IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING SEWAGE AND OTHER FOUL LIQUIDS FOR THE ECONOMICAL REMOVAL AND UTILISATION OF SOLUBLE AND SUSPENDED IMPURITIES CONTAINED THEREIN, AND IN APPA- RATUS FOR THE SAME.
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Robey, of the City of Manchester, Sugar
Refiner, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING SEWAGE
AND OTHER FOUL LIQUIDS FOR THE ECONOMICAL REMOVAL AND UTILISATION
OF SOLUBLE AND SUSPENDED IMPURITIES CONTAINED THEREIN, AND IN APPA-
RATUS FOR THE SAME.
"8
Jealed the 23rd January 1874, and dated the 25th July 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Robey at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
25th July 1873.
I, JAMES ROBEY, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Sugar
Refiner, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN TREATING SEWAGE AND OTHER FOUL LIQUIDS FOR THE ECONOMICAL
REMOVAL AND UTILISATION OF SOLUBLE AND SUSPENDED IMPURITIES CONTAINED
THEREIN, AND IN APPARATUS FOR THE SAME," to be as follows :-
The object of this Invention is to treat sewage by a combined system
of precipitation and filtration in order to remove and utilise the soluble
and suspended impurities contained therein, and thus allow the liquid

page_text: portion or effluent water to flow away in a sufficient state of purity to
enter rivers, or to be used for manufacturing purposes.
Now this Invention consists in taking raw peat (by preference well
rotted, and as free from mineral impurities as possible), and macerating
the same with water to a fluid consistency by suitable machinery, and
allowing a portion of such mixture to flow into the sewage and to be
thoroughly mixed therewith.
The proportion I find useful is from about 75 to 150 grains to the
gallon, varying the quantity according to the impurities in the sewage,
and using either less or more according to circumstances. I then add
sufficient of any of the well-known sewage precipitants or flocculating
agents, such as perchloride of iron, sulphate of alumina, waste alum
sludges, or chloride of alumina; but I prefer perchloride of iron until
a coagulation or flocculation of the soluble organic matters in the
sewage and of the rotted peat has taken place, when I allow the
mixture to flow into a tank fitted with upright filtering frames of
any convenient shape, and made by preference of bamboo or cane,
and covered with any suitable textile filtering material having a per-
ferated tube or tubes fitted into the bottom of each of such frames
to allow the filtered liquid to escape from the interior of such frames
into a channel leading to a charcoal filtering bed herein-after described.
Immediately the sewage so treated flows into the above tank and
amongst the upright filtering frames, a process of both precipitation
and filtration commences. Owing to the porous loose flocculent nature
of the peat, especially after coagulation by any of the chemical pre-
cipitants aforementioned, the filtration through it is easy and rapid,
very differant to what it would be through the slimy coagulations
of sewage organic matters only, and consequently an effluent water
is delivered perfectly bright and clean, and totally free from suspended
impurities. This effluent water now passes into beds of charcoal
prepared from street sweepings in accordance with a Specification of
a former Patent granted to me and George Frederick Chantrell, No.
957, A.D. 1873, or of any other suitable charcoal; and which beds
of charcoal I prefer to use on the oxidising plan, having a sufficient
number of them in use to allow 12 to 24 hours oxidation, by which
means, owing to the previous removal of all suspended matters in
the effluent, this oxidising process is very effective in removing the
soluble impurities still contained in such effluent, and the charcoal
-

page_text: beds never can choke or become impervious to the liquid. The sewage
is allowed to flow into this combined precipitating and filtering tank,
herein-before mentioned, until such tank becomes full of the inter-
cepted solids of the treated sewage, which consist mostly of the added
peat. Owing to the immense area of filtering surface so presented
to the sewage, such surfaces only become choked or impervious about as
fast as the impurities are deposited among the upright filtering frames
in a semi-solid form, and then, owing to the porous open nature of
the coagulated peat, a drainage still continues which deprives the
sludge of most of its water. The sludges ordinarily deposited in pre-
cipitating processes contain nine parts water to one of solids. When
at last this combined precipitating and filtering tank becomes quite
full of semi-solid sewage impurities, I cease to allow any more sewage
to flow in, but divert the stream to other tanks similarly arranged and
leave the whole mass of the wet solid sludge to drain slowly until
a concentrated sludge is obtained only containing about 70 or 80 per
cent. of moisture, and of such a consistency as to be now capable of
being converted into bricks by suitable machinery, and dried in the
open air under sheds.
By the foregoing process I not only secure an amazinly rapid removal
of suspended impurities from the sewage, and upon an extremely small
area of land, but I obtained more valuable sludge when dried than has
hitherto been accomplished, for owing to the admixture with peat of
what fertilising matters the sewage contains I secure a good manure;
or such sludge if heated to redness in closed vessels will be converted
into a good charcoal suitable for fuel, and for deodorising purposes.
The above process is also so rapid that combined with the well-
known preserving action of peat no nuisance is created during the
drying or draining of the sludge, a process hitherto attended with much.
unwholesome effluvia.
It will thus be observed that the processes of precipitation, filtration,
and concentration of the sludge are performed simultaneously according
to this Invention, and in one and the same tank, so economising time
and space; and it will also be apparent that this Invention is equally
useful for treating other foul liquids besides the sewage herein-before
particularly mentioned.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Robey in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 24th January 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
ROBEY, of the City of Manchester, Sugar Refiner, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in 'the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said James Robey, Her special licence.
that I, the said James Robey, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said James Robey, my 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 TREATING SEWAGE
AND OTHER FOUL LIQUIDS FOR THE ECONOMICAL REMOVAL AND UTILISATION OF
SOLUBLE AND SUSPENDED IMPURITIES CONTAINED THEREIN, AND IN APPARATUS FOR
THE SAME," upon the condition, amongst others, that I, the said James
Robey, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, 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 I, the said James Robey, do hereby declare
the nature of the 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 treat sewage and other foul liquids
by a combined system of precipitation and filtration in order to remove
and utilise the soluble and suspended impurities contained therein,
and thus allow the liquid portion or effluent water to flow away in a
sufficient state of purity to enter rivers, or to be used for manufacturing
purposes.

page_text: Now this Invention consists in taking raw peat, by preference well
rotted, and as free from mineral impurities as possible, and macerating
the same with water to a fluid consistency by suitable machinery, such
as a mortar mill, and allowing a portion of such mixture to flow into
the sewage and to be thoroughly mixed therewith.
The proportion I find useful is from about 75 to 150 grains to the
gallon, varying the quantity according to the impurities in the sewage,
and using either. less or more according to circumstances. I then add
sufficient of any of the well-known sewage precipitants or floculating
agents, such as perchloride of iron, sulphate of alumina, waste alum-
sludges, or chloride of alumina; but I prefer perchloride of iron, until
a coagulation or flocculation of the soluble organic matters in the
sewage and of the rotted peat has taken place, when I allow the
mixture to flow into a tank fitted with upright filtering frames of
any convenient shape, and made by preference of bamboo or cane,
and covered with any suitable textile filtering material having a per-
forated tube or tubes fitted into the bottom of each of such frames
to allow the filtered liquid to escape from the interior of such frames.
into a channel leading to a charcoal filtering bed herein-after described..
Immediately the sewage so treated flows into the above tank and
amongst the upright filtering frames, a process of both precipitation
and filtration commences. Owing to the porous loose flocculent nature
of the peat, especially after coagulation by any of the chemical pre-
cipitants aforementioned, the filtration through it is easy and rapid,
very different to what it would be through the slimy coagulations
of sewage organic matters only, and consequently an effluent water
is delivered perfectly bright and clear, and totally free from suspended
impurities. This effluent water now passes into beds of charcoal
prepared from street sweepings, in accordance with a Specification of
a former Patent granted to me and George Frederick Chantrell, No.
957, A.D. 1873, or of any other suitable charcoal; and which beds
of charcoal I prefer to use on the oxidising plan, having a sufficient
number of them in use to allow 12 to 24 hours oxidation, by which
means, owing to the previous removal of all suspended matters in
the effluent, the soluble impurities still contained in such effluent are
very effectively removed, and the charcoal beds can never choke or
become impervious to the liquid. The sewage is allowed to flow into
this combined precipitating and filtering tank until it becomes full of

page_text: the intercepted solids of the treated sewage, which consist mostly of
the added peat. Owing to the immense area of filtering surface so
presented to the sewage, such surfaces only become choked or imper-
vious about as fast as the impurities are deposited among the upright
filtering frames in a semi-solid form, and then, owing to the porous
open nature of the coagulated peat a drainage still continues which
deprives of the sludge of most of its water. The sludges ordinarily
deposited in precipitating processes contain nine parts water to one
of solids. When at last this combined precipitating and filtering tank
becomes quite full of semi-solid sewage impurities I cease to allow
any more sewage to flow in, but divert the stream to other tanks
similarly arranged, and leave the whole mass of the wet solid sludge
to drain slowly until a concentrated sludge is obtained only containing
about 70 or 80 per cent. of moisture, and of such a consistency as to be
now capable of being converted into bricks by suitable machinery, and
dried in the open air under sheds.
In order that this my said Invention may be the more readily seen
and understood, I have hereunto annexed a Drawing illustrating my
improved method of precipitating and filtering in one and the same
tank.
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a tank fitted with a series
of my filtering frames.
Fig. 2 is a front view, and Fig. 3, a side or edge view (both drawn
to a scale of about one inch to the foot) of one of my filtering frames
shewn removed from the tank, and Fig. 4 is a plan of Fig. 2 through
the line a, b.
Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of one of the perforated or slotted tubes
of my filtering frames shewing more clearly the method adopted for
connecting the same with the pipes which carry off the clear effluent
water from the interior of the filtering frames.
In all the views the same letters of reference are used to denote
similar parts.
A is the tank or basin constructed of or lined with stone or brick-
work; B is a channel which conveys the sewage after being mixed
and thoroughly incorporated with the raw peat and precipitating agents,
as before mentioned, and permits the mixture to enter the tank by

page_text: overflowing, its lower edge C, which is so arranged in height that
the liquid flows over the entire length of the channel simultaneously
and gradually, and thus obviates any tendency to disturb the filtering
frames D, herein-after described, or to stir up the solid contents of the
tank, which would occur if the liquid was introduced in a volume or large
quantity at any particular place. The filtering frames Dare by preference
constructed of bamboo. or cane, wicker or basket work, between the two
sides of which the metallic tubes E are interwoven, and thus secured
firmly to such frames, whilst the sides of such wickerwork are prevented
collapsing or approaching too near together by working in between
them the short thick pieces of bamboo or cane F. These filtering
frames are covered on the outside with any suitable woven fabric,
such as the treble-twilled cloth of which sugar refiners' filtering bags
are made; but the lower ends of the metallic tubes E are allowed
to protrude, and at their lower extremities are provided with male
sockets G which fit into and thus make a water-tight joint with the
female sockets H upon the pipes I which are disposed beneath the
bottom of the tank, as illustrated. The filtering frames D are thus held
in a vertical position in the tank A, and when the liquid has filtered
from outside to inside of such filtering frames through the woven
fabric and has thus entered the interior of such frames, it is allowed
to escape into the pipes I by the metallic tubes E, which are either
perforated for the purpose inside the frames, or constructed with long
side slots J, as seen more clearly in Fig. 5; the pipes I then convey
the filtered liquid to any desired position to be further treated on the
oxidising charcoal system herein-before described, or to be used in any
other desired manner.
The action of this combined precipitating, filtering, and sludge
draining tank may be described as follows:-Immediately the sewage,
mixed with the rotted peat and flocculating or precipitating agents,
has entered the tank the action of precipitation and filtration com-
mences, the clear liquid finding its way into the interior of the filtering
frames D, and thus escaping through the tubes E and pipes I, and
the solid matter precipitating itself at the bottom of the tank; this
combined operation continues until the filtering frames become sluggish
in their action, when the sewage may be diverted to another tank, and
the sludge in the first-mentioned tank will then continue to drain. itself
until a sufficient degree of solidity or consistency has been reached,

page_text: when such sludge may be removed by lifting out the filtering frames,
the female sockets being meanwhile plugged up to prevent the sludge
getting into the pipes I.
It should be here observed that whilst I prefer the flat and upright
form of filtering frame, shewn on the Drawing, which possesses many
advantages, such as presenting a large filtering surface in small compass,
and facility for removal from the tank, being in a handy form, still
I do not confine myself either to the form or position of such frames,
as the same may be varied without departing from the Invention.
It will also be apparent that by the foregoing method I not only
secure an amazingly rapid removal of suspended impurities from the
sewage, and upon an extremely small area of land, but I obtain a more
valuable sludge when dried than has hitherto been accomplished, for
owing to the admixture with peat of what fertilising matters the sewage
.contains I secure a good manure; or such sludge may be dried and
used as fuel, or if heated to redness in closed vessels will be converted
into a good charcoal suitable for fuel and for deodorising purposes.
My process of treating sewage is also so rapid that combined with
the well-known preserving action of peat no nuisance is created during
the drying or draining of the sludge, a process hitherto attended with
much unwholesome, effluvia.
It will be further observed that as the processes of precipitation,
filtration, and concentration of the sludge are performed simultaneously
according to this Invention, and in one and the same tank, that time
and space are considerably economised, and although not mentioned
particularly it will be readily apparent that other foul liquids besides
sewage are equally capable of being treated by my improved process.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of
this my said Invention, together with the best methods with which
I am acquainted for carrying the same into practical effect, I wish
it to be understood that I make no claim to the use and application
of any of the flocculating or precipitating agents herein-before described,
save and except when used in conjunction with rotted peat, and I par-
ticularly claim,-
1st. The method of treating sewage and other foul liquids with rotted
peat, as and for the purposes herein-before described..

page_text: 2nd. The combined precipitating, filtering, and sludge draining process
and apparatus, substantially as and for the purposes herein-before
described and illustrated on the accompany Drawing.
3rd. The construction of filtering frame covered with suitable woven
fabric, substantially as and for the purpose herein-before described, and
illustrated on the accompanying Drawing.
4th. The manufacture of fuel and manure, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Robey, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
Witness,
JOHN G. WILSON,
Patent Agent,
71, Market Street,
Manchester.
JAB. ROBEY. (L.S.)