IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF SEWAGE, AND IN THE PRODUCTION OF MANURES
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Forbes, Consulting Engineer, of York
Place, Portman Square, and Astley Paston Price, Consulting
Chemist, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, both in the County of Middle-
sex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF SEWAGE,
AND IN THE PRODUCTION OF MANURES
"
Scaled the 14th October 1870, and dated the 19th April 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Forbes and
Astley Paston Price at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 19th April 1870.
We, DAVID FORBES, Consulting Engineer, of York Place, Portman
Square, and ASTLEY PASTON PRICE, Consulting Chemist, of 47, Lincoln's
Inn Fields, both in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of our said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF
SEWAGE, AND IN THE PRODUCTION OF MANURES," to be as follows :—
This Invention relates to the application and use of natural phosphates
of alumina, such, for example, as those which occur in the West Indian
and other islands, and which products are known in commerce as Redonda

page_text: guano, or as guano from Mason's Island, or otherwise, and consists in,
firstly, subjecting such before-mentioned natural phosphates of alumina
to the action of hydrochloric acid either alone or in conjunction with
sulphuric acid, and the employment of the product thus obtained either
alone or in conjunction with a base, such, for example, as lime for the
treatment of sewage, in order that certain constituents of the same
may be thereby removed, and be rendered available as a manure for
agricultural purposes.
This Invention further consists in subjecting such natural phosphates
of alumina as herein-before referred to to a preliminary treatment with
hydrochloric acid, so as to remove certain impurities, such, for example,
as carbonate of lime, and then subjecting the residuum to the action of
sulphuric acid in the manner and for the purposes described in the
Provisional Specification filed by us in the Office of the Commissioners
of Patents on the Second day of March last, and numbered 607.
This Invention further relates to the employment of certain deodorising
agents, such, for example, as animal or vegetable charcoal for the
treatment of sewage in conjunction with the products derived from the
natural phosphates of alumina after having been treated as before
mentioned.
The proportions in which the deodorising agents are to be employed
will depend upon the degree of deodorization it is desired to obtain and
the condition of the sewage under treatment. A quantity equal to from
about twenty to fifty per cent. by weight of the natural phosphate of
alumina originally employed will give good results, but we do not limit
ourselves to these proportions.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said David Forbes and Astley Paston Price in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 19th October 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, DAVID 30
FORBES, Consulting Engineer, of York Place, Portman Square, and
ASTLEY PASTON PRICE, Consulting Chemist, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields,
both in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of April, in the year of 3

page_text: our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-third
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto us, the said David Forbes and Astley Paston Price, Her
special license that we, the said David Forbes and Astley Paston Price,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
David Forbes and Astley Paston Price, our executors, administrators, or
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 TREATMENT OF SEWAGE, AND IN THE.
PRODUCTION OF MANURES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we,.
the said David Forbes and Astley Paston Price, our executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals,.
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was 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 David Forbes. and Astley Paston
Price, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Our said Invention relates, firstly, to the application and use of natural
phosphates of alumina, such, for example, as those which occur in the
West Indian and other islands, and which products are known in com-
merce as Redonda guano or as guano from Mason's Island or otherwise,
and consists, firstly, in subjecting such before mentioned natural phosphates
of alumina to the action of hydrochloric acid either alone or in con-
|junction with sulphuric acid, and the employment of the product thus
obtained either alone or in conjunction with a base such, for example,
as lime, for the treatment of sewage in order that certain constituents
of the same may be thereby removed and be rendered avaliable as a
manure for agricultural purposes.
In carrying out this first part of our Invention we firstly submit to.
the action of hydrochloric acid or a mixture of hydrochloric and
sulphuric acids, the natural phosphates of alumina, which phosphates.
of alumina are capable of being decomposed and rendered soluble by the
employment of such acid or acids. Having converted the phosphates

page_text: into a soluble condition, or having obtained a solution of the phosphates
of alumina they may either be employed in their concentrated form, or
a solution of the same may be diluted with water, and they are then
in a fit and proper condition to be employed for the treatment of sewage.
Whilst the sewage is contained in a cistern or reservoir or whilst it is
in the act of flowing thereinto the requisite proportion of the soluble
phosphates of alumina is to be added thereto, and after thorough
admixture with the sewage by the use of agitators or other well known
means, the sewage so treated may be allowed to remain tranquil in the
reservoir, in order that subsidence of the resulting precipitate may be
cffected, or after having added to the sewage the requisite amount of
the soluble phosphates of alumina a base, such as lime or carbonate of.
lime (by preference milk of lime), is to be added in such quantity
as that the phosphates in solution shall be precipitated. This result
will be known by the sewage acquiring a neutral or alkaline reaction,
or the lime may be firstly added, and the solution of the phosphates
of alumina added subsequently, but we prefer the former process, or the
soluble phosphates of alumina may be firstly decomposed by means of
a base such as lime or carbonate of lime, and the resulting precipitate
may be employed for the purpose of effecting the separation of certain

page_text: two parts by weight of the soluble phosphates of alumina to every one
thousand parts by weight of sewage treated, but we do not limit ourselves
to such proportions.
This Invention consists, secondly, in subjecting such natural phosphates
of alumina as are herein-before referred to, to a preliminary treatment
with hydrochloric acid so as to remove certain impurities, such, for
example, as carbonate of lime, and then subjecting the residuum to the
action of sulphuric acid in the manner and for the purposes described in
the Specification of Letters Patent granted to us and bearing date the
Second March One thousand eight hundred and seventy, No. 607.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of
our said Invention and the manner in which the same is or may be
used or carried into effect we would observe in conclusion that what we
consider to be novel and original and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to us by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent
is,―
First. The use of the natural phosphates of alumina for the treatment
of sewage and for the production of manure, by firstly submitting the
natural phosphates of alumina to the action of hydrochloric acid or
mixtures of hydrochloric and sulphuric acids, and the employment of
such resulting products either alone or in conjunction with a base, such
as lime or carbonate of lime, for the treatment of sewage, substantially
in the manner herein-before described.
Second. The subjecting of the herein-before mentioned natural phos-
phates of alumina to a preliminary treatment with hydrochloric acid for
the purposes herein-before mentioned.
In witness whereof, we, the said David Forbes and Astley Paston
Price, have to this our Specification set our hands and seals,
the Nineteenth day of October One thousand eight hundred and
seventy.