Improvements in or Connected with Filter Presses and in the Drying of Sewage, Sludge, and other Moist Matters.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Apr., 1886.
Complete Left, 7th Jan., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 8th Feb., 1887.
Improvements in or Connected with Filter Presses and in the
Drying of Sewage, Sludge, and other Moist Matters.
I WILLIAM FREDERICK BARTON MASSEY-MAINWARING of No. 30 Grosvenor Place
Hyde Park in the County of Middlesex Bachelor of Laws do hereby declare the
nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
:-
My invention consists first of the improvements hereinafter described in or connected
with filter presses and my said invention consists further in drying or assisting in the
drying of sewage sludge and other moist matters by heating them in a filter press or
by evaporating the moisture or part of the moisture therefrom while in a filter press.
According to the first part of my said Invention 1 form the recessed faces of the
plates of the press plain instead of corrugated as usual and I form the perforated.
plates over which the cloths are laid of cast iron and with projecting bosses or
protuberances on one side or face and I secure the said perforated plates to the press
plates so that the said bosses or protuberances bear on the plain surfaces of the press
plates the spaces between the said bosses or protuberances when the plates are thus
secured constituting chambers or channels into which the liquid from the moist matters
forced into the press passes on its way to the outlets of the press which communicate
with the said chambers or channels. And I form passages or cavities in the body of
cach of the press plates which passages or cavities communicate with the said chambers
or channels and terminate at the peripheries of the said plates and communicate at or
near their terminations with pipes provided with stopcocks and connected with
apparatus by means of which air may be forced into or drawn through the said
chambers or channels.
In using a press provided with my said improvements I close the stopcocks herein
before referred to and work the press as usual until the spaces between the cloths are
sufficiently charged with the matter under treatment. I then close the outlets of the
press and open the aforesaid stopcocks and force or draw air through the said chambers
or channels.
In some cases I dispense with the separate perforated plates and form chambers
or passages within the press plates and perforate the said plates the perforations

page_text: communicating between the recessed parts of the said plates and the said chambers.or
passages and I secure the cloths over and in contact with the surfaces of the recessed
parts of the perforated press plates.
In drying sewage sludge and other moist matters which are not susceptible to injury
by heat I heat the filter press or I subject the said matters to the action of heat while
in the filter press by forcing or drawing heated air through the said pipes. When I
force the heated air through the press I first slightly separate the plates thereof as
hereinbefore described in order to permit the air forced in to escape from between
them and when I draw the heated air through the press I close the outlets of the press
and connect the inlet thereof with a suitable air heater and draw the hot air through
the press and through the said pipes and I relax the pressure on the plates only to the
extent necessary to prevent injury to the press by the expansion of the metal thereof.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.
Drying of Sewage, Sludge, and other Moist Matters.
I WILLIAM FREDERICK BARTON MASSEY-MAINWARING of No. 30 Grosvenor Place
Hyde Park in the County of Middlesex Bachelor of Laws do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention consists first of the improvements herein after described in .or
connected with filter presses and my said invention consists further in drying or
assisting in the drying of sewage sludge and other moist matters by heating it or them
in a filter press or by evaporating the moisture or part of the moisture therefrom while
in a filter press.
According to the first part of my said invention I form the recessed faces of the
plates of the press plain instead of corrugated as usual and I form the perforated
plates over which the cloths are laid of cast iron and with projecting bosses or
protuberances on one side or face and I secure the said perforated plates to the press
plates so that the said bosses or protuberances bear on the plain surfaces of the press
plates the spaces between the said bosses or protuberances when the plates are thus
secured constituting chambers or channels into which the liquid from the moist matters
forced into the press passes on its way to the outlets of the press which communicate
with the said chambers or channels. And I provide the outlets of the press with stop

page_text: cocks and connect the said outlets with apparatus by means of which air may be forced
or drawn through the said chambers or channels. Or I form passages in the body of
each of the press plates which passages communicate with the said chambers or
channels and terminate at the peripheries of the said plates and communicate at or
ncar their terminations with pipes provided with stop cocks and connected with air
forcing or drawing apparatus.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a face view of a press plate having a
perforated plate of the kind herein before described secured thereto and Figure 2 is a
central vertical section of a portion of a filter press (with one plate in elevation)
showing one of the arrangements hereinbefore described for admitting of air being
forced or drawn through the press. Figures 3, 4 and 5 are details hereinafter
referred to.
The same letters and figures of reference indicate the same parts in all the said
Figures.
, a are the press plates a² a' are the cloths and bare the perforated plates portions
of which are shown drawn to a large scale in Figures 34 and 5. Figure 3 representing
the upper side Figure 4 the underside and Figure 5 a section taken on the line A
Figure 3. The said plates are secured to the press plate by screws (see Figure 1)
dd are the perforations in the said plates which perforations are not shown in Figure 1
ande e are the bosses or protuberances on the said plates which bear on the plain
surfaces of the press plates aa the spaces between which bosses or protuberances
constitute the channels into which the liquid from the moist matters forced into the
press passes on its way to the passages constituting the outlets of the press which are
shown in dotted lines at ff in Figures 1 and 2. The said outlets are each provided
with three way cocks with which pipes i communicate the pipes being for the
h
purposes of conveying the liquid from the press and the pipes being those which
communicate with the air forcing or drawing apparatus.
In using a press provided with the improvements herein before described I turn the
cocks so that the outlets ff of the press are brought into communication with the
pipes and work the press as usual until the spaces between the cloths are sufficiently
charged with the matter under treatment. I then turn the said cocks g g so as to
bring the said passages into communication with the pipes and force or draw air
through the press.
In some cases I dispense with the separate perforated plates and form chambers or
passages within the press plates and perforate the said plates the perforations
communicating between the recessed parts of the said plates and the said chambers or
passages and I secure the cloths over and in contact with the surfaces of the recessed
parts of the perforated press plates. In applying these improvements to the press
plates I prefer to form the said plates in two parts or halves as shown in the
accompanying drawings hereinafter referred to.
Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings represents a face view of one half of a press
plate thus constructed Figures 7 and 8 are sections of the complete plate the sections
being taken respectively on lines corresponding to the lines BC Figure 6, Figure 9 is
a plan of underside of a portion of one half of the plate and Figure 10 is a section
thereof taken on the line D Figure 9 the said Figures 9 and 10 being drawn to a large
scale. The alternative arrangement herein before described for admitting of air being
forced or drawn through the press is illustrated in the said Figures 6 and 8. The
same letters and figures of reference indicate the same parts in all the said Figures.
kare the two half plates each of which has grooves or furrows 11 formed in it which
when the half plates are placed together as shown in Figures 7 and 8 constitute the
aforesaid chambers or passages. mm are the perforations (not shown in Figure 6)
which communicate between the recesses in the said plates and the said chambers or
passages and a, n are grooves which when the halves of the plate are put together
constitute a channel by which the moisture from the matter under treatment passes to
the outlets oo which are provided with stop cocks p p. is one of the pipes which
communicate with the air forcing or drawing apparatus (not shown in the drawings)
and are grooves which when the two halves of the plate are placed together

page_text: constitute the passages which form communications between the said pipes and the
chambers formed by the grooves or furrows 11. The half plates herein before described
may be connected together by screws or otherwise or they may be simply placed in
the press without being connected together.
In using a press provided with the said improvements I close the cocks of the outlet
pipes after the press has been charged in the ordinary manner and then open communi-
cation between the passages and the air forcing or drawing apparatus and force or
draw air through the press.
In drying sewage sludge and other moist matters which are not susceptible to injury
by heat I prefer to subject the said matters to the action of heat while in the filter press
by forcing or drawing heated air into and through the chambers or channels or
passages herein before described but it is not absolutely necessary to heat the air as I
have found unheated air produce good results. When I force heated air through the
press I first slightly separate the plates thereof in order to permit the air forced in to
escape from between them and when I draw the heated air through the press I connect
the inlet thereof with a suitable air heater and draw the hot air therefrom through the
press by means of a suitable exhausting apparatus connected to the pipes in the case
of the arrangement shown in Figures 1 and 2 or to the pipes in the case of the
arrangement shown in Figures 6, 7 and 8 and I relax the pressure on the plates only
to the extent necessary to prevent injury to the press by the expansion of the metal
thereof. In any case the outlets of the press must be closed while air is being forced
or drawn through it.
リ
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner, the same is to be or may be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
First Perforated plates for filter presses consisting of cast iron and having bosses
or protuberances formed on their inner surfaces for the purpose herein before
described.
Secondly Plates for filter presses having perforations formed in them which com-
municate between the recesses in the faces of the plates and chambers or passages
within the said plates.
Thirdly Drying or assisting in the drying of sewage sludge and other moist
matters by forcing or drawing air through or in contact with such sludge or matters
while in a filter press.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.