" IN THE PURIFICATION OF WATER FOR DOMESTIC, MANUFACTURING, AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter Spence, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Manufacturing Chemist, for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS
"
IN
THE PURIFICATION OF WATER FOR DOMESTIC, MANUFACTURING, AND
OTHER PURPOSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Spence at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th November 1881.
"
PETER SPENCE, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Manufacturing
Chemist. IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PURIFICATION OF WATER FOR DOMESTIC,
MANUFACTURING, AND OTHER PURPOSES."
In a Provisional Specification filed by me, No. 4212, dated September 29th 1881,
I describe a process for the purification of sewage by the use of salts of alumina
or alumina and iron, and afterwards recovering the alumina or alumina and iron for
subsequent use.
Since filing the Provisional Specification above referred to I find that my process
is also applicable to the purification of other impure waters than those commonly
designated sewage, and my present Invention consists in the application of salts of
alumina or alumina and iron for the purification of water for domestic, manu-
facturing, and other purposes, and for purifying water after it has been used for
manufactures or for other purposes, or water from inines from all matters contained
in such waters which are capable of being precipitated by salts of alumina or
alumina and iron.
The water to be purified is run into tanks or reservoirs, and I add thereto salts
of alumina or alumina and iron in sufficient quantity to cause all the dissolved and
other impurities contained in the said water which are capable of being acted upon
by the salts of alumina or alumina and iron to be separated from the water and
fall to the bottom of the before named tanks or reservoirs. The aforesaid salts of
alumina or alumina and iron I prefer to use in a liquid form, and they may either
flow into the stream of water on its passage to the before named tanks or reservoirs,
or they may be added when the said tanks or reservoirs are filled with water.
TD
I

page_text: now by pumping, filtration, or in any other convenient manner remove the preci-
pitated matter or magma from the water contained in the aforesaid tanks into a
suitable vessel or vessels, and add thereto sulphuric or other acid. The acid will
then cause all the alumina or alumina and iron to be dissolved, and the resulting
solution of the recovered alumina or alumina and iron I add to a further quantity
of water, as above described, regulated additional quantities of salts of alumina or
alumina and iron, above referred to, being added to make up for any waste of such
salts that may have taken place.
The matter left after the action of the sulphuric or other acid on the magma
pumped or otherwise removed from the tanks aforesaid may be disposed of in any
convenient manner.
The water in the tanks or reservoirs having been deprived of all the preci-
pitated magina is now pure and transparent, and may be used for any desired
purpose.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Peter Spence in the Great Seal Patent Office
27th May 1882.
on the
PETER SPENCE, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Manufacturing
Chemist. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PURIFICATION OF WATER FOR DOMESTIC,
MANUFACTURING, AND OTHER PURPOSES."
In the Specification of Letters Patent granted unto me, No. 4212, and bearing
date September the Twenty ninth, One thousand eight hundred and eighty one, I
describe and claim a process for the purification of sewage by the use of salts of
alumina or alumina and iron, and afterwards recovering the alumina or alumina
and iron for subsequent use. Since filing the Provisional Specification of the
Patent above referred to I find that my process is also applicable to the purification
of other impure waters than those commonly designated sewage, and this my
present Invention consists in the application of salts of alumina or alumina and
iron for the purification of water for domestic, manufacturing, and other purposes,
and for purifying water after it has been used for manufactures or for other purposes,
or water from mines, from all matters coutained in such waters which are capable
of being precipitated by salts of alumina or alumina and iron. The water to be
purified is caused to run into tanks or reservoirs, and I add thereto salts of alumina
or alumina and iron in sufficient quantity to cause all the dissolved and other
impurities contained in the said water which are capable of being acted upon by
the salts of alumina or alumina and iron to be separated from the aforesaid water,
and to fall to the bottom of the before named tanks or reservoirs. The aforesaid
salts of alumina or alumina and iron I prefer to use in a liquid form, and they may
either flow into the stream of water on its passage to the before named tanks or
reservoirs, or they may be added when the said tanks or reservoirs are filled with

page_text: water. I now, by pumping, filtration, or in any other convenient manner, remove
the precipitated matter or magma from the water contained in the above named
tanks or reservoirs into a suitable vessel or vessels, and add thereto sulphuric or
other acid. The acid will then cause all the alumina or alumina and iron to be
dissolved, and the resulting solution of the recovered alumina or alumina and iron
I add to a further quantity of water, as above described, regulated additional
quantities of salts of alumina or alumina and iron above referred to being added to
make up for any waste of such salts that may have taken place. The matter left
after the action of the sulphuric or other acid on the magma pumped or otherwise
removed from the tanks aforesaid may be disposed of in any convenient manner.
The water in the tanks or reservoirs having been deprived of all the precipitated
magma is now pure and transparent, and may be used for any desired purpose.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be understood that I
claim as secured to me under the above in part recited Letters Patent the use of
salts of alumina or alumina and iron for the purification of water for domestic,
manufacturing, and other purposes, substantially as herein before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter Spence, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty sixth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty two.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within named Peter Spence in the
presence of
HOWARD CHEETHAM,
Assistant to W. T. Cheetham,
Patent Agent,
18, St. Ann Street,
Manchester.
PETER SPENCE. (L.S.)