US1573437A - Method of and apparatus for the moving of piled materials - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 16 Q 1926.

R. BALMER METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR THE MOVING 0F PILED MATERIALS 5 Sheets-sheet 1 Original Filed Sept. 22, 1919 l awuentoz E H Chroma Feb. 16 Q1926. 1,573,437

' R. BALMER METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR THE MOVING OF FILED MATERIALS Original Filed p 1919 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 2351M? (lbtomw (be/k fi M1 15 Feb. 16 1926.

R. BALMER METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR THE MOVING OF FILED MATERIALS Original File S pt- 1919 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Feb. 16 1926.

R. BALMER METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR THE MOVING 0F PIIJED MATERIALS original Filed Sept. 22, 1919 5. Sheets-Sheet 4 mm? A.

Feb. 16 1926.

R. BALMER METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR THE MOVING OF FILED MATERIALS Original Filed p 1919 5 Sheets-Sheet Patented Feb. 16, 1925.

i. (STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT BAIIMER, OF TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA.

,METHOD OF ANDAPPAEATUS, FOR THE IIIOVING 0F PILED MATERIALS.

Original application filed. September 22,.1919,.Ser1'a1-N0. 325,431, new Eatent No. 1,442,116, dated January 16,.1923. Divided andthis application filed Augnst'lZ, 1922. Serial No. 581,320.

foal Z whom-- it may concern:

Be it. knownthat 1, ROBERT Biimrnn, a subject of the. King of "the UnitedKmgdonr off-Which application this. is a division.

This invention, has for its general objects the provision .of means capable of receiving, storing and handling; piled materials by moving the. edge elements at the base of the pile, and :particularlythe use of methods of handling pi'led'materials whereby, the frictional.contactbetweenthe base elements at the: margin of the pile. and the supporting floor is broken, the. equilibrium of the slope higher up the slope are. dislodged and caused tov roll or slip down the'face of the pile, acquiring by their motionisuchmomentuin'thatthey in; turn. dislodge heavier elementsbelow them on theslope with Which they. contact, and thereby produce an avalanche; effect: Aslightzforce sufiices to break frictional contact at the marginv of thebase of the slope and thereby cause an unbalanced condition of the slope face, whereupon the material dislodged re-estab' lishes equilibrium at the critical angle of slip of'theimaterial, until again. unbalanced 'l hepiled material thus is fed automatically to the desiredepoint, such as the. charging orificerof 'an incinerator inthe case of municipal Wastecomposed in: large part of Wet run which is to be stored and treated prior to charging-into an incinerator. ldore parti'culan objects are the provision of pneumatic refuse-handling means as part of a semiautomatic. refuse destructor capable of being; economically constructed and 0per'ated. -Other specific-objects of my inven tion are-theprovision of storagecapacity for refuse prior to its combustion in crowded localities and the treatment of it there in sanitary manner. Further objects will appear as they are hereinafter developed.

In the attainment of the above recited objccts and others, as subsequently set forth, my invention more particularly consists 1n the provision of apparatus adapted to the destruction of mixed Waste, by the methods set forth and described in my co-pending application above identified, comprising the several steps, first, of classifying the waste with respect to combustibility; second, separately storing and treating the Waste as thus classified; third, building up a fire by successive additions of Waste through the range of classification from those mostread ily combustible to those of least combustible character; and fourth, increasing the efficiency in combustion by utilizing high temperatures maintained substantially constant throughout.

The above recited methods comprehend the inventions of my copending application referred to. The particular methods forming the subject-matter of this application relateto the prelin'linary treatment steps of the said methods and consist essentially in the steps of piling the Waste by dumping into bins and then breakingthe contact between the bottom of the pile and the floor of the bin, thus moving the pile in a bin toward the front thereof by progressively displacing successive elements of the pile from the bottom edge of the base of. the pile outwardly and toward the front, so as tocreate an avalanche of the material down the face of the pile, preferably by series of blasts of air from beneath the base and along its front, and then supplementing this series by; a plurality of series of blasts successively ejected in the same direction at points more remote from the edge as the initial series becomes ell'ective. The air thus ejected also permeates the margin of the pile, preventingthe formation of-gas pockets therein and breaking up, those, formed or in formation, and to a considerable extentserves to aerate the Whole mass of garbage, and to promote fermentation of the garbage and the formation of volatile products due thereto.

lVhile this method of moving piled maand'a series of five combustion units adapted Y which terial is here described in its useful application to munlcipal waste, it is realized that 1t is susceptible of wide application in the movement of stored materials adapted to avalanche when the equilibrium of the pile is disturbed so as to permit the materials to acquire momentum by gravitational changes, and 'I desire my invention to beunderstood as comprehending such utilities,

as the claims to be read as of scope inclusive thereof.

The apparatus preferably utilized in p-raoticingmy invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals are employed to designate similar parts throughout the severalfigures, and in Figure 1 is a horizontal cross-section upon the lines II ofFigure 2, showing in plan a refuse destructor composed of four bins upon up on upon upon

the line VI1V11 of Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a vertical cross-section upon the line VIIIVHIof Figure 1. i

In these figures the numeral 1 indicates a'floor or platform termed a tipping floor for the discharge of the refuse carts or vans 52. 2, 2 are openings in the tipping floor fitted with suitable covers 1, 4e. 3, 3 are rails or guides provided to preserve the alignment of the carts orvans with the openings 2. The covers 1 are'provided with swinging props 5 adapted to hold the covers in raised position when open. 6, 6 are the refuse storage bins and 6 the division walls or partitions between these bins. 7, 7 are the discharge openings from the storage bins provided with sliding doors 8, 8 for closing these openings, the sliding doors being protected by dependent walls or baflles 9, 9 from the pressure of the stored refuse. These doors 8 are each provided with a chain and hand ring 10 to raise and lower them, the chain running over the guide pulleys 11. 12, 12, as shown in Fig. 4, are hot air chambers beneath the storage bins, and 13 (Fig. 3) is a valve in an inlet pipe, not numbered, for the admission of cool air to the hot air chamber 12. 14: is a lever adapted to control the inlet air through the pipe and valve 13. 15, 15 are air exhaust pipes or fiues leading from each bin, a nd connecting with a pipe or flue active combustion.

'16 and in turn, connected with pipe 17 lead- 'inlet from the fan 18 communicating with the pipe or flue 23 to the pipe or flue 241. 24 is a connecting pipe or flue serving the inlet airpipes 25 to the individual ash-pits of the combustion units 26 which are preferably adapted to roll upon tracks 71: The com bustion unit 26 comprises a fire grate .28, an

ashpit proper26 having ash-pit discharge door 26 and an air inlet 26 regulated by a valve 27 controlling the air supply to the individual asn-pit. The fire grate 28 preferably has sloping dead plates 29 surrounding the. perforated bed of the fire'grate. v

Preferably, battery comprises a series of five units 26, as shown, adapted to move as a train in the continuous furnace chamber 30. This furnace chamber is common to all the units whose fire grates are engaged in In the structure shown, the train of these lire-grates so engaged comprises four units, the fifth unit being a. p loyed in the discharge of its contents and whileso employed being outside; of the furnace chamber 30 and located in the finishing chamber 30 whither theconsecutive units 26 are withdrawn from the furnace chamber and left-to complete the combustion of their contents and to cool off their clinker before exit to the open air. i

31, 31 are the outlet flues from the furnace chamber 30 to the combustion chamber 32. This combustion chamber has the crown 33 and extends beneath the three bins whose contents are of the less combustible charac ter, the crown being of decreasing thickness to afford greater heat to the bins whose contents have the higher moisture content, the crown'being thinnest -beneath that bin containing the wettest fuel, usually garbage. 34: is the outlet flue from the combustion chamber 32 to the main'smoke flue 35; the main smoke flue 35 is of such length as will afford opportunity for the settling out of the flue dust. It leads to the boiler 36 whichv is preferablylocates vertically above the bins in order to economize space where land values, as in cit y limits or where population is dense, make compactness desirable. The boiler is provided with the outlet 37 leading to the chimney 38. The boiler 36 aflords means for the generation of steam to be utilized in the power plant, not shown, for suitable application to such needs for power conlit sumption' as the driving 'ofthe suction blovvgine hereinafter described.

The air pipe or flue connects with the er l8 and the operation of the hydraulic en- )l is 39 leadin tlllOllflll or over the crovrn of the combustion chamber and has an outlet into the combustion chamber near the'points of entrance to said chamber of 1 the lines 31 which lead from the furnace chamber' iiO. 4.0 isa regulating valve and manual control therefor limiting the amount of air to be supplied through the pipe 33. ll is a compressed air main having the branches 22, lead into the storage bins (5. The pipes 42, of which four are shown for each bin, are of unequal length upontheir horizoiitai'runs, the longest extend ng to the pipe extending the Width of the bin.

back Q1 the bin.' Each pipe terminates in i steps SS, constituting a terraced incline forniingthe bottom of the bins is a lever controlling the valve for regulating the trance of compressed air from the main pipe ll' to the horizontal branch pipes i2, cross-- head pipes 43, and the nozzles for the purposes hereinafter described.

.26 are the feedng hoppers to the furnace chamber 30. These hoppers have dumping "bottoms 4t? shown operativeiy in 5, and

comprising t-he horisontal sliding cover having'a ratchet frame by which the hopper bottoms are opened and closed through the medium of the cog whee 49 and shaft and chain and hand-Wheel and cog gear 51, as

of vitrified material.

As shown in Figure 2, spy holes 5st are chaing ear 5).

shown in Fig. 2. Upon rotation of the cog Wheel 4:9 the slicing cover as is Withdrawn,

' permitting the bottom l7 to drop and the contents of the hopper to feed to the fur nace. The sliding covers are preferably provided for inspection of the fire and to permit the trimming of fuel t iereon.

As shown in. Figure 7,55 is a furnace entrance door provided with a pulley and 57 is a shuttle truck for carrying the emptyfire {grate and asn-pit unit into the furnace 30. This track runs upon the rails 61 at the entrance end of the furnace.

5;, is the furnace exit door provided with pulley and chain gear operating same, 59. 60 isthe shuttle truck for removing the clinker laden fire grate and its ash pit from the finishing chamber 30. 62' is the track for the shuttle truck at the exit end 01" the furnace. 63 is a hoisting gear for lifting the lire grate and ash pit combination when the clinker and ash are to be discharged from the same. This hoisting gear is operated "from the overhead trolley (i l. The clinker and ash are discharged from the lire grate and ash pit upon the belt conveyor 65. it the tract: connecting the outgoing and incoming tracks and upon which the combined grate and ash pit is adapted to run. 68 a tool for hauling the fire grate from the furnace 30 to the finishing chamber 30, in which finishing; chamber lo cated a coil oi water tubes (ll) allording Water circulation for taking up the waste heat from the hot clinker. The fire grate units are moved as a train through the fun nace 30 by means of the hydraulic engine 70 which is adapted to push the tire grates from the ontrz'uice end of the furnace to the exit end as a train of grates preferably adapted to roll upon a truck as stated, but which may be moved tl'ieiethrough by any s ole mecha sm manually operated or bv ill). I prctcr, however, the track 71 as: shown and the hydraulic engine 70.

The individual ash pics 26 are served by the a' pipes 23 through the medium Oi a connecting sleeve 72 cooperating with the of each ash pit, as shown in air inlet 20 detail in Figure 3, in which 72 is an arm between the sleere 72 and the extended shaft or a butterfly check valve 7T operated through the medium of rocking shaft Til having a slotted arm 7 The rocking shaft 78 is connected by the arm 76, with the arm 83 at the end of the rocking rod 78 having a fixed arm 79 carrying a snubbi g' rod 8!). The rocking shaft 723 is connected to the hydraulic engine '1' 0 through the connecting roc '76 and the slotted guides 75. The spring 81 is attached to lixed point 82 and to the arm 83 at rod 78. This spring when free to act by release of the rod closes the butterfly check valve 7'? vhcn the engine operative to move the lire gr tes progresf 'ely forward, thus shutting oil the supply of forced drat to the fire boxes automatically, the valves being opened. again by the engagement 0? the the boxes with the snubbingr rod 5:30 upon the movement of the sleeves 72, to connected position between the air supply pipes and the air inlets.

The method of operation of the apparatus above particularly described is substantially as follows:

In the collection of municipal refuse and Waste, certain districts al -ford characteristic classes of materials, one district preponderating in ashes, another in garbage, and another in Waste materials of inflan'unablc character. llo attempt is made under the method of collection with which my invention is preferably employed, for selectable collection, but this fact of distinctive charthe end of the rocking acter of municipal waste according to the districts where it is gathered, is taken advantage of at the arrival of the vans or carts at the destructor, where the carts are dumped into bins selected in accordance with the usual and known character of the load. The generalcharacter of the refuse vof a given district determines the necessary number of bins, but average conditions encountered are most efficiently handled by the provision of four bins admitting the classification of waste into four grades. The most readily combustible waste is deposited in the first bin, which thus contains readily combustible material of high fuel value, such as paper, wood and the like. Waste of greater orless fuel value and of heterogeneous character is disposed of in the second bin. The materials of less combustibility and considerable moisture content are disposed, of in the third bin, and refuse pre-. dominantly consisting of garbage is dumped gravity when the cover is removed past the vertical, thus acting as a support for the cover and inclining 1t toward the opening,

in which position it affords a chute for the discharged waste. The refuse when deposited in the bins, even when the latter are partially filled, passes largely by gravity toward the discharge openings through which it is drawn into the feeding hoppers as required. These bins are fixed storage chambers having a frontage corresponding with that of the, furnaces but relatively of great depth from front to back. This enables the height of the storage, chamber to be kept within desired limits. W hen the refuse lies too far back from any opening to fall by gravity to or near such opening, the workmen by operating one of the lever control valves can in; troduce from the compressed air main,

through one of the branch compressed air pipes connecting with the nearest cross-head pipe, a blast of compressed air through the nearest flat horizontal mouth pieces or noazles set in and extending across the floor of the refuse storage bin. The floor of the bin, as shown, is constructed with a downward slope toward the discharge opening, with a series of inclined treads, whereby the removal or loosening of frictional contact with the floor by the insertion of the air blast below the refuse and parallel with the floor is practicable, and this/united with the im pulse given by the blast itself starts a forward sliding movement of the refuse which angle of slip of the material. It will be found that the efiect of the air blast from the nozzles nearest the removal opening is limited to the outermost layer or column of refuse whichis inclined roughly at an angle of dfi toward the rear of the bin and whose depth or thickness varies with the weight and texture of the refuse and the depth from front to back of each inclinedjsectionof the floor affected bythe blast. By operating in succession the first or nearest set of nozzles, and then the second, and then the first two and the third, and so on,-the whole of the refuse is progressively brought forward to the discharge opening with a combined sliding and rolling movement of the massalong its exposed surfaces. During the actualoperation of the compressed air blasts from the nozzles, the sliding door of the discharge opening in preferably kept closed, the movement of the doors being free from interference by contact with the mass of stored refs use due to the baffle plates. 7

As above pointed out, an essential and important part of the work of a destructor is the regulation of the service of cart and van discharge. For reasons heretofore pointed out, it is desirable to deposit the more easily combustible refuse in the bin located above he entrance end of the furnace chamber and the least combustible refuse in the bin near est the opposite end of the furnace. It is desirable to follow the same rule of distributing the more combustible refuse with respect to each individual bin where provision is made for a double line of discharge openings, that is to say, one set of openings in the fore part and another in the rear of the storage chambers.

Assuming that the distribution of the refuse from the carts to the storage bins has been effectedaccordingly, the waste will then be substantially graded according to its combustibility as to individual bins as well as to the battery of bins. f

In order to raise the temperature an otherwise improve the combustibility of the refusewhile in the storage bins, the bottoms of these are heated from a hot air chamber which derives its heat principally, by radiation from the crown of the combustion chamber. Inasmuch as the moist refuse is preferably stored in proportion to its moisture content as faras possible in the bins farthest removed from the entrance of the furnace chamber, a progressively thinner crown is provided over the combustion chamber, illustrated in the drawings, the crown beingshallower as the distance from the entranceof-the furnace chamber is increased. here-so large a moisture contente-xists as in garbage and ordinary city refuse, the applie -tion of heat to that 1naterial while in storage makes it give up in vapor a portion of that moisture, thus improving its fitness for combustion in the furnace. At the same time the inflainn'iable character of the other classes of refuse is increased by the application of heat. Also holand ether are rapidly formed, absorbing in their formation a considerable quantity of moisture and increasing by this double action the coinbustibility of the refuse. At the same time many hydrocarbons are volatilized by the heat and pass off along with the water vapor. and alcohols and others with the'fan exhaust, as above described. The oxidation of metals in the warm, moist atmosphere of a storage bin is rapid, re-

leasing appreciable quantities of hydrogen by decomposition of the water, thus adding to the gaseous combustible elements blendbined with the hydrogen, free and nascent oxygen and other gases and vapors, so

great that care is needed in the application of heat and its graduation accordingtothe necessities of each case. Hence the provision of a graduated heat supply to the hot air chamber fa-nd'means of cooling of'the chainber'inanemergency bythe inlet pipe and ,valve above described, which greater safety may, if desired, be autofor inatically controlled by any usual ther1no static apparatus. It will be noted that the ing up and aerating the same, thus further improving the conditions for combustion.

In the initial operation of thedestructor,

the first fire grate unit is charged from the storage hopper above the first bin where inflammable fuel .is afforded. The work of charging is performed by the workman dis;- chargingthe storage bin, whose duty it is to keep the feeding hopper full of refuse.

jfheeniptying-of the feeding hopper, how

ever, is the duty of the firemen on the floor below. By means of a hand wheel 51 connecting by chain and cog wheel 50 and cog wheel 4-9 with the ratchet frame and horizontal sliding cover 48, the fireman opens the crown of the furnace and at the same time the bottom of the feeding hopper -56 falls and the charge of refuse is dropped by gravity into the furnace. By reverse motion of the hand wheel, the sliding cover lifts the bottom and closes simultaneously the opening of the furnace and the bottom of the feeding hopper. The material best suite-d for initiating combustion having thus been deposited, the fire is kindled upon the lire grate unit. Each unit combines in itself the fire grate and ash pit suitably mounted with wheels on a track running from end to end of the furnacechamber. The course of each grate in its passage through thefurnuce chamber is from the entrance door to the exit door. After initial firing with the fuel from the first bin, the grate is moved to its position under the next following feed hopper. When so moved, the fire grate already has a fire'nucleus with which to burn less combustible refuse and thus to form a thicker bed of hot clinkers with which to deal with the more refractory refuse supplied from the remaining storage bins of the battery. \Vhen the last charge of refuse upon this lire grate unit has been consumed, its particular run is finished and the unit removed to the finishing chamber where. after having its position adjusted through the opening and by a suitable tool,

the mass of hot clinker on the fire grate is cooled by a further application of the air blast from air pipe 25 and air inlet 26, and the waste heat given off from the clinker is absorliied by the nest of water tubes set below the crown of the finishing chamber. Each i'ire grate and ash pit undergo the same series of operations as every other unit. These units together constitute a train which moves as an entirety. At the entrance end of the furnace chamber each unit rests on a shuttle truck and in the finishing chamber extending beyond the opposite end of the furnace chamber another shuttle truck provided to receive each unit in turn.

The movement of the fire grate and ash pitunits through the furnace chamber is intermittent but constitutes a continuous operation. The units are moved through the furnace preferably by a hydraulic engine, each thrust of which is for the full length of one unit. thus carrying the whole series of four units over the same distance. On the withd'awal stroke of the engine, space is left accordingly for the introduction of one empty unit at the entrance end of the furnace chamber. This empty unit afforded by the return unit which has been emptied of its clinker and returned to track and run to track 61 where it is received by the shuttle truck and conveyed through the furnace entrance door. On

7 chamber.

passing through this entrance door, the unit again stands within the furnace chamber under the first feed hopper and is ready to repeat the cycle of Operations already clescribed, beginning with firing with the most combustible class of refuse, and progressing through the successive charges, each of more refractory material.

As it is desirable tobreak connection with the air blast and the ash pit of each unit at each change of position of the unit, suitable arrangements for that purpose are provided, one of which is illustrated in the drawings as the preferred form, as already described. The varying nature of the refuse successively charged into each combustion unit and the increasing depth of the fire bed continuously formed, render separate treatment of the units desirableas to the amount and pressure of air to be supplied thereto. In order to secure operative conditions independently controllable, the aslrpits are preferably formed separately and integral with each separate grate, as has been pointed out. The same result may be less efficiently secured, however, by fixed ash pits below the moving fire grates [with partition walls brought up into such close proximity to the fire grate frames as to minimize th'eloss of air between the crevices.

For the correct regulatlon of the pressure "and amount of ,air supply to theash pit of each unit, the valves 27 are provided for manipulation bythe fireman'at each of the points of stoppage of the nuts in their passage through thefurnace chamber and in the finishing chamber. 1

The air supply for combustion in the furnace chamber comes under pressure from the pressure outlet-of the fan. A further supply of air under pressure is delivered by the fan through the special flues which pass through or over the crown of the combustion chamber into the latter. By its passage over the combustion chamber, the air in this supplementary supply becomes highly superheated and serves to assure the complete combustion of gases issuing from thefurnace chamber into the combustion lVhilethe fan thus delivers the air supply to the ash pits and for supplementary combustion in the combustion chamber, it draws its own supply through pipes or flues which connect with pipes or titles opening in the upper part of the storage bm and therebyexhausting the air and such mo1sturecontaining fumes and gases.

therefrom as arise from the refuse.

By theprovision of the auxiliary hot air chamber 19, and the setting in the brick work or masonry of the air pipes or lines,

. protection is afforded against heat losses.

By maintaining the temperature of the air fumes, vapors and gases exhausted from the vzones as every other fire grate and each of the firing operations takes place at one and the same point for all the units of the group. This arrangement permits such a distribution of the refuse in storage as will enable the furnace to work most efficiently in combustion and also as to labor cost and conservation of heat, the final result being shown in higher temperatures, larger output and lower operative cost.

The structural advantage obtained in this arrangement of fire grate service is that only two doors are required for each battery of furnaces, namely, one for the entrance and the other for the exit of the grates. The whole face of the furnace is thus completely free of doors for either furnace or ash pit service. There are only a few small openings through which tools may be entered for the dressing of the material' upon any one of the fire grates. This construction tendsnot only to strengthen the whole furnace structure'but also to reduce the heatlosses by radiation. Sim ilarly, the discharge of the ash and clinker at one end of the furnace'instead, of from separate furnace" doors tends to reduce and simplify the transport service of the clinker and ash, while not interfering withthe work of attending to the other fire grates of the same battery.

In the destructor described, no air currents or gaseous products of combustion or of fermentation leave any part of the destructor in a free volume at any time save through, the stack orchimney. The arand vapors drawn off continuously. The

air passages alongwhich the volatilized hydrocarbons are conveyed from the bins to thefurnace are maintained at a temperature higher than that of the bins themselves. By this arrangement, condensation in the 'a chamber which is itself heated by the due leading from the combustion chamber, but the same results may be Otlll'WlSQ accomplished as by the direct 1n ection of superheated air by which vo-latilization of the hydrocarbons is maintained and their' condensation prevented.

By the closed circulation system described, the practical difiiculties previously encountered through premature condensation in the pipes or flues are overcome and the loss of valuable combustibles is prevented as well as the extra work in cleaning the pipes and fines, compulsory stoppage of the furnace fans or ventilators and consequent depreciation in efficiency of the plant as a whole.

By the apparatus above set forth and described, a markedly increased efficiency is secured in rate of combustion, temperatures obtained, the economy of labor and cost of management. The sanitary conditions of the destructor, both for the work- 'men engaged in its operation and for the community where it is installed, are resultant features of advantage that permit the operation of a destructor in the midst of a densely populated district without detriment or inconvenience to the inhabitants. This possibility affords great economic advantages since the community producing the refuse may destroy it Within its own immediate area, thus avoiding transportation of refuse for long distances with the increasingly unpleasant odors inevitable from the rapid fermentation and decomposition of garbage.

Having thus described my invention and the preferred embodiment thereof, but not desiring to be understood as limiting its scope otherwise than as particularly defined in the appended claims, I claim:

1. In the handling of piled materials, the

method of moving such materials consisting in pneumatically expelling a portion of the material at the edge of the base of the slopeface of the pile outwardly and away from said base and creating an avalanche of material down the slope-face of the pile.

, 2. In the handling of piled materials, the method of moving such materials consisting in expelling a portion of the material from the base of the pile, and moving portions of the pile lying successively higher up and further back from the slope thereof.

3. In the handling of piled materials, the

method of moving such materials consisting in pnemnatically expelling a portion of the material at the base of the slope-face of the pile and augmenting the tendency of the material upon such face to slide by pneumatically moving outwardly successive portions of the pile lyin at higher levels.

at. In a storage bin for storing and moving refuse piled therein, a discharge opening at the front of the bin, a floor comprising a horizontal part adjacent the discharge open ing and a stepped part extending therefrom toward the back of the bin, the treads of the stepped pa t successively ovcrhai'lging at the side toward the discharge opening, the plane of the treads being inclined slightly downward toward the horizontal part of the floor.

In a storage bin for storing and moving refuse piled therein, a discharge opening at the front f the bin, a floor comprising a horizontal part adjacent the discharge opening and a stepped part extending therefrom toward the baclr of the bin, the treads of the stepped part successively overhanging at the side toward the discharge opening, the plane of the treads being inclined slightly downward toward the horizontal part of the floor, and means adapted to move the material lying upon the treads, said means being housed beneath the overhang of the treads.

(i. In a storage bin for storing and moving refuse piled therein, a discharge opening at the front of the bin, a floor comprising a horizontal part adjacent the discharge opening and a stepped part extending therefrom toward the back of the bin, the treads of the stepped part successively overhanging at the side toward the discharge opening, the plane of the treads being inclined slightly downward toward the horizontal part of the floor, and means adapted to move the material lying upon the treads, said means being housed beneath the overhang of the treads and consisting of a series of vents for supplying air under pressure.

7. In a storage bin for storing and moving refuse piled therein, a discharge opening at the front of the bin, a floor comprising a horizontal part adjacent the discharge opening and a stepped part extending therefrom toward the baelr of the bin, the treads of the stepping part successively overhanging at the side toward the discharge opening, the plane of the treads being inclined slightly downward toward the horizontal part of the floor, and means adapted to move the material lying upon the treads, said means being housed beneath the overhang of the treads and consisting of a series of vents for supplying air under pressure, pipes to said vents, and means for controlling the air supplied as to volume.

8. A storage bin for refuse comprising a top having a charging door therein, a front wall having discharging door therein, and

a floor composed of a plurality of sections located at different levels, the highest section being adjacent the back of the bin and the lowest adjacent the front, the sections successively overlapping to form stepped incline; an air-compressor and a plurality of pipes leading therefrom and extending below the floor level, said pipes ea h terninating in a plur lity of nozzles adapted to discharge the air urrents supplied therefrom toward the front of the bin, the new 'eral nozzles of each successive pipe being located in a line beneath the overlap oil floor section.

9. A storage bin for refuse compris a top having a charging door therein, a front wall having a discharging door therein and a floor composed of a plurality sections located at different levels, the highest tion being adjacent the back of the bin and the lowest adjacent the front, the successively overlapping to form a s incline; an air-compressor and a plurality of pipes leading therefrom and extending below the floor level, said pipes each terninating in a plurality of nozzles to discharge the air currents supplied the efrom toward the front of the bin, the several nozzles of each successive pipe being located in a-line beneath the overlap of a floor section, and a suction fan communicating with said bin at a plurality of intakes located in the rear wall of the bin.

10, A storage bin for refuse comprising a top'having a chargin door therein, a front from toward the front of the bin, the so"- eral nozzles of each successive pipe being located in a line beneath the overlap of a iioor section, and a suction fan communicating 11. A bin for refuse comprising a top having charging door therein, a front wall having a discharging door thereir and a floor composed of a plui. r mar- 1 at m) f iair or sections located M unicien levl the highestsection being ad ai 5 out the back of the bin and the lowest adjacent the front, the sections successively overlapping to form a stepped incline; an air-compressor and a plurality of pipes leading therefroinand extending below the floor le el, said 'pes each terminating in a pluraliy of nozzles adapted to discharge the air currents supplied therefrom toward the front of the bin, the several nozzles of each successive pipe being located in a line beneath the overlap of a floor section, and a valve-control exterior to said bin for regulating the compressed air supply in any pipe.

. A storage bin for refuse comprising a top having a charging door therein, a front wall having a dccharging door therein and r composed of plurality of sections located at V 'eient levels, the highest secbeing adjacent the back of the bin and the lowest adjacent the front, the sections successively ovcrlappingto form a stepped incline; an air-compressor and a plurality of pipes leading therefrom and extending below the floorlevel, said pipes each tern'iinating in aplurality of nozzles adapted to discharge the air currents supplied therefrom toward the front of the bin, the several nozzles of each successive pipe being located in a line beneath the overlap of a floor section, and a suction fan con'nnuni 'ating with said bin.

RQBERT BALlifElt

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