Specification of Alfred Henry Hart and William Parry : treating sewage.

  • Hart, Alfred Henry.
Date:
1867
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Specification of Alfred Henry Hart and William Parry : treating sewage. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Hart Sf Parry s Improvements in Treating Sewage, <§c. described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say:— Our improvements in treating or purifying sewage consist in mixing there¬ with as herein-after described clay, clay iron ore, or manganesic earths, whereby the suspended and dissolved organic and inorganic matters contained 5 therein are precipitated, and the water of the sewage is rendered clear and inodorous or nearly so. We mix the clay, or clay iron ore, or manganesic earths with water to the consistence of cream or liquid mud, and add the mixture to the sewage to be treated. The said mixture and the sewage are intimately mixed in any convenient manner and afterwards allowed to stand 10 for a time. The solid matter of the clay, or clay iron ore, or manganesic earth combines with the principal part of the organic and inorganic matters of the sewage, and gradually subsiding leaves the supernatant water free or nearly free from the said organic and inorganic matters. The water may be drawn off from the sediment by the use of the apparatus 15 constituting the second part of our Invention, or in any other convenient manner, and may be poured into a stream without injury thereto. The solid matter constitutes a valuable manure. The proportion of clay, clay iron ore, or manganesic earth to the sewage which we prefer to use is one ton of the said clay, clay ore, or earth reduced to the consistency of an easily 20 flowing mud to one hundred tons of sewage; but we do not limit ourselves to this proportion, as it may be varied to suit the particular sewage to be treated. Our improvements in apparatus to be employed in treating sewage are as follows :—Instead of the usual tanks having a large superficial area we sink 25 vertical shafts or sets of vertical shafts. These shafts may be lined with masonry or cast iron. The sewage of one day is conducted to one of these shafts or set of shafts, that of another day into another shaft or set of shafts, and so on in succession. When the sewage in any one of the shafts or set of shafts becomes sufficiently clear by the subsiding of the suspended matter 30 it is drawn off and disposed of in any convenient-manner. The solid matter or mud is conveyed to a chamber outside the shafts, and is raised therefrom by a screw or by the pressure of another portion of sewage which is made to press the mud upwards through suitable channels to the required level. We prefer to make the shafts of somewhat larger diameter at bottom than 35 at top to facilitate the deposition of the suspended matter. The shafts are constructed upon an inclined passage, which communicates with the several shafts at their lower ends. In the centre of the end shaft of each set is a