IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING AND PURIFYING WATER
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Irvine, of Magdalen Bridge, near Mussel-
borough, in the County of Mid Lothian, North Britain, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING AND PURIFYING WATER."
Sealed the 22nd February 1867, and dated the 28th August 1866.
PROVISIONAL
SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Irvine at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 28th
August 1866.
I, ROBERT IRVINE, of Magdalen Bridge, near Musselborough, in the County
of Mid Lothian, North Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING AND PURIFYING WATER," to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object the purification of water containing such
impurities as exist in sewage, the dirty or coloured water discharged from
calico printing. dying, paper and other works, as also the decolourization of
peaty or mossy waters.
According to this Invention it is proposed to employ for the purpose
specified mineral charcoal, obtained by the process herein-after described,
and containing silicate of alumina, free alumina, or desilicate of that earth
together with certain proportions of lime, magnesia, oxides of iron naturally
present in the raw material, and with carbon in a free and finely divided state
For this purpose
in combination with the matters herein-after referred to.

page_text: shale, such as is used for the manufacture of paraffine oil, is distilled or heated
in retorts or close vessels to which heat is applied, and after the oil resulting
from the destructive distillation of the bituminous portion of the shale
has been expelled and collected the residuum remaining in the retort is with-
drawn and quenched in water. By this means I obtain a mineral charcoal
possessing the power of disenfecting and decolourizing the herein-before men-
tioned fluid matters at a high degree on account of the presence of a larger
amount of carbon in a fine state of division, as also the fact that the alumina
and the sifecates of that earth are in a more amphorous state than when the
residuum from the retorts or coke is allowed to cool by exposure to the air
when combustion ensues and vitrific action more or less takes place.
In carrying out my Invention in practice I construct a filter so formed that
it is sufficiently porous for the free passage of the liquid through the bed or
beds of the filtering medium which is or may be used, and I find the effect to
be the complete withdrawal or removal of the organic coloring matters present,
which is the result of a peculiar and strong affinity which alumina and many
of its combinations possess for such coloring matters, and at the same time the
partial or total withdrawal of azotized matters, more especially in the latter
case applicable to sewage containing urinary and foecal matters in solution,
and held in suspension. In certain cases I make use of the above-described
aluminous charcoal after a proportion of sulphuric acid has been added
thereto, or any other acid which has the power of setting free the alumina
from its combination with the selicic acid present therein, and heating the
resulting product to redness, by which means 1 obtain, as is well known to
chemists, alumina in a free state, or rather a compound of alumina and selicic
acid mechanically mixed in place of being chemically combined, and which
from the larger amount of available alumina therein I find to exert greater
purifying power and a more lasting result than from the unprepared minerals
or residuums. I also prefer that in all cases free carbon be present, as from
the porous nature of the materials described the carbon has the same power
in such case which it exerts in animal charcoal, and assists in the decolorization
of any impure liquid passed through it. In the event of the impure aqueous
discharges being associated with solutions of bleaching powder I add to the
material composing the filter any of the insoluble sulphides of the alkaline
earths or cheap metals. but I prefer to make use of those sulphides the salts
resulting from which on their combination with the bleaching liquor or chloride
of lime have no prejudicial effect on the water. I prefer in most cases to use
the sulphide of sulphides of calcium, of which there are abundant supplies at
a nominal cost in the shape of alkali waste and gas lime refuse. I prefer to

page_text: oxidize the sulphide of calcium previous to use by exposure to air, by which
means I obtain sulphites and hyposulphites of lime.
As a modification of the foregoing process in certain cases I propose to use
any aluminous substances, which I treat with an acid or acids until the
alumina present has formed a compound or salt therewith. I then add lime
or any alkaline earth or alkalics to decompose such compound, and obtain
precipitated alumina, which effects the decolorizing and discnfecting of liquids
even more readily than the other modifications of alumina or its compounds,
but it is only when the value of the clear or purified liquid will allow of the
use of so costly a process that I would advise its use. By means of one or
any of the foregoing described processes I am enabled to deodourize and
disenfect and effect the abstraction of azotized matter, and to abstract soluble
organic coloring matter from polluted waters, as also to purify mossy water,
and render them innocuous, and in the case of moss water fit for household
purposes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Irvine in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th February 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1, ROBERT
IRVINE, of Magdalen Bridge, near Musselborough, in the County of Mid
Lothian, North Britain, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Robert Irvine, Her special license that I, the said Robert Irvine, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert
Irvine, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time, and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
TREATING AND PURIFYING WATER," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Robert Irvine, my executors or administrators, by an instrument. in
writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be

page_text: performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Irvine, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say):-
My said Invention has for its object the purification of water containing
such impurities as exist in sewage, the dirty or colored waters discharged
from calico printing, dyeing, paper and other works, as also the discolouration
of peaty or mossy waters.
According to my Invention I propose to employ for the purpose specified
mineral charcoal obtained by the process hercin-after described, and con-
taining silicate of alumina, free alumina, or disilicate of that earth together
with certain proportions of lime, magnesia, oxides of iron naturally present in
the raw material, and with carbon in a free and finely divided state in com-
bination with the matters herein-after referred to. For this purpose shale,
such as is used for the manufacture of paraffin oil, is distilled or heated in
retorts or close vessels to which heat is applied, and after the oil resulting
from the destructive distillation of the bituminous portion of the shale has
been expelled and collected the residuum remaining in the retort is withdrawn
and quenched in water. By this means I obtain a mineral charcoal possessing
the power of disenfecting and decolorizing the herein-before mentioned fluid
matters to a high degree on account of the presence of a larger amount of
carbon in a fine state of division, as also the fact that the alumina and the
silicates of that earth are in a more amorphous state than when the residuum
from the retorts or coke is allowed to cool by exposure to the air, when com-
bustion ensures and vitrific action more or less takes place.
In carrying out my Invention in practice I prefer to use the said materials
ground to powder, and in some cases suspended by stirring or other means in
the water to be purified, the suspended materials being subsequently allowed
I sometimes,
to settle with the coloring matter in ponds or reservoirs.
however, construct a filter of the said materials so formed that it is sufficiently
porous for the free passage of the liquid through the bed or beds of the
filtering medium which is or may be used, and I find the effect to be the
complete withdrawal or removal of the organic coloring matters present,
which is the result of a peculiar and strong affinity which allumina may by its
combinations possess for such coloring matters, and at the same time the
partial or total withdrawal of azotized matters, more especially in the latter

page_text: case applicable to sewage containing urinary and foecal matters in solution
and held in suspension. In certain cases I make use of the above-described
aluminous charcoal after a proportion of sulphuric acid has been added
thereto, or any other acid which has the power of setting free the alumina
from its combination with silicic acid present therein, and heating the
resulting product to redness, by which means I obtain, as is well known to
chemists alumina in a free state, or rather a compound of alumina and silicic
acid mechanically mixed, in place of being chemically combined, and which
from the larger amount of available alumina or subsulphate of alumina therein
I find to exert greater purifying power and a more lasting result than from
the unprepared minerals or residuums. I also prefer that in all cases free
carbon be present, as from the porous nature of the materials described the
carbon has the same power in such case which it exerts in animal charcoal,
and assists in the decolourization of any impure liquid passed through it. In
the event of the impure aqueous discharges being associated with solutions of
bleaching powder I add to the material composing the filter any of the
insoluble sulphides of the alkaline earths or cheap metals, but I prefer to make
use of those sulphides the salts resulting from which on their combination
with the bleaching liquor or chloride of lime have no prejudicial affect on the
water. I prefer in most cases to use the sulphide or sulphides of calcium, of
which there are abundant supplies at a nominal cost in the shape of alkali
wase and gas lime refuse. I prefer to oxidize the sulphide of calcium
previous to use by exposure to air, by which means I obtain sulphides and
hyposulphates of lime. By means of one or any of the foregoing described
processes I am enabled to deodorize and disinfect and effect the abstraction of
azotized matter, and to abstract soluble organic coloring matter from polluted
waters, as also to purify mossy water and render them innocuous, and in the
case of moss water fit for household purposes.
In the event of the misuse waters containing fibrous matters or solid sub-
stances in suspension I propose to remove these by passing the impure fluid
or fluids through a filter composed of gravel to remove the same, and disenfect
or decolourize the liquid after its passage through the said filter by means of
the above-mentioned process, and specially in the water from paper factories,
where it is of importance to collect the fibre floating or suspended therein.
I make use of a filter composed of layers of canvas or any fibrous material
from which the fibre can be collected and made use of for manufacturing
coarse papers.
1
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried

page_text: into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that what I consider to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the peculiar processes for
treating and purifying water, as herein-before described.
It witness whereof, I, the said Robert Irvine, have to this my Speci-
fication hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of
February, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
ROBERT IRVINE. (L.S.)