Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Clearing and Purifying Sewage, Waste Waters, and the like.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 25th July, 1898
Complete Specification Left, 15th Oct., 1898-Accepted, 26th Nov., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Clearing and Purifying
Sewage, Waste Waters, and the like.
I, WILHELM BRUCH, Engineer, of Belle-Alliancestrasse 47, Berlin, S.W., in the
Empire of Germany, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
In order to solve the problem of completely clearing sewage and waste waters,
after treatment with chemical substances, in the shortest possible time, and in the
smallest possible space, many proposals have been made for the construction of
plant for this purpose. Although many proposals have been made, few systems
have hitherto been tried in practice and, up to the present a satisfactory result.
has not been attained.
A new way is proposed for solving this important question, by means of which,
as has been proved by experiment, a good result has been attained, the most favour-
able preliminary conditions for a rapid and sufficient clearing of the waste waters,
in a comparatively very small space being attained.
The invention is described by way of example in two constructions.
This plant consists of a device of any suitable arrangement for the preliminary
treatment of the waste-waters to be purified with chemicals.
The chemically treated waste-water then passes to the clearing apparatus form-
ing the object of this invention and consisting of two or more basins or recep-
tacles arranged one behind or adjacent to the other, and provided with means
for obtaining a continuous clearing and a mechanical purifying of the waste-
water in a shortest possible time.
The basins comprise an upper preferably quadrangular collector and a lower
conically shaped mud-receptacle connected therewith, the precipitated mud being
removed from the latter in any suitable manner, say, through a lower discharge-
opening.
At the side of the first basin there is arranged an inlet shaft or tube extending
to close above the mud-receptacle. The outlet for the waste water from the inlet
shaft is formed by branch pipes arranged in such a manner that between the two
distributing branch pipes communicating with the shaft, there is provided a series
of transverse outlet pipes extending at a certain distance from each other across
or in the longitudinal direction of the basin, the under part of these pipes being
slotted or perforated. Above and along each of these outlet pipes a pointed roof
having at the top a narrow slot is arranged in such manner, that between each
two pointed roofs there is left at the bottom a narrow slot. A stirring apparatus
actuated from above and provided with scraper arms is arranged in the mud-
receptacle, said arms having for their purpose to scrape off, from time to time,
the adhering crusts from the smooth walls of the mud-receptacle, so as to cause
the mud to slide down and be removed more readily.
At the top, the basin not open, but closed by a series of parallel filters having
a semi-circular cross section and so formed, that in the direction of their diameters

page_text: they lie exactly one beside the other and are capable of being put in revolution
round their longitudinal shaft or rocked in a longitudinal direction, without revolv
ing the adjacent filters. These filters are charged with a suitable filtering material.
This apparatus works as follows:-The waste-water sufficiently treated with
chemicals, falls from the supply-pipe into the inlet shaft of the first clearing basin.
In the shaft there may be arranged a stirring apparatus for the purpose of
thoroughly stirring up the water and chemicals prior to its entrance into the clear-
ing apparatus. The water then issues from the slots or perforations of the outlet
pipes downwards, rises between the pipe and roof walls and passes through the
slots at top of the pointed roofs upwards. Owing to the action of the chemicals
the impurities carried along with have at once a tendency to deposit, the water
therefore becomes rapidly specifically lighter and rises upwards while the mud
precipitated slides down the walls of the roof above the outlet pipes passing
through the lower slots into the mud-receptacle of the basin. As the water to
be cleared issues from the slotted roofs in separate parallel streams upwards, there
results between these streams only so slow a movement of the water, that the
separation of mud between the rising streams becomes a complete one. The
mud therefore falls down upon the walls of the roofs without any perceivable dis-
turbance being caused. A restirring up of the mud is therefore quite prevented.
When it arrives at the upper edge of the basin, the water, before flowing over
into the second basin must pass through the filtering device. By means of this
filter cover a more uniform rising of the water along the whole width of the basin
is attained, as a free current towards the over-flow edge into the second inlet-
shaft is prevented thereby, and, in consequence, the precipitation of the mud-flakes
is facilitated. To prevent moreover any mud which have been carried along,
from depositing in the filters, the latter may be put, during working, one after
the other into a vibratory or rocking motion in the water by turning to and fro
their longitudinal shafts, by means of cranks etc. The water thus rinses away the
mud which may have become deposited between the outmost filter-layers and the
filter becomes again fit for use; the purification of the water flowing off not
being affected as the mud-particles detached by this means fall downward and
cannot be carried along with the water through the filter.
The water thus preparatorily cleared is purified in a high degree, then passes
into a second inlet-shaft and enters a second receptacle through outlet pipes pro-
vided likewise, as in the first basin, with roofs and then flows after having risen
in the latter and deposited therein its suspended matters, through an upper closing
filter, which may be arranged in the same manner as in the first basin or may
be constructed as a fixed or stationary filter, as it is not necessary to clean it as
frequently as the filter in the first basin. The water escaping at the top of this
second basin is generally of so high a degree of purity that it is not necessary
to pass it through further clearing basins.
The plant described is arranged in such a manner, that the waste-water falls
with its natural force into the first inlet shaft, and the basins are therefore to be
arranged correspondingly deeply in the ground. Considering the required size
and deepness of such basins, it is not always possible or desirable, to construct
the plant in this way, and where in this respect difficulties are to be overcome,
the second construction according to my invention may be employed. The basins
are here arranged partly or entirely above the ground, so that the overflow from
one basin into the other takes place at some distance above the inlet channel.
Under these circumstances it is necessary to work with a vacuum for which reason
the basins are closed at the top by a hermetically closing dome or cover.
The construction of the basins is the same as in the first case; only the lower
mud outlet opens into a conduit through which the mud can be forced out up-
wards. The working of this plant is essentially the same as above described,
it being only necessary to maintain in the closed space at the top a vacuum of such
a degree, that the atmospheric air pressure forces the entering waste water through
the closing filter of the clearing basins.

page_text: The water flowing off, above the filter of the second basin, is led downwards
to such an extent, that the outer air cannot enter into the evacuated spaces.
T: 05th don of Tul. 1808
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Clearing and Purifying
Sewage, Waste Waters and the like.
I, WILHELM BRUCH, Engineer, of Belle-Alliancestrasse 47, Berlin, S.W., in the
Empire of Germany, 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:-
In order to solve the problem of completely clearing sewage and waste waters,
after treatment with chemical substances, in the shortest possible time, and in the
smallest possible space, many proposals have been made for the construction of
plant for this purpose. Although many proposals have been made, few systems
have hitherte been tried in practice and up to the present a satisfactory result
has not been attained.
I propose a new way for solving this important question, by means of which,
as has been proved by experiment, a good result has been attained, the most favour-
able preliminary conditions for a rapid and sufficient clearing of the waste waters
in a comparatively very small space being attained.
The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying draw-
ings, in two constructions.
Figures 1 and 2 are a cross-section and plan-view respectively of the first con-
struction. This plant consists of a device of any suitable arrangement for the
preliminary treatment of the waste-waters to be purified with chemicals.
The chemically treated waste-water then passes to the clearing apparatus form-
ing the object of this invention and consisting of two or more basins or recep-
tacles 13 13 arranged one behind or adjacent to the other, and provided with means
for obtaining a continuous clearing and a mechanical purifying of the waste-
water in a shortest possible time.
The basins comprise an upper preferably quadrangular collector and a lower
conically shaped mud-receptacle connected therewith, the precipitated mud being
removed from the latter in any suitable manner, say, through a lower discharge
opening.
At the side of the basin B there is arranged an inlet shaft or tube extending
to close above the mud-receptacle. The outlet for the waste-water from the
inlet shaft is formed by branch pipes arranged according to Figure 2 in such
a manner that between the two distributing branch pipes, communicating with the
shaft, there is provided a series of transverse out-let pipes C extending at a certain
distance from each other across or in the longitudinal direction of the basin the
under part of these pipes being slotted or perforated. Above and along each of
these out-let pipes a pointed roof D, having at the top a narrow slot d, is
arranged in such manner that between each two pointed roofs there is left at the
bottom a narrow slot e. A stirring apparatus actuated from above, and provided
with scraper arms E is arranged in the mud-receptacle, said arms having for their
purpose to scrape off, from time to time, the adhering crusts from the smooth wall

page_text: of the mud-receptacle, so as to cause the mud to slide down and be removed more
readily.
7
At the top the basin B is not open, but closed by a series of parallel filters F,
having a semi-circular cross section, and so formed, that in the direction of their
diameters they lie exactly one beside the other and each filter is capable of being
put in revolution round its longitudinal shaft for rocked in a longitudinal direc-
tion without revolving the adjacent filters. These filters are charged with a suit-
able filtering material.
This apparatus works as follows; the waste-water, sufficiently treated with chemi-
cals, falls from the supply-pipe a into the inlet-shaft of the first clearing basin B.
In the shaft b there may be arranged a stirring apparatus A for the purpose of
thoroughly stirring up the water and chemicals prior to its entrance into the
clearing apparatus. The water then issues from the slots or perforations of the
outlet pipes downwards, rises between the pipes and roof-walls and passes through
the slots at top of the pointed roofs upwards. Owing to the action of the
chemicals the impurities carried along with them have at once a tendency to
deposit, the water therefore becomes rapidly specifically lighter and rises upwards
while the mud precipitated slides down the walls of the roof above the outlet
pipes passing through the lower slots e into the mud-receptacle of the basin. As
the water to be cleared issues from the slotted roofs in separate parallel streams
upwards, there results between these streams only so slow a movement of the
water, that the separation of mud between the rising streams becomes a com-
plete one. The mud therefore falls down upon the walls of the roofs without any
perceivable disturbance being caused. A restirring up of the mud is therefore
quite prevented.
When it arrives at the upper edge of the basin B the water, before flowing
over into the second basin 1 must pass through the filtering device F.
By means
of this filter cover a more uniform rising of the water along the whole width
of the basin is attained, as a free current towards the overflow edge into the second
inlet-shaft is prevented thereby, and, in consequence, the precipitation of the mud-
flakes is facilitated. To prevent moreover any mud which may have been carried
along, from depositing in the filters, the latter may be put, during working, one
after the other into a vibratory or rocking motion in the water by turning to and
fro their longitudinal shaft f, by means of cranks etc. The water thus rinses
away the mud which may have become deposited between the outer filter-layers
and the filter becomes again fit for use; the purification of the water flowing off
not being affected, as the mud-particles detached by this means fall downward
and cannot be carried along with the water through the filter.
The water thus preparatorily cleared or purified in a high degree, then passes
into a second inlet-shaft and enters a second receptacle through out-let pipes
provided likewise, as in the first basin, with roofs and then flows, after having
risen in the latter and deposited therein its suspended matters, through an upper
closing filter G, which may be arranged in the same manner as in the first basin B
or may be constructed as a fixed or stationary filter, as it is not necessary to clean
it as frequently as the filter in the first basin. The water escaping at the top
of this second basin, is generally of so high a degree of purity that it is not neces-
sary to pass it through further clearing basins.
The plant described according to Figure 1 is arranged in such a manner, that
the waste-water falls with its natural force into the first inlet shaft, and the basins
are therefore to be arranged correspondingly deeply in the ground. Considering
the required size and deepness of such basins, it is not always possible or desirable
to construct the plant in this way, and where in this respect difficulties are to be
overcome, the second construction according to my invention may be employed,
which in Figure 3 is shown in cross section in its essential parts. The basins B B¹
are here arranged partly or entirely above the ground, so that the overflow from
one basin into the other takes place at some distance above the inlet channel.
Under these circumstances it is necessary to work with a vacuum, for which

page_text: reason the basins are closed at the top by a hermetically closing dome or
cover H.
The construction of the basins B B is the same as in the first case; only the
lower mud out-let opens into a conduit I, through which the mud can be forced
out upwards. The working of this plant is essentially the same as above described,
it being only necessary to maintain in the closed space at the top a vacuum of such
a degree, that the atmospheric air pressure forces the entering waste water through
the closing filter of the clearing basins.
The water flowing off, above the filter, of the second basin, is led downwards
to such an extent, say through the pipe K, that the outer air cannot enter back
into the apparatus.
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 what I
claim is:-
1. A water clearing or purifying plant comprising clearing basins or recep-
tacles provided near the bottom with a series of water outlet pipes as C, each of
which pipes is provided with a roof as D for the purpose of facilitating the separa-
tion of solid matter from the water flowing upwardly through the slots between
the inclined wall-roofs, and its deposition in the mud receptacle below the pipes
substantially as described.
2. The combination with a clearing basin as B of the kind described of an
inlet shaft as for introducing the waste-water into the outlet pipes, and stirring
apparatus as A in said shaft for uniformly stirring up the water, substantially
as described.
3. In a clearing basin of the kind described the arrangement of an upper clos-
ing filter through which the water must pass before it flows out from the basin,
so that currents in the latter are avoided, substantially as described.
4. A form of construction of the upper closing filter of a clearing basin charac-
terised by the arrangement of a series of semi-circular filters as F placed side by
side each filter being capable of independent rocking motion in order to cleanse
it during the working of the plant. substantially as described.
5. A clearing plant of the kind described in which the basins, are raised above
the water supply pine, and covered by a hermetically closing dome so that a
vacuum may be produced in the apparatus substantially as described.
6. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete water
clearing and purifying apparatus substantially as described or illustrated in
Figures 1 and 2 or in Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 7th day of October 1898.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.