AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING THE IMPURE WATERS EMANATING FROM SUGAR FACTORIES AND OTHER INDUSTRIAL ESTABLISHMENTS, APPLICABLE ALSO TO THE PURIFICATION OF SEWAGE WATER
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ernst Sivern, of Halle, in the Kingdom of Prussia;
Architect; for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND APPARATUS
FOR PURIFYING THE IMPURE WATERS EMANATING FROM SUGAR FACTORIES AND
OTHER INDUSTRIAL ESTABLISHMENTS, APPLICABLE ALSO TO THE PURIFICATION OF
SEWAGE WATER."
Sealed the 16th July 1867, and dated the 17th January 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ernst Süvern at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 17th
January 1867.
İ, ERNST SÜVERN, of Halle, in the Kingdom of Prussia, Architect, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND
APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING THE IMPURE WATERS EMANATING FROM SUGAR FACTORIES
AND OTHER INDUSTRIAL ESTABLISHMENTS; APPLICABLE ALSO TO THE PURIFICATION OF
SEWAGE WATER," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to disinfect the impure waters emanating from
sugar factories and other manufacturing establishments, which is accomplished
as follows:-I make use of a system of three reservoirs, the situations of which
are shewn in the accompanying Drawings. The three reservoirs are each of
the same size; the dimensions being determined by the quantity of water which
they are required to cleanse, the proportions found in practice to be the best
are four times the breadth for the length, and the depth not more than 6 feet;
the bottoms of the reservoirs are paved with common stones and sand (without

page_text: mortar); the side walls are constructed obliquely at an angle of about 45°; at
the head of each reservoir there is a paved sloping way by which manure carts
may drive into and out of the reservoirs. The impure waters which it is
my object to purify unite outside of the factory in a small open canal about
one foot wide and one food deep, over which stand two vats R, R, intended to
receive the disinfecting compound, and having each at the bottom a hole of
suitable size provided with a conic tap, by drawing out which tap as much of
the disinfecting compound as may be required is allowed to flow into the canal
and mix with the impure water. The disinfecting compound which I use
consists of burnt lime with five per cent. of coal tar and about ten times
as much water as lime; the lime is slacked in one of the vats R, and at its
greatest heat is mixed with the tar; experience has proved the addition of tar
to be an indispensable and essential ingredient to render the efficiency of the
compound complete. As the flow of the disinfecting compound must be day
and night equally strong and continuous two lime vats are necessary, the con-
tents of one of which flow out while the other is being prepared. The impure
water thus mixed with the disinfecting matter flows on through the small
canal to reservoir No. 3; it is a matter of great importance that the portion
of this canal between the vat and reservoir No. 3 should be at least 100 feet
long in order that the impure water and the disinfecting matter may be
thoroughly mixed before they arrive at said reservoir No. 3; in this reservoir
by far the greater part of if not all the slime and deposit separated from the
water by the disinfecting fluid quickly descend to the bottom. Above the
deposit thus formed the purified water flows on as indicated by arrows in tho
Drawing, the dirty water which flows into the reservair flowing out through
the pipe P situated in the back of the reservoir into the clearing reservoir
No. 2. The object of reservoirs Nos. 1 and 3 is to catch and hold the slimy
mass as a whole, while the object of reservoir No. 2 is. to remove the last
traces of impurity, and thus clear the water completely. To accomplish this
object reservoir No. 2 is provided with the following contrivance:-By means
of partitions C the water is caused to move several times from the top to the
bottom of the reservoir in an undulating direction, and at last being made to
pass out at the top over a wear with a fall of only one inch; when arrived at
the outlet A at the level of the top of the reservoir the water is as pure and
clear as if it were filtered; when the mud in reservoir No. 3 has accumulated
to the height of about four feet, which it will take about three weeks to do,
that reservoir is shut off and the empty reservoir No. 1 is opened to receive
the impure water, from which it flows into reservoir No. 2 through outlet P
to flow out at the pipe A clear and pure. For the purpose of freeing reser-

page_text: voirs Nos. 1 & 3 of the mud collected therein a large basket K of laths
lined with wickerwork is placed in the centre of the reservoir, the bottom of
which rests about six inches below the pavement of the reservoir, which pave-
ment inclines in every direction towards the basis of said basket, in conse-
quence of which the fluid portion of the refuse passes into the basket, which
is emptied several times a day into reservoir No. 2 by the man who has
charge of the works; here the mud is gradually so much drained that after
the lapse of about a week it can easily be taken out with a spade and put into
carts. The mud thus obtained can be employed as manure to such advantage
as to pay for the whole process of disinfection. By the time that reservoir
No. 1 is filled with slime up to the height of about four feet reservoir No. 3
must be entirely emptied; the water is then again let into reservoir No. 3
while reservoir No. I. is emptied in like manner, and in this way the purification
of the water can be regularly carried on.
In Fig. 2 of the accompanying Drawings is shewn a system for periodical
efflux, which as will be seen is arranged nearly in the same manner as that
shewn in Fig. 1. which is for permanent efflux. There are various impure
waters besides those of sugar factories, such as those of the common sewers of
towns, of street gutters, and also of various manufacturing establishments,
which do not clear so quickly by my disinfecting process, and therefore do not
flow out clear enough at A; for this kind of water I use the said system with
periodical efflux. In this process the water flows first into reservoir No. 3
till the same is nearly filled and is then shut off; the water then flows into
reservoir No. 2, during which process the water in reservoir No. 3 has had
sufficient time to become perfectly clear and is now emptied at A to the depth
of about 1 or 2 feet; at A there is a large couie tap in connection with the
pure water channel which can be opened or closed at pleasure, and lies about
feet above the bottom of the reservoir; when all the clear water down to
this height has been run off the tap is closed and reservoir No. 3 is again
ready to receive the impure water; when reservoir No. 3 is again nearly full
reservoir No. 2 is emptied by means of the tap at A, and thus the process goes
on alternately, while one reservoir is filling the other is clearing itself; after
about 10 days the slime in reservoir No. 3 will have reached a height of about
2 feet, then the use of reservoir No. 3 is for a time discontinued and reservoir
No. 1, which has hitherto remained empty, comes into use instead. During
the succeeding ten days the slime of reservoir No. 3 inust be drained and
taken out in the manner above described; it then again comes into use to
supply the place of reservoir No. 2, which it has now become necessary to
clean out; thus then this system requires two reservoirs to be always in

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Ernst Süvern in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th
July 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ERNST
SÜVERN, of Halle, in the Kingdom of Prussia, Architect, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Ernst Süvern, Her special licence that I, the said Ernst Süvern, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Ernst
Süvern, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND APPA-
RATUS FOR PURIFYING THE IMPURE WATERS EMANATING PROM SUGAR FACTORIES
AND OTHER INDUSTRIAL ESTABLISHMENTS, APPLICABLE ALSO TO THE PURIFICATION
OF SEWAGE WATER," upon the condition (amongst others), that I, the said Ernst
Süvern, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Ernst Süvern, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to
the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
The object of this Invention is to purify the impure water emanating from
sugar factories and other industrial establishments, and also common sewage
water, which I accomplish as follows:-I make use of a system of three
reservoirs which are of the same size and form as shewn on the accompanying

page_text: Drawings; their dimensions are determined by the quantity of water to be
purified, but I prefer to make them four times longer than broad, and to give
them a depth of 5 feet, or in cases and when larger reservoirs are required,
of six feet; the bottoms of the said reservoirs are paved with brick or common
stonework laid in sand without mortar; the said walls are constructed
obliquely at an angle of about 45 degrees, and do not require stonework when
the soil is a tenacious clay, and at the head of each reservoir there is a paved
sloping way by which manure carts may drive into and out of the reservoirs.
The impure waters which it is the object of this Invention to purify unite
outside the factory in a small open canal or stream D, Fig. 1, about one
foot wide and one foot deep, over which canal are placed two vats K, K,
intended to receive the disinfecting compound, and having each at the
bottom a hole of suitable size provided with a conic or other tap, by drawing
out which tap as much of the disinfecting compound as may be required is
allowed to flow into the said canal and mix with the impure water. The
disinfecting compound or mixture which I use consists of burnt lime with
about five per cent, of coal tar and about ten times as much water as lime,
and, when necessary, with the addition of from ten per cent. to twenty-five
per cent. of chloride of magnesium; the crude melted chloride of magnesium
of Strassfort will answer the purpose; the lime is slacked in one of the vats K,
and at its greatest heat is mixed with the tar. Experience has shewn the
addition of tar to be an indispensable and essential ingredient to render the
efficiency of the compound complete. As the flow of the disinfecting com-
pound must be day and night equally strong and continuous, two lime vats as
before mentioned are necessary, the contents of one of which flow out while
the other is being prepared. The impure water thus mixed with the disin-
fecting matter flows on through the small canal to reservoir No. III. It is
a matter of great importance that the portion of the said canal between the
vats and reservoirs No. I. and III. should be at least one hundred feet long
in order that the impure water and the disinfecting matter may be thoroughly
mixed before they arrive at the said reservoirs Nos. I. and III.; in this
reservoir by far the greater part if not the whole of the impurities
separated from the water by the disinfecting fluid quickly descend to the
bottom. Above the deposit thus formed the purified water flows on as
indicated by arrows in the Drawing through the pipe R into the clearing
reservoir No. II., in which such impurities as are still suspended in the water
completely settle down. The object of reservoirs I. and III., which are to be
used alternately, is to catch and hold the slimy mass as a whole, while the
object of reservoir No. II. is to remove the last traces of impurity and thus

page_text: clear the water completely. To accomplish this object reservoir No. II. is
provided with the following contrivance :-By means of partitions C the water
in passing from one end of the reservoir to the other is caused to move
several times from the top to the bottom of the reservoir in an undulation
motion, and is at last made to pass out of the reservoir at A at a level near to
the top; when arrived at the outlet A the water is as pure and clear as if it
were filtered; when the mud in reservoir No. III. has accummulated to the
height of about four feet, which it will take near three weeks to do, that
reservoir is shut off and the empty reservoir No. I. is opened to receive the
impure water, whence, likewise, it flows into reservoir No. II., to flow out at
the pipe A clear and pure. For the purpose of freeing reservoir No. III. of
the mud collected therein one or more large baskets B of laths lined with
wickerwork are placed in the sides of the reservoir, the bottoms of the said
baskets resting some inches below the pavement of the bottom of the reservoir.
The said pavement inclines in every direction towards the said baskets, in
consequence of which the fluid portion of the refuse passes into the baskets,
which are several times a day to be emptied into reservoir No. II., whereby
the mud becomes so drained that after the lapse of about a week it can be
readily removed with a spade and put into à cart; the refuse thus obtained
can be used as manure to such advantage as to pay for the process of disin-
fection. By the time that reservoir No. I. is filled with the refuse up to the
height of about four feet reservoir No. III. must be entirely emptied; the
water is then again let into reservoir No. III., whilst reservoir No. I. is in
like manner emptied, and in this way the purification of the water can be
regularly and continuously carried on.
In Fig. 2 of the accompanying Drawings is shewn a system for periodical
efflux constructed for such impure waters as can be cleared less easily and
quickly. It is arranged nearly in the same manner as that shewn in Fig. 1,
which is for permanent efflux. Fig. 3 again shews a modification of the
system for permanent efflux constructed for the disinfection of the sewage
water of cities.
In the system with periodical efflux the impure water flows first into
reservoir No. III. (Fig. 2) till the same is nearly full, and is then shut off.
The water then flows into reservoir No. II., during which process the impure
water in reservoir No. III. has had sufficient time to become perfectly clear,
which is then emptied at A to the depth of about one and a half or two feet.
At A there is a large conic tap in connection with the pure water channel
which can be opened or closed at pleasure, and lies about one and a half feet
from the top of the reservoir.
When all the clear water down to this height

page_text: has been run off the tap is closed, and reservoir No. III. is again ready to
receive the impure water; when reservoir No. III. is again nearly full
reservoir No. II. is emptied by means of the tap at A, and thus the process
goes on alternately, while one reservoir is filling the water in the other is
clearing. After a period of about 10 days the deposit in reservoir No. III. will
have reached the height of about two feet when the use of reservoir No. III.
is for a time discontinued, and reservoir No. I., which has hitherto remained
empty, comes into use instead; during the following ten days the deposit in
reservoir No. III. must be drained and taken out in the same manner as in
the system herein-before described; it then comes into use to supply the place
of reservoir No. II., which it has now become necessary to clear out; thus,
then, this system requires two reservoirs to be always in use while the
mud is taken out of the third, and the disinfecting process can go on without
interruption. In the case of the disinfection of town sewage water the disin-
fecting mixture is run at suitable parts into the branch sewers, so that the
sewage water is disinfected in the town. Outside of the town the water runs
into a system of reservoirs with permanent efflux, differing only from those
first described in the combination of the reservoirs; reservoirs Nos. I. and III.
in this case communicate each with a separate reservoir No. II. in which the
purification of the water is completed, whilst for the same object in the former
case reservoirs I. and III. communicated alternately with one and the same
reservoir No. II.
It will be obvious from the foregoing description that the general arrange-
ments of this method may be subject to various modifications according to
circumstances without departing from the principles of the Invention.
Having therefore thus fully described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is or may be performed, I claim as
my Invention the improved mode of and apparatus for purifying the impure
waters emanating from sugar factories and other industrial establishments, and
also for the purification of sewage and other impure waters.
In witness whereof, I, the said Ernst Süvern, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of July, in the year of our Lord
Eighteen hundred and sixty-seven.
ERNST SÜVERN. (L.S.)