from the receiving basin into the distributing reservoir C, for the purpose
of supplying the desiccator D.
To render the manure into a fit state for sale, with about 20% of moisture, the
raw materials should lose more than three quarters of the water of which they are
composed

page_text: This desiccation is always performed without coming into contact with the outside
air, in two operations; 1st in the desiccator D, 2nd in the drying-room K. In the
desiccator D the materials are put in contact with the air supplied by the ventilator F,
at the rate of about 24,000 cubic metres per hour. This air passes through the
furnace E, which it leaves at a very high temperature (resulting from the combustion of
the fuel) of between 350 to 400% Centigrade leaves the hearth of this furnace by the
tunnel 1, and from thence it is carried into contact with the matter contained in the
desiccator D. A horizontal shaft a, Figures 2 to 6, is situated in the centre of
the apparatus D and is provided with four rings or wheels of which the two inter-
mediate ones, 1, are keyed on the shaft itself whereas those placed at the extremities, 2,
of the shaft a are fixed by four arms, 3, 4, 5, and 6 to the intermediate wheels 1, in
such manner as to rotate with them and the shaft.
These rings or wheels are formed with buckets 7 which when the shaft a revolves,
divides and raises constantly the matter to let it fall again in a shower on the hot
current of air, which enters the desiccator by the flue and escapes by the hollow
centre 8 of the rings or wheels 2 at the extremities of the shaft a.
The mass
loses thus rapidly the greater part of its water which is carried off with the hot
current of air.
The before-mentioned chamber of the desiccator D is of an oval form in cross
section, and is connected with the fan and ventilator F by means of the flue 1. Steam
jackets 12 to contain the vapour arising from the hot metal in the body of the
apparatus are arrange at each side of the lower part to maintain the matters in
treatment in the apparatus at a sufficient degree of heat. The steam passes into the
said jackets 12 through openings in the body of the apparatus or other convenient
means. Sight holes 14 are provided in suitable positions in order to enable the
operator to watch the process. The whole of the desiccator D is mounted upon a
block of masonry as shown in Figure 1.
In this first part of the desiccation the amount of water in the matter falls from 87
to 40%; the air which leaves the apparatus has a temperature close upon 100%
Centigrade is saturated with water vapour and mixed with the noxious gas carried off
from the matter; it escapes (always under pressure) by the tunnel a² which conducts it to
a in the drying-room placed as aforesaid either in alignment or behind the desiccator.
This drying-room consists of a large chamber of which the raised floor consists of a
series of preferably cast iron plates resting on little walls arranged as shown
(Figures 13 & 14). The substances containing 40% of moisture are placed thereon
to a depth of about 0 10m
The hot air which circulates under the cast iron plates completes the desiccation,
the matter containing not more than 2% of moisture or thereabouts, is broken up
and is sifted before leaving the drying-room; it is then ready for delivery for
agricultural purposes. In this state the substance does not give out any odour and
its exposure to the air does not cause any inconvenience to health or any annoyance to
the neighbourhood.
Again referring to the apparatus in order to follow the course of the gases
coming from the desiccator, their purification and their re-entrance into the
apparatus-
The air leaving the drying-room is still at about 40% Centigrade it is saturated with
infectious gas and contains, by cubic measure, about 58 grammes of water per cubic
metre. In leaving the drying-room by the tunnel bit enters into the refrigerator I
surmounted by two tanks R R from which the water falling in a fine spray cools the
gas and condenses the vapour. This refrigerator is shown in longitudinal section in
Figure 15 and in elevation in Figure 16, in transverse section in Figure 17, and in
horizontal section in Figure 18.
It is composed of a series of chambers communicating by means of openings at the
lower part of the walls of which it is formed; in the interior of each are arranged
vertical partitions which do not extend to the top.
It is provided also with a series of openings through which the gas circulates.
Water reservoirs placed above the drying room allow water to fall in a fine spray into

page_text: the chambers. Although cooled, but yet moist, the air leaves through d and enters
at d' in the drying room H, formed of a combination of several circulating chambers
filled with fagots which retains the moisture carried along by its hurried course in
leaving the refrigerator. The air together with the gas which it contains being cool
and comparatively dry, leaves the fagot chamber by the tunnel e and is drawn from el
by the ventilator F which carries it into the furnace where it is burnt, and produces
thereby a noticeable economy of fuel. The air, purified by this combustion, mixes
with pure air continually drawn from without by the ventilator.
The work is continually carried on, except for the necessary short time occupied
in emptying and reloading the desiccator. This work is effected in closed apparatus
and without contact with the outside air, except that which is drawn in by the
ventilator to compensate for the loss of oxygen resulting from the combustion, but
leaving no escape into the atmosphere of infectious gases.
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 :
The herein described process of treating organic substances for the production of
manure, in such manner as to absolutely prevent contact with the outside atmosphere
of all raw and solid matter and liquid and gaseous matter, the said process being
performed by the combined employment of the apparatus herein before described and
which comprise the following:-The desiccator, the air drying-room, the substance
drying-room, the furnace, and the refrigerator, all substantially as and for the purposes
hereinbefore set forth.
1000
JULES GUILLAUME.
By his Agents,
Horn & Son.