for the Ventilation of Drains or Sewers, the Deodorizing of Sewage, and Disinfecting of Gases.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Oct., 1886.
Complete Left, 5th May, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 7th June, 1887.
for the Ventilation of Drains or Sewers, the Deodorizing of
Sewage, and Disinfecting of Gases.
I, ROBERT HARRIS REEVES, of No. 10 Berners Street Oxford Street London W.
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to construct or arrange an apparatus for containing
and mixing chemicals or other substances or liquids used in the deodorizing of sewage
and the application of the same to openings used for ventilation.
The apparatus is constructed of three or more chambers compartments or separate
cisterns to contain sulphuric acid or any other suitable liquid and the next chamber
manganate of soda or any other suitable substance.
The bottom chamber is used for mixing the contents of the two or more upper
chambers with water in regulated proportions the mixing taking place at the openings
in the drain or sewer which is used for ventilation.
The top chamber or cistern of the apparatus is fitted with a drip tap from which a
regulated quantity of acid or liquid drops through a tube formed in the second
chamber and is received in a small hollow disc or platform formed in the third or
bottom chamber or cistern.
The second chamber is fitted with seives trays or partitions over on or between
which the soda or other substance is placed in a divided form so as to mix more freely
with the water supplied to this cistern, and from the bottom of this cistern up to the
water or liquid level above the soda I form a tube through which the liquid runs and
drops on the small hollow disc with the acid in a divided form but mixing, before it
reaches the liquid in the bottom chamber.
By this arrangement I form a gas or vapour which at this point is given off in the
ventilating shaft and which oxidizes the air entering or leaving the sewer or drain, the
openings for the inlet or outlet of air are,formed in the front and sides of the bottom
chamber.

page_text: The bottom chamber or cistern is formed with an outer and inner rim with a hole
through the centre for ventilation, and which forms a part of the ventilating shaft, the
two rims forming a vessel in which the whole of the chemicals are mixed.
In the centre tube of the bottom cistern or tank I form an overflow so that when
the liquid is properly mixed it drops continiously into the drain or sewer thus
deodorizing the sewage in its transit through them.
At the bottom of the middle cistern I provide a tube or chamber with a tap which
is in connection with the bottom chamber or cistern for the purpose of drawing off
the liquid when the apparatus requires refilling.
The water for mixing the chemicals is supplied to the middle cistern through a pipe
having a regulating tap and the end of the pipe is fitted with a perforated tube or rose
fixed in the bottom or top of the cistern.
In the bottom cistern or compartment when the whole is finally mixed the water is
supplied through a pipe having a nozzle in which the holes or waterway runs in an
oblique direction, this arrangement forms the motive power for mixing the liquid and
keeping it constantly in motion.
When the apparatus is used for deodorizing large quantities of sewage the disc in
the bottom chamber on which the acid drops is kept just below the liquid line and the
soda or other substance which is mixed with the acid is placed in the second chamber
in a ground form or powder the quantity used being regulated by a revolving plate
which is driven by the water which supplies the bottom cistern for mixing the
chemicals.
In fixing these apparatus's on sewers or drains I do not necessarily place one at
every opening used for ventilation but place them in capacity and proportion to the
number of inhabitants living on that section of drainage so treated.
Dead this Dihiranth day f Ontaba 1006

page_text: I ROBERT HARRIS REEVES of Cedardale House, Putney Bridge Road, Putney, in the
county of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
The object of this invention is to construct or arrange an apparatus for containing
chemicals, solid or liquid, for amalgamation or mixing for the generation of a gas
(oxygen) or one of a deodorizing and disinfecting character, said apparatus being
placed over or in proximity to inlet or outlet shafts supplying or extracting air to or
from drains sewers, closets or other places from which gas of an obnoxious character
or nature is usually formed or is likely to rise and otherwise pollute the surrounding
atmosphere, said gases by the use of my invention, being rendered harmless.
The chemicals when mixed throw off a gas which mixes with the vitiated air as it
issues from or enters a ventilating shaft and by adding water to the mixed chemicals,
the action is further excited and the flow is maintained by which not only the air
entering or leaving the sewer is disinfected but by the dropping or scattering of the
overflow down the upcast pipe, sewage or other matter is so treated that decomposition
is prevented during its travel through the sewer to outfall.
For the purpose of my invention according to one arrangement I make an apparatus
in three parts or with three chambers, arranged one above the other.
In the upper chamber, which I term the top cistern, I place sulphuric acid and
provide the lower portion of the chamber with a tap from which the sulphuric acid is
allowed to drip into a tube or channel formed in the side wall of the next lower
chamber but out of contact with the contents. This second chamber has a series of
perforated trays preferably of different sizes and arranged one above the other and
containing manganate of soda, said trays being submerged in the vessel which is
supplied with water for dissolving the soda, said chamber having a syphon or other
pipe within it, so that the strongest part of the liquor can flow up said pipe and down
the other leg into the bottom of the spout, in which the sulphuric acid is permitted to
drip, so that the two liquids drip together into a cupped receiver or disc and produce
a gas by such admixing, this cup being within a third or lower chamber supplied with
water furnished by a side thrust pipe for agitating the same and causing an amalga-
mation of the chemicals which overflow from the cup or disc when the liquor rises to

page_text: a given distance up a check pipe with which the lower chamber is provided it passes
through apertures into the check pipe and trickles down the upcast or ventilating
shaft into the sewer.
I have referred to sulphuric acid and manganate of soda as the chemicals used but
other chemicals or substances having disinfecting properties may be used for the
purpose.
In the apparatus above described the three chambers are superposed in the same
vessel but they may be arranged in different vessels placed side by side so that the two
chemical liquids drip into the same amalgamating cup or disc or the vessels may be at
different parts of a drain or sewer, or alongside a vessel to which water is furnished
so that said water may be first impregnated with the soda liquid and as it flows into
the drain or sewage pipe or a branch thereof, the acid is allowed to drip for creating
the purifying gas which prevents decomposition taking place in the drain or sewer.
Again, the manganate of soda or its equivalent may be first liquified in a tank or
reservoir and by means of a pipe it can be discharged into a drain or sewer so that
only the acid vessel will require to be arranged that the drip therefrom shall fall into
the flowing soda liquor for deodorizing disinfecting purposes.
My invention will be understood by reference to the annexed drawings in which at
Figure 1 I show a man hole A with one of my first described apparatus fitted therein
over a ventilating shaft B leading from a sewer. C is the upper vessel containing the
sulphuric acid or its equivalent. This vessel rests upon a second vessel D in which
trays E are arranged superposed, each tray being divided into cells and contain
manganate of soda, which is dissolved by water flowing into the vessel D from the
pipe F, the impregnated water flowing away by the syphon pipe G into or at the
side of a tube into which the sulphuric acid drops from the tap H, the two liquids
amalgamating in the cup or disc I which is placed in the lower vessel J for the
purpose, a gas being thereby formed which prevents the formation of foul vapours
in drains.
K is a pipe for supplying water to the lower chamber J with which the overflow
from the cup or disc I mixes, the impregnated water being kept agitated by the nozzle
of the pipe K having a side or oblique issue for the purpose. This liquid also throws
off a purifying gas which escapes from all parts of it in the chamber J.
The lower part of the chamber J is provided with a check pipe L and this has holes
in it or a spout or both holes and spout so that the overflow of impregnated liquor
from J passes through the holes and also over the spout or spouts first to trickle
down the inside of the uptake B and the latter spreading the falling liquor down the
interior into the sewage.
The gases issuing from the apertures in the lower vessel J pass out of the manhole
by the grating slots N as shown by the arrows.
P is a dust box for collecting any dust which passes down the grating slots N.
It will be understood that by lifting the vessel C off the vessel D), the trays EE can
be got at for removal or otherwise such as recharging them with a chemical, the water
being drawn off by the pipe Q after shutting off the tap R of the supply pipe F.
Figure 2 shows the adaptation of my three tier apparatus C, D, J fitted over an
ordinary sewer drain, so that the impregnated liquor drops into the flowing sewage for
deodorizing it.
Figures 3 and 4 are section and elevation respectively of an apparatus such as I
prefer when treating large quantities of sewage, the soda trays E being increased in
number for that purpose and instead of the check pipe L being provided with apertures
or a spout 1 allow the impregnated liquid to flow over the lip of said pipe and trickle
down it.
Figure 5 represents a modification of my apparatus fitted to a house or branch
drain, the acid vessel being arranged at the side of the soda vessel so that the liquid
from both vessels fall into the cup I, the overflow from which falls with splashing
effect into the dip or well S.
According to Figure 6 the two vessels are somewhat differently arranged, that is to

page_text: say, the liquor from the soda vessel falls into the grease trap T, say, of a kitchen sink
for impregnating the dirty or impure water therein, and the acid vessel is placed over
the overflow pipe U for generating a gas by its admixture in the manner already
described.
An apparatus arranged somewhat similar to Figures 5 and 6 can be fitted in connec-
tion with an ordinary closet pan or with the D or other trap of same, or with an urinal
or with a ventilating shaft of a closet or urinal for the purpose of destroying noxious
gases therein.
In fixing these apparatuses on sewers or drains I do not necessarily place one at
every opening used for ventilation but place them in capacity and proportion to the
number of inhabitants living on that section of the drainage so treated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The apparatus described with reference to Figures 1, 3, and 4 of the annexed
drawings composed of an acid chamber C, soda chamber E and a gas generating
chamber J superposed and surmounting a ventilating shaft as and for the purposes
described.
2. The apparatus described with reference to Figure 2 of the annexed drawings for
the direct flow of the combined acid and soda liquor into the sewage or foul water
flowing in the drain or sewer for the purpose hereinbefore described.
3. The vertical partitioned apparatus shown at Figure 5 in which the liquid from
the two vessels C, J, fall into a cup common to both or direct into a trap, branch or
main drain or into a sewer or a ventilating shaft from a drain or sewer as herein before
described.
4. The apparatus shown in the annexed drawings composed of separate vessels from
or by which the foul liquid is separately treated substantially as and for the purpose
described.
The 4th day of May 1887.
H. GARDNER,
166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said Robert Harris Reeves.