US2041973A - Incinerator - Google Patents

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Patented May 26, 1936 UNiTED sTArss ATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

My invention relates to incinerators, and certain features thereof are especially suitable for use in connection with incinerators of small sizes for disposal of household garbage.

One object of. my invention is to provide an incinerator of simple form which is durable and economical in operation.

Another object of my invention is to provide an incinerator structure of a form which is safer shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through the incinerator, and Fig. 2 is a View taken on the line II-II of Fig. 1.

The combustion chamber of the incinerator is formed by a casing having an outer shell 4 and inner shell members 5 and 6, the shell member 5 having a centrally-perforated bottom wall therein. Heat-insulating material 'I of a refractory character is interposed between the inner and outer shells. A top member 8 is supported upon the outer shell 4 and suitably secured thereto by screws or bolts. The inner shell members 5 and 6 are supported from the top casting 8 by annularly spaced tie rods 9.

The top 3 is provided with a nue I0 through which the gases of combustion can escape. A flanged lid I I is removably supported on the top member 8 and when removed, will give access to 40 the interior of the incinerator for the purpose of charging the same or removing material therefrom. The outer upper edge of the top member 8 is tapered or bevelled and the flange of the lid II is ilared in order to effect a gas-tight seal therebetween.

The top member 8 is provided with a ange or lugs I2 for supporting a basket i3. The basket I3 includes a top ring I4 and a grate-like bottom. I5 that is connected toy the member I4 by means of bars or tie rods I6. Wires or rods I'I which are in effect grate bars, extend through the ring I4 and into holes near the periphery of the grate member I5, these members being here shown as formed of rods or wires bent to inverted U-shape. 55 1t will be understood that they can, of course,

One form which my invention may take is be of other forms, and that they can be of any suitable material such as alloys which will not corrode readily and which will be resistant to incinerating temperatures. The other parts which are subjected to the heat and to contact with the materials being treated, can likewise be made of suitable corrosion and heat-resisting metals.

The grate bars I5 and the bars I1 are preferably spaced so closely together that most of the ashes will be retained in the basket, and hence can be readily disposed of when the basket is lifted from the casing.

A dripping pan or liquid receptacle is removably supported in the bottom portion of the casing, and contains a central opening through which a gas burner 2l may extend, and through which secondary air for the combustion of the gas can enter. The gas burner 2l is removably supported upon a bracket member 22 connected to the bottom of the casing, and upon a hooklike bracket 23. The burner can, therefore, be readily lifted out of and away from the casing for the purpose of more conveniently lighting the same and to yavoid danger to the operator from explosion of any combustible gases that may be present in the incinerator. The burner may be of the Bunsen type, and is provided with openings 2 Ia through which the gas is discharged laterally. The iiow of air through the passageway 24 that surrounds the burner will also assist in preventing over-heating of the burner by the burning material in the pan 20 or in the space above the pan.

A hood or shield 25 is positioned above the burner and supported in spaced relation thereto by the legs 26 that rest upon the bottom of the pan 2li. Flames will be discharged past the edge of the hood 25 in all directions, and be distributed somewhat evenly against the bottom of the basket I3. Also, they will be directed in suicient proximity to the pan 20 to cause burning or vaporization of any liquid or semi-liquid material which iloWs into such pan from the basket I3.

If, for example, there is grease present in the pan 28, the flames will ignite the grease to cause it to burn, or at least cause Vaporization thereof, and ignition of the vapor. Other materials of liquid or semi-liquid nature will be either dried by the burner flame and then burned, or will be evaporated, depending, of course, upon the nature of such materials. The hood 25 will also serve as a shield to prevent ashes falling on the burner from the basket I3.

The tray 20 can be removed readily each time the basket is taken out, or as often as may be required, and since it Will contain no unconsumed Wet or greasy material, it can be readily dumped of its ash content. Any ashes present in the bottom of the shell member 6 can upon removal of the tray 20, be brushed through the opening 24.

In further reference to disposal of grease or oily material, this incinerator is an improvement in the respect that provision has been made against a risk of explosion which is inherent in various other incinerators, as will be explained.

In other designs, ash pits are relatively high as a matter of expediency, the gas flames being commonly situated just under the grate and at a considerable distance above the bottom of the ash pan. Moreover, the. main air supply which comes in over the ash pan, as distinguished from the minor portion drawn in by gas jets, is not immediately heated as it enters the ash pit. Accordingly, if there is grease in the ash pan when the gas burner is lighted, it .will fail to ignite at once-assuming that a moderate gas flame is employed so as not to damage the grate, etc., by overheating,

Normally, as the grease is gradually heated by radiation from above, it will vaporize at an increasing rate but the vapor in the earlier stages will not ignite in the stream of relatively cool incoming air, above-mentioned; nor Will it in these stages form in sufficient quantity to make an explosive mixture with the air, but it will, of course, burn when it rises to the vicinity of the grate Where temperatures are above ignition point. However, if grease in the ash pan in due course becomes sufliciently heated by increasing radiation from above, vapor will then form rapidly enough to make an explosive mixture with the incoming cool air. When it does so, llame will be propagated explosively from the burning gas jets and throughout the mixture. If a relatively large ash pit is lled with such a mixture, the consequences can be somewhat serious.

Of course, in spite of improper design, such accidents will not occur if gas flames are so feeble as not to vaporize the grease in the ash pan but,

in that case, the grease Will not be disposed of.

By my unique arrangement, in which gas llames and all the air are closely intermingled as they enter, and are distributed just over the inner rim of the shallow grease pan, any grease vapor cannot fail to ignite and burn before an appreciable quantity of explosive mixture can possibly form. Also, all the grease in the pan will be consumed Without any necessity for excessive gas flames which would injure the grate and other parts.

I claim as my invention:-

1. An incinerator comprising a casing having a bottom wall provided with an opening, a basket in the casing, an open-sided hood positioned between the basket and said opening, a burner extending through the opening, and a centrally-apertured drip pan surrounding said burner and extending radially from points beneath the hood, into proximity to the vertical walls of the casing, the aperture serving as an air inlet.

2. An incinerator comprising a casing having a bottom Wall provided with a centrally-disposed opening and having a relatively Wide opening through its upper side, a drip pan supported on said bottom Wall and having a central opening axially alined With the rst-named opening, and also provided with an upstanding flange around said central opening, an open-sided hood over said central opening and supported on said pan, a burner extending through the said centrallydisposed opening, and a basket positioned above the hood, the basket, hood, and pan being removable through the opening at the upper side of the casing.

3. An incinerator comprising a casing having a bottom wall provided with a central opening, a basket in the casing, an open-sided hood positioned between the basket and the said opening, a burner located beneath the hood and adjacent to the said opening, and a centrally-apertured drip pan surrounding said burner and extending radially from points beneath the hood, into proximity to the Vertical Walls of the casing, the aperture serving as an air inlet.

LAURENCE T. SHERWOOD.

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