Improved Construction and Arrangement of Apparatus CHO Separation of Liquids and Semi-liquids from Solids, Especially Applicable to Sewage Sludge, Slip, Slurry, and other like Bodies.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Feb., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 8th Nov., 188
Complete Specification Accepted, 14th Dec., 1888
Improved Construction and Arrangement of Apparatus
CHO
Separation of Liquids and Semi-liquids from Solids, Especially
Applicable to Sewage Sludge, Slip, Slurry, and other like
Bodies.
I, RICHARD MUIRHEAD, of Maidstone, Kent, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
Up to the present time the most satisfactory way of dealing with sewage sludge
has been the reduction of it to the solid form known as sludge-cake, by means of
what are called Filter presses. These consist of a considerable number of cells or
chambers formed by the close contact of a series of dished plates or plain plates_and
frames arranged alternatoly. To empty the contents all these plates and frames have
to be separated, one at a time by hand, the operation requiring at least two men, this
work being both laborious and tedious as well as costly. Several Patents have been
taken out for effecting it by steam, hydraulic, or pneumatic power, or other
mechanical means, but up to the present time none seem to have been successfully
applied.
Now the object of this invention, is the reduction of the cost of "pressing" as it is
called; which object is attained
1. By reducing to a minimum the manual labour required.
2. By reducing the time spent in opening, clearing, and closing the machine, and
3. By improvements in the filtering media.
27
In order to carry out my invention I disponse with the multiple cell arrangement
and instead thereof 1 employ a single receptacle which I prefer to call the "container."
The shape of the container may be varied according to circumstances but will
generally be rectangular or have a circular body with two flat ends or covers opposite
one another, one or in some cases both of which flat ends may be made separate from
the body and attached thereto by hinges, bolts, or clips, or held against it (when the
machine is in operation) by screw pressure hydraulic, other power; one, or in some
cases both of those moveable ends is, or are picrced with holes, into each of which a

page_text: taper tube is inserted from the outside, said tubes being made of a porous material, or
meshed, or perforated with holes and in some cases covered with a woven tubular-
shaped porous fabric for the passage or filtration of the liquid from the sludge, within
which, in the body of the "container," the tubes are immersed. The interior of the
tubes may in addition be charged with any porous, purifying chemical, or antiseptic
filtering media either alone or in combination with a fibrous, or other material and
retained therein by holed plugs or otherwise. When metal tubes are used without a
covering of woven, or other fabric, they may be tinned or enamelled or otherwise
coated in order to give them a smooth slippery surface to which the sludge is not
likely to adhere.
"
The body of the "container may be mounted upon trunnions, or other supports,
one of which may be hollow and connected to the feed pipe from the supply pumps,
this forming the inlet for the sludge or other semi-fluid to the interior of the
"container." When the pumps are set in motion, or pressure is applied by any
means, the liquid passing through the holes of the tubes into their interior and thence
to the outside of the "container" leaving the solids deposited on the outsides of the
tubes, until all the interviewing space in tho interior of the "container" is filled up.
When it is desired to empty the contents one or in some cases both of tho movoable
ends is, or are removed, after pinch or locking bolts, or clips have been released, and
with said cover the tubes which in some cases are attached thereto are forcibly with-
drawn leaving the solid sludge behind in the "container." The "container" may then
be turned, or the bottom opened and the whole of the contents will bo discharged at
once into the truck placed below to receive them. In order to facilitate this, the body
of the "container may be made taper, so that when turned on its trunnions as above
described, the largest end may be downwards.
"
"
In some cases, as for instance, when the contents are of a sticky or adhesive naturo
likely to cling to the tubes and sides of the container I place an additional per-
forated plate or plates, or diaphragms inside the main tube plate next the sludge, said
diaphragm remaining stationary prevents any part of the solid matter which might
cling to the tubes from being dragged out by them when they are being withdrawn in
the act of opening the "container."
Dated this 8th day of February 1888.

page_text: Improved Construction and Arrangement of Apparatus for the
Separation of Liquids and Semi-liquids from Solids, Especially
Applicable to Sewage Sludge, Slip, Slurry, and other like
Bodies.
I RICHARD MUIRHEAD of Maidstone, Kent, Engineer do hereby declare the nature
of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to bo'
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
has
Up to the present time the most satisfactory way of dealing with sewago sludge
been the reduction of it to the solid form, known as sludge cake, by means of what
are called Filter Presses. These consist of a considerable number of cells or chambers
formed by the close contact of a series of dished plates or plain plates and frames
arranged alternately. To empty the contents all these plates, or plates and frames
have to be separated, one at a time, by hand, the operation requiring at least 2 men.
This work is laborious and tedious as well as costly and several Patents have been
obtained for effecting it by steam, hydraulic or pneumatic power, or other mechanical
means, but up to the present time none seem to have been successfully applied.
'
Now the object of this invention is the reduction of the cost of "pressing" as it
is called, which object is attained.
1. By reducing to a minimum the manual labour required.
2. By reducing the time spent in opening, clearing and closing the machine and
3. By improvements in the filtering media.
"
"
In order to carry out my invention I dispense with the multiple cell arrangement
and instead thereof I employ a single receptacle which I prefer to call the "container."
The shape of the container may be varied according to circumstances but will
generally be rectangular or have a circular body with two flat ends or covers, opposite
one another, one, or in some cases, both of which flat ends may be made separate
from the body and attached thereto by hinges, bolts or clips or held against it
(when the machine is in operation) by screw pressure, bydraulic, pneumatic or other
power.
"
One, or in some cases, both of these movable ends is, or are pierced with holes
into each of which a tube or a partition closed at one end, or an equivalent con-
trivance, preferably taper is inserted to form a carrier or duct for the passage of the
liquid filtered from the sludge or other semi-fluid, in which within the body of the
container" the tubes or their equivalents are immersed. These tubes or their
equivalents may be of metal or of porous material or meshed or perforated with
holes or they may be made permeable by being built up of discs, rings or washers of
metal and any porous or permeable substance arranged alternately, or of metallic
washers only, laid one upon another (like voltaic pile) or strung upon a square or
equivalent shaped rod and screwed up so as to press the string of washers to any
desired degree.

page_text: Or instead of separate rings or washers a strip of metal may be coiled on a
mandril after the manner of a spiral spring the coils being put into close contact by
the screwed rod and nut similar to that last described and constituting a tube into
which the liquid passes, separated from the sludge when the pressure is exorted for
that purpose, the many interstices which exist between the washers or coils acting as
the filtering media.
The washers or their equivalent may be built up or strung upon the rod so that they
touch one another or intermediato layers of felt, porous pot, carbon or other material
to serve as cushions may be placed and act as a filtering media and these washers may
be of the same diameter for the length of the tube to constitute a parallel, or they
may vary in their diameters to constitute a taper.
The tubes or partitions thus formed may be enclosed in a fabric or they may be
left plain.
If the tubes or partitions before spoken of are of metal and perforated, the per-
forations or holes may be plugged with cane, porous pot-ware, carbon or other
material that can be made into plug form and of such a character as to permit of the
liquid passing through to the interior of the tube, or partition.
My invention will be more particularly understood by reference to the annexed
drawings in which at Figures 1 and 2 I show part sectional elevations and Figure 3
an end view of a rectangular vessel A mounted upon trunnions B, B, supported by
uprights C. C. The bottom of the vessel A is permanently fixed to, or forms part
of the container A but the plato D which carries the tubes E, is only temporarily
affixed, this being held in position by the screw down cover F which is operated by
the overhead gearing G said cover being locked in close contact to prevent escape of
liquid, except through the proper channel.
The sludge to be operated upon is forced through the feed pipe H into the chamber
when the valve I is removed from its seating by the hand wheel J and as the prossure
forces the sludge in, the chamber becomes filled and the mass gradually compact
because of the liquid passing through the tubes which are within the vessel until a
compact block of sludge full of cavities is formed, the water or liquid having passed
through the channel between the tubes plate D and the cover F.
The overhead gearing is then reversed to lift the cover F either alone or in company
with the tubes E and plate D the tubes being thereby drawn out of the sludge block, a
trolly is brought under the framing and by means of the hand gear K the vessel A is
turned upside down, the compact mass or block of sludge sliding out of the vessel on
to the trolly which when removed will permit of the vessel A being returned to its
first position and the tube plato and cover reaffixed for a fresh pumping in of the
sludge.
According to the preceding Figures the tubes E are arranged in the plate D with
the taper ends downwards but at Figure 4 I show them inverted so that the filtered
liquid passes direct into and from the spout L into a waste pipe M.
The cover F of the apparatus shown at Figure 4 is, when lowered onto the vessel A
secured in position by hand nuts or lovers N.
Figure 5 is a part sectional elevation of a vessel A having the tube plate as part of
same but it may be a separate plate dropped into position. The vessel A of this
apparatus is fixed and when the pressure and due filtration of the liquid from the
solid has been effected the bottom which is hinged to the casing can be folded down
when unhooked to permit of the block sliding out of the chamber.
According to Figures 6 and 7 the chamber or filtering vessel has no rotative motion
as in the previous figures and the tubes are arranged horizontally, and they with their
plates D and covers Fare removed horizontally when the block has become solid and
it has to be removed from the chamber. This chamber may be square or of other
form and the bottom and top plates P, Q, may be removable the front and back plates
being fixtures to the uprights C, C, which front and rear plates may be tapered with
the broadest portion at the bottom so that when the bottoni plate P is removed after
the withdrawal of the plates, tubes and covers the block would release itself and slide
or fall from the chamber but should there be any tendency of the block to adhere to the

page_text: front and back walls of the chamber the top plate Q could then be removed to enable
the plunger R to be lowerod by the hand gear S to forcibly remove the block from the
chamber.
According to the arrangement shown in Figure 6 the tubes, plates and covers are
removable by hand screw gear T but they may be moved by pistons U worked under
hydraulic, pneumatic, or other power, (see Figure 7). This vessel A may be supported
on trunnions and have a rotative motion given to it when it has to be emptied,
whether the plunger R is required to be used or not, for that purpose.
Some kinds of sludge may have an adhesive action upon the tubes or their envelopes
so that the tubes could not be readily drawn, in which case I purpose fitting an
additional plate V as seen at Figure 8 which by extension rod appliances W arranged
within a pocket above the plate D would force the sludge block from the tubes.
Some examples of the tubes E before referred to are shown at Figures 9 to 15
inclusive, all of round form tapering, but they may be of shapes other than round
such as at Figure 16, a hollow partition, or they may have parallel sides.
According to Figure 9 the tube E is drilled or perforated and covered on the outside
with a stocking or mantle a of fabric, such as Printers blanket or other woven or felted
material through which the liquid from the sludge can filter and pass through the holes
to the inside of the tube and thonce out at the mouth. The interior of this tube may
be plain or filled with loose fibrous material such as coir, bass, cokor fibre, or other
and this can be retained in place by a perforated or other plug bas seen in Figure 10
or the stocking or mantle a may be dispensed with as at Figure 11 and the perforated
tube E be filled with a fibre retained in position by a perforated or other plug b
(or it may be by a cap).
Figure 12 shows a tube perforated and the holes plugged with cane, carbon, porous
pot or other like ware, which may be cemented in, or such plugs may be of ordinary
pot ware perforated when moulded and when squeezed together the perforations become
reluced and serve for filtering the liquid from the solid.
Figure 13 shows a tube composed of a series of metal or other washers superposed
and held in place by a square hexagonal or similar shaped rode the spacos between the
flat or curved sides of the rod and the round opening of the washers form spaces
through which the liquid filtered from the sludge will flow. These washers when
placod together as just explained provide slits crevices, or interstices throughout the
length of the tube for filtration purposes.
Figure 14 shows a similar tube built up of an alternate layer of metal washers
and folt washers but said washers may all be composed of felt or equivalent material
bound together in tubular form for filtering.
Figure 15 represents a tube made of wire wound spirally, which the rod e keeps in
close contact or sufficiently close to prevent particles of solid matter passing through
to the interior.
The tube of washers or of spiral wire (preferably flat) may be enveloped in a
stocking or mantle.
I have referred to the tubes as being perforated but the holes, or they may be slots,
may be punched or otherwise produced and said tubes may be of metal, pot ware, or
other material but preferably of metal and instead of being perforated or slotted they
may be composed of moshed wire in which case they would be enclosed in a stocking or
mantle to permit of their easy withdrawal from the sludge block when the filtration is
completed. The tubes are easily cleansed from any obstructions such as sludge, or the
like, sticking to them by a pressure of water steam or air forced through them in the
reverse direction on the attachment of a pipe or nozzle to the filtered water
outlet, L.
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 construction or arrangement of apparatus hereinbefore described with
safowance to Figures 1 to 8 of the annexed drawings in or by which liquids can be

page_text: separated from solids such as sewage sludge or like matters and blocks produced
having in themselves a series of cavities, as described.
2. The manufacture and employment of vessels so mounted that they can be turned
on their axes for the sliding out or removal of blocks which have become compressed
by the pressuro of an inflowing body and the filtration or separation of liquid
therefrom substantially in the manner described with reference to Figures 1 to 8 of
the annexed drawings.
3. The employment of tapered or other tubes having one end closed or of hollow
partitions and of such a character that when fitted in a vessel for the separation of
liquids from solids they act as filtering mediums when such separation is effected by
pressure of the inflowing body, also whether said tubes or hollow partitions be in one
piece or made up of many pieces and whether of parallel or tapered formation when
such tubes are used for the purpose or purposes described.
1000