IMPROVEMENTS IN THE DISINFECTION OF ANIMAL EXCRETIONS, AND IN THE EXTRACTION THEREFROM OF FERTILIZING ELEMENTS FOR AGRICULTURAL PURPOSES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Marc Antoine François Mennons, of the British and
Foreign Patent Offices, 39, Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris, in the Empire of
France, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE DISINFECTION OF
ANIMAL EXCRETIONS, AND IN THE EXTRACTION THEREFROM OF FERTILIZING
ELEMENTS FOR AGRICULTURAL PURPOSES."-A communication from Alfred
Marie Celestin Edgard Goussard, residing at No., 16, Rue d' Enghien,.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Marc Antoine François
Mennons at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition
and Declaration, on the 13th February 1862, pursuant to the 9th Section
of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MARC
ANTOINE FRANÇOIS MENNONS, of the British and Foreign Patent Offices,
39, Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris, in the Empire of France, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE DISINFECTION OF ANIMAL EXCRETIONS, AND IN THE EXTRACTION THEREFROM OF
FERTILIZING ELEMENTS FOR AGRICULTURAL PURPOSES," communicated to me by
Alfred Marie Celestin Edgard Goussard, a person resident at Paris, and have
petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for the same, and have made solemn
Declaration that it is a communication.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Marc Antoine François Mennons, do
hereby declare that the following Complete Specification, under, my hand
and seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, reference being had to the
Figures of of the accompanying Drawing, that is to say:-
The Invention communicated to me consists in the application to the
treatment of solid and liquid animal excretions, of an improved system of
filtration, decomposition, and absorption, by means of which these matters are
reduced to a concrete and inodorous mass, highly charged with fertilizing
elements.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing represents a recipient (the form,
-dimensions, and materials of which may vary according to circumstances,) fitted
internally with a triple metallic cylinder pierced over all its surfaces. At the
bottom of this recipient, are placed the filtering, decomposing, and absorbent
ingredients composed and distributed, as follows:-
1st, (bottom layer), crushed peat, free from dust and moistened calcined
clay, in equal parts by weight. 2d layer, equal parts of sulphate of zinc and
sulphate of magnesia. 3d layer, fine peat dust, moistened calcined clay, and
sulphate of lime, mixed in equal parts. 4th layer, equal parts by weight of
crushed peat and moistened calcined clay. 5th layer, peat dust, moistened
calcined clay, and sulphate of lime, in equal parts by weight. 6th layer, crushed
peat or crushed peat and calcined clay, in equal parts by weight. 7th layer,
crushed peat, calcined clay, fine peat dust, and carbonate of lime in small
fragments, the whole mixed in equal parts by weight. 8th layer, peat dust and
about one-tenth part of sulphuric acid. If so desired the sulphates of zinc and
magnesia in the second layer, may be replaced by corresponding proportions
of other reagents possessing analogous chemical properties, such as sulphates
of soda and iron, or again a mixture of muriate and acid phosphate of lime.
The total quantity of the ingredients depends on that of the matters on
which they are intended to act, but as a general rule, fifty-six pounds weight of
these ingredients suffice for the disinfection of about six hundredweight of solid
and liquid excretions, and for the extraction therefrom of the organic nitrogenised
and other nutritive principles. The arrangement of the layers may be changed
if necessary, but that above indicated, has been found to give the most advan-
tageous results. The fecal matters falling into, the -recipient are reduced in
volume by about eighty per cent. on their contact' with the above reagents,
liquify to a certain extent, and in percolating with the urines, through the
successive filtering, deconiposing, and absorbent layers, give up to the latter
their fertilizing constituents. The spent waters accumulate in the lower part

page_text: of the recipient until they reach the escape opening of the triple cylinder by
which they are run off. When large quantities of liquid are present, or when
desired to pass them a second time through the filtering media, they may bo
returned through the vertical column of the triple cylinder, from the pierced
top of which they flow over the upper layer. The excess of waste liquid may
be carried off by a second orifice, pierced at the bottom of the recipient, and
fitted with a stop-cock or other suitable obturator. When the recipient is
cleared out, the saturated matters are screened, and the coarser fragments of
peat thus separated are crushed by any suitable machinery and again mixed
up with the mass. The manure is then ready for use.
Figure 2 represents a convenient form of portable privy for prison, barrack
and hospital use and charged with the disinfecting substances as above.
Figure 3 represents an analogous arrangement, applied to the construction
of urinals.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention and the manner of
carrying it into effect, I declare that what I claim and desire to protect by
Letters Patent is, the application substantially as herein set forth of the
filtering, decomposing, and absorbent ingredients above enumerated to the
disenfection of solid and liquid animal excretions and to the extraction there-
from of fertilizing elements for agricultural purposes.
In witness whereof, I, the said Marc Antoine François Mennons have
hereto set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of February, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.