AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING STREET REFUSE."
Year: 1877

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Edward Bovill at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th July 1877.
WILLIAM EDWARD BOVILL, of No. 1, Dean's Yard, in the City of Westminster,
Gentleman. "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING STREET
REFUSE."
In or on the bottom of a mud cart, such as is ordinarily constructed for carrying
liquid mud, I place a network of coarse wire, with meshes having an opening of one
or two inches, or a piece of basketwork loosely plaited or woven, and made of any
such materials as are commonly used for coarse basketwork, or hurdles, or any other
material which will allow of the free passage of water, and at the same time form
a support for a sheeting of felted or woven substance to be placed on the wire or
basketwork, or other material, as herein-after described. This netting, basketwork,
or other material, must cover the whole of the bottom of the cart, and be of such thick-
ness or depth that it may present an upper surface about one or two inches clear
above the bottom of the cart. Above this netting, basketwork, or other material,
I place a sheet of coarsely woven or felted substance, preferably the latter, about au
inch or two longer each way than the bottom of the cart. Into the space so formed
between the bottom of the cart and the felted or woven substance to be placed on
the top of the wire, basketwork, or other material, I introduce a pump or pipe
connected with a pump having valves of such description that they are not easily
choked or impeded in their action by any solid matter which may pass through
them. This pump may be worked by a gearing connected with the wheel or other
moving part of the cart, or independently, by manual labour, or otherwise.
The method of working is as follows:-The netting, or basketwork, or other
material, is placed on the bottom of the cart, and the felted or woven substance is
placed on it so that it may be turned up about an inch or so all round the edges.
Liquid or sloppy mud being then thrown into the cart the water and other liquid
parts of the refuse will, by the action of gravity, aided by the suction of the pump,
pass through the felted or woven substance and find its way into the porous or
permeable substratum formed by the netting or basketwork, or other material by
which the felted or woven substance is supported and kept clear of the bottom of
the cart. From this space the more liquid part of the refuse so passed through the
Price 2d 1

page_text: felted or woven substance will be discharged by the pump on to the roadway, and
being perfectly fluid, without solid matter in suspension, or only in extremely small
The solid matter is to bo
quantities, it will have no tendency to choke the sewers.
carted away in the ordinary manner.
I claim the foregoing arrangement as a simple and inexpensive method of
separating the water and liquid portions of street refuse from the solid portion
thereof, thereby effecting a large reduction in the expense of carriage of street
refuse.
I further claim that by the use of the foregoing arrangement the accumulation of
the solid portion of street refuse in the drains and sewers will be to a large extent
prevented, and thereby a considerable saving of expense in cleaning and keeping
the sewers and drains in repair will be effected.