A New and Complete Mode of Permanently Protecting Rivers and Streams Generally from Pollution by Deleterious Fluids of all kinds.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Dec., 1896
Complete Specification Left 12th May 1897-Accented 18th Sept. 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New and Complete Mode of Permanently Protecting Rivers and
Streams Generally from Pollution by Deleterious Fluids of all kinds.
We JOHN EVANS HUMPIRIS of Thame Oxfordshire Engineer and CHARLES
JOSEPH PLIM of Thame Oxfordshire Accountant do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
We select a few acres of land arable or pasture so that it be fairly distant from
the environs of the Town Village or place from which the sewerage flows and
elevated above all risk of floods and proved by inspection borings or otherwise
to possess a permeable substratum charged with water the bed of which gravitates
or inclines away from the town its springs &c. There sink a shaft or shafts
according to population, right deep into the permeable strata as deep as the rush
of water will allow the excavators to go by the aid of pumps and appliances this
is most important. These shafts being substantially steened from bottom to
surface (with proper backing and protected behind to above the level of springs)
where there is connected with these shafts specially formed settling pools with
special falls (protected from the action of the weather) for all fetid matter and
organisms held in suspension to settle undisturbed at the bottom of each, which
with due care in structure will clarify all liquids poured into them before entering
the shafts, and will be many years if left, before the percolating pores in the
bottoms and prepared sides of the shafts will be seriously encumbered by animalcule
bacteria microbes or other organisms, or, they might be pumped out periodically,
when every organism which may per chance have passed the falls, living or dead,
will be violently forced out of the pores by the hydraulic action of the deep springs
and brought on to the surface, when that surface is parched dry by summer heat,
then all such organisms will die, and fertilize the grass, or be ploughed, or dug in.
The drainage effluents, fetid liquids, and the like, may be brought to these
works in dykes or pipes no.matter how far distant by gravitation syphon or
mechanical forces or appliances of any kind from any outlets and never by any
means as such enter any public streams as the putrid percolation from the shafts
will not penetrate ten yards away into the surrounding permeable soils in a
century hence the utter impossibility of ever polluting any River.
Dated this 22nd day of December 1896.
JOHN EVANS HUMPHRIS,
CHARLES JOSEPH PLIM.
A New and Complete Mode of Permanently Protecting Rivers and
Streams Generally from Pollution by Deleterious Fluids of all kinds.
We, JOHN EVANS HUMPHRIS, Engineer, and CHARLES JOSEPH PLIM, Accountant,
both of Thame, in the County of Oxfordshire, do hereby declare the nature, of
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page_text: this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:
We select a few acres of land arable or pasture so that it be fairly distant from
the environs of the town village or place from which the sewerage flows and
elevated above all risks of floods and proved by inspections borings or otherwise
to possess a permeable substratum charged with water the bed of which gravitates
or inclines away from the town its springs &c. There sink a shaft or shafts.
according to population right deep as the rush of water will allow the excavators
to go by the aid of pumps and appliances, this is most important. These shafts
being substantially steened from bottom to surface with proper backing, and
protected behind to above the level of the springs, where there is connected with
these shafts at or near the surface specially formed settling pools with special falls
protected from the action of the weather, for all fetid matter and organisms held
in suspension to settle undisturbed at the bottom of each; which with due care in
structure will clarify all liquids poured into them before entering the shafts and
will be many years if left, before the percolation pores in the bottoms and pre-
pared sides of the shafts will be seriously encumbered by animalcule, or they may
be pumped out periodically when every organism which may perchance have
passed the falls living or dead will be violently forced out of the pores by the
hydraulic reaction of the deep springs and brought onto the surface, and destroyed.
The drainage effluents fetid liquids and the like may be brought to these works
in dykes or pipes no matter how far distant by gravitation syphon or mechanical
forces or appliances of any kind from any outlets and never by any means as such
enter any public streams, as the putrid percolation from the shafts will probably
not penetrate ten yards away into the surrounding permeable soils in a century
lience the utter impossibility of ever polluting any river, or stream.
We select a few acres of land with a light porous soil, the surface so laid that
all rain surface water can be retained on and sink into it naturally throughout
the varying seasons (or artificially retained) having no trench ditch or gutter
outlet or connection with any water course whatever and fairly distant from the
environs of any coal iron or other mines, or from any village town or place it
must be elevated above all risks of floods or artesian flow above ground and proved
by geological inspections borings or otherwise to possess a fairly thick layer of
permeable substratum (this will be a guide as to the number of shafts and the
height of the green wood perforated cylinder at the base of shafts) of any forma-
tion charged with spring water the bed of which gravitates or inclines away from
the town etc. its springs, though in most cases this is not so important as it may
seem at first sight as the percolation through the dense layers of strata cannot
carry a solution of fetid matter but an extremely limited distance in a century,
there sink the necessary number of shafts according to the amount of effluent to
be dealt with the porousity of the permeable bed depth of water etc.
The formation of the shafts of iron or steel the basement sections should be
made of green native timber (in preference to iron or steel, as the perforations
would soon be closed by rust; effluents will oxydise metal very fast) such as elm
or beech as neither will ever rot when permanently and totally submerged; the
boards with open joints projecting vertically below the bearing ring will form a
cutting edge to aid the excavators in their descent, the bearing spaces between
the rings or ribs will or may be lined within the boarding with woven asbestos
or cloth, and supported by special made bricks laid without cement, on the top
of these iron segment sections must be secured (preferably with ring sections
secured together similar to artesian tubes. Any shafts that are not roofed over
should have raised banks all round to prevent any surface rain water running
into them. The piston plunger is fitted with one or more valves to open by
gravitation, or spring to facilitate the upward movement to allow freedom of
return and a passage for any liquid passing the piston or precipitated during these
operations of force.
The construction positions and numbers of these shafts must be determined

page_text: largely by the underlying and surrounding conditions, having sluice gates or
other controlable outlets, for delivery of liquids in any direction, so that under
any circumstances none shall flow or land beyond the precincts of the estate works
or into any public stream but safely retained on these premises. The effluent
may pass into the shafts from the precipitating pools by gravitation, syphon, or
any mechanical agencies. The shafts or cylinders or segments or sections of same
or any combination of same may be secured together for forcing or cleaning the
pores for percolation purposes at the bottoms of the cylinders or shafts, that is
they may be forced and cleared by hydraulic internal or external action of water
or vice versa.
Each shaft should contain one large or as many standing tubs or vessels with
fixed lifting bows or handles as may be convenient in the shaft, filled with small
broken blocks of burnt fire clay broken to pea size or any fire proof material to
form shelters, recesses, or caves, for the living organisms to rest in that may
perchance have passed the falls for this reason if no provision is made for these
invisible creatures, they will have to fight against the gravitating pressure until
they are vanquished and forced into the percolating pores of the shaft to die, a
consequent choking of these outlets must be imperceptably going on, as it is not
known at present how much glutinae a few millions of these bodies massod
together may contain which may adhere to the pores, whereas the cells in the tubs
would serve as resting places for them, so that whenever a shaft is pumped out,
these tubs with their living organisms can be drawn up undisturbed to the surface
and purified.
The percolation pores with proper precautions observed will never be seriously
encumbered, as the application of powerful and sharp pumping would restore it
by bringing the outside water through the sides of the shafts so violently that
nothing we know of could resist or prevent it being freed of all encumbrances
and become as useful as at first, and as the bottoms would receive and retain
whatever sedimentary matter if any deposited, the woven asbestos covering on its
frame work would bag down, in the middle when gently drawn up and retain
whatever rests on it which can be purified by fire and replaced; the chief object
of the settling pools above is to prevent the possibility of this.
These trenches can be reached very effectually by a light portable railway to
carry a scorching spirit machine that will send its flame with all the violence
possible direct into the trench completely destroying all living organisms, after
the manner of a soldering or paint burning lamp. The principle of filtering and
clarifying all foul liquids effluents, drainage before entering the shafts or
cylinders which must be done as an absolute necessity to maintain free percolation
in the pores at bottom as long as possible.
To prevent the necessity of strict watching the works at all times, these shafts.
may be placed any distances apart and so arranged that all shafts having the
flow rising too high will be fitted with ball lever or any suitable appliance for
closing same, causing the liquid to pass on to other shafts.
Under properly enclosed fire proof buildings (ventilated with roofs to keep off
the sun and rain) each set of filter beds precipitating pools will commence with
a large frame suspended above as a sieve of woven asbestos over the first receiving
tank which will bag down hollow to receive the drainage if not properly freed
from floating rubbish, which can be readily removed. Effluents from sewerage
works would hardly require this process but all would pass into a partitioned
tank, that is the partition across having openings to connect them at bottom,
both these filled with clean ashes &c. and covered with a woven asbestos cloth
and held down by any suitable weights or frames to prevent the ashes floating
out of place, the liquid enters the top and sinks and passes under the partition and
delivers itself over a gentle battering descent, hardly to be called a fall, into a
covered or darkened pool (to form the home of the microbes etc. which may be
treated separately by fire at any time). from thence into the successive pools in
any requisite number, being all connected by battering falls of say two inches

page_text: deep from edge of fall to the surface of the next receiving pool, the depths of
these in themselves is optional, these falls formed horse-shoe, or crescent shape or
straight, so that sufficient horizontal extent is obtained to insure that the full
stream passing over shall not preferably exceed the 60th part of au inch in depth
thus the gentle disturbing influences in the receiving pools will be reduced to the
slightest minimum.
All these pools will be provided with lateral openings by suitable appliances
traps etc. so that either pool may be drawn off separately without interfering
with the action of the others if one betrays any unusual microbic or bacterial
activity. Provision must be made for a direct flame of spirit 'fire being driven.
forcibly into the escaped effluxion as it leaves the pool which will clear the air
above same before it reaches the earth trench, where it will receive a complete
scorching when spread along the course as described, before the earth is filled in.
There would be no difficulty if care is taken that no debris was carried by
storm water into the shafts, making it quite certain that the catchment tanks, or
pools, are positively and absolutely necessary in all cases.
All shafts must positively be in direct and absolute contact with the surrounded
living spring (or flowing along an incline plain to allow gravitating and horizontal
action which will be accelerated vastly by the greater depth obtainable and
accommodate a larger volume of fluid and consequent weight in each shaft unless
the test should be in a subterranean valley or basin of clay or other almost
impermeable soil or rock; hence the necessity for seeking and testing the highest
altitudes in which to sink shafts, thus saving the subsequent application of
artificial forces. The all important process of scrupulously cleaning the effluents
from turbid, slimage, adhesive or sedimentary matter in solution, the precipitating
pools described must not be overtaxed and reactionary pumping out of the shafts
must be frequent.
The chief novelty of process lies in going the whole depth into a permeable
detachable substratum however deep and then by forcible exhaustion open up all
the subterranean channels or pores by the extraction of all disturbed deatris
moved during progress of works round the shaft and thus secure a free percolation
in all directions into the natural beds and when or wherever the effluent disappears
slowly, a severe and continued application of the pumps must be resorted to for
cleaning the shafts and surroundings, the formation of which is more or less
described; but in some localities circumstances may require some modifying or
extended details according to the natural conditions of elevations, surfaces, depth
of springs, variations of strata or the like. Wells from which water is drawn
are prepared very similar but none are or have hitherto been made to receive
effluent in any state, the essential state of which must be free from all turbid
solutions, as provided for, or the whole will be a failure in a very little time.
This is a most important claim upon which almost all the scheme depends.
The truth and proof of its utility has been found by long study, recent experiments
and confirmatory trials, which places this compound invention beyond a possibility
of doubt. The Patentees would not object to drink this purified effluent for the
remainder of their lives, because they know that they may do so with impunity.
In order that our invention may be more fully understood we will describe the
same with reference to the accompanying sheet of drawings.
Fig. 1, is a ground plan of the open tanks and building."
Fig. 2, is a transverse section.
Fig. 3, is a transverse section of the open tanks.
The same letters of reference show the corresponding parts in the several figures
of the drawings.
a shaft. outlet pipe. c connecting drain. d precipitating pools. è valves.
f slide openings. g filter. h inlets. i drain. open precipitating tank. kopen
settling tank. spring level. m iron cylinders bolted together. brick lining.
o wood rings. p charged refuse vessels.
9 concrete. louvres. siron roof.
ground line. u throttle valve or slides. open frame and lid.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:
1. In a new and complete mode of permanently protecting rivers and streams
generally from pollution by deleterious fluids of all kinds, the combination of
the various parts fully described in the above specification.
2. In a new and complete mode of permanently protecting rivers and streams
generally from pollution by deleterious Huids of all kinds, the method of purifying
all drainage effluents absolutely from sedimentary and organic matters before
precipitating them into the water bearing beds in the earth, substantially as
described.
3. The method of permanently protecting streams and rivers generally from
pollution by deleterious fluids of all kinds, such as Town drainage filtered or
otherwise as effluents from common, or scientific sewage (or grass) Farms, manu-
facturers' waste fluids or the like, substantially as described for the purpose
specified.
4. The method of bringing the gravitating forces of nature into severe contact
with the artificial or hydraulic forces of science and vice versa, to commence and
maintain a free gravitating percolation for fluids that have been purified and
cleaned as far as possible by the best known agencies that man can bring to bear
for this purpose; which after all and every operation possible by filteration or
chemical means is not pure enough for drinking purposes for either man or beast
and as there is no other real remedy provided, we put it away in such a manner
that it will never reach any stream or river, for the purpose specified.
5. The method or principle of setting apart any given tract of land bounded
by a ring fence, which must be guarded on its lowest sides or boundaries where
earth works are thrown up, the height of these will be ruled as follows: the porous
nature of the top soil, if with gradients or flat, the acreage area, the number of
inches of rain annually falling according to the rain gauges of the neighbourhood,
so that the temporary receptacles, reservoirs etc., are sufficient which may have
brick or stone steened sump holes or dumb wells near to let them soak away, or
by shaft to precipitate all liquids within works, so that every drop shall quit by
vertical gravitation precipitated into the earth (or by evaporation), no connection
with surrounding land by artificial trench, ditch, drain or subterranean way what-
This system of dealing with effluents is illustrated by several novel processes
in detail described in this specification for the purpose specified.
Dated this 10th day of Nov 1907
J. P. BAYLY,
18 Fulham Place, London, W., Agent for the Applicants.