IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND IN MEANS FOR DECOMPOSING OR. RENDERING LESS NOXIOUS THE VAPOURS RESULTING FROM PROCESSES OF DRYING SEWAGE DEPOSIT, EXCREMENT, BLOOD, AND OTHER MATTERS
Year: 1875

page_text: ETTERS PATENT: to Robert Milburn; of the Hatcham Iron Works,
Pomeroy Street, New Cross Road; in the County of Surrey, and
Henry Jackson; of 16, Park Square, Leeds, in the County of York;
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND IN MEANS
FOR DECOMPOSING OR. RENDERING LESS NOXIOUS THE VAPOURS RESULTING
FROM PROCESSES OF DRYING SEWAGE DEPOSIT, EXCREMENT, BLOOD, AND OTHER
MATTERS."
I
.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Milburn and
Henry Jackson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 13th December 1875.
We, ROBERT MILBURN, of the Hatcham Iron Works, Pomeroy Street,
New Cross Road, in the County of Surrey, and HENRY JACKSON, of 16,
Park Square, Leeds, in the County of York, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND
IN MEANS FOR DECOMPOSING OR RENDERING LESS NOXIOUS THE VAPOURS RESULTING

page_text: FROM PROCESSES OF DRYING SEWAGE DEPOSIT, EXCREMENT, BLOOD, AND OTHER
MATTERS," to be as follows:-
Our Invention relates to processes for drying or for lessening the
amount of contained moisture in night soil, sewage deposit, animal
evacuations, blood, and other matters, in order to convert them into
manure, as is well understood. We enclose or cover over, or partially
enclose or cover over, the drying floors or kilns, and we withdraw the
vapours from the enclosed or partially enclosed spaces by means of fans,
blowers, steam jets, or exhausting apparatus, and we force the said
vapours through two or more fires consecutively. We prefer to use a
set of four furnaces, arranged in two pairs, and provided with close
fitting fire and ash-pit doors. The vapours are conducted into the ash-
pit of the first furnace in each pair, and after passing through the fire
are led into the ash-pit of the second furnace, and after passing through
the fire are discharged into the atmosphere or conveyed into a chimney.
Flues and passages provided with doors or dampers are so arranged as
that the current of vapours can be divided and be conveyed into the
ash-pits of the two first fires, and also that when required the whole of
the vapours can be conveyed into either one of the said two ash-pits.
When it is necessary to open the fire or ash-pit doors of a furnace in one
of the pairs of furnaces, the dampers are arranged to direct the whole
of the vapours through the other pair. We have found it to be of
importance to pass the vapours through more than one fire, as one fire
only has not sufficient effect.
In order to maintain the fires at a regular heat we prefer to use the
self-acting furnace described in the Specification of Letters Patent
previously granted to us, and dated the Third of March One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-four, and numbered 1006.
In some cases we prefer to use or burn a small quantity of sulphur
with the fires.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert Milburn and Henry Jackson in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 12th June 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ROBERT
MILBURN, of the Hatcham Iron Works, Pomeroy Street, New Cross
Road, in the County of Surrey, and HENRY JACKSON, of 16,. Park
Square, Leeds, in the County of York, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of December, 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 suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said Robert Milburn and Henry
Jackson, Her special license that we, the said Robert Milburn and
Henry Jackson, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said Robert Milburn and Henry Jackson, 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 Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND IN MEANS FOR DECOMPOSING OR
RENDERING LESS NOXIOUS THE VAPOURS RESULTING FROM PROCESSES OF DRYING
SEWAGE DEPOSIT, EXCREMENT, BLOOD, AND OTHER MATTERS," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that we, the said Robert Milburn and Henry
Jackson, our executors, administrators, and assigns, by an instrument in
writing under our, or one of our, or their, or one of their hands and seals;
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is 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 Robert Milburn and Henry

page_text: floor is formed of plates and is heated by the furnace B, and the matters:
to be dried are moved to and fro by means of a reciprocating frame;
provided with scrapers and stirrers, as will be better understood when
reference is made to the Specification of the aforesaid former Patent.:
The said drying floor is enclosed and covered in by means of side
walls a, a, and of hinged and removable covers b, b, and the space so;
enclosed is in communication by means of a flue c with the inlet
opening of the exhauster D. In the example an apparatus known as
Baker's blower is represented as being employed; but we do not confine
ourselves to any particular apparatus, and a fan, or a "Root's blower,"
or any other suitable exhausting or withdrawing apparatus may be
used. The vapours or vapours and gases withdrawn from the said
enclosed space by the action of the blower are propelled through the
pipes d into the ash-pit of the auxilliary furnace C. This furnace is
represented in vertical section in Fig. 1, and in Fig. 3 the furnace front
is omitted in order that the interior of the furnace and ash-pit may be
seen, the front removed being similar to that of the main furnace. In
each case the furnace is supplied with fuel by means of a hopper e,
from which the fuel is fed by means of a revolving feeder f, which
receives motion from a shaft g through spur gearing h. Each front is.
also fitted with a fire door i and an ash-pit door k, the said doors being,
arranged to fit as nearly air-tight as is conveniently possible.
:
In the example, the fire-grate of each furnace consists of disca
threaded upon shafts, in accordance with the aforesaid Patent granted
to us in the year One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four. The
said discs receive a revolving motion from the shaft g, upon which are
formed cranks which actuate connecting rods 1, which give motion to
the disc roller by means of ratchets gearing with ratchet wheels fixed
on the front disc roller in each furnace. The shaft 9 receives motion
from a driving strap m through the worm and bevil gearing n, n, or by
means of any other suitable arrangement of gearing. We do not
however confine ourselves to this arrangement, as ordinary fire-bars and
suitable arrangements for enclosing the ash-pits and furnaces may be
employed in lieu of the arrangements represented. A flue O leads from
the furnace C into the ash-pit of the furnace B.
When the apparatus is at work the blower D withdraws the vapours
or gases and vapours from the enclosed space above the drying floor,

page_text: and propels them through the piping & into the ash-pit of the furnace C,
whence they flow through the fire in the said furnace and through the
flue O into the ash-pit of the main furnace B. The said vapours or the
residue thereof then flow through the main furnace, and the residual
gases or vapours and gases are conveyed away through the flues
employed as means for heating the drying floor.
If found or considered to be desirable in any case air may be caused
to mingle with the vapours before passing through either the first or the
second fire. In some cases it may be desirable to pass the vapours into
a condensing chamber or through chambers before the said vapours are
admitted to the fire, and in some cases it may be of advantage to put
water, or acid, or other liquid or substance in such chamber or
chambers. The dotted lines p indicate such a chamber.
Although we have only shewn two furnaces acting in conjunction,
in the example selected for illustration, we do not confine ourselves to
this number. We may use a set of four furnaces arranged in two pairs,
and provided with doors or dampers, so arranged as that the current of
vapours can be divided and be conveyed into the ash-pits of the two
first fires, and also that when required the whole of the vapours can be
conveyed into either one of the said two ash-pits.
When it would be necessary to open the fire or ash-pit doors of a
furnace in one of the pairs of furnaces the dampers would be arranged
to direct the whole of the vapours through the other pair of furnaces.
We have found it to be of importance to convey the vapours through
more than one fire as one fire only has not sufficient effect.
}
:
:
Having now fully set forth and indicated the nature of our said
Invention, and the manner in which we carry and may carry the same.
into practical effect, we would have it to be understood in conclusion
that we claim,-
First. Forcing or conveying vapours, or vapours and gases, resulting
as herein aforesaid successively through two or more fires.
Secondly. The method of, and arrangements for, decomposing or
rendering less noxious vapours resulting from the treatment of matters
herein indicated, substantantially as herein-before set forth and in-
dicated.
)
:

page_text: And, Lastly. The arrangements, substantially as and for the purpose
set forth and indicated herein-before and in the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said Robert Milburn and Henry
Jackson, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Ninth day
of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-six.
10 Witness,
W. C. RICHARDSON,
285, Queen's Road,
New Cross Gate,
S.E.
(L.S.)
ROBT. MILBURN.
HENRY JACKSON. (L.S.)