IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREAT- MENT OF SEWAGE AT OR NEAR THE OUTFALL
Year: 1885

page_text: I JOHN BERGER SPENCE of 31 Lombard Street in the City of London, Merchant
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREAT-
MENT OF SEWAGE AT OR NEAR THE OUTFALL," to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to treat sewage in the main sewer, at or near
the outfall, by means of sulphurous acid, preferably in the form of gas, prior to
the sewage being allowed to flow away, so that it will be rendered practically
harmless.
In carrying out my invention, I obtain the sulphurous acid by burning or
calcining pyrites, or other substances containing sulphur, in a suitable furnace
placed by the side of, or in close proximity to the main sewer, at or near the
outfall. The sulphurous acid thus obtained in the form of gas, is passed over or
through the sewage, the water of which has a great affinity for the acid, and
rapidly takes it up, thus deodorising both the water and the solid matters held in
suspension, and rendering the sewage comparatively harmless.
The sulphurous acid gas may be drawn through a certain distance of the sewer
by means of the draught caused by a shaft suitably placed for the purpose, or it
may be forced or drawn through by mechanical means, but in any case in the
reverse direction to the flow of the sewage.-Near the shaft, or in any other
suitable position, I may place a vitriol chamber, through which any excess of the
gas not absorbed by the sewage will be caused to pass, and be converted into
sulphuric acid in the ordinary way.

page_text: Outfall.
I JOHN BERGER SPENCE of 31 Lombard Street in the City of London, Merchant
do hereby declare the nature of this 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 my invention is to treat sewage in the main sewer, at or near
the outfall, by means of sulphurous acid, preferably in the form of gas, prior to
the sewage being allowed to flow away, so that it will be rendered practically
harmless.
It is well known that sulphurous acid gas is a good deodorizer, but hitherto the
difficulties in applying this gas for the purpose of deodorizing sewage have been
very great.
In carrying out my invention, I obtain the sulphurous acid gas by burning or
calcining pyrites or other substances containing sulphur in a suitable furnace,
placed by the side of, or in close proximity to the main sewer, at or near the
outfall. The sulphurous acid thus obtained in the form of gas, is passed preferably
over the top of the sewage, the water of which has a great affinity for the acid, and
rapidly takes it up.-The acid thus deodorizes both the water and the solid matters
held in suspension, and renders the sewage comparatively harmless.
The sulphurous acid gas may be drawn through a certain distance of the sewer
by means of the draught caused by a shaft suitably placed for the purpose, or it
may be forced or drawn through by mechanical means, but in any case in the
reverse direction to the flow of the sewage. Near the shaft, or in any other
suitable position, I may place a vitriol chamber, through which any excess of the
gas not absorbed by the sewage will be caused to pass, and will there be converted
into sulphuric acid in the ordinary way.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
Deodorizing sewage in the sewer by causing sulphurous acid gas to pass over or
in contact with the sewage, such gas being produced by burning or calcining
pyrites or other substances containing sulphur in a furnace placed in close
proximity to the sewer, as set forth.