IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING SEWAGE, EXTRACTING, FILTRA- TION, PREPARING DISINFECTANTS AND MANURE
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Rydill, of Pontefract Villa, Highgate, London, for
the Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING SEWAGE, EXTRACTING, FILTRA-
TION, PREPARING DISINFECTANTS AND MANURE."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Rydill at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th December 1876.
GEORGE RYDILL, of Pontefract Villa, Highgate, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
TREATING SEWAGE, EXTRACTING, FILTERATION, PREPARING DISINFECTANTS AND
MANURE."
My Invention consists in treating sewage and polluted water so that the alkalies
used in cleansing burry wool, piece goods, noils, alpacca, mohair, Scotch, and other
woollen waste, hosiery waste and clippings, silk rags or waste silk, woollen shirting,
French incrinoes, best and middle white flannels, white and coloured serges, woollen
fringe, woollen braids, Coburgs, woollen comforters, linsey stockings, indigo stockings,
woollen rags, indigo blue cloth rags, delaines, shallies or linsey skirting, Angolas,
uncut woollen cloth rags, new and old linsey cloth rags, hard stuffs or woollen
skirting, coloured stockings, flock, and all other woollen rags and woollen material
containing vegetable substances are utilized for precipitation of sewage dye and
polluted water; also the sulphuric, hydrochloric, or nitric acid, and alum liquid used
either separate or mixed with acid and chemical liquids, vapours or gases used
in extracting or separating animal fibres from fabrics and material composed partly
of animal and vegetable fibres and sewing threads are utilized for precipitation of
sewage dye and polluted waste which may be used separately; or the acids may
be mixed with the alkalies; also the water and alkali used in cleansing the extract
wool, woollen material, woollen rags, and other animal fibres, hair and vegetable
substances from the acid chemicals used in extracting the wool and animal fibres
from vegetable substances are utilized for precipitating sewage and polluted water,
and the vegetable and foreign substances so removed with acid chemicals, which are
strongly impregnated with acid or alkali, are utilized to precipitate sewage and
polluted water; or a filter bed is made of extracted vegetable substances, dust, and
foreign matter to filter sewage dye and polluted water or urine or vegetable
Duine 71

page_text: substances containing acid chemicals are used as a disinfectant with earth, alum,
shale, clay, refuse animal carbon, ashes, lime, or salt. The saine being strongly
impregnated with sulphuric, hydrocholic, or nitric acid, or alum along with clay or
other chemical agents, it becomes a deodorizer for treating sewage, and readily arrests
offensive exhalations from sewage mud, night soil, urine, and destroys injurious
properties under decomposition of animal and vegetable matter, and is a valuable
chemical agent for the manufacture of manure.
By experiments I find that the extract refuse acid chemicals used in extracting
vegetable substances from animal fibres and the refuse or waste alkali liquids used
in cleansing possess the power to precipitate sewage water either separately or
combined with acid, so that the cleansing of piece goods and animal fibres with
alkali serves to precipitate sewage, dye, and polluted water, and clarify them for
re-use; or polluted alkali, sewage water, or polluted alkali water is readily clarified
with extract refuse acid water; so I find that the chemicals best adapted for the
precipitation of sewage, dye, and polluted water are realy the most effectual
chemicals for extracting and removing vegetable substances from animal fibres and
fabrics as herein described. And as the ammonia, caustic soda or caustic soda ash,
American potash, soap lee, soap and water, or other alklali used in cleansing acid
chemicals used in extracting, are now a waste refuse, the object of this Invention of
improvements is to utilize the same in treating or precipitating sewage, dye, and
polluted water almost if not entirely with the refuse alkali and acid chemicals now
wasted. To accomplish these results I charge a vessel with washed china, cryolite, or
brick-clay water, and strong alum liquid, to which I add, as required, sulphuric,
hydrochloric, or nitric acid in any proportion, or chloride of alumina, to which I
add, as occasion requires, sulphuric, hydrochloric, or nitric acid, or choride of calicum
separately or combined in washed china or brick clay; or chloride of calcium, or
muriate of potash is mixed with washed china, or brick clay, alum, shale, or other
suitable alquninus material, sulphuric acid being added to convert both the
alumina and the muriate into sulphate; or alum or coal shale, native or calinced, or
exhausted alum shale and washed brick clay and dilute sulphuric or hydrochloric acid
are mixed each separately or together in any required strength or proportion; or potashi
alum, soda alum, iron alum, ammonia alum, chrome alum, manganese alum, or any of
the chlorides of the metals, or the sulphates of the oxides of the metals may be treated
with dilute sulphuric or hydrochloric acid with china or brick clay water.
I make the liquid or liquids at a strength from 6 to 20 degrees or more on
Twaddell's hydrometer when the wool piece goods, animal fibres, hair, or rags are
saturated in a vessel with the dilute acid or alum liquids as described. The
material is then raised and allowed to drain, or the sulphuric, hydrochloric, or acid
liquid is removed by pressure or by a hydro-extractor. The wool piece goods,
animal fibres, hair, or rags are then exposed in a room or chamber to heat at n
temperature of about 120 degrees. When dryed the animal fibres are opened by a
willow, and the cotton and vegetable substances and foreign matter removed.
Or vessels of earthenware or iron, of the nature of retorts, which are capable of
generating two gases in a close chamber, may be used to distroy vegetable fibres
and substances. One vessel containing sulphur, which is lighted, and another
vessel hydrochloric acid resting on a hot plate, or dilute sulphuric acid, and chloride
of calcium, and black oxide of manganese may be inserted as a paste to the
hydrochloric acid, and on the hot plate or vessel being heated from the outside,
acid gases are then given off in the closed room previously charged with wool,
animal fibres, rags, or other material to be extracted, suspended on laths, or
perforated floor or floors, which acids after being used are drawn from the room
and condensed, or the acid gases are taken up with lime.
The alkalies which may be used for cleansing the animal fibres, hair, or rags, or to
neutralize the acid after extracting and removing vegetable substances, are ammonia,
caustic soda, or caustic soda ash, American potash, soap lee, soap and water, or other
alkali; or clean clear line water may be used or boiled with soda. After the line

page_text: has been repeatedly washed with water, and the clear lime water poured off, the
lime is dryed, then used to convert sewage mud into a dry manure, or the
washed lime may be used to precipitate sewage, or to clarify other polluted water.
When the acid chemical liquid or liquids to extract and remove vegetable fibres
are becoming inactive for removing vegetable substances, I place in the vessel or
vessels containing dilute sulphuric or hydrochloric acid, or alum, or any other of the
mixed acids herein named, or alkalies which may have been mixed together for
extracting vegetable fibres or substance, iron borings or turnings, refuse card wire
or scrap iron, which with a little acid prepares the liquid for re-use in extracting, or
the spent liquid may be used with the alkali washings as a precipitant for claryfying
sewage and polluted water, which chemical or chemicals are mixed with the sewage
and polluted water either by an agitator or any other mechanical appliance, or it
may be allowed to enter a running stream of sewage and become mixed by its
movement.
I also utilize the acid liquid which has been used for raising or separating the
oil or soap from alkali waters used in cleansing piece goods, animal fibres, hair,
and rags for precipitating sewage dye and polluted water as heroin describod.
To produce a light and powerful precipitating agent as occasion requires, I filter
some of the refuse acid or alkali liquids through refuse animal charcoal, which
retains a considerable quantity of acid or alkali. The clear liquid is used to
precipitate sewage and polluted water, and the refuse animal charcoal, which has
served as a filter bed for the acid or alkali liquids, is dryed and ground up into
a powder or paste, and used as a precipitating agent or disinfectant at other
sewage works or for manure.
Where natural gravitation is obtained in villages or small towns, the simplest
means require to be adopted to treat the sewage and polluted water by the chemical
agents being produced and conveyed from other works, but where large quantities
of sewage are to be treated, or whero steam power is required for pumping,
extracting wool and animal fibres from mixed vegetable fibres and fabrics to
produce a cheap refuse chemical precipitant may most advantageously be carried
on, as the heat created with coal to raise steam for pumping the sewage is readily
utilized for drying and removing vegetable substances treated with acids as fully
described in my patented Invention, dated March 4th 1876, No. 944.
As the cleansing of piece goods, woollen rags, extracting and removing of vegetable
fibres and substances from wool, animal fibres, hair, and woollen rags is of such
importance to manufacturers and the health of the town, as well as serving to
precipitate and purify sewage dye and polluted water in all towns, however much
it may vary through the different businesses carried on, these improvements would
prove of national worth if generally adopted.
This Invention of improvements for the treatment of sewage dye and polluted
water, for preventing the pollution of rivers and streams, is intended to work in
connection with my patented improvements for treating sewage and polluted water,
dated January 14th 1875, No. 150, also my patented Invention for treating sewage,
dated February 3rd, 1875, No. 399, and my patented Invention for utilizing waste
heat for extracting vegetable fibres, dated March 4th, 1876, No. 944, and my patented
Invention for preparing fibres and fabrics for extracting vegetable substances,
dated March 4th. 1876. No. 945.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Rydill in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th June 1877.
IMPROVEMENTS IN
GEORGE RYDILL, of Pontefract Villa, Highgate, London.
TREATING SEWAGE, EXTRACTING, FILTERATION, PREPARING DISINFECTANTS AND
MANURE."

page_text: My Invention consists in treating sewage and polluted water so that the alkalics
used in cleansing burry wool, piece goods, noils, alpacca, mohair, Scotch, and other
woollen waste, hosiery waste and clippings, silk rags or waste silk, woollen shirting,
French merinoes, best and middle white flannels, white and coloured serges, woollen
fringe, woollen braids, Coburgs, woollen comforters, linsey stockings, indigo stockings,
woollen rags, indigo blue cloth rags, delaines, shallies or lindsey skirting, Angolas,
uncut woollen cloth rags, new and old lindsey cloth rags, hard stuffs or woollen
skirting, coloured stockings, flock and all other woollen rags and woollen material
containing vegetable substances are utilized for precipitation of sewage, dye, and
polluted water; also the sulphuric, hydrochloric, or nitric acid and alum liquid,
used either separate or mixed with acid and chemical liquids, vapours or gases used
in extracting or separating animal fibres from fabrics and materials composed partly
of animal and vegetable fibres and sewing threads, are utilized for precipitation of
sewage, dye, and polluted water, which may be used separately or the acids may be
mixed with the alkalies; also the water and alkali used in cleansing the extract
wool, woollen material, woollen rags, and other animal fibres, hair and vegetable
substances, from the acid chemicals used in extracting the wool and animal fibres from
vegetable substances are utilized for precipitating sewage and polluted water, and the
vegetable and foreign substances so removed with acid chemicals, which are strongly
impregnated with acid or alkali, are utilized to precipitate sewage and polluted
water; or a filter bed is made of extracted vegetable substances, dust, and foreign
matter, to filter sewage, dye, and polluted water or urine, or vegetable substances
containing acid chemicals are used as a disinfectant, with earth, alum, shale, clay,
refuse animal carbon, ashes, lime, or salt, the same being strongly impregnated with
sulphuric, hydrochloric, or nitric acid, or alum along with clay or other chemical
agents, it becomes a deodorizer for treating sewage and readily arrests offensive
exhalations from sewage, mud, night soil, urine, and destroys injurious properties
under decomposition of animal and vegetable matter and is a valuable chemical
agent for the manufacture of manure.
By experiments I find that the extract refuse acid chemicals used in extracting
vegetable substances from animal fibres, and the refuse or waste alkali liquids used
in cleansing, possess the power to precipitate sewage water either separately or
combined with acid, so that the cleansing of piece goods and animal fibres with
alkali serves to precipitate sewage, dye, and polluted water, and clarify them for
re-use; or polluted alkali sewage water or polluted alkali water is readily clarified
with extract refuse acid water; so I find that the chemicals best adapted for the
precipitation of sewage, dye, and polluted water are really the most effectual
chemicals for extracting and removing vegetable substances from animal fibres and
fabrics, as herein-described. And as the ammonia, caustic soda or caustic soda ash,
American potash, soap lee, soap and water, or other alkali used in cleansing the
acid chemicals used in extracting are now a waste refuse, the object of this
Invention of improvements is to utilize the same in treating or precipitating sewage,
dye, and polluted water almost if not entirely with the refuse alkali and acid
chemicals now wasted. To accomplish these results I charge a vessel with washed
china, cryolite, or brick clay water and strong alum liquid, to which I add, as
required, sulphuric, hydrochloric, or nitric acid, in any proportion; or chloride
of alumina, to which 1 add as occasion requires sulphuric, hydrochloric, or nitric
acid, or chloride of calcium, separately or combined, in washed china or brick clay;
or chloride of calcium or muriate of potash is mixed with washed china or brick
clay, alum shale, or other suitable aluminus material, sulphuric acid being added
to convert both the alumina and the muriate into sulphate; or alum or coal shale,
native or calcined, or exhausted alum shale, and washed brick clay, and dilute
sulphuric or hydrochloric acid are mixed each separately. or together in any
required strength or proportion; or potash alum, soda alum, iron alum, ammonia
alum, chrome alum, manganese alum, or any of the chlorides of the metals, or the
sulphates of the oxides of the metals may be treated with dilute sulphuric or hydro-
chloric acid with china or brick clay water.
'

page_text: I make the liquid or liquids at a strength from 6 to 20 degrees or more on
Twaddell's hydrometer, when the wool, piece goods, animal fibres, hair or rags are
saturated in a vessel with the dilute acid or alum liquids, as described. The
material is then raised and allowed to drain, or the sulphuric or hydrochloric acid
or the acid liquid is removed by pressure or by a hydro-extractor. The wool, piece
goods, animal fibres, hair or rags are then exposed in a room or chamber to heat at
a temperature of about 120 degrees. When ryed the animal fibres are opened by
a willow, and the cotton and vegetable substances and foreign matter removed;
or vessels of earthenware or iron of the nature of retorts, which are capable of
generating two gases in a close chamber, may be used to destroy vegetable fibres
and substances. One vessel containing sulphur, which is lighted, and another
vessel, hydrochloric acid, resting on a hot plate, or dilute sulphuric acid and
chloride of calcium and black oxide of manganese may be inserted as a paste to
the hydrochloric acid, and on the hot plate or vessel being heated from the outside
acid gases are then given off in the closed room previously charged with wool,
animal fibres, rags, or other material to be extracted, suspended on laths or per-
forated floor or floors, which acids after being used are drawn from the room and
condensed, or the acid gases are taken up with lime.
The alkalies which may be used for cleansing the animal fibres, hair, or rags, or
to neutralize the acid after extracting and removing vegetable substances are
aminonia, caustic soda or caustic soda ash, American potash, soap lee, soap and
water or other alkali, or clean clear lime water may be used, or boiled with soda.
After the lime has been repeatedly washed with water and the clear lime water
poured off, the lime is dryed, then used to convert sewage mud into a dry manure,
or the washed lime may be used to precipitate sewage or to clarify other polluted
water.
When the acid chemical liquid or liquids to extract and remove vegetable fibres
are becoming inactive for removing vegetable substances, I place in the vessel or
vessels containing dilute sulphuric or hydrochloric acid or alum or any other of the
mixed acids herein named, or alkalies which may have been mixed together for
extracting vegetable fibres or substances, iron borings or turnings, refuse card wire
or scrap iron, which with a little acid prepares the liquid for re-use in extracting, or
the spent liquid may be used with the alkali washings as a precipitant for clarifying
sewage and polluted water, which chemical or chemicals are mixed with the sewage,
either by an agitator or any other mechanical appliance, or it may be allowed to
enter a running stream of sewage and become mixed by its movement.
I also utilize the acid liquid which has been used for raising or separating the oil
or soap from alkali waters used in cleansing piece goods, animal fibres, hair and
rags, for precipitating sewage dye and polluted water, as herein described.
To produce a light and powerful precipitating agent as occasion requires, I filter
some of the refuse acid or alkali liquids through refuse animal charcoal which
retains a considerable quantity of acid or alkali. The clear liquid is used to pre-
cipitate sewage and polluted water and the refuse animal charcoal which has served
as a filter bed for the acid or alkali liquid is dryed and ground up into a powder or
paste and used as a precipitating agent or disinfectant at other sewage works, or
for manure.
Where natural gravitation is obtained in villages or small towns the simplest
means require to be adopted to treat the sewage and polluted water by the chemical
agents being produced and conveyed from other works, but where large quantities
of sewage are to be treated, or where steam power is required for pumping,
extracting wool and animal fibres from mixed vegetable fibres and fabrics to pro-
duce a cheap refuse chemical precipitant inay most advantageously be carried on, as
the heat created with coal to raise steam for pumping the sewage is readily utilized
for drying and removing vegetable substances treated with acids, as fully described
in my Patented Invention, dated March 4th, 1876, No. 944.
As the cleansing of piece goods and woollen rags, extracting and removing of
vegetable fibres and substances from wool, animal fibres, hair and woollen rags is of

page_text: such importance to manufacturers and the health of a town, as well as serving to
precipitate and purify sewage dye and polluted water in all towns, however much
it may vary through the different businesses carried on, these improvements would
prove of national worth if generally adopted.
This Invention of improvements for the treatment of sewage dye and polluted
water for preventing the pollution of rivers and streams is intended to work in
connection with my Patented improvements for treating sewage and polluted water,
dated January 14th, 1875, No. 150; also my Patented Invention for treating sewage
dated February 3rd, 1875, No 399; and my Patented Invention for utilizing waste
heat for extracting vegetable fibres, dated March 4th, 1876, No. 944; and my Patented
Invention for preparing fibres and fabrics for extracting vegetable substances, dated
March 4th, 1876, No. 945.
This Invention of improvements is unquestionably of great worth, inasmuch as
the materials used in extracting consist of a combination of chemical ingredients
which are first prepared in removing vegetable substances from wool, woollen
material, hair and silk, with heat, so serving first for one profitable purpose in
removing vegetable substances, then the refuse chemicals are utilized as a
precipitant for sewage and polluted water, a deodorizing valuable vegetable dust, a
liquid manure, or for mixing and improving other manural substances.
I have endeavoured to give a general and clear statement of what my Invention
of improvements consists in. As the chemicals which I use for removing vegetable
substances require to vary in strength according to the nature of the vegetable sub-
stances, wool, or animal material operated upon, I do not limit myself to any pro-
portion of strength as the chemicals must necessarily be varied according to material
to be treated, as for instance, silk I require to treat with clay water, alum, salt, and
ammonia, at a strength on Twaddell's hydrometer of from 4 to 8 degrees, or any of
the chlorides of the metals or the sulphates of the oxides of the metals with clay
water. The stronger chemicals may be used for wool or woollen as described, and
the strength of the purifying spent alkali or acid chemicals will be varied according
to the fresh or decomposed state of sewage and polluted water to be clarified. The
refuse vegetable dust I use as a filter bed disinfectant, and the washed lime I use to
take up the moisture of sewage mud and for manure, as well as the metals for pro-
ducing useful chemical reactions.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the manner of carrying
the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not claim the employment
of the whole of the chemical ingredients for extracting as new, nor do I limit
myself to the precise details as herein described, as they may be varied in so many
ways without departing from the nature of my said Invention; but I claim as my
said Invention the extracting and the utilization of the chemicals as herein-before
described in extracting, and the chemical refuse acid or alkali mixtures or material
herein-before described, for deodorizing sewage and precipitating sewage and
polluted water with the refuse chemicals, vegetable, animal and foreign matter
obtained by extracting vegetable fibres and substances from wool, woollen, silk, hair
and rags, cleansing material, and for manure as herein-before described for precipi-
tating and deodorizing sewage and manure or polluted matter, whether the mixtures
are used separately or in conjunction or admixture with any of the other or other
deodorizing or precipitating mixture.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Rydill, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-seven.