TERRAVEMENTS IN PURIFYING WATER
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Bird, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Experimental and Pharmaceutical Chemist, for the Invention
of "TERRAVEMENTS IN PURIFYING WATER."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Bird at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 21st
September 1865.
I, ALFRED BIRD, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Experimental
and Pharmaceutical Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PURIFYING WATER," to be as follows:-
My Invention has for its object the purifying of the waters of rivers and
springs and such other waters as are or may be used for culinary, drinking,
general, domestic, and manufacturing purposes, and consists in precipitating
in the manner herein-after explained lime and the organic matter contained
in the said waters.
In order to purify water according to my Invention I make a solution in
water of sulphate of alumina. I prefer to make the said solution of the
strength of ten ounces in the imperial pint. I add this solution of sulphate

page_text: of alumina to the water to be purified in the proportion of about one ounce of
the said solution to twenty gallons of the said water to be purified. I mix
the solution well with the water, and allow the water to remain undisturbed
for from twelve to twenty-four hours.. Soon after the addition of the sulphate
of alumina to the water a flocculent precipitate forms, which gradually subsides
and leaves the water brilliant in appearance, and deprived of a portion of the
lime it originally contained as well as any organic colouring matter with which
it may have been contaminated. As some flocculi occasionally remain attached
to the sides of the vessel in which the precipitation is effected, and become
detached on the drawing off of the water, I prefer to connect with the tap by
which the water is drawn off a tube or vessel containing a piece of slightly
compressed sponge or cotton wool, by which any flocculi will be arrested; or
the flocculi may be strained in any other convenient way. The addition of
the sulphate of alumina to the water effects the decomposition of a portion
of the carbonate of lime in the water, the sulphuric acid of the sulphate of
alumina forming with the lime sulphate of lime, which is but very slightly
soluble in water, and the greater part of which is precipitated. The alumina,
deprived of its sulphuric acid, falls down at the same time, and carries with
it any organic colouring matter contained in the water. The carbonic acid
which was combined with the lime remains dissolved in the water, and
communicates. to it a refreshing and agreeable taste. The proportions I
have given are suitable for ordinary waters, but may be varied in special
cases.
The sulphate of alumina which I employ is made by saturating dilute
sulphuric acid with hydrated alumina and evaporating. The said sulphate of
alumina is an article of commerce, and 1 therefore do not consider it necessary
to describe its manufacture in detail.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Bird in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th
March 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
BIRD, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Experimental and Phar-
maceutical Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of September, in the year of our

page_text: Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Alfred Bird, Her special licence that I, the said Alfred Bird, ny
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alfred
Bird, 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
PURIFYING WATER," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alfred
Bird, 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 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 Alfred Bird, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-.
My Invention has for its object the purifying of the waters of rivers and
springs, and such other waters as are or may be used for culinary, drinking,
general, domestic, and manufacturing purposes, and consists in precipitating in
the manner herein-after explained lime and the organic matter contained in
the said waters.
In order to purify water according to my Invention I make a solution in
water of sulphate of alumina, otherwise called sesquisulphate of aluminum.
I prefer to make the said solution of the strength of ten ounces in the imperial
pint. I add this solution of sulphate of alumina to the water to be purified
in the proportion of about one ounce of the said solution to twenty gallons of
the said water to be purified. I mix the solution well with the water, and
allow the water to remain undisturbed for from twelve to twenty-four hours.
Soon after the addition of the sulphate of alumina to the water a flocculent
precipitate forms, which gradually subsides and leaves the water brilliant in
appearance and deprived of a portion of the lime it originally contained, as
well as any organic colouring matter with which it may have been contaminated..
For purifying great bodies of water, such as the water of reservoirs, ponds, or
tanks, the solution of sulphate of alumina may be added to the water to be

page_text: purified as it runs into the reservoirs, ponds, or tanks, or it may be mixed
with it by suitable mechanical means after the reservoirs, ponds, or tanks are
filled. The clear water can then be drawn off, and a fresh supply of water to
be purified being run in the solution of sulphate of alumina is added as before
described. The reservoir, pond, or tank should be provided with a lower
opening to permit the precipitate or sediment of lime, alumina, and organic
matter to be occasionally drawn off. When the water is purified in large
vessels, such as casks, cisterns, or jars, two taps should be provided at different
levels, the bottom one for drawing off the sediment, and the upper one for
drawing off the clear water. If the water is drawn off too soon after the
addition of the sulphate of alumina, some flocculi may remain attached to the
sides of the vessel in which the precipitation is effected, and become detached
on the drawing off of the water. In order to prevent the said flocculi from
being drawn off with the clear water, I prefer to connect with the upper tap
by which the water is drawn off a tube or vessel containing a piece of slightly
compressed sponge or cotton wool, by which any flocculi will be arrested;
or the flocculi may be strained in any other convenient way. The addition of
the sulphate of alumina to the water effects the decomposition of a portion of
the carbonate of lime in the water, the sulphuric acid of the sulphate of
alumina forming with the lime sulphate of lime, which is but very slightly
soluble in water, and the greater part of which is precipitated. The alumina,
deprived of its sulphuric acid, falls down at the same time, and with it all
organic colouring matters contained in the water, which organic colouring
matters combine with the alumina at the moment of its precipitation. The
carbonic acid which was combined with the lime remains dissolved in the
water, and communicates to it a refreshing and agreeable taste. The pro-
portions I have herein-before given of the solution of sulphate of alumina and
water to be purified are suitable for ordinary waters, but may be varied in
'special' cases.
The sulphate of alumina or sesquisulphate of aluminum which I employ
is made by saturating dilute sulphuric acid with bydrated alumina, and
evaporating. The said sulphate of alumina or sesquisulphate of aluminum
is an article of commerce, and I therefore do not consider it necessary to
describe its manufacture in detail.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit
myself to the precise details herein described, as the same may be varied
without departing from the nature of my Invention; but I claim as my

page_text: Invention the improvements in purifying water herein-before described, that
is to say, precipitating the lime or portion of the lime, together with organic
colouring matters contained in the water to be purified, by means of a solution
of sulphate of alumina or sesquisulphate of aluminum.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Bird, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
'
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham.
ALFRED BIRD. (L.S.)