Improved Apparatus for Screening and Extracting the Suspended Matter from Sewage or other Liquid.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Jan., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 25th Sept., 1889-Accepted, 7th Dec., 1889
PROVISIONAI. SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Screening and Extracting the Suspended
Matter from Sewage or other Liquid.
I. CHARLES FOOTE GOWER of Nova Scotia House, Ipswich Civil Engineer,
M. Inst. C.E. do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
It consists of a sories of fine wire screens, forming in fact one continuous screen,
turning or revolving upon drums, or wheels, fixed to two shafts working in a frame;
one shaft with drums &c. being above, the other, below. To the screen are attached
light iron plates, horizontally, in such a way that as the screen revolves, these plates
lift out from the sewage the more bulky portions of solid matter, and turning over
upon the upper drums, drop them upon a platform.
The lighter particles of solid matter, which adhere to the wire screen itself, are
lifted out of the sewage in a similar manner, and after turning also over the upper
drums, are brushed off the screen, by brushes specially designed for the purpose. "The
fine debris thus brushed off falls also, with the coarser material, onto the platform, or
into a receptacle prepared for the purpose.
The screen is formed of fine wires, horizontally about 10 to the inch so that the
spaces between the wires are less than one sixteenth of an inch. The horizontal wires
are crossed by vertical ones about half an inch apart. Thus only very minute
particles of matter can pass through the screen, though no limit to the fineness of tho
wire work is intended, except what may be found not practical.
The framework, which carries the revolving drums, is fixed in a Tank or Chamber
through which the sewage must pass. It is placed crosswise and inclined, thirty-five
degrees, or thereabout, in a down stream direction, from the vertical, so that the
material and debris may not fall off till it has been raised and turned over upon the
upper drums, when it will fall clear onto the platform.
The lower part of the frame with the drums, and part of the screen as it revolves,
dips beneath the sewage into a segmental recess in the bottom of the aforesaid tank,
so as to leave an inch or so clearance for the plates, attached to the screen, to pass
round.
On the up stream side, where the sewage first approaches the screen, a hinged
board, or plate of iron, is fixed, so as to rest always close against the surface of the
screen, or in contact with the plates, aforesaid, attached thereto, as it revolves, in such
a way as to effectually prevent, sticks, stones, or other solid substances from passing
round beneath the screen or beneath the iron plates as they pass round in the recess,
made in the tank bottom.
The machine, with the brushes for clearing the wires of debris, may be worked,
according to its size and the duty required of it, by manual, by steam, or other motive
power, and will remove, owing to its design and mechanical construction, the greatest
amount of suspended mineral and organic matter from sewage, in the most efficient
and economical manner possible.
By closely screening and extracting the suspended matter from sewage much
trouble, expense, and nuisance, (whatever final process of treatment of the sewage
itself may be adopted) will be avoided; and a greater or less quantity of refuse material
in a dry, or almost dry state, valuable for making manure, and other purposes, may be
secured. At Pumping Stations, and storm overflows also, the advantage of screening
sewage to the utmost degree possible of solid substances is undoubted; the apparatus
is applicable in all cases where the screening of sewage to the greatest degree
practicable is desired.
Various contrivances are already in use for straining out or screening out the solids

page_text: from sewage, some of a rough and ready kind, and others of various designs, with
mechanical appliances more or less suitable for the purpose, but none similar in
construction to the above described "Sewage screening Machine."
Dated this 21st day of January 1880
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Screening and Extracting the Suspended
Matter from Sewage or other Liquid.
.I CHARLES FOOTE GOWER of Nova Scotia House, Ipswich, Civil Engineer
M. Inst. C.E. 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:―
It consists of a series of fine wire screens, forming in fact one continuous
screen C. C. C. (as shewn upon the Drawing Figs. 1 and 2 hereunto attached) turning
or revolving upon drums, or wheels, A. A. B. B. fixed to two shafts working in a
framo P. P.
To the screen are attached light iron (or other metal) plates D. D. horizontally, in
such a way that as the screen revolves these plates, or troughs, lift out from the
sewage the more bulky portions of solid matter, and turning over upon the upper
drums A. A. drop their contents onto a platform or receptacle L.
The lighter and smaller particles of matter which adhere to the wire screen itself
are lifted out of the sewage in a similar manner and after turning also over the
drums A. A. are brushed off by the brushes E and F acting upon the outer surface of
the wire, and also by the brush G acting finally upon the inner surface of the screen.
The fine debris thus brushed off falls chiefly onto the platform L, though a small
quantity of minute particles may be brushed through the screen, and in that case will
be caught upon the curved shelf M. hung beneath the drums A. A. for that
purpose.
The screen C. C. is formed of fine wires horizontally about 10 to the inch crossed
by other wires about half an inch apart. The closeness of the wires, horizontal or
crosswise, is not an essential part of the invention, but in any case the screen
must be sufficiently flexible to turn upon the drums A. A.-B. B. though stiffened
horizontally by the light plates, or troughs, D. D. thereto attached.
The framework P. P. which carries the revolving drums A. A; B. B and the
screen C. C. is fixed in a Tank or Chamber T. T. constructed on the line of
sewer S. S.
The sewage flows in the direction indicated by the arrows, at varying
heights, as shewn on the drawing, according to circumstances.
As the screen revolves round the lower drums B. B. (in the direction indicated
by the arrows) in the recess formed across the bottom of the tank for that purpose,
there is danger of obstruction from stones or other substancos becoming jammed between
the plates or troughs D. D. and the bottom of the said recess.
hinged board or plate N is made to rest against the screen as it revolves, as well
To prevent this a
as against the edges of the troughs D. D. as they pass round, thus preventing any
passage of solid substances, into the hollow of the recess, large enough to impede the
working of the apparatus.
The power, to work the apparatus, (whatever its nature) is applied to the worm and
worm-wheel W, which turns the shaft upon which the drums A. A. are fixed, and at
the same time, by means of a crank and connecting rod, gives a reciprocating motion
to the rod K. K. of about 14 inches in the direction of its length.
From this rod K the brushes E and F are suspended by the links H. H. and by
means of another set of links the brush G is also attached, so that with the motion
of the rod K all the brushes are made to have a short horizontal movement simul-
taneously upon the outer and inner surface of the wire screen. The brushes are
cylindrical (like fine brushes) and are free to revolve on their axes, so that they

page_text: turn by the motion of the screen as it passes round. The brush E hangs from a
pivot, nearly vortical so as to press lightly against the outer surface of the screen.
The brush pivots from K and can be adjusted to have any desired pressure
against the screen by lengthening or shortening the links which connect it to the
brush G, and the pressure of the latter against the inner surface of the screen is regu-
lated at the same time. Weights can be used to regulate the pressure of the brushes
against the screen. These are requisite in cases where the inner brush G may not be
used, or may not be desirable.
Between the brushes E and F a light shelf, or board, is hung from pivots by
links J. J. and is kept up close to the outer surface of the screen or to the edges
of the troughs D. D. by the weight I attached to the end of a short lever. This
shelf intercepts much of the heavier and bulkier matter, that falls off the screen by
its own weight, or from a light touch of the brush E. It at the same time protects
the brush F from impediment by stones, sticks, and the larger debris brought down
with the sewage.
To steady the motion of the screen as it descends from the upper drums A. A.
curved plates R are fixed so as to catch the outer edges of the plates D. D. and
force them a little back from the position in which they would otherwise bang,
giving at the same time a better clearance for the matter that falls from the
brush F.
The precise details of construction, as herein described or shown by the Drawing,
may vary a little according to circumstances, taken together they substantially repre-
sent the nature of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The continuous screen C. C. C. made sufficiently flexible to turn or revolve
upon the drums or wheels A and B (as shewn on the Drawing Figs. 1 and 2) with
the plates or troughs D. D. thereto attached.
2. The hinged board or plate N, which resting against the screen CC or against
the edges of the troughs D. D. prevents stones, sticks, or other solid materials from
hindering the working of the apparatus.
3. The brushes E. F. G. of cylindrical form, free to turn on their axes, and hung
by the links H from the rod K in such a way as to have a short horizontal
reciprocating motion imparted to them through the said rod K and so hung and
adjusted or capable of being adjusted, as to give any desired pressure upon the screen
as it passes round, and to be capable of swinging a little from the centre K so as
to allow the troughs D D to pass as the apparatus revolves.
4. The shelf J hanging from a pivot J and kept in position by the weight I against
the outer surface of the screen and against the odges of the troughs, so as to intorcept
the larger masses of matter from falling upon, or becoming entangled in the brush F.
5. The curved plates R by which the screen in descending off the upper drums A. A.
is diverted a little backward from the position in which it would otherwise hang, so as
to allow more clearance for the debris falling from the brush Fas also to keep the
screen moro steady in its motion.
Dated this 24th day of September 1889.