IN- PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PREPARING SEWAGE FOR IRRIGATING LAND
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Josiah George Jennings, of Palace Road, in the
Parish of Lambeth, Sanitary Engineer, for the Invention of "IN-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PREPARING SEWAGE FOR IRRIGATING LAND."
Sealed the 22nd June 1869, and dated the 15th March 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Josiah George Jennings
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 15th March 1869.
I, JOSIAH GEORGE JENNINGS, of Palace Road, in the Parish of Lambeth,
Sanitary Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PREPARING SEWAGE FOR IRRIGATING
LAND," to be as follows:-
In order to separate from sewage stones and other masses of solid
matter which it brings down with it I conduct it through a pipe or channel
on to a grating, which may be either horizontal or inclined upward from
the end on to which the sewage is delivered. The bars of the grating are
arranged to run longitudinally from one end of the grating to the other;
and in order to keep the spaces between the bars clear and carry off from

page_text: the upper surface of the grating the solid matters stopped by it I employ
clearers which are caused to rise up between the bars at the end at
which the sewage comes on to them, and such clearers are then caused
to travel up to the opposite end of the grating, carrying forward with
them the solid matters resting upon the grating, the clearers then travel
back and again rise up between the bars of the grating at the end at
which sewage comes on to it, the solid matters are thus caused to fall
over the edge of the grating into a pit or receptacle. In order to cause
the clearers to thus enter and leave the grated surface I by preference
carry the clearers on rods carried by endless chains supported on rollers
or pulleys below the grating, but other arrangements might be adopted...
Each clearer is also by preference made capable of turning around the
rod that carries it, and is weighted so that it always assumes a vertical
position but yet is capable of yielding if it, meets any great resistance.
In place of such teeth or clearers revolving brushes placed either above
or below the grating might be employed. In order to break up such
parts of the solid matter of sewage which are not sufficiently minutely
divided similar weighted teeth or fixed brushes. placed in rows above
the upper surface of the grating may be employed; or to break up the
solid matters they might be acted upon by revolving teeth or brushes.
The fluid portions of the sewage which pass down through the grating
are carried off by a pipe or channel either into tanks or are led by the
channels directly on to the land. In order to give motion to the endless.
chain or other system of clearers a portion of the sewage as it flows away
from below the grating may pass below and give motion to a small
andershot wheel, from which motion is transmitted to the clearer, whilst
any excess or flood of the sewage is allowed to flow off over a casing by
which the wheel is covered over. Or the sewage might flow into a large
pan or trough capable of rocking on an axis, so that when empty of
sewage it rises into one position, and when full of sewage it drops and
at once empties itself, and then again rises, and by this movement it may
be caused to give motion to the clearers by a ratchet and pawl movement,.
or the clearers might otherwise be driven by power. The sewage after
having the large solid portions separated from it may be led by suitable
pipes or channels into numerous earthenware wells or vessels, and be
then stored for use and allowed to settle.. Or tanks or wells might be
dug in the several fields where the sewage is to be applied, and these
tanks or wells might be kept filled with the sewage from which the
Larger parts of solid matter; have been removed, and the sewage bo

page_text: pumped out therefrom on to the land when required, in place of in the
first instance raising the sewage to the elevator tank and allowing it to
flow therefrom by gravitation.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Josiah George Jennings in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 15th September 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSLAII
GEORGE JENNINGS, of Palace Road, in the Parish of Lambeth, Sanitary
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eiglit hundred and sixty-nine, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Josiah George Jennings, Her special
licence that I, the said Josiah George Jennings, my exécutors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Josiah George Jennings,
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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PREPARING SEWAGE FOR IRRIGATING LAND," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Josiah George Jennings,
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 mauner
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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Josiah George Jennings, 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 thereof, that is to say :-
In order to separate from sewage stones and other masses of solid
matter which it brings down with it, I conduct it through a pipe or

page_text: 'channel on to a grating which may be either horizontal or inclined
upwards from the end on to which the sewage is delivered. The bars
of the grating are arranged, to run longitudinally from one end of the
grating to the other; and in order to keep the spaces between the bars
clear and carry off from the upper surface of the grating the solid
matters stopped by it, I employ clearers which are caused to rise up
between the bars at the end at which the sewage comes on to them,
and such clearers are then caused to travel up to the opposite end of the
grating, carrying forward with them the solid matters resting upon the
grating, the clearers then travel back and again rise up between the bars
of the grating at the end of which sewage comes on to it, the solid
matters are thus caused to fall over the edge of the grating into a pit or
receptacle. In order to cause the clearers to thus enter and leave the
grated surface I by preference carry the clearers on rods carried by
endless chains supported on rollers or pulleys below the grating, but
other arrangements might be adopted. Each clearer is also by pre-
ference made capable of turning around the rod that carries it, and is
weighted so that it always assumes a vertical position but yet is capable
of yielding if it meets any great resistance. In place of such teeth or
clearers revolving brushes placed either above or below the grating might
be employed. In order to break up such parts of the solid matter of
sewage, which are not sufficiently minutely divided similar weighted
teeth or fixed brushes placed in rows above the upper surface of the
grating may be employed; or to break up these solid matters they might
be acted upon by revolving teeth or brushes. The fluid portions of the
sewage which pass down through the grating are carried off by a
pipe or channel either into tanks or are led by the channels directly
on to the land. In order to give motion to the endless chain or other
system of clearers a portion of the sewage as it flows away from below
the grating may pass below and give motion to a small undershot
wheel, from which motion is transmitted to the clearers, whilst any
excess or flood of the sewage is allowed to flow off over a casing by
which the wheel is covered over. Or the sewage might flow into a
large pan or trough capable of rocking on an axis, so that when empty
of sewage it rises into one position, and when full of sewage it drops and
at once empties itself, and then again rises, and by this movement it
may be caused to give motion to the clearers by a ratchet and pawl
movement, or the clearers might otherwise be driven by power. The
sewage after having the large solid portions separated from it may be

page_text: led by suitable pipes or channels into numerous earthenware wells or
vessels, and be then stored for use and allowed to settle. Or tanks or
wells might be dug in the several fields where the sewage is to be
applied, and these tanks or wells might be kept filled with the sewage
from which the larger parts of solid matter have been removed, and the
sewage be pumped out therefrom on to the land when required, in place
of in the first instance raising the sewage to the elevated tank and
allowing it to flow out therefrom by gravitation.
Figure 1 shows a plan view, Figure 2 a longitudinal vertical section,
and Figure 3 a transverse section of an apparatus, such as is above
described for preparing sewage for irrigating land. A is the sewer or
pipe by which sewage is conducted on to the fixed grating B, composed
of a number of parallel bars of iron supported at their two ends as
shown by the Drawing. C, C, are two rows or sets of clearers which
rise up between the bars at one end of the grating, and are caused
to travel forward to the opposite end of the grating. Each row of
clearers is carried by a rod which near its two ends is fixed to links
of two endless chains D, D, which pass around chain wheels on two
axes E, E, as shown. Small rollers are carried on the ends of the rods,
and these rollers run upon ways or guides E' so that the weight of the
clearers shall not come upon the endless chains. One of the axes E
has a slow revolving motion given to it, and thus a continuous motion is
imparted to the endless chains and clearers. Each clearer is capable of
turning freely upon the rod which carries it, and it is formed with a
weight on its under side, so that each clearer is maintained in a vertical
position and yet it can give way if it strikes against any obstruction which
it cannot carry forwards. The solid matters which are by the clearers
carried forward along the grating fall over the end of the grating on to
the shoot F, which conducts them into a cart or other receptacle. The
fluid sewage which passes through the grating is in the arrangement
shown by the Drawing caused as it flows away to act on the under side of
a water wheel G, and from the axis of this wheel motion is communi-
cated by gearing, as shown at Figures 1 and 3, to one of the axes E. In
place of the endless chain of clearers being driven from an undershot
wheel, as above described, it might be driven by power obtained in any
other suitable manner. Any excess of water which cannot flow beneatli
the water wheel is allowed to flow away over a guard by which the top
of the wheel is covered over.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that what
I claim is,―
First. The construction of apparatus for filtering sewage in such
manner that the sewage is conducted on to a grating formed of parallel
bars with spaces between them up through which revolving or travelling
clearers rise and remove from the surface of the grating any solid
matters resting upon it, whilst the fluid matters pass away through the
grating.
Second. I also claim the combination of apparatus herein described
and shewn in the Drawing annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Josiah Georgo Jennings, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of September,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
nine.
JOSIAH GEORGE JENNINGS. (L.S.)