IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR THE UTILIZATION OF SEWAGE MATTERS, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS APPLICABLE TO RAISING PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Walker and Thomas Ferdinand Walker,
both of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Engineers, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR THE UTILIZATION
OF SEWAGE MATTERS, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS APPLICABLE TO RAISING
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Walker and Thomas
Ferdinand Walker at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 22nd September 1864.
We, THOMAS WALKER and THOMAS FERDINAND WALKER, both of Bir-
mingham, in the County of Warwick, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR THE
.UTILIZATION OF SEWAGE MATTERS, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS APPLICABLE TO
RAISING AND FORCING OTHER FLUIDS," to be as follows:-
The improvements apply particularly to when the sewage matters are
collected in reservoirs in order that the more fluid portions thereof may be
separated from the more solid by subsidence, and the object of the first part
of the Invention is, first, to separate the heavier solid matters and the loose
'fibrous matters by causing the sewage matters, in passing into the subsiding

page_text: reservoir, to pass through a trough, by which the heavier solid matters may
be arrested, whilst light bodies in suspension, such as paper, rags, and fibrous
matters, will pass over the wall forming one side of the trough, and will be
intercepted by a grating provided for that purpose. Corks and other light
floating matters are detained in this trough by a screen, under which the
sewage passes on its way to the settling pit or reservoir; this trough may
be formed with inclined ends, up which may be drawn scrapers or other
suitable cleansers for clearing the trough of the matters collected therein.
The more liquid portion of the sewage matters is received from the trough
into one end of a settling pit or reservoir, the bottom of which inclines to a
central gutter, by-which-the drawing off-of-the-more-solid matters-therefrom
is facilitated. These settling -pits or reservoirs-we-prefer to be arranged in
pairs, so that one may be receiving the matters for subsidence whilst the
matters subsided are being withdrawn from, the other. The more solid
matters may be withdrawn by pumping apparatus such as that described in
the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me, the said Thomas Walker,
bearing date the 21st day of November 1862, No. 3132, or by other suitable
means. The more fluid portion of the matters passing from the surface of the
settling pit or subsiding reservoir is allowed to. overflow at the opposite end
into a gutter or reservoir, and is thence, by pumping apparatus,-raised or
forced into other elevated reservoirs or reeders, from which, by suitable
conduits, it may be conveyed for irrigating purposes to the districts-desired.
The improvements relate, secondly, to pumping apparatus of the character
of that described in the said former Specification as particularly adapted to
the pumping of sewage-matters; in which, in place of the sewage matters
acted upon coming in contact with the piston, there is a diaphragm of flexible
material to act on the sewage matters; and water or other suitable fluid
"intervening between the diaphragm and the piston.
We have found, when employing material for the diaphragm which resists
the passage through it of liquid matters, that such diaphragm is, liable to
become injured, either when there is too little or too much water or other
fluid between such diaphragm and the piston; and an object of this part of the
improvements is to govern the quantity of water or other fluid-so applied.
For this purpose we. apply, in connection with the chamber, between the
diaphragm and the piston, two taps or valves, one of which is acted upon by
.the diaphragm when there is an excess of fluid between such diaphragm and
the piston to admit of an escape of a portion thereof, and the other is acted
upon by the diaphragm when there is too little fluid between it and the piston
to admit of a further supply thereto from a suitable reservoir. These taps or

page_text: valves may be weighted to facilitate their closing again after being opened;
or in place of two taps and valves a double passage slide combined with a pair
of valves may be employed.
The iniprovements also relate to means of applying diaphragms to such
pumps in order to their ready removal or replacement when required; for
this purpose in some cases we apply the material of which the diaphragm is
composed to a metallic rim or frame, formed in parts, connected by hinge
joints to admit of its being readily reduced in size, and thereby to facilitate
its ready introduction to or removal from the pump, and we apply an edging
to it, of india-rubber or other suitable material, to effect a close packing, and
we form the part of the pump: with grooves to receive the diaphragm, and an
opening for its admission closed by a cover. The diaphragm may be of the
form of a bottle or other hollow vessel composed of india-rubber or other
suitable flexible material capable of expansion and contraction, or opening
and closing. Pumping apparatus thus 'arranged is applicable to raising and
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Walker and Thomas Ferdinand Walker in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 22nd March 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL. COME, we, THOMAS
WALKER and THOMAS FERDINAND WALKER, both of Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Engineers, send greeting.
:
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year.of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us
the said Thomas Walker and Thomas Ferdinand Walker, Her special licence
that we, the said.Thomas Walker and Thomas Ferdinand Walker, our execu-
tors, administrators, and assigns; or such others as we, the said Thomas
Walker and Thomas Ferdinand Walker, our 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 MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR THE UTILIZATION OF SEWAGE MAT-,
TERS, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS APPLICABLE TO RAISING AND FORCING OTHER

page_text: FLUIDS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Thomas
Walker and Thomas Ferdinand Walker, our executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under our or their hands and seals, or under the
hand and seal of one of us or them, 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-Thomas-Walker, do-hereby-declare-the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof, that is to say:-
The improvements apply particularly to when. the sewage matters are col-
lected in reservoirs in order. that the more fluid portions thereof may be
separated from the more solid by subsidence, and the object of the first part
of the Invention is, first, to separate the heavier solid matters and the loose
fibrous matters by causing the sewage matters, in passing into the subsiding
reservoir, to pass through a trough, by which the heavier solid matters may
be arrested, whilst light bodies in suspension, such as paper, rags, and fibrous
matters, will pass over the wall forming one side of the trough, and will be
intercepted by a grating provided for that purpose. Corks and other light
floating matters are detained in this trough by a screen, under which the
sewage passes on its way to the settling pit or reservoir; this trough may be
formed with inclined ends, up which may be drawn scrapers or other suitable
cleansers for clearing the trough of the matters collected therein. The more
liquid portion of the sewage matters is received from the trough into one end
of a settling pit or reservoir, the bottom of which inclines to a central gutter,
by which the drawing off of the more solid matters therefrom is facilitated.
These settling pits or reservoirs may be arranged in pairs, so that one may be
receiving the matters for subsidence whilst the matters subsided are being
withdrawn from the other. The more fluid portion of the matters passing
from the surface of the settling pit or subsiding reservoir is allowed to over-
flow at the opposite end into a gutter or reservoir, and is thence, by pumping
apparatus, raised or forced into other elevated reservoirs or feeders, from
which, by suitable conduits, it may be conveyed for irrigating purposes to the
districts desired.
The improvements relate, secondly, to pumping apparatus of the character
of that described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me, the
said Thomas Walker, bearing date the 21st day of November 1862,

page_text: No. 3132, as particularly adapted to the pumping of sewage matters, in
which, in place of the sewage matters acted upon coming in. contact with the
piston, there is a diaphragm of flexible material to act on the sewage matters,
and water or other suitable fluid intervening between the diaphragm and the
piston..
We have found, when employing material for the diaphragm which resists
the passage through it of liquid matters, that such diaphragm is liable to
become injured either when there is too little or too much water or other fluid
between such diaphragm and the piston; and an object of this part of the
improvements is to govern. the quantity of water or other fluid so applied.
For this purpose we apply, in connection with the chamber, between the
diaphragm and the piston, two taps or valves, one of which is acted upon by
the diaphragm when there is an excess of fluid between such diaphragm and
the piston to admit of an escape of a portion thereof, and the other is acted
upon by the diaphragm when there is too little fluid between it and the piston
to admit of a further supply thereto from a suitable reservoir. These taps or
valves may be weighted to facilitate their closing again after being opened ;. or.
in place of two taps and valves a double passage slide combined with a pair of
valves may be employed.
The improvements also relate to means of applying diaphragms to such pumps
in order to their ready removal or replacement when required; for this
purpose in some cases we apply the material of which the diaphragm is com-
posed to a metallic rim or frame, formed in parts connected by hinge joints to
admit of its being readily reduced in size, and thereby to facilitate its ready.
introduction to or removal from the pump, and we apply an edging to it, of
india-rubber or other suitable material, to effect a close packing, and we form:
the part of the pump with grooves to receive the diaphragm, and an opening
for its admission closed by a cover...
But that the Invention may be fully understood we will, by the aid of the
accompanying Drawings, proceed to describe means pursued by us..
:
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a plan view, Figuro 2 a longitudinal section, and Figure.3
a transverse section of apparatus arranged according to the first. part of the
Invention.
"
a is a conduit by which the sewage matters are conducted into the trough b;
there being passages a', a', between the conduit à and the trough.6 by which
the sewage matters may freely pass from the conduit a to the trough bat
various distances of its length, and these passages a', a', are below the surface
:

page_text: of the sewage matter, and thereby they serve to trap the outlets of the drains;
and-prevent the return of foul smells up the drains. --
The heavier solid matters contained in the sewage matter will be arrested
in the reservoir b, and sink, to, the bottom thereof, whilst the, light bodies in
suspension, such as paper, rags, and other fibrous matters, will pass with the
more liquid portion of the sewage matters over the wall 'b,, forming one side
of the trough:b, and such light bodies in suspension will then be intercepted
by the horizontal grating c, which may be continued vertically up the wall c
if desired. is a screen by which corks and other light floating matters are
detained in the trough b, but which admits of the sewage passing under it
over the wall bon its way through the-grating.c to the settling pit or reser
voir:dbis bridge over the wall b
The trough b is, by preference, formed with inclined ends. 63, 63, to facilitate
the removal from the, bottom; thereof of, the matters, collected therein by
means of scrapers or otherisuitable cleansers. A form of scraper suitable for
the purpose is shewn ate attached to a chain, or it may be a rope or a
rod operated by a winch or by other, suitable means; and thence the
matters may be delivered.into trucks, boats, or other receivers to be conveyed.
away.
The more liquid: portion of the sewage matters as it passes from the
troughob is received in at the end d'of the pit or reservoir d, and the
bottom d² of this pit or reservoir d. is inclined to the central gutter d³ to
facilitate the collecting and.drawng off therefrom of the more solid portion of
the sewage, mätters.formed by settling or subsidence in this pit or reservoir.
The gutter d is also inclined to one end of it, where it communicates by a
suitable. channel with a well or receiver. These settling pits or reservoirs
may. be arranged in pairs, so that one of them may be receiving matters
for subsidence, whilst the matters subsided are, being withdrawn from the
other.
The more solid matters collected by subsidence in the reservoirs d may be
withdrawn therefrom or from the receiving well from such reservoir by
pumping apparatus such as that described in the Specification of the Patent
before referred to, or such as that herein-explained;-or-by-other-suitable
means. The more fluid portion of the sewage matters will flow from the
surface of the settling pits or subsiding reservoirs d into the gutter f, from
which it is raised or forced by suitable pumping apparatus into elevated
reservoirs or feeders, from which by suitable conduits it may be conveyed for
irrigating purposes.to the districts desired.
Figure 4 shows an external view, Figure 5 a vertical section, and Figure 6

page_text: a plan of apparatus arranged according to the second part of our Invention;
Figures 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 show-portions thereof separately.
g is the flexible diaphragm, one surface of which is acted upon by the sewage
matters, rising into, the lower chamber - through the opening i, which is
capable of being closed by the valve ; and the other surface of this
diaphragmg is acted upon by the water or other fluid in the chamber h²,
between it and the piston j; is the passage by which the sewage matters
are driven off from the chamber-h:
When employing material for the diaphragm 9 which resists the passage
through it of liquid matters, and which is thereby liable to become injured
when there is either too little or too much water or other fluid between such
diaphragm and the piston j, we employ taps or valves to govern the supply of
such water or other fluid.
According to the arrangement shewn, we apply to the flexible diaphragm g
plates o, so as to connect such diaphragm 9 to one end of the chain p, the
other end of which is connected to one end of the lever q, which turns upon a
shaft q', and at its other end this lever is connected to and so as to be
capable of actuating the sliding plate r, which is capable of sliding in the
chamber s, and is formed with holes r', r, through it, which are capable
respectively of being closed by the valves 3 and 4. The weight of the
lever q is counteracted by another lever arm q² fixed on the shaft q' externally
of the apparatus. When there is 2. tendency to excess of water or other
fluid between the diaphragm g and the piston.j, the diaphragm g will draw
down the chain p and the lever q; thereby drawing the plate r so as to bring
the hole in communication with the chamber h, and then such water or
other fluid may pass away by the pipe t to a suitable reservoir. When there
is too little water or other fluid in the chamber h', the diaphragm g will raise
the lever q, thereby moving the plate so that the hole thereof will be
open to the pipe t, and water or other fluid will be drawn into the chamber h¹
by the passage³.
We by preference apply the diaphragms g to frames l, each of which is
formed in parts which are connected together by pin joints 11, so that the
sides thereof may readily be inclined towards each other, as indicated by the
dotted lines in Figure 7, and we apply such frame by passing it into a
groove formed for it in the pump barrel through an opening closed by the
cover u.
The diaphragm may be of the form of a bottle or other hollow vessel com-
posed of india-rubber or other suitable flexible material capable of expansion

page_text: and contraction, or opening and closing. Pumping apparatus thus arranged
is applicable to raising and forcing other fluids.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Walker, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
THOS WALKER Gal
THOS WALKER (19)