IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE PRECIPITATION OF SEWAGE AND OTHER FOUL WATERS, AND IN THE PREPARATION OF PRECIPITATING MATERIALS."
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William White, of 30, Thurlow Road, Hamp-
stead, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE PRECIPITATION OF SEWAGE AND OTHER FOUL WATERS, AND IN
THE PREPARATION OF PRECIPITATING MATERIALS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William White at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th November 1873.
I, WILLIAM WHITE, of 30, Thurlow Road, Hampstead, in the County
of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRECIPITATION OF SEWAGE AND OTHER FOUL WATERS, AND
IN THE PREPARATION OF PRECIPITATING MATERIALS," to be as follows:-
In the Provisional Specification of a Patent, No. 2532, dated 24th
July 1873 it is stated that in the treatment of sewage and cesspool
water I introduce milk of lime to neutralise any excess of acid, and to

page_text: precipitate calcio prosphate, win in some cases im WIH e sewage
or cesspool water.
Instead of milk of lime simply I find the purifying and clarifying
power of such method of precipitation is greatly increased by using lime
charcoal, which I prepare by calcining an intimate mixture of peat or
sawdust with chalk or lime, or magnesian limestone, or other cheap and
convenient substances, resulting on calcination in a combination of
carbon and calcic oxide or calcic and magnesic oxide; or I mix inti-
mately small coal or coal dust with lime, and introduce the mixture into
the retorts at gas works. The result is lime coke such as I require for
precipitation.
I also prepare a similar precipitating material, which I designate
phosphatic charcoal, from an intimate mixture of pulverised or pulpy
mineral phosphates, calcic and aluminous (which phosphates usually
contain a considerable proportion of calcic carbonate) with peat or other
carbonaceous matter, and use the same in like manner as the lime
charcoal.
I also use such phosphatic charcoal for precipitation by simply mixing
it in a powdered state with the sewage and allowing it to settle; but
sewage is often so diluted with water and mingled with manufacturing
refuse having little value as manure, that it would be wasteful to use
phosphates after the manner described. Under such circumstances I
employ lime charcoal alone for precipitation, or what I call lime clay
charcoal obtained by calcining lime and clay together or separately with
carbonaceous matter, which simple and inexpensive precipitants may be
used either with or without or before or after calcium, chloride, and
ferrous sulphate, as set forth in my former Specification, No. 2532.
Sewage and foul waters are of many qualities, and according to their
variety require special precipitants, and taking carbon as the primary
and essential element I vary its associates of lime, phosphates of lime
and alumina, magnesia and clay, to meet the particular condition; and
where the precipitate is unsuitable for manure it may be drained, dried,
and calcined for use again as a precipitant. With carbon so varied in
its associates, the precipitation of almost every impurity in sewage or
foul waters from dye works, print works, paper mills, and other factories
may be accomplished.

page_text: SPECIFICATION filed in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, and of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, by the said William
White in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd May 1874,
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
WHITE, of 30, Thurlow Road, Hampstead, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William White, Her special license that
I, the said William White, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said William White, my 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
PRECIPITATION OF SEWAGE AND OTHER FOUL WATERS, AND IN THE PREPARATION OF
PRECIPITATING MATERIALS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said William White, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, 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 on or before
the 26th day of May 1874.
.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William White, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to

page_text: Instead of milk of lime simply I find the purifying and clarifying.
power of such method of precipitation is greatly increased by using
lime charcoal, which I prepare by calcining an intimate mixture of peat
or sawdust with chalk or lime, or magnesian limestone, or other cheap
and convenient substances, resulting on calcination in a combination of
carbon with calic oxide or calcic and magnesic oxide. I mix the peat
or sawdust by preference with chalk or limestone in such proportions as
to yield a product containing about 90 per cent. of lime and 10 per cent.
of charcoal. I calcine the mixture in iron or clay retorts at a tempera-
ture sufficient to expel the carbonic acid from the chalk. If lime be
substituted in making the mixture a lower temperature will suffice in
the calcining process. I thus obtain charcoal in a very porous and
divided state disseminated amongst lime.
When this lime charcoal is used as a precipitating agent the lime acts
both chemically as a precipitant and also mechanically to cause the
charcoal to sink through the sewage, so bringing it into intimate contact
with it, without which the powerful defecating and deodorising properties
of the charcoal could not be excited.
A very advantageous way of treating sewage and other similar foul
waters is to add to them first bone or mineral phosphate of lime rendered
soluble by means of hydrochloric or other acid, and afterwards to use
lime charcoal to precipitate the phosphate of lime, together with re-
maining impurities in the sewage.
In some cases in place of lime charcoal I prepare and use in a similar
manner a lime coke. I mix intimately small coal or coal dust with
chalk or lime, and introduce the mixture into the retorts at gas works.
The result is a form of lime charcoal, which I call "lime coke" such as
I require for precipitation. This lime coke may conveniently contain
about 80 per cent. of carbon. Coke being of a denser nature than
charcoal it is desirable to employ a larger proportion.
I also prepare a similar precipitating material, which I designate
phosphatic charcoal or phosphatic lime charcoal, from an intimate
mixture of pulverised or precipitated mineral phosphates, calcic, or
aluminous (which phosphates usually contain a considerable proportion
of calcic carbonate) with peat or other carbonaceous matter, and use the
same in like manner as the lime charcoal.

page_text: I also use such phosphatic lime charcoal for precipitation by simply
mixing it in a powdered state with the sewage and allowing it to
settle.
I preparc phosphatic lime charcoal in a similar manner to that in
which lime charcoal is prepared, using in place of chalk or limestone
cheap phosphatic minerals containing a large proportion of calcic
carbonate. The phosphatic ingredients in the mineral become part of
the phosphatic lime charcoal, and ultimately serve to enrich the
precipitate from the sewage and render it more valuable for manurial
purposes.
Sewage is often so diluted with water and mingled with manufacturing
refuse having little value as manure that it would be wasteful to use
phosphates after the manner described. Under such circumstances I
employ lime charcoal alone for precipitation, or what I call lime clay
charcoal obtained by calcining lime and clay together or separately with
carbonaceous matter, which simple and inexpensive precipitants may be
used either with or without or before or after calcium, chloride, and
ferrous sulphate, as set forth in my former Specification, No. 2532.
I prepare clay charcoal in the same way as lime charcoal, substituting
clay for chalk or linestone. The clay acts as a precipitant and also
mechanically to weight the charcoal so that it may sink through the
liquid in which it is required to act.
In treating dilute sewage clay charcoal is very advantageously used
after the sewage has been treated with calcium, chloride, and ferrous
sulphate.
Sewage and foul waters are of many qualities, and according to their
variety require special precipitants, and taking carbon as the primary
and essential element I vary its associates of lime, phosphates of lime
and alumina, magnesia and clay, to meet the particular condition; and
where the precipitate is unsuitable for manure it may be drained, dried,
and calcined for use again as a precipitant. With carbon so varied in
its associates the precipitation of almost every impurity in sewage or
foul waters from dye works, print works, paper mills, and other factories
may be accomplished.
The amount of precipitant employed will vary with the quality of
the sewage, and is best ascertained by a preliminary trial. I prefer that

page_text: -
the precipitate should amount to one half per cent. or more of the
weight of liquid treated.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and the
manner of performing the same I would have it understood that I
claim,―
1. The treatment of sewage and other foul waters with lime charcoal,
phosphatic lime charcoal, or clay charcoal, such materials being added
to the sewage and allowed to sink through it so as to carry down with
them as a precipitate some of the impurities which the said sewage or
foul waters contain, substantially as described.
2. The treatment of sewage and other foul waters with phosphate of
lime rendered soluble by an acid, and then with lime charcoal or phos-
phatic lime charcoal, substantially as described.
3. The manufacture of lime charcoal and phosphatic lime charcoal,
substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William White, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.

page_text: In the Matter of a Patent granted to WILLIAM WHITE, of 30,
Thurlow Road, Hampstead, in the County of Middlesex, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRECIPITATION OF SEWAGE
AND OTHER FOUL WATERS, AND IN THE PREPARATION OF PRECIPITATING
MATERIALS," the same bearing date the Twentieth day of
November, 1873, No. 3781.
DISCLAIMER AND MEMORANDUM OF ALTERATION proposed to be
entered by the said William White, as such Patentee as aforesaid,
pursuant to the Statutes in that case made and provided.
WHEREAS since the filing of my Specification to the said Letters
Patent for "Improvements in the Precipitation of Sewage and other
Foul Waters, and in the Preparation of Precipitating Materials," I have
been advised that the portion of my Invention which relates to the
preparation of the materials has not that novelty which I had supposed
it to possess:

page_text: administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, 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 on or before the 26th day of May 1874.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William White, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
In the Specification of a Patent No. 2532, dated 24th July 1873, it
is stated that in the treatment of sewage and cesspool water I introduce
milk of lime to neutralise any excess of acid and to precipitate calcic
phosphate, which in some cases I mix with the sewage or cesspool
water.
Instead of milk of lime simply, I find the purifying and clarifying
power of such method of precipitation is greatly increased by using lime
charcoal, which I prepare by calcining an intimate mixture of peat or
sawdust with chalk or lime, or magnesian limestone, or other cheap and
convenient substances resulting on calcination in a combination of
carbon with calic oxide or calcic and magnesic oxide. I mix the peat
or sawdust by preference with chalk or limestone in such proportions
'as to yield a product containing about 90 per cent. of lime and 10 per
'cent. of charcoal. I calcine the mixture in iron or clay retorts at a
temperature sufficient to expel the carbonic acid from the chalk. If
lime be substituted in making the mixture a lower temperature will
suffice in the calcining process; I thus obtain charcoal in a very porous
and divided state disseminated amongst lime. When this lime charcoal
is used as a precipitating agent, the lime acts both chemically as a pre-
cipitant and also mechanically to cause the charcoal to sink through the
sewage, so bringing it into intimate contact with it, without which the
powerful defecating and deodorising properties of the charcoal could not
be excited.
A very advantageous way of treating sewage and other similar foul
waters is to add to them first bone or mineral phosphate of lime rendered
soluble by means of hydrochloric or other acid, and afterwards to use

page_text: lime charcoal to precipitate the phosphate of lime together with remaining
impurities in the sewage.
In some cases, in place of such lime charcoal, I prepare and use in a
similar manner a lime coke. I mix intimately small coal or coal dust
with chalk or lime and introduce the mixture into the retorts at gas-
works. The result is a form of lime charcoal which I call "lime coke,"
such as I require for precipitation. This lime coke may conveniently
contain about 80 per cent. of carbon. Coke being of a denser nature
than charcoal it is desirable to employ a larger proportion.
. I also prepare a similar precipitating material, which I designato
phosphatic charcoal or phosphatic lime charcoal, from an intimate
mixture of pulverized or precipitated mineral phosphates, calcic, or
aluminous (which phosphates usually contain a considerable proportion
of calcic carbonate) with peat or other carbonaceous matter, and use the
same in like manner as the lime charcoal.
I also use such phosphatic lime charcoal for precipitation by simply
mixing it in a powdered state with the sewage and allowing it to
settle.
I prepare phosphatic lime charcoal in a similar manner to that in
which lime charcoal is prepared, using in place of chalk or limestone
cheap phosphatic minerals containing a large proportion of calcic
carbonate. The phosphatic ingredients in the mineral become part of
the phosphatic lime charcoal, and ultimately serve to enrich tho
precipitate from the sewage and render [it more valuable for manurial
purposes.
Sewage is often so diluted with water and mingled with manufacturing
refuse, having little value as manure, that it would be wasteful to use
phosphates after the manner described. Under such circumstances. I
employ lime charcoal alone for precipitation, or what I call lime clay
charcoal obtained by calcining lime and clay together or separately with
carbonaceous matter, which simple and inexpensive precipitants may be
used either with or without, or before or after calcium chloride and
ferrous sulphate, as set forth in my former Specification, No. 2532.
I prepare clay charcoal in the same way as lime charcoal, substituting
clay for chalk or limestone. The clay acts as a precipitant and also a

page_text: mechanically to weight the charcoal so that it may sink through the
liquid in which it is required to act.
In treating dilute sewage clay charcoal is very advantageously used
after the sewage has been treated with calcium chloride and ferrous
sulphate.
Sewage and foul waters are of many qualities, and according to their
variety require special precipitants, and taking carbon as the primary
and essential element I vary its associates of lime, phosphates of lime
and alumina, magnesia, and clay to meet the particular condition, and
where the precipitate is unsuitable for manure it may be drained dried
and calcined for use again as a precipitant. With carbon so varied in
its associates the precipitation of almost every impurity in sewage or
foul waters from dye works, print works, paper mills, and other factories
may be accomplished.
The amount of precipitant employed will vary with the quality of the
sewage, and is best ascertained by a preliminary trial. I prefer that the
precipitate should amount to one-half per cent. or more of the weight of
liquid treated.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that I
claim,―
1. The treatment of sewage and other foul waters with lime charcoal,
phosphatic lime charcoal, or clay charcoal, such materials being added
to the sewage and allowed to sink through it so as to carry down with
5 them as a precipitate some of the impurities which the said sewage or
foul waters contain, substantially as described.
2. The treatment of sewage and other foul waters with phosphate of
lime rendered soluble by an acid, and then with lime charcoal or
phosphatic lime charcoal, substantially as described.
°
In witness whereof, I, the said William White, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of January, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.
WILLIAM WHITE. (L.S.)