AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND MACHINERY FOR SEPARATING THE LIQUID AND SOLID PORTIONS OF SEWAGE
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Webb, of Heath Road, Twickenhain, in the
County of Middlesex, Cabinet Maker, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
METHOD OF AND MACHINERY FOR SEPARATING THE LIQUID AND SOLID
PORTIONS OF SEWAGE."
Sealed the 14th November 1876, and dated the 19th May 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Webb at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th May 1876.
WILLIAM WEBB, of Heath Road, Twickenham, in the County of Middlesex, Cabinet
Maker. "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND MACHINERY FOR SEPARATING THE LIQUID
AND SOLID PORTIONS OF SEWAGE."
My Invention is designed to afford the means whereby the sewage of towns may
be treated in a simple but effectual manner to separate the solid from the liquid
portions thereof, so that the solid matter may be deposited in receptacles or places
wherein it will be altogether inoffensive, and from which it may be taken to be
utilized for fertilizing or other purposes, and the liquid may be filtered, purified,
and deodorized before permitting it to escape.
For the purpose of my Invention I employ a machine or apparatus provided with
an endless screen or sieve, or two or more of such screens or sieves caused to travel
around rollers or drums. The sewage matter is discharged or deposited from the
sewer pipes or drains upon these screens, which retain the solid matter while per-
mitting the liquid to pass through them.
I prefer that these machines should be automatic or self-acting, that is to say,
they should be actuated by the weight of the sewage falling from the said pipes or
drains. For this purpose I provide the said machine with a wheel like a water wheel,
which is arranged under the sewage outfall and geared with the axles of the afore-
said screen, rollers, or drums. But if necessary or desirable the said screens may be
operated by steam, manual, or other power, and for this purpose I provide the
machine with a crank or driving pulley, or other means for connecting it with the
driving power.
The said screens may be formed of metal, wire, or fibrous materials, cane, or other
suitable materials. In some instances I arrange two, three, or more in a series, each
[Price Gd.]

page_text: at a slightly lower level than the preceding onc, so that the liquid flowing through
one screen may fall or be conducted to the next screen, and so on throughout the
series, to insure the separation of all of the solid matter therefrom.
In combination with this machine I arrange a series of tanks or vessels for pre-
cipitating, filtering, and deodorizing the liquid. These tanks or vessels may be made
of cast or wrought iron or other suitable inaterial, and have taper or sloping sides
for the reception of movable tray, which contain suitable filtering, purifying, and
deodorizing agents, such as lime, ashes, charcoal, or the like.
One peculiar feature of this part of my said Invention consists in providing these
tanks or vessels with iron tubes or bars placed in number of rows or series one
above the other, and so close together that the liquid cannot pass between them,
except in very minute divisions. These tubes or bars are so arranged that the said
liquid in passing through the tanks has to rise through these series or sets of bars
or tubes, and the iron of which they are formed will thereby exert a strong purifying
action upon the said liquid. The said tanks are provided with air shafts for the
reception of syphon pipes for cleaning out the tanks, and may have an outlet aperture
connected with pipes or drains, or the purified and deodorized liquid may be pumped
therefrom into any suitable receptacles.
The solid matter may be deposited from the endless screens or sieves into trucks,
wagons, or other receptacles, and taken therein to any place where it is to be stored
or utilized.
I prefer to provide a railway in connection with the said machine, and I so
arrange this railway that the said trucks or wagons may pass to one side of the
machine to receive the solid matter from the said screens, while a syphon truck or
wagon may be brought near the filtering and precipitating tanks to empty the same
through the syphon pipes when they require cleaning.
The trucks must have their axles capable of turning on centre pins, and the wheels
have plain or smooth tires, so that they will run upon rails or on common roads.
And I use rails with a fillet or projection on the inner side to guide and keep the
wheels in place on the rails.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said William Webb in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th November 1876.
WILLIAM WEBB, of Heath Road, Twickenham, in the County of Middlesex,
Cabinet Maker. "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND MACHINERY FOR SEPARATING
THE LIQUID AND SOLID PORTIONS OF SEWAGE."
My Invention is designed to afford the means whereby the sewage of towns may
be treated in a simple but effectual manner to separate the solid from the liquid
portions thereof, so that the solid matter may be deposited in receptacles or places
wherein it will be altogether inoffensive, and froin which it may be taken to be
utilized for fertilizing or other purposes, and the liquid may be filtered, purified,
and deodorized before permitting it to escape.
For the purpose of my Invention I employ machinery or apparatus provided
with an endless screen or sieve, or two or more of such screens or sieves caused to
travel around rollers or drums. The sewage matter is discharged or deposited from
the sewer pipes or drains upon these screens, which retain the solid matter while
permitting the liquid to pass through them.
"
I prefer that this machinery should be automatic or self-acting, that is to say, it
should be so constructed and arranged that the weight of the sewage falling from
the said pipes or drains will cause the machine to operate without the assistance
of any extraneous force or power. For this purpose I provide the said machine
with a wheel like a water wheel, which is arrangel under the sewage outfall and
geared with the axles of the aforesaid screen, rollers, or drums. But if necessary or
desirable the said screens may be operated by steain, manual, or other power, and

page_text: for this purpose I provide the machine with a crank or driving pulley or other
means for connecting it with the driving power.
My Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, in which Figure 1 is
a plan or top view of the said machinery or apparatus; Figuro 2 is a side elevation
partly in section; Figure 3 is an elevation of one end, and Figure 4 is an elevation
of the other end of the same. Like letters indicate the saine parts throughout the
Drawing.
A is a strong framing of wood or other suitable material, a is the aforesaid end-
less screen or sieve on which the sewage is discharged from the sewer pipes or
drains; b, b, are the rollers or druns around which it travels and which are sup-
ported in suitable bearings c mounted on the said framing; d is the wheel which
is turned by the weight of the falling sewage liquid e; are the gear wheels
whereby this motion is transmitted from the said wheel to the rollers b, b, of the
screen u.
The said screens may be formed of metal, wire, or fibrous inaterials, cane, or other
suitable substance. In some instances I arrange two, three, or more screens in a serica,
cach at a slightly lower level than the preceding one, so that the liquid flowing
through one screen may fall or be conducted to the next screen, and so on through-
out the series to ensure the separation of the whole of the solid from the liquid
matter.
In combination with this machine I arrange tanks or vessels for precipitating,
filtering, or deodorizing the liquid. These tanks or vessels may be made of cast
or wrought iron or other suitable material, and have taper or sloping sides for the
reception of movable trays, which contain suitable filtering, purifying, and deodori-
zing agents, such as lime, ashes, charcoal, or the like.
I have shewn one of these screens a arranged in connection with two sets of preci-
pitating tanks or filters, which are filled alternately with the sewage matter from
the said screen.
For this purpose 1. employ in combination with the screen a two
shoots or spouts g, h, and provide the same with doors or gates g', . These doors
are attached to opposite ends of the beam i, which is fitted to vibrate on a fulcrum at
2. When either of these doors is up or in the position occupied by g', in Figure 3,
the corresponding shoot will be open so that the sewage matter can pass through
it while the door on the opposite end of the beam will be down, thereby closing
the shoot in which it is placed. The shoot g extends into the precipitating tank
, and the shoot into the other precipitating tank k. The communication
between the said precipitating tanks and the filters is governed by valves l, m,
which like the doors g¹, h¹, are alternately opened and closed.
In order that the communication between the screen a and the tanks j, k, and
between the latter and the filters may be effected automatically I connect the said
vibrating beam with floats o, 2, which alternately rise and sink with the liquid in the
two tanks, thereby opening and closing the doors g', h¹, and valves l, m, and admit-
ting the sewage into and discharging it from the two tanks alternately. The bottom
of these tanks is inclined laterally and longitudinally, as shewn by the lines 1 and
2, so that while the liquid passes by the passages or m¹ from the tanks into the
filters, as indicated by the arrows 3, the solid matter or "sludge" passes to the
outlets at or 1, and is discharged therefrom. When the above described auto-
matic apparatus is used in my improved machinery the same when started will
continue to work without any further attention.
The filters q,, are provided with removable trays or sieves 8. In Figure 1 these
trays are removed from the filters q, but are shewn in the filters 7.
One peculiar feature of my said Invention consists in providing the filtering appa-
ratus with iron tubes or barst placed in a number of rows or series one above the
other, and so close together that the sewage liquid cannot pass between them
except in very minute divisions. These tubes or bars t are so arranged that the said
liquid in passing through the filters has to rise through these series or sets of bars
or tubes, and the iron of which they are formed will thereby exert a strong purify-
ing action upon the said liquid.

page_text: The aforesaid tanks and filters may be provided with air shafts for the reception
of syphon pipes for cleaning out the tanks, and the filters may have outlet
apertures at u, v, connected with pipes or drains, or the purified and deodorized
liquid may be pumped therefrom into any suitable receptacle.
The solid matter may be deposited from the tanks j, k, into trucks or wagons w
or other receptacles, and taken therein to any place where it is to be stored or
utilized.
I prefer to provide a railway in connection with the said machine, and as will
be seen by referring to Figure 1, I so arrange this railway that the said trucks
or wagons may pass to one side of the machine to receive the solid matter from
the said screens, while the syphon, truck, or wagon x may be brought between the
filtering and precipitating tanks to empty the same through the syphon pipes
when they require cleaning.
The trucks must have their axles capable of turning on centre pins, and the
wheels must have plain or sinooth tires so that they will run upon rails or on
common roads, and I use rails with a fillet or projection y on the inner side to
guide and keep the wheels in place on the said rails.
Having thus fully described my said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I wish it understood that I claim-
First. An endless travelling screen or sieve constructed and operating as above
described, and arranged to receive the sewage liquid from the drains or sewers and
separate the liquid from the solid portions of the same.
Second. The combination of the said endless travelling sieve or screen or two
or more of the same with a wheel which is rotated by the falling of the sewage
liquid thereon, and imparts motion to the said screens or sieves as above set forth.
Third. The combination with the said endless screen or screens of a precipitating
tank with a sloping or inclined bottom, as above set forth and for the purpose
specified.
Fourth. The arrangement of two or more sets of precipitating tanks and filters
in combination with one of the said endless screens or sieves and with the apparatus
whereby the sewage liquid is automatically admitted to and discharged from the
two sets of tanks and filters alternately, as above set forth.
Fifth. The employment in the filters of iron bars or tubes in combination with
the trays containing charcoal or other filtering material, as above set forth and for
the purpose specified.
Sixth. The machinery or apparatus comprising the endless travelling screen or
sieve, the driving wheel geared in connection with the said screen or sieve, the
tanks and filters, and the mechanism for regulating the passage of the sewage
matter into and from the same, and the railway for the trucks or wagons, all
constructed and arranged in combination as above set forth and as shewn in the
accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Webb, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Seventeenth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
WILLIAM WEBB. (L.S.)