AU2021215121A1 - Pyre for cremating a corpse - Google Patents

Abstract

A pyre for cremating a corpse, the pyre including a first layer comprising a furnace floor, the furnace floor including one or more vents; and a second layer positioned above the first layer; wherein each of the first and second layers are substantially formed from a densified biomass material. 9/10 co CD) o 0 o co C) coI C) 04

Description

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PYRE FOR CREMATING A CORPSE

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates generally to a pyre for cremating a corpse, and more specifically to a pyre being made substantially of a densified biomass material.

Background of Invention

[0002] Cremation is a funeral or post-funeral ritual in many parts of the world as an alternative to the burial or interment of a corpse. In some countries, including India and Nepal, cremation on an open-air pyre is an ancient Hindu tradition. A typical funeral pyre formed in accordance with Hindu tradition is constructed of four to five hundred kilograms of wood including a pyre base upon which the corpse is placed with additional timber being placed above the corpse as a fuel source, together with a few kilograms of biological and synthetic materials including cow dung, rice grains, vermilion powder, camphor and clarified butter.

[0003] Consequently, an estimated 50 million to 60 million of trees are cut down each year to meet a rising demand. Moreover, burning corpses on substantially wood based pyres over several hours results in around eight million tonnes of pollution causing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions being released into the atmosphere annually. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that such rituals cause significant environmental harm through air pollution and deforestation. Furthermore, large quantities of ash are generated during cremation, which is subsequently disposed of into water bodies such as rivers, polluting their waters. Disposal of cremains into water bodies renders the water non-potable and poses a risk to human health.

[0004] Transporting the pyre materials over long distances from their source to the place of cremation or a point of sale further causes logistical issues since timber logs are not easy to transport in uniform packaging and involve significant manual labour to stack them onto transportation vehicles.

[0005] In an attempt to address the significant environmental concerns associated with these rituals, the Indian government and various environmental groups have tried to promote more efficient ways of cremation ranging from the use of electric furnaces including solar-powered crematoriums, providing metal grates upon which the logs are placed to facilitate air circulation around the flames and adding a roof structure with a chimney to reduce heat loss, to substituting biomass briquettes for wood as fuel. However, such alternate approaches have not been widely adopted for various religious and financial reasons. For instance, if cremation takes place in an electric furnace, it is not possible to perform the most important ritual performed upon the traditional pyre, which is known as the "kapal kriya", where a bamboo stick is used to crack open the skull of the burning corpse to set free the soul from its mortal remains.

[0006] Accordingly, there is a need to provide a pyre configured for ease of transportation that reduces adverse environmental impacts whilst respecting ancient religious and social traditions.

[0007] A reference herein to a patent document or any other matter identified as prior art, is not to be taken as an admission that the document or other matter was known or that the information it contains was part of the common general knowledge as at the priority date of any of the claims.

Summary of Invention

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a pyre for cremating a corpse, the pyre including: a first layer comprising a furnace floor, the furnace floor including one or more vents; and a second layer positioned above the first layer; wherein each of the first and second layers are substantially formed from a densified biomass material.

[0009] The use of a biomass material as a fuel source provides significant environmental advantages by reducing both deforestation and emissions.

[0010] In various embodiments, the second layer comprises a surround fuel layer and a ballast fuel layer and the ballast fuel layer is positioned above the surround fuel layer.

[0011] In some embodiments, the surround fuel layer includes one or more vents. The provision of one or more vents act to draw flames lit beneath the first layer upwards and facilitates efficient burning of the corpse.

[0012] In one or more embodiments, at least one of the first and second layers is formed from a plurality of briquettes, each briquette substantially comprising a densified biomass material. The plurality of briquettes may be bonded together to form each layer. Alternatively, the briquettes may simply be arranged in the desired configuration. In yet another alternate embodiment, the ballast fuel layer may form a slab.

[0013] In some forms of the invention an internal kindling is positioned between the first and second layers.

[0014] In other forms of the invention, the first layer is coated or permeated with an accelerant to enhance flammability.

[0015] In some embodiments, a water repellent cover is provided. The water repellent cover is placed on top of the upper layer, or ballast layer when the pyre is stacked for handling and transport and is intended to keep the pyre components protected from the elements until such time that it is ready for use.

[0016] In use, a corpse may be laid upon the furnace floor and covered by the surround fuel layer and the ballast fuel layer. In this configuration, the corpse is surrounded by fuel, above and below to promote rapid and efficient burning.

[0017] In an embodiment of the invention, at least one of the first and second layers are formed from a plurality of briquettes, each briquette being substantially oblong in shape, the briquettes being arranged within each layer so as to lie perpendicular to the briquettes forming the layer beneath. This perpendicular arrangement of the briquettes is used to provide improved integrity to the layered stack.

[0018] In various embodiments, each layer is substantially oblong in shape having two long sides and two short sides. The first layer is formed from briquettes arranged transversely proximal to the short sides of the first layer and longitudinally proximal to the long sides of the first layer, forming one or more substantially central vents and the surround fuel layer is formed from briquettes arranged longitudinally along the long side of the surround fuel layer. The ballast fuel layer is formed from briquettes arranged transversely to the long side of the ballast fuel layer.

[0019] Some embodiments of the invention further include a roof pallet to be positioned on top of the ballast fuel layer. The roof pallet is provided to enhance the integrity of the stack for transport and handling.

[0020] Certain embodiments of the invention include an external chamber wall that substantially surrounds or encloses the first layer such that the first layer resides substantially within the external chamber wall, the external chamber wall configured to elevate the first layer above a bearing surface. The external chamber wall is formed of briquettes stacked at least two courses high.

[0021] In some embodiments, the first and second layers are stacked upon a floor pallet. Similarly to the roof pallet, the floor pallet is provided to enhance the integrity of the stack for transport and handling as well as providing convenient access for a forklift. Moreover, in some embodiments, the floor pallet can facilitate access beneath the furnace floor of the funeral pyre, e.g. for the purpose of lighting a fire beneath.

[0022] In embodiments including the external chamber wall and the pallet, the external chamber wall may be positioned between the first layer and the pallet.

[0023] Some embodiments further including two stringer beams, each stringer beam configured to support a long side of the first layer and to elevate the first layer above a bearing surface.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0024] The accompanying figures, where like reference numerals to identical or functionally similar elements throughout the separate views, together with the detailed description below, are incorporated in and form part of the specification, and serve to further illustrate embodiments of concepts that include the claimed invention, and explain various principles and advantages of those embodiments.

[0025] Fig. 1 shows an exploded perspective view of a pyre according to a first embodiment of the invention.

[0026] Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of the pyre of Fig. 1 in a stacked configuration.

[0027] Fig. 3 shows a longitudinal side-on view of the pyre of Fig. 1 or Fig. 2.

[0028] Fig. 4 shows a transverse side-on view of the pyre of Fig.s 1 to 3.

[0029] Fig. 5 shows an exploded perspective view of a pyre according to a second embodiment of the invention.

[0030] Fig. 6 shows a perspective view of the pyre of Fig. 5 in a stacked configuration.

[0031] Fig. 7 shows a longitudinal side-on view of the pyre of Fig. 5 or Fig. 6.

[0032] Fig. 8 shows a transverse side-on view of the pyre of Fig.s 5 to 7.

[0033] Fig. 9 shows an exploded perspective view of a pyre according to a third embodiment of the invention.

[0034] Fig. 10 shows the pyre of Fig. 9 in a stacked configuration.

[0035] Fig. 11 shows a top-down view of the pyre of Fig. 9 and Fig. 10.

[0036] Fig. 12 shows a longitudinal side-on view of the pyre of Fig.s 9 to 11.

[0037] Fig. 13 shows a transverse side-on view of the pyre according to Fig.s 9 to 12.

[0038] A person skilled in the art will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. It will further be appreciated that the drawings may show only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description below.

Detailed Description

[0039] Referring firstly to Fig. 1 there is shown an exploded view of a pyre 100 for cremating corpse according to a first embodiment. The pyre 100 includes two layers. A first layer 120 and a second layer 140 that positioned above the first layer. The first layer 120 and the second layer 140 are each formed from a densified biomass material. The first layer 120 comprises a furnace floor including one or more vents 130.

[0040] In use, a corpse to be cremated is placed on top of the first layer or furnace floor 120 and the second layer 140 is placed on top of the corpse. That is, the first layer or furnace floor 120 supports the corpse above the ground and further provides a fuel source under the corpse. Placing a second layer 140 on top of the corpse serves to surround the corpse in a suitable fuel source to facilitate cremation, and to provide a ballast to weigh down the corpse during cremation. The vents 130 provided in the furnace floor 120 draw the flames lit beneath the first layer upwards to facilitate burning.

[0041] The second layer 140 may be formed of two separate layers, a surround fuel layer 145 and a ballast fuel layer 150. Forming the second layer 140 of two layers provides additional weight or ballast to weigh down the corpse, as well as providing additional fuel to promote efficient burning. Use of an additional layer on top of the corpse can additionally provide a benefit by reducing heat loss thereby increasing the efficiency of burning. Preferably, the ballast fuel layer 150 is positioned above the surround fuel layer 145. It will be understood that with regard to their configuration, the ballast fuel layer 150 and the surround fuel layer 145 may take substantially the same form.

[0042] The first layer 120 and the second layer 140 are formed from briquettes 160 comprising the densified biomass material. In the illustrated embodiment, the individual briquettes 160 are oblong in shape. An oblong shape is a convenient shape for forming such briquettes which are formed using an extrusion process, but it will be understood that the briquettes may take other convenient shapes and forms.

[0043] The use of a biomass material as a fuel source has environmental advantages by reducing both deforestation and emissions. One particular example of a suitable biomass material is gorse. Gorse is a hardwood that is relatively energy dense due to high oil content. Moreover, gorse has been declared as a weed of national significance in a number of countries, including Australia. The properties of gorse make it readily available at low cost, i.e. generally limited to the cost of harvest and transport, and make it ideal for applications requiring a slow but intense burn such as cremation.

[0044] Post-harvest, gorse is crushed and hammer-milled into a powder which is then heated and extruded into briquettes of the desired shape. A particular advantage of using a densified biomass material is that the air borne particulate and ash residue produced as a result of burning the densified biomass material is minimised in comparison to burning wood. References to densified biomass material throughout the description may refer to densified biomass material made substantially from gorse or other suitable biomass materials.

[0045] Individual briquettes 160 are bonded together to form a larger structure or slab forming the respective furnace floor 120, surround fuel layer 145 and ballast fuel layer 150. The briquettes within each layer may be arranged in a parallel manner, i.e. see for example the surround fuel 145 and ballast fuel 150 layers. In the furnace floor 120, the briquettes 160 are arranged in a more complex configuration to form one or more vents 130. For example, as shown in Fig.1, the first layer 120 is formed from oblong briquettes 160 arranged transversely proximal to the short sides 170 of the furnace floor 120 and longitudinally proximal to the long sides 180 of the furnace floor. This configuration enables vents 130 to be formed substantially centrally in the furnace floor 120 for maximum benefit.

[0046] As shown in Fig.1, the surround fuel layer 145 is formed from briquettes 160 arranged longitudinally along the long side 180. However, it will be appreciated that in some embodiments, it may be desirable to incorporate vents similar to vents 130 formed in the furnace floor 120 in the surround fuel layer 145 to facilitate the upward draught of air. Similarly, as shown in Fig.1, the ballast fuel layer 150 is formed from briquettes 160 arranged transversely to the long side 180. That is, the briquettes 160 arranged to form adjacent layers may be configured so as to be arranged perpendicular to the briquettes forming the most proximal layer. See for example, the opposing arrangement of the briquettes 160 forming the surround fuel 145 and ballast fuel 150 layers.

[0047] Optionally, a pallet 110 forms the base of the pyre 100. The pallet 110 may be an under floor hardwood frame pallet that is customisable. The pallet 110 facilitates packing and transport of the pyre 100. The furnace floor 120 is placed above the pallet 110 such that it is elevated above the ground or other bearing surfaces. It will be appreciated that use of a pallet 110 additionally facilitates access beneath the furnace floor 120, for example to provide access for the purpose of lighting a fire beneath the pyre 100.

[0048] Preferably, each component forming the pyre 100, including the pallet 110 and the first and second layers 120, 140 respectively, are assembled and secured entirely using metal-free components such as nails or screws. This is to ensure that the entire pyre 100 is readily flammable.

[0049] Referring now to Fig. 2, there is shown the pyre 100 of Fig.1 in a stacked configuration. It will be appreciated that the stacked configuration comprising the pallet 110, the first layer 120 or furnace floor, and the second layer 140 comprised of the surround fuel layer 145 and the ballast fuel layer 150 form a compact unit. As such, multiple units or pyres 100 can be stacked together and packed for distribution and transport, e.g. in a shipping container or the like.

[0050] Fig. 3 shows a longitudinal side-on view of the pyre 100 viewed from the long side 180. Each layer of the pyre 100 including the pallet 110, the first layer 120 and the second layer 140 is substantially oblong, i.e. having two parallel long sides and two parallel short sides. In a particular form of the invention, the total length (L) of the pyre 100 is 2.10 metres, the total width (W) of the pyre 100 is 0.70 metres and the total height (H) of the pyre 100 is 0.43 metres, the height (Hp) of the pallet 110 being 0.13 metres, the height (Hf) of the furnace floor 120 being 0.10 metres, height (Hs) of the surround fuel layer 145 being 0.10 metres and the height (Hb) of the ballast fuel layer 150 being 0.10 metres. It will be appreciated that the dimensions of the pyre 100 and its individual layers may differ based on any one or more of the size of briquettes 160 used, intended purpose, place of use, transport constraints and the like.

[0051] Fig. 4 shows a transverse side-on view of the pyre 100 viewed from the short side 170 with the dimension being as described in reference to Fig. 3.

[0052] Referring now to Fig. 5 there is shown an exploded view of a pyre 200 according to a second embodiment. The pyre 200 includes a first layer 220 and a second layer 250 that is positioned above the first layer 220. The first layer 220 and the second layer 250 are are each formed from densified biomass material.

[0053] The first layer 220 forms the furnace floor including one or more vents 225. In use, the corpse to be cremated is placed on top of the furnace floor 220 and the second layer 250 is placed on top of the corpse. The vents 225 in the furnace floor 220 act to draw flames lit beneath the first layer upwards towards the corpse.

[0054] In the illustrated embodiment, the second layer 250 is formed of two separate layers comprising a surround fuel layer 240 and a ballast fuel layer 245. The ballast fuel layer 245 is preferably positioned above the surround fuel layer 240.

[0055] The furnace floor 220, surround fuel layer 240 and ballast fuel layer 245 are each formed from briquettes 280 comprising the densified biomass material bonded together in the desired configuration. In the illustrated embodiment, the briquettes 280 are each oblong in shape. The oblong shape is a convenient shape for forming the briquettes 280 using an extrusion process but it will be understood that the briquettes 280 may take other convenient shapes and forms. In some embodiments, rather than forming each layer 220, 240 and 245 from briquettes 280 bonded together in the desired configuration, the individual layers may be formed as a single extruded slab, for example.

[0056] In some embodiments, at least the furnace floor 220 is coated or permeated with an accelerant.

[0057] A pallet 210 forms the base of the pyre 200. The furnace floor 220 is placed above the pallet 210. The pallet 210 may be a customisable hardwood framed pallet. The pallet 210 is preferably constructed such that the pallet 210 has one or more gaps within its structure to provide access for lighting a fire beneath the pyre 200.

[0058] The furnace floor 220 maybe formed of briquettes 280 placed in an upright orientation. The furnace floor 220 is configured to have a central depression 285 surrounded by a peripheral wall 290 formed by the upright briquettes. For example, the briquettes 280 forming the furnace floor 220 may be 0.10 metre wide by 0.10 metre long by 0.23 metre high briquettes such that the peripheral wall 290 has a height of 0.23 metres formed by the upright arrangement of the briquettes 280 and the central depression 285 has a height of 0.10 metres formed by the side lying arrangement of the briquettes.

[0059] Internal kindling 235 may be placed within the central depression 285 formed in the furnace floor 220 and beneath the surround fuel layer 245. The internal kindling 235 may comprise broken segmented briquettes or other flammable material. For example, five triple walled paper bags of broken segmented briquettes may be provided as the internal kindling 235.

[0060] In some embodiments, the first layer 220 is placed within an external chamber wall 215 formed of side lying briquettes laid end-to-end at least two courses high. The external chamber wall 215 is provided so as to elevate the furnace floor 220 above the ground or other bearing surface. The surround fuel layer 240 may also be nestled within the external chamber wall 215, such that the upper surface of the surround fuel layer sits flush with the top of the external chamber wall. The ballast fuel layer 245 rests on top of the upper course of briquettes 280 forming the external chamber wall 215. This arrangement of the furnace floor 220 and surround fuel layer 240 within external chamber wall 215 elevates the structure above the ground to allow air flow into the pyre 200 to fan the flames.

[0061] The surround fuel layer 240 is formed from a plurality of briquettes 280 arranged longitudinally along the long side of the pyre 200 and bonded together or simply arranged in this configuration. The surround fuel layer 240 can optionally include one or more vents (not shown). Providing vents in the surround fuel layer 240 allow air to circulate within the pyre 200 when in use to cremate a corpse laid on top of the furnace floor 220.

[0062] The ballast fuel layer 245 is formed from a plurality of briquettes 280 arranged transversely along the long side of the pyre 200. In the illustrated embodiment, the plurality of briquettes of the ballast fuel layer 245 are arranged to be perpendicular to the plurality of briquettes forming the surround fuel layer 240 beneath.

[0063] The second layer 250 comprising the surround fuel layer 240 and the ballast fuel layer 245 together provides a downward bearing weight to hold the corpse down during cremation and can provide the additional benefit of reducing heat loss thereby increasing the efficiency of burning. In embodiments where an external chamber wall 215 is used to elevate the furnace floor 220, the internal kindling 235 and the surround fuel layer 240 above the ground, a further improvement in burning efficiency and heat loss reduction may be achieved.

[0064] A cover 260 can be provided to be placed above the ballast fuel layer 245. The cover may be hard, e.g. formed from timber, or soft e.g. formed from plastic, cloth waxed to be water repellent, canvas, polyester coated with polyurethane or polyethylene. A roof pallet 270 may be placed above the cover 260 to aid banding and packing of the pyre 200 for transportation.

[0065] Referring now to Fig. 6, there is shown the pyre 200 of Fig. 5 in a stacked configuration. The external chamber wall 215 containing the furnace floor 220 and the surround fuel layer 240 is stacked above the pallet 210 to elevate the furnace floor 220 above the ground. The ballast fuel layer 245 is stacked above the external chamber wall 215. The cover 260 is placed above the ballast fuel layer 245 and the roof pallet 270 is placed above the cover 260. It will be appreciated that the stacked configuration comprising the pallet 210, the external chamber floor 215, the furnace floor 220, the internal kindling 235, the surround fuel layer 240, the ballast fuel layer 245, the cover 260 and the roof pallet 270 form a compact unit for ease of handling and transport.

[0066] Fig. 7 shows a longitudinal side-on view of the pyre 200 viewed form the long side. Each layer of pyre 200 including the pallet 210, the external chamber wall 215, the furnace floor 220, the internal kindling 235, the surround fuel layer 240, the ballast fuel layer 245, the cover 260 and the roof pallet 270 is substantially oblong, i.e. having two long sides and two short sides. In a particular embodiment of the invention, the total length (L) of the pyre 200 (and therefore the total length of each layer 220, 240, 245) is 2.30 metres and the total width (W) of the pyre 200 (and therefore the width of each layer 210, 215, 220, 240, 245) is 0.90 metres. In a particular form of the invention, a total height (H) of the pyre 200 is 0.605 metres comprised of the height (Hp) of the pallet 210 (0.15 metres), the height (Hf) of the furnace floor 220 (0.30 metres), the height (Hb) of the ballast layer 245 (0.105 metres) and the height (Hr) of the cover 260 and the roof pallet 270 combined (0.05 metres). It will be appreciated that the dimensions of the pyre 200 may differ based on any one or more of the size of briquettes 280 used, intended purpose, place of use, transport constraints and the like.

[0067] Fig. 8 shows a transverse side-on view of the pyre 200 from the short side with the dimension being as described in reference to Fig. 7.

[0068] In an exemplary use case, the pyre 200 is laid at a place of cremation, with the pallet 210 as the base. The roof pallet 270, the cover 260 and the second layer 250 comprising the ballast fuel layer 245 and the surround fuel layer 240 are removed. The corpse to be cremated is placed on top of the furnace floor 220. In a preferred embodiment, the corpse is placed on top of the internal kindling 235, which is positioned within the central depression 285 formed in the furnace floor 220. The surround fuel layer 240 followed by the ballast fuel layer 245 and the cover 260 are placed above the corpse. A fire is lit beneath the pyre 200 through the gaps of the pallet 210 to set alight the pyre 200. In some embodiments, one or more access holes may be provided in the external chamber wall 215 to provide access for lighting a fire beneath the pyre 200.

[0069] Referring now to Fig. 9 there is shown an exploded perspective view of a pyre 300 according to a third embodiment of the invention. The pyre 300 includes two layers, a first layer 320 and a second layer 350 positioned above the first layer 320. A pair of longitudinal stringer beams 310 is used to elevate the first layer 320 of the pyre 300 above a bearing surface such as the ground. The pair of stringer beams 310 may be made of any flammable material such as sheets made of densified biomass material or ply wood and are fastened to the first layer 320 by one or more metal-free fasteners that may take the form of nails, pins or screws formed from composite polymers or the like. The pair of stringer beams 310 is configured to act as a containment chimney to concentrate the heat of the initial central combustion. Each of the stringer beams 310 may have one or more gaps 330 within the stringer beam 310 for providing access to light a fire beneath corpse. The one or more gaps 330 on each of the stronger beams 310 further facilitate lifting of the pyre 300 by means such as a forklift to aid handling and transporting.

[0070] Similarly to the previously described embodiments, the first layer or furnace floor 320 is formed of oblong-shaped briquettes of densified biomass material bonded together in the desired configuration. The furnace floor 320 comprises briquettes 360 positioned transversely relative to the longitudinal length of the pyre 300. The furnace floor 320 includes one or more vents 365. Preferably, the vents 365 are centrally located. In one particular embodiment, five briquettes 360 are placed transversely to the longitudinal side of the pyre 300 and equidistant from each other to form the furnace floor 320 with the vents 365 formed by the spaces between the briquettes 360.

[0071] The second layer 350 of the pyre 300 comprises a surround fuel layer 340 and a ballast fuel layer 345. The ballast fuel layer 345 is formed form briquettes 360 of densified biomass material bonded together, arranged to lie perpendicular to the briquettes 360 forming the surround fuel layer 340 beneath.

[0072] Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the pyre 300 of Fig. 9 in a stacked configuration. The ballast fuel layer 345 is stacked above the surround fuel layer 340 which is stacked above the furnace floor 320. The furnace floor 320 and the surround fuel layer 340 are placed between the pair of longitudinal stringer beams 310.

[0073] Fig. 11 is a top-down view of the pyre 300 of Figs. 9 and 10. Each layer of pyre 300 including the furnace floor 320, the surround fuel layer 340 and the ballast fuel layer 345 is substantially oblong in shape i.e. having two long sides and two short sides. In an embodiment of the invention, the total length (L) of the pyre 300 is 2.40 metres and the total width (W) of the pyre 300 is 0.64 metres, in which the breadth of each of the pair of stringer beams 310 is 0.02 metres. It will be appreciated that the dimensions of the pyre may differ based on any one or more of the size of briquettes used, intended purpose, place of use, transport constraints and the like.

[0074] Fig. 12 is a longitudinal side-on view of the pyre 300. At least one of the stringer beams 310 has at least one rectangular-shaped gap of length (Lg) 0.50 metres and height (Hg) 0.10 metres. Preferably, there are two such gaps 330 spaced 0.10 metres from each other and at 0.65 metres from the edge of the pyre 300 as shown in Fig. 9. A total height (H) of the pyre 300 is 0.30 metres. It will be appreciated that the dimensions of the pyre may differ based on any one or more of the size of briquettes used, intended purpose, place of use, transport constraints and the like.

[0075] Fig. 13 is a transverse side-on view of the pyre 300. A total height (H) of the pyre 300 is 0.30 metres, the height (Hf) of the furnace floor 320 being 0.10 metres, the height (Hs) of the surround fuel layer 340 being 0.10 metres, the height (Hb) of the ballast fuel layer 345 being 0.10 metres. Of the total breadth (W) 0.64 metres of the pyre 300, each of the pair of stringer beams 310 is 0.02 metres wide. It will be appreciated that the dimensions of the pyre may differ based on any one or more of the size of briquettes used, intended purpose, place of use, transport constraints and the like.

[0076] A total length and total breadth of each of the first layer 320, the surround fuel layer 340 and the ballast fuel layer 345 are substantially the same so as to allow for easier packaging and transportation by stacking several such pyres 300 into transportation containers or vehicles from a site of manufacturing or sale to a point of use or re-sale.

[0077] In an exemplary use case, the pyre 300 is laid at a place of cremation, with the pair of stringer beams 310 elevating the pyre 300 above a bearing surface such as the ground. The surround fuel layer 340 and the ballast fuel layer 345 are removed. The corpse to be cremated is placed upon the furnace floor 320. The surround fuel layer 340 is placed on top of the corpse and covered with the ballast fuel layer 345. A flame is lit beneath the pyre 300, usually through the gaps 330 provided in at least one of the stringer beams 310 to set the pyre alight.

[0078] It will be appreciated that while in certain embodiments, the briquettes 160, 280, 360 are bonded together using adhesives preferably having flammable properties, in other embodiments, the briquettes 160, 280, 360 may instead be tied or strapped together using a suitable bracket arrangement or ropes preferably made of materials having flammable properties. In certain embodiments, however, such bracket arrangement or ropes may be made of plastic or organic materials and may be removable once the briquettes 160, 280, 360 are moved into position in the pyre 100, 200, 300 respectively. In further embodiments, the briquettes 160, 280, 360 of each layer are bonded by way of placement in interlocking arrangements with respect to the layers proximate to them.

[0079] The funeral pyre will have a British Thermal Unit (BTU) rating sufficient to completely and efficiently cremate a human corpse. It requires several hundred kilograms of densified biomass to cremate a corpse. Depending on the particular configuration of the funeral pyre, it could be formed from 250 to 1,000 kilograms of densified biomass material. This volume of fuel could provide from around 5 million to million BTUs. For example, exemplary funeral pyre 100 illustrated in Fig.s 1 to 4 weighs approximately 450 kilograms and generates approximately 9 million BTUs. Exemplary funeral pyre 200 illustrated in Fig.s 5 to 8 weighs approximately 800 kilograms and generates approximately 17 million BTUs. Exemplary funeral pyre 300 illustrated in Fig.s 9 to 13 weighs around 300 kilograms and generates around 6.5 million BTUs.

[0080] It will be appreciated that the various embodiments described aim to minimise adverse environmental impacts by facilitating more efficient cremation of a corpse thereby reducing greenhouse emissions and discouraging deforestation. The funeral pyres proposed by the present invention respect ancient religious and social customs. Moreover, the funeral pyre is designed for ease of handling and transport. The use of densified biomass materials to form the funeral pyre enables the pyres to provide at a price point which is less cost prohibitive than previously presented alternatives such as solar or electric crematoriums and the like. These factors, together should encourage broader acceptance of the funeral pyre of the present invention as a viable alternative to traditional Hindu pyres.

[0081] Where any or all of the terms "comprise", "comprises", "comprised" or "comprising" are used in this specification (including the claims), they are to be interpreted as specifying the presence of the stated features, integers, steps or components, but not precluding the presence of one or more other features, integers, steps or components.

[0082] While the invention has been described in conjunction with a limited number of embodiments, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that many alternative, modifications and variations in light of the foregoing description are possible. Accordingly, the present invention is intended to embrace all such alternative, modifications and variations as may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed.

Claims (22)

The claims defining the invention are as follows:

1. A pyre for cremating a corpse, the pyre including:

a first layer comprising a furnace floor, the furnace floor including one or more vents; and

a second layer positioned above the first layer;

wherein each of the first and second layers are substantially formed from a densified biomass material.

2. The pyre according to claim 1, wherein the second layer comprises a surround fuel layer and a ballast fuel layer.

3. The pyre according to claim 2, wherein the ballast fuel layer is positioned above the surround fuel layer.

4. The pyre according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the surround fuel layer includes one or more vents.

5. The pyre according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the first and second layers is formed from a plurality of briquettes, each briquette substantially comprising a densified biomass material.

6. The pyre according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of briquettes are bonded together to form each layer.

7. The pyre according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the ballast fuel layer forms a slab.

8. The pyre according to any one of the preceding claims, further including an internal kindling positioned between the first and second layers.

9. The pyre according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least the first layer is coated or permeated with an accelerant.

10. The pyre according to any one of the preceding claims, further including a water repellent cover.

11. The pyre according to any one of claims 2 to 10, wherein in use, the corpse is laid upon the furnace floor and covered by the surround fuel layer and the ballast fuel layer.

12. The pyre according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein at least one of the first and second layers are formed from a plurality of briquettes, each briquette being substantially oblong in shape, the briquettes being arranged within each layer so as to lie perpendicular to the briquettes forming the layer beneath.

13. The pyre according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each layer is substantially oblong in shape having two long sides and two short sides.

14. The pyre according to claim 13, wherein the first layer is formed from briquettes arranged transversely proximal to the short sides of the first layer and longitudinally proximal to the long sides of the first layer, forming one or more substantially central vents.

15. The pyre according to claim 13 or 14 when appended to claim 2, wherein the surround fuel layer is formed from briquettes arranged longitudinally along the long side of the surround fuel layer.

16. The pyre according to any one of claims 13 to 15 when appended to claim 2, wherein the ballast fuel layer is formed from briquettes arranged transversely to the long side of the ballast fuel layer.

17. The pyre according to any one of the preceding claims, further including an external chamber wall that substantially surrounds the first layer, the external chamber wall configured to elevate the first layer above a bearing surface.

18. The pyre according to claim 17, wherein the external chamber wall is formed of briquettes stacked at least two courses high.

19. The pyre according to any one of the preceding claims when appended to claim 2, further including a roof pallet to be positioned on top of the ballast fuel layer.

20. The pyre according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first and second layers are stacked upon a pallet.

21. The pyre according to claim 20 when dependent on claim 18, wherein the external chamber wall is positioned between the first layer and the pallet.

22. The pyre according to any one of claims 1 to 14, further including two stringer beams, each stringer beam configured to support a long side of the first layer and to elevate the first layer above a bearing surface.

160

150 140

145 120

110 1/10

130

170 180

Fig. 1

140 150 120 110 145 2/10

Fig. 2

Hb 140 H Hs 120 Hf 110 Hp

L

Fig. 3 3/10

100

Hb 150

Hs 145 H Hf 120

Hp 110

W

Fig. 4