IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR COLLECTING AND DISPOSING OF SEWAGE AND LIKE MATTER AND FOR PREVENTING THE POLLUTION OF STREAMS & RIVERS
Year: 1884

page_text: I CHARLES SMITH of 608 Gallowgate Street Glasgow in the County of Lanark,
Scientist in Natural Philosophy & Chemistry, do hereby declare the nature of my
invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR COLLECTING AND DISPOSING OF
SEWAGE AND LIKE MATTER AND FOR PREVENTING THE POLLUTION OF STREAMS
& RIVERS to be as follows:-
For collecting, separating, and disposing of sewage and like matter in Cities,
Burghs, Towns, Villages, Institutions, Dwelling Houses, Shops, Stores and every
other description of premises, and for preventing the pollution of Streams and
Rivers, and the manufacture, combination and use of such apparatus.
Let the waste pipes leading from the foresaid premises to the main sewer or
conduit be divided by a lateral partition extending from the premises to the main
sewer or conduit, the one side of the divided pipe to receive and convey to the
main sewer or conduit, the rain water from the roof, and the clean waste water
from the premises when required; the other side of the divided pipe to receive and
convey sewage from water closets and urinals and other waste material. The pipes
or small sewers or conduits leading from side streets, or any continuation of samo
from premises to the main sewer or conduit, may likewise be divided, or have a
modification of the parts hereafter described where needed or beneficial, to the main
Bewer. At the points where the sewage, urine and other liko waste matter is dis-
charged from the foresaid divided pipes or auxiliary sewers, into the main sewer,
are placed endless buckets or endless or continuous troughs to be made travelling
or stationary as may be found most suitable for locality; the trough to continue to
the discharging station, with or without branches, with an incline similar to that of
the sewer.
At a regulated distance according to requirement, from top of trough an
endless wire, or perforated metal false bottom is made to travel, either turned up at
sides or flat, or curved, as best suits the requirement, to make them suitable to
existing sewers. If turned up the sides must be to a certain extent flexible, where
there are curves, or the trough or buckets may be made to travel; In the case of
troughs to be made endless, and flexible where there are curves, and in this case a
fixed perforated false bottom to the trough or bucket which may be turned up for
better percolation from the sides as well as bottom alone if wanted, and in the case

page_text: of being turned up to be affixed near the top of the trough or bucket. The divided
pipes will now discharge their sewage into the top of trough or bucket, the solid
material will remain on the wire or false bottom, near top or upper part of trough,
and the urine and liquid will percolate through the wire or false bottom and run
down the incline of the trough to the discharging station. Two or more perforated
bottoms may be used if required to catch the finer portions of solid matter or
excreta, also more than one solid false bottom; or the bottom divided laterally may
be used for the liquids. The clean rain water, and other unpolluted water is
allowed to discharge from the divided part from houses or premises and side streets
into bottom of regular sewer. The above apparatus is intended to run or be affixed
within the present sewers, or be made a completo and independent apparatus for
new sewage works; in any case it may travel on a wire suspended from top part
of sewer like the wire tramway or otherwise; or it may travel on a rail or rails
bolted on to sides or bottom of sewers the wire being the simplest. The troughs or
buckets to travel down incline and where it can be done are intended to act con-
tinuously, or like an endless chain or band, and return after discharging, or by
circular or other continuous routes to or through discharging station; also con-
tinuous wire cloth or metal flexible and perforated may be used alone if for solid
matter only, and after discharging may return back underneath as a continuous
web or by circular routes, sides turned up or not as required; also the present or
other sewers divided for separation purposes, when combined with the first
described part of my apparatus. The system may be directed to one or several
stations.
At the terminus it may he made to pass into closed chambers glazed so that the
operation may be seen and empty itself, revolving brushes or other mechanical
means where required to clean well out, and so return continuously the round. It
may in those chambers be subjected by revolving machinery to such mixing process
or treatment as may be required, without the workpeople being exposed to effluvia
or noxious matters, beaten up or recombined or decomposed and different chemical
products and manures formed. The same apparatus by such alteration or modifica-
tion as the purposes requires is applicable for removing ashes from dust-heaps,
streets and other places; the other sewage such as soap suds grease, alkali and acid
can be delivered separately or by a single division at bottom of the sewer, the
emptying from houses being, if need be, into two separate or a divided sink, to let the
waste water down one, and grease and soapsuds and dirt down the other, to be
the more easily operated on and utilized without expense of separation when it arrives
at the terminus. The whole or part of the above apparatus may be used and be
made applicable to earth closets.
The wire suspension or tramway so far as it is applicable to sewers for such
purposes as those above described, forms part of this application. The pipes from
houses and premises need not be divided when only solid matter is is required to be
separated. The above does not require any extensive alteration on the present
sewers, and improves their ventilation.
Dated thin 20th
n

page_text: DECIFICATION.
I CHARLES SMITH, of 608 Gallowgate Street Glasgow in the County of Lanark,
Scientist, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR COLLECTING AND DISPOSING OF SEWAGE AND LIKE MATTER, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to certain improvements in separating apparatus and the
details and use of the same for sewage and like matter, and its construction for
separate delivery of the same that it may be profitably and readily acted upon to
form manures and various chemical compounds and be delivered at the station or
stations in the best known state for that purpose and prevent pollution of rivers
and streams by sewage and like matter, better ventilation or freedom from
decomposing matter, and gases in the sewers and general sanitary benefit all fully
explained hereinafter as follows:
The waste pipes leading from the premises to the main sewer or conduit, to be
divided by a lateral partition extending from the premises to the main sewer or
conduit; the one side of the divided pipe to receive and convey to the main sewer
or conduit the rain water from the roof & the clean waste water from the premises
when required, the other side of the divided pipe to receive and convey sewage,
from water closets, & urinals, and other waste materials.
The pipes or small sewers or conduits leading from side streets or any
continuation of same from premises to main sewer or conduit may likewise be
divided or have a modification of the parts hereafter described, where, or if,
required & leading to the main sewer.
'
At the points where the sewage urine and other like waste matter is discharged
from the foresaid divided pipes or auxilliary sewers into the main sewer are placed
endless buckets or trucks or continuous endless troughs to be made travelling
or stationary as may be found most suitable for locality, the trough to continue to
the discharging station with or without branches, with an incline similar to that of
the sewer.
At a regulated distance according to requirement, from top of trough an endless
wire cloth or perforated metal false bottom is made to travel, either turned up at
sides, or flat or curved as best suits the requirement to make them suitable to
existing sewers; or new ones. If turned up, the sides must be to a certain extent
flexible where there are curves or the trough or buckets or trucks may be made to
travel in the case of troughs or trucks to be endless or connected; and flexible or
pivoted where there are curves and in this case a fixed perforated false bottom to
the trough or bucket or truck which may be turned up for better percolation from
sides as well as bottom alone if wanted; and in the case of being turned up to be
affixed near the top. The wire, wire rope or rope may be made to travel instead
of being fixed where it is found more suitable. The pipes from houses and premises
need not be divided when only solid matter is required to be separated.

page_text: The divided pipes will now discharge their sewage, urine and like matter into
the top of the troughs or buckets or trucks the solid material will remain on the
perforated false bottom near the top part of trough or bucket or truck and the
urine and liquid will run down the incline of trough or bucket or truck to station
direct or by branches to a main or larger trough or bucket or truck or way in
direct line to the station.
Two perforated false bottoms or more may be used if required to catch the finer
portions of solid matter or excreta, also more than one solid bottom, or the bottom
divided may be used for the botter separation of the liquids when required.
The clean rain and other comparatively clean water is allowed to discharge
itself from the other divided part from premises or side street into the bottom of
the regular sewer or into one of the divisions of the trough or truck and the pipes
aro sufficiently lengthened or bent to do so from the different divided parts as the
particular form of its use may require.
The before-mentioned appliances are intended to run or be affixed within the
present sowers or be made new and complete in themselves. In any case it may be
made so as to travel on a wire, wire-rope or rope or as otherwise described, or the
wire may travel and be suspended from top part of sewer if need be, similar to wire
tramways or otherwise; or from a rail from bottom of sewer which may also form
a partition in the sewer; or bolted on to the sides of the sowers, the wires being
the simplest. The troughs or buckets or trucks would of course travel down
incline & where it can be done they are intended to act continuously or like an
endless chain or band and return after discharged their contents or by circular or
other continuous routes to or through discharging stations.
The continuous wire cloth or metal flexible or not and perforated may also be
used alone if for solid matter only and after discharging may return back under-
neath as a continuous web or by circular routes, sides turned up or not as best
suits the locality and purpose.
The present sewers or new ones may also be divided for separation purposes.
The system may be directed to one or several stations.
The other sewage such as sonpsuds, grease, alkali, and acids and dyes can be
delivered separately or by a division at the bottom of the sewer, the emptying
from houses being, if need be, into separate or divided sinks to lot the clean waste
water down the one, and grease and soapsuds and dirty matter down the other, to
be the more easily operated upon and utilized without expense of separation when
it arrives at the terminus.
The same by such alteration as the purpose requires is applicable for removing
ashes froin dust heaps, street and other places. This is applicable to refuse from
various works and so forth, the which for separate delivery can be set in motion
at different times and when suitable.
The whole or part of the above appliances may be used and be made applicable
to earth closets and similar requirements-The washings of the streets may also
be made to give their quota of solid matter as is done in Manchester where the
water is drained from the moorlands, so that the clear water passes into sewer and
the turbid or solid into the appliances given, the water flowing over a ledge having
an opening. When the water is sluggish and pure it drains through the opening
and falls into the clear water way; when the stream is swollen by rain, the inertia
of the water cause it to leap across the gap and, to pass in another direction.
Street sweepings may also be swept into the same. At the terminus it may be
made to pass into closed chambers, glazed so that the operation may be seen and
empty itself or be emptied revolving brushes or other appliances used to clean well
out & so return continuously the round, or it may be delivered into the open if so
desired. It may in these chambers be subjected by revolving or other machinery
and with or without chemicals to such mixing or treatment as may be required
without the work-people being exposed to effluvia or noxious matter, beaten up o
re-combined, or decomposed or distilled and different chemical products and

page_text: manures formed as required-The chambers may be similar to those used now for
manufacture of white lead or suitable to the purpose intended-By these means,
streams & rivers would be kept free from sewage and such like pollution and the
sanitary condition of the people improved by freedom from such causes, and foul
gases, and ventilation of the sewers better carried out without much alteration or
great expense and which would yield a large return applied to present sewers.
Having now described the nature of my invention and the manner in which the
same is to be performed I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to
the precise details herein described & which must be variable in different localities
& under different circunstances as the same may be varied without departing from
the nature of my invention-But I claim as my Invention
1. Appliances and machinery for separation and delivery of sewage and like
matter as described.
2. Prevention of rivers and streams being polluted by sewage & like matter―
as described.
3. The method described of cleansing of streets by the sweepings and refuse
being at once swept into traps leading down to perforated false bottom of
appliance.
4. The apparatus as applied to removal of dust from dust heaps and ash pits
and other refuse matter.
5. Wire, and wire ropes, and ropes, and rails so far as applied to sewers for the
before-mentioned purposes.
6. Divided partitions in sewers in so far as they may be used in connection with
my appliances.
Dated this 27th day of November 1884.