IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING EXCREMENTITIOUS MATTERS AND OTHER REFUSE MATTERS FOR THE PURPOSE OF OBTAINING VALUABLE PRODUCTS THEREFROM, AND IN APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED FOR THAT PURPOSE
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Bradburn, of Wednesfield, Wolverhampton.
in the County of Stafford, Artificial Manure Manufacturer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING EXCREMENTITIOUS MATTERS
AND OTHER REFUSE MATTERS FOR THE PURPOSE OF OBTAINING VALUABLE
PRODUCTS THEREFROM, AND IN APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED FOR THAT
PURPOSE."
Sealed the 24th May 1867, and dated the 38th December 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Bradburn at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th December 1866.
I, WILLIAM BRADBURN, of Wednesfield, Wolverhampton, in the County of
Stafford, Artificial Manure Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING EXCREMENTITIOUS MATTERS
AND OTHER REFUSE MATTERS FOR THE PURPOSE OF OBTAINING VALUABLE PRODUCTS
THEREFROM, AND IN APPARATUS TO RE EMPLOYED FOR THAT PURPOSE," to be as
follows:-
My Invention consists in drying or decomposing, in the manner herein-
after explained, excrementitious matters and other refuse matters by the
application of heat thereto, and in collecting the volatile matters driven off,
and in applying the products of such drying or decomposition either direct
Грайм 841

page_text: to the manuring and irrigation of land or to the manufacture of artificial
manures.
In applying my Invention to the treatment of night soil in towns or other
places I fix a closed air-tight oven near to a fire-place in the dwelling con-
taining the watercloset, which air-tight oven is heated by the heat of the said
fire-place. The watercloset has an additional receptacle made air-tight, with
a valve, in which the night soil from the watercloset is collected, and from
which it is emptied when necessary into the air-tight oven described by means
of a lever or other mechanism. A pipe passes from the upper part of the said
oven by which the moisture in the shape of steam, together with all the matters
volatilized, are conveyed to a series of condensers; these condensers consist of
vessels standing in cold water. The vapours are conducted into and out of
these condensers by pipes opening into the said condensers at top; three or
four of these condensers are enough for general purposes, but I do not limit
myself to any particular number. The moisture from the night soil is con-
densed in these cool condensers together with any other condensible matter.
The uncondensed gases, should any be produced, may be allowed to escape
into the air or into a chimney. Although it is not necessary to put anything
in the condensers yet a little sulphuric acid, or sulphate of lime, or super-
phosphate of lime may be placed in the said condensers for the purpose of
condensing or absorbing condensible matter. The dried soil or ash is drawn
out from the oven from time to time by means of an air pump or exhauster and
this solid product, as well as the condensed product, may be used directly
for fertilizing land or be used in. the manufacture of artificial manure. Where
convenient I prefer to separate the urine from the focal matter and convey
it to a tank or reservoir to be used in washing out the pan of the closet in
place of water.
In applying my Invention to towns on a large scale I lay down a double
set of pipes and carry all the steam or moisture from the ovens containing
the refuse matters by means of one set and draw the ashes from the ovens
by air pumps or exbausters from the other set, by which means the expense
of sewerage is saved.
In applying my Invention to the treatment of the refuse of farms 1 attach
a brick oven to the furnace of a malt kiln or steam boiler or other furnace.
The said brick oven has an iron bottom, under which the flue from the steam
boiler or other furnace passes. A series of metal pipes pass through the said
oven and superheated steam from the boiler, or heated air from the furnace
passes through the said pipes; the said pipes also pass through the flue
under the metal bottom of the oven, so that the heated air or steam after

page_text: having given up its heat to the interior of the oven by passing several times
through the pipes in the said flue becomes again heated and again circulates
through the pipes in the oven; the contents of the oven are thus heated
by the direct heat applied to its iron bottom as well as by the heat of the
superheated steam or hot air made to circulate through the pipes in the
said oven. The steam and vapours are conveyed by a pipe from the oven
to a series of condensers of the kind herein-before described, the said con-
densers being situated by preference at the highest point of the farm. In
the first and last of the condensers I prefer to put sulphuric acid supplied
and discharged in a small continuous stream, or sulphate of lime or super-
phosphate of lime may be placed in the condensers. The condensed matters
in the condensers are distributed on the farm by means of hose or mixed
with water from a stream and employed to irrigate the land, or they may
The brick oven
be applied to the land in any other convenient manner.
may be charged with the waste or refuse matters produced on the farm, and
the ash or dried contents of the said oven withdrawn every day or every
other day, the said ash being applied direct to the land or used otherwise.
In applying my Invention to the manufacture of artificial manures I attach
an oven to the ordinary boilers of the manufactory, the said oven having pipes
passing through it, heated in the manuer herein-before described, I charge
the said oven with all the refuse animal and vegetable matters obtainable.
The gases or volatile matter driven off by the heat is conducted by pipes to a
series of condensers, of the kind herein-before explained, each of the said
condensers containing sulphuric acid or sulphate of lime, or superphosphate
of lime. In these condensers nearly the whole of the volatilized matters
are condensed, the uncondensed gases or vapours being conducted into the
sulphur burners of the sulphuric acid works, and are made to pass through
nitre ovens, chambers, and columns charged with coke. In this way all the
valuable portions of the uncondeused gases or vapours from the refuse
matters will be taken up and all nuisance prevented. The liquid obtained
is used in the manufacture of superphosphate of lime in lieu of water. The
ash or dried contents of the oven may be used as herein-before described.
Any uncondensed gases produced in the treatment of night soil and farm
refuse may,
where convenient, be burned in the sulphur burners of sulphuric
acid works. When the ovens used for treating night soil are large, I prefer
to employ agitators for stirring the contents, which agitators may be worked
by hand or driven by steam, or other motive power.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Bradburn in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 27th June 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME. I, WILLIAM
BRADBURN, of Wednesfield, Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford,
Artificial Manure Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Bradburn, Her special licence that I, the said William
Bradburn, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William Bradburn, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time, and at all times there-
after 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 EXCREMENTITIOUS MATTERS AND OTHER REFUSE MATTERS FOR THE
PURPOSE OF OBTAINING VALUABLE PRODUCTS THEREFROM, AND IN APPARATUS TO BE
EXPLOYED FOR THAT PURPOSE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said William Bradburn, my executors or administrators, by an instrument iu
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particu-
larly 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 William Bradburn, 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:-
My Invention consists in drying or decomposing in the manner herein-after
explained excrementitious matters and other refuse matters by the application
of heat thereto, and in collecting the volatile matters driven off, and in
applying the products of such drying or decomposition either direct to the
manuring and irrigation of land, or to the manufacture of artificial manures.
In applying my Invention to the treatment of night soil in towns or other
places I fix a closed air-tight oven near to a fire-place in the dwelling con-
taining the watercloset, which air-tight oven is heated by the heat of the said

page_text: fire-place. The watercloset has an additional receptacle made air-tight, with
a valve, in which the night soil from the watercloset is collected, and from
which it is emptied, when necessary, into the air-tight oven described by
means of a lever or other mechanism. A pipe passes from the upper part
of the said oven by which the moisture in the shape of steam, together
with all the matters volatilized, are conveyed to a series of condensers; these
condensers consist of vessels standing in cold water. The vapours are
conducted into and out of these condensers by pipes opening into the said
condensers at top; three or four of these condensers are enough for general
purposes, but I do not limit myself to any particular number. The mois-
ture from the night. soil is condensed in these cool condensers, together
with any other condensable matter. The uncondensed
gases, should
formed, may be allowed to escape into the air or into a chimney. The
dried soil or ash is drawn out from the oven from time to time by means
of an air pump or exhauster, and this solid product, as well as the con-
densed product, may be used directly for fertilizing land or be used in the
manufacture of artificial manure. Where convenient I prefer to separate
the urine from the focal matter, and convey it to a tank or reservoir to be
used in washing out the pan of the closet in place of water.
any
be
In applying my Invention to towns on a large scale I lay down a double
set of pipes, and carry all the steam or moisture from the ovens containing
the refuse matters by means of oue set, and draw the ashes from the ovens
by air pumps or exhausters by the other set, by which means the expense
of sewering is saved.
In applying my Invention to the treatment of the refuse of farms or other
similar refusematter I attach a brick or other oven to the furnace of a malt
kiln or steam boiler or other furnace; the said oven has an iron bottom under
which the flue from the steam boiler or other furnace passes. A series of
metal pipes pass through the said oven,and superheated steam from the boiler
or heated air from the furnace passes through the said pipes; the said pipes
also pass through the flue under the metal bottom of the oven, so that the
heated air or steam after having given up its heat to the interior of the oven
by passing several times through the pipes in the said flue becomes again
heated, and again circulates through the pipes in the oven. The contents of
the oven are thus heated by the direct heat applied to its iron bottom, as well
as by the heat of the superheated steam or hot air made to circulate through
the pipes in the oven. The steam and vapours are conveyed by a pipe from
the oven to a series of condensers of the kind herein-before described, the
said condensers being situated by preference at the highest point of the farm.

page_text: The condensed matters in the condensers are distributed on the farm by
means of hose, or mixed with water from a stream, and employed to
irrigate the land; or they may be applied to the land in any other con-
venient manner. The oven may be charged with the waste or refuse
matters produced on the farm, and the ash or dried contents of the said
oven withdrawn every day or every other day, the said ash being applied
to the land or otherwise used.
In applying my Invention to the manufacture of artificial manures I
attach an oven to the ordinary boilers of the manufactory, the s. id oven
having pipes passing through it heated in the manner herein-before described.
I charge the said oven with all the refuse animal and vegetable matters
obtainable. The gases or volatile matter driven off by the heat is conducted
by pipes to a series of condensers of the kind herein-before explained. In
these condensers nearly the whole of the volatilized matters are condensed,
the uncondensed gases or vapours being conducted into the sulphur burners
of the sulphuric acid works. In this way all the valuable portions of the
uncondensed gases or vapours from the refuse matters will be taken up, and
all nuisance prevented. The liquid obtained is used in the manufacture of
superphosphate of lime in lieu of water. The ash or dried contents of the
oven may be used as herein-before described. Any uncondensed gases pro-
duced in the treatment of night soil and farm refuse may, where convenient.
be burned in the sulphur burners of sulphuric acid works. When the
ovens used for treating night soil are large I prefer to employ agitators
for stirring the contents, which agitaters may be worked by hand or driven
by steam or other motive power.
Having explained the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to describe,
with reference to the accompanying Drawings, the manner in which the
same is to be performed:-
Figure 1 represents in vertical section, and Figure 2 in elevation the
apparatus which I employ for the treatment of night soil in towns and other
places. The same letters of reference indicate the same part in both Figures
a is a closed air-tight oven situated near the fire-place b, and heated by the
wasto heat of the said fire-place; the said fire-place 6 inay be one of the
ordinary fire-places of the house or other building; the waste heat passes from
the fire-place balong the flue to the chimney d. e is a damper by which the
draught through the flue o may be regulated; fis the pan of the watercloset,
and g the seat. The soil from the pan fpasses into a receptacle h, from which
it may be allowed to fall into the lower receptacle or reservoir i, and stored
therein prior to its introduction into the oven a. k is a hopper containing

page_text: chloride of lime or other disinfectant, and in the neck of the said hopper are
two horizontal slides, ², worked by connecting rods and levers,as represented
in Figure 1, from the jointed lid or cover m of the seat g. Each time the
cover m is raised a portion of the disinfectant from the hopper k is allowed
to fall by the pressing back of the slide on to the slide l,and on the shutting
down of the lid m the slide is brought back to its original position, closing
the bottom of the hopper k, while the slide /being withdrawn the disinfectant
resting upon it falls down the spout n on to the soil in the receptacle h. By
pressing down the lever p the valve 2 is raised and the soil allowed to pass
from the receptacle h into the receptacle i. When sufficient soil has accu-
mulated in the receptacle i the soil is allowed to fall into the oven a by
depressing the lever 7 and raising the valve s. The stem of the valve s works
through the hollow stem of the valve q, and the latter stem works through
a stuffing box, as represented at the top of the receptacle h. The escape of
offensive odours from the receptacles is thus prevented. By means of the
partition t the urine is kept separate from the fecal matter, and is discharged
down the pipe u to a reservoir, from whence it may be pumped up and used
in washing out the pan f of the closet in place of water, and thus be utilized.
Sufficient soil having accumulated in the closed oven a heat is applied thereto
from the fire-place b. By the action of the heat on the soil in the oven the
moisture in the shape of steam, together with all the other matters capable
of being volatilized by heat, are driven off from the said soil and are con-
veyed along the pipe into the condensers w; the said condensers w are
immersed in cold water contained in the tank r. The steam and condens-
able matters are condensed in the condensers w, while any uncondensed
gases, should any such be produced, may escape into the air or into a chimney
by the pipe y; the condensers ware connected together by means of pipesz,
as will be understood by reference to the Drawing. The liquid matter con-
densed in the condensers w passes from the said condensers by means of
small pipes into a tank or reservoir, from which it may be drawn as required.
The uncondensed gases passing from the pipe y may be utilized in the
manner herein-after described with reference to Figures 3 and 4. The dried
soil or ash in the oven a may be drawn out from time to time through the
pipe 2 by means of an air pump or exhauster. If required, access to the
oven a may be obtained by means of the door 3. Any effluvia from the
receptacle i pass by a pipe into the pipe v, and thence to the condensers w.
In applying this part of my Invention to towns on a large scale I lay down
a double set of pipes, and connect the ovens of the houses or buildings similar
to the oven a represented in the Drawing, with the said double set of pipes.

page_text: By means of one set of the pipes described I convey all the steam or gases
from the ovens to condensers of the kind herein-before described, and by
the other set of pipes I draw the dried soil or ash from the ovens by air
pumps or exhausters, the expense of sewering is thereby saved.
Figure 3 represents, partly in cross section and partly in elevation, the
apparatus which I use either for treating stable or farm refuse or night soil,
or for treating refuse animal and vegetable matter for the manufacture of
artificial manure.
Figure 4 represents a longitudinal section of the oven of the apparatus
and parts connected with it on a larger scale. The same letters of reference
indicate the same parts in both Figures.
a is an oven attached to the furnace of the steam boiler b. The said oven a
has aniron bottom c supported in the manner represented in Figure 3, under
which iron bottom the flues din communication with the furnace of the steam
boiler b pass. This iron bottom c is heated by the heated air passing along
the flues & from the steam boiler furnace, which heat is transmitted through
the said iron bottom to the oven a; in the body of the oven a series of
endless metal pipes e is situated, the said pipes being connected with and
receiving superheated steam from the steam boiler b. The greater part of the
pipes e are situated within the oven, but some of the horizontal pipes of the
series are situated in the flues & and immediately under the iron bottom c.
By this means the steam passing through the pipes e in the oven a after
having given up its heat to the interior of the oven by passing several times
through the horizontal pipes in the flues becomes again heated and again
circulates through the pipes in the oven,and gives out its heat to the said oven.
The contents of the oven a are thus heated by the direct heat applied to its
iron bottom c as well as by the heat of the superheated steam made to
circulate through the pipes in the said oven.
The outsides of the pipes e
and inside of the oven a may be coated or covered with the clay known in
commerce as "canister; "they are thereby protected from the injurious action
of the night soil. Instead of employing superheated steam to assist in heating
the contents of the oven, heated air from the furnace of the boiler may be
made to pass through the pipes represented, the cold air being reheated by
passing along the pipes in the flues, as described with respect to steam; and
instead of employing the furnace of a steam boiler to heat the oven, any other
furnace or a brick kiln may be attached to the oven for the purpose of heating
the same. When stable refuse or the refuse of farms or other similar refuse is
to be treated in the ovena the said refuse is fed thereto through the openings f
in the roof of the oven; these openings are closed air-tight by blocks or

page_text: lidsf. When night soil is to be treated in the oven the said night soil is
supplied thereto by the apparatus represented in Figure 3. The said appa-
ratus consists of an exhauster 7, having a pipe i opening into its top and
passing to the receptacle containing the night soil, and a second pipe /
connected with an air pump. At the bottom of the exhauster is a delivery
pipe opening into the oven a. When it is wished to charge the oven a with
night soil the stop-cocks i³ and are closed, and the stop-cock ³ is opened.
The stop-cock a³ is also closed. By working the air pump connected with
the pipe a partial vacuum is produced in the exhauster h. By afterwards
closing the stop-cock /* and opening the stop-cock the night soil is drawn
into the exhauster h, from whence it can be delivered by opening the stop-
cock into the oven a; the stop-cocks 12 and 2 are again closed, and the
operations described are repeated until the oven has been charged with the
necessary quantity of night soil; by the action of the heat conveyed to the
oven a in the manner herein-before explained upon the contents of the oven
the moisture in the form of steam and the other matters volatilized pass by
the pipes m and n to the series of condensers p of the kind herein-before
described and represented in Figure 1, and are thereby condensed. The
pipe n conveying the volatilized matters to the condensers pis surrounded by
a pipe q, through which pipe q cold water passes to supply the cistern or
tank in which the condensers p are situated. The condensable matters
passing through the pipe n are thus partly condensed on their way to the
condensers p. The water from the tank or cistern r is discharged by the
pipe s. In the condensers p nearly the whole of the volatilized matters are
condensed, the uncondensable gases or vapours being allowed to escape into
the air, but when the apparatus Figures 3 and 4 is used in the neighbourhood
of sulphuric acid works I conduct the said uncondensable gases or vapour by
means of the pipet into a closed or air-tight tank 1, into which tank sulphuric
acid trickles down the pipe 2. The said sulphuric acid condenses nearly the
whole of the uncondensable vapours conveyed into the said tank. Any un-
condensed I gas escapes from the tank 1 along the pipe 3, and is delivered into
the burner of a sulphuric acid chamber, where any sulphur it may contain is
utilized and made into sulphuric acid; or the uncondensed gas may be
delivered by the pipe 3 into a stack or chimney. The liquid matter condensed
in the condensers p passes from the said condensers by means of small pipes
opening into the lower part of each condenser, and conveying the condensed
matter into a common tank or reservoir. The said condensed matter may be
employed instead of water for moistening bone ash or mineral phosphates-in-
the manufacture of artificial manures. I remove or draw the ash or dried

page_text: contents of the oven from the said oven by the use of the apparatus repre-
sented principally in Figure 3,and constructed as follows:-Along the bottom
plate c of the oven I place two or more pipes u perforated with holes (see
Figure 4), and I connect the said pipes by means of the pipe v with an
exhauster w connected by the pipe with the air pump, already described as
connected with the night soil exhauster h; by closing the stop-cock k² of the
pipe k, and opening the stop-cocks 2, and working the air pump, a partial
vacuum is produced in the exhauster w, and by closing the stop-cocks a² and
m2, and opening the stop-cock v2 the ash or dried contents of the oven a is
forced along the pipes u and vinto the exhauster w, from whence it may be
delivered into carts placed under the said exhauster. When night soil is
being supplied to the oven the stop-cock as of the ash lifter is closed. By
the use of the stop-cocks ³ and ³ the same air pump connected with the
pipe a may be employed both to fill the oven with night soil and to empty
the ash therefrom.
When the apparatus, Figures 3 and 4, is used on a farm the condensed
matter in the condensers may be delivered on the farm by means of hose or
mixed with water, and employed to irrigate the land, and the ash from the
oven may be applied direct to the land or be otherwise used.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not
limit myself to the precise details herein described and illustrated in the
Drawings, as the same may be varied without departing from the nature of
my Invention; but I claim as my Invention,-
Firstly, treating excrementitious matters and other refuse matters for
obtaining valuable products therefrom by the application of heat thereto for
the purpose of drying or decomposing the same, and condensing, collecting,
and employing the products of such drying or decomposition to the manuring
and irrigation of land, or to the manufacture of artificial manure, sub-
stantially as herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
Secondly, the arrangement or combination of the parts of apparatus herein-
before described and illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying
Drawings for collecting and drying or decomposing night soil, and for
collecting the fixed and condensable products of such drying or decom-
position.
Thirdly, the arrangement or combination of the parts of apparatus herein.
before described and illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying
Drawings for drying or decomposing night soil, stable or farm refuse, and

page_text: other refuse matters, and for collecting the fixed and condensable products
of such drying or decomposition.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Bradburn, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
WILLIAM BRADBURN. (L.S.)