Incinerator Ash Disposal System

Abstract

An incinerator having a chamber in which combustion of miscellaneous products occurs to leave a residue in the form of particulate inorganic matter small in weight and volume, and a cleaning system which includes a compressor having a first connection to the chamber for directing air into the chamber for stirring up the dustlike residue and a second connection to the chamber for drawing off the dust-laden air into a cyclone filter or dust separator.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In commonly known types of domestic incinerators an ash drawer is an integral component of the appliance. Ash disposal is a periodic chore which includes emptying the ash drawer which contains burned ash, material which is unburned because of inefficient incineration, and any noncombustibles which have been allowed into the incinerator. Because of unburned material present, the residue is bulky and odorous, and has enough stickiness and strength to cause disposal problems. In particular, it will clog most any automatic handling system.

Vacuum type ash disposal techniques have been tried in such incinerators and have been generally unsuccessful. Merely employing a device such as a common vacuum cleaner system in an incinerator achieves some inefficient degree of cleaning, but sufficient residue remains to provide odor or other objectionable conditions. Furthermore, such devices were made to operate on an individual basis as desired by an operator.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with this invention there is provided an automatic ash diposal technique which efficiently performs its function as a sequence in the operation of a complete incineration cycle in a domestic incinerator. The system described herein uses the improved qualities of the fine dustlike ash which is produced by an extremely efficient domestic incinerator such as that which is shown and described in copending U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 259,324, filed June 6, 1972, and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention. This ash is a dustlike residue of very small particulate material which is extremely light in weight, dry, biologically inert, nonodorous, has no strength or stickiness, and which can be handled in an air stream.

The apparatus of the present invention comprises an ash handling system which includes an air compressor connected by suitable nozzles and ducts to the trash combustion chamber of an incinerator for the proper distribution of input and output air in the chamber whereby the residual dustlike ash is disturbed, agitated or pulverized and made to circulate in the chamber in a pattern which results in the ash being picked up in the air stream which is eventually drawn out of the chamber. The structure of the ash is thereby destroyed and reduced to powder which occupies substantially less volume. The dust-laden air stream then is directed into a bag where the ash is filtered out of the air stream, and the bag is ultimately disposed of when filled, with the filtered air continuing back to the compressor for further cycling.

In one embodiment of the invention the dust-laden air stream is drawn into a cyclone type filter or dust separator for resultant disposal of the filtered-out particulate in the bag. In another embodiment, water is added to the cyclone to suspend the ash, and then flushed down the drain.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objectives of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of one embodiment of the invention utilizing a filter bag for ash separation;

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of another embodiment of the invention utilizing a cyclone filter for ash separation;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 4 looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration similar to FIG. 2 of an embodiment of the invention which utilizes a cyclone filter and water system for elimination of the filtered-out ash.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. 1 an incinerator 10 which may be, for example, the type shown and described in the aforementioned application Ser. No. 259,324. The incinerator 10 is schematically illustrated as including firewall defining a trash chamber 12 and a burner 14 which may be of the liquid-fueled or electric type. Not shown are other compartments or chambers, such as afterburner, flue, etc., and for further details reference may be made to said copending application.

A control system 16 including a sequence timer is connected to the incinerator components for initiating operation of the burner 14 in any desired manner, and also for controlling automatically an air recirculating pump 18, including means for initially delaying combustion pending preheating of the afterburner. The control and timer is a well-known type similar to those on washers and other appliances. Therefore, details of this component are omitted here.

In accordance with this invention an automatic ash removal system is provided for removing any residual ash which remains after an incineration cycle has been completed. It has been found that the ash resulting from efficient and complete burning in an incinerator of the type, for example, as shown in the aforementioned copending application, will be a very light, dry, particulate matter, biologically inert and nonodorous. This residue accrues in extremely small amounts due to the extremely efficient combustion of the trash in the chamber 12 as well as of combustion products therefrom.

The ash removal system shown in FIG. 1 includes an air compressor 20 similar, for example, to those used in common vacuum cleaners. However, other air compressors may be utilized with this invention. Compressor 20 is connected to one end of a pipe or conduit 22 which has its other end extending through the wall of the incinerator 10 and terminating within chamber 12 in a position where the air being forced into the chamber by the compressor will stir up the residual dustlike ash and suspend it in a desired circulation pattern. Also similarly connected into the chamber 12 at a point remote from pipe 22 is one end of a second pipe 24 which provides means for exhausting the ash-laden air. Exhaust pipe 24 is connected at its other end, through a closed container 26 which is coupled to the compressor 20. This pipe 24 and container 26 become a suction line for exhaust of the air from chamber 12. Within container 26 is a dust-impervious bag 28 which has one end removably connected to the pipe 24 so that the ash-laden air from chamber 12 will pass into the bag 28 which will filter out the ash while permitting the cleaned air to pass back into the compressor 20. The container 28 is, of course, provided with any suitable access means (not shown) whereby bags 28 may be removed and replaced when filled.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that efficient cleaning of an incinerator may be automatically achieved. The main controller 16 for the incinerator also controls the cleaning cycle. After a burning cycle is completed, a timer of thermostat, which is set to determine a cooling period sufficient to allow the trash chamber 12 to reach close to ambient temperature, activates the compressor 20. This forces air through pipe 22 into chamber 12, causing it to circulate in the desired pattern which results in ash residue being picked up in the air stream, which ash-laden air is then suctioned out through pipe 24 into bag 28 where the ash is filtered out, and the clean air passed back to the compressor 20 for recirculation. AFter several passes, the trash chamber is essentially cleaned of residue, and at the end of the preselected time period the timer in control 16 shuts off the compressor. No personal contact with the ash, or with the incinerator, is required at any time in connection with cleaning other than to replace the bag when desired.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, a suction pipe 30 has one end connected to the incinerator chamber 12, similarly to pipe 24 in FIG. 1, and the other end is connected into the upper end of a cylcone filter 32. The cyclone filter 32 is a vertically elongated container having a narrow lower neck or end portion 34 to which is secured one end of a disposal bag 36. Bag 36 is, of course, impervious to dust and may, if desired, be impervious to air. The end of pipe 30 is introduced into the cyclone filter tangential to the inner surface of the filter, as shown best in FIG. 3, so that incoming ash-laden air will be made to circulate within the filter, as shown by the arrows in FIG. 3. The ash or dust in the air will spiral downwardly and eventually will deposit in the bag 36.

A compressor 20 will create the flow of air into the incinerator chamber 12 through pipe 22, as in the FIG. 1 embodiment. However, an additional coupling pipe 38 is connected at one end to the compressor 20 and has its other end inserted within the filter 32. Pipe 38 is a suction line which serves to draw the filtered air out of the cyclone filter 32 back to the compressor for recirculation. This system provides an extremely efficient way of cleaning the incinerator. Of course, the control mechanism 16, shown in FIG. 1, also will be used with this embodiment of the invention. The only manual effort required with this system is to periodically empty or replace the bag 36.

The further embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 4 includes the incinerator 10, compressor 20, pipes 30, 38 and 22, and cyclone filter 32, as in the FIG. 2 embodiment. However, instead of utilizing a disposal bag, this system embodies a pipe 40 which is connected by nut 42 or any other suitable means to the lower end portion 34 of the cyclone filter 32. The other end of pipe 40 is connectd by suitable means 44 to a drain system 46. The house water system is connected by a pipe 48 and valve 50 into the upper end portion of filter 32 whereby, when the valve 50 is open, water will be permitted to enter the filter 32 to flush the residual ash dust down the drain 46.

The valve 50 will, of course, be connected to the control system 16 (FIG. 1) so that it will be opened only during a cleaning cycle. It has been found that the ash produced by the described type of incinerator does not agglomerate and will not collect in traps or drain pipes so as to cause clogging. Disposal into septic tanks is also feasible. In this system no manual effort whatsoever is required in connection with incinerator cleaning.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that all of the objectives of this invention have been accomplished by the automatic incinerator cleaning systems shown and described. It is to be understood, however, that various changes in the structures shown and described may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention as expressed in the accompanying claims. Therefore, all matter shown and described is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Claims

We claim:

1. Apparatus of the character described comprising an incinerator having a chamber therein for reception of ash following combustion, and means for cleaning ash from said chamber comprising filter means, and air-circulation means including a compressor for directing a flow of air into said chamber to pulverize ash therein and for suctioning ash-laden air out of the chamber back to the compressor through the filter means.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein a burner is mounted in said incinerator, and timing means is provided for operating the burner for a controlled time period, and subsequently operating said cleaning means after a predetermined cooling-off period.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the filter means includes a sealed container, and a disposal bag within the container mounted so as to receive the ash-laden air, said disposal bag being impervious to said ash and pervious to the air whereby the ash will remain in the bag while ash-free air will continue on to the compressor.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said filter means is a cyclone filter, and a disposal bag is connected to the cyclone filter for receiving ash separated from the air by the cyclone filter.

5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said filter means is a cyclone filter having means for connecting a source of incoming fluid to one portion, and means for connecting a second portion to a drain.

6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said incoming fluid connecting means includes a valve, and timing means is provided for opening and closing the valve in conjunction with starting and stopping the cleaning means.

7. Apparatus of the character described comprising an incinerator having a burner therein for burning combustible products, a chamber for reception of ash following combustion, and means for cleaning ash from said chamber comprising filter means, and air circulation means including a compressor, a pipe connecting the compressor with said chamber for directing air into said chamber to agitate ash therein, coupling means connecting said filter means to the compressor for directing air from the filter means to the compressor, and a second pipe connecting the filter means to the incinerator whereby ash-laden air in the incinerator is suctioned toward the compressor through the filter means.

8. Apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein the filter means includes a sealed container connected to said coupling means, said second pipe has one end extending into the container, and a disposal bag is attached to said one end of the second pipe to receive said ash-laden air flowing therefrom.

9. Apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein said filter means is a cyclone filter, said second pipe has one end extending into the filter at one end thereof and at an angle such that air entering the filter therefrom will flow in a circular pattern, a disposal bag is attached to the filter to receive ash from said circulating air, and said coupling means includes a third pipe having one end connected to the compressor and its opposite end extending into the filter whereby filtered air is suctioned to the compressor.

10. Apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein the filter means is a cyclone filter, said second pipe has one end extending into the filter at one end thereof and at an angle such that air entering the filter therefrom will flow in a circular pattern, said coupling means includes a third pipe having one end connected to the compressor and its opposite end extending into the filter whereby filtered air is suctioned to the compressor, means is provided at the lower end of the filter for connection to a drain, and conduit means is connected to an upper portion of the filter for supplying for connecting the filter to a source of flushing fluid.

11. Apparatus as set forth in claim 10 wherein said conduit means includes a valve, and timing means is provided for opening and closing the valve in conjunction with starting and stopping the cleaning means.