IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SEPARATION OF SOLID AND FLUID MATTERS, AND IN APPARATUS FOR FILTERING AND PURIFYING."
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Alfred Stephan, of Madeley, in the County of
Salop, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SEPARATION
OF SOLID AND FLUID MATTERS, AND IN APPARATUS FOR FILTERING AND
PURIFYING."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Alfred Stephan at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st July 1879.
JOHN ALFRED STEPHAN, of Madeley, in the County of Salop, Manufacturer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SEPARATION OF SOLID AND FLUID MATTERS, AND IN
APPARATUS FOR FILTERING AND PURIFYING."
This Invention refers to the separation of solid and fluid matters in sewage and
water, in filtering and purifying water, gases, and vapours, and in the manufacture
of a new filtering medium for these purposes.
In the separation of solids and fluids in sewage I construct a tank upon a double
principle, one tank within another, the inner one rising some height above the
outer, but both going down to the same bottom, the inner one formed with a
honeycombed floor. The space occupied by this floor is occupied in the outer tank
by layers of cinders or gravel, and upon this bed a depth of coarse ashes covered
with sand is laid to a height of about one third the depth of the tank. The walls
of the inner tank are formed of a porous material consisting of clay of the species
known as Penistone mound, or any other species of clay capable of retaining in
admixture a large proportion of sawdust, the proportion I prefer being three of
sawdust to one of clay, formed into blocks and burnt, by which the woody fibre
is converted into carbon. The inner tank, constructed of these blocks, is filled with
coarse cinders, and covered either with blocks of this porous material or with sand
and ashes. The carrier for the sewage deposits it on the top of the inner tank,
whence it percolates through the top covering, through the filtering bed of cinders,
and through the porous walls and honeycombed bottom into the outer tank, and
thence clear water overflows into brooks, or conduits, or onto land, the solid matter
being deposited on the top covering of the inner tank can be removed as required;
or by another plan small catch pits of these porous blocks may be formed at the

page_text: side of the carriers separating the solids and fluids in their passage, or the carriers
may have bottoms of these porous blocks, and distribute the fluid, in either of
which cases the large tanks may be dispensed with, and when the blocks are used
to cover the inner tank, and it is not required to retain the water, no outer tank
need be used. When the water is allowed to stand a white deposit is formed on
the bottom and sides, and this deposit is accelerated by neutralizing the alkali in
the water by means of acid. The porous blocks named above have the property of
not only of separating solids from fluids, but also of depriving water of all colouring
matter.
I also construct house filters upon the double principle, an inner chamber within
an outer one, the inner one being formed of the same porous material already
named.
The same porous material I also employ for taking impurities out of gases, and
this porous material may be made of clay mixed with bone dust, coal dust, shale
dust, or other carbonaceous substance capable of similar treatment, though I prefer
sawdust.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Alfred Stephan in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 31st
December 1879.
JOHN ALFRED STEPHAN, of Madeley, in the County of Salop, Manufacturer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SEPARATION OF SOLID AND FLUID MATTERS, AND IN
APPARATUS FOR FILTERING AND PURIFYING."
This Invention refers to the separation of solid and fluid matters in sewage and
water, in filtering and purifying water, gases, and vapours, and in the manufacture
of a new filtering medium for these purposes.
In the separation of solids and fluids in sewage I construct a tank upon a double
principle, one tank within an another, the inner one rising some height above the
outer, but both going down to the same bottom, the inner one formed with a
honeycombed floor. The space occupied by this floor is occupied in the outer tank
by layers of cinders or gravel, and upon this bed a depth of coarse ashes covered
with sand is laid to a height of about one third the depth of the tank. The walls
of the inner tank are formed of a porous material, consisting of clay of the species
known as Penistone mound, or any other species of clay capable of retaining in
admixture a large proportion of saw dust, the proportion I prefer being three of
saw dust to one of clay, formed into blocks and burnt, by which the woody fibre
is converted into carbon. The inner tank, constructed of these blocks, is filled
with coarse cinders, and covered either with blocks of this porous material, or with
sand and ashes. The carrier for the sewage deposits it on the top of the inner
tank, whence it percolates through the top covering, through the filtering bed of
cinders, and through the porous walls and honeycombed bottom into the outer
tank, and thence clear water overflows into brooks or conduits or on to the land,
the solid matter being deposited on the top covering of the inner tank can be
removed as required; or by another plan small catch pits of these porous blocks
may be formed at the side of the carriers, separating the solids and fluids in their
passage; or the carriers may have bottonis of these porous blocks, and distribute
the fluid, in either of which cases the large tanks may be dispensed with, and when
the blocks are used to cover the inner tank, and it is not required to retain the
water, no outer tank need be used. When the water is allowed to stand a white
deposit is formed on the bottom and sides, and this deposit is accelerated by
neutralizing the alkali in the water by means of acid. The porous blocks named
above have the property of not only separating solids from fluids, but also of
depriving water of all colouring matter.
I also construct house filters upon the double principle, an inner chamber within
an outer one, the inner one being formed of the same porous material already
named.
The same porous material I also employ for taking impurities out of gases.
And this porous material may be made of clay mixed with bone dust, coal dust,
shale dust, or other carbonaceous substance capable of similar treatment, though I
prefer saw dust.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a section of a tank of double construction for use in the separation
and filtration of sewage.
Figure 2, a plan of the same, one half being above the filtering bed, and the other
below.
Figure 3, a plan of the grid or frame carrying the filter blocks forming one floor
of the tank. This tank is constructed of brickwork, masonry, concrete, or any
suitable material at hand in the neighbourhood, and of any required size. It is
lanned as comprisine within fans alla (a) and a An
Amant of min

page_text: made of iron is placed within this tank, and is of a height to extend above it, and
the floor (b) is laid to a fall to admit of the cleansing of the interspaces between the
piers (c) as often and as readily as may be wanted. The grids shewn in plan at
Figure 3 are made preferably of iron, rabbetted to receive blocks or slabs of porous
nature, which will be more particularly described presently. These grids and
porous blocks are laid on the piers (c), and form the second floor or filtering bed (d).
The sides of the inner cistern (e) up to the line (f) are also formed of these grids
and blocks, and this cistern (e) is filled with coarse cinders, which may be covered
with sand and ashes.
The conduits deliver the sewage on to the top of the cistern (e), whence the fluid
matter percolates through the sand, ashes, and cinders to the bottom, which is
honeycombed to allow of its passing into the outer tank, which it does also through
the filtering blocks forming the sides of the lower part of the cistern (e), and thus
in rising to its original level it is forced by upward pressure through the filtering
bed (d) into the upper chamber of the outer tank, and thence in the form of pure
water it overflows into any desired direction. The solid matters of the sewage are
deposited, firstly, on the top of the ash bed in the cistern (e), whence they may be
raked off; and, secondly, in the form of a light white substance on the top side of
the filtering bed (d), whence it will float to the end of the tank, and may be removed
as occasion requires.
I now proceed to describe the constituents and process of manufacturing the
filtering blocks before alluded to. take clay of the kind known as "Penistone
mound," or any clay similar to that, and which has the property of retaining in
admixture a large proportion of sawdust, that is to say, about three parts of saw
dust to one of clay. I form this mixture into slabs or blocks, and burn it, thus
converting the woody fibre into carbon, and for some purposes I mix with the clay,
and either with or without the sawdust, bone dust, coal dust, shale, or other
carbonaceous matters susceptible of similar treatment and conversion into carbon.
In filtering water only, whether in reservoirs or house filters, these slabs or
blocks are to be used, without the intercepting beds of cinders or ashes, and for
gases or vapours, for the purification of which they are especially adapted.
The iron grids or frames fitted with filtering blocks are placed in a tank or
reservoir in such position as to allow a chamber of clean water above and below
them; the gas or vapour is then caused to enter at the bottom of the tank, whence
it forces its way upward through the water and the filtering bed, by which it is
purified. The ashes and the filtering blocks inay be purified and ready for reusing
by burning, and this operation gives another beneficial result, namely, the distil
lation of ammonia therefrom.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I claim, without limiting myself to these precise
details,―
Firstly. The construction and arrangement of tanks for the separation of solid
and fluid matters in sewage, and for the purification of water, gas, and vapours, as
herein described; and,
Secondly. The manufacture of filtering or purifying slabs or blocks to be used
for the above described purposes by mixing clay with carbonaceous materials, as
herein more fully set forth and specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Alfred Stephan, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty ninth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.