US2008884A - Refuse destructor - Google Patents

Description

July 23, 1935. G. L. TUPPEN REFUSE DESTRUCTOR w., Rw... TT O NE T we T @DMA p Y. fea B July 23, 1935. G. L.. TUPPEN REFUSE DESTRUCTOR 3 Sheets-Sheet, 2

Filed July 28, 1931 I INVENTOR, GERARD LEE "JPPEN BY- MH@ www TToRNEy,

juy 23, 1935. G. L. TUPPEN REFUSE'V DESTRUCTOR Filed July 28, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheep 5 GER/m0 LE Patented July 23, 1935 y Y UNiTED sTATEsPATENTfoFFl/CE Application July 28, 1931, Serial No. 553594 In Great Britain December 6, 1930 17 Claims. (Cl. 1111-15) This invention relates to improvements in or Fig. i is ar cross ,section to the same enlarged relating to destructors for the drying and comscaleon the line V-IV of Fig. 1. bustion of miscellaneous unscreened rmaterial Fig. 5 is a plan to arr enlarged scale of the opsuch as city refuse or garbage. erating mechanism shown in Fig. lAand The principal object of `this invention is to Fig. 6 is a broken sectional elevation showing 5 provide a destructor of the above-mentioned a portion of the moving and xed fire-bars at .the

type, in which compensation is provided for junction of two sections of moving lire-bars.

l. The reduction in bulk of the material dur- Referring to the drawings, the destructor shown ing the process of drying, comprises a combustion chamber I and a single 2. The reduction in bulk of the material durdrying chamber 2. The inclined grate comprises 10 ing the process of combustion, xed nre-bars 3 and movable lire-bars 4. As 3. The varying rate of combustion of the vashown, between every two Xed fire-bars 3 there rious substances comprised in the material unis located a movable fire-barili. The xed fireder treatment. f bars 3 are carried by side racks 5 supported on A further object of my invention is to provide 4each side wall of the drying and combustion 15 such a destructor operating at a pressure below chambers. Each vside rack 5 is divided into suitthat of the atmosphere so that there is no emisable lengths'and each length is independently sesion of foul gases. cured to dogs 6 built into said side walls so that A still further object of my invention is to each length of the side racks may expand and m3 provide a destructor of this type in which the contract. independently. The racks 5 are mount- 20 drying is effected by heat derived from the comed at a suitable angle with the horizontal accordbustion of the materials under treatment. ing to the nature of the material to be treated,

yT0 heSe ends, the destructor comprises a dry" for example at an angle of the order of 21, and ing chamber and a combustion chamber, with are Yprovided With parallel S1015S 7 OI the recep- Q; an inclined grate, the said grate being divided tion of the Xed bars 3. In order to prevent the into a plurality of sections, and means for vary.- working back of fine materials and dust, the slots ing as required they rate of progress ofthe rna- T are not alallged hOI'ZOntally but at a .slight teria] under treatment down the grate, section angl@ 6, S2W OI' @Xample 3 With the hOIiZOIltal by section, at diierent stages of the drying and (See Fia 6), S0 that the Xed lire-bars are tilted 3o combustion processes. somewhat, the forward edges being lower thang() For drying purposes, an adjustable proportion the rearward edges. The slots 1 are closed at their of the combustio-n gases is withdrawn at a suitfOlWaI'd ends la, S0 that the Xed Ie-bal's may able point from the main iiue by a fan and 'Caused be readily mounted with a line joining their to pass with aid of bailies through the mattress OIWaTd edges at the Same angle With the ho'' 3,; of material on the grate in the drying chamber ZOnall as the racks 5f The fixed Te-ba 3 0011-' 35 at a, plurality of points .lengthwise of the. grate sist of plates each stiiiened by a longitudinal web and then returned to the main flue where these 3a 0n the underside (see Fig. 6). Those xed regases mingle with the remainder of the gases bars 3 located within the combustion chamber I from the combustion chamber, and the whole are advantageously also provid-ed with 'a Short Q pasged by a Second fan tothesmoke Stack central transverse stiffening webb. The fixed 40 This invention is illustrated in the accompanyand movable rebms are spaced apart Sufcient" ing drawing in which ly to allowk the free passage of air. Themov- Fig. l is a sectionallongitudinal elevation of a glblsr; lisaleofgghgegs .15 desucbo nbqfdylg thi p'resent mvemlon. a" to two inclined reciprocating beams 8, 8, so that 45 por wn. 0l le. Xe re' ars and mow/mg me said plates are parallel to the fixed bars 3. The bars) belg, Omltted' L fire-bars 4 extend the fullwidth between the side Ffg 1s an elevatlon m onbmuauon of F 1g' racks 5 in the drying chamber, but in the combus- 1 Snowmg m'eans for operating th? Several ses" tion chamber, the lire-bars 4 are transversely dito mms Pf mmfng m'bars an@ vaffrymg the Speed vided into two sections 4', 4 Yso as to clear the 50 of reciprocation of each section independently. stiffening central web 3b on the xed 1.e bars Fig. 2 1s a sectionalplan View of the destructorv Reciprocating framework for Supporting the m0v taken 0'1"- th@ line II--II-*II 0f Fig 1- able bars 4 is divided into as many. sections, and

Fig. 3 iS a CYO'SS SeCtOIl t0 an enlarged scale on each section is of suchA a length as. may `be rethe line III-III 0f Fig. 1. f f v Y y quired forvarying the rate of progress of the ma- 55 terial under treatment down the grate section by section at different stages of the drying and of the combustion processes. As shown, the framework consists of beams 8, 8 divided into two sections only, one of which extends throughout the drying chamber and into a certain portion of the upper part of the combustion chamber I, while the other sections extends through the remainder of the combustion chamber. Each section of the beams 8, 8 is carried by two or more pairs of roller paths, lines passing through the centers of the rollers of two or more pairs being located at the same angle with the horizontal as beam E. Each roller path consists of an upper bracket 9 bolted to the under side or" a beam 8 and a bottom bracket Iii bolted to and ca ried by a transverse beam or beams i l carried by the side walls of the drying and combustion chambers. Rollers i2 located between the brackets 9 and IQ are preferably provided with anges l2a adapted to engage the sides ofthe brackets and the rollers oi each pair of roller paths are spaced apart by a rigidly connected shaft i3. to reduce clearance spaces at the point where the upper end of .aV baffle wall located beneath the grate such as the end wall I4 of the combustion chamber I, meets the grate, the beams 3, 3 are out .so as to permit of free reciprocation of the beams without coming into contact with the baille wall and the two adjacent ends of the beams are connected together by longitudinal members I5 of relatively narrow cross section. Obviously, should two adjoining sections of the beams be located one on either side of the baflie wall, the connecting members I5 are not required and the question of reducing clearance spaces does not arise. The beams B, 3 are cross connected by suitable bracing members I6. At points in the grate between adjacent ends of separate lengths of beams', 8 and at the lower end of the grate adjacent the ash and clinker outlet Il, a special fixed fire-bar i8 is mounted in rack slots between two fixed nre-bars 3. Each fire-bar I8 is provided with an apron I9 at an angle with the horizontal corresponding with that of the racks 5.

The material under treatment is moved down the grate in conjunction with the natural gravitational movement` by imparting a reciprocating movement to the sections of beams 8, 8, for instance by means of reciprocating rods, tubes or bars 2G, 2B at one end thereof securedto, if arranged horizontally, otherwise pivoted to, brackets 2|, 2l suitably mounted on the beams. Where the reciprocating rods 29, 29 pass through bailie walls such as end wall i4 of combustion chamber l, they are supported in roller glands S9 boxed in at each end and built into the wall. The power for driving the reciprocating rods 22, 26 may be derived from any suitable source, but advantageously from steam raised by the hot gases of combustion from chamber I. The length of the stroke of the beams 8, 8 is preferably such that at one end thereof the outer ends of the moving nre-bars 4- are brought below the outer ends or the xed bars 3 immediately above them and at the other end of the stroke the outer ends of the moving nre-bars 4 cover the outer ends of the fixed bars 3 immediately below them. By imparting Aa reciprocating movement to each section oi the movable nre-bars 4 independently, that is to say each section having its own operating gear, the frequency 'ofv the reciprocating movement may be regulated as desired and thereby the rate oi progress of the material under treatment down the grate may be regulated sec- In order tion by section at different stages of the drying and combustion processes. One form of operating gear meeting such conditions is shown in Figs. 1A and 5, where each reciprocating rod 2i@ is driven by a corresponding eccentric rod 22, 22. Each eccentric is carried or otherwise driven by a corresponding ratchet wheel 23, 23. Each ratchet wheel is provided with a locking pawl 251, 2li carried by a shaft 'I5 and with a plurality of oscillating operating pawls E5, 2E and 2t piv oted on and between pairs of carrier cheeks and 2', 28' rigidly bolted together and capable of angular movement about the axis of said wheelsl 'and of a shaft Eil upon which the wheels are freely mounted. Each pair of cheeks 2l, 2s and 2l', 28 with the corresponding operating pawls 25, 2t and 25', 2b is caused to oscillate by a corresponding connecting rod 30, 3B pivotally connected at one end to the pair'oi cheeks by a pin 3i, 3| and at the other end pivotally connected by a removable pin 32, 32 located in any one of a number of corresponding holes 33,63 provided lengthwise a corresponding v lever 34, 34 each rigidly mounted on an oscillating countershait 35. The countershaft 35 is caused to oscillate by means ci a connecting rod 3'! pivotally connected at one end by a removable pin 38 located in one of the holes 33 provi ed lengthwise of one of the levers and at the other end to a crank pin 40 shown mounted on a disc 4I secured to a rotating shaft which, as shown, is driven by a belt 43 and fast and loose pulleys 44, 45. Y

With such an arrangement, the angle of oscillation of both pairs of pawl carrier cheeks 2?, 2B and 2?', 23 and thereby the speed oi" rotation of both ratchet wheels and corresponding eccentrics,A

and consequently the frequency of the reciprocating movements of both sections of moving iirebars 4 can be varied simultaneously by simply varying the location of the pin in the lever 34 and the said angle of oscillation can be again varied by varying the location of the pins 32, 32 in the levers 34, t4', or, having adjusted said angle by correspondingly adjusting the location of the pin 38, the relative frequency of reciprocating movements of the two sections of moving hre-bars 4 can be adjusted by varying the location of one of the pins 3E, 3E in the corresponding levers 34, 34.

The destructor may be constructed mainly of brickwork, the combustion chamber I being provided with a lining I of rebrick or other .suitable refractory material and the side walls of the dryH ing chambers 2 being protected by plates 9 of a suitable metai, for example .iron or mild inserted at their lower edges betwe able moulding 5o integral with or to the upper edges of the racks their upper edges stiiened by o. 2' and bolted to said side w 'ilsA of the chamber 2 may ccnven closed by plates f5 stiiened with Tircs and of a suitable length to be convenientiy handled and these plates may be provided with a light covering of earth or the like. At the upper end of the drying chamber 2, a hopper 4l' is provided forming a connection with the storage floor t3 for the dumping of the material to e t. Ai., the lower end of the combustion chamber, the ash and clinker outlet Il comprises a door frame 49 and a door 5i? mounted on a horizontal shaft 5I and biased to the closed position by i+s own weight and that of a counterbalancing weight 52 adjustably mounted on a lever rigidly secured on shaft 5I at such anangie with the door rif Id adjacent passage 62.

50 that when this has been opened to the desired degree, the weight 52 will have passed the vertical plane through the axis of shaft 5i to a Sullicient extent to Wholly orpartially counterbalance the weight of the door. The sides of the door frame :it are shrouded at 55 to a sufiioient extent to avoid an undesirable inrush of cold -air into the combustion chamber, except that which might pass through the hot clinker and thereby become heated.

In one side wall at the upper level of the combustion chamber i is an archway 55, through which the combustion' gases are drawn by an exhaust fan 55 located near a smoke stack 57 into a main flue 58. The gases in the main flue 58 may be utilized a supplementary furnace indicated by dotted lines 53 and/or in'a boiler'indicated by dottedv lines 6d. The supplementary furnace 59 may be used for the combustion o1 selected or any particular material, such as animalbodies for example. VThe. boiler @t may be utilized in the known manner for the raising of steam which may be used, for example, as the driving power for the gear operating the sections of moving nre barsV i and other mechanism that may be employed in connection with the ydestructor.

The mattress of materialV on the grate within the ldrying chamber 2 is dried by combustion gases Withdrawn by a second exhaust fan 6! from the main flue 5% at a suitable point, and where a suppl-ementary furnace structure 5@ and/or a boiler structure 6G is employed, said point will be located between said structure or structuresand the exhaust fan 56. The gases so Withdrawn are caused to pass by the action of thev ian Si and under the inuence ofa suitable numb-er of baile walls or plates, arranged transversely of the grate, through the mattress of material on the grate in the drying chamber E a given number of times and thereupon returned'to the main flue 58 and, under the influence of the fan 5t, delivered to the stack 5i' togetherwith the remainder of the combustion gases. To. these ends, as shown in Figs. l and 2, one or Yboth of the sidewalls of the drying chamber 2 .is or are provided with one or more inlet passages t2 arranged. longitudinally of said chamber on either side'of one or more outlet passages 553 of correspondingly increased cross-sectional area, the inlet passages E32 being connected by a branched by-pass ue 64 with the main flue 53 and the fan 6i being located between the outlet passage 53 and a by-pass iiue 65 returning thergases to the mainlue 53. Pivoted baiiles 66 are shown between the. hopper il and the adjacent passage 52, between the passage 53 and adjacent passages 62, and between the upper end of the combustion chamber l and the These baffles bear by their own weight, assisted if necessary by weight '13, upon the mattress of material upon they grate independently of any variation in thickness of the mattress. In order to diminish the size of the pivoted baffles 65, these may be pivoted on a horizontal axis immediately below xed baille plates 63 supported by the side walls of the chamber 2. shafts l@ carried by bearings 'il built into the side walls of the drying chamber. At a convenient point inside or outside the drying chamber, levers 'i2 are secured to the shafts 'Ill and adjustably carry Weights 13, l

The material, dumped on the iioor 48 for treatment, is fed through the hopper 4l on to the top bar of the grate, whence it` cascades downwards As shown, the baiiles S6 are secured to:

by gravitly,.assistedby the action of the moving nre-bars, which action no-t only prevents adherence of clinker to the bars but also assuresthat any voids formed in the mattress of material,-

as for example by the more'rapid burning of f porting the moving bars of the grate into sections, f

providing each section with separate operating gear'and providing each gear with coresponding means for regulating the frequency of the reciprocating movement, the rate of progress of the material down the grate in the drying and in the combustion chamber caribe regulated to compensate forthe reduction in bulk of the material.

Although the frames supporting the moving bars have been shown in two sections only, it is to be understood that said frames may be divided into any desired number of sections according to the nature of the material to be treated, provided that' each section has its own operating gear with corresponding means for regulating the frequency of the reciprocating movement as aforesaid.

It is alsoI to be understood that in some cases a single baille may suice in the drying chamber when the combustion gases withdrawn from the main flue will pass into said chamber on one side of the baille around this through the material on the grate to the other side of the baille on its return tothe main flue.

The term grate is to be understood asincluding the bars supporting the material under treatment in the drying chamber, as well as the bars supporting the material in the combustion chamber.-

It will also be understood that the references throughout this speciiication to treatment of the materials are generic in that they include both the dryingand combustion phases.

It is further to be understood that in place of a rotating or oscillating eccentric or equivalent crankv for providing a reciprocating movement of the sections of frames supporting the moving bars @,saidrmovement may be obtained by mea-ns of a ram or piston, provided always that the frequency of said movement can be regulated as tinuous incline, the portion ofY the grate located in the combustion chamber may be stepped down with respect to the portion of the grate in the drying chamber, and in any case, the .angles of inclination of the two said grate portions may differ. n the case of a larger installation, the ar-Y rangement of the grate as described may be du- Cil and complete units, whether with duplicated groups, or not, may be arranged side by side op'- erating with one or more units in reserve orv in parallel. i

In a larger installation, the ash and clinker would fall in due course into a stream of running water and under a water seal to be thereby carried away to a settling sump. The steam rising from the quenched ash and clinker would be drawn into the furnace by the induced draught.

instead of using flue gases as the elastic fluid drying medium l may use as have reviously proposed free air heated by a heater such as is well known and commonly used. between the boiler and smolre stack.

This heated air will then be passed through the refuse or material to be dried while in the drying section by the same means as employed in the of flue gases and upon leaving the drying section will be delivered in the well known manne-1' to the space under the combustion grate, with or without the admission of additional air as maybe equired.

lt will be observed that while the employment oi induced draught for the purpose of circulating combustion gases through the drying chamber prevents the emission of foul gases from the drying section, as previously stated, the use of a second induced draught ian at the base oi the smoke stack enables the whole plant to be operated at a pressure below that of the atmosphere.

claim:-

i, in a destructor for the drying and combustion of city refuse and other miscellaneous unscreened material comprising drying and combustion chambers, an inclined grate with Xed and movable bars arranged at a small angle with the horizontal in said chambers so that the forward edge of each bar is lower than its rearward edge, sectional side girders for carrying said xed bars, each of said sections being free to expand and contract independently, sectional framework for carrying successive groups of said movable bars, supports for said framework, means for reciprocating each section of said framework independently to advance and retire said movable bars between said iixed bars, and means for varying the frequency of reciprocation of each section of said framework independently.

2. A destructor for the drying and combustion of city refuse and other miscellaneous unsoreened material comprising a drying chamber, a combustion chamber below the level of and communicating with said drying chamber, an ined grate with nxed bars and interposed movable bars extending through both of said chambers, means for passing an elastic fluid drying medium through the materials on said grate in said drying chamber, means for reciprocating said movable bars by sections in a direction lengthwise oi said chambers, each succeeding section being reciprocated at a frequency less than that of the preceding section.

3. A destructor for the drying and combustion of city refuse and other miscellaneous unscreened materials comprising a drying chamber, a combustion chamber below the level of and communicating with said drying chamber, an inclined grate with fixed bars and interposed movable bars extending through both of said chambers, means for inducing a draft through the materials on the inclined grate in said combustion chamber to consume said materials, means for passing an elastic fluid drying medium through the materials on the inclined grate in said drying chamber by induced draft, means' for reciprocating said movable bars by sections in a direction lengthwise of said chambers, each succeeding section being reoiprocated `at a frequency less than that of the preceding section.

4. A destructor for the drying and combustion of city refuse and other miscellaneous unscreened materials comprising a drying chamber, a combustion chamber below the level of and communicating with said drying chamber, an inclined grate with fixed bars and interposed movable bars extending through both of said chambers, means for passing an elastic uid drying medium through the materials on the inclined grate in said drying chamber by induced draft, means for reciprocating said movable bars by sec ions in a direction lengthwise of said chambers including means for varying the frequency of reciprocation of each of said sections independently.

5. A destructor for the drying and combustion of city refuse and other miscellaneous unscreened materials comprising a drying chamber, a combustion chamber below the level of and communicating with said drying chamber, an inclined grate with fixed bars and interposed movable bars extending through both of said chambers, means for passings an elastic fluid drying medium through the material on the inclined grate in said drying chamber by induced draft, means for reciprocating said' movable bars by sections in a direction lengthwise of said chambers including means for varying the frequency of reciprocation of each of said sections independently and means for varying the frequency of reciprocation of all of said sections simultaneously.

6. A destructor for the drying and. combustion of city refuse and other miscellaneous unscreened materials comprising a drying chamber, a combustion chamber below the level of and communicating with said drying chamber, an inclined grate with iixed bars and interposed movable bars extending through both of said chambers, means for passing an elastic fluid drying medium through the materials on the inclined grate in said drying chamber by induced draft, means for reciprocating said movable bars by sections in a direction lengthwise of said grate and at a small angle to the horizontal whereby said movable bars are caused to rise and fall during each reciprocation thereof, including means for varying the frequency of reciprocation of each section independently.

'7. A destructor for the drying and combustion of city refuse and other miscellaneous unscreened materials comprising a drying chamber, a combustion chamber below the level or" and communicating with said drying chamber, inclined grate with fixed and interposed movable bars extending through both of said chambers, means for passing an elastic fluid drying medium through the materials on the grate in said drying chamber a plurality of times by induced draft including a plurality of movable baiiles arranged transversely of said drying chamber and adapted to rest by gravity upon the materials on said inclined grate whereby said drying chamber is divided into a plurality of compartments, inlet passages for said drying medium to some of said compartments and outlet passages for said drying medium from other of said compartments, means for reciprocating said movable bars by sections including means for Varying the frequency of reciprocation of each section independently.

8. A destructor for the drying and combustion of city refuse and other miscellaneous unscreened materials comprising af-drying chamber, 'a combustion chamber belowpthe level of and communicating with said drying chamber, an inclined grate with xed and interposed movable bars extending through said chambers, means for passing an elastic fluid drying medium through th-e material on saidgrate insaid drying chamber by induced draft including a plurality of baillesarranged transversely of said drying chamber, each pivoted along its upper edge and arranged to rest on the material on said grate along its lower side atan .angle on the -forward'side of the vertical through the axis of the pivot irrespective of the depth of said materials whereby said drying chamber is divided into a plurality of compartments, inlet passages for said dryingsmedium to some of said compartments and outlet passages for said drying medium from other of said compartments, and means for reciprocating said movable bars by sections including means for varying the frequency of reciprocation of each section independently.

9. A destructor for the drying and combustion of city refuse and other miscellaneous unscreened materials comprising drying and combustion chambers, an inclined grate extending through both of said chambers with xecl and interposed movable bars, means for reciprocating said movable bars by sections including means for varying the rate of reciprocation of each section independently, a plurality of movable baffles arranged transversely of said drying chamber and adapted to rest on the materials on said grate, said movable bafes dividing said chamber into a plurality of compartments, a main flue for carrying off the combustion gases from said combustion chamber, inlet passages leading to some of said compartments, a bypass flue for conducting a portion of the combustion gases from'said main flue to said inlet passages, an outlet for said gases from the remaining compartments, and means including a flue connecting said outlets to said main flue for exhausting said gases from said remaining compartments.

10. A destructor for the drying and combustion of city refuse and other miscellaneous unscreened material, comprising a drying chamber and a combustion chamber below the level of said drying chamber, an inclined grate arranged in said chambers with fixed and movable bars, a Vertical v.baille wall below said grate between said drying and combustion chambers, a vertical baie wall below said grate adjacent the upper end thereof, sectional framework for carrying successive groups of said movable bars, means for reciprov eating each section of said framework independently toadvance and retire said movable bars between said iixed bars including reciprocating members each connected at one end to acorresponding section of said framework and each of suicient length to pass through said second mentioned wall, gland boxes carried by said wall for supporting said members and adapted to act substantially as air-locks, means for varying the frequency of reciprocation of each of said sections of the framework independently, and means for passing an elastic uid drying medium through the materials on the grate in said drying chamber.

11. A destructor, for the drying and combustion of city refuse and other miscellaneous unscreened materials, comprising a drying chamber and a combustion chamber below the level of said drying chamber, an inclined grate with fixed and movable bars arranged in said chambers, sectional framework for carrying successive groups of said movable bars, means for reciprocating each section of said framework independently to advance and retire said movable bars between said fixed bars including a reciprocating member connected to each section of said framework, means for imparting a reciprocating movement to each of said members independently comprising a ratchet wheel, a locking pawl for said wheel, aplurality of operating pawls mounted on pivots carried by an element capable of oscillation about the axis of said wheel, a power-driven shaft, means operated by said shaft for imparting an angular movement to each of said elements independently, means for varying the angle of movement of each element independently and means for passing an elastic fluid drying medium through the materials on the grate in said drying chamber.

12. A destructor, for the drying and combustion of city refuse and other miscellaneous unscreened materials, comprising a drying chamber and a combustion chamber below the level of said dryingchamber, an inclined grate with fixed and movable bars arranged in said chambers, sectional framework for carrying successive groups of said movable bars, means for reciprocating each section of said framework independently to advance and retire said movable bars between said fixed bars including a reciprocating member connected to each section of said framework, means for imparting a reciprocating movement to each of said members independently comprising la ratchet Wheel, a` locking'pawl for said wheel, a plurality of operating pawls mounted on pivots carried by an element capable of oscillation about the axis of said wheel, a powerdriven shaft, a counter-shaft, means operated by said power driven shaft for imparting an angular movement to said counter shaftmeans for varying the angle of movement thus imparted to said countershaft, means operated by said countershaft for imparting an angular movement to each of said elements independently, means for varying the angle ofmovement of each element independently, means for passing an elastic iiuid drying medium through the materials on the grate in said drying chamber, a stack, and means for passing said medium and the combustion gases from said combustion chamber under induced draft to said stack.

13. Apparatus for treating city refuse and other miscellaneous unscreened materials comprising a chamber, an inclined grate having Xed and interposed movable bars arranged in said chamber, means for passing an elastic fluid medium through the materials on said grate, means for reciprocating said movable bars by sections in a direction lengthwise of said chamber including means for independently increasing the frequency of reciprocation of any superior section with respect to a succeeding section to compensate for changes in volume of said materials.

14. Apparatus for treating city refuse and other miscellaneous unscreened materials comprising a drying chamber, a combustion chamber, a grate having fixed and interposed movable bars extending through both of said chambers, means including baiiie members arranged transversely of said drying chamber for passing an electric fluid medium through the materialsV on said grate a plurality of times and means for reciprocating said movable bars by sections in a direction lengthwise of said chambers including means for independently increasing the frequency of reciprocation of any superior section with respect to a succeeding section to compensate for'ohanges in Volume of said materials.

15. Apparatus for treating city refuse and miscellanecus unscreened materials comprising a drying chamber, a grate arranged in said chamber, a plurality of bale members arranged transversely of said chamber above said grate pivotally supported along the upper edge thereof and of such depth as to normally bear on the materials on said grate whereby said chamber is divided into three or more compartments, an open compartment beneath said grate and substantially coextensive with said last mentioned compartments, means for supplying an elastic fluid drying medium to end compartments, an outlet for the intermediate compartment and means for withdrawing said drying medium from said intermediate compartment by induced draft. Y

16. A destructor for the drying and combustion of city refuse and other miscellaneous unscreened materials, comprising a drying chamber, a combustion chamber communicating with said drying chamber, a sectionalized grate eX tending through both of said chambers, a transversely arranged baiiie member for substantially preventing communication between the spaces above said grate in said chambers, said bale member being pivoted along its upper edge and arranged to rest on the materials on said grate along its lower side at an angle on the forward side of the vertical through the axis of the pivot, means for'passing an elastic ud drying medium through the materials on said grate in said drying chamber by induced draft, and means for feeding said materials over each succeeding sec-Y tion of said grate at a progressively decreasing rate.

17. A destructor for the drying and combustion of city refuse and other miscellaneous unscreened materials, comprising a drying chamber, a combustion chamber communicating with said drying chamber, a sectionalized grate extending Y through both of said chambers, a transversely arranged bailie member for substantially preventing communication between the spaces above the grate in said chambers, said baiiie member being pivoted along its upper edge and arranged to rest on the materials on said grate along its lower side at an angle on the forward side of the vertical through the axis of the pivot, means for inducing a draft through the materials on said grate in said combustion chamber to consume said materials, means for passing an elastic fiuid drying medium through the materials on said grate in said drying chamber by induced draft, and means for feeding said materials over each succeeding section of said grate at a progressively decreasing rate.

GERARD LEE TUPPEN.

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