IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS AND IN MEANS FOR TREATING SEWAGE FOR AGRICULTURAL PURPOSES
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Blackburn, of Exeter, in the County of
Devon, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS AND IN
MEANS FOR TREATING SEWAGE FOR AGRICULTURAL PURPOSES."
Sealed the 30th August 1872, and dated the 5th March 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Blackburn at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 5th March 1872.
'I, ROBERT BLACKBURN, of Exeter, in the County of Devon, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
AND IN MEANS FOR TREATING SEWAGE FOR AGRICULTURAL PURPOSES," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates, as far as apparatus is concerned, to the
employment of one or more revolving screens or strainers of cylindrical
or other form, into which the sewage is caused to enter, for arresting the
excreta or other solid matter before it or they pass on to endless cloths

page_text: on their way to the squeezing of pressing rolls, if such are used, as
described in the following:
. I take the sewage as delivered from the sewers over and through
divided or partitioned troughs or catch pits, so as to enable stones,
gravel, and other heavy bodies to deposit themselves, such deposit being
removed at intervals.
The sewage then passes on, and light bodies such as wood, cork,
straw, arc arrested in their progress by means of stationary bars of
iron fixed as a screen, or by means of perforated plates.
After the heavy and light bodies are divided from the sewage, or
are deposited, sewage is then allowed to flow through the revolving
strainers. The strainers are made conical in form, and may be covered
with perforated zinc, copper, or iron, but by preference are covered over
with gauze wire. The strainers are caused to revolve by suitable shafting
put in motion by steam, water, or other power; the fluid portion of the
sewage passes through the perforations or the gauze wire, and arrests
the excreta and other bodies, and the revolving strainer deposits the
manure on to an endless cloth or cloths, which are caused to move and
so deliver the manure through squeezing rolls or into receptacles for
treatment by hydraulic or other drying process. The manure is then
mixed with disinfectants and other matters, and also with powdered
charcoal, soot, and waste woollen fibre.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert Blackburn in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 5th September 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
BLACKBURN, of Exeter, in the County of Devon, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth 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 Robert Blackburn, Her special licence
that I, the said Robert Blackburn, my executors, administrators, and

page_text: or gauze, the lower ones by preference being always covered over with
gauze wire. The strainers are caused to revolve by suitable shafting put
in motion by steam, water, or other power; the fluid portion of the
sewage passes through the perforations or the gauze wire and arrests
the excreta and other bodies, and the revolving strainer deposit the
manure on to an endless cloth or cloths, which are caused to move and
so deliver the manure through squeezing rolls or into receptacles for
treatment by hydraulic or other drying process. The manure is then
mixed with disinfectants and other matters, and also with powdered
charcoal, soot, and waste woollen fibre.
or gauze, the lower ones by preference being always covered over with
gauze wire. The strainers are caused to revolve by suitable shafting put
in motion by steam, water, or other power; the fluid portion of the
sewage passes through the perforations or the gauze wire and arrests
the excreta and other bodies, and the revolving strainer deposit the
manure on to an endless cloth or cloths, which are caused to move and
so deliver the manure through squeezing rolls or into receptacles for
treatment by hydraulic or other drying process. The manure is then
mixed with disinfectants and other matters, and also with powdered
charcoal, soot, and waste woollen fibre.
The manner in which I propose to arrange my revolving screens for
the receiption of sewage matter and the separation of the solid or non-
liquid portion, is represented in the accompanying Drawings, these
being respectively a plan and side elevation.
a is the outlet from the sewer or drain 6, the outlet being fitted with
a penstock or flush valve or valves c to check and limit the flow into
the receiver d, this being fitted with a partition e to prevent the passage
of stones, gravel, or other heavy impurities. The upper or any part of
this partition can be formed of bars or other forms of strainer
to retain floating bodies, such as cork, straw, or wood thereon.
The wall e¹ at the lower end of the receiver, trough, or catch pit has
an aperture f in it, through which the comparatively liquid portion of
the sewage is allowed to flow, the aperture opening right and left to
divide the stream and to feed it into two or more circular revolving
screens g, g, arranged upon rollers h, h, in proximity, the screens being
of cylindrical form, so that a continual turning over of the sewage is
effected. These cylindrical screens are set at an angle to induce the
material to fall gradually to its opposite end, where the portion not
fallen through the meshes tip out on to inclined plates i, i, to lead it on
to endless travelling belts j, j, and from thence to squeeze rollers where
the remaining moisture is removed. The more liquid portion of the
sewage which passes through the meshes of the first screen is received
upon slopes k, k, and it is led thereby to other circular revolving
screens 1, 1, with finer meshes through which none but plain liquid will
pass, the whole of the floculent matter being kept back and afterwards
deposited upon other endless belts m, m, to be carried to other squeeze
rollers if desired. The cylindrical screens are caused to revolve at any

page_text: reception and separation of the liquid portion from the solid portion of
sewage, substantially as described and shown.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Blackburn, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Third day of September One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-two.