A New or Improved Hydraulic Separating Apparatus for Street - Refuse and the like.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 11th July, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 11th Apr., 1896-Accepted, 11th July, 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Hydraulic Separating Apparatus for Street -
Refuse and the like.
1, PHILIBERT BONVILLAIN, of 28 Boulevard Victor Hugo, Neuilly-sur-Seine,
in the Republic of France, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention has for its object to provide an hydraulic sifting or sorting
apparatus adapted to automatically separate the vegetable and animal matters
from the other substances such as mud and ashes that constitute street refuse, so
that this refuse may be rendered commercially useful as manure.
To effect the separation of these different substances the sorting apparatus is
calculated to operate by their differences of density.
For this purpose the refuse or rubbish to be treated is put in a hopper which
conducts the same by a bucket transported to a receiver from whence it passes
through an inclined chute to a reservoir filled with water. The lighter bodies
float on the surface of the water and are drawn by a rake out of the apparatus
the heavier bodies however sink and drop into the buckets of a transporter.
Said buckets are made of wire gauze so as to allow the ashes and the mud to
fall through on the bottom of the reservoir from which these substances are
carried away either by means of an Archimedian screw or by means of a bucket
transporter.
The substances heavier than the water which thus fall in the buckets of the
transporter are thrown on an inclined plane that brings them to a vertical tube
wherein circulates a rising current of water sufficiently strong to wash back the
lighter vegetable and animal substances but not strong enough to resist the descent
of the other substances, which are much denser than the water, said substances
thus falling on a transporter and carried out of the apparatus whereas the animal
and vegetable matters as they are less dense are carried in a transporter of wire
gauze through which they thus drop.
All substances contained in the refuse or rubbish are thus treated and those
that can be used for agricultural purposes are isolated from the other matters and
become useful as soon as they have passed a drying stove which will accomplish
their dessiccation.
Dated this 11th day of July 1895
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
Agents to Applicant.
A New or Improved Hydraulic Separating Apparatus for Street
Refuse and the like.
I, Philibert BONVILLAIN of 28, Boulevard Victor Hugo, Neuilly-sur-Seine,
in the Republic of France, Engineer, 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 of an hydraulic separator designed to automatically
CD071

page_text: separate from each other the vegetable and inert matters and the dirt and ashes
contained in town refuses.
In large towns the refuse has generally only a very small commercial value
because it contains too much inert matters.
The contents of the said refuse are usually composed as follows:-
1. Of animal and vegetable matters the density of which is less than that of
water for the greater part.
2. Of vegetable matters slightly heavier than water.
3. Of inert matters always heavier than water.
The animal and vegetable matter contains fertilizing elements of great agricultural
value, but in order to give it a commercial value it must be separated from the
inert matters at a very low cost.
This is what is done in both a simple and complete manner by this hydraulic
separator which makes use of the different densities of the kinds of refuse to effect
the separation in question..
For this purpose the refuse is fed into a tank full of water when the animal and
vegetable matter lighter than the liquid. float on the surface of the latter and are
taken off by means of a revolving rake. The matter heavier than water sinks and
meets with a conveying elevator having buckets made of wire netting which carry
off the said matters and allow small matters such as ashes and dust to fall to the
bottom of the tank.
In order to retrieve vegetable matters heavier than water and of important
value, as manure, the vegetable and inert matters heavier than water are fed into
an upward stream of water strong enough to throw up the lightest vegetable matters,
but not strong enough to prevent the heavier bodies from falling onto a conveying
elevater which delivers them out of the apparatus.
In the accompanying drawings-
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of the separator on the line 9-1 of Fig. 4.
Figs. 2 and 3 are cross sections of the same on the line 1-2 and the
lines 3-4-5-6 respectively of Fig. 5.
Fig. 4 is a plan view.
Fig. 5 is a section on the line 7-8 of Fig. 4.
Fig. 6 is a general view of the mechanical rake.
Figs. 7 and 8 are detail views of the rake.
Figs. 9 and 10 are respectively a cross section and a longitudinal section of the
conveying elevator.
Figs. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, are detail views.
The hydraulic separator comprises a tank a, integral with a hopper blocated
above it. In the said hopper is arranged a conveying elevator c, the buckets c¹ of
which are made of wire netting and fixed to the links of a double Galle chain d
(see Fig. 4 and 5), passing over the pinions d'; some of the regularly spaced links
of the chain d are crossed by spindles d2, on which they are pivoted, and the said
spindles carry at their ends rollers d³ which run on rails d (Fig. 12). In this way
the rails d' carry the buckets c¹, the friction on the spindles of the pinions d' being
thus reduced.
Each frame c of the buckets c¹ is held between a projection dº (Fig. 15), of a link
of the chain d and a piece c³ fixed on the said link: the frame is also held in its
seat or housing by screws c*.
Conveying elevator c is supported by a beam a mounted on wheels do movable
on rails d', fixed on the bottom of the hopper band can easily be removed in case
of repairs.
Under the said hopper b is located a box e having an inclined bottom, which
leads to a vertical pipe f, provided at its upper part with an inclined passage
ending above carrier g, made of wire netting and passing over drunis g², which
carry the said conveyor forward like a belt, above a reservoir or tank gl.
The conveyor y is provided with sides g³ made of metal sheet and hinged

page_text: ogether so as to allow the wire netting to roll upon the druins g² (Figs. 11
and 12).
The pipe communicates by means of its lower part, with a tank h in which
is arranged a conveying elevator h' similar to the conveying elevator c herein before
described.
A third conveying elevator i, of the same construction as the said elevators c
and but having buckets made of metal sheet is disposed in front of a
hopper k and ends at its upper part into a closed chamber m, which leads to the
hopper band opens above screens n made of wire netting and inclined in such
a way that any body falling between the said screens is necessarily led into the
conveyor c.
Similar screens n' are arranged under the pipe f above the conveying
elevator h.
A mechanical rake p moves along on incline p¹ forming part of the hopper b,
the said rake p (see Figs. 6, 7, and 8) consists of a double Galle chain p², passing
over sprocket wheels p. Some of the equally spaced links of the double chain p³,
are pivoted on spindles 70 which are also used as revolving axles for the frames p
of the rakes, which rakes are made of open work and are composed of rods p
fixed to cross pieces p' being held in position by connecting rods p³ pivoted on the
spindles .
8
At the lower part of the tank a in which is placed an incliner is arranged
box s which receives a large pipe s¹ enclosing an Archimedian screw s², the spindle
of which carries a mitre wheel 3 actuated by a pinion s. A fly wheel and a
handle mounted on the axle of the pinions 8, allows of revolving by hand the
Archimedian screw 2, which may quite as well be moved by rope gearing which
might be controlled by a grooved pulley & mounted on the spindle of pinion sª
(Figs. 13 and 14). In order to ensure the level of water in hopper ba
float gauge t' is located at the upper part of a pipe t², which receives the feed
water.
When the level of the water falls, the float t¹ descends and opens the cock t,
and causes the water to fill the tank a; then the level rises and also the float
gauge ¹ with it, and when the said level is high enough, the rising gauge closes
the tap t; in this way the level of the water is always kept within suitable
bounds.
Steps u, u, u², allow access to the different parts of the apparatus and facilitate
the supervision of the same, cocks v and v¹ are arranged for emptying the tank a
and the tank h.
OPERATION.
The various movable parts of the hydraulic separator may be driven by hand or
better, by power.
When steam power is used the latter is transmitted by pulleys and belts or
chains from the engine to the movable parts of the apparatus.
The refuse is thrown into the hopper k, which delivers it into the conveyor i,
which delivers it into the closed chainber m, from which the refuse slides on the
5 incline m' and falls into the hopper b.
The bodies or matters lighter than water and whether composed of animal or of
which drag them upon the
vegetable matters, float and are caught by the rakes
incline p and then throw them out of the apparatus.
P
The heaviest bodies fall between the screens n, into the conveyor c, the buckets
0 of which let the ashes and small dusty matters escape and fall to the bottom of the
tank
from which they are taken off by the Archimedian screw s².
a,
The matters which remain in the buckets are carried off into the chamber e,
from which they slide into the pipe 7, in which the water level being lower than it
is in tank h, an upward current strong enough to carry out such animal and
5 vegetable matters slightly heavier than water, is produced in the said pipe and

page_text: deliver such matters into the nozzle fl, and into the conveyor g, which carries
them out and lets the water escape into the tank g'.
Inert bodies much heavier than water fall into the conveyor hand guided by the
screens n¹ are taken off by the said conveyor.
The whole of the refuse is thus sorted into three portions: animal and vegetable
matters good for agricultural purposes: ashes and dusty matters also good for
manure and inert bodies without value.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
1. The hydraulic separator of street refuse and the like comprising the three
conveying elevators i, c, h', the first of which carries buckets made of metal sheet
and connecting a hopper k with an upper chamber m, the two other conveyors cand ¹
being mounted on separate movable frames or beams having wire netted buckets
and both being arranged as follows:-The first one e in the bottom of a hopper, b
fixed to a water tank a and to which hopper leads an incline m¹ communicating
with the chamber m: the second one of the said conveyors viz. h being arranged in
the bottom of a tank h, communicating with a vertical pipe f, to which leads the
inclined bottom of a chamber e located between the hopper 6 and the tank h; the
pipe being provided with an inclined nozzle opening above a conveyor g made
of wire netting and arranged above a tank gl a mechanical rake p being arranged
on an incline p fixed to the upper part of hopper b and an Archimedian screw s²
being arranged in an inclined pipe s leading to the bottom of the tank a all as and
for the purposes hereinbefore specified and substantially as shown in the
accompanying drawings.
2. In a hydraulic separator, a water tank a, on the top of which is fixed a
hopper 6 having an inclined bottom carrying a conveyor e, the buckets of which
are made of wire netting, the bottom of the tank a connecting with an inclined
pipes containing an Archimedian screw s for the purpose hereinbefore specified
and substantially as shown in the accompanying drawings.
3. In a hydraulic separator, a conveying elevator i connecting a lower hopper k
with closed chamber m provided with an incline m' for the purpose herein before
specified and substantially as shown in the accompanying drawings.
4. In a hydraulic separator the arrangements at the upper part of a water tank a
above which is a hopper b, an incline p¹ forming part of the said hopper, and
above which is arranged a mechanical rake p, made of open work blades, pivoted
on the one hand on spindles laid across links of a double Galle chain p³ and on the
other hand to small connecting rods p³ for the purpose hereinbefore specified and
substantially as shown in the accompanying drawings.
5. In the hydraulic separator the combination of a chamber e and a tank h
having inclined bottoms, and placed one above the other under a hopper 6 forming
part of a water tank a; the bottom of the chamber e leading to a vertical pipe f
communicating by its lower end with the tank, and provided with an incline
nozzle opening above a conveyor g, made of wire netting for the purpose
herein before specified and substantially as shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 11th day of April 1896.
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C.,
Agents for Applicant.