Specification of James Robey : treating sewage.

  • Robey, James.
Date:
1874
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Specification of James Robey : treating sewage. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Provisional Specification. A.D. 1873.—N° 2534. 3 jRobey’s Improvements in Treating Sewage. beds never can choke or become impervious to the liquid. The sewage is allowed to flow into this combined precipitating and filtering tank, herein-before mentioned, until such tank becomes full of the inter¬ cepted solids of the treated sewage, which consist mostly of the added 5 peat. Owing to the immense area of filtering surface so presented to the sewage, such surfaces only become choked or impervious about as fast as the impurities are deposited among the upright filtering frames in a semi-solid form, and then, owing to the porous open nature of the coagulated peat, a drainage still continues which deprives the 10 sludge of most of its water. The sludges ordinarily deposited in pre¬ cipitating processes contain nine parts water to one of solids. When at last this combined precipitating and filtering tank becomes quite full of semi-solid sewage impurities, I cease to allow any more sewage to flow in, but divert the stream to other tanks similarly arranged and 15 leave the whole mass of the wet solid sludge to drain slowly until a concentrated sludge is obtained only containing about 70 or 80 per cent, of moisture, and of such a consistency as to be now capable of being converted into bricks by suitable machinery, and dried in the open air under sheds. 20 By the foregoing process I not only secure an amazinly rapid removal of suspended impurities from the sewage, and upon an extremely small area of land, but I obtained more valuable sludge when dried than has hitherto been accomplished, for owing to the admixture with peat of what fertilising matters the sewage contains I secure a good manure; 25 or such sludge if heated to redness in closed vessels will be converted into a good charcoal suitable for fuel, and for deodorising purposes. The above process is also so rapid that combined with the well- known preserving action of peat no nuisance is created during the drying or draining of the sludge, a process hitherto attended with much 30 unwholesome effluvia. It will thus be observed that the processes of precipitation, filtration, and concentration of the sludge are performed simultaneously according to this Invention, and in one and the same tank, so economising time and space; and it will also be apparent that this Invention is equally 35 useful for treating other foul liquids besides the sewage herein-before particularly mentioned.