Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Treating and Purifying Sewage, Waste, and similar Waters.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Jan., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 27th Sept., 1898-Accepted, 26th Nov., 1898
Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Treating and Purifying
Sewage, Waste, and similar Waters.
I, FERDINAND EICHEN, of Wiesbaden, in the Empire of Germany, Architect,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
A perfect cleaning of draff sewage and waste-water of every description chemi-
cally and bacteriologically in clearing and purifying plants always presents great
difficulties inasmuch as comparatively very large and consequently expensive
plants are required, if their effect is to be satisfactory. The object of the purify-
ing apparatus described below is to ensure, in continual working and in the
smallest possible space, the perfect precipitation and removal of the polluting
ingredients of all waste-waters and to attain the discharge of nothing but per-
fectly purified clear water.
The new clearing plant is formed in three parts and works accordingly. As
soon as the coarse mechanical admixtures, such as sand, etc., are separated, a
preparatory clearing or purifying effects the chemical purification of the waters
by means of chemicals such as sulphate of alumina etc. which precipitate the
suspended matter. In a subsequent treatment the sterilisation, and, at the same
time, the precipitation of the organic matter remaining in the water from the
preparatory clearing is effected by appropriate means, such as by milk of lime
etc., and finally the waters are submitted to a process of oxydation in a supple-
mentary treatment. In contrast with other processes based on similar principles,
the chief feature of the new method is, that a continual working is possible, as
the mud, precipitated in the preparatory and the chief clearing operations may
be removed at any time without disturbing the working of the plant, and in a
thick consistency thereby avoiding the drawback connected with previous mechani-
cal purifying processes during whose working thin mud only could be removed
and had to be freed from water outside the clearing plant. In order to avoid
this and to allow of the removal of the mud from the basin the whole plant had
to be doubled so that during the removal of the mud from one part of the plant
the waste waters were led through the second part of it.
The plant consists of a series of clearing or purifying basins or compartments
of similar construction and of several series of basings or compartments arranged
at a distance beside each other, the first compartiment serving for the preparatory
clearing and the next for the principal clearing or purification. Each compart-
ment of the preparatory series has inwardly sloping walls at the bottom of which
are mud-bags, receptacles or chambers.. Entrance to these chambers is effected
through the side brick walls which are closed outside by slides or doors. Con-
veyers or the like to be worked from outside may be laid in the mud-channels
for the removal of the mud from the receptacle as soon as they are sufficiently
filled. The mud may also be removed by hand. Prior to the removal of the
mud the channel to be emptied must be separated from the basin by lowering
the sluice boards or valves.

page_text: Each basin of the preparatory and the principal clearing plant is separated
from the other by an inclined wall. These inclined walls are combined with
dams depending in the basins in such a manner that the area of discharge between
the two walls can be regulated according to the strength of the flood of water to
be sent through the plant, and consequently the velocity and direction of the
stream in a purifying plant can be exactly controlled and regulated.
This is the chief object for the plant can only work well when a fixed way is
prescribed to the water and as soon as the conditions are fulfilled which insure
the quickest separation of the mud.
In the new plant, the water, freed mechanically from suspended and coarse
bodies such as sand, and mixed in the admission channel with sufficient quantities
of chemical precipitators, enters the first basin and is here, as in the following
divisions forced by its own weight and the dam to flow downward and then
coming against the sloping stream-directing wall it rises and overflows, through
the adjustable discharge opening, into the next division and so on.
This causes the necessary check to the stream and the passages along the walls
which is necessary for the separation of the suspended matter and its precipitation
to the bottom as well as its deposition, there in a solid consistency. The firm
deposit in the mud receptacle permits of the described mechanical removal of
the lower part of the mud, from the side of the basing whilst in use, since no
stirring up of the upper layers of the mud is caused.
The water nearly freed from suspended matter now enters the chief clearing
sections having basins or compartments of the same construction as already des-
cribed and is here submitted to a further treatment after having been mixed in
the connecting channel between the two sections with chemicals such as milk
of lime etc., intended to destroy pathogeneous microorganisms. In the second
part the construction of stream directing walls and dams also causes the precipi-
tation of matters in the water. Before the last basin or basins of the principal
clearing plant, however the stream directing wall may be omitted and replaced
by a filtering or purifying apparatus in order to remove matter still in solution
or compression and to submit the water to a preparatory filtration. This filtering
device or transverse filter is preferably constructed of iron gratings filled with
such a material of limestone pebbles, clay etc., and so as to allow of an exchange
or renewal of its contents during the working of the plant.
On leaving the chief clearing section the water freed from living micro-
organisms is led for a final purification to a special filtering device. Here the
water is to be perfectly purified by oxydation being alternately filled mechanically
and intimately mixed with or submitted to the action of air, in order to have its
admixtures oxidated, the oxydated ingredients being caused to precipitate in the
next filtering-space. This is done by means of layers of porous filtering materials
alternating with air channels formed by layers of fagots or the like through
which channels the water percolate and drizzle between every two filtering layers.
Dated this 3rd day of January 1898.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Treating and Purifying
Sewage, Waste, and similar Waters.
I, FERDINAND EICHEN, of Wiesbaden, in the Empire of Germany, Architect,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same

page_text: is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by he
following statement:―
A perfect cleaning of draff sewage and waste-water of every description chemi-
cally and bacteriologically in clearing and purifying plants always presents great
difficulties inasmuch as comparatively very large and consequently expensive
plants are required, if their effect is to be satisfactory. The object of the purify-
ing apparatus described below is to ensure, in continuous working and in the
smallest possible space, the perfect precipitation and removal of the polluting
ingredients of all waste-waters and to attain the discharge of nothing but per-
fectly purified clear water.
The new clearing plant is formed in three parts and works as follows:-As
soon as the coarse mechanical admixtures, such as sand, etc., are separated, a
preparatory clearing or purifying effects the chemical purification of the waters
by means of chemicals such as sulphate of alumina etc. which precipitate the
suspended matter. In a subsequent treatment the sterilisation, and, at the same
time, the precipitation of the organic matter remaining in the water from the
preparatory clearing is effected by appropriate means, such as by milk of lime
etc., and finally the waters are submitted to a process of oxydation in a supple-
mentary treatment. In contrast with other processes based on similar principles,
the chief feature of the new method is, that a continuous working is possible, as
the mud, precipitated in the preparatory and the chief clearing operations may
be removed at any time without disturbing the working of the plant, and in a
thick consistency, thereby avoiding the drawback connected with previous mechani-
cal purifying processes, during whose working thin mud only could be removed
and had to be freed from water outside the clearing plant. In order to avoid
this and to allow of the removal of the mud from the basin the whole plant had
to be doubled, so that during the removal of the mud from one part of the plant
the waste-waters were led through the second part of it.
1
In the annexed drawing my arrangement intended for a continuous working, is
represented in longitudinal section (Figure 1) and in transverse section (Figure 2).
The plant consists of a series A of clearing or purifying basins or compart-
ments of similar construction and of several series B of basins or compartments
arranged at a distance beside each other, the first series serving for the preparatory
clearing, and the next for the principal clearing or purification. Each compart-
ment A of the preparatory series has inwardly sloping walls f at the bottom of
which are mud-bags, receptacles or chambers d. Entrance to these chambers
is effected through the side brick-walls which are closed outside by slides or
doors. Conveyors or the like to be worked from outside may be laid in the
mud-channels for the removal of the mud from the receptacles as soon as they
are sufficiently filled. The mud may also be removed by hand. Prior to the
removal of the mud the channel to be emptied must be separated from the basin
by lowering the sluice-boards or valves e.
Each basin of the preparatory and the principal clearing plant is separated
These inclined walls are combined with
from the other by an inclined wall c.
dams 6 depending in the basins in such a manner that the area of discharge
between the two walls can be regulated according to the strength of the flood
of water to be sent through the plant, and consequently the velocity and direction
of the stream in a purifying plant can be exactly controlled and regulated.
This is the chief object, for the plant can only work well when a fixed way is
prescribed to the water and the conditions are present which ensure the quickest
separation of the mud.
In the new plant, the water, freed mechanically from suspended and coarse
bodies such as sand, and mixed in the admission channel a with sufficient quanti-
ties of chemical precipitators, enters the first basin and is here, as in the following
divisions, forced by its own weight and the dam to flow downward and then,
coming against the sloping stream-directing-wall, it rises and overflows through
the adjustable discharge opening, into the next division and so on.

page_text: This causes the necessary check to the stream and the passage along the walls
which is necessary for the separation of the suspended matter and its precipita-
tion to the bottom as well as its deposit there in a solid consistency. The firm
deposit in the mud receptacle permits of the described mechanical removal of
the lower part of the mud from the side of the basin, whilst in use, since no
stirring up of the upper layers of the mud is caused.
The water nearly freed from suspended matter now enters the chief clearing
series B having basins, or compartments of the same construction as already
described and is here submitted to a further treatment after having been mixed,
in the connecting channel g between the two sections, with chemicals such as
milk of lime etc. intended to destroy pathogeneous microorganisms. In this
second series the construction of stream-directing walls and dams also causes the
precipitation of matters in solution in the water. Before the last basin or basins
of the principal clearing plant, however, the stream-directing wall may be
omitted and replaced by a filtering or purifying apparatus h in order to remove
matter still in solution or suspension and to submit the water to a preparatory
filtration. This filtering device or transverse filter h is preferably constructed of
iron gratings filled with such a material of limestone pebbles, clay etc. and so
as to allow of an exchange or renewal of its contents during the working of
the plant.
On leaving the chief clearing section, the water freed from living micro-
organisms is led for a final purification to a special filtering and oxidation
device C: Here the water is to be perfectly purified by oxydation, being alter-
nately filtered mechanically and intimately mixed with or submitted to the action
of air, in order to have its admixtures oxidated, the oxidated ingredients being
caused to precipitate in the next filtering-space. The drawing shows how this
is done by means of layers of porous filtering materials i alternating with air
channels formed by layers of fagots or the like through which channels the
water percolates and drizzles between every two filtering layers.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is―
1. Apparatus for clearing or purifying, chemically and bacteriologically, draff,
sewage and waste-waters of any description, and allowing of a continuous work-
ing, consisting of preparatory clearing or purifying basins or compartments for
precipitating the suspended matters with the aid of chemicals, and subsequent
main clearing plant for separating the organic substances still present in the
partially purified water, in combination with mud receptacles from which the
mud may be withdrawn at any moment, and a final filtering and oxidation device
substantially as described.
2. In apparatus of the character described precipitation-basins or compart-
ments provided with dams and stream-directing walls c inclined in such manner
that the velocity of the stream and the flow of the waste-water may be regulated
by adjusting the opening between the two partitions, at the point where the
water enters the next basin, substantially as described.
3. In purifying plant of the character described precipitating chambers having
inwardly inclined walls combined with a transverse mud-receptacle or channel a
which can be emptied from the outside, and cut off from the chamber by sluices
or valves, substantially as described.
4. In purifying plant of the character described transverse filters in the prin-
cipal clearing section B, substantially as and for the purpose described.
5. In purifying plant of the character described, the combination of preliminary
and main clearing compartments A and B with a filter device C for oxidising the
matter still contained in the water treated in such manner that the water chemic-
ally purified drops or drizzles between each two filtering layers i, through an
intermediate air channel k substantially as described.

page_text: 6. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete plant
for treating and purifying sewage, waste and similar water, substantially as
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant..