IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING SOLID AND LIQUID MATTER IN STREET SLOPS, SEWAGE, AND SIMILAR MATERIAL
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Young and Peter Fyfe at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th September 1883.
JOHN YOUNG, and PETER FYFE, both of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING SOLID AND LIQUID MATTER IN
STREET SLOPS, SEWAGE, AND SIMILAR MATERIAL,"
The object of this Invention is to provide suitable and effective apparatus for
the separation, in a speedy manner, of solid from liquid matter in sewage, sludge,
slush, street sweeepings and any similar wet or semi-liquid matter.
The improved apparatus consists of a tank or series of tanks or reservoirs
which may be arranged in a row, or back to back, or front to front, or set to
form a square, or fitted radially round a common centre.
Each tank or compartment is made with a sloping or inclined bottom, the
angle of the slope being made greater or less according as the material to be
treated is thick or very thin. The sides and front of each tank stand upright.
Each tank is made of cast iron plates bolted together and resting on an entablatine
of cast iron girders, supported if need be by suitable columns. The tanks may be
made of wood, wrought iron, brick, or stone work, concrete, or similar material.
The sides and front are supported by strong upright girders so constructed that
the least obstruction is given to the outflow or withdrawal of the solid residue
which remains after draining off the liquid. These girders are secured at the top
by the rods running through hollow stay tubes. The material to be treated is led
or tipped into the tanks at the top (or if the tanks be arranged in circular form,
at the apex) whence it runs down the sloping bottom. This is continued until
each tank is filled when the material is allowed to rest for several hours. The
solid matter now finds its way downwards, assisted by the sharp angle or
inclination on which it rests, and the liquid part is rapidly pressed to the surface
from which it is drained. To drain off the water or other liquid effectually and
automatically, a pipe is inserted and arranged to slide freely in an upright drain
pipe secured to the bottom of the tank. On the top of the pipe a float is secured
which has a hole or holes formed in it just above its floatage line. This float has
a rope or chain attached to it at the top which runs over a suitable pulley at the
top of the tank, and carries weights to counterbalance the float and pipe, and to

page_text: maintain the holes in the float at the proper level, this arrangement being adopted
to provide for the varying densities of the different materials which may be under
treatment.
The liquid may be drained off by a pipe swivelling on a gland over a stationary
drain pipe at or near the bottom, a ball or other float being securely fitted to it
at the top of the swivelling pipe. Other arrangements may be adopted for
draining off the liquid. For example, a V shaped float secured to the back of a
long sluice valve having suitable pulley and counter weights; or small sliding
plates running in grooves formed in the water channel. In the latter case, the
plates are attached to a chain or rope running over a barrel that they may be
lifted one after the other to drain off the liquid as it accumulates at the different
levels. This barrel is geared so as to be handily and easily worked from the front,
or a long cleek may be employed to lift the plates and drain off the water. For
the purpose of drawing off the solid residue from the tanks a large cast iron
sluice door, dished inwards, is fitted to planed faces on the inside of each
compartment.
Those doors are provided with suitable gear above for lifting and lowering
them.
When lowered into their places those doors are held tight against their faces
by tapered guides at the back which bear evenly against planed wings or webs
cast on each side of the door, Corner plates may be fitted in front to facilitate
the fall of the solid matter towards the doors, through which it falls into carts,
waggons, boats, or other receptacles for removal, or for further treatment.
The tanks described may be arranged in series opposite each other over a canal,
railway, or road, and set on pillars and girderwork high enough to allow of the
- solid contents being shot when the doors are opened into the boats, waggons, carts
or other receptacles below.
By constructing the tanks alongside of a natural incline, or by building an iron
or other inclined roadway up to the tanks, the material to be treated may be
conveniently conveyed in carts or waggons to the top of the tanks.
The material may however be tipped into a receiver at the back of the tanks
and be raised thereto by elevators, or by similar means.