IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF HUMAN EXCREMENT, BOTH SOLID AND LIQUID, AND IN THE DEODORIZING ORGANIC MATTER, AND IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN PART OF SUCH MEANS AND APPARATUS MAY BE EMPLOYED FOR TREATING SEWAGE MATTER, AND FILTERING AND DEODORIZING SEWAGE AND OTHER WATER
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Bridge Baron Standen, of Bradford, in the County of
"
York, Manufacturing Chemist, for the Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
TREATMENT OF HUMAN EXCREMENT, BOTH SOLID AND LIQUID, AND IN THE
DEODORIZING ORGANIC MATTER, AND IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREIN PART OF SUCH MEANS AND APPARATUS MAY BE EMPLOYED FOR
TREATING SEWAGE MATTER, AND FILTERING AND DEODORIZING SEWAGE AND
OTHER WATER”
Sealed the 19th February 1878, and dated the 6th September 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Bridge Baron Standen at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th September 1877.
BRIDGE BARON STANDEN, of Bradford, in the County of York, Manufacturing
Chemist. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF HUMAN EXCREMENT, BOTH SOLID
AND LIQUID, AND IN THE DEODORIZING ORGANIC MATTER, AND IN THE MEANS OR
APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN; PART OF SUCH MEANS AND APPARATUS MAY BE
EMPLOYED FOR TREATING SEWAGE MATTER, AND FILTERING AND DEODORIZING
SEWAGE AND OTHER WATER."
This Invention relates to the conversion of waste excrementitious and other like
matters, such as night soil and sewage, into a portable substance, free from offensive
odour, and valuable as a manure.
Also in the prevention of noisome effluvia or exhalations from collections of such
matter, and in the filtering of the liquid, sewage, and other water, the process being
divided into four parts.
Firstly. The modification of privies and closets.
Secondly. The collection of night soil, ashes, and other organic matters.
Thirdly. The manufacture of manure.
And, Fourthly. The filtration.

page_text: which consist in separating the ashes and kitchen refuse from the excrementitious
matter, boxes or receivers are provided, one for the dry ashes and the other for
vegetable and other refuse generally found in ash-pits. The ordinary privy seat is
fitted with hinges to lift up from the front, and a permanent wooden receiver is
placed beneath; both ash-pits and receivers are emptied by men kept for the
ригрове.
A row or double row of houses may be constructed with drain pipes fitted on the
side or underneath the wooden receivers; the drain pipes carry the excrementitious
matter to a well formed outside the buildings; this well is fitted with a wooden
receiver, in which is placed filtering material; the bottom of the box is made with
holes or gratings, allowing any liquid to pass into the main drain; one well will
answer for a row of houses, which can be often emptied; a cast-iron frame and
cover is fitted on the top of the well, and level with the street.
I also construct privies or closets with hinged levers, allowing the seat to be
slightly depressed and the back raised; under the seat are fitted four plates, and,
when not in use, the lower edges of the plates incline towards and rest against each
other, closing the lower part of the pan from view; and by the depression of the
front part of the seat in use the plates or pan opens for a free passage, and the
ejectments fall into a receiver placed below.
The
The asb-pits, privies, closets, and wells are frequently deodorized by disinfectants,
removing instantly any effluvia, and all noxious gases are chemically fixed and
prevented from rising, preventing any exposure in any part of the operations, and
annoyance to inhabitants or nuisance in the manufacture of the manure.
disinfectant is composed of crystal sodas, petroline, or by-product of gas water,
essence of ellabore root, essence of quassia, essence of wormwood, and essence of
horehound, which are chemically prepared and made into a powder. A few ounces
of the disinfecting powder upon a collection of moist decaying matter in ash-pits
will suppress all unpleasant smell, and prevent gases escaping into the atmosphere,
and may be advantageously used in public urinals, sumps, and for other purposes.
Secondly. The excrementitious matter and ashes are collected at stated times by
men, and are conveyed by covered carts in vessels resembling milk cans to the
manufactory of manure; this collection is effected with as much ease and convenience
as ashes are at present collected, without being exposed or offensive.
Thirdly. The contents of the collecting vessels, on entering the manure manufac-
turing building, are passed through a kind of sieve to remove paper and other
foreign matters in bulk; and the matters pass from the sieve into a large closed
tank, and are allowed to remain long enough to be reduced to a liquid pulp, and in
this state is pumped into a neutralizing tank, in which work revolving beaters; the
matters are then acted upon by sulphuric acid until, by the use of the ordinary
tests, a neutral state is obtained, and the ammonia and phosphoric acid fixed. The
product obtained is in a liquid form, and is then discharged through a pipe or pipes
into evaporating steam retorts constructed with jacketed sides forming steam
chambers; the tops of the retorts are not jacketed, and form vapour chambers.
Three or more sets of retorts are employed, and the matters in a neutral state are
first acted on by steam in the first retort, and then passed into the second, and
afterwards into the third retort, when more evaporation takes place; the compound,
now in the form of a black paste, almost devoid of any smell, is at intervals cleared
out, and subjected to "baking" by being placed on shallow trays fixed in a heated
oven (by preference by steam), and from whence it is turned out in small lumps,
and then taken to a grinding mill, and reduced to a fine brown powder ready
for use.
The noxious vapours formed in the vapour chambers are conveyed through pipes
fitted in the retort covers to a cooling tank, in which cold water is kept. The
pipes conveying the vapours are connected to bent pipes fitted in the tank forming
a still. The discharge pipes from the tank are made taper the length of the tank,
and join pipes conveying the condensed vapours to a drain, or through a filter fixed

page_text: outside the building. A small pipe is fitted at the end of the tank, and connected
to the condensed vapour discharge pipe to carry off the condensed vapours and
prevent back pressure; this pipe also allows the discharging of the water in the
tank when it gets heated, allowing of a fresh supply of cold water.
Fourthly. The filtration of the condensed vapours is effected by passing through
charcoal, sand, pebbles, and coke, or through carbon only. The filtering material is
placed in a wooden cistern, having fitted in the bottom a series of planks, leaving
small spaces between the planks for the passage of the filtered condensed vapours,
which are purified and perfectly clear, and can be used for feeding the boilers, or for
other purposes.
This filter can be employed for filtering sewage or coloured dye water. I construct
this filter with a large wooden cistern having two wooden partitions forming three
distinct filters, which are lined, as herein-before described, and made with a series of
wooden planks in the bottom, leaving about one-inch spaces for the discharge of the
filtered water. At the bottom and on the side of each filter is made a tapered
spout, which discharges the filtered water into a trough fitted under the spouts,
discharging the filtered water into any desired receiver. Over and above the tops
of the filters is fitted a trough, in which falls the water to be filtered, which may
be pumped up, or otherwise made to run through a discharge pipe which is fitted
with a tap or cock. The top trough is fitted with three pipes, having taps or cocks,
allowing of the shutting off of any one of the filters for the purpose of cleaning, or
only working one or two if required.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Bridge Baron Standen in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th
March 1878.
BRIDGE BARON STANDEN, of Bradford, in the County of York, Manufacturing
Chemist. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF HUMAN EXCREMENT, BOTH SOLID
AND LIQUID, AND IN THE DEODORIZING ORGANIC MATTER, AND IN THE MEANS OR
APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN; PART OF SUCH MEANS AND APPARATUS MAY BE
EMPLOYED FOR TREATING SEWAGE MATTER, AND FILTERING AND DEODORIZING
SEWAGE AND OTHER WATER."
The said Invention relates to the conversion of waste excrementitious and other
like matters, such as night soil and sewage, into a portable substance, free from
offensive odour, and valuable as a manure.
Also in the prevention of noisome effluvia or exhalations from collections of such
matter, and in the filtering of the liquid, sewage, and other water, the process being
divided into four parts.
Firstly. The modification of privies and closets.
Secondly. The collection of night soil, ashes, and other organic matter.
Thirdly. The manufacture of manure.
And, Fourthly. The filtration.
Firstly. Some modification of the existing privies and ash-pits being required,
which consists in separating the ashes and kitchen refuse from the excrementitious
matter, boxes or receivers are provided, one for the dry ashes and the other for
vegetables and similar matters generally found in ash-pits. The ordinary privy seat
is fitted with hinges to lift up from the front, and a permanent wooden or metal
receiver is placed beneath; both ash-pits and receivers are emptied by men kept for
the purpose.
A row or double row of houses may be constructed with drain pipes fitted on the side
or underneath the closets; the drain pipes carry the excrementitious matter to a well
formed outside the buildings; this well is fitted with a wooden receiver in which is
placed filtering material; the bottom of the box is made with holes or gratings, allowing
any liquid to pass into the main drain; one well will answer for a row of houses, which
can be often emptied; a cast-iron frame and cover is fitted on the top of the well,
and level with the street.
I also construct privies or closets with hinged levers, allowing the seat to be
slightly depressed and the back raised; under the seat are fitted four plates, and,
when not in use, the lower edges of the plates incline towards and rest against each
other, closing the lower part of the pan from view; and by the depression of the front
part of the seat in use the plates or pan open or opens for a free passage, and the
ejectments fall into a receiver placed below.
The ash-pits, privies, closets, and wells are frequently deodorized by disinfectants,
removing instantly any effluvia, and all noxious gases are chemically fixed and
prevented from rising, preventing any exposure in any part of the operations, and
annoyance to inhabitants or nuisance in the manufacture of the manure. The
disinfectant is composed of crystal sodas, petroline, or bye-product of gas water,
essence of hellebore root, essence of quassia, essence of wormwood, and essence of
horehound, which are chemically prepared and made into a powder. A few ounces of
the disinfecting powder upon a collection of moist decaying matter in ash-pits will
suppress all unpleasant smell, and prevent gases escaping into the atmosphere, and
may be advantageously used in public urinals, sumps, and for other purposes.
Secondly. The excrementitious matter and ashes are collected at stated times by
men, and are conveyed by means of covered carts in vessels resembling milk cans
to the manufactory of manure; this collection is effected with as much ease and
covenience as ashes are at present collected, without being exposed or offensive.
Thirdly. The contents of the collecting vessels, on entering the manure manufacturing

page_text: building, are passed through a kind of sieve to remove paper and other foreign
matter in bulk; and the matters pass from the sieve in a large closed tank,
and are allowed to remain long enough to be reduced to a liquid pulp, and
in this state it is pumped into a neutralizing tank, in which work revolving
beaters; the matters are then acted upon by sulphuric acid until, by the use of the
ordinary tests, a neutral state is obtained, and the ammonia and phosphoric acid
fixed. The product obtained is in a liquid form, and is then discharged through a
pipe or pipes into evaporating steam retorts constructed with jacketed bottoms
forming steam chambers, the top of the retorts not being jacketed form vapour
chambers. Three or more sets of retorts are employed, and the matters in
neutral state are acted on by steam; the compound now in the form of a black paste
almost devoid of any smell, is at intervals cleared out and subjected to "baking" by
being placed on shallow trays fixed in a heated oven (by preference by steam), and
from whence it is turned out in small lumps, and then taken to a grinding mill and
reduced to a fine brown powder ready for use.
The noxious vapours formed in the vapour chambers are conveyed through pipes
fitted in the retort covers to a cooling tank in which cold water is kept. The pipes
conveying the vapours are connected to bent pipes fitted in the tank forming a still.
The discharge pipes from the tank are made taper the length of the tank, and join
pipes conveying the condensed vapours to a drain or through a fitter fixed outside
the building. A small pipe is fitted at the end of the tank and connected to the
condensed vapour discharge pipe to carry off the condensed vapours and prevent
back pressure; this pipe also allows the discharging of the water in the tank when it
gets heated, allowing of a fresh supply of cold water.
Fourthly. The filtration of the condensed vapours is effected by passing through
charcoal, sand, pebbles, and coke, or through carbon only. The filtering material is
placed in a wooden cistern, having fitted in the bottom a series of planks, leaving
small spaces between the planks for the passage of the filtered condensed vapours,
which are purified and perfectly clear, and can be used for feeding the boilers or other
purposes.
This filter can be employed for filtering sewage or colored dye water. I con-
struct this filter with a large wooden cistern, having two wooden partitions
forming three distinct filters, which are lined, as herein-before described, and made
with a series of wooden planks in the bottom, leaving about one-inch spaces for
the discharge of the filtered water. At the bottom and on the side of each fitter
is made a tapered spout, which discharges the filtered water into a trough fitted
under the spouts, discharging the filtered water into any desired receiver. Over
and above the tops of the filters is fitted a trough, into which falls the water to be
filtered, which may be pumped up or otherwise made to run through a discharge
pipe which is fitted with a tap or cock. The top trough is fitted with three pipes,
having taps or cocks, allowing of the shutting off of any one of the filters for the
purpose of cleaning, or only working one or two if required.
But in order to enable my improvements to be better understood, I will proceed
to more particularly describe the same, by reference to the accompanying Drawings,
in which,―
Figure 1, Sheet 1, represents a sectional front elevation of a building with
manure manufacturing apparatus; Figure 2, side elevation; and Figure 3, plan of
the same.
Figure 4 represents a sectional elevation of a still to condense the vapours dis-
charged from the evaporating pans or retorts.
Figure 5 represents a sectional elevation of a filtering well.
Figure 6 represents a plan of a double row of houses with drain pipes to carry
the excrementitious matter from the closets to a well.
Figure 7, Sheet 2, represents a sectional side elevation of a filter; Figure 8.
sectional front elevation; and Figure 9, plan of the same.
Similar letters of reference are used to represent similar parts.
In Figure 6, A is a plan of double row of houses, having drain pipes B, which
are fitted on the side or underneath the privies; these pipes carry the excremen-

page_text: titious matter to a well C (Figure 5). The well is fitted with a wooden receiver D,
in which is placed filtering material composed of carbon F, sand G, and pebbles or
coke H. The bottom I of the receiver Ď is made with holes or gratings J for the
passage of any liquid to the main drain, leaving the excrementitious matter on the
top of the filtering material, which is frequently "deodorized" by the disinfectants
herein-before named, which remove any effluvia and noxious gases.
The well can be emptied every morning by men employed for that purpose, who,
after removal, throw in a few ounces of disinfectant into the receiver D to suppress
unpleasant smells and prevent noxious gases escaping into the atmosphere. The
top of the well is fitted with a cast-iron frame K and cover L, the top of the cover
being level with the street.
The contents of the collecting vessels, on entering the manure works, are passed
through a kind of sieve to remove paper and other foreign matter in bulk; the
matter is then put in a cistern M placed in the ground. The cistern is made with
tight-fitting covers, and an opening with hinged lid made to shoot in the matter.
The cistern and contents is often "deodorized" with the disinfectant to remove any
effluvia and noxious gases. The matter is allowed to remain long enough in the
cistern to be reduced to a liquid pulp, which is then pumped up into a neutralizing
tank N. In the tank are fitted beaters O, which are kept revolving by a belt and
pullies. In the tank is placed sulphuric acid, which is mixed with the matters, and
the beaters kept working, until by the use of the ordinary tests, a neutral state is
obtained, and the ammonia and phosphoric acid is fixed; the disinfectant is also
used in this operation.
The product obtained in the neutralizing, which is in a liquid form, is then
passed into the evaporating pan or pans S, by opening a valve or sluice fitted in
branch pipes P, fixed to the bottom of the tank N; the liquid matter is carried
along the pipes Q to the pipes R. These pipes are fitted with valves or sluices, and
allow of the working of all the tanks or the shutting off of any one or more when
the evaporation is complete.
The liquid product is discharged into the pans S, which are constructed with
jacketed bottoms, forming steam chambers. The sides are lined with copper, and
have openings T fitted with hermetically closing doors similar in construction to
gas retort doors, and on the sides are fitted gauge glasses U to indicate when a
sufficient quantity of the liquid matter is passed into the pans. Man-holes and
covers V are fitted on the top of the pans to allow of cleaning them out when
required. Steam is admitted into the steam chambered bottoms of the pans, and
the steam kept acting until the necessary evaporation has taken place; the steam
is then shut off. At the back of the pans, and in chambered bottoms, are fitted taps
and pipes to remove the condensed steam.
The vapours and steam arising from the evaporation of the liquid matter pass
through pipes W fitted on the top of the pans, and are conveyed to a still or condenser X
constructed with a tank Y, in which cold water is kept. The vapours and steam
pass from the pipes W into the bent pipes Z of the still, and get condensed. The
condensed vapours and steam pass into discharge pipes A' made taper; and to prevent
back pressure, a small pipe B is fitted on the side of the tank Y, and connected
with the pipes A¹. A tap is fitted to the pipe B¹; this allows of discharging the
water in the tank, and the receiving of fresh cold water preventing the heating of
the water. The condensed fluid is carried through the pipes G' to condensed water
cistern D', or to a filter herein-after described.
The evaporation of the liquid from the liquid matter being completed, there
remains in the pans a black or brownish paste, almost devoid of smell, which is
removed and thrown in a pulp tank E¹, and at intervals removed and placed on
trays, which are placed in an oven F¹ heated by steam, or the oven may be heated
by fire. The paste when baked is removed in small lumps, and then taken to a
grinding mill and reduced to a fine brown powder ready for use; should any
noxious vapours arise in the oven, they are carried away through pipes Q to the
cistern D'.

page_text: The filter, Figures 7, 8, and 9, Sheet 2, for the condensed vapours and steam
coming from the tanks, is constructed with only one cistern, and with no top
trough.
The condensed fluid, which is clear and devoid of smell, can be used for the steam
boilers and other purposes. But for filtering sewage or colored dye water, I con-
struct the filter with partitions H', forming three filters I, J, and K¹. The cisterns
are made of wood, and in the bottom are fitted planks L', leaving spaces M' for the
filtered water to pass. On the sides of the filters are formed or made spouts N¹,
which discharge the filtered water into a trough O', from whence it runs in a tank
to be pumped into the boiler or removed for other purposes. Over the filters is
fixed a trough P¹, in which is discharged the sewage or colored dye water. Taps Q¹
are fitted underneath the trough, allowing of the shutting off the discharge of the
water to any of the filters for cleaning out or repairs; the filters are lined as herein-
before described, and to subdue the acids and remove other matters that may be
contained in sewage, colored water, or any foul water, we employ a tank or cistern,
through which the fluids first pass before being discharged in the filter or filters.
In the tank or cistern we place from time to time either barytes, strontia, potassium,
or caustic soda, which precipitate acids and foul matter, which is from time to time
removed from the tank or cistern.
Having thus described my improvements, and the best means I am acquainted
with for carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that I do not
claim part of the operations herein described, as they form part of other Patents
granted to me, nor do I confine myself to the precise details herein shewn and
described, as they may be varied without departing from the peculiar character
of my Invention, but what I do claim is, the general arrangement, construction,
and employment of apparatus for the conversion of waste excrementitious and
other like matter into a portable substance, free from offensive odour, and valuable
as a manure, substantially as and for the purpose herein-before described and
represented in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Bridge Baron Standen, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourth of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-eight.
Witness,
WALTER JAS. TURNER, C.E,
Patent Agent,
Bradford.
BRIDGE BARON STANDEN. (LS.)