Improvements in Sludge or Sewage Tanks.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd June, 1898
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Mar., 1899-Accepted, 15th Apr., 1899
Improvements in Sludge or Sewage Tanks.
We, RICHARD WILDER, JAMES WILDER and HENRY WILDER, all of Wallingford,
in the County of Berkshire, Agricultura! Engineers, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists of improvements in sludge or sewage tanks, the object
of such improvement being the more efficient treatment and economical use of
sewage and the like than has heretofore been the case.
According to our invention, we cause the sewage to flow through a series of
precipitation tanks, the fluid filling each tank in turn and then overflowing through
a filter into the next one, allowing time for solids to settle in diminishing quantity
in each successive tank, the final effluent being comparatively free from solid
matter.
In carrying out our invention, we find it convenient to construct a large oblong
receptacle with its two opposite and longer sides sloping to one end. We then
place therein, say, two or more divisions, at convenient distances apart, and in con-
tact with the sides of the tank, so that they do not extend the full height of the
same. Thus the receptacle is divided into a series of smaller receptacles or tanks.
Upon the top edge of or attached to each of the divisions aforesaid, we mount a
two-walled screen of trough shape and made preferably of wire netting or basket
work extending the full width of the division, the contained space being filled
or partially filled with coke breeze or similar filtering material. At one side and
near the bottom of each tank we provide a mud hole with removable cover, said
mudhole being for the purpose of withdrawing the deposit and cleaning out the
tank. At one side of the main receptacle, we may construct another smaller tank
for receiving the solid product: We may empty the tanks of their fluid contents,
when it is desired to clean them, by means of a flexible pipe, connected at one
end to a floating strainer and at the other to a cock, the object of the floating
strainer being to take off the more or less liquid part of the sewage or sludge,
so that when cleaning out the tanks there only remains solid matter to be treated
with.
The action is as follows. Sewage flows into the first and deepest tank where
much of the solid matter settles. When it reaches a height equal to the above
mentioned division, the more liquid part flows through the filtering medium, and
into the second tank, where a similar process is gone through, and so on, until
finally the liquid sewage is delivered in a much purified state on to the land.
The solid matter left in the tanks is cleared out through the mudholes into the
side tank, from which any liquid matter may flow through the filter on to the
land, the remaining solid matter being suitably disposed of by, say, mixing with
dry earth, refuse, ashes or the like.

page_text: Improvements in Sludge or sewage Tanks.
We, RICHARD WILDER, JAMES WILDER and HENRY WILDER, all of Wallingford,
in the County of Berkshire, Agricultural Engineers, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention consists of improvements in sludge or sewage tanks, the object
of such improvements being the more efficient treatment and economical use of
sewage and the like than has heretofore been the case.
According to our invention, we cause the sewage to flow through a series of
precipitation tanks, the fluid filling each tank in turn and then overflowing through
a filter into the next one, allowing the solids to settle in diminishing quantity
in each successive tank, the final effluent being comparatively free from solid
matter.!
We
may carry out our invention as follows, reference being made to the accom-
panying drawings in which
Figure 1 is a vertical section taken on line X-X of Figure 3.
Figure 2 a vertical section on line Y-Y of Figure 3, and
Figure 3 a plan of Figure 1.
In said drawings, A A shows that part of the tank into which the sewage is
first emptied and in which are the filtering cages, B B the remainder of the tank
into which the sewage flows after having passed through the series of tanks or
compartments C, D, E made by dividing the tank A A by means of partitions F, G,
and mounted on or adjacent to these partitions F, G are the filtering cages H, H³,
H. The sewage inlet culvert is shown at I, and the outlet for the sewage after
filtration at K; L, L, L', with the handles L, L", are the sluice valves for con-
trolling the flow of sewage. M, M are beds composed of filtering material or
materials, separated from one another by the partition N. An overflow or relief
channel for the sewage is shown at O, while P represents the foundation of the
tank.
The action is as follows. The sluice valve L' (which may be in the form of
a sliding door) being opened, the sludge or sewage flows through the culvert I
into the first compartment C of the tank A. Upon reaching the height of the first
filter H, the sewage partly passes into same and flows through on the further side
in a somewhat filtered condition. It will only be the more liquid part that will
flow through the filter, as, even without the aid of the latter, the solids contained
in the sewage will tend to settle by gravitation, but the object of the filter is to
still further hold back the solids. The sewage in the second compartment D,
upon rising to the height of the second filter H¹, will be acted upon as described
with regard to the filter H, and BO on, until, the sewage having
passed through the filter H emerges in a much purified state,
and the sluice valves L, L (which may be of similar construction to the sluice
valve L¹) being open, delivers on to further filtering beds M, M, whence, after
filtration through same, it is carried away by the outlets K K.
We may make the tank B of larger superficial area than the tank A, thus
giving greater filtering surface to the beds M, M.
The filters H, H2 and H may be of open or basket work, the filtering material
being composed of, say, coke breeze, or other suitable substance.
We may find it convenient to make the cages containing the filtering material
in two or more parts, for the purpose of easy removal.
In order to remove the solid matter that may settle in the tanks, we may pro-

page_text: vide mud-holes with removable covers, the solid matter being disposed of, say, by
mixing with dry earth, refuse, ashes or the like.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:-
1. The method of treating sludge or sewage by causing it to flow into a tank
divided into successive compartments, each compartment being provided with a
filter or filters, substantially as described and with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
2. For the purpose of treating sludge or sewage a series of precipitation tanks
provided with openwork cages such as shown at H, H, H", filled with some well
known filtering material and made in any convenient number of parts for the
purpose described and with reference to the accompanying drawings.
3. The improvements in sludge or sewage tanks consisting of a series of pre-
cipitation tanks, or else a tank divided by cross partitions, the separating walls
or partitions being combined with filtering cages or equivalent means, the whole
being in combination with a filtering bed or beds and suitable inlets and effluents,
substantially as described.
Dated this 2nd day of March 1899.
For the Applicant,
STANLEY, POPPLEWELL & Co.,
61 and 62, Chancery Lane
(7 and 8, Southampton Buildings), London, W.C.,
Chartered Patent Agents.