US3537472A - Electro pneumatic sewage disposal system - Google Patents

Description

United States Patent [72] Inventor Alexander A. Yulio 116 Union Ave., Paterson, New Jersey 07502 [21] Appl. No. 762,012 [22] Filed Sept. 24, 1968 [45] Patented Nov. 3, 1970 [54] ELECTRO PNEUMATIC SEWAGE DISPOSAL SYSTEM 6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 137/392, 137/396,l37/583,25l/64,4l7/l2,417/l38 [51] Int. Cl ..Fl6k 45/00, G0lf23/24;F0hf1/02 [50] Field of Search l37/209, 392, 394, 395,583, 396; 103/11, 12, 25, 240, 24]; 251/30, 64, I29;417/l2, 138

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,817,299 12/1957 Weis l37/392X 3,050,003 8/1962 Edwards 103/25 3,118,391 H1964 Ciabattariet al. lO3/25X 3,223,041 12/1965 Quinn 103/25X 3,275,021 9/1966 Loveless l37/392X Primary Examiner-William F. O'Dca Assistant Examiner David R. Matthews Attorney-James J. Cannon ABSTRACT: An electrical systemfor controlling the operation of pneumatic apparatus for discharging liquid waste from a pumping tank in a sewage disposal installation. The system comprises a short electrode extending downwardly from the top of the pumping tank and adapted to complete an energization circuit, upon the level of the liquid waste reaching the electrode, to an electric relay which, in turn energizes a circuit operative to actuate a pneumatic pressure blow-down system for emptying the pumping tank and, at the same time, energizes time-delay means operative to deenergize the actuating circuit after a time interval sufficient to complete the tank emptying operation.

Patented Nov. 3, 1970 HH IH I WW HHHHHHHH L wwv MM y Wm nl uhl l ll mll l l l un vM s g Q! kx W K R E 0 N m m V. T m A R sewage disposal systems of the type commonly used in installations wherein sewage must be pumped or forced from a lower level to a sewer main at a higher level, such as required, for example, in the disposal of sewage from large passenger liners and from large apartment and office buildings.

in electropneumatic sewage disposal systems heretofore known and commonly in use, sewage is collected by gravity feed from one or more accumulating tanks in a comparatively large pumping tank having long and short electrodes extending from the'top and adapted to control, through actuating circuitry, av compressed'air pumping system operative to begin blowing the waste out to t'he'sewer main (at a higher level) when thewaste reached and made'contact with the short elecv trode (start electrode), and ceased the pumping operation or blowdown when the waste in the tank had fallen to a level just beyond the lower end .of the long electrode (the stop electrode). The principal difficulty with such systems is that solid waste has a tendency-to adhere to the electrode elements, particularly the long or stop electrode, causing it to become grounded-thereby failing-to control shutoff of the blowdown operation and resulting, in turn, in pressure aboveatmospheric pressure remaining in the pumping tank. As a result, waste water will backup'through the system flooding the lower floors of the installation. v

It is, accordingly, the principal object of this invention to provide a new and improved pumping or blowdown control system which obviates the above-described deficiency of systems heretofore known by the provision of means'independent of the long electrode for shutting'off pneumatic blowdown, thereby eliminating the possibility of. shorting and failure of the system as described above. i

It is a more particular object of the invention to provide an improved blowdown control system of the character described wherein the period. or time interval of blowdown is controlled by a time delay element entirely independent ofliquidlevel in the pumping tank, but of sufficient time delay to insure complete emptying ofthe tank.

Another object is to provide a blowdowncontrol system of the character described which will be simple and economical in structure, compact, and dependable and durable in operation.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description when read with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, wherein like reference numerals denotecorresponding parts throughout the several views: V

, FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an electropneumatic sewage disposal system embodying my invention;

FIG. 2 is a detailed view of the air control valve and associated mechanism shown separately; and

FIG. 3 is'an electrical schematic diagram of the control circuitry for-the pneumatic pumping or blowdownapparatus.

valve 21 (see FIG. 2). The air pressure control valve 21, in addition to the inlet port 2 2, has an outlet port 23, a vent port 24 and a valve head or piston 25 movable between a first position as illustrated by the full line representation thereof as illustrated in H0. 2, whereat said inlet port is closed off with respect to said outlet port, and a second position, whereat said vent port is closed with respect to said inlet and outlet ports. The valve piston 25 connects by means of a control rod 26 to the movable diaphragm 27 centrally arranged and supported in a pressure chamber 28. A compression spring 29 circumjacent to the control rod 26 and acting against the underside of the movable diaphragm 27 normally urges said diaphragm in itsoutermost position, whereat said valve piston will be held in its first positiomWhen in this position, it will be noted that theupper end of the waste pumping tank will be open to the atmosphere through air line 33, outlet and vent ports 23 and 24, respectively, of the control valve 21, and vent line 34. In such normal condition of pressure control valve 21, it will be apparent that waste from the accumulating tank 14 will be able to flow under force of gravity into the waste pumping tank 19.

Means is provided for automatically moving the valve piston 25 from its first position to its second position, whereat the vent port 24 of the air pressure control valve 21 will be closed off and air under pressure will be allowed to flow through said control valve from the air supply line 20 and into the air line 33 leadingto the waste pumping tank 19. To this end, an auxiliary air line communicating with the air supply line 20 and connectedin series with a pressure reducing valve 30a, leads to the input port of a normally-closed air solenoid valve 31,

the pressure chamber 28 at the outside of its movable diaphragm 27. Upon energization of the air solenoid valve 31 Referring now in detail to the drawings, 10 designates a water closet set at floor level and serviced by the elecropneumatic sewage disposal system embodying my invention. Water closet l0 discharges into a sanitary waste line 11 connected at one end with a vertically'extending sanitary waste stack and/or vent line 12 and extending at its other end through a check valve 13 into an accumulating tank 14. The lower end of the accumulating'tank 14 discharges through a waste line I ,15, check valve 16 'and waste lines 17 and 18' into the lower end of a waste pumping tank 19, said waste tank being at a lower level than theaccumulating tank 14 to permit flow thereinto by force of gravity.

Electropneumatic means is provided for automatically discharging effluent 'waste from the waste pumping tank 19 into a sewage main or other disposal means upon reaching a pre-determined high level in the waste pumping tank. To this end, air from anair compressor (not illustrated) under pressure of about 40 pounds per square inch is fed through air supply line 20 to the inlet port 22 of an air pressure control by an electric-sensing means hereinafter described, air under reduced pressure will flow through air line 32 into the pressure chamber 28 forcing the movable diaphragm 27 in the inward direction and thereby moving its associated valve piston 25 from first or closed position to its second or opened position whereat air under pressure will flow into the upper end of the waste pumping tank 19, as described above. The air pressure thus effected in the top of the waste pumping tank 19 will force the effluent Waste therein through waste lines l7, l8 and through check valve 37 into soil line 35 discharging under pressure into asewage main 38 at a higher level or, as in the case ofshipsat sea, into the sea water.

Referring now to FIG. 3, there is illustrated therein, schematically, the electrical circuitry by means of which the air solenoid valve 31 is controlled for automatically discharging the effluent waste from the waste pumping tank 19 as described above. As illustrated. in FIG, 3, said circuit comprises a step-up transformer 39 having a primary winding 40 connected to an, alternating current source of electrical supply, such as to an ordinary 1 15 volt AC supply line, and a secondary winding 41 supplying a higher alternating current voltage, for example, 230 volts, at low amperage, one terminal of said secondary winding being grounded. The other terminal of the secondary winding 41 is connected, through a..conductor 42, to one energization terminal of an electrical relay 43. Associated with therelay 43 are two single-pole, single-throw electrical switches 44 and 45, respectively, each of which is normally open but adapted to be closed upon energization of said relay. The remaining energization terminal of the relay 43 is connected, through conductor 46, to a short or start electrode 47,-insulated from and extending through the top of the waste pumping tank 19. The remaining terminal of the relay 43 is also connected, as by conductor 48, to the fixed contact arm of the normally open single-pole, single-throw switch 45 of said relay. The movable contact arm of the relay switch 45 connects, through conductor 49, to one switch contact arm 50 of a pair of normally-closed switch contact arms 50, 51 of a thermally-actuated time-delay switch member 52. The switch arm 51 of the thermally-actuated time-delay switch 52 connectsthrough conductor 53 to a long electrode 54 insulated from the waste pumping tank 19 and extending through the top thereof to a distance somewhat short of the bottom of said tank. The air solenoid valve 31 has one terminal of its control winding connected, as by conductor 55, to one conductor of the 115 volt AC energizing supply line, and its other energization terminal connected in series with the heater element 56 of the thermally-actuated time-delay switch member 52 and the normally open switch 44 of the relay 43 to the other energizing conductor of the l l volt AC energizing supply line, through conductors 57,58 and 59.

In operation, when effluent waste or sewage water reaches the lower end of the short electrode 47 in the waste pumping tank 19, it completes a circuit through the energization winding of the relay 43 to ground, the tank being grounded, thereby permitting flow ofa sufficient current in said relay (in the order of a few milliamperes) to close-circuit its associated switches 44 and 45. Closure of switch 44 will complete the series energization circuit to the air solenoid valve 31 and the heater element 56 of the time-delay switch member 52. Energization of the air solenoid valve 31, as described above, will operate the pneumatic system to force the effluent waste out into the sewage main 38. It is to be noted that even though the sewage water level in the waste pumping tank 19 will now fall below the lower end of the short electrode 47 the relay 43 will remain energized or latched-in" through a ground circuit comprising the now closed rclay switch 45, normally closed switch arm 50 and 51 of the thermally-actuated time-delay switch 52 and the long electrode 54. Since the heater element of the time-delay switch 52 has been energized, as described above, time-delay action will take place with respect to the opening of the associated switch 51, 52, the time delay being sufficient to accomplish complete blowdown or discharge of waste from the pumping tank 19. At such time, the switch 51, 52 will open, opening the relay switch 45 through which the relay 43 is self-energized, while at the same time opening relay switch 44. The opening of relay switch 44 open-circuits in the abovcdescribed energization circuit for the solenoid-actuated valve 4] and the time-delay member heater member 56, placing the system in readiness for the next blowdown cycle of operation upon the liquid waste again reaching the level ofthe short electrode 47. It is to be noted that since the period or length of the blowdown operation is controlled solely by the thermally-actuated switch member 52, the long electrode 54 could be'dispensed with and the switch arm 51 of the timedelay switch 51, 52 connected to the long electrode could be connected directly to ground.

While there is illustrated and described herein only one form in which the invention can conveniently be embodied in practice, it is to be understood that this embodiment is presented by way ofcxample only and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

I. An electropneumatic sewage disposal system comprising in combination, a plumbing waste installation including a vented and gravity flow conduit means from said installation, a waste accumulating tank including a first check valve means for receiving liquid waste by gravitational inflow from said plumbing waste installation, a waste pumping tank including a second check valve and gravity flow conduit means connected to said waste accumulating tank, a second air vent and air inflow conduit terminating in communication with said waste pumping tank, a vent valve and a cooperating air valve closure means for selectively closing said second air vent and supply ing air under pressure through said air inflow conduit, solenoid valve means in said air inflow conduit for controlling the flow of compressed air into said tank, circuit means for con trolling said solenoid valve means including a long electrode and a short electrode in said pumping tank and a heating element in series with said long electrode in said circuit, a waste line including a third check valve means in communication with and extending from the bottom of said waste pumping tank for discharging waste from said tank into a soil line, means controlled by the height of liquid waste in said pumping tank for opening said solenoid valve means tosupply air under pressure into said tank, means for closing said solenoid valve means at a predetermined interval of time after the opening thereof, said time interval being sufficient in length to displace by air under pressure and discharge through said soil line the liquid waste in said pumping tank, and normally open vent means controlled by the operation of said vent valve means and operative when said solenoid valve means is in said open position to be closed to prevent the escape of air under pressure being supplied to said tank.

2. An electropneumatic sewage disposal system as defined in claim 1, wherein said air valve closure means comprises a pressure reducing valve and a solenoid controlled valve, clec trical circuitry for energizing said valve, and wherein said liquid height controlled means comprises a short electrode in said circuitry and extending down into said tank from the top thereof and operative to complete an cncrgization circuit grounded to said tank upon the liquid level in said tank reaching said electrode.

3v An electropneumatic sewage disposal system as defined in claim 1, wherein said circuit means comprises relay means in series with said short electrode and operative to be energized upon the completion of said energization circuit.

4. An electropneumatic sewage disposal system as defined in claim 3, wherein said air valve closure means and circuit means comprises a thermally-actuated, normally-closed switch, a first normally-open switch operative to be closed upon the energization ofsaid relay means, said first switch and said thermally-controlled switch being in series in a second energization circuit for said relay means.

5. An electropneumatic sewage disposal system as defined in claim 4, including a second normally-open switch operative to be close-circuited upon the energization of said relay means, said thermally-actuated switch comprising a heater element, said second switch, said heater element and the energization coil of said solenoid control valve being in series with a source of electrical energy for operating said solenoid valve and heating said heater clement upon the encrgization of said relay means.

6. An electropneumatic sewage disposal system as defined in claim 4, wherein the time-delay interval afforded in the opening of said normally closed thermally controlled switch beginning at the time ofencrgization of said heater element is long enough to effect the discharge of liquid waste in said pumping tank through said soil line under the force of air under pressure being supplied to said tank.

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