MENTS IN PURIFYING SEWERS, AND BUILDINGS OR OTHER PLACES, OF NOXIOUS VAPOURS
Year: 1854

page_text: IMPROVE-
in the County of Surrey, Gas Engineer, for the Invention of
MENTS IN PURIFYING SEWERS, AND BUILDINGS OR OTHER PLACES, OF NOXIOUS
VAPOURS."
Sealed the 12th June 1855, and dated the 23rd December 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Anderson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd December 1854.
I, GEORGE ANDERSON, of the Gas Works, Rotherhithe, in the County of
Surrey, Gas Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PURIFYING SEWERS, AND BUILDINGS OR OTHER PLACES, OF
NOXIOUS VAPOURS," to be as follows:-
The improvements consist in withdrawing the noxious vapours from the
sewers by a pump, fan, or other suitable exhausting apparatus, & forcing
them into combination with suitable deodorizing means. The openings into
the sewers are trapped, or are capable of being closed by flap or other
suitable valves, so as to prevent an undue admission of atmospheric air
thereto, which would have a tendency to interfere with the withdrawal of the
gases by the exhausting means used: I employ gratings or other ventilators

page_text: for the admission of certain quantities of atmospheric air to the sewers, and
I prefer that the amount of air admitted be capable of being regulated; to
aid which, I apply indicators, where necessary, to indicate whether air is
passing into the sewer or vapour is passing therefrom.
works;
The purifying means may be lime, such as used in the purifiers of gas
peroxide of iron, or other metallic salts, or dilute acids, or acids held by peat,
coke, gravel, charcoal, sawdust, or other matter; or they may be other matters
or gases of a deodorizing tendency.
In withdrawing the noxious vapours from buildings and other places I
proceed in a similar manner, taking care that only a sufficient amount of
atmospheric air be admitted to compensate for the exhaustion produced by the
withdrawal of the noxious vapours. Where noxious vapours exist in any
particular locality, such may be withdrawn therefrom through suitable openings
into a sewer or other place, from which the gases are withdrawn as above
explained.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Anderson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd June 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
ANDERSON, of the Gas Works, Rotherhithe, in the County of Surrey, Gas
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said George Anderson, Her special licence that I, the said George Anderson,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
George Anderson, 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
PURIFYING SEWERS, AND BUILDINGS OR OTHER PLACES, OF NOXIOUS VAPOURS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George Anderson, 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

page_text: same was to be 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 George Anderson, do hereby declare the
nature of the 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 thereof (that is to say):
The improvements consist in withdrawing the noxious vapours from the
sewers by a pump, fan, or other suitable exhausting apparatus, and forcing
them into combination with suitable deodorizing means.
The apparatus which I prefer to use as the exhausting means is such as for
which Letters Patent were granted to me, on or about the Seventeenth day of
December, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, though other may be
employed for the purpose; and supposing it to be a sewer from which it is
desired to withdraw the noxious vapours, there is provided a suitable enclosed
passage therefrom to the exhaust apparatus, and another suitable enclosed
passage from the exhaust apparatus to a chamber or chambers containing
deodorizing agents. The openings into the sewers for the admission of the
fluid or other matters thereto are trapped, or are capable of being closed
by flap or other suitable valves, so as to prevent an undue admission of
atmospheric air thereto, which would have a tendency to interfere with the
withdrawal of the gases by the exhausting means used. I employ gratings or
other ventilators for the admission of certain quantities of atmospheric air to
the sewers, so as to avoid the tendency to a vacuum, and to render the atmo-
sphere of the sewers suitable for persons to enter, and perform repairs or other
necessary operations therein, and I prefer that the amount of air admitted
generally, or to any particular part or parts, be capable of being regulated;
to aid which, I apply indicators, where necessary, to indicate whether air is
passing into the sewer or vapour is passing out therefrom; for this purpose a
gas pressure guage will be found suitable.
The purifying means in the receiving chamber may be lime, such as used in
the purifyers of gas works; peroxide of iron, or other metallic salts, or dilute
acids, or acids held by peat, coke, gravel, charcoal, sawdust, or other matter;
or they may be other matters or gases of a deodorizing tendency, and having
a chemical affinity for the particular gases to be operated upon. The products
obtained by thus decomposing the noxious vapours may in some cases be
applied as a manuring agent, or to other useful purposes.
In withdrawing the noxious vapours from buildings and other places I
proceed in a similar manner, taking care that only a sufficient amount of

page_text: atmospheric air be admitted to compensate for the exhaustion produced by the
withdrawal of the noxious vapours. Where noxious vapours exist in any
particular locality, such may be withdrawn therefrom through suitable open-
ings into a sewer or other place, from which the gases are withdrawn as above
explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Anderson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
WILLIAM BROOKES,
Patent Agent,
73, Chancery Lane.
GEO. ANDERSON. (L.S.)