IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF SEWAGE, AND IN THE MANUFACTURE OF MANURE THERE- FROM
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Walter Brown, of 30, Pulross Road, Stockwell,
in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
TREATMENT OF SEWAGE, AND IN THE MANUFACTURE OF MANURE THERE-
FROM.
"
Sealed the 24th October 1873, and dated the 29th April 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Walter Brown at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
29th April 1873.
I, WALTER BROWN, of 30, Pulross Road, Stockwell, in the County
3 of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF SEWAGE, AND IN THE MANUFACTURE OF MANure
THEREFROM," to be as follows:―
This Invention has for its object the complete disinfection of sewage
water as discharged from sewers, not only as regards the defecating or
clarifying it from its suspended solid contents, but also the complete
separation of all noxious gases with which such sewage may be

page_text: .
impregnated, thus preventing all injurious effluvium and subsequent
fermentation, and further corruption of the effluent water. At the
same time retaining the active and fermentative qualities of the sewage,
and thus producing a valuable manure.
The mode of operation is as follows,-
First. I make use of shaly minerals, by preference that known as
black stone, or any other minerals possessing similar properties thereto,
selecting only such as by calcination in manner hereafter described
afford a residue of charcoal combined with any friable earthy matter,
preferably such as contain silica united with alumina in their consti-
tuents, rejecting such as yield a hard stony residue.
Second. I calcine the black stone or other mineral before described in
vessels closed so as to exclude the atmospheric air, which if admitted
would impair the utility of the resulting residue. This calcination may
be carried on at a heat short of a red heat, and the vapours arising
therefrom may be condensed by suitable apparatus, which is too well
known to need description, so as to form mineral oil; or the distillation
may be at once begun at a red heat, and the vapours used as gas for
illuminating and other purposes.
In either case it is necessary that the residue should be brought to a
red heat, so as to completely drive out all gaseous, oily, and bituminous
constituents from the black stone or other mineral without allowing the
atmospheric air to enter the chamber during such process. The residue
may then be taken from the calcining vessels or retorts, and quenched,
but not quite cooled, with water. It is advisable then to cover it up
with sand till quite cold, but this is not absolutely necessary. It is then
to be broken into pieces of a size suitable to the purpose to which it is
to be applied, for example, if for sewage works the dust resulting from
the breakage may be scattered amongst it, so as to form a filter bed,
through which the sewage is to be passed; or if to be used for any
other purpose it should be ground to coarse powder, and added to the
sewage to be disinfected in a drain or otherwise.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Walter Brown in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 29th October 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WALTER
BROWN, of 30, Pulross Road, Stockwell, in the County of Surrey, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of April, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Walter Brown, Her special licence that
I, the said Walter Brown, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Walter Brown, my executors, administrators,
and 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 MANUFACTURE OF MANURE THEREFROM," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Walter Brown, my exccutors 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 Walter Brown, 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, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object the complete disinfection of urine as
discharged from public urinals or otherwise, and sewage water as dis-
charged from sewers or works after it has been subjected to the process
of precipitation or otherwise, not only as regards the defecating or
clarifying it from its suspended solid contents, and all putrescible'
organic matter, but also the complete separation of all noxious gases

page_text: with which such sewage may be impregnated, thus preventing all
injurious effluvium and subsequent fermentation, and further corruption
of the effluent water, at the same time retaining the active and
fermentative qualities of the sewage, and thus producing a valuable
manure.
manure.
The mode of operation is as follows ;-
First. I make use of shaly minerals, by preference that known as
black stone, or any other minerals possessing similar properties thereto,
selecting only such as by calcination in manner hereafter described
afford a residue of charcoal combined with any friable earthy matter,
preferably such as contain silica united with alumina in their consti-
tuents, rejecting such as yield a hard stony residue.
r
Second. I calcine the black stone or other mineral before described in
vessels closed so as to exclude the atmospheric air, which if admitted
would impair the utility of the resulting residue. This calcination may
be carried on at a heat short of a red heat, and the vapours arising
therefrom may be condensed by suitable apparatus, which is too well
known to need description, so as to form mineral oil; or the distillation
may be at once begun at a red heat, and the vapours used as gas for
illuminating and other purposes.
In either case it is necessary that the residue should be brought to a
red heat, so as to completely drive out all gaseous, oily, and bituminous
constituents from the black stone or other mineral without allowing the
atmospheric air to enter the chamber during such process. The residue
may then be taken from the calcining vessels or retorts, and quenched,
but not quite cooled, with water. It is advisable then to cover it up
with sand till quite cold, but this not absolutely necessary. It is then
to be broken into pieces of a size suitable to the purpose to which it is to
be applied, for example, if for urinals or sewage works, as herein-before
described, the dust resulting from the breakage may be scattered
amongst it, so as to form a filter bed, through which the urine or sewage
is to be passed; or if to be used for any other purpose it should be
ground to coarse powder, and added to the urine or sewage or other
material to be clarified, disinfected, or purified in a drain or otherwise,
either by covering over the said impure matters with the said material,
mixing therewith, or filtering as special cases may require.

page_text: Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention for
"Improvements in the Treatment of Sewage, and in the Manufacture of
Manure therefrom," I hereby declare my Invention to consist in and I
claim, treating sewage and manufacturing manure therefrom in the
manner above stated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Walter Brown, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
three.