Improvements in and Apparatus or Means for Treating the Sludge or Deposit from Foul Waters and the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 9th July, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 11th Jan., 1897-Accepted, 20th Mar., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and Apparatus or Means for Treating the Sludge
or Deposit from Foul Waters and the like.
I HENRY WARD KEARNS, of the Firm of Messieurs Kearns Allan and
Company, Turkey-red Dyers, of 4 South King Street, Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention is designed principally for the treatment of the sludge or deposit
from the foul or turbid and discolored water discharged from dye works but it is
also equally applicable to the treatment of the sludge or deposit from other works
such as those of calico printers or bleachers, the sludge from sewage works, and
other deposits which require similar treatment.
The improved process consists principally in drying the sludge by suitable
artificial top heat upon the same filter bed or draining surface by which it has
been drained.
.
In carrying out my invention I build a suitable receptacle or tank of brickwork
or stonework preferably in a rectangular form divided into compartments by means
of transverse or longitudinal walls (or both) supporting a covering formed of brick
arches springing from the said walls.
The said walls extend alternately from one outside wall to nearly the opposite
one, so that the passage of any heated air entering the first compartment will be in
a serpentine form through each compartment in succession to the last, and thus the
heated air will traverse over the whole surface of the sludge. A furnace is in
communication with the first compartment, and the last compartment communicates
with a chimney shaft.
The whole of the floor of the tank is slightly inclined towards the furnace end,
and is made with a draining surface composed of suitable porous material preferably
fine boiler ashes and clinkers, in or under which is embedded or laid a series of
earthenware or other suitable drain pipes placed also at a slight inclination so as
to carry away the water.
The tank having been filled to a suitable depth with the sludge, the fluid is
allowed to drain or partially drain therefrom; the furnace is then lighted and the
heated air and flames from the furnace pass in a serpentine direction over the
surface of the sludge.
As soon as the sludge has become sufficiently dry it may be removed; or if the
sludge is of a combustible nature the operation may be continued and the flames
from the furnace may be made to ignite the dried residue from the sludge which
will commence to smoulder and will burn itself gradually away to the other end of
the tank without requiring any further fuel.
When all the dried sludge has thus been burned away, the residual sludge ash
may be removed, and the apparatus is ready for another operation as above
described.
Any unconsumed metallic oxides or other valuable by e-products that may be
contained in the calcined residuum, may be eliminated or recovered therefrom by
suitable known chemical processes aud re-utilized for manufacturing or commercial
purposes.
Dated this 8th day of Tale 1906
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in and Apparatus or Means for Treating the Sludge
or Deposit from Foul Waters and the like.
I HENRY WARD KEARNS, of the Firm of Messieurs Kearns, Allan and
Company, Turkey-red Dyers, of 4 South King Street, Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, 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 :-
This invention is designed principally for the treatment of sludge or deposit
from the foul or discolored water discharged from dye works, but it is also equally
applicable to the treatment of the sludge or deposit from other works such as those
of calico-printers, or bleachers, the sludge or deposit from sewage works, and other
deposits which require similar treatment.
The improved process consists principally in drying, or drying and calcining the
sludge by means of suitable artificial top heat upon the same filter bed or draining
surface by which it has been drained.
The invention and the method of carrying the same into practical effect will be
readily understood on reference to the sheet of illustrative drawings hereunto
annexed and the following explanation thereof.
Fig. 1 on the drawings is a vertical longitudinal section of my improved
apparatus, Fig. 2 a vertical transverse section, and Fig. 3 a horizontal section of
the same.
In carrying out my invention I build a suitable receptacle or tank a of brickwork
or stonework, preferably in a rectangular form divided into compartments by
means of transverse or longitudinal walls b (or both) supporting a covering formed
of brick arches e springing from the said walls.
These walls b extend alternately from one outside wall to the opposite one (see
Fig. 3) so that the passage of any heated air entering the first compartment will
be in a serpentine form through each compartment in succession to the last and
thence to the flue or chimney d, as shown by the arrows on Fig. 3, and thus the
heated air will traverse over the whole surface of the sludge.
A furnace e is in communication with the first compartment, and the last
compartment communicates with the chimney shaft d. The whole of the floor of
the tank a is slightly inclined towards the furnace e and is made with a draining
surface composed of suitable porous material, preferably fine boiler ashes and
clinkers, in or under which is embedded or laid a series earthenware or other
suitable drain pipes g, placed also at a slight inclination so as to carry away the
water or effluent.
The tank a having been filled to a suitable depth through the inlet h with the
sludge, the fluid is allowed to drain, or partially drain therefrom; the furnace e is
then lighted, and the heated air and flames from the furnace will pass in a
serpentine direction (as shown by the arrows) over the surface of the sludge.
As soon as the sludge has become sufficiently dry it may be removed through
doors or manholes (not shown on the drawing) or if the sludge is of a combustible
nature the operation may be continued so that the flame from the furnace will
ignite the dried residue from the sludge, which will commence to smoulder and
will burn itself gradually away to the cther end of the tank without requiring any
further fuel.
When all the dried sludge has thus beeu burned away the calcined or residual
sludge.ash may be removed, and the apparatus is ready for another operation as
above described.

page_text: Any unconsumed metallic oxides, or other valuable bye-products that may be
contained in the calcined residuum, may be eliminated or recovered therefrom by
suitable known chemical processes, and re-utilized for manufacturing or commercial
purposes.
It will be evident that this improved apparatus is also equally applicable to the
treatment of the sludge, slime, or other deposit which results from the filtration of
the effluent from sewage works, and other waters containing organic matter in
solution. This matter produces an organic growth in a flocculent form, which in
course of time becomes deposited on the surface of the filter bed, in the form of
mud or slime which chokes the pores of the filtering material, and under ordinary
circumstances it becomes necessary, from time to time, to remove and renew the
filtering material.
By the use however of my improved means, artificial top heat being applied to
the said filtering surface in situ without removal, this slime becomes carbonized,
and the filter bed, being thus revivified, becomes as efficient as before, thereby
greatly economizing time, space, labor, and material.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
The construction and use for treating the sludge or deposit from foul waters and
the like, of the apparatus or means substantially as herein before described and
illustrated; and more particularly I claim the combination with a covered tank or
chamber having a floor of filtering material, of means for passing the heated air
and flames from a furnace over the surface of the same for drying, carbonizing or
calcining the residuum substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. Drying, or drying and calcining the sludge by means of suitable artificial
top heat upon the same filter bed or draining surface by which it has been drained
substantially as herein before described.
Dated this 7h dose of Janua1807
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.