Iмprove- MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SEWER PIPES, DRAIN PIPES, AND MODES OF TREATING SEWAGE
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Conyers Morrell, Civil Engineer, of
Leyland, near Preston, Lancashire, for the Invention of "Iмprove-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SEWER PIPES, DRAIN PIPES, AND MODES
OF TREATING SEWAGE."
Sealed the 16th February 1875, and dated the 10th December 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Conyers Morrell
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 10th December 1874.
I, JAMES CONYERS MORRELL, Civil Engineer, of Leyland, near Preston,
Lancashire, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SEWER PIPES, DRAIN PIPES, AND MODES
OF TREATING SEWAGE," to be as follows:
-
The object of this Invention is to facilitate and to secure advantages
which will promote the adoption of a double system of sewers in the
drainage of towns and districts, and further to reduce to the minimum
the difficulties of dealing with sewage waters.

page_text: The improvements in the pipes referred to consist in having them
made with two compartments in one pipe, so that the laying of one of
these combined pipes will serve to secure all the advantages to be derived
from the construction in the ordinary way of a double system of sewers,
one for rainfall and one for sewage proper or sulliage. The pipes, which
are by preference made of earthenware, are also by preference egg shaped,
the upper portion or compartment being larger than the lower one, and
to be used for the conveyance of the rainfall surface and subsoil drainage
water, the lower one being used for conveying the sewage or sulliage.
The improvements further consist in connecting the two compart-
ments by means of a tube or shaft connection or connections in such a
way that the contents of the upper or rainfall pipe may during a storm
or heavy rain period rise and overflow through this connecting tube or
opening in the shaft and pass into the lower or sewage pipe, and so be
the mado the means of flushing the same.
It will be understood that the connecting tube, whether being a
distinct tube or forming part of the sewer pipe, will necessarily have its
inlet near the higher part of each of the compartments, and the shaft
connection, which is made inside the upper compartment, will have an
inlet near the upper part for the overflow of the rain and storm water,
and its outlet by preferenco at the upper part of the sulliage or sewage
pipe.
The improvements further consist in carrying from the upper pipe or
compartment a shaft. or shafts for ventilation to the surface, such shafts
being placed at intervals between the points at which the the tube or shaft
connections are made between the two compartments, the advantage of
this being that the tube or shaft connections will form also the means of
escape for the noxious gases arising from sewage which in their passage
to the ventilating shaft carried from the upper pipe to the surface will
by the natural affinity between such gases and fresh water bo to a con-
siderable extent absorbed by the latter, and so pass into the atmosphero
comparatively pure.
The ventilating shafts may if thought desirable at intervals pass direct
to the sulliage or sewage compartment of the pipe in order to act as
downcast shafts, or if needed for direct flushing of the lowest sewer.
These connecting tubes or shafts, whether for flushing or ventilating
purposes, are applicable also to a double system of sewers constructed

page_text: independently if the pipes intended to be included in the protection
secured under the Royal Letters Patent hereby sought.
The upper or surface and subsoil water pipe in order to fulfil the part
of a real subsoil drain is also very finely perforated at intervals at its
upper side above the level of the overflow openings to admit of subsoil
water.
The improvements further consist in combining with the above a
system for cleaning or purifying the sulliage or sewage waters at the
point of this discharge. To effect this they are passed through a tank,
which may have in it a chemical substance, such as alum, quicklime,
and other such substances, of which the liquid in its passage through
this tank will more or less partake, and so acquire an increased tendency
for more freely undergoing a process of purification when passed over
and through a natural soil under the following arrangement:-An area of
ground proportionate to the quantity of sulliage or sewage water dis-
charged is provided. This is in the first place divided into two
compartments which are to be used for a period of 1, 2, or 3 years, but not
less' than 1 year. These compartments are subdivided and re-subdivided,
the whole not necessarily levelled, but drained with deep and shallow
drains alternately, each re-subdivided compartment having its own
distinct drainage outlet. The surface is to be ploughed and furrowed,
but the furrows are to have their directions from the highest point or
points in each of the re-subdivided compartments. To these highest
points the liquid is to be conveyed underground by branch pipes from
the main pipe, and by upward shafts at the ends of such pipes distributo
itself over the prepared soil, and by precolation through the natural soil
become purified and pass away through ordinary land drainage pipes
into the nearest watercourse. The subdivided compartments are to be
used on alternate days for, say, a fortnight, or as experience proves
expedient, the subdivided compartments being usod for alternate fortnights
or such alternate periods as above proposed, each main compartment
being used, as before stated, for one, two, or three years. The ro-subdivided
compartments being used on alternate days it will be seen that the liquid
will have a day during which to percolate, and so prevent the surface
burrowing one mass of mud by continual discharge of liquid over it.
The interval of rest for the subdivided compartment is to be used for
turning up the soil and refurrowing it, and if found desirable for
scattering over the same a cheap chemical, which may lend its aid to the

page_text: soil as a purifying agent. The one, two, or three years list of either of
the main compartments is to be made available for growing crops in
such compartments.
During a storm period the combined liquids issuing from the sewers
may be passed direct by the pipe or channel already provided for carrying
away the liquid from the rainfall or surface water pipe to the main outlet
watercourse, the diluted condition of the sewage or sulliage water at such
a period permitting this without danger of fouling the stream, the tank"
referred to at the end of the main sewer be dispensed with, and the
liquid passed direct to the soil. The advantages to be derived from this
mode of treating liquid refuse from towns, villages, and other sources
will be sufficiently obvious without further explanation, when it is
remembered that 1,000,000 represents the rainfall of a town, whilst
600,000 represents the ordinary liquid refuse.
•
'
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, 3
filed by the said James Conyers Morrell in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 9th June 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
CONYERS MORRELL, Civil Engineer, of Leyland, near Preston, in the
County of Lancaster, send greeting.
-
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of December, in the
year of our Lord.One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto the said James Conyers Morrell,
Her special licence that I, the said James Conyers Morrell, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
James Conyers Morrell, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SEWER PIPES, DRAIN PIPES,
AND MODES OF TREATING SEWAGE," upon the condition (amongst others) that

page_text: I, the said James Conyers Morrell, 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 Scal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Conyers Morrell, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawings here-
unto annexed :-
The object of this Invention is to facilitate and to secure advantages
which will promote the adoption of a double system of sewers in the
drainage of towns and districts, and further to reduce to the minimum
the difficulties of dealing with sewage waters.
The improvements in the pipes referred to consist in having them made
with two compartments in one pipe, so that the laying of one of these
combined pipes will serve to secure all the advantages to be derived from
the construction in the ordinary way of a double system of sewers, one
for rainfall and one for sewage proper or sulliage. The pipes, which are.
by preference made of earthenware, are also by preference, but not
necessarily, egg shaped, the upper portion or compartment being larger
than the lower one, and to be used for the conveyance of the rainfall
surface and subsoil drainage water, the lower one being used for conveying
the sewage or sulliage.
Figures 1 and 3 on Drawing shew an egg-shaped pipe with a division A.
Fig. 2 shews a circular pipe with a division B. In this the surface water.
will be admitted into one of the compartments shewn and the housė
slop or sewage water into the other compartment, with an overflow
opening g.
The improvements further consist in connecting the two compartments,
by means of a tube or shaft connection or connections in such a way
that the contents of the upper or rainfall pipe may during a storm or
heavy rain period rise and overflow through this connecting tube or
opening in the shaft and pass into the lower or sewage pipe, and so be
made the means of flushing the same,

page_text: It will be understood that the connecting tube, whether being a distinct
tube or forming part of the sewer pipe, will necessarily have its inlet
near the higher part of each of the compartments, and the shaft con-
nection, which is made inside the upper compartment, will have an inlet
near the upper part for the overflow of the rain and storm water, and its
outlet by preference at the upper part of the sulliage or sewage
nine.

page_text: stance, of which the liquid in its passage through this tank will more or
less partake, and so acquire an increased tendency for more freely
undergoing a process of purification when passed over and through a
natural soil under the following arrangement :-An area of ground pro-
portionate to the quantity of sulliage or sewage water discharged is
provided. This is in the first place divided into two compartments
which are to be used for a period of one, two, or three years, but not less
than one year. These compartments are subdivided and re-subdivided,
the whole not necessarily levelled, but drained with deep and shallow
drains alternately, each re-subdivided compartment having its own
distinct drainage outlet. The surface is to be ploughed and furrowed,
but the furrows are to have their directions from the highest-point or
points on each of the re-subdivided compartments. To these highest
points the liquid is to be conveyed underground by branch pipes from
the main pipe, and by upward shafts at the ends of such pipe distribute
itself over the prepared soil, and by percolation through the natural soil
become purified and pass away through ordinary land drainage pipes into
the nearest watercourse. The re-subdivided compartments are to be
used on alternate days, for say a fortnight, or as experience proves.
expedient. The subdivided compartments being used for alternate
fortnights or such alternate periods as above proposed, each main com-
partment being used, as before stated, for one, two, or three years. The
re-subdivided compartments being used on alternate days it will be seen.
that the liquid will have a day during which to percolate, and so prevent
the surface becoming one mass of mud by continued discharge of liquid
over it. The interval of rest for the subdivided compartment is to be
used for turning up the soil and refurrowing it, and also if found
desirable for scattering over the same a cheap chemical, which may lend
its aid to the soil as a purifying agent. The one, two, or three years rest
of either of the main compartments is to be made available for growing
crops in such compartment.
During a storm period the combined liquids issuing from the sewers
may be passed direct by the pipe or channel already provided for
carrying away the liquid from the rainfall or surface water pipe to the
main outlet watercourse, the diluted condition of the sewage or sulliage
water at such a period permitting this without danger of fouling the

page_text: Figure 8 shews the tank to be placed at the end of the sewer pipe, h ·
being first receiving compartment; i, cage for alum, quicklime, or
chemical used; k, subsiding compartment with outlet m. The tank
has a moveable cover in which fits a lid n for charging the cage.
The advantages to be derived from this mode of treating liquid refuse 5
from towns, villages, and other sources will be sufficiently obvious
without further explanation, when it is remembered that 1,000,000
represents the rainfall of a town, whilst 600,000 represents the ordinary
liquid refuse proper.

page_text: Ninth. For the combination of the foregoing or any portions of the
same in carrying out a system of towns drainage and sewage disposal,
and as precisely described in my Specification.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Conyers Morrell, have here-
unto set my hand and scal, this Ninth day of June, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.
J. CONYERS MORRELL. (L.S.)