IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING EXCRETA, HOUSE REFUSE, AND SEWAGE SLUDGE TO OBTAIN MANURE AND OTHER USEFUL PRODUCTS THEREFROM, AND IN ARRANGEMENTS AND APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN.
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Howard Kidd, of Wrexham, in the County of
Denbigh, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING EXCRETA,
HOUSE REFUSE, AND SEWAGE SLUDGE TO OBTAIN MANURE AND OTHER USEFUL
PRODUCTS THEREFROM, AND IN ARRANGEMENTS AND APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED
THEREIN.
"
Sealed the 14th May 1878, and dated the 16th November 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Howard Kidd at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th November 1877.
JOHN HOWARD KIDD, of Wrexham, in the County of Denbigh, Engineer.
" IM-
PROVEMENTS IN TREATING EXCRETA, HOUSE REFUSE, AND SEWAGE SLUDGE TO
OBTAIN MANURE AND OTHER USEFUL PRODUCTS THEREFROM, AND IN ARRANGE-
MENTS AND APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN.'
"
By my improvements I treat sewage sludge and excreta in the manner similar to
that described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me, and numbered
207, and dated the 19th day of January, A.D. 1876; and then, after it has passed
through the drying machine described in the said Specification, it is placed in
ordinary gas retorts or ovens to produce gas, which is or may be stored in a
gasometer to be used for illuminating purposes or for heating purposes, as herein-
after described; and, besides the gas, ammoniacal liquor is obtained, which may be
used as required, or employed to mix with and enrich the manure, besides other
products.
My Invention further consists in using for concentrating urine a boiler or cistern
of metal with a hollow bottom, which is heated by steam; and in this boiler or
cistern there are bearings for one or more horizontal shafts, which carry a number
of thin discs of metal or other material placed upon the shaft side by side with a
space between each disc. The lower parts of these discs dip in the urine in the
cistern as the shaft or shafts rotate, so as to take up a thin film of the liquid, the
upper part of these discs being exposed to the heated gases from flues or the com-
bustion of gases.

page_text: The urine when sufficiently concentrated is withdrawn through cocks or other
suitable outlets, and a fresh supply is placed in the boiler or cistern.
In carrying out my Invention I prefer to use, and my Invention consists in
using, the arrangements herein-after described:-At one end of a building I fix one
or more boilers, under which I prefer to place furnaces at each end, and to take
away the heat or surplus heat by a flue the lengthway of the building.
The drying machine, gas retorts, and urine concentrators are built adjoining each
other, by preference, in a line at a right angle to the flue, so that the heat can pass
from one to the other, and dampers are employed for closing and opening passages,
so that the heat may be diverted in any required direction.
The heat, after passing from the drying machine, gas retorts, and concentrators,
is or may be conveyed to flues under a drying floor, and from thence to the
chimney.
The heat from the gas retorts or ovens can pass into the drying machines or the
urine concentrators; or heat may be taken from the boiler flue before mentioned
into the drying machines or concentrators, dampers being so arranged that these
changes in the direction of the heat may be made at pleasure, and as required.
As before said, the gas obtained from the retorts is br may be burned to give
heat for concentrating the urine, or for adding heat to the drying floor, and the
steam generated in the boilers is or may be used for working steam engines to
drive the machinery, and the surplus steam for heating the concentrators.
The combustible house, refuse is burned in the boiler furnaces, or partly there
and under the gas retorts or ovens, or in the furnaces for the concentrators, when
such furnaces are used.
The residue withdrawn from the gas retorts is or may be mixed with a portion
of sludge or excreta to further enrich it as a manure.
It will thus be seen that by my improved process and treatment the material to
be operated upon is or may be made to furnish all or the greater part of the heat
required by the process, and this fuel is economised, and the process is carried on
without causing any nuisance, or offensive or noxious discharges.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Howard Kidd in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 16th
May 1878.
JOHN HOWARD KIDD, of Wrexham, in the County of Denbigh, Engineer. "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN TREATING EXCRETA, HOUSE REFUSE, AND SEWAGE SLUDGE TO
OBTAIN MANURE AND OTHER USEFUL PRODUCTS THEREFROM, AND IN ARRANGEMENTS
AND APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN.'
""
By my improvements I treat sewage sludge and excreta in a manner similar to
that described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me, and numbered
207, and dated the 19th day of January, A.D. 1876; and then, after it has passed
through the drying machine described in the said Specification, it is placed in
ordinary gas retorts or ovens to produce gas, which is or may be stored in a
gasometer to be used for illuminating purposes or for heating purposes, as herein-
after described; and, besides the gas, ammoniacal liquor is obtained, which may be
used as required, or employed (when converted in the ordinary manner into sulphate
of ammonia) to mix with and enrich the manure, besides other products.
My Invention further cousists in using for concentrating urine, or "pail contents,"
a boiler or cistern of metal with a hollow bottom, which is heated by steam; and
in this boiler or cistern there are bearings for one or more horizontal shafts, which
carry a number of thin discs of metal or other material placed upon the shaft side
by side with a space between each disc. The lower parts of these discs dip in the
urine, excreta, or pail contents in the cistern as the shaft or shafts rotate, so as
to take up a thin film of the liquid, the upper part of the discs being exposed to
the heated gases from the flues or the combustion of gases.
"
The urine or excreta when sufficiently concentrated is withdrawn through cocks
or other suitable outlets, and a fresh supply is placed in the boiler or cistern; or I
employ a cistern combined with tubes, which are heated by steam externally for
concentrating urine or "pail contents," the upper surface of the urine or excreta in
the cistern- being exposed to the heated products of combustion from the furnaces as
they pass to the chimney.
In carrying out my Invention I prefer to use, and my Invention consists in
using, the arrangements herein-after described. At one end of a building I fix one
or more boilers, under which I prefer to place furnaces at each end, and to take
away the heat or surplus heat by a flue the lengthway of the building.
The drying machine, gas retorts, and urine or excreta concentrators are built
adjoining each other, by preference in a line, but at a right angle to the flue, so that
the heat can pass from one to the other, and dampers are employed for closing
and opening passages, so that the beat may be diverted in any required direction.
The heat, after passing from the drying machines, gas retorts, and concentrators,
is or may be conveyed to flues under a drying floor, and from thence to the
chimney.
The heat from the gas retorts or ovens can pass into the drying machines, or the
urine or excreta concentrators or heat may be taken from the boiler flue before
mentioned into the drying machines or concentrators, dampers being so arranged
that these changes in the direction of the heat may be made at pleasure and as
required.
As before said, the gas obtained from the retorts is or may be burned to give
heat for concentrating the excreta, or for adding heat to the drying floor, and
the steam generated in the boilers is or may be used for working steam engines
to drive the machinery, and the surplus steam for heating the concentrators.
The combustible house refuse is burned in the furnaces of the boiler, or partly
there and under the gas retorts or ovens, or in the furnaces for the drying machines,
or for the concentrators when such furnaces are used.
The residue withdrawn from the gas retorts is or may be mixed with a portion of

page_text: sludge or excreta to further enrich it as a manure, or the residue from the retorts
may be used for other purposes.
It will thus be seen that by my improved process and treatment the material to
be operated upon is or may be made to furnish all or the greater part of the heat
required by the process, and thus fuel is economised, and the process is carried on
withont causing any nuisance or offensive or noxious discharges.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal elevation in section, and Fig. 2 is a plan partly in
section illustrating an arrangement for carrying out one modification of my
Invention.
a is a steam boiler, which I prefer to make with ordinary furnaces at each end
for burning cinders separated from the house refuse or other combustible matter.
The flues from the furnaces of this boiler are arranged to pass direct to the chimney,
but the direct flue b from the boiler flue to the chimney b¹ is provided with a damper,
so that all or part of the heated gases may be cut off from going direct, and diverted
along a flue or flues 62 to the drying machine d, as shown by the arrows, the gases
after leaving which are made to pass through the concentrator c, and then to the
chimney b. But dampers are arranged by which the gases, after passing the
drying machine (d) may pass into a flue e¹, and then direct to the chimney without
passing through the concentrator c.
The drying machine is combined and arranged similarly to that described in the
Specification of Letters Patent granted to me, and numbered 207, and dated the
19th day of January, A.D. 1876.
The urine or excreta concentrator c consists of a cistern with a hollow bottom c¹,
heated by steam from the boiler a, the steam pipe e² entering at one side, and the
condensed steam passing back to the boiler by a pipe c³ from the other side; the
end of this pipe (c³) passing below the water line in the boiler.
In the concentrator (c) there are one, two, or more shafts c¹ having their discs c
of metal secured upon them. The lower edges of these discs dip into the urine or
excreta, and are thus coated with a thin film; and, as the shafts c are slowly rotated,
these discs and the thin film upon them are exposed to the heated gases passing
through the cistern over the surface of the urine or pail contents of the chimney.
If desired, stationary scrapers may be fixed to come against the side of the discs
(c), the scrapers being placed on that side of the discs which are by rotation
descending into the urine or excreta.
The shafts are driven, say, four revolutions per minute by any suitable power
and toothed gearing, or worms and worm wheels, the latter especially if scrapers are
employed.
The "
pail contents" is strained by passing through riddles before being placed
in the concentrator; and, when reduced to about the consistency of treacle, is drawn
off through a pipe by a suitable tap or valve, and this is mixed with fine ash
obtained from riddling the ashes of the vegetable and mineral matter burnt under
the boiler, and the compound thus formed is then passed through the drying
machine (d), from which it emerges in a few minutes ready to be charged into
the gas retorts, and from it is distilled ammoniacal liquor, and gas and other
products.
The residue from the retorts may be used either for making manure or for making
mortar.
The gas obtained from the retorts may be used for heating purposes, or may be
stored for illuminating purposes, especially if carburetted with light spirit. e are
the gas retorts for treating the dried sewage sludge, or the compound of concen-
trated excreta or " pail contents" and ashes; e², pipes from each retort to the
hydraulic main e³. The gas produced may be brought by a pipe e¹ to be burned in
a furnace for heating the retorts, or it may be burned under the drying machine
or concentrator.
The flues from the furnaces of the retorts are arranged, as shown, so that the
products of combustion can pass direct by a flue e¹ leading to the chimney b', or by
Bluese to the drying machine, and dampers e7 and e8 are provided to open and

page_text: close the flues as required; and dampers (not shown) are or may be also provided,
so that the heat from the retort flues may be made to pass through the concentrator
c without first passing through the drying machine d.
Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation; Fig. 4, an end elevation; and Fig. 5, a
plan partly in section, illustrating another arrangement and combination for carrying
out my Invention.
The gas retorts (e) and drying machine (d), and the flues and dampers in con-
nection with these and the furnaces of the boilers (a) and the concentrator (c) are
arranged as herein-before described, in reference to Figs. 1 and 2, but the con-
centrator is different.
This apparatus is formed of a cistern (c) placed over and at a right angle to the
steam boiler a. At each side of the boiler, and to the under side of the cistern,
two vertical cylinders are attached, as shown, one in outside view, and the other
in section. These cylinders have end tube plates in which a series of tubes c
are fixed, and through these tubes the excreta can pass up and down between a
chamber at the lower end of the tubes, and the cistern above. To the cylinders co
steam from the boiler is conveyed by a pipe c², which steam surrounds the tubes,
and the condensed steam is returned again by a pipe c³ to the boiler.
To promote circulation large pipes cs are placed between the cistern c and the
chamber below the tubes, so that the comparatively cold liquid from the cistern
may descend to the said chamber, and ascend through the tubes to the cistern.
When the excreta is sufficiently concentrated it is drawn off by opening a cock
or valve, and allowed to pass out at a pipe c¹0.
The chamber can be cleaned or seraped out when required through the door c¹¹,
which is secured by a screw and cross bar like the mouth of a retort.
The tubes may be scraped or cleaned out when required by taking off a cover
from the cistern over the tubes.
In this arrangement of concentrator the gases pass over the surface of the
liquid in the cistern c; and, if desired, shafts with discs, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2,
may be combined with the apparatus.
Two tubular arrangements are shown combined with the cistern in Figs. 3, 4,
and 5; but more than two, or only one tubular arrangement, may be used if
desired.
I have now particularly described the nature of my said Invention, and the
mode of carrying the same into effect, and claim as my Invention,―
Firstly. The process of treating sewage sludge prepared as described, and also
concentrated urine, excreta, or pail contents and ashes in gas retorts or ovens to
obtain useful products therefrom, substantially as herein-before described, and illus-
trated by the Drawings.
"pail
Secondly. The combination of apparatus for concentrating excreta or
contents," substantially as herein-before described, and illustrated by the Drawings.
Thirdly. The combination and arrangement of steam boilers (a), furnaces, and
flues and dampers, with drying machinery (d), concentrators (c), and retorts (e),
substantially as herein-before described, and illustrated by the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Howard Kidd, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.