AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR REMOVING EXCRETA AND OTHER SIMILAR REFUSE MATTER, AND FOR TREATING THE SAME FOR THE PRODUCTION OF A USEFUL ARTICLE OF COMMERCE TIEREFROM.
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Friedrich Breyer, of Vienna, in the Austrian Empire,
Engineer, for an Invention of "AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND APPARATUS
FOR REMOVING EXCRETA AND OTHER SIMILAR REFUSE MATTER, AND FOR
TREATING THE SAME FOR THE PRODUCTION OF A USEFUL ARTICLE OF
COMMERCE TIEREFROM.
"
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Friedrich Breyer at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st April 1880.
"AN
FRIEDRICH BREYER, of Vienna, in the Austrian Empire, Engineer.
1MPROVED MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR REMOVING EXCRETA AND OTHER
SIMILAR REFUSE MATTER, AND FOR TREATING THE SAME FOR THE PRODUCTION
OF A USEUL ARTICLE OF COMMERCE THEREFROM."
According to my present Invention I collect the excreta and other similar refuse
matter in automatically closing receptacles wherein the solid matter is covered by
a fluid stratum, and into which receptacles I admit air, gas, or steam, heated to
about 300° Fahrenheit and at a pressure of about 3 atmospheres above atmospheric
pressure, in order thereby to force the collected matter into a filtering apparatus.
In such filtering apparatus all the solid matter held suspended in the liquid is
separated from the latter, and by the action of the heated gas under pressure is
compressed into solid dry innocuous masses of any desirable form suitable for use
as manure.
The construction of apparatus employed for this purpose is shewn on the accom-
panying Drawing, in which Fig. I. shews a vertical section of the collecting apparatus,
and Figs. III., IV., and V., shew respectively two vertical sections at right angles to
each other, and a sectional plan on line D, D, of the filtering apparatus, while
Fig. II. shews an apparatus operating in combination with the collecting apparatus,
Fig. 1., for effecting the automatic hermetic closure of the latter, and which, as the
two are connected by conduit pipes, may be at some distance therefrom.
The apparatus at Fig. 1. is either directly connected to the soil pipe of the water
closet or privy or in connection with a collecting shaft or cesspool for the house and
road sewago.
The apparatus, Fig. 11., should always be immediately below the filtering
apparatus, while in combination with the latter is a vessel for the production of
heated steam, air, or other gas.

page_text: In Fig. 111. the line A, B, indicates the ground line, at which point the connections
. between the conduit pipes of the collecting apparatus and of the filtering apparatus
are formed by any suitable joints that will admit of easy and rapid connection and
disconnection, in case it is preferred to arrange the filtering apparatus upon wheels,
so as to be removed from one locality to another.
It may be advantageous in certain cases to connect the filtering apparatus per-
manently to a number of collecting apparatus, but in most cases it is preferred to
make the filtering apparatus with the gas generator or receiver portable, in which
case it is so placed that the pipes 1, 2, and 3 (which are made with ball and socket
joints, not shewn on the Drawing), can be easily and quickly connected at ground
line with the corresponding pipes 1, 2, 3, of the apparatus, Fig. II.
The collecting apparatus, Fig. J., consists of a strong receptacle V capable of
withstanding safely a pressure of at least 3 atmospheres above the atmospheric
pressure. From this receptacle pipes 4 and 5 lead away any excess of liquid during
the time that the excreta are collecting in it, the pipe 5 being for this purpose
connected to any convenient conduit or drain for leading off the liquid to a distance.
The pipe 4 is bent upward in the vessel, and has its mouth covered by a bell shaped
valve C, which being filled with air floats in the liquid and eventually is caused by
the rising of the level of the latter to close gas tight against the seating c. c. The
turned up mouth of the pipe 4 has in the middle a stem d on which the valvo rests
with its apex, and is thus prevented from sinking too far or from canting over when
the contents of the vessel are discharged. The pipe 4 communicates with 5 through
the apparatus, Fig. II., which contains a float valve S by means of which the passago
of liquid from 4 to 5 may bo periodically intercepted, this being effected on the
sinking of the liquid in the float chamber until the float rests with its spherical end
on the spherical seating c.
Steam or heated air or other gas under pressure being admitted through the
pipe in the direction of the arrows f the valve S descends, so as to be seated at e,
while the valve C rises, the vessel V being thus hermetically cut off from the soil
pipe and the discharge pipe 5. By the pressure thus exerted in its contents,
whether consisting of excreta, sewage, or dirt from the roads, is driven with
considerable force and velocity through the pipe 1 into the filtering chamber E,
Fig. III., the valve in the pipe 1, Fig. III., being forced upwards by the pressure
and descending again by its own weight as soon as the whole of the liquid has been
forced up into H, so as to close the communication between the latter and the pipo 1
again. The operator on observing the closing of the valve (the stem of which
passes through a stuffing box so as to be visible) cuts off the gas supply to pipe 2
by a suitable valve or slide (not shewn on the Drawing) and admits the full pressure
into the filtering chamber H.
On the cutting off of the gas pressure from the chamber V the valve C in sinking
again to the dotted position allows the soil to flow in from the soil pipe again while
the valve S floats up from its seat again, thus allowing liquid to flow off through
the pipe 5 as before.
The operation of filtering, compressing, and drying the solid matter contained in
the vessel H is now effected as follows:-The vessel is closed at bottom by a
moveable perforated plate K through which, in consequence of the great pressure
exerted from above, all liquid particles are forced to flow off. On the complote
removal of the liquid dry heated gases are forced through the remaining solid pass
so as to remove all remaining moisture, so that on the cooling of the mass this
assumes the form of a hard dry slab or brick of excreta.
The separated liquid passes off in the direction of the arrows into the apparatus,
Fig. II., and escapes from this through the pipe 5. The solid brick of excreta or
other inatter Z formed in the filtering vessel is removed in the following manner :-
The cylinder m, Figs. III. and IV., has a piston o through which passes the pipe n.
The piston is extended down into the vessel El, where it has a striking plate p.
The filtering plate K slides on rails K', Figs. 1V. and V., and can be moved
horizontally into the position shewn in Fig. VI. To this plate is attached the one

page_text: end of a chain or wire rope which passes over guide pullies q, q', and through the
tubo n, its other end being attached to the plate p of the piston m.
Steam or gas
pressure being admitted above the piston by means of the slide t, Fig. IV., the
piston will be forced downwards, and the chain being thus drawn in the direction
of the arrows will draw the filtering plate K to one side, into the position shewn in
Fig. VI., thus leaving the bottom of the filtering chamber open, so that the plate of
the piston in descending will force out the slab of solid excreta. This falls upon
an endless band stretched over the rollers v, vl, so that by turning the latter in the
direction of the arrow it will be extruded on to a truck. The piston is again raised
by moving the slide t so as to admit the steain or gas pressure below it, and the
filtering plate is then moved back into its original position either by a counter-
weight or other means.
In order to effect a perfect joint between the filtering plato and the bottom of
the chamber H before the contents of the collecting chamber are forced in, wedge
pieces upon screw spindles are moved by the latter so as in acting against
inclines on the underside of the frame of the plate K to force the latter up tightly
ngainst the underside of the chamber, the notion of the screw spindles being effected
by the By wheel z and toothed gearing y.
Fig. VII. shews a sectional plan of the apparatus at Fig. II. on line E, E, and
Fig. VIII. shows a sectional plan of the same on line G, H.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, 1 claim,-
First. The herein described mode of removing excreta from automatically
hermetic closing collecting vessels by the direct action of steam or gases under
pressure.
Second. The herein described mode of separating and drying the solid constituents
of excreta and other refuse matter by the direct action of beated gases under
pressure in a filtering chamber containing such matter.
Third. The use, for removing excreta and other refuse matter and for separating
and drying the solid constituents thereof, of apparatus arranged and operating as
herein described with reference to the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, 1, the said Friedrich Breyer, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Seventeenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand ght hundred and eighty.
FRIEDRICH BREYER. (L.S.)