US2527188A - Incinerator - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 24, 1950 H. E. c. HUBER INCINERATOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 2, 1947 Oct. 24, 1950 H. E. c. HUBER 2,527,188

INCINERATOR Filed Dec. 2, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 n 10 a ZZ/ms/vrmg Oct. 24, 1950 H. E. c. HUBER INCINERATOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 2, 1947 AWvd Patented Oct. 24, 1950 INCINERATOR Hugo Edwin Carl Huber, London, England, as-

signor to The Nineteen Thirty Investment Trust Limited, London, England, a British company 2 Application December 2, 1947, Serial No. 789,313

In Great Britain January 1, 1947 4 Claims.

This invention relates to incinerators and is concerned with the provision of a self-contained unit for the satisfactory disposal of soiled sanitary towels, septic bandages, soiled dressings and the like hereinafter referred to as bandages.

According to the present invention there is provided an incinerator for soiled bandages, comprising a cumbustion chamber and a flue dis posed above such combustion chamber, wherein a hopper device is arranged to be angularly mov able in a mouth through which soiled bandages are to be introduced into the combustion cham her, said hopper device being so arranged that it can be brought to a position where a soiled bandage can be placed in the hopper whilst the latter closes said mouth, the hopper device being then displaceable to a position where it discharges the bandage into the combustion space and where it also serves to close said mouth.

For a better understanding of the nature of the invention and to show how 'the same may be carried into eiiect reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a front elevation of an incinerator of the invention, the enclosing casing being removed,

Fig-ure 2 is a side view of Figure 1 as seen from the left hand side of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line III-III of Figure 1 as seen in the direction of the arrows,

Figure 4 is a View similar to Figure 2 but show ing a different operative position, and.

Figure is a view similar to Figure 3, showing the same operative position as in Figure 4.

In this example the incinerator essentially comprises a wall plate I to which two principal side plates 2 and 3 are secured. Two electrical resistance heating elements 4 and 5 are fixedly disposed in spaced relation between the side plates 2 and 3, so as to leave a combustion space between these heating elements. An asbestos sheet 'I is held in position loosely by a clip-on strip 8, and serves to prevent escape of heat from the combustion chamber. A curved plate 9 is located above the combustion chamber and is shaped so as to direct articles for incineration, into such chamber.

Plates ill and II are arranged to constitute a flue, which is at its upper end closed by a further plate l2, associated with a chimney l3. As indicated at [4 (Figures 3 and 5), there may be asbestos lagging to prevent the undesired escape of heat from the flue. At its lower end the plate II is bent upwardly to form the upper wall I5 of a mouth, of which the lower wall is formed by the curved plate 9. The mouth is provided with a closure flap l6 pivotally supported at ll.

A reception device for articles to be incinerated is carried upon a pivot l8, and is shaped as a hopper comprising two relatively angularly displaced plates l9 and 20. From a comparison of Figures 3 and 5 it will be seen that the hopper device can occupy a position where the plate 2%) is in continuation of the flue formed over the combustion chamber, or alternatively. the plate :19 can occupy this position. The angular control of the hopper device is obtained through its .pivotal support 18 which carries a cam 19A cooperating with a pin 20A provided upon a bar 2!. A bracket 22 pivotally receives one end of an operating handle 23 which is effectively integral with the bar 2|. The latter possesses a further pin 24 for co-operation with a cam 25 secured upon the pivot ll of the closure fiap 16.

In Figures 2 and 3 the incinerator is seen when the handle 23 is in a normalposition of rest. The cam I9A is then held by aspring 26 in such position that the hopper device is located as shown in Figure 3 i. e. with the plate 23 closing the mouth through which access to the combustion space or chamber. 6 can be had. At the same time the closure flap l6 occupies the position shown in Figure 3 under the action of gravity. If now the operating handle 23 is swung towards the position shown in Figure 4, then first the pin 20A effectively encounters the cam ISA, and, against the action of the spring 26, causes the latter to be turned towards the position shown. in Figure 4. This results in the swinging of. the hopper device towards the position shown in Figure 5, where the plate It closes the mouth and completes the flue over the combustion space. After the swinging movement of the hopper device has commenced, the pin 24 encounters the cam 25 and causes the closure flap I6 to beraised to the position shown in Figures 4 and 5.

When the incinerator is in the operative position shown in Figures 4 and 5, a soiled bandage can be dropped into the hopper device and it will rest upon the plates 9 and Hi. When the handle 23 is returned to the position shown in Figures 2 and 3, the hopper device swings to displace the bandage into the combustion chamber, the plate 20 finally resumingits location where it continues the line, so that fumes from the combustion process will not escape from the entry mouth. It is important to realise that if the handle 23 is operated whilst a bandage is already being incinerated, then the plate 19 of the hopper device will serve to close off the mouth and prevent the undesired escape of fumes.

The swinging movement of the bar 2| is employed to control electrically the operation of the resistance heating elements 4 and 5. These elements have their circuit interrupted and completed through a time-delay mercury switch. The mercury switch comprises a tube 30 having contacts 3| and 32 which can be bridged by the mercury within the tube 30. The tube is supported upon an arm 33 which is pivoted at 34 to the bracket 22. The lower end of the arm 33 has a plunger 35 secured to it, the plunger co-operating with a dash-pot 36. A set-screw 37 is located on a lug 31A provided upon the bar 2| and is adapted to engage the arm 33. When the handle 23 is in the position shown in Figures 2 and 3, the bar 2| lies with the set-screw 3! remote from the arm 33. The mercury within the tube 39 does not bridge the contacts 3| and 32, and therefore the heating elements i and are de-energised. If now the handle 23 is swung towards the operative position shown in Figures 4 and 5, the bar 2| turns until the set-screw 31 contacts the lower depending portion of the arm The plunger 35 is forced into the dash-pot 35, and the arm 33 swings so that the mercury within the tube 39 bridges the contacts 35 and 32 (i. e. the position shown in Figure 4). The heating elements 4 and 5 are now supplied with electric power and an intensive heat develops in the combustion chamber. When the handle 23 is allowed to return to the inoperative position shown in Figures 2 and 3, the plunger 35 gradually moves out of the dash-pot 35, at a pre-determined rate that can be set by adjustment of the dashpot and plunger device. Preferably the dash-pot and plunger device is of the known kind in which the initial outward movement of the plunger is relatively slow whilst the last part of such movement, is rapid. The rapid movement accounts for the critical swinging of the tube 35 to the position where the mercury no longer bridges the contacts 31 and 32. It is of course desirable that the break in the electrical circuit should be rapidly achieved so as to reduce sparking within the mercury switch.

As indicated in Figure 1, there is a lamp holder 38 which is intended to receive a pilot lamp so that when the circuit to the heating elements and 5 is completed, the pilot lamp glows and indicates this condition.

The combustion chamber 3 is lined with several parallel wires one of which may be seen at in Figures 3 and 5. The wires are spaced from one another so that eifectively at their lower sides they form a grate upon which the bandage to be burnt may rest. As seen from below the grate has a convexity in order to permit a scraper plate All to swing therebeneath. The plate 4a is carried by a pair of sector arms 4!, each arm being pivotally secured to a bracket 42. A spring 44 ensures that the scraper plate assembly normally occupies the position shown in Figures 2 and 3, the travel of the assembly being limited by a fixed stop il. One of the sector arms M carries an angle bracket 45 engaged by a pin 5 provided upon the bar 2!. As seen best from Figures 2 and 4, when the handle 23 is brought to the operative position (Figure 4) the pin 45 causes the scraper plate assembly to be displaced from the position seen clearly in Figure 3 to that in Figure 5. The scraper plate 40 ensures thus that the grate of the combustion chamber is periodically scraped clear of ashes. The plate 40 is preferably made wholly perforate so that ashes can pass through the same when they fall through the grate of the combustion space. A tray 50 is provided for the reception of the ashes, this tray being supported by a bar 5| held by wing-nuts 52 to angle-pieces 53, fixed to the brackets 42. Corner-pieces 54 are attached to the ends of the brackets 42 and receive the upper front corners of the tray 50. By slackin off the wing nuts 52, the bar 5! can be withdrawn by grasping a de pending hand grip portion 5 IA.

The finished incinerator has an enclosing casing which is not shown in the drawings. The casing is provided with a door which lifts with the closure flap l6, and there is, of course, a window to permit viewing of the lamp held in the lamp-holder 38. A suitable slot is formed in the casing to permit the handle 23 to project therethrough.

The casing preferably is designed so as to leave an air gap around the enclosed incinerator, thus to afiord a heat insulation for the casing.

I claim:

1. An incinerator comprising a combustion chamber having a stationary grate at its lower end and a flue at its upper end, electric heating means for heating said combustion chamber, a switch for controlling the supply of current to said heating means, a time delay device operatively connected with said switch to assure the I closed switch position for an adjustably predetermined period of time after the switch has been closed, an incinerator charge receiving opening in said flue, a closure member for said opening, said closure member being movable from an open charge receiving position to a closed charge discharging position, a movable ash scraper associated with said grate, a single hand operated control means for simultaneously moving said closure member and said ash scraper, and means connecting said control means with said switch means whereby the movement of said control means to effect a closure of said closure member is also effective to move said switch to a closed position for energizing said heating means.

2. The incinerator as claimed in claim 1 wherein said closure member consists of two pla es etfectively joined along one side and angularly displaced with respect to one another about their line of joinder, said closure member being piv-- otally connected to said flue at the axis of joinder of the plates so that the flue opening is closed by one of said plates when the closure is in the open position to receive a charge between said plates, the movement of said closure to the closed position being effective to discharge the charge into said combustion chamber with the other of said plates in position to close the opening in said flue.

3. The incinerator as claimed in claim 2 where.- in a cover member is pivotall connected to said flue in a manner to overlie said opening and closure member when said closure member is in the closed position, and means operated by said single control means for moving said cover means to expose said opening and closure member when said closure member is moved to the charge receiving open position.

4. The incinerator as claimed in claim 1 where in said ash scraper comprises a scraper plate carried by pivotal arms beneath said grate, said arms being operatively connected with said single control means whereby each movement of said control means causes a pivotal movement of said arms to effect a traversing of the grate by said scraper plate in a, manner'to remove ashes from said grate.

HUGO EDWIN CARL HUBER. REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date McDonald Jan. 27, 1903 Number 6 1 Name Date Brennan Apr. 22, 1919 Epstein Jan. 1, 1929 Heybeck Mar. 26, 1929 Wyse Apr. 15, 1930 Ewing May 28, 1935 McKinley Aug. 6, 1935 Zimmerman Mar. 26, 1940 Rymer Feb. 12, 1946 MacLaren July 16, 1946 Hebert Apr. 4, 1950

Images