IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS. FOR INTERCEPTING AND TREATING EXCRETA AND OTHER MATTERS OF SEWAGE, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1876

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by James Bannehr and Samuel Alfred
Varley at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th April 1876.
JAMES BANNEHR, of Gray's Inn, in the County of Middlesex, and SAMUEL
ALFRED VARLEY, of Hatfield, in the County of Herts. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS.
FOR INTERCEPTING AND TREATING EXCRETA AND OTHER MATTERS OF SEWAGE, PARTS
OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES,"
The Invention has for its object to intercept urine with the smallest convenient
admixture with water and other extraneous matters, and to intercept and treat the
foeces and other suspended matters contained in sewage.
Our object, in the first place, is to extend the system of intercepting urine before
it is combined with sewage in regard to its treatment and utilisation under the Spe-
cification of Letters Patent granted to James Bannehr, dated October 17, 1867,
No. 2918. To accomplish this we provide a vessel of suitable material, which may
be placed underground, and which is provided with inlet and outlet holes. The
inlet hole is higher than the outlet, and is intended to receive the urine flowing
thereto through a pipe; and connected with such vessel is a chamber for containing
deodorant to purify the air passing from the accumulation of urine in such vessel,
such purifying chamber being placed at a higher level than the urine inlet.
outlet hole is provided with a valve, through which the accumulated urine may be
passed into a drain for conveying it either to works for treatment or else to larger
receptacles, from which it may be removed to works periodically for subsequent
treatment.
The
At public urinals we provide against the admixture of surface or rain water with
the urine, whilst for private or portable urinals or commodes we employ a stench
trapped pan constructed as heretofore, which is also provided with a groove or
channel around the upper edge into which the flange of a cover is fitted, but instead
of filling the groove or channel with water, as has heretofore been done, we fill it
with a suitable deodorant or disinfectant.
According to the second part of our Invention, in order to intercept the foeces
and other suspended matters in sewage we proceed as follows:-To assist the
separation of the heavier matters held in suspension we reduce the rate of motion of
the sewage water in the sewer channels. We do this by enlarging the channels at
certain places, and by putting in checks in parts of the channel. We make the
floors of such channels of any suitable material, with a series of transverse project-

page_text: tions, in order that the detritus may be intercepted by those projections. When
sufficient matter has accumulated in one of a series of such channels the sewage is
diverted and turned into another channel, in order that the accumulation in the one
last used may be desiccated, either by heated air passing over its surface, or by
artificial heat under the floor, or other suitable way, after which the deposited
matter can be removed.
Having thus separated the heavier portions of suspended matter in sewage, we
provide for the interception of the lighter suspended matters by crossing a con-
tinuation of the sewage channels before described with a series of strainers placed
at intervals, and ranging from coarse at the commencement to finer at the termi-
nation. The strainers will be placed (preferably) at an angle of, say, 45 degress,
leaning at their upper ends towards the direction from which the sewage flows, and
near the upper or outlet side of such strainers we provide agitators or beaters, which
will pass rapidly backwards and forwards or rotatively, so as to induce frequent
back currents, and thereby give an impetus to the suspended particles, and by their
receding from the strainer to some distance from it they may ultimately be deposited
on the bottom of the channel. These strainers also, by retarding to some extent the
motion of the sewage assist the deposition by gravitation of the suspended matters.
Or we employ a number of hollow perforated beaters or agitators connected with
pipes, through which air or other fluid is forced, by which means we are enabled to
keep the meshes of the strainers free, and thereby maintain their efficiency. In this
case the air or other fluid passes from the hollow beaters through the meshes of the
strainers, continually clearing and preventing them from being choked.
We prefer to cause the air or other fluid used for clearing the strainers to circulate
continuously in a closed circuit. We effect this by forcing it through the strainers
and withdrawing it again from the sewer channels, circulating the same air over and
over again, and thereby preventing the passing of foul air into the atmosphere.
We make the floors of these channels preferably of iron, in order that the accu-
mulated matters may be desiccated by heat underneath as well as by a current of
heated dry air passing on to and over the surface of the precipitated sludge. These
channels are covered over, and each of them is in continuation of the channels first
above described.
In desiccating the last-named matters it may sometimes be necessary to use a deo-
dorant to prevent an offence from the precipitated sludge; we therefore convey such
deodorant in the current of heated air passing on to its surface.
After the foregoing process has been performed we treat the liquid sewage by
blowing atmospheric air through it to oxidize any organic matter in solution, and
to render the action more active we sometimes ozonize the air employed for this
purpose by means of ozone generated by the passage of electrical currents, or by
other suitable means.
The part of our Invention applicable to other purposes is our method of keeping
the strainers continually clear, which is applicable to the filtration of water and
other liquids.