An Improved Deodorizing, Decolorizing, and Filtering Medium.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Nov., 1886
Complete Left, 23rd Aug., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 27th Sept., 1887.
An Improved Deodorizing, Decolorizing, and Filtering Medium.
We OWEN BOWEN of 66 Mark Lane in the City of London, Civil Engineer and
JOHN COBELDICK of St. Piran's, Stockwell Green in the County of Surrey, Surveyor,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide, at a small cost, a material which can be
used for deodorizing and filtering sewage, decolorizing dye water, and for filtering
purposes generally.
In carrying out this invention, we utilize what is now a waste product, namely shale,
which is found in large quantities in layers between layers of lime and other stone
and notably at Lyme Regis in Dorsetshire.
This shale, when broken up into small pieces, is mixed with alumina, say ordinary
aluminous earth free from silica, in the proportions of about 85% of shale to 15%
of alumina.
The combined mass is the subjected to a heat of about 1200° F. for from 3 to 4 hours
in a kiln or retort of any suitable description, after which it is allowed to cool
down.
•
When cold, the calcined mass is drawn and crushed or ground in suitable crushing
or grinding machinery, and a filtering medium is thus produced particularly suited
for treating sewage and other refuse waters, as well as for filtering water for
domestic use.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Deodorizing, Decolorizing, and Filtering Medium.
We OWEN BOWEN of 66 Mark Lane in the City of London, Civil Engineer, and
JOHN COBELDICK of St. Piran's, Stockwell Green in the County of Surrey, Surveyor
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:
The object of this invention is to provide, at a small cost, a material which can be
used for deodorizing and filtering sewage, decolorizing dye water, and for filtering
purposes generally.
In carrying out this invention, we utilize what is now a waste product, namely, a
material which is found in large quantities between layers of lime and other stone,
and notably at Lyme Regis in Dorsetshire, and which we designate Lyme Regis shale
or clay.
This shale, when broken up into small pieces of about 1 inch cube, is mixed with
alumina, say ordinary aluminous earth, free from silica also broken up to about the
same sized pieces, in the proportions of about 85% by weight of shale to 15% of
alumina.
The combined mass is then subjected to a heat of from 900 to 1200° Fahr. for from
4 to 6 hours, in a kiln or retort of any suitable description, an ordinary limekiln, for
example, after which it is allowed to cool down.
When cold, the calcined mass is drawn, and crushed in suitable crushing machinery
to three different sizes or grades the largest of which will be of the size of a hazel nut,
and the smallest, dust.-The filtering medium thus produced is particularly suited
for treating sewage and other, refuse waters, as well as for filtering water for
domestic use.
In laying a filter bed with this medium, we place the largest pieces at the bottom,
and the dust at the top, and we cover the bed with perforated malting tiles. The
filtration we prefer should be in an upward direction, though downward filtration may
also be used.
After about a month's use, the filtering medium will have to a great extent lost its
efficacy, but it can be renewed or recuperated by being again calcined with about
20% of alumina, and then crushed as before.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is :-
1st. A deodorizing, decolorizing, and filtering medium, composed of Lyme Regis
shale, or equivalent material, and alumina, in or about the proportions given, and
prepared for use in the manner herein described.
2nd. In the production of a deodorizing, decolorizing, and filtering medium, the
use of a waste product which we term shale found in the limestone quarries of Lyme
Regis in Dorsetshire, as set forth.