IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR TREATING SEWAGE
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Odams, of 109, Fenchurch Street, London,
in the County of Middlesex, and Robert Blackburn, of Trews Weir
Mills, Exeter, in the County of Devon, for the Invention of
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Odams and
Robert Blackburn at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 29th June 1875.
We, JAMES ODAMS, of 109, Fenchurch Street, London, in the County
of Middlesex, and ROBERT BLACKBURN, of Trews Weir Wills, Exeter,
in the County of Devon, do hereby declare the nature of tho said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR TREATING SEWAGE," to be
as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in apparatus for treating
sewage, and consists mainly in arranging a series of cylinders one within
the other, and caused to rotate separately or together in the same or
reversed directions. The cylinders from the inner to the outer one

page_text: having smaller proportionate meshes for separating the solid bodies and
impurities according to their coarseness and fineness. We prefer that
the outer cylinder be of very fine mesh, so that nothing but com-
paratively clear water shall pass through it, the sewage liquid being thus
filtered.
We propose to let the cylinders rotate at such a speed that the water
will be driven through the outer cylinder by centrifugal force, so that it
will be carried to the top of the cylinder and returning by gravity
through the meshes cleanse the covering and prevent silting up. We
propose to make the inside cylinder of perforated zinc or galvanized iron
wirework, and the second or outer of wire gauze. The cylinders to be
placed at an angle so that the solids will pass to the lower ends and fall
on to an elevator or other receptacle.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Odams and Robert Blackburn in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 27th December 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
ODAMS, of 109, Fenchurch Street, in the City of London, and ROBERT
BLACKBURN, of Trews Weim Mills, Exeter, Devonshire, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said James Odams and Robert Black-
burn, Her special licence, that we, the said James Odams and Robert
Blackburn, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as we, the said James Odams and Robert Blackburn, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the

page_text: Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR THE TREATMENT OF SEWAGE," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said James Odams and Robert Blackburn, our exe-
cutors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was
to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said James Odams and Robert Black-
burn, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This Invention relates, as far as apparatus is concerned, to the employ-
ment of one or more revolving screens or strainers of cylindrical or other
form into which the sewage is caused to enter for arresting the excreta
or solid matters before it or they pass on to the elevator.
We prefer to construct our screens as follows:-One cylinder of
perforated zinc or other material inside a larger cylinder composed of a
framing lined with wire gauze of a fine mesh, from 60 to 120 to the
inch or any other size that may be found convenient.
The cylinders are connected together and made to revolve on
rollers and placed at a convenient inclination. The sewage is admitted
at the higher end and first passes through the inside cylinder, which
takes the larger portion of the matter held in suspension; it then passes
to the outside cylinder of wire gauze which takes the remaining matter
held in suspension, the effluent water falling into a chamber, reservoir,
or tank in which it is arrested and treated as may be required, or allowed
to pass direct into a river or watercourse.
The cylinders are made to revolve at such a speed that the water will
pass through the wire gauze by centrifugal force, and a portion being
carried up by floats or bars till it reaches the top, when it will by
gravity return through the gauze, preventing clogging and acting as a
self-cleanser. These horizontal floats or bars may be made of various
shapes as shewn at S and T to contain more or less water, and con-
structed so as to become if required the motive power in working the
revolving screens.

page_text: The manner in which we propose to arrange our revolving screens for
the reception of sewage matter and the separation of the solid or non-
liquid portion is represented in the accompanying Drawings.
a is the outlet from screen or pumps; b, internal cylinder of per-
forated metal; c, external cylinder of wire gauze; d, d, rollers on which
the cylinders revolve; e, e, trucks on each end of outside cylinder driven
by wheels f,f; the shaft may be driven from either end by bevil wheels
h or pulley j. The rollers & are connected to a frame & attached to the
upright standards 1, 1, by a pivot m, and made to rise and fall by means
of a screw n worked by a worm wheel and bevil wheels.
The solid matter after passing through the screens is caught by the
buckets of the elevator o and raised to a shoot, where it falls to a truck
or other receptacle. Or instead of the bucket elevator the solid matter
may be lifted by an endless band of wire gauzo or cloth, as shewn at
P. P; ris an enlarged detail of the ring of outside showing the ribs or
floats and the action of self-cleansing.
We claim as our Invention the means substantially herein-before
set forth for receiving, separating, discharging, and treating sewage
matters.
And, Secondly, we claim the employment of revolving screens, two or
more, placed inside each other for the reception and separation of the
liquid portion from the solid portion of sewage, and fitting such
cylinders with bars or floats to make the cylinders self-cleansing as
described, and if necessary using these floats or bars not only as means
for cleansing the gauze, but also as a motive power for working the
revolving screens if required.
In witness whereof, we, the said James Odams and Robert Black-
burn, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Eleventh day
of December, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-five.
JAMES ODAMS.
ROBERT BLACKBURN.
(L.S.)
(L.S.)