Improvements in or connected with the Bacterial Treatment of Sewage, and in Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1899

page_text: Improvements in or connected with the Bacterial Treatment of
Sewage, and in Apparatus therefor.
J, THOMAS HENRY RAMSDEN, of Bramhope, near Leeds, in the County of York,
Land Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the bacterial treatment of sewage, and my object is
to provide and arrange apparatus in such a manner that it is automatic in its
action, and allows regular predetermined intervals for filling, standing, and dis-
charging the sewage, so as to render the treatment as uniform as possible and
saving much expense hitherto necessary in operating the system by hand.
In accordance with my invention, I employ two measuring or timing tanks
which are connected by means of a breeches valve with the supply. The breeches
valve is provided with a tumbler which is tilted across its centre by means of
floats working in the tanks, in such a manner that on the tumbler crossing its
centre it falls down and turns the valve flap over, shutting the leg that was
open and opening the leg that was closed.
Below the timing tanks above referred to, I construct two bacterial tanks
partially or wholly filled with grit, gravel, or other suitable material, and with
ranges of perforated pipes below the grit to drain off the liquid at the required
time. The timing tanks are connected to the two bacterial tanks in such a
manner that the contents of one timing tank are first admitted to one bacterial
tank, and after an interval determined by the time of filling of the timing tank,
the contents of the latter are admitted to the other bacterial tank. The bacterial
tanks automatically alternately discharge at given intervals into another pair or
successive pairs of bacterial tanks, and so on to a receiver or channel, and the
whole system is so arranged that the sewage under treatment is given a certain
time for the feeding of the bacteria in each tank, and then the tank is given a
period of rest to allow the bacteria remaining in the bed to recoup in numbers or
strength, and subsequent inflows are then treated in the same way.
In order to effect the automatic inflow and discharge of the sewage to the pair.
of bacterial tanks, I connect them with the two timing tanks through a two
way cock, which connects one tank of each pair together at one time, and shuts
off the connection between the remaining tank of each pair. The two way
cock is actuated by means of two tumblers which are situated on opposite sides
of the spindle of the cock, and each tumbler is raised by means of a float in the
tank situated opposite to it and is held up when raised by means of a catch,
which latter is released at the required time by the inrush of the next delivery
acting on a flap or other moving part situated in the said opposite tank and
connected with the catch.
The alternate falling of the levers moves the two way cock first in one direction
and then in the other, thus admitting the contents of the timing tanks alternately
to the two bacterial tanks. In this manner the bacterial tanks are alternately

page_text: charged, and by means of another two way cock with tumblers operated by the
fall and inflow of the liquid to the said tanks, the contents are made to stand
for a predetermined time, and then to be drawn off through the perforated pipes
(which are connected to the cocks) to further tanks, or pairs of tanks or to a
removal channel all as found most suitable in the bacterial treatment of the
sewage.
Any number of pairs of tanks could be employed all operated by similar two
way cocks, according to the number of standing processes to which the sewage
is required to be subjected. The adjustment of the periods of filling, standing,
discharging, and resting, may be regulated as desired by yarving, the size of the
connecting pipes or cocks, or by otherwise altering the speed of flow through
the various operations.
The liquid may flow.into the tanks through a rotary or other spreader, and thus
prevent the boring of an opening in the bed by the play of the liquid on one place
alone. Where the tanks are mainly filled with grit the floats are protected by
perforated casings or grids, so as to give them a free liquid space to work in.
Although I have described my invention with two way cocks employed for
conveying the liquid between the successive pairs of tanks, single cocks may be
employed if desired so long as they are actuated from the opposite tanks.
Dated this 18th day of May 1899.
Improvements in or connected with the Bacterial Treatment of
Sewage, and in Apparatus therefor.
I, THOMAS HENRY RAMSDEN, of Bramhope, near Leeds, in the County of York,
Land Agent, 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:―
My invention relates to the bacterial treatment of sewage, and my object is
to provide and arrange apparatus in such a manner that it is automatic in its
action, and allows regular predetermined intervals for filling, standing, and dis-
charging the sewage, so as to render the treatment as uniform as possible and
saving much expense hitherto necessary in operating the system by hand.
In accordance with my invention, I employ two measuring or timing tanks
which are connected by means of a breeches valve with the supply. The breeches
valve is provided with a tumbler which is tilted across its centre by means of
floats working in the tanks, in such a manner that on the tumbler crossing its
centre it falls down and turns the flap valve over, shutting the leg that was
open and opening the leg that was closed.
Below the timing tanks above referred to, I construct two bacterial tanks
partially or wholly fitted with grit, gravel or other suitable material, and with
ranges of perforated pipes below the grit to drain off the liquid at the required
time. The timing tanks are connected to the two bacterial tanks in such a
manner that the contents of one timing tank are first admitted to one bacterial
tank, and after an interval determined by the time of filling of the timing tank.
the contents of the latter are admitted to the other bacterial tank. The bacterial

page_text: tanks automatically alternately discharge at given intervals into another pair or
successive pairs of bacteral tanks, and so on to a receiver or channel, and the
whole system is so arranged that the sewage under treatment is given a certain
time for the feeding of the bacteria in each tank, and then the tank is given a
period of rest to allow the bacteria remaining in the bed to recoup in numbers or
strength, and subsequent inflows are then treated in the same way.
In order that my invention may be readily understood I will describe same
with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 illustrates in
front elevation apparatus arranged according to my invention, and Figure 2
is a plan view of the same; some details in each of these views being omitted
for the sake of clearness. Figure 3 shows in side sectional elevation and
Figure 4 in front elevation, a yoke, hereinafter described. Figure 5 is a front
elevation showing levers and cock actuating mechanism. Figure 6 is a side
elevation of a catch hereinafter referred to. Figure 7 is a cross sectional
elevation of a two way valve, and Figures 8 and 9, and 10 and 11 diagramatically
illustrate trip mechanism.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2, A, A¹ are the two measuring or timing tanks,
B is a breeches valve consisting of a hopper shaped receptacle within which is a
flap valve fixed to a shaft B' located at the base of the hopper. The flap valve is
arranged to close either of the entrances to the conducting pipes B2 or B.
Pivotally mounted between the two, tanks, A A¹ is a lever carrying at its
ends, floats C, C, and projecting from the centre of this lever is an upwardly
extending finger C, which is free to engage with two pins carried by a weighted
arm B. The weighted arm B is loosely mounted upon the shaft B₁, and angular
motion is communicated from the arm B+ to the flap valve, through the medium
of an arm B5 securely fixed to the said valve shaft B¹.
By this arrangement angular, motion is not imparted to the valve shaft B',
and consequently to the valve, until either of the floats C or C¹ has reached the
predetermined limit of its upward travel.
Carried in bearings located between and near the front of the timing tanks A, A'
is a shaft D to which a lever is securely fixed, the lever being provided at its
ends, with floats, E, E¹. Fixed to the front end of the shaft D-see Figure 1-
is an arm D¹, the end of which is connected to an arm D2, by means of connecting
rods and an intermediate rocking lever. The arm D2 is secured to the plug of a
two way cock F, and consequently, the rise of either of the floats E or E¹
will cause (through the medium of the shaft D, arms D1 and D2) the plug of the
cock F to be partially rotated to the right or left as the case may be. Secured to
the plug of the cook F, is a lever G formed at its upper end with a cam shaped
head and projecting finger G¹, which latter is adapted to engage with a locking
catch H hereinafter more fully referred to.
Pipes J, J lead from the bases of the timing tanks A, A¹, to the two way
cock F, and extensions thereof which project over two bacterial tanks K, Ki,
deliver the liquid when discharging, into either of these two tanks according to
the position of the cock F.
The cock F is, as before mentioned, moved under the action of the floats E, E¹,
which as the fluid runs into say the tank A, the float E rises until the finger G¹
of the lever G comes into contact with the locking catch H, thereby preventing
the float E from rising further in the tank A, and in consequence, the float E
becomes submerged, or partially so.
The locking catch H, see Figures and 9 consists of a two armed lever
carried upon a horizontal pivot and extending from its vertical arm is a flexible
connection which extends towards the back of the tanks, passes under a guide
pulley H-Figure 1-from whence it extends upwards and is connected by
means of two flexible connections to a three armed lever H2, see Figure S.
The lever H2 is rocked upon its pivot, by a depending finger B6 fixed to the
valve shaft B, whenever the valve and shaft Bi are partially rotated in the

page_text: action of changing the supply to the pipes B2, B³. A spring or weight may be
provided in order to maintain the necessary tension in the flexible connection.
Thus it will be seen that the lever G will be released simultaneously with
the change in the direction of the supply to the pipes B2, B3, that is, with the
rocking of the breeches valve, the sewage from the timing tank A. or A¹ then
running into the bacterial tank K or K¹.
Within each of the bacterial tanks there is provided a well L, L', formed by
employing perforated walls within each of the tanks whereby floats M, M¹ have
a clear space to rise and fall in. Fitted to the bases of each float M, M', are
flexible connections N, N¹ which pass downward, around guide pulleys at or near
the bottom of the wells L, L¹ then upwards and over guide pulleys, as indicated at
Figures 1 and 2, to the front of each of the tanks K, K', where yokes P, P¹ are
suspended by the said flexible connections.
The tanks K K are fitted with perforated draining tubes, which lead by con-
ducting pipes R, R¹, to a two way cock S-see Figures 1, 2, 5, 6 and 7-extensions
of the conducting pipes R R being provided for conducting the sewage to other
bacterial tanks or series of tanks.
The two way cock S is actuated by two weighted arms S1, S2 which are
alternately raised by means of the yokes P, P1,-see Figures 3 and 4,-which rise
and fall under the action of the floats M, M.
Referring particularly to Figure 5, the arms S1, S2 are loosely mounted upon
a shaft fixed to or formed in a piece with the plug of the two way cock, and the
part is fixed to or formed in a piece with the said plug. Catches S-illus-
trated in side elevation at Figure 6-are provided on each side as shown, and
pins S are also provided fixed to the casing of the cock S and in the path of
travel of said catches St.
In action, the arm,-say S¹, after being gripped by the yoke P is raised and
upon reaching its uppermost position becomes engaged or is held above the tooth
of the catch St. Upon the arm S-see Figure 1-being released from the
yoke P, the part S3 is turned and with it the plug of the cock, and as the lever
falls, the catch S at the end of its travel engages with the pin S5, which turns
the catch upon its pivot and releases the lever from engagement, and freeing the
cock so that it can be turned back by the lever S2 acting in a similar manner.
The action of the yokes P, P¹ will be readily understood upon referring to
Figures 1, 3 and 4. A weighted catch M2 locks the tumbler M³ in the position as
shown; and upon the catch M2 being depressed by the lever T (Figure 1), the
arm S is free to fall and in falling turns the tumbler M³ about its pivot, in
which position it remains on account of its balance.
When the yoke P descends and embraces the arm S¹, the latter engages with
the tumbler 3, rocks it back into its original position, the weighted catch M³
retaining the tumbler and thereby securely holding the arm St which is again
subsequently drawn up by the action of the float M¹."
At Figure 1 two releasing arms T, T¹ are indicated for tripping the tumblers
of each of the yokes P, P¹ in the manner already described. The arms T, T¹
are actuated through flexible connections which are fixed to two arms of a three
armed horizontally arranged lever V, see Figures 1, 2, 10 and 11. The lever V
as diagramatically illustrated at Figures 10 and 11, is actuated by a depending
finger secured to a shaft fixed to or formed in a piece with the plug of the cock F,
in such a manner that upon the cock F being reversed, the cock S is simul-
taneously turned by reason of one of the arms S1, S2 being released and thereby
reversing the cock S as before described.
It should be carefully noted that the pipes B2, B3 are considerably smaller than
the connections J, J' leading from the timing tanks to the bacterial tanks. The
supply of sewage will be led to the breeches valve through a conducting pipe,
and in order that the supply to the hopper may be regulated as desired, a cock
should be fitted to this pipe in order to control or adjust the quantity of inflow

page_text: to the hopper and consequently to the timing tanks. In some cases it may be
desirable to fit cocks to the conducting pipes leading to the bacterial tanks.
Spreaders may, if desired, be fitted to the exits of all the discharge pipes.
The bacterial tanks as previously stated are filled with grit, gravel, or other
suitable material.
With reference to the arrangement of mechanism herein described for con-
trolling the cocks F and S, it will be readily understood that similar mechanisni
might be arranged to actuate the cock S as is now shown and described for
actuating the cock F and vice versa, or that now employed for S might be sub-
stituted for F, and that for F for S.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-
As
Sewage is admitted into the hopper of the breeches valve B from where it is
conducted, in the case as illustrated in the drawings, to the timing tank A.
the sewage fills this tank, the float E rises and brings the lever G into the locked
position, the further inflow of sewage into the tank A causes the float C to rise,
and when it has completed its predetermined upward travel, the breeches valve
is reversed and the lever G released, the cock F being thereby turned so that
the sewage runs into the bacterial tank K, and the supply from the hopper of
the breeches valve is directed through the pipe B to the timing tank A. Owing
to the large size of the conducting pipe J, the sewage quickly discharges itself
into the bacterial tank K and when entirely discharged, the bacterial tank
remains full until the timing tank A has completely filled, and this period
can be regulated as desired by adjusting the rate of flow of sewage into the hopper.
When the tank A¹ is completely full, the breeches valve is again reversed, the
lever G released, the cock turned, the lever S2 released from its raised position
and the cock S turned as at Fig. 7. Under these conditions, the timing tank A¹
discharges into the bacterial tank K, the supply is directed to timing tank A,
and bacterial tank K discharges through conducting pipe R, to a suitable
receptacle or other bacterial tanks arranged and provided with mechanism as
hereinbefore described.
It will now be understood that as soon as the bacterial tank K has discharged
its contents, that it will remain empty until the timing tank A has completed
its filling, whereupon the same cycle of operations will be repeated, and will
continue so long as a supply is admitted to the hopper.
Each bacterial tank has the same four periods, viz. filling, completely full
and working, discharging, and fourthly, completely empty and resting.
It should be noted that the liquid to be treated is in a continual state of
agitation until the bacterial tanks are reached, and it will therefore be readily
seen that the timing tanks do not serve in the process of treatment, except, in so
far as they act in conjunction with means for regulating the supply to them, to
control the periods during which the bacterial tanks shall remain full or empty.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is ―
1. In apparatus connected with the bacterial treatment of sewage, the employ-
ment of two timing or measuirng tanks, which are alternately filled with sewage,
the speed of the flow of the liquid into the tanks being adjustable, combined with
a pair of bacterial tanks into which the timing tanks discharge, with mechanism
for automatically regulating and controlling the flow of the liquid to and from
the timing and bacterial tanks, substantially as and for the purposes herein set
forth.
2. In apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, the mechanism for actuating the cock
controlling the flow of liquid from the timing tanks, arranged, constructed and
acting substantially as herein described and illustrated.
3. In apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, the mechanism for actuating the cock

page_text: controlling the flow of liquid from the bacterial tanks, arranged, constructed and
acting substantially as herein described and illustrated.
4. The general arrangement and combination of the tanks and mechanism form-
ing the apparatus, all arranged and acting as herein described and illustrated with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 17th day of February 1900.
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for the Applicant.