US964838A - Sterilizing-hopper. - Google Patents

Description

A. C. BADGER. STERILIZING HOPPER. APPLIOATIQN FILED DEO. 21, 1909.

Patented July 19, 191'0.

THE NoRRls PETERS ca, wAsHlNcoN, n. c.

UNTTED iSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR C. BADGER, OF NEWTON CENTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO E. B. BADGER & SONS COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

STERILIZING-HOPPER.

aereas.

To all whom 'Lt may concer/n:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR C. BADGER, of Newton Center, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sterilizinglloppers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for sterilizing or disinfecting excreta infected with germs of typhoid fever and oth-er infectious diseases, so that the excreta will not be a source of danger when discharged into a sewer or elsewhere.

The invention is embodied in a sterilizing hopper comprising a steam jacket forming the wall of a sterilizing receptacle, a valve seat in close proximity to the lower end of the steam space of said jacket, and a movable gate valve having a liquid tight fit on said seat and forming a temporary bottom for said receptacle, means being provided for preventing` an accumulation of water of condensation in the lower end of the steam chamber, so that the entire inner surface of the steam jacket down to the valve is utilized as a heated sterilizing surface adapted to thoroughly heatand boil diluted excreta deposited in the receptacle, the sterilized material being discharged by gravitation when the valve is opened.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,-Figure l represents a vertical section of a sterilizing hopper embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 8 represents a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 represents a section on line 1% of Fig. 1.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

My improved hopper comprises a main receiving portion 12 preferably of tapering form, and a neck portion 13 through which material deposited in the main portion is discharged from the hopper. The said portions are double-walled, and contain a steam space 14. For convenience, I will refer to the entire portion of the hopper that contains the steam space as a steam jacket.

15 represents a valve seat which is substantially parallel with the lower' end of the steam acket, and is in close proximity thereto, the valve seat being preferably made separately from the steam jacket, and forming a part of a valve chamber 16, in which Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 21, 1909.

Patented July 1.9, 1910.

Serial No. 534,352.

is a gate valve 17 adapted to have a liquidtight fit upon the valve seat, so that when the valve is closed it constitutes the bottom of a sterilizing receptacle, the wall of which is formed by the steam jacket, the heated surface of the latter extending downwardly practically to the upper surface of the valve.

The reduced lower portion of the steam jacket is preferably of cylindrical form, and is fitted in a cylindrical socket or recess 18 formed on the upper side of the valve chamber 16, said socket having a flange 19 to which is bolted a flange 2O formed on the exterior of the steam jacket. 21 represents a steam inlet and 22 an outlet for exhaust steam and water of condensation, said inlet and outlet being located above the lower end of the steam jacket and preferably formed in the flange 20.

The inlet 21 opens directly into the annular steam space 14. The outlet 22 is extended downwardly by means of a short inserted tube 22 which is screwed into a bridge 23 formed between the inner' and outer walls of the steam jacket, and extends downwardly nearly to the lower end of the steam space, the lower end of the tube 22 constituting an intake 222L into which water of condensation accumulating at the lower end of the steam space is forced by the steam pressure. Provision is therefore made for preventing any such accumulation of water of condensation in the lower end of the steam jacket as would impair the heating effect of the inner wall of the jacket, the actively heated inner wall of the jacket extending downwardly practically to the valve seat so that when the valve is closed to forni a temporary sterilizing receptacle, all the material in said receptacle is subjected to the same degree of heat. The tube 22 may be inserted through an opening provided for its reception in the lower end of the neck portion 13, said opening being subsequently covered by a closure formed to occupy the opening and secured in place by brazing or otherwise, the said closure forming a part of the lower end of the neck portion 18.

Prior to the sterilizing operation the material is sufficiently diluted with water to enable it to be boiled by the heatradiated into it from the inner wall of the steam jacket. Owing to the fact that the active inner surface of the steam jacket extends practically to the bottom of the charge of diluted material, a thorough and efficient circulation is set up, so that all parts of the charge are thoroughly and uniformly boiled, complete sterilization being the result. When the charge of material has been sufficiently sterilized, the valve is opened, and the charge is permit-ted to escape by gravitation through an outlet 25 in the lower end of the valve chamber. Said outlet may communicate with a sewer or other receptacle for the discharge of material. The valve 17 is provided with a stem 2G with which may be connected a suitable operating lever 27.

I claim:

1. A sterilizing hopper comprising a steam jacket forming the wall of a sterilizing receptacle, a valve seat at the lower end of the jacket and in close proximity to the steam space thereof, and a valve adapted to clos-e on said seat and form the bottom of said receptacle, the steam outlet of the jacket being arranged to conduct away practically all water of condensation from the lower end of the jacket whereby the entire inner surface of the jacket is utilized as a heat-ing surface extending substantially to the valve.

2. A sterilizing hopper comprising' a steam jacket forming the wall of a sterilizing receptacle, said jacket having a steam inlet and an outlet for steam and water of condensation, a valve seat located in close proximity to the lower end of the steam space in the jacket, and a valve adapted to close on said seat and constituting, when closed, the bottom of the said sterilizing receptacle, the outlet of the jacket being arranged to cause the expulsion of practically all the water of condensation from the jacket by steam pressure therein, whereby the entire lower portion of the inner surface of the jacket is utilized as a heating surface extending substantially to the valve.

3. A sterilizing hopper comprising a steam jacket forming the wall of a sterilizing receptacle, and a valve chamber below the jacket having a valve seat in close proximity to the steam space of the jacket, a valve adapted to close on said seat and form the bottom of said receptacle, and an outlet below the valve.

4. A sterilizing hopper comprising a steam jacket having a steam inlet and an outlet for steam and water of condensation, botli located above the lower end of the jacket, the said outlet having its intake snbstantially at the bottom of the steam space so that practically all the water of condensation is expelled by steam pressure through the outlet, a valve seat at the lower end of the jacket and in close proximity to the steam space thereof and a valve adapted to close on said seat.

5. A sterilizing hopper comprising a steam jacket having a steam inlet and an outlet for steam and water of condensation both located above the lower end of the jacket, the intake of the outlet being substantially at the bottom of the steam space of the jacket, a valve chamber having a socket'. which receives the lower end of the jacket, a valve seat in close proximity to the lower end of the jacket, a valve adapted to close on said seat, and an outlet below the valve.

In testimony whereof I have aliixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

` ARTHUR C. BADGICR. Witnesses C. F. BROWN, I). W. PEzzE'rrr.

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