IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF SEWAGE AND AMMONIACAL LIQUIDS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Young Darracott Scott, of Ealing, in the
County of Middlesex, Major-General, C.B., and John Berger
Spence, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Merchant, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF SEWAGE AND
AMMONIACAL LIQUIDS."
Sealed the 14th July 1874, and dated the 22nd January 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Young Darracott
Scott and John Berger Spence at the Office of the Commissioners
of Patents, with their Petition, on the 22nd January 1874.
We, HENRY YOUNG DARRACOTT SCOTT, of Ealing, in the County of
Middlesex, Major-General, C.B., and JOHN BERGER SPENCE, of Man-
chester, in the County of Lancaster, Merchant, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF
Sewage and AMMONIACAL LIQUIDS," to be as follows:―
The object of this Invention is the treatment of sewage and ammoniacal
liquids so as to abstract therefrom the ammonia present in a cheap,
portable, and stable form,

page_text: In carrying out our Invention, when the liquid to be operated upon
is town sewage resulting from the use of "water carriage," and the
overflow of cesspools, we generally commence by removing the suspended
matters by subsidence or one of the well-known methods of precipitation,
preferably by the lime process, but in cases in which the sewage is not
mixed with storm waters or land drainage we may omit this process.
We pass the clarified or limed sewage through layers composed of
natural phosphate of iron in the hydrated condition, or of phosphate of
iron prepared as herein-after described, and we prefer to make use of
upward filtration for the purpose, or we agitate with the sewage water
so large a quantity of the said phosphate of iron that the liquid becomes
thoroughly well swept by its particles, so that as far as possible the
want of fluidity in the precipitant may be supplied. The phosphate salt
or salts are then allowed to subside in combination with the ammonia
abstracted from the liquid in order that the top water may be drawn
off.
If the lime process is not used for the purpose of removing the
suspended matters before the application of the phosphate of iron we
apply lime in conjunction with it.
The same processes are applicable in the case of ammoniacal liquids in
general.
If the sewage is not carried away by water carriage nor removed to a
depôt to be there treated, as practised in some towns (when the urine
can be treated as above), we separate the solids from the liquids by well-
known contrivances, such as the "séparateur" of the French, and pass
the liquids through a filter of lime or magnesia or dolomitic lime, and
then through a filter of the phosphate of iron. By this means the
ammonia present in the liquid will be absorbed.
In lieu of using one filter of phosphate of iron (and this remark
applies to "water carriage" sewage as well as to urine and other strongly
ammoniacal liquids) we may use several filters, removing the phosphate
as it becomes more and more impregnated with ammonia to the filter
more advanced in the series towards the source of supply of the liquid,
so as to keep the most saturated phosphate in contact with the liquid
strongest in ammonia. The effluent from the filters may then be run
into the drains, or it may be passed through a filter of charcoal before
this is done.

page_text: We agitate with the liquid to be treated phosphate of iron dissolved
in phosphoric acid, in proportion to the amount of ammonia existing
in the liquid, but in excess of that which would be arrived at by
calculation or its chemical equivalent, and we subsequently stir in with
it lime or dolomitic lime in excess.
We sometimes commence the treatment by adding to the sewage or
other liquid a quantity of lime depending on its composition, or by
otherwise removing by well-known methods the suspended matters, and
certain matters in solution.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Young Darracott Scott and John Berger
Spence in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 22nd July 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, HENRY
YOUNG DARRACOTT SCOTT, of Ealing, in the County of Middlesex,
Major-General, C.B., and JOHN BERGER SPENCE, of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-four, in
the thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto us, the said Henry Young Darracott
Scott and John Berger Spence, Her special licence that we, the said
Henry Young Darracott Scott and John Berger Spence, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Henry Young
Darracott Scott and John Berger Spence, 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 THE TREATMENT OF
SEWAGE AND AMMONIACAL LIQUIDS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
we, the said Henry Young Darracott Scott and John Berger Spence,
our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe

page_text: In other cases again we digest the natural phosphates in the said
phosphoric acid with the view of preparing a phosphate of iron suitable
for our purpose.
The resulting compounds when withdrawn from the ammoniacal
liquid may be used as manure or as a source for the manufacture of
ammonia and ammoniacal salts.
The ammoniacal phosphates resulting from the above described process
may be mixed (in preparing manures) with the solid fœces of closets and
cesspools, whether deodorized previously or not.
The ammoniacal phosphate may also be (for some purposes) advan-
tageously mixed with the dried deposit obtained by the precipitation of
the suspended matters of the sewage water of towns. Sometimes again
we add thereto shoddy, fustic, and other substances which have
fertilizing properties.
In dealing with ammoniacal liquids and sewage conveyed to town
outfalls by "water carriage," or urine carried to a depôt, we sometimes
proceed in a different method to that above described.
In the case of urine we stir in with the liquid dolomitic lime or
magnesia derived from dolomitic lime as above described, using the
alkaline earth in excess, and then agitate with the liquid phosphate of
iron dissolved in phosphoric acid, with or without the use of mineral
acids, in proportion to the amount of ammonia in the liquid, but in
excess of that which would be arrived at by calculation.
We sometimes introduce the acid phosphate solution first, adding it
very gradually, and then stir in the alkaline earth as a subsequent
operation.
We also in the case of the liquid sewage of town outfalls first treat
the sewage with sufficient lime or dolomitic lime to precipitate it, and
then subsequently, and as a distinct operation with separate collection
of the precipitate, we stir in with the effluent natural phosphate of iron
dissolved as aforesaid with hydrochloric, sulphuric, or phosphoric
acid.
66
Having now described our Invention of Improvements in the
Treatment of Sewage and Ammoniacal Liquids," and having explained
the manner of carrying the same into effect, we claim as the Invention.
Treatment of Sewage and Ammoniacal Liquids," and having explained
5 the manner of carrying the same into effect, we claim as the Invention

page_text: secured to us by Letters Patent as aforesaid, treating liquid sewage and
ammoniacal liquors with phosphate salts or solutions prepared from
natural phosphates of iron, in the manner or manners herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Young Darracott Scott, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Twenty-first day of July,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.