US1263257A - Method of and apparatus for cremation. - Google Patents

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E. D. LEWIS. METHOD 0F AND APPARATUS FOR CREMATION.

` APPLICATION FILED IAN. I6 i917.

E. D. LEWIS. METHOD or AND APPARATUS Foa cREMAIoN.

APPLICATION FILED 1AN.I6. 1917. 1,263,257. Patented Apr. 16, 191.8.

2 SHE ETS-SHEET 2.

. This chamber isformed within a casing` con- @TED l i EDWARD DUDLEY LEWIS, OE ELIVIRA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB, rTO ELMIRA CREMATORY CO. INC., OF ELMIRA, N EW YORK, A CORPORATION.

METHOD OF AND-APPARATUS FOR CREIVIATION.

Spefcication of Letters Patent. Patented Api, 16,

Application md January 16,1917. seriaiivo. 142,637.

To all whom if may concern.'

Be it known that I, EDWARD D. LEWIS, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Elmira, in the county of Chemung and State of N ew York, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Methods of and Apparatus for Cremation, of which the following is a specification.

rlhe present invention relates to a method of cremation and to a crematory for carrying out such a method, andan object thereof is to consume the fumes and odors to be consumed without the employment of special passage-ways or other' appliances eXterioi'ly of thecreination chamber. Another object of the linvention is to provide a construction which will be inexpensive to build. A further object of the invention is to provide, in

a cremation furnace, a burner adapted to progecta flame of maximum length without ings, 1 indicates the chamberfor receiving the body within a casket 32 or otherwise.

structed in any suitable manner, as for instance, built up of bricks with its top wall formed by transverse beams 2 acting to sup port the bricks 3 between them, said beams resting on'their ends onV the side walls. At the front of the chamber a door 4 may be provided through which the body is introduced into the chamber. Extending from the top wall of the chamber, preferably near the door end thereof, is the outlet flue 5 formed in this instance of a short section 6 embedded in the top wall and projectingk slightly above the upper surface thereof for engagement by a section 7 which is, in vthis instance, in the form of a pipe fitti-ng over the projecting portion of the` section 6, and preferably having a peep opening 8 in the rear side thereof.

plane, and the vcasting position differ- A increasing lire.'

` In the rear wall of the chamber 1` a casting 9 is arranged, this casting having a peep opening 10 therein closed by a shutter 11, and also having an opening 12 through which the burner tube'13 projects, the lower wall of the opening 12 serving asa fulc'rum on which the tube may swing in a vertical having :a vertically elongated chamber 14 to one side of the opening in order to guide the burner tube 13 in its vertical movement. Stopsl 15 are providedv on opposite sides of the burnertubeto limit the inward movement of the latter, and Vany suitable means may be employed for sustaining the burner tube, 13 in its different angular positions. For the latter purpose an ad-y justable standardl may be arranged in the rear of the crematory, and'haveits upper end loosely engaging with theburner tube.' ,A a

The burner is preferably of the retort type and in this instance has aT helical coilv17f' which is removably mounted in the tubev 13 and is fed 'at one end by a 'pipe 18 to which oil is delivered lunder pressure' from a sup` ply pipe`19, a -valve 2()v controlling the fiow.

provide a nozzle which discharges the flame Vcoil and fedfby` apipe 24 extending-centrally through the coilk and connecting with the supply pipe `19, the supply to the auxiliary nozzle 23 being controlled by a valve 25, for

'For priming the burner., apriming cup 26 is supported'by the burner tube 13, and has a discharge 27 to supply fuel to a piece ofasf bestos 29 arranged within the burner tube beneath the nozzle 27. The burner tube is also provided with an opening'30 in proximity to the vwall ofthecrematory chamber l for the reception of a torch 31 which is in? verted and introduced through said opening.

In the use of the crematory the door 4 is opened and the body vis placed preferably upon the bottom 0f the chamber 1, say within a casket 32. After the door is closed the burner is started by filling the priming cup 26 and discharging the contents thereof upon the asbestos mat 29, the burner coil 17 being moved rearwardlyso that it lies in front of isis., i

^ The other end of the coil has an extension 21 lying parallel with the'axis" of the coil and extending throughthevcoihthe end of said 'extension being turned upon itself at 22'toV "in the direction of the -aXis ofthe coil and alsothrough the, coil. There may also be f provided an auxiliary `nozzle 23 situated 'slightly in advance of the inner endofthe lthe mat 29. After the coil has been sulficicntly heated, a lighted torch 31 is introduced through the opening SO and the valve 2O is opened. rThis permits a flow of gas from the nozzle 22, this gas being ignited and continuing the heating of the coil 17 to vaporize the oil before the nozzle 22 is reached. After the coil. 17 lhas been sufficiently heated, the valve 25 is opened to permit a discharge from the nozzle 23. llt has been found that this construction of burner produces an extremely longA lia-me, being of a length to extend from one end of the chamber to and into the outlet pipe 5. The peep hole 8 is utilized to determine when the flame is passing into the flue.

During the first part of the cremation, the flame is directed along the line Fig. l, passing above the body to the outlet 5. rlhis line is held until the greater amount of moisture in the body is driven off. As the y fumes or odors must pass through the flame in order to reach flue 5, they are consumed and are not driven in advance of the llame through the flue as they would be if. the flue were located in the b-ottom of the chamber l. After the moist matters are consumed, the flame is directed toward that end of the body which is in proximity or beneath the flue 5 to consume the solid portions at such end of the body, the flame then being slowly moved or shifted so as to consume the solid matters most remotely situated from the burnerk until the portions in proximity to the burner are reached. ln this way the llame is always arranged between the matter being consumed andthe flue, and

kwill consume all odors beforek they reach the flue.

While the invention has been shown and described in connection with a cremation furnace for consuming human bodies, it is apparent that it is not limited to such apparatus but may be embodied in any apparatu-s where it is desired to dispose of consumable matter of any kind.

What l claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A method of cremation which consists in first drying the body by directing a flame ve cents ber, while permitting the products to escape through the flame from the top portion of the chamber at the opposite end of the body, to consume the fumes and odors therefrom, and then directing the flame upon that portion of the body most remotely situated from the source of the flame, and gradually moving the flame toward those portions of the body situated nearest the sourceof the flame so as to consume the solid parts of the body.

2. ln a crematory, a chamber for the body, a flame producing means mounted above the bottom of the chamber at one end of the latter, and an outlet for the products of combustion leading from the chamber at the end opposite the burner, the intake end of the outlet being situated at the top of the chamber so that a flame from the flame producing means may reach the outlet without contacting with a body in the combustion chamber, and the flame producing means having a flame projection which will extend to the outlet.

3. A crematory asset forth in claim 2, in which the flame-producingmeans is adapted to swing in a vertical plane 1n order to direct the flame upon the body.

l. A crematory as set forth in claim 2, 1n which the Haine-producing means comprises a burner tube mounted to swing about a horizontal axis, and a mounted in said tube. v

5. In a crematory, a chamber for the body having an outlet at the top thereof near one end, and a burner mounted at the other end of the chamber to swing up and down for directing the flame into the chamber, and comprising a coil and two nozzles, one of which receives supply from the coll and discharges on and through said coil in the direction of the axis of the latter, and the other ofl which receives its fuel independ# ently of the coil and discharges centrally of the latter and in advance of the coil for extending the flame.

EDWARD DU'DLEY Lnwrs.

each, by addressing `the Commlssionerof Patents,

Washington, D. C.

burner removably

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