Sewage Filtering Screen or Tank for Clarifying Sewage and Reducing the Refuse.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Sewage Filtering Screen or Tank for Clarifying Sewage and
Reducing the Refuse.
I, BENJAMIN HARLOW, of King Edward Street, Macclesfield, in the County of
Chester, Engineer and Iron Founder, do hereby declare the nature of my invention
for sewage filtering screen or tank for clarifying sewage and reducing the refuse to
be as follows:→
The essential features of my invention are the construction of a sectional,
aerating sewage screen or tank, for clarifying sewage and reducing the refuse,
principally for use in connection with town, and private sewage work, and for
filtering water.
Simple in construction, very firm, easily fixed, and made to any size or extent.
First. Forming when in combination a cast iron foundation plate, or tank
bottom, made in segments, three quarter inch to one and a half inches in thickness,
either square, round, rectangular, or-in preference-long and narrow.
In the foundation plate cast an outer and inner series of sockets, about three
inches deep, flush with the upper surface of the plate, and entirely surrounding it.
The outer series of sockets being about one foot, and the inner series of sockets
from five to: six feet from the outside edge of the foundation plate. giving a
four feet space, or more, between the two series of sockets.
The centre portion of the tank bottom-to reduce the cost-can be constructed
of thinner iron plates, concrete, cement, brick or any other suitable material, and
can be made available, as well as the sides of the screen, for filtration.
Secondly. When the foundation plate hereinbefore mentioned has been bolted
together, and fixed firmly in position on either concrete, cement or brick &c., and
with a gradual fall from the centre of the plate to the carriers or trenches, I
utilise the two series of sockets cast in, and flush with the upper surface of, the
foundation plate, by fixing in each socket a portable vertical bar of cast hematite
or wrought iron about one and a half to two inches, square or round, and from
four to seven feet in height, forming an outer and inner range of vertical bars
three or four feet apart or more, and entirely surrounding the screen or tank, the
space between the two ranges of bars being available for the filtering material.
The vertical cavities between the bars, the inlet and outlet, for filtration of the
sewage, will be from one to two inches, and the full depth of the bars.
The affluent flowing in the centre area of the screen giving a clear and rapid filtra-
tion of the sewage, the effluent running into the carriers or trenches outside the
base of the screen.
The vertical bars can be lifted in or out as may be required from any part of
the screen, either for filling in removing or cleansing the filtering medium whether
of coke, breeze, peat, sand or any other suitable material or for removing the sewage
refuse from the centre area of the screen; also pipes or any other convenient outlets,
with valves, can be fixed flush with the upper surface of the tank bottom.

page_text: The lower part of the vertical bars fitting in the sockets, also the sockets cast in
the foundation plate, are chilled, and cast with a little taper, thus forming a very
correct and equal size, thereby greatly facilitating the fitting and fixing.
Six or more bars can be cast together, or in wrought iron, thus requiring a less
number of sockets to be cast in the foundation plate.
To prevent any sewage refuse clogging on or adhering to or between the vertical
bars, I fix the bars at a right angle with each other, not square with the screen,
the inner bars also being fixed opposite the open spaces of the outer bars.
Thirdly, Reducing the sewage refuse is accomplished by adopting intermittent
screens, which if covered over will be the more efficient, the vertical cavities between
the bars, extending to the lowest part of the foundation plate, thereby ensuring the
thorough drainage of water or other moisture from the refuse accumulated in
the centre area of the screen, which can thus be thoroughly reduced and dried,
or either chemically treated for land or burned in the destructor.
It may be preferable to construct the screens two or more together, lengthwise
say about 50 feet x 20 feet and six feet deep each-the first screen or tank receiving
the affluent, also the rougher sewage and arranged to overflow from the first
to the second screen or tank, by fixing near the centre a partition with vertical bars
shorter than the side bars of the screen, giving a lower level for the overflow from
the first to the second screen and so on.
I sometimes fix a cast iron coping in about six feet lengths, to fit on the top of
the vertical bars, with sockets cast in, corresponding with those in the foundation
plate.
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190
Sewage Filtering Screen or Tank for Clarifying Sewage and
Reducing the Refuse.
I, BENJAMIN HARLOW, of King Edward Street, Macclesfield, in the County of
Chester, Engineer, 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:
This invention relates:
First. To improvements in the construction of a sectional aerating sewage screen
or tank for clarifying sewage and reducing the refuse, principally for use in con-
nection with town and private sewage work, also applicable to existing works and
for water purification.
Forming when in combination a cast iron foundation plate or tank bottom c & g
made in segments three quarter inch to one and a half inches in thickness either
square round rectangular or in preference long and narrow.
In the foundation plate & g I cast an outer and inner series of sockets flush with
the upper surface of the plate and entirely surrounding it. The outer series of sockets
being one foot and the inner series of sockets from five to six feet from the outside
edge of the foundation plate, giving a four feet space or more between the two
series of sockets.
The centre portion of the tank bottom g can be constructed of thinner cast iron
plates, concrete cement brick or any other suitable material and can be made
available as well as the sides of the screen for filtration,

page_text: Secondly. When the foundation plate c & g herein before mentioned has been
bolted together and fixed firmly in position on either concrete cement or brick &c.
and with a gradual fall from the centre of the plate g to the carriers or trenches
I utilise the two series of sockets d, d, cast and flush with the upper surface of
the foundation plate c&g by fixing in each socket d d a portable vertical
bar a a of cast, hematite or wrought iron about one and a half to two inches
square or round and from four to seven feet in height, forming an outer and inner
range of vertical bars, a a three or four feet apart or more and entirely surround-
ing the screen or tank, the space c, c between the two ranges of bars a a being
available for the filtering material. The vertical apertures e, e, between the
bars, a, a the inlets and outlets, for filtration of the sewage will be from one to two
inches and the full depth of the bars, a, a. The sewage affluent flowing in the
centre area of the screen g, g, and passing through the filtering material giving a clear
and rapid filtration of the sewage, the clarified effluent running into the carriers
or trenches outside the base of the screen.
The vertical bars a, a, can be lifted in or out as may be required from any part
of the screen either for filling in removing or cleansing the filtering medium
whether of coke breeze peat sand or any other suitable material or for removing
the sewage refuse from the centre area of the screen 9 also pipes or any other con
venient outlets with valves, can be fixed flush with the upper surface of the tank
bottom.
The lower part of the vertical bars a, a fitting in the socket also the sockets cast
in the foundation plate d, d are chilled and cast with a little taper thus forming
a very correct and equal size, thereby greatly facilitating the fitting and fixing.
Six or more bars can be cast together, or in wrought iron, thus requirin❤ a less
number of sockets to be cast in the foundation plate c, c.
To prevent any sewage refuse clogging on or adhering to or between the vertical
bars, I fix the bars a, a, at a right angle with each other, not square with the screen,
the inner bars a, a, also being fixed opposite the open spaces of the outer bars a, a.
Thirdly. The vertical cavities e, e, between the bars a, a, extending to the lowest
part of the foundation plate & g, thereby ensuring the thorough drainage of
water or other moisture from the sewage refuse accumulated in the centre area g
of the screen which can thus be thoroughly reduced and dried or either chemically
treated for land or burned in the destructor. Intermittent screens or tanks covered
over or roofed are very important for lateral filtration.
It may be preferable to construct the screens two or more together lengthwise
say about 50 feet x 20 feet and six feet deep each. The first screen or tank receiving
the affluent also the rougher sewage-and arranged to overflow from the first to
the second screen or tank by fixing near the centre a partition with vertical bars
shorter than the side bars a, of the screen giving a lower level for the overflow from
the first to the second screen and so on.
I may prefer to make a cast iron coping in about six feet lengths to fit on the top
of the bars with sockets cast in, corresponding with those in the foundation
plate d,d or I cast on the top of each portable vertical bar a, a a diagonal pro-
jection and indentation about three inches in depth vertically, the diagonal forma-
tion f,f intersecting each portable vertical bar or bars a, a thus holding the same
when fixed firmly in position.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
First: For lateral and vertical filtration, for clarifying and reducing sewage
refuse and water filtration. By an arrangement of portable vertical iron bars fixed
diagonally five feet or more in height and about one and three quarter inch square
or round, an outer and inner range of bars fitting in an outer and inner range of
sockets cast in and flush with the upper surface of the bottom of the screen or
foundation plate, the bars thus being portable can be put in and lifted out for

page_text: filling in and. taking out the filtering medium or removing refuse, also for
cleansing purposes.
Second: An arrangement of vertical apertures about one and three quarter inch
between bar and bar and extending to the bottom or base plate of the screen to
drain, dry, and reduce the sewage refuse accumulated in the centre area of the
tank: