IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Stanislas Chodzko, Chemist, of Paris, in the French
Empire, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
"
Sealed the 3rd March 1857, and dated the 15th September 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Stanislas Chodzko at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th September 1856.
I, STANISLAS CHODZкO, Chemist, of Paris, in the French Empire, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF MANURE, AND THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in the following method of and apparatus for
manufacturing manure from urine, fecal matters, street sweepings, rubbish,
and animal and vegetable refuse.
I employ an apparatus consisting of a platform, supported on a framework
open to the air, and furnished with rows of trays or receptacles with perforated
bottoms, the first row of which contains a layer of chloride of iron, and the
others, boughs, reeds, &c., on which pebbles, iron balls, weed, peat, or other
supporting and intercepting media are placed.
The fecal matters are poured through the platform and down through the
trays, which intercept the solid portions, while the liquid portions, urine, &c.,

page_text: pass down through the apparatus into an underground reservoir. While the
matters are dropping down they are subjected to the action of sulphurous and
hydrochloric acid gases. The manure is then left to dry in the air, and sifted
so as to separate it from pebbles, turf, or other intercepting media.
I also employ another somewhat similarly constructed apparatus, in which
I avail myself of the incrusting property of urine in the preparation of
manure. This apparatus consists of a framework supporting several rows
of trays or receptacles with perforated bottoms, and containing branches,
boughs, fir cones, or other intercepting media. These trays are to receive the
refuse, street sweepings, fecal matters, or other substances to be converted
into manure. They are open to the air, and so placed as to be exposed to
sulphurous and hydrochloric acid gases proceeding from suitable placed fur-
I place a tank or tanks at the top of the rows of trays, into which I
introduce urine or saline solutions, or (which I prefer) water holding in solution
the salts of salt marshes, and which, through suitably placed channels, I allow
to flow down through the trays, so as to soak their contents. I then pump up
the urine from the underground reservoir into these tanks, and allow that also
to percolate the trays and the intercepting media, and then to flow back into
the reservoir, the sulphurous and hydrochloric acid gases acting meanwhile on
the trays. This operation may be repeated again and again until the urine
leaves an incrusted deposit on the solid matters, which are then left to dry and
sifted.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Stanislas Chodzko in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th March 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, STANISLAS
CHODZKO, Chemist, of Paris, in the French Empire, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Stanislas Chodzko, Her special licence that I, the said Stanislas Chodzko,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Stanislas Chodzko, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,

page_text: se, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
reland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
ENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF MANURE, AND THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN,"
pon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Stanislas Chodzko, 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 Stanislas Chodzko, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My Invention consists in the following methods of and apparatus for manu-
facturing manure from urine, fecal matters, street sweepings, rubbish, and
se, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
reland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
ENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF MANURE, AND THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN,"
pon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Stanislas Chodzko, my
xecutors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
ne of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
ature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
erformed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
vithin six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Stanislas Chodzko, do hereby declare
he nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
ormed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
tatement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and
o the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My Invention consists in the following methods of and apparatus for manu-
acturing manure from urine, fecal matters, street sweepings, rubbish, and
nimal and vegetable refuse.
My Invention includes,―
1. Apparatus which I term "batiments de graduations."
2. Apparatus of a similar description, which I term "ponts do
graduations."
3. The utilization of the incrusting property of urine.
4. Exposure of the matters to atmospheric air.
5. The employment of sulphurous acid gas.
6. Employment of hydrochloric acid gas.
7. Salt (of salt water, or salt marshes).
8. Intercepting media, or temporary supports for the matters.
The apparatus which I call the "pont de graduation" consists of a platform,
upported on a frame open to the air, and furnished with rows of trays or
cceptacles with perforated bottoms, the first row of which contains a layer of
hloride of iron, and the others boughs, reeds, &c. on which pebbles, iron balls,
veed, peat, or other supporting and intercepting media are placed. The fecal
atters (conveyed from the closets, sewers, &c.) are carried up and poured
hrough the platform, & down through the trays which intercept the solid portions
r matters held in suspension, while the liquid portions, urine, &c.
pass down
hrough the apparatus into a drain or channel, and thence into an underground
eservoir. While the matters are dropping down through the apparatus they
re subjected to the action of sulphurous and hydrochloric acid gases, evolved

page_text: from a suitably placed furnace, which should be kept at work till the fumes of
salts of ammonium have completely disappeared. The manure is then left to
dry in the open air, and sifted to separate it from the pebbles, turf, and other
intercepting media, which may thus be employed again and again.
Figure 1 of the annexed Drawings illustrates an apparatus of this descrip-
tion, or "pont de graduation;" Figure 1º is a side view of the same in section.
A is the platform, supported on masonry, and under which is a framework
composed of beams and rods forming compartments or seats for a series of
trays, baskets, or receptacles, with perforated bottoms and sides, or open at the
sides. These trays are of galvanized iron or other suitable material, and
arranged in radeal rows horizontally, and in piles vertically, having a central
space B between them under the opening in the platform, and which space
leads into the channel C, through which the liquid portions flow into the
subterranean receiver. (The chloride of iron on the top row should be as
neutral as possible). The opening in the platform over the space B is closed
by a door or trap.
I employ a similarly constructed apparatus, which I call "batiment de
graduation," for the preparation of manure, in which I avail myself of the
incrutisng property of urine and the action of the atmospheric air, and in
which the loss of any of the nitrous matters is prevented by the presence
of sulphurous and hydrochloric acid gases.
This apparatus consists of a structure in which there is a framework
supporting several rows of trays or receptacles, with perforated bottoms of the
description previously mentioned, and containing branches, boughs, fir cones, or
other intercepting media. These trays also serve for receiving refuse, street
sweepings, fecal matters, or other substances to be converted into manure.
They are open to the air, and so placed as to be exposed to sulphurous and
hydrochloric acid gases, proceeding from the combustion of sulphur in suitably
placed furnaces, which may be lodged in chambers left in the frame.
A tank
or tanks is or are placed at the top of the rows of trays, into which urine or
saline solutions are introduced, or (which I prefer) water holding in solution
the salts of salt marshes, and which, through suitably placed channels, are made
to flow down through the trays to soak and saturate the contents, that is to
say, the intercepting media, or the sweepings, rubbish, and other matters to be
converted into manure. The urine is then pumped up from an underground
reservoir into these tanks, and made to percolate the trays and intercepting
media, and then to flow back into the reservoir, the sulphurous and hydrochloric
acid gases playing meanwhile on the trays. This operation may be repeated
again and again until the urine leaves an incrusted deposit in the solid

page_text: matters which are left to dry, and are sifted. In this method and apparatus
the double ammoniaco-magnesian phosphate is formed which has been so
strongly recommended to agriculturists by Boussin-gault, Gasparin, Payen,
and Liebig.
Figure 2 is a front view, and Figure 3 a side view of such an apparatus,
having a roof over the tanks; here the trays are supplied first with a layer of
chips or fagots, and over them a layer of fir cones or other matters, which
would serve as intercepting media or "temporary supports for the solid
portions of the fecal matters.
"
C, C, are the channels leading to the subterraneous reservoirs ; D, E, left
tube of the feed pumps; G, G, tanks into which the liquids are forced up by
the feed pump (through the pipes H); R, R, channels through which the
liquid matters percolate.
Figure 4 shews a part on a larger scale; the trays J, receivers K, floor for
the receivers M, and connecting pieces N.
Figure 5 shews the furnace detached; O, glass receiver, holding hydrochloric
acid; P, fire-place, in which the sulphur is burnt.
Figure 6 is a part of the apparatus detached, shewing the cistern D and lift
tube B of the feed pump, and channels C, C.
After sifting
In dry weather the operation may be repeated in the same apparatus, even
until the urine is diluted with three times its weight of water.
the intercepting or supporting media, they may be used over again.
The following table is an approximative estimate of the proportions of
ingredients which may be employed:-For the "pont," supposing the fecal
matters taken from the drain or closet to be in a normal condition, that is to
say, 3 per cent. nitrogen, say 2,200 lbs. ; chloride of iron, 11 lbs.; sulphur in
state of sulphurous acid gas, 4 lbs. ; hydrochloric acid in state of fume, 6 lbs.
For the manure of the battiments "de graduation:"-Urine, 2,200 lbs.; salts
in a dry state, about 11 lbs.; sulphur in state of sulphurous acid gas, 4;
hydrochloric acid in a state of fume, 6 lbs. To prevent the emanation of
unpleasant odours in very hot weather, it is as well to throw over the first row
of the pont de graduation" one per cent. of powdered charcoal. The above
proportions (are merely examples).
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First, the mode of manufacturing manures from fecal matters, by separating
the solid from the liquid portions thereof, by dropping the fecal matters
through receptacles containing intercepting media arranged in vertical and
horizontal rows in apparatuses, in which the fecal matters are exposed to the

page_text: atmospheric air, and subjected to the action of hydrochloric and sulphurous
acid gases, and then dried, all as herein-before described.
Second, the mode of converting rubbish, street sweepings, dirt, and other
similar matters into manure, by soaking them with saline solutions and urine
(which latter becomes incrusted on them), in apparatus with compartments
containing intercepting media, arranged as herein-before described, and then
drying the manure, all as herein-before described.
Third, the construction and arrangement of apparatuses with series of
receptacles, as herein-before described with reference to the Drawings
annexed.
Fourth, the employment of sulphurous acid gas and hydrochloric acid gas
in the manufacture of manure, as herein-before described.
Fifth, the employment of the incrusting properties of urine in the manu-
facture of manure.
Sixth, the employment of saline fluids and solutions, in the manner herein-
before described.
Seventh, the employment of atmospheric air in the manufacture of manure,
in the manner herein-before described.
Eighth, the employment of intercepting or supporting media, as herein
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Stanislas Chodzko, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of January, in the year of our
Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
CH. ARMENGAUD, Ing' Conseil,
23, Boulev de Strasbourg,
à Paris.
S. CHODZKO. (L.S.)