Specification of Henry Bird : treating sewage matters.

  • Bird, Henry.
Date:
1865
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Specification of Henry Bird : treating sewage matters. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    5/8 (page 3)
    Bird's Improvements in Treating Sewage Matters. performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and bj the following statement thereof, that is to say:— My Invention consists in combining a compound hereafter called sulphated clay with sewage waters or matters, by which the organic matters therein are 5 deodorized, the ammonia fixed, and when permitted, the organic matters are precipitated with the clay, leaving the water pure, or comparatively pure. And the Invention further consists in combining sulphuric acid or sulphated clay with the precipitated matters in order to render them more suitable fo^‘ manure. 10 The preparation of the sulphated clay may be somewhat varied in respect to the-proportions of the sulphuric acid and clay employed, but it is preferred to prepare and apply sulphated clay as hereafter described. The mechanical arrangements for mixing and regulating the supply of sulphated clay in proper proportions in respect to the quantities and qualities ] 5 of the sewage which are being acted on may also be varied, and will in some degree depend on the circumstances under which my Invention is to be applied. Clays in general are capable of being used according to my Invention, but I prefer to employ those descriptions of clay which can be obtained at the 20 lowest cost in the place or district w’here my Invention is to be applied. The clay w’hen dry is to be sifted through a coarse sieve, and the sifted clay is to be mixed and combined with sulphuric acid of 1*840 specific gravity, and to each nine tons of clay I usually apply one ton of sulphuric acid, and I mix these matters intimately together, and allow them to stand in a heap, and when 25 quite cool and dry the sulphated clay thus produced is fit for use. The sul¬ phated clay if stirred into sewage waters and intimately mixed therewith, will deodorize the same and fix the ammonia, and if the mixture be allowed to stand or become comparatively quiescent, the organic matters together with the clay will precipitate and leave the water pure or comparatively pure. It is 80 however preferred to employ the sulphated clay dissolved in rain water before combining or mixing the sulphated clay with the sew^age waters or matters. In thus dissolving the sulphated clay, I usually dissolve at the rate of 100 lbs. of the sulphated clay in 250 gallons of rain water. In this dissolved state the sulphated clay may be more readily mixed with sewage than when used in the 85 dry state, and such dissolved sulphated clay is stirred or mixed in proper pro¬ portions with the sewage waters or matters when in suitable vessels, or tanks, or drains, or reservoirs, or other receptacles. When applying my Invention on a more or less extensive scale, such as in treating the sewage waters or matters coming from a large establishment or from a town or part of a town.