An Improved Apparatus for Dredging Sewage and other Tanks or Reservoirs.
Year: 1895

page_text: This print is in accordance with the original Specification as it stands after
Amendment (under Section 11 of the Patents, &c. Act, 1883), as required by
the decision of the Comptroller General of the 31st day of January 1896.
Date of Application, 25th July, 1895-Accepted, 31st Aug.,
1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (AMENDED).
An Improved Apparatus for Dredging Sewage and other Tanks or
Reservoirs.
I, WILLIAM HENRY PEACOCK, of Townley Iron Works, Gibbon Street,
Bradford, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to an improved apparatus for dredging sewage and other
tanks or reservoirs and has for its object to perform such operations more readily
and efficiently.
The invention consists essentially in the employment of a novel construction of
scraper apparatus adapted to travel upon the bottom or over the top of the said tanks
or reservoirs.
And in order that my invention may be more fully understood I have caused to
be appended hereunto one sheet of drawings marked with letters of reference
indicating like parts in the various figures.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section and Fig. 2 a cross section of a tank or reservoir
showing one form of my invention.
Figs. 3 & 4 are longitudinal sections of one end of a tank or reservoir showing
two modifications in the method of raising the collected sludge and operating the
scraper respectively.
Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of one end and Fig. 6 a cross section of a tank or
reservoir showing another form of my invention.
Fig. 7 is a side view enlarged of one form of the scraper carriage.
In carrying out my invention and referring to the figures generally a is the tank
or reservoir, the scraper, c the carriage which in this case is shown vertically
adjustable but may be employed stationary on the carriage.
The carriage c preferably consists of two end frames c¹, c³, suitably connected
together and mounted upon wheels adapted to run upon the bottom or over the
top of the tank or reservoir a, or upon rails employed thereon. The scraper bis
rendered vertically adjustable in the carriage ends c¹, c², by such as screws d and
suitable wheels or gearing whereby the amount of sludge to be dredged in one
operation can be regulated.
By preference I furnish the lower edge of the scraper b with a piece of wood or
a rubber or other flexible strip b', see Fig. 7, positioned at an angle thereto which
prevents the carriage c and the scraper being lifted by the accumulated sludge
A guard e is employed on the scraper b to prevent the sludge or mud
from rising too much.
or mud.

page_text: When it is intended to dredge the tank or reservoir a whilst full of fluid, the
scraper 6 is rendered adjustable from the top of the tank or reservoir a at one side,
see Figs. 5 & 6, for instance by means of a chain and suitable wheels f', f' & ƒ³,
imparting motion to a cross shaft g upon which are fixed bevel wheels h gearing
into other bevel wheels ¹ fixed to the upper end of the scraper screws d the lower
-ends of which engage in nuts d' secured upon the scraper b.
Another method of adjusting the scraper 6 from the top of the tank or reservoir a,
as shown in Fig. 4, the scraper 6 being furnished with racks d* in gear with
pinions d³ suitably mounted upon the carriage c which latter is adapted to travel
upon rails on the sides of the tank or reservoir a and also serves to run the
scraper from one tank or reservoir to another when a number thereof are arranged
in a line.
In order to give the scraper b and carriage ca straight course an endless
chain i, ', or its equivalent, is attached to each carriage end c¹ & c² respectively
and adapted to ride over pulleys k, k', suitably mounted at each end of the
tank or reservoir a. Upon each of the axis of the pulleys k, k, is fixed
another chain pulley to which rotary motion is imparted by a chain from a
chain pulley
mounted upon a
cross shaft m at the top of the tank or
reservoir a and rotated either by manual or motive power as may be found most
convenient.
In some cases I may form a channel n, see Figs. 1 & 2, communicating with the
end of the tank or reservoir a to which the sludge is dredged and a pit o suitably
positioned so as to convey the sludge into the latter and to raise it therefrom by
means of an elevator p; or I may employ an elevator p directly in the tank or
reservoir a, as shown in Fig. 3, or 1 may form a channel u crosswise in the bottom
of the tank or reservoir a, as shown in Fig. 5, into which the sludge is dredged and
from which it may run off as desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I am aware
that it has been proposed to use scrapers mounted upon travelling carriages for
the purpose of collecting sludge from sewage and other tanks. I therefore make no
claim for such arrangements except when constructed substantially as herein described,
but what I claim, is ;-
"In apparatus for dredging sewage and other tanks or reservoirs."
1st. The general construction and combination of parts constituting my
improvements operating substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2nd. The particular constructions and arrangements of a scraper or scrapers b
mounted upon a carriage c and adapted to travel upon the bottom or
over the
top of a sewage or other tank or reservoir a for the purpose of scraping or
dredging sludge or other sediment to the end or side of the same, substantially as
set forth.
3rd. The scraping or dredging arrangement specified in the preceding claim in
combination with the various means herein before described and shown for
removing the collected sludge or other sediment, all substantially as set forth.
Dated this 24th day of July 1895
W. H. PEACOCK.
F. Bosshardt & Co.,
4, Corporation Street, Manchester, Agents to Applicant.