IMPROVEMENTS' IN THE DISTILLATION AND FILTRATION OF FECAL, SOLID, AND LIQUID MATTERS DIRECT FROM PRIVIES, FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SULPHATE OF AMMONIA, TOGETHER WITH THE APPARATUS THEREFOR, THE SAID PROCESS BEING EQUALLY APPLICABLE TO THE DISTILLATION AND FILTRATION OF LIQUIDS OF ALL KINDS
Year: 1872

page_text: ETTERS PATENT to Arthur Charles Henderson, of No. 31, Charing
Cross, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS' IN THE DISTILLATION AND FILTRATION OF FECAL, SOLID,
AND LIQUID MATTERS DIRECT FROM PRIVIES, FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF
SULPHATE OF AMMONIA, TOGETHER WITH THE APPARATUS THEREFOR, THE SAID
PROCESS BEING EQUALLY APPLICABLE TO THE DISTILLATION AND FILTRATION OF
LIQUIDS OF ALL KINDS."-A communication from abroad by Felix
Chapusot, Chemist, of Pantin, in the Department of the Seine,
France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Arthur Charles Hen-
derson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 27th March 1872.
I, ARTHUR CHARLES HENDERSON, of No. 31, Charing Cross, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE DISTILLATION AND FILTRATION OF

page_text: leaving the still; they are then immediately decanted and filtered in the
filtering apparatus, consisting of rectangular plates, furnished at each
side with parallel projections forming a series of ridges, each one bor-
dering on a conduit arranged the length of one side perpendicular to the
direction of the projections. Each plate is covered with metallic cloth,'
and enclosed in a kind of cloth bag or other tissue. The liquid being run
off by an elbow pipe, passes through the filtering plates, and is discharged
by a pipe and tap communicating with a reservoir and pipe.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Arthur Charles Henderson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 25th September 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, Arthur
CHARLES HENDERSON, of No. 31, Charing Cross, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the
thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Arthur Charles Henderson, Her special
licence that I, the said Arthur Charles Henderson, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Arthur Charles
Henderson, 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE DISTILLATION AND FILTRATION OF FECAL, SOLID,
AND LIQUID MATTERS DIRECT PROM. PRIVIES, FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SULPHATE,
OF AMMONIA, TOGETHER WITH THE APPARATUS THEREFOR, THE SAID PROCESS BEING
EQUALLY APPLICABLE TO THE DISTILLATION AND FILTRATION OF LIQUIDS OF ALL
KINDS," a communication to me from abroad by Felix Chapusot, Chemist,
of Pantin, in the Department of the Seine, France, upon the condition.
(amongst others) that I, the said Arthur Charles Henderson, my exccutors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or.

page_text: 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 Arthur Charles Henderson, 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 and accompanying Drawings, that is to
say:
The object of the present Invention is to economically extract from
fecal solid and liquid matters all the soluble azote products, in the form
of ammoniacal salts, by aid of a special still; admitting of the treatment
of such matters as soon as they are removed from the privy, without the
necessity of previously putting them into any other receptacle, the
filtering apparatus completing the operation by aspiration and separating
the solid matters from the liquid, for reducing the former into powder,
and rendering an otherwise useless liquid of commercial value, without
inconvenience, and to the benefit of public health.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents the still complete ;
Figs. 2, 3, and 4 are sections of the same taken at the lines A, B, C, D,
E, F, of the Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a vertical section following the
line G, H, of the filtering apparatus; Fig. 6 is a sectional side view of
the same; Figs. 7 and 9 are views of one of the filterers; and Fig. 8
shows in plan one part of the apparatus with and the other part minus:
the filterers.
•
This apparatus consists of a reservoir A placed above the privy, and is
destined to supply the still C with liquid fecal matter. It is itself fed by
a pump worked by steam, compressed air, or by a hydraulic machine
reaching to the bottom of the privy, which receives the liquid direct
therefrom. The liquid is usually freed from extraneous matter, such as
rags, straw, chips, hair, cork, or other substance; if not, two basins are
employed, the first for receiving the liquid direct in a rough state, that is
to say, with all foreign matters, and the second a little above the first,
separated by a conduit furnished at certain distances with vertical

page_text: gratings for arresting the foreign substances drawn along with the
liquid in its progress from the upper to the lower basin. The bars of
each grate as they near the lower basin are made closer, and any
clogging of the grates is guarded against by means of rakes or combs,.
set in motion from bottom to top at the side at which the fluid enters.
The reservoir A is covered and furnished with a bell float, indicator of
the level. An opening at the bottom puts it in communication with the
refrigerator B by means of a pipe a.. The refrigerating apparatus B
consists of two parts. The lower one is divided into a number of com-
partments d and f, those d communicating one with the other by means
of conduits e, and those f by the conduits g. The lower compartments d
communicating by the opening c of the pipe a with the reservoir A, and
the upper compartment d by the conduit e, is in communication with the
interior of the second part m of the apparatus B. The second compart-
ments communicate above with the siphon pipe K, the other end of
which penetrates the lower compartment 6" of the still C, and at the base
with the filtering apparatus by means of the pipe h, surmounted by the
recipient i and waste pipe j. A small open vertical funnel pipe serves
to fill the two branches of the siphon K with liquid fecal matter, and to
intercept when desired the communication between the part of the refri-
gerator B with which the pipe is in connection and the compartment bu
of the still C, and also serves to liberate the air. The upper part of the,
apparatus B consists of the recipient m, communicating at the bottom.
with the compartments d, and above, by means of the pipe n, with the
upper compartments 61 of the still C. In this recipient is a spiral p, the
upper part of which communicates with the chamber S¹ of the satu-
rator E, whilst its lower end debouches in the separating vase F..
The still C is closed on all sides, and is divided into compartments by
horizontal partitions, some of which are rimmed b, b, 6 to 6" com-
municating one with the other, as shown in the Drawing. The
compartments 62, 6%, and 67 have their bases perforated, and com-
municate with chambers just beneath, by conduits purposely arranged.
The object of these arrangements is to free the steam and gases (see the
), which circulate in the apparatus from the bottom to the
top to be sifted through the perforated plates, to leave the compart-
ment 67 to reach 66, and from 6 to 6%. All the compartments of the
apparatus excepting 63 receive a certain quantity of liquid fecal matter,
arriving by the pipe q, the end of which, not, plunging into the liquid
arrows

page_text: bed b, permits the steam to exercise its power on the sides of the
compartment 61, supplied with a safety pipe. The tube q', plunging
into the bed of the liquid contained in the compartment 6*, allows the
return of the matters in the latter, which being drawn along in a
foaming state by the steam arriving from the pipe q³, are projected on
the bottom of the compartment 63, which corresponds by the piper with
the lower part S of the saturating apparatus E. The lower compart-
ment 6 is in communication with a steam generator by a tube with
four branches t, closed at their extremities, and pierced with small
holes.
The reservoir D, in the interior of which is an agitator set in motion
by a pulley u. or otherwise, is destined to contain the lime-white,
which should be introduced as desired in the compartment 6' of the
apparatus C by means of the pipe v.
The saturating apparatus E consists of two recipients, placed one
above the other, and lined internally with lead. They are destined to
contain the sulphuric acid introduced by the pipe w', which fixes the
ammonia produced by distillation. The lower one S receives the end of
a steam waste pipe from the compartment 63 of the apparatus C. This
pipe reaches to the bottom of the compartment and bends horizontally
and spirally, and is pierced with holes for allowing of the passage
of steam. A pipe r¹ similarly arranged is detached from the top of S,
The reci-
and penetrates S¹. These two pipes and r¹ are leaden.
pient S¹ is by a pipe ¹¹ put into communication with the serpentine or
spiral of the refrigerator B. It is in the apparatus E that the free
ammonia and its volatile combinations drawn along by the steam whilst
distilling are condensed and united in the form of ammoniacal fixed salts
(sulphate).
The internal communication of the two recipients S and S' is effected
by the pipe w¹, the upper end of which may be closed by a plug fixed. to
the end of the shaft w", ending in a weight supplying the requisite
pressure for closing the pipe w'. A cord or other means admits of
raising or lowering the shaft w¹¹ and plug. A pipe y, in form of a
siphon, serves to extract the ammoniacal salt in solution.
the filling of which is effected at z, abuts on the boiler evaporators,
where the concentration of the solutions is effected. A small pipe in
communication with the recipient S, and debouching to the free air,
serves to examine the composition of the gaseous fluids circulating. in
This pipe,

page_text: The whole apparatus is directly heated by admitting the steam to it
from the generator through the pipe t. The steam fills the distilling
apparatus and expells the air by the piper; in traversing this pipe the
steam also fills the saturator E, and reaches the spiral p of the re-
frigerator B, which is already filled with liquid fecal matter at the
ordinary temperature. The steam in arriving in the spiral is condensed
by raising the temperature of the surrounding liquid. The condensed
water and expelled air of the apparatus flows from the lower end of the
spiral. At the same time the liquid fecal matter with which the part m
of the refrigerator B is filled is raised by the passage of the condensed
steam in the spiral; that which fills the first compartment 6' of the
apparatus C is heated by aid of the bottom of the compartment con-
taining it. When the liquid surrounding the spiral p is near boiling
point, the water of the condensed steam is extracted from the saturating
apparatus E, to effect this the plug w¹¹ is removed to allow of the
descent and collection in the compartment S of the water raised by
means of the siphon y previously filled. The sulphuric acid is then
introduced by the pipe w into the compartment S, and in sufficient
quantity to entirely receive the spiral of the pipe r. The internal com-
munication is cut off in causing the plug w to descend, and a fresh
supply of acid is introduced to the upper compartment S¹, and sufficient
to submerge the spiral of the pipe r¹.
The tap a¹ of the reservoir A is reopened to allow the liquid matter
to flow in the distilling apparatus, each compartment of which is
successively filled in the following manner, commencing with the
compartment b¹ as high as the pipe q, through which the liquid
descends into the compartment 6*, where it rises to the edge, over
which it flows to fall in a cascade into the lower compartments b, b, b,
successively filling them in the same manner; on reaching the com-
partment be the liquid rises as high as the pipe q³, through which it
passes to descend to the lower compartment 6', in which it reaches the
height of the pipe q', which delivers it to the compartment 6º, and
overflowing the edges, falls in a cascade into the compartments 6¹º, 6º,
filling them to the brim, filling the compartment 6" as high as the
pipe K, and continuing its progess, reaches the 1st upper cavity f
of the refrigerator B, then descending by the conduits g, g, in the
cavities f, f, to the last one, from whence it flows by the pipe h
surmounted by the recipient i and waste pipe j. The air dislodged

page_text: by the liquid introduced into the cavities †,†, escapes by the pipe l.
During the gradual filling of the still C it is seen that the liquid is
commencing to invade the compart 67. The tap v¹ of the reservoir D
is opened to admit by the pipe a current of lime-white regulated
according to the requirements of distillation. Whilst the above opera-
ations take place the steam n' has ceased to circulate in the distilling
and other apparatus.
The following is a description of the progress of the steam when the
compartments of the still have received their quantum of liquid fecal
matter, whose temperature is at the normal degree of distillation. The
steam arriving from the generator by the pipe and tap t, is divided by
the four branches pierced with holes into small jets, which produce a
considerable bubbling up of the liquid surrounding the pipe. The liquid
passing through the last stage of distillation, is completely freed of
ammonia, but having a tendency to precipitate the solid matters which
it held in suspension at the normal state, augmented with the lime
added during distillation, a great part of which is transformed into
insoluble salts of lime. The motion given by the steam facilitates the
discharge of all the solid substances outside the apparatus, which are
held in suspension in the liquid fecal fluid distilled. The steam takes
an upward course through the compartments 60, 61º, 6º, and siezes on all
the ammonia which may remain in the liquid, then entering the
conduit q penetrates by the perforated plate of the compartment 6',
where it assists the mixture of the lime with the liquid, and the freeing
of the ammonia produced by the reaction of the lime on the fixed
ammoniacal salts. The steam accompanied with a quantity of foam
leaving the compartment 6', enters the pipe qº, which leads it to the
compartment 6, after having passed through that of 6 and a perforated
plate which frees it of all impurities. Continuing its upward course
through the compartments b, b, the steam is more and more charged
with ammonia or its volatile compounds taken from the fecal liquid and
reaches the compartment &', where the liquid itself at boiling point
discharges suddenly a considerable quantity of gaseous products. On
leaving the steam arrives at 62 by the pipe q², passes through the
perforated plate, and having freed itself of all impurities, spreads itself
in the compartment 63; from the latter the steam charged with ammonia,
carbonate of ammonia, and sulphate of ammonia and other gases, arrives
by the piper into the lower compartment of the saturating apparatus E,

page_text: If filtration is to be effected by aspiration produced by a suction pump
or by absorption by means of a vacuum, all the part c, d, e, f, g, of the
apparatus is useless. It suffices in these two cases to establish the
communication between the conduit c, and the pump or recipient in
which the vacuum has been made. In the latter case a steam pump
will be advantageous, since to effect a vacuum the condensed steam can
be employed for raising the fluid arising from a former filtering.
The apparatus being arranged as shown, Fig. 5, if it is intended to
suck up the filtered liquid by its flowing through a pipe penetrating a
certain depth, commence by filling the case with liquid so as to com-
pletely cover all the plates; if the filtering takes place without the aid
of suction, the tap of the pipe c¹ is closed and that off is opened, the
conduit c immediately fills as well as the interior cavity of the plates p;
the air passes out above and through the cloth of the plates. When the
case, the plates, the conduit c, and the pipe c¹ are completely filled with
liquid, the tap of the pipe f is closed and that of c³ is opened. The
filtration henceforward is effected rapidly and without interruption until
the space left between the plates is filled with solid matters which were
in combination with the filtered liquid. If necessary, the apparatus is
filled in allowing the flow of a certain quantity of liquid in the pipe g
till it fills the pipes f, c², c, and the plates. By aid of a float actuating a
valve, or a tap adapted to the supply pipe a, the introduction and regu-
lation of the liquid to be filtered is readily and automatically performed,
so that the top of the plates is never exposed, thus preventing any
entrance of air.
The working of the apparatus by vacuum or suction pump is much
more simple; it suffices to fill the case with the liquid and to at once
establish the communication of the conduit c, either by a recipient free
of air, or with a suction pump. If the apparatus should cease to act by
reason of its filling the space between the plates with solid matter, the
flow of the liquid is stopped by the pipe a, and the clearing dam / is
opened; the plates are then removed, they are freed of the matter
adhering to them, are cleansed and replaced, and a fresh operation com-
menced. This system of filtration may be conducted on the largest
scale by increasing the number and order of the plates; in this case the

page_text: case should be replaced by a vast basin in masonry, or simply an excava-
tion in the earth.
I claim as my Invention the method of extracting from fecal liquid
and solid matters all the soluble azote products in the form of ammonia-
cal salts, by aid of the apparatus herein described, and illustrated by
the accompanying Drawings, reserving to myself the right of varying
the disposition of the filtering plates and other parts, and increasing
their proportions and number, according to the magnitude of the opera-
tions to be performed.
The said apparatus being equally applicable to the treatment of all
kinds of liquids, whether for the simple clarification of the liquids, or
to apply it as described, for the separation of the liquid and solid matters
and utilizing the latter, especially for the manufacture of powder manure,
or for the treatment of ammoniacal liquids arising from gas and other
factories, and alcoholic distilleries.
In witness whereof, I, the said Arthur Charles Henderson, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of Sep-
tember, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-two.