IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DEALING WITH SEWAGH AND OTHER REFUSE OR WASTE SO AS TO LESSEN THE POLLUTION OF RIVERS
Year: 1873

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Robert Stevenson Symington
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 18th March 1878.
I, ROBERT STEVENSON SYMINGTON, of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Telegraph Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DEALING
WITH SEWAGH AND OTHER REFUSE OR WASTE SO AS TO LESSEN THE POLLUTION OF
RIVERS," to be as follows, that is to say :—
This Invention relates to improvements in apparatus for the better
carrying out and extending of the system described or referred to in the
Specification of Letters Patent granted to William Strang, and dated
28 August 1868, (No. 2667).
In ono modification of the apparatus mado with the present improve-
ments a neat and sightly cast-iron structur() is used, being of a rec-
tangular form in plan, and also having a rectangular contour in elevation,
but with an arched space beneath the middle part of it. This cast-iron
structuro is provided with two inlets at the top, one for the connection

page_text: of a soil pipe from a series of waterclosets, and the other for the con-
nection of a waste pipe from a series of sinks, or jaw boxes, baths,
wash-hand basins, or the like. There is an overflow outlet for liquid and
a discharge outlet for solid or semi-solid excremental matters, the latter
being arranged in the arched space herein-before referred to, and being
furnished with a close fitting valve for periodical discharges. The appa-
ratus is formed with various other passages, but these are formed within
the structure. The soil inlet communicates with a compartment in the
middle of the structure having the discharge outlet at its bottom, and
from the top of this compartment the liquid entering with the soil over-
flows through perforations or a grating into an inclined passage leading
down to the lower and outer side of a lateral compartment made with a
bottom inclined up from the outer side towards the middle. This lateral
compartment is filled up to a certain level with ashes, through which
the liquid filters in an upward direction, a perforated metal plate being
laid on the top of the ashes to slightly compress them. The liquid
filtering up in this way overflows into a passage leading it to the outer
lower side of a second lateral compartment on the other side of the
middle or soil compartment, and this second lateral compartment is filled
or partly filled with animal charcoal, up through which the liquid filters
to the overflow outlet. The liquid entering by the other inlet is passed
through only the filtering compartment last described, and passes off by
the same overflow outlet. The two filtering compartments are furnished
with discharge outlets and close fitting doors to allow of the convenient
removal of the contents when saturated. Below the cast-iron structure
that has been described a pit is formed with doors in the floor just
beyond the ands of the structure, and in this pit the upper middle part
is occupied by a receptacle for ashes and cinders formed with inclined
sides, which as well as the bottom are grated. The doors already
mentioned lead into the lower part of the pit, and are for the reception
of vegetable and animal refuse, which will be deodorised by the ashes
passing through the gratings whilst access is obtained to the receptacle
for ashes by doors in the vertical ends of the cast-iron structure, such
doors opening on bottom hinges and being made with sides so as when
open to form hoppers to lead the ashes properly inwards.
The general form and arrangement of the structure may of course bo
modified to suit different circumstances and localities.

page_text: bo obtained by arranging one or more additional filtering compartments
in the arched space.
In some cases the combined receptacles for ashes, and for vegetable
and animal refuse may be comprised within the lower part of the cast-
iron structure instead of being arranged beneath it.
The improved apparatus is applicable not only for dealing with sewage
or discharges from waterclosets, privies, kitchens, stables, byres, and the
like, but also for dealing with any mixtures of water and solid im-
purities, such as are ordinarily discharged from chemical or other
manufactories or public works into drains, sewers, or rivers.
In a modification suitable for some public works a large fixed tank is
constructed, by preference of a cylindrical form, and has placed within it
a similar movable tank with a grated bottom to contain the ashes or
other filtering medium. The impure water is admitted into a spaco
beneath the grated tank, and whilst solid matters can deposit on the
bottom of the fixed tank the water filters up through the materials in
the grated tank, and when these materials become saturated the grated
tank can be lifted out, and one with frosh materials introduced.
In some cases the water may be made to pass through two or more of
such filtering tanks in succession, with similar or different filtering
materials in each, whilst the filtration may be made downwards in one
tank and upwards in another.
It will also in some cases be beneficial to cause the water to be exposed
to the atmosphere, by falling in a broken manner through a sufficient
height before passing through the last filtering tank.