Improvements relating to the Treatment of Sewage and to Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 27th July, 1889-Accepted, 28th Sept., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to the Treatment of Sewage and to
Apparatus therefor.
We, WILLIAM CLARK and WILLIAM ALEXANDER CLARK, both of 15 Fairthorn
Road, Charlton, in the County of Kent, Engineers, and RICHARD GINMAN and
WILLIAM GINMAN, both of Eton Road, Plumstead in the County of Kent, Iron-
founders and Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Our invention relates to the treatment of sewage and comprises an improved
method of and apparatus for separating the liquid from the solid matter.
Our improved method of dealing with sewage-matter consists in dividing the
sewage contained in, or flowing through, a main sewer, into any convenient number
of small streams and passing each of these streams through a separator or filter.
For this purpose, the main sewer is divided into a number of branches which are
subdivided into any required number of small pipes, outlets or connections, each of
which conducts a small stream of the sewage to a mechanical self-cleansing filter
that separates the liquid or affluent from the solid matter. The liquid or affluent
passes out at one side of the filter and the solid matter at the other side thereof at or
near its lower end. The solid matter falls on to an endless travelling band, or like
contrivance, and is carried away to any convenient place and dealt with as hereinafter
described.
The liquid or affluent passing from the lower end of the filter is conveyed in small
pipes to large collecting pipes whereby it is conducted to a river or other suitable
place of disposal.
Our improved mechanical self-cleansing filter is made conical in shape and is by
preference placed in a vertical position with the base of the cone uppermost. It is
provided with an inner lining of thin perforated sheet metal of suitable quality,
thickness and pitch of perforations. Around this cone of perforated metal are placed
folds of cloth, jute or other suitable textile material, which are covered by fine wire-
gauze. This is enclosed in a finely perforated metal casing surrounded, at convenient
distances apart, by a series of angular projections directed downwards so that the
liquid discharged from each section is carried clear of the main body of the cone.
The whole is enclosed in a plain sheet-metal lining that carries the liquid down to
the lower end, whence it escapes through an opening or pipe into a main discharge-
pipe. In the conical filter is placed in a central position and made to turn freely on
an upright spindle or shaft, a series of angular curved blades arranged to be driven
at any required speed by suitable mechanism. In some instances, the conical filter is
made to turn in the opposite direction to that of the angular curved blades.
The action of the angular blades throws or tends to throw the sewage-matter
contained in the filter with great force in an outward or radial direction and also
downward. The liquid or affluent is forced through the filtering material all around,
and then falls to the lower end of the filter and passes out through the discharge-
pipe. The solid matter that collects in the inner perforated metal lining is constantly
removed by the points of the angular curved blades and pressed toward the lower
end of the filter into another discharge-pipe which delivers it on to an endless belt or
traveller.
At the top of each filter an opening is provided to permit air or free oxygen to be
drawn in by the action of the angular blades, or forced in by other means. The
action of the free oxygen which mixes largely with the sewage deodorizes it and
kills or destroys all organic matter contained therein.
The solid matter discharged from the filters'is carried by the endless travelling belt

page_text: or other convenient means to a suitable place and is treated chemically or otherwise
to further deodorize it and render it available as manure.
The division and subdivision of the sewage in the manner above described is an
important feature of our invention, as it enables us to very effectually treat the
sewage for the separation of the solid from the liquid matter. It is evident that, if
desired, we can use other apparatus than that above described for effecting this
separation.
Dated this 1st day of October 1888.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for, the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to the Treatment of Sewage and to
Apparatus therefor.
We, WILLIAM CLARK and WILLIAM ALEXANDER CLARK, both of 15 Fairthorn
Road, Charlton, in the County of Kent, Engineers, and RICHARD ĜINMAN and
WILLIAM GINMAN, both of Eton Road, Plumstead, in the County of Kent, Iron
Founders and Engineers, 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 :—
Our invention is chiefly designed to provide for the treatment of sewage, and it
comprises an improved method of and apparatus for separating liquid from solid
matter, so that, in the case of sewage the liquid may be discharged into a river or
the like without risk of polluting the same, and the solid matter may be utilized as
manure or be otherwise disposed of.
An important feature of our said invention is the division and subdivision of the
sewage or other matter into any number of small streams, and the delivery of each
of these streams into a separator or filter, whereby the liquid will be separated from
the solid matter.
In this manner we are enabled to deal with great quantities of sewage and we can
thus purify, without the necessity for chemical treatment the efflux from very large
sewers.
Our said invention, moreover comprises an improved filter wherein a rotary drum
provided with helical blades is surrounded by a wall of filtering material through
which the liquid will be driven by centrifugal force, whilst the solid matter is
discharged through one or more suitable apertures by means of the said blades.
Our said invention also comprises other improvements hereinafter described.
All sewage contains more or less fatty matter, which, by our invention, we are
enabled to collect or recover and utilize in any desired manner. As this fatty matter
.is of considerable value and as the quantity thereof contained in the sewage is
sometimes very large, it is obvious that the cost of purifying the sewage by our
method will be greatly diminished as compared with the chemical processes heretofore
adopted, the cost of the chemicals required being very large and the products of
such processes being of but little value.
In- the accompanying drawings we have shown how our said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a plan, and
Figure 2 a side elevation, partly in vertical section, showing the general arrangement
of the main sewer, the branch-pipes and the separators or filters.
Figure 3 is a side elevation, partly in vertical central section, drawn to an enlarged
scale, of one form of our improved filter.
Figure 4 is a horizontal section on the line a, a Figure 3.
Figure 5 is a front elevation, and
Figure 6 a horizontal section, both drawn to an enlarged scale, showing another
form or modification of our said filter.

page_text: Figure 7 is a side elevation showing a further modification of our improved
filter.
. 1.
"
Figure 8 is a vertical central section, drawn to an enlarged scale, of part of the
said filter.
Figure 9 is a front elevation, and
Figure 10 a vertical section of an apparatus for the preliminary treatment of
sewage of unusually thick or solid nature, some of the parts being removed.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
A is the main sewer with which is connected any desired number of branch-pipes B.
With these pipes are connected any convenient number of small delivery-pipes or
outlets C. D, D are suitable separators or filters, preferably mechanical self-cleaning
filters such as are hereinafter described, for separating the liquid from the solid
mattor contained in the sewage, and for separately discharging the said liquid and
solid matter. The branch-pipes B are provided with sluice-valves at B and the
discharge-pipes C are provided with sluice-valves at C, so that communication
between the sewer and either of the filters, or between the sewer and all the filters
connected with either of the branch-pipes B can be shut off, whilst the other filters
remain in communication with the sewer.
E, E are trays or other receptacles which are arranged beneath the filters D and
are connected by suitable pipes with a conduit for the discharge of the liquid into a
river or other convenient place for the disposal thereof. The said trays E receive the
liquid from the filters D, which is then conveyed from the trays, through the said
pipes and conduit, into the river or the like.
F, F are endless travelling belts or bands one of which extends beneath each
series of filters D, so that the solid matter discharged from the said filters will be
carried by the said belt and delivered thereby into a trough or receptacle G, whence
it can be removed in any convenient manner.
The filters D are driven by means of a steam-engine or other suitable motor, the
motion being transmitted, by a belt or by suitable gearing, to the vertical shaft D¹ of
each filter.
In the form or arrangement of our improved self-cleaning mechanical filter shown
in Figures 3 and 4, there is a cylinder a which is provided around its periphery with
any suitable number of removable doors b secured by lock-nuts or other suitable
fastenings so that they can be readily fixed in place or detached, as required. A
washer or packing of India-rubber or other suitable material is provided around the
edge of the door at 6¹ so as to make a water-tight joint between the same and the
cylinder a. These doors are made in the form of boxes, the inner side of which
consists of a perforated plate or a lining of porous material such as asbestos cloth or
sheeting which may be cut to size and fixed in the inside of the door-frame, the
latter is preferably provided in this case with longitudinal and circumferential ribs.
The lid of the door is also made with longitudinal and circumferential ribs, the spaces
enclosed thereby being covered by pieces of perforated metal, wire-gauze, asbestos or
other cloth or sheeting or other suitable material secured to the said ribs in any
convenient manner. The space between the inner lining of perforated or porous
material and the pieces of perforated metal, wire-gauze or the like in the lid of the
door, is filled with sand or other suitable filtering material. The lid is tightly secured
to the body of the door by screws and nuts or otherwise, so that the entire door is
firinly held in position on the cylinder a.
Through the centre of the cylinder a extends the upright shaft D₁ which works in
stuffing-boxes in the ends or covers a', a² of the said cylinder. On the shaft D' is
fixed a drum d provided with series of angular, curved or other suitably shaped
blades or vanes e, which in their rotation with the drum d and shaft D¹ act as
hereinafter described to discharge the solid matter.
In some instances, the cylinder a is arranged to rotate in the reverse direction to
that of the shaft D₁ and blades or vanes e.
The centrifugal force developed by the rotation of the blades or vanes at a high-
speed, throws or tends to throw the sewage-matter contained in the filter, with

page_text: great force in an outward or tangential direction and also downward. The liquid
portion of the sewage is thus forced through the filtering material in the removable
doors b, with any required degree of pressure and then falls into the collecting
receiver or tray E (Figure 2) and is conveyed through the aforesaid conduit or pipe
into a river or the like..
The solid matter that collects on the inner perforated or porous lining fixed on the
movable filter-doors is constantly removed by the revolving blades and also by the
constant wash or flow of the sewage in a circular direction in the cylinder; the said
inner lining is thus kept clear, the accumulation of any deposit thereon being
prevented. The form and arrangement of the revolving blades or vanes e are such
that the solid deposit from the sewage will be pressed downward or toward the lower
end of the cylinder a and into a discharge-pipe fitted with a sluice-valve f¹. When
the machine is started, this valve is closed until the deposit in the cylinder a acquires
a proper consistency. The valve is then partially opened, when the action of the
blades e keeps up a constant discharge of solid matter through the outlet or discharge-
pipe f, the said solid matter falling upon the aforesaid endless belt or traveller F
(Figure 2) and being carried to any suitable place of disposal. The sewage-matter
is thus continuously fed in at the top of the cylinder a and the liquid and solid
matter are separately discharged therefrom.
At the top of each cylinder a there is also provided an opening or pipe a³ to admit
air or free oxygen, which will be drawn in by the action of the blades e, or may be
drawn or forced in by other convenient means such as a vacuum or air pump.
The free oxygen coming into intimate contact with the sewage, deodorizes it and
destroys or tends to destroy all organic matter contained therein.
It is not necessary that the liquid discharged from the filters should be chemically
treated. If desired, however, it may be further purified by chemical or other
treatment. Moreover, the solid matter discharged from the filters may, if desired, be
treated chemically or in any other convenient manner to further deodorize it and
render it available as manure.
The filter-doors will in time become clogged with grease or other foreign matter.
When this occurs, we take off the said doors and remove the material contained
therein, which we put into washing tanks containing hot water; the sand or other
filtering materials are thus effectually cleansed, so that they can be used over again
after a short time. We find it advantageous to provide each cylinder a with inter-
changeable sets of doors so that while one set is in use, another set can be cleansed.
The sand, cloth and other filtering materials may be repeatedly used and washed
from all impurities as above described. The grease or fatty matter floats on the top
of the hot-water and is skimmed off, being subsequently treated in any well known
nanner to convert it into an article of market value.
We sometimes provide for varying the thickness of the wall or mass of filtering
material through which the liquid has to pass, according to the desired degree of
purity of the liquid when filtered, or the desired rapidity of the filtering operation.
In the modification of our apparatus shown in Figures 5 and 6, the cylinder a is
made with lateral extensions at in which are inserted the doors 6 containing the
filtering material. The lids 6 of these doors are made adjustable towards and away
from the inner side or lining of the door for the purpose of varying the width or
thickness of the layer of filtering material. After the required thickness of filtering
material has been inserted in the door, the lid 62 is secured in position by means of
screws which are passed through correspondingly screw-threaded holes in bars /
supported in brackets 63. on the body of the door. The said door is secured to the
cylinder by means of screws or in any other convenient manner.
Instead of making the filter cylindrical, we sometimes make it of conical form, as
shown for example in Figures 7 and 8. The filter shown in these Figures, is placed
in a vertical position with the base of the cone uppermost. The said filter has an
inner lining of thin perforated sheet metal or other suitable material. Around this
inner lining are placed a number of folds or layers 6 of asbestos or other cloth, jute
or other suitable material covered or enclosed by a layer 6 of fine wire-gauze. The

page_text: liquid passes through these layers and flows down the interior surface of the conical
vessel, and is discharged through the pipe into tho conduit k for conveying it to a
river or other place of disposal. The solid matter is forced downward in the space
within the inner lining by the blades e and discharged through the pipe f
In cases where the sewage contains a large quantity of solid matter which renders
it difficult to deal with, we sometimes provide for the preliminary treatment of the
sewage as hereinafter described viz.-by passing it between any desired number of
pairs of cylinders provided with continuous filtering surfaces.
In the apparatus shown in Figures 9 and 10, the cylinders a are mounted on
suitable shafts or axles and are placed together like a pair of rolls, one cylinder or
roll of each pair is to be driven by suitable machinery and the other through a pair
of spur-wheels fixed upon the said shafts or axles and geared with each other, or
through frictional contact between the rolls. One of the said rolls is arranged in any
well known manner so that it can move towards and away from the other roll, and
may be held to its work by suitable weighted levers, so that when any hard substance
has to pass between the said rolls, one of the same will give way or yield and will
then return to its normal position under the action of the weighted levers. The said
rolls or filters are constructed in the following manner, viz. :-A series of discs are
fixed on the shafts at suitable distances apart and are covered or surrounded with
perforated sheet metal and then with wire-gauze and cloth or other suitable material
to form a cylinder. One of the end discs is inade solid; the other discs are made with
suitable openings around their inner circumference to allow the liquid to flow along
the inside of the roll so that it may pass out near one end and fall on to a receiver m
whence it will flow to another set of rolls working at a lower level and so on between
as many pairs of cylinders or rolls as may be desired. The action of the rolls presses
the material and causes the liquid to pass through the filtering surface into the interior
of the rolls whence it passes along and escapes near the open end of the rolls. The
deposit left on the surface of the cylinders or filters is cleaned off the rolls as they
rotate by a scraper n or by a revolving circular brush and removed in any convenient
manner. In dealing with thick sewage, it is advantageous to pass it first through the
apparatus shown in Figures 9 and 10 for the purpose of eliminating most of the
solid matter, and then through the vertical filters hereinbefore described.
We sometimes employ in combination with the vessel or chamber provided with
the filtering material and with rotary helical blades or cleaners, a hydraulic ram
arranged to move to and fro or up and down in the said vessel or chamber and to
displace the liquid therefrom through the filtering material. The hollow drum
carrying the blades is, in this case, perforated and motion may be imparted to it from
below.
Our improved method of and apparatus for filtering are obviously applicable with
advantage for use in sugar works or refineries and for analogous purposes.
The division and subdivision of the sewage or other material in the manner above
described constitute an important feature of our invention, as we are thereby enabled
to very effectually separate the solid from the liquid matter.
We do not confine ourselves to any special arrangement of the filtering material
nor to the employment of the particular filters hereinbefore described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
First The treatment of sewage or other matter by dividing and subdividing the
same and passing it in numerous streams through separators or filters, for the
purpose above specified.
Second A separator or filter wherein rotary helical blades are surrounded by
filtering material and are so arranged that the liquid will be driven through the said
material by centrifugal force whilst the solid matter will be separately discharged by
the action of the said blades, for the
purpose
above specified.

page_text: Third The combination, with a sewer or main, of branch-pipes connected therewith
and with smaller pipes each of which discharges into a mechanical separator or filter,
substantially as, and for the purposes, above specified.
Fourth The extraction of fatty matter from sewage by first passing the sewage
through filtering material and then submerging or washing the said material in hot
water, substantially as set forth.
Fifth A mechanical filter constructed with doors or frames which contain
filtering material and which can be readily removed and replaced, substantially as,
and for the purposes, set forth.
Sixth A mechanical filter wherein provision is made for the admission of air or
free oxygen, substantially as, and for the purpose, above specified.
Seventh-The combination, with the vessel or chamber provided with the filtering
material and with the rotary blades or cleaners, of a hydraulic ram or plunger
arranged to move to and fro in the said chamber, substantially as, and for the purpose,
set forth.
Eighth The improved mechanical filter constructed substantially as described
with reference to Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings and operating as, and for the
purposes, above specified.
Ninth The modification of our improved filter wherein we provide for varying
the thickness of the body or mass of filtering material, substantially as, and for the
purposes, set forth.
Tenth An apparatus comprising rotary cylindrical filters arranged side by side
and adapted for the reception and discharge of the liquid, substantially as, and for
the purpose, set forth.
DJ
Ր T 1
1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.