Specification of Gustav Alsing : treating sewage, &c.

  • Alsing, Gustav.
Date:
1873
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Specification of Gustav Alsing : treating sewage, &c. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Alsing's Improvements in Treating Sewage, 8fC. of calcium or burnt gypsum, commonly known as plaster of Paris, or I use more or less according to the quantity of moisture to be absorbed. In order to facilitate the mixing of these materials in definite propor¬ tions I place the powdered gypsum in a large hopper or receptacle, at the bottom of which is a revolving worm or screw actuated by means 5 of differential speed pulleys, by which means the powdered gypsum is given out in regulated quantities and deposited on an endless belt or other suitable carrier, to be thus conveyed to a mixing cylinder by means of a chain pump. While passing through the said cylinder the manurial slush and the dry powdered gypsum are thoroughly mingled 10 by means of revolving arms, after which the mixture is discharged in a pasty condition through suitable openings into a succession of long troughs placed below and moving off upon rollers as they become filled with the pasty compound. These troughs may be divided across into any convenient spaces so as to form moulds, according to the size and 15 shape into which it is desired the product should solidify as soon as the blocks or bricks thus formed are sufficiently set (which takes place very rapidly); they are turned out upon a drying frame when the troughs will be ready to be again filled. The drying also may be greatly facilitated by fixing upright studs or 20 cores in the moulds, by which means the bricks will be turned out perforated. When useingmy Invention in connection with the method of purifying sewage by Alteration I use an additional feeding apparatus, similar to that used for the gypsum, for the purpose of adding to the mixture of 25 deposited sewage slush and gypsum a regulated quantity of the saturated ' filtering material after it has been removod from the filters. In this way I readily obtain a convenient compound of all the manurial substances extracted from and deposited by the sewage. When there is much free ammonia in the moist material operated on SO I neutralize and fix it with dilute sulphuric or other suitable and con¬ venient acid before running the moist material into the mixing cylinder, and when desirable fortify the several compounds or any of them by adding in the mixing phosphate of lime, potash, ammonia, salt, or any other suitable substance according to the market demand. 35