Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Nov., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 4th Aug, 1883
Complete Specification Accepted, 21st Sept., 1883
We, EUGENE HERMITE, EDWARD JAMES PATERSON and CHARLES FRIEND COOPER,
all of European Works, Pownall Road, Dalston in the County of Middlesex, Engineers,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
When certain chlorides, especially magnesium, calcium or sodium chlorides are
mixed with liquids holding organic impurities in suspension or solution, and when a
current of electricity is passed through the mixed liquid, a certain temporary decom-
position of the chloride takes place, and this causes such an action on the impurities
that they are rendered innocuous. This invention relates to apparatus whereby this
electrolytic action can be applied to impure liquids, such as sewage, discharge from
soil pipes, bilge water, stagnant water and the like, which have some of the chlorides
mixed with them. The apparatus for this purpose is necessarily varied in form to suit
various conditions under which the liquid has to be treated, For example, when the
liquid is contained in a tank or canal from which there is gravitation outflow, we
provide at the outlet a sluice on the lower edge of which we fix one electrode in the
form of a plate of considerable width, and on the sill of the sluice we fix another corre-
sponding electrode. On the sluice being raised a little way, the liquid previously
mixed with chloride flows in a comparatively thin sheet between the electrodes. These
being insulated and connected by insulated conductors to the terminals of a dynamo-
electric machine or other electric generator, a current of electricity passes through the
liquid and disinfects it. When the liquid is contained in a pit or well and has to be
disinfected in situ, we frame together a number of parallel plates constituting one
electrode, and another corresponding number of plates constituting the other
electrode, the plates of the one set being arranged in the intervals between those of the
other set.
We connect the two sets of plates respectively by flexible insulated conductors,
which may be wound like ropes round a barrel, to the terminals of a generator, and
we lower the whole frame into the liquid which has previously bad chloride mixed
with it. In order the better to affect the whole of the liquid, the electrode frame may
be raised or lowered in it so as to cause all parts of it to pass in thin sheets between

page_text: the opposing electrode plates. For liquid continuously flowing, as in a sewer, we fix
in the course of the sewer a set of electrodes consisting of parallel plates framed
together as last described, so that the sewage, previously mixed with chloride, flows in
thin sheets between the electrode plates. "For liquid stagnant in a rectangular tank
or reservoir of considerable size, we suspend a set of framed electrode plates by
insulated conductors from chains or wire ropes stretched across the tank or reservoir
each between two barrels which are mounted on trucks that can be run on rails along
the sides of the tank or reservoir. The electrode frame can thus be moved lengthwise
by running the trucks along the rails, and crosswise by working the barrels, so as to
bring it into action on all parts of the liquid. The electrode plates may be of
various materials such as platinum or hard plumbago for the one and zinc or carbon
for the other. When platinum is used it may be merely a thin coating of the metal
on a slab, or a thin sheet held in a frame of inert material such as glass, ceramic
material, vulcanite and generally substances not subject to such chemical reactions as
might interfere with the electrolytic action. For operating on a considerable scale on
running water, a number of rectangular carbon columns or slabs of carbon corrugated
or zigzagged may be set up vertically in the water course leaving passage for the
water in thin sheets between sets of the columns or slabs, that are connected by
conductors to form one electrode and corresponding sets that form the other
electrode.
1: 10th of Nanamba 1887

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for Disinfecting Impure Liquids by Electrolytic Action.
We, EUGENE HERMITE, EDWARD JAMES PATERSON and CHARLES FRIEND COOPER
all of European Works, Pownall Road, Dalston in the County of Middlesex, Engineers
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:
When certain chlorides, especially magnesium, calcium or sodium, chlorides are
mixed with liquids holding organic impurities in suspension or solution, and when a
current of electricity is passed through the mixed liquid, a certain temporary decom-
position of the chloride takes place, and this causes such an action on the impurities
that they are rendered innocuous. This invention relates to apparatus whereby this
electrolytic action can be applied to impure liquids, such as sewage, discharge from
soil pipes, bilge water stagnant water and the like, which have some of the chlorides
mixed with them. The apparatus for this purpose is necessarily varied in form to
suit various conditions under which the liquid has to be treated. For example, when
the liquid is contained in a tank or canal from which there is gravitation outflow,
we arrange disinfecting apparatus as shewn in vertical section by Fig. 1. We
provide at the outlet a sluice B under which the liquid has to flow in a broad thin
sheet. On the lower face of the sluice we fix one electrode plate C, and on the sill
below we fix the other electrode, these being connected respectively by insulated
conductors F and J to the terminals of a dynamo electric machine or other electric
generator. The height to which the sluice is raised may be varied by suitable
gear H.
When the liquid is contained in a pit or well and has to be disinfected in situ we
adopt the arrangement shewn in Fig. 2. We frame together a number of parallel
plates constituting one electrode and another corresponding number of plates
constituting the other electrode, the plates of the one set being arranged in the
intervals between those of the other set. Both sets of plates being held together by
insulating material in a frame B and each set being connected to a terminal of an
electric generator by insulated conductors F and J which are wound like ropes around
a barrel H, we alternately lower and raise the frame B in the liquid so as to cause all
parts of it in turn to pass in thin sheets between the opposing electrode plates.
For liquid continuously flowing as in a sewer, we fix in the course of the sewer, as
shewn in Fig. 3 a set of electrodes B consisting of parallel plates framed together, so
that the sewage liquid flows in thin sheets between the electrode plates, which are
connected respectively by insulated conductors F and J to the terminals of an electric
generator.
For treating liquid stagnant in a tank or reservoir of considerable size, we adopt an
arrangement such as is shewn in section by Fig. 4 and in plan by Fig. 5. We
suspend sets B of framed electrode plates by insulated conductors from chains or wire
ropes F and J that are stretched across the tank or reservoir between barrels H

page_text: ard H¹ that are mounted on trucks so that they can be run along rails at the sides of
the tank or reservoir. The electrode frame can thus be moved lengthwise by running
the trucks along the rails, and crosswise by working the barrels, so as to bring it into
action on all parts of the liquid. The electrode plates may be of various materials
such as platinum or hard plumbago for the one and zinc or carbon for the other.
When platinum is used it may be merely a thin coating of the metal on a slab, or a
thin sheet held in a frame of inert material such as glass ceramic material, vulcanite
and generally substances not subject to such chemical reactions as night interfere
with the electrolytic action.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim in respect of apparatus for disinfecting impure liquids by electrolytic action on
a mixture of these liquids with chlorides, is :—
1. A sluice carrying one electrode on its lower face in combination with another
electrode on the sill of the sluice so that the liquid flows in a thin sheet between the
electrodes substantially as described with reference to Fig. 1.
2. A frame of electrodes suspended from a barrel to be moved up and down in
liquid contained in a well or pit substantially as described with reference to
Fig. 2.
3. A set of parallel electrode plates framed together and fixed in the course of a
sewer, so that the sewage liquid flows in thin sheets between the plates, substantially
as described with reference to Fig. 3.
4. The combination of an electrode frame suspended from chains or wire ropes;
with barrels and trucks moving on rails so that the electrodes can be moved
throughout the liquid contained in a tank or reservoir, substantially as described with
reference to Figs. 4 and 5.