US2690720A - Dehydrating incinerator - Google Patents

Description

Get 5, 1954 D. H. HENDERSON 2,690,720

DEHYDRATING INCINERATOR Filed April 24, 1950 INVENTOR. 0515597 H. HENDERSON,

BY I2A Fl 3 Mad" j w Patented Oct. 5, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims. (Cl. 11018) My invention relates to new and useful improvements in incinerators and in natural or artificial gas fired burners for use in incinerators, referring in particular to chimney fed incinerators.

It is a well known fact to those at all familar with incinerators as constructed and used in dwelling houses, apartment buildings, hospitals, store buildings, etc. that the customary practice is to maintain a gas-burning attachment to assist in consuming the various materials to be incinerated.

In general, such burners have proved to be a nuisance because of the damage done to the grates and other parts of the incinerators, also because of the great risk of a back-up of fumes or raw gas, creating a risk of asphyxiation or possibly an explosion.

In case such burners are installed below the grates the heat will cause the grates to warp and break and in case such grates become clogged or obstructed with ashes or garbage, and if a bypass is not provided between the ash pit and chimney, the fumes from the burner cannot go through the rubbish or obstruction on the grates with the result that they will escape out into the room where the incinerator is located.

In the event the gas flame is extinguished because of lack of oxygen in the ash pit, the raw gas will continue to flow and back up, thus creating a serious explosion or other hazard.

In the event the burner is installed above the grates, it will sometimes become completely surrounded by waste products, which are too damp,

or Wet to burn thus extinguishing the flame and creating the same hazards as stated previously. Again such burner is sometimes pointed downward to prevent the end of same from becoming plugged, with the result that the grates are damaged due to the internal heat. In most cases such burners are not provided with an air mixer adjustment, and if they are provided with such an adjustment it is always outside the incinerator, hence when such burner becomes covered the raw gas comes out through the mixer into the room. In other cases the burner is located too far above the grates so that it is too far from the mass to be burned.

In chimney fed incinerators, sometimes the chimney (or feed fiue) becomes completely obstructed with burnables that would not go down, thus creating a very serious hazard in case the conventional gas burner is lit. As a matter of fact, most owners are actually afraid to use the gas burner and in some municipalities their use is prohibited altogether. Furthermore failure to use the gas burner always results in imperfect combustion, which means that instead of removing a small volume of clean ashes there is always a large quantity of ashes and partly burned garbageto be removed, which invariably has a bad odor thus creating a health problem.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a combination of features which, when installed in an incinerator and a chimney, will make such incinerator much more serviceable and such features are:

1. A gas burner or dehydrater, using natural, artificial or bottled gas.

2. A housing for the burner that not only dries out wet garbage but ventilates both the ash pit and combustion chamber to the chimney.

Another object of the invention is to provide a housing with a plurality of openings through its walls so that the flames from the burner come in direct contact with the burnables placed inside the housing and also provide for a constant ventilation through the grates up to the top of the incinerator combustion chamber through such housing.

A further object of the invention is to make it possible to maintain a continuous fire inside the housing which is always vented to avoid the fire becoming extinguished because of "smothering even when the flame is turned very low.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a housing as described that will always be hot and have such heat transferred to any Wet masses, which will have a drying tendency so that in time the wet mass will be sufiiciently dry so that it will burn.

A further object of the invention is to make it unnecessary to provide a by-pass between the ash-pit and chimney when the incinerator is built.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combination by-pass and burner that will never cause the grates to become warped, or burned out.

-Another object of my improved incinerator is to burn the refuse as it accumulates or around the clock. This avoids dense smoke and clouds of fly ash from the top of the chimney which ordinarily occurs when a twenty-four hour accumulation of garbage is burned in a short length of time once a day. This also prolongs the life of the installation by the provision of a constant low fire in the combustion chamber instead of a destructive blast furnace blaze once a day.

- My invention converts a conventional incinerator into a de-hydrator which slowly dries out and consumes the garbage.

The foregoing stated objects and others attainable by the use of the invention will be readily discernable from a reading of the description and a reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of a portion of a chimney with the perforated feed-flue installed therein.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a spark guard.

Fig. 3 is a view in elevation showing portions of a chimney and feed flue in cross-section of an incinerator and a burner installed within the. in-

cinerator.

Fig. 4 is across-sectional view in elevation of a burner and housing.

Describing the parts as shown in the drawings: I refers to an incinerator chimney with the lining 9, 2 is a feed flue with aplurality of apertures 3; 4 and 4A are spark arresters over thetop-of the chimney and feed flue; 5 is an auxiliary spark guard positioned over the chimney spaceat the base of such chimney, 6 is a gas or fuel supply pipe with control valve ll. 1 is a burner-in a ball form, having slots provided in its surface as outlets for the burning gas or fuel and a-mixer I6 which is provided with threads for securing same within the housing 15, such housing being provided with a plurality of apertures through which the heat from the burner escapes to hasten the drying out of any damp or wet garbageor refuse in contact with or around-such housing. The horizontal portion of such housing isprovided with one or more upstanding portions'=lA provided with apertures near the top, providing auxiliary or additional heating means for drying out and burning the said garbage or refuse, I4 is a vertical housing of similar construction to IS, with the lower end 14A open. This housing provides ventilation from the ash pit and also provides for access of air to the combustion chamber of the incinerator. This housing l4 maybe positioned adjacent to the housing I5, or at any desired place in the combustion chamber aslong as the open end MA is connected with theash pit l2 and below the grates 13. The ash pit is provided with a door [2A for cleaning. Hoppers for feeding garbage or refuse into the feed flue 2 are indicated by 3, and refers to the chimney masonry. It will be seen that the mixer IS'has a direct connection with the outside air'so as to always provide suflicient oxygen for thegas burner 1 to function efliciently.

From the foregoing description of parts, and their showing in the drawing, the construction operation and advantages in the use of themvention will be-generally understood to be as follows:

A foraminous or sieve-like feed flue 2 with a plurality of perforations 3, shown in cylindrical form, is installed within an incinerator chimney I, such chimney being provided with refractory lining material 9. Such flue extends downward to and connects into the combustion chamber of the incinerator within the chimney base. The top of the chimney I is provided With'a spark arrester and the top of the feed flue, which extends above the arrester 4, is provided with a separate spark arrester 4A. An auxiliary spark arrester 5 is fixed over the lower end of the chimney as shown. The base of the incinerator is provided with the usual ash pit with bars or grates, forming the top, and a door for removing theresidue of the burnedgarbage,.orrubbish.

'all times. tends inwardly from the outside wall into the A fuel supply pipe, with an outside control valve, extends horizontally through an outside wall of the lower portion of the incinerator chimney and into the bottom portion of the combustion chamber. A ball shaped burner, provided with slots, is fixed on the inner end of such supply pipe and such burner is provided with a mixer, positioned on the fuel pipe and in such outside wall so as to have direct connection with the outside air at A horizontal, perforated housing excombustion chamber beyond the said burner and completely incloses the burner and fuel pipe, such housing being adjacent to and directly over the grates of the ash pit and provided with one or more portions projecting upward from the upper side of the housing and opening directly into such horizontal housing. Such upright portions are provided with apertures in their upper portions and function as a means, auxiliary to and with the horizontal housing proper, to dry out the garbage and other refuse fed into the incinerator from the hoppers, in order to prepare same for burning, such burner and housing jointly functioning as a dehydrator. The burner being inclosed within the housing permits of it being burned continually if desired, without any danger of being suffocated or extinguished by the garbage, etc. in the combustion chamber. Also the upright housing M provides for the passage of any draft coming from the ash pit, particularly when the door is opened for cleaning so that the burner is free from any such draft. The perforations in the under surface of the horizontal housing are larger than those in the top surface of the housing so that in the eventany particles from the combustion chambers drop through the upper holes they will be sure to drop out through the bottom holes and not clog the burner.

By the use of the perforated feed flue of the invention the smoke, fumes, etc. from the burning garbage go directly out through such flue and in case there should be an obstruction in such flue the smoke, fumes, etc. will seep out through such perforations into the space between such flue and the chimney walls, such space and corners serving as a by-pass around the obstruction, thus preventing the escape of such smoke and fumes into the basement where the incinerator is located.

The invention is adapted to be built complete in a new structure or may be installed in an incinerator already constructed in the conventional manner.

The designed purpose of the housing with perforations through its wall, and the inclosed burner is to permit the damp, or wet garbage, or refuse emptied into the incinerator, to be slowly dried or de-hydrated, by means of the heat from the burner heating the housing and passing out through the perforations, so that the refuse will burn gradually as it is emptied into such incinerator and not accumulate, or pack into the combustion chamber for burning as is done in the conventional incinerator. Also such burner, positioned as described permits of its being burned with a low flame, sufficient to dispose of the garbage, etc., as it is emptied into the incinerator, yet without any danger of being smothered or extinguished by such garbage, or refuse.

Furthermore, the operation of the incinerator in the manner stated, permits the burning of the contents of the incinerator in such a manner that practically no smoke is emitted from the top of the chimney or feed flue and the fly-ash is practically eliminated, also the absence of any, intense heat prevents the destruction or burning out of any part of the incinerator structure, thus adding years to the lift of such incinerator.

The foregoing stated construction provides for a safety divided vent for chimney fed incinerators which can be operated around the clock, a dehydrater, positive ventilation for the ash pit and combustion chamber at all times, a much increased if not doubled, capacity in the disposal of the garbage, eta, fed into such incinerator and two compartments extending from the ash pit up through the spark arresters at the top of the chimney and feed flue.

I have shown my invention in a desired useful and practical structure. However adaptations in use may require modifications or changes in such structure without departing from the basic fea tures or spirit of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. Incinerator structure comprising walls forming a combustion chamber, a horizontally extending elongated hollow heat conducting housing extending transversely of said combustion chamber, means for supplying heat to said housing, there being perforations through said housing to the bottom thereof to permit particles to fall through the bottom of said housing, said housing having a hollow vertical portion extending upwardly from said first-named housing and communicating with the hollow of said first-named housing, there being aperture means near the top of said vertical portion, a grate below said housing, an ash pit below said grate, a vertically extending chimney flue communicating with said combustion chamber above said first-named housing, said entire first-named housing being perforated, said first-named housing passing through a wall of said combustion chamber, and said heat supplying means including a fuel burner at said wall end only of said first-named housing, said burner positioned so that the products of combustion pass along said housing and out through said perforations.

2. Incinerator structure comprising walls forming a combustion chamber, a horizontally extending elongated hollow heat conducting housing extending transversely of said combustion chamber, there being openings through the bottom of said housing, said housing having a hollow vertical portion extending upwardly from said firstnamed housing and communicating with the hollow of said first-named housing, there being aperture means near the top of said vertical portion, a grate below said housing, an ash pit below said grate, a vertically extending chimney flue communicating with said combustion chamber above said first-named housing, and fuel burner means inside of said housing in portions thereof other than that vertically in line below said hollow vertical portion, whereby a strong updraft from said ash pit may travel through said hollow vertical portion to said chimney flue without extinguishing said burner.

3. Incinerator structure comprising walls forming a combustion chamber, a horizontally extending elongated hollow heat conducting housing extendin transversely of said combustion chamber, means for supplying heat to said housing, there being perforations through said housing in the top and bottom thereof to permit particles to fall by gravity through said housing, said housing having a hollow Vertical portion extending upwardly from said first-named housing and communicatin with the hollow of said firstnanied housing, there bein aperture means near the top of said vertical portion, a grate below said housing, an ash pit below said grate, a vertically extending chimney flue communicating with said combustion chamber above said first-named housing, and a hollow biz-pass tube extending upwardly higher than said hollow vertical portion and communicating downwardly with said ash pit, thereby providin communication independent of said first-named housing between said ash pit and said combustion chamber above said first-named housing.

4. Incinerator structure comprising walls forming a combustion chamber, a horizontally extending elongated hollow heat conducting housing extending transversely of said combustion chamber, there being openings through the bottom of said housin said housing havin a hollow vertical connection extending upwardly from said firstnamed housing and communicating with the hollow of said first-named housing, there being aperture means near the top of said vertical connection, a grate below said housing, an ash pit below said grate, a vertically extending chimney flue communicating with said combustion chamber above said first-named housing, and fuel burner means inside of said housing in portions thereof other than that vertically in line below said hollow vertical connection, whereby a strongupdraft from said ash pit may travel through said hollow vertical connection to said chimney flue without extinguishing said burner.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 178,372 Kidder June 6, 1876 1,155,492 Krenz Oct. 5, 1915 1,246,416 Gibbs NOV. 13, 1917 1,428,782 Jouclard Sept. 12, 1922 1,523,560 Prescott Jan. 20, 1925 1,674,304 Schamberg June 19, 1928 1,772,718 Howle Aug. 12, 1930 1,866,959 Wyse July 12, 1932 1,947,836 Fahlstrom Feb. 20, 1934 2,044,085 Laghetto June 16, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 898,341 France July 3, 1944

Images