US501761A - Treating garbage or like wastes - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

C. J. BEST; W. A. HALL.

TRBATING- GARBAGE on LIKE WASTES;

' Patented July. 18, 1893.

FIG/.1.

Charm Base se 2 sheets-sheet 1.-

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C. J..BE ST 81W.. A1. HALL.. f TREATING GARBAGE 0R LIKE WASTES.

10.60.1361. "Patented-July 18,1893.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES J. BEST AND WALTER HALL, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, AS-

SIGNORS, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE CHEMICAL GARBAGE REDUCTION COIWIPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TREATING GARBAGE OR LIKEIWASTES'.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of -Letters. Patent No. 501,761, dated July 18, 1893. Application med December 21, 1892. 'seria No. 455,977.' (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that we, CHARLES J. BEST and WALTER A. HALL, both citizens of the United States, and residents of Seattle, King county, Washington, have invented certain Improvements in Treating Garbage or Like Wastes, of which the following is a specification.

The object of our invention is to provide for the treatment of garbage or like wastes in such manner as to obtain valuable products therefrom, to prevent the escape of noxious or unpleasant gases or vapors and to .utilize the inflammable portions of the gases orvapors driven off from the garbage for the purpose of heating the latter. These'objects we attain in the manner hereinafter s et forth, referenceV being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l,v is a longitudinal section of garbage treating apparatus constructed in accordance with our invention. Fig; 2, is a perspective View of the retort or furnace structure forming a part of said apparatus; and Fig. 3, is a View of part of the retort or furnace illustrating a feature of constructionV of the same.

In carrying out'our invention the garbage, preferably after being dried, is subjected to heat in a retort to which only a limited supply of air is admitted and by thisV means the volatile or vaporizable constituents of the garbage are driven off, the remaining portions being carbonized and accumulating in' the retort until their removal becomes necessary. The vaporized constituents are passed into a condenser whereby the tar, fats, salts and like constituents are separated from the gaseous portions of the vapor, the `latter being then conducted to the retorts and there ignited so as to serve the purpose of heating said retorts and supplying fuel for the continuance of the operation, fuel independent of that furnished by the garbage itself being necessary only in starting the operation.

A and B represent a pair of retorts cylindrical inthe present instance and communieating through passages a and b with hoppers A and B mounted on the top of the structure containingthe'retorts, each of these hopl of liquid in the condenser. l can also be drained of its water through a discharge' cock fi and the contents of the tar well pers being provided with upper and lower valves d so that when the lower valve is closed and the upper valve opened, garbage may be deposited in the hopper and on closing the upper valve, may be subjected to heat therein so as to dry or partially dry it, the opening of the lower valve then permitting the dropping of the dried or partially dried mass of garbage into the retort beneath.

In the lower portion of each retort is a series of perforated bricks f, and beneath this portion of the retort isa box g and an ash pit g for a purpose described hereinafter.

Each of the retortsis furnished with an escape pipe F provided with a suitable valve, and these pipes F communicate with a pipe F-, the continuity of which is, in the present instance,`interrupted by a pump G so that in starting the operation the vapors may be withdrawn from the retorts by the action of said pump if desired. The discharge end of the pipe F is bent downward and terminates in the lower portion of a condenser H which is partially filled ywith water so that the vapors arising from the heated mass of garbage in the retorts are caused to pass through this body of water, whereby the condensable constituents of such vapors are separated therefrom and remain in the condenser either in the form ot' tars, oils, salt solutions or the like, the -heavierelements settling to the bottom of the condenser andpassing therefrom through a pipe h into the tar well I, while the lighter elements float upon the top of the water in the condenser from which they can be removed if desired through suitable try cocks t', the gage glass serving to indicate the levels The condenser can be removed by means of a pump I. The gaseous or non-condensable elements of the vapors emanating from the heated masses of garbage in the retorts escape from the condenser H through a pipe J which has suitable branches communicating with the boxes g beneath the retorts and the gas can be ignited as it issues from -these branches so as to supply heat for carbonizing and driving off the vapors from the masses of garbage in the retorts; hence lire need be kindled beneath the retorts only in starting the operation, the inliammable gases produced by the heating of the garbage supplying the fuel for maintaining the retorts in the heated condition after the operation is Well under way. The ash pits g receive the ashes from the solid fuel which is used in the tire boxes g in starting the operation.

The retorts are connected by a branch pipe K having a valve K operated by a suitable handle leading to the outside of the casing so that said valve can be turned to open or close communication between the retorts A and B through the passageK and the degree of heat in each retort can thus be regulated or the retorts can be used singly if desired. For instance, there may be dry garbage in one retort and wet garbage in the other, or it may be advisable to convey the vapors or gases from one retort to the other, or in other circumstances it may be advisable to have the action of one retort entirely independent of that of the other, which different methods of operation are provided for by the valved passage.

The perforated bricks f forming the courses in the Abottom of each retort provide a fire brick grate upon which the garbage is supported and through which the gas passes for igniting the garbage, and in the front of each retort is a register plate m with openings for supplying air in limited volume to the retort, it being advisable to effect a slow combustion lor distillation of the garbage so that the solid f the heated masses of garbage in the retorts.

termine the inflammability of the `gases which are driven oif from the retorts.'

It will be evident that by the process and apparatus which we have described the garbage may be treated without the escape of any noxious or offensive gases or odors, and such treatment may be effected with a minimum of expense owing to the fact that the gases from the garbage yitself serve to aid in supplying heat, and to the additional fact that all of the valuable constituents of the garbage are saved in such form as to be of comm ercia value.

Having thus described our invention, We claim and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. The mode herein described of treating garbage and like wastes, said mode consisting in subjecting the garbagetoheat in the presence of a limited supply ofair sufficient only to cause the charring of the solid portions of the garbage and the driving off of the volatilizable constituents ofthe same, substantially as specified.

2. The mode herein described of treating garbage and like wastes, said mode consisting in subjecting the vgarbage lto heat in the presence of a limited supply of air sufficient only to cause the charring of the solid portions of the garbage and the driving oft' of the volatilizable constituents of the same, igniting the gaseous elements of the latter and utilizing them as fuel for the heating of the garbage, -substantially as specified.

3. The mode herein described of vtreating garbage and like wastes, said mode consisting in subjecting the garbage to hoatin the presence of a limited supply of air sufficient only to cause the charring of the solid portions of the garbage andthe driving off of the volatilizable constituents of the same, separating the gaseous elements of the constituents from the condensable elements of. the same, and igniting said gaseous elements and using them as fuel for the heating of the garbage, sub'- stantially as specified.

In testimony whereof We have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES J. BEST. C WALTER A. HALL.

Witnesses to thesignature of Charles J. Best:

ALBERT PorKINs, SAML. H. MossLER.

Witnesses to the signature of Walter A. Hall:

I. M. HALL, W. H. MORRIS.

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