Improvements in Apparatus for the Treatment of Sewage.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Sept., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 23rd June, 1893-Accepted, 9th Sept., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for the Treatment of Sewage.
I, WILLIAM DUNDAS SCOTT-MONCRIEFF of 86 Newman Street, Oxford Street
London W. Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
In the Specification of my Patent No. 14181-1891-1 describe a filtering
apparatus and from experiments I made with it in actual practice I discovered that
the beneficial action which occurs arises not so much from the mechanical action of
the filtering material as from its having provided a favourable condition for the
developement of organisms whose function it is to convert the organic matters
contained in the sewage into a clear and inoffensive effluent. To this process I
give the name of analusis and the filtering arrangement which is the subject of the
present invention I call a cultivation filter. In the light of the discovery referred
to I have made certain simple and novel modifications with the object of making
the conditions still more favourable to the developement of these organisms and
that in the manner following-In order to provide for the resting and æeration of
the filter beds I arrange them in pairs or in any convenient numbers so that the
liquid contents of one after having been stirred together beneath the grating
described in my previous Specification No. 14181-1891-may either be discharged
or preferably pumped into another filter bed which has been previously rested and
ærated so that a provision may be made in this way to carry off a constant inward flow
of sewage. I prefer in this process to retain the penstock or valve described and
illustrated in my previous Patent already referred to but I do not claim it as a
necessary part of my present invention because the pump used to remove the
contents of one filter into another may to a great extent serve the purpose of
making the discharge through the valve or penstock. The essentially novel &
useful part of my present invention is the arrangement of a filtering apparatus
with the express purpose of interposing conditions favourable to the growth of
organisms practically as described in my previous Patent No. 14181-1891 —but in
duplicate and including a pumping apparatus as now described.
Í also introduce where necessary an arrangement of pipes for the circulation of
Hot water to keep up the temperature-of the filtering material when it is necessary
or advisable to do so-to the point best suited to the growth of the organisms and
where required I also provide for the introduction of pipes perforated so as to
provide for the passage of air into the body of the filtering medium.
Dated this 22nd day of September 1892
W. D. SCOTT-MONCRIEFF.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for the Treatment of Sewage.
I WILLIAM DUNDAS SCOTT-MONCRIEFF late of 86 Newman Street, Oxford
'Street, London, now of 14 Victoria Street, Westminster, London, S.W. Engineer
Ordo 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 :-
My invention has for its object the purification of sewage and embodies certain
important and novel improvements upon the invention described in the Specification
5 of Letters Patent No. 14181 of 1891 granted to me. The purpose I have in view
is to improve the practical working of my said former invention and to take better

page_text: advantage of the discovery which I have made when using the apparatus
constituting my said former invention namely that the beneficial effect of the
arrangement is due more to the facility which it gives for the action of micro-
organisms which Nature has provided for the disintegration and final purification of
effete matter than to the mere mechanical action of the filtering material itself. To
further this beneficial effect 1 have devised certain important improvements in the
apparatus described in the Specification of the aforesaid Letters Patent No. 14181
of 1891 as hereinafter described. In order to provide for the conditions most
favourable to the growth and working of the beneficient peptonising and purifying
organisms, I arrange the apparatus constituting my present invention and which
call a
"cultivation filter" with beds or tanks in pairs or groups so that the process
of purification may be carried on continuously whilst at the same time I provide for
the resting and aërating of one or more of the filter beds or tanks. I also provide
means for maintaining the temperature which is found from experiment to be most
favourable to the growth and development of the purifying organisms. I have
illustrated in the accompanying drawing arrangements of apparatus according to
my present invention,
Figure 1 being a plan and Figures 2 and 3 longitudinal and transverse sections
respectively of an arrangement according to my invention.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of one of a pair of filter beds or tanks arranged
in pairs according to my present invention.
Referring first to Figures 1, 2 and 3 1, 1 are the tanks in duplicate, 2 is a valve
(or valves) which when one filter tank has remained empty for some time for the
purpose of resting and aerating, can be opened to allow the liquid contents of the
upper portion of the full tank to discharge into the empty tank until the contents
of both tanks attain a common level and 3, is a pump (or pumps) which have
suction and delivery pipes, the former being alternately thrust into the lower part
of the full tank, and the latter led into the empty oue so as to complete the
discharge of the liquid contents of one into the other.
I prefer to still retain the penstocks or valves 4,4 though these are not an
essential part of the present invention. I may also provide an improved method
of delivering the crude sewage into the tanks beneath the perforated diaphragms
described in my previous Patent. Where the tanks are large and the amount of
sewage to be dealt with is considerable, this method of delivery is of importance as
it gives a constant and even supply of the sewage (which contains the nourishment
of the organisms) and the continuous removal of the products or ferments of their
activity. This 1 effect by means of the side channels 5, and the down pipes 6. The
latter are provided with bends which conduct the sewage into the concentrating
channels or chambers beneath the perforated diaphragms as shewn.
The upper
extremities of the down pipes are provided with any convenient form of flap or
other valve which is capable of distributing the flow of sewage as evenly as
possible from one end of the concentrating channels or chambers to the other.
These concentrating channels or chambers and the perforated diaphragms thereof
are shewn as in my former apparatus as being narrower than the part above which
contains the filtering material the bottom of the said part above preferably sloping
down towards the said channels or chambers as shewn clearly in Figure 3.
My present invention also includes air pipes 7, 7 which provide for the supply of
air to the sewage either by passing it into the body of the sewage beneath the
perforated diaphragms or into the body of the filtering material, so as to still
further favour the growth and development of the ærobic beneficient organisms,
and this air may be supplied either by means of the sewage pumps 3, when they
are not in use for the pumping of the liquid contents of the tanks or by a separate
air pump or pumps provided for the purpose. The arrangement of the
supplementary pumps if required is so obvious that they do not demand separate
illustration.
The present invention also provides means of maintaining favourable conditions as
regards temperature for the development of the micro-organisms and this is most

page_text: conveniently effected by means of pipes 8 through which a heating medium may be
passed for example water heated by any convenient form of circulating boiler 9.
5 are valves which can be opened and closed so that the sewage passes into
either channel or chamber 5 as required from the supply pipe 5.
Figure 4 shows one of a pair of tanks each arranged similarly to that described
in my former Letters Patent 14181" but the sewage inlet pipe 5b is bifurcated
each branch leading into the concentrating channel or chamber and being provided
with valves (one of which is shown at 5") so that the sewage can be passed into
either channel or chamber and cut off from the other as desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The arrangement of two or more filter beds or tanks constituting what I have
termed a "cultivation" filter with means for enabling one or some of the said filter
beds or tanks to be aërated and rested whilst providing for the continuous purification
of the sewage by the bacteriological action of that or those at work substantially
as hereinbefore described.
2. In combination with a filter bed or tank or filter beds or tanks as described
and illustrated, means for discharging air into its or their contents substantially as
and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
3. In combination with a filter bed or tank or filter beds or tanks as described
and illustrated, means for raising the temperature of its or their contents and for
discharging air thereinto substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore
described.
4. The arrangement and combination of parts constituting a "cultivation" filter
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the
accompanying drawings.
Deted this 22rd dew of June 1893
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
Agents.