Apparatus for sealing a traveling bridge filter backwash shoe

A traveling bridge filtration system includes a tank configured to include a plurality of side-by-side filter cells all extending longitudinally in a first direction, and a common filtrate channel extending longitudinally in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. Each filter cell has an outlet extending through an interior wall of the tank thereby establishing fluid communication with the filtrate channel. A traveling bridge is mounted atop the tank and movable from cell to cell in the second direction. A backwash pump, having an inlet and a discharge pipe connected to a backwash shoe, is pivotally suspended from the bridge within the filtrate channel. A fluid operated bellows is used for moving the backwash shoe selectively into sealing engagement with a tank wall surface surrounding one of the filter cell outlets in response to actuation of the backwash pump. A related method of use is also disclosed.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a traveling bridge filter system and more 
specifically, to a unique method and apparatus for effecting sealing 
engagement between a backwash shoe and an interior partition wall of a 
filtration tank. 
It is well known in the water and waste water filtration field to utilize 
tanks divided into a plurality of filter cells, one adjacent the other, 
and all containing a multi-layer or single layer arrangement of granular 
filter media such as sand, gravel, and the like. In downward or gravity 
filtration systems of this type, water or other liquid containing 
suspended particles is introduced into the filtration tank from above, and 
filtered water is drawn off from a chamber (also referred to herein as a 
filtrate channel) either directly beneath, or adjacent and below the 
individual filter cells. In other words, in some instances, a common 
filtrate chamber extends beneath all of the filter bed cells. In other 
instances, and including the preferred arrangement here, the cell 
partitions extend below the cells to the bottom wall or floor of the tank, 
and each individual cell has a outlet port or header which permits the 
filtrate to flow out of the cell and into a common filtrate channel 
extending along the filter cells, in the longitudinal direction of the 
tank. 
During downward flow through the individual cells, particulate matter is 
entrapped within the layer or layers of granular filter media. Eventually, 
however, the particulate matter will clog the filter media, thereby 
impairing the filtering capability of the system. Thus, there is a need 
for periodic cleaning of the individual filter cells, typically by way of 
a backwash operation where backwash liquid is reverse flowed through the 
filter cells, one after the other, until the entire tank has been 
backwashed. It is also known to maintain such units in continuous 
operation during cleaning of individual cells, through the use of a 
traveling bridge device which moves from one filter cell to the next, 
backwashing individual cells while permitting the normal filtration 
process to continue in the remaining cells. 
The overall construction of the filtration tank of this invention is 
generally similar to that described in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 
4,859,330, incorporated herein by reference. In that patent, a combined 
backwash/air scour system is disclosed, but the general arrangement of the 
tank, filter cells and traveling bridge is similar. Generally, the tank is 
of rectangular shape, with longitudinal side walls and transverse end 
walls. An interior partition wall extending between the end walls and 
parallel to the side walls (closer to one side wall than the other) 
divides the tank into a filtrate channel running along side the cells in 
the longitudinal direction of the tank. Each cell, defined by transverse 
partitions extending between the interior partition wall and the other 
side wall, has an outlet port below the filter media in the cell and 
communicating with the filtrate channel through the interior partition 
wall, also referred to herein as the channel wall. 
In typical gravity flow filtration systems of this type, the associated 
traveling bridge includes a collection hood which is adapted to seal 
against or at least come into close proximity to the partitions forming 
each cell, and this collection hood serves to carry away the backwash 
water flowing upwardly through the cell. The bridge also carries a 
backwash pump which is submerged within the adjacent filtrate channel, and 
which supplies backwash water to each cell. A backwash shoe mechanism is 
connected to the pump discharge pipe and includes an outlet which is 
adapted to align with individual cell outlets. The backwash shoe is held 
in continuous engagement with the interior partition or channel wall of 
the tank so that backwash water can be pumped into the individual cell 
outlets in a direction counter to normal filtration flow, as the bridge 
moves successively to each cell. 
The conventional method of sealing the backwash shoe to the backwash port 
or cell outlet is by spring tension applied in various ways, to force the 
shoe against the channel wall. Systems utilizing this design apply this 
spring tension continuously, causing the backwash shoe (which moves with 
the traveling bridge), to slide against the stationary wall during the 
entire backwash operation. 
In order to reduce wear caused by the backwash shoe sliding against the 
wall, wear strips are attached to the backwash shoe and to the channel 
wall. The wear strips are hard plastic and have a flat sealing face. To 
effect a seal between the backwash shoe and the cell port or outlet, it is 
necessary that the sealing surfaces be perfectly flat and in perfect 
alignment with one another. In addition, sufficient spring tension must be 
applied to overcome back thrust resulting from the operating pressure 
applied to the inside of the backwash shoe. Otherwise, the shoe will not 
seal properly, thereby allowing a portion of the backwash water to bypass 
into the filtrate channel, adversely effecting the backwash cleaning of 
the filter media in the cell. 
Due to the nature of the operating service of these types of devices, it is 
inevitable that sand and grit will enter the system and cause accelerated 
wear between the sliding backwash shoe and the stationary liner on the 
channel wall. As the mating faces wear, friction between the two 
components increases, causing an additional side load on the traveling 
bridge, and increasing the bypassing of backwash water around the mating 
surfaces of the wear strips. 
In addition, the application of spring tension to the backwash shoe 
transmits an offset load to one side of the traveling bridge mechanism to 
which the backwash shoe assembly is attached in a cantilevered manner. The 
offset side load imparted to the bridge can cause problems with bridge 
tracking on the bridge guide rails, further complicating alignment of the 
backwash shoe and adversely affecting the sealing of the backwash shoe to 
the channel wall. Excessive side load imparted to the traveling bridge can 
even cause derailment of the bridge. 
In order to eliminate the problems outlined above, this invention 
incorporates a positive means for mechanically sealing the backwash shoe 
to the channel wall. The mechanical means employed will effect a seal only 
after the backwash shoe and a particular backwash port or cell outlet are 
in alignment, thereby eliminating problems caused by continuous side 
loading on the traveling bridge, and also eliminating the need for wear 
strips on the shoe and on the channel wall. The face of the backwash shoe 
engaging the channel wall in accordance with this invention, is equipped 
with a resilient seal face or gasket (shaped to surround the cell outlet 
in the channel wall) to provide a compression type seal, and to account 
for minor imperfections in the channel wall. 
In the preferred arrangement, an expandable bellows-type actuator is 
suspended from the bridge with the backwash pump and backwash shoe. The 
actuator is mechanically connected to the pump discharge pipe adjacent the 
backwash shoe. The actuator is also fluidly connected by a conduit to the 
backwash pump discharge. This entire assembly, including the backwash 
pump, discharge pipe, backwash shoe and bellows actuator, is carried at 
the lower end of a pair of parallel (in a transverse plane parallel to the 
cell partitions) support struts which are pivotally secured to the bridge 
and which extend vertically downwardly into the filtrate channel. In other 
words, the assembly is relatively loosely hung from the bridge such that 
the actuator can move the assembly toward the channel wall so that the 
backwash shoe gasket can sealingly engage the channel wall about 
individual cell ports in a manner described in greater detail further 
herein. 
When the traveling bridge stops at a cell to be backwashed, the backwash 
shoe will be aligned with the cell port or outlet in the channel wall as a 
result of the sensing system which is part of the traveling bridge 
mechanism, but which is otherwise unrelated to this invention. At this 
point, the backwash pump is activated to apply flow and pressure to the 
backwash system. Since the bellows-type actuator is connected to the 
backwash pump discharge, it is pressurized and expanded smoothly as the 
pump comes up to operating pressure. The bellows is located such that one 
side pushes against the tank side wall, thus causing the other side of the 
bellows to push the backwash shoe toward the channel wall until the 
resilient gasket is sealed against the channel wall about the cell outlet. 
When backwash of the cell is complete, the backwash pump is deenergized, 
relieving pressure on the bellows and disengaging the seal from the 
channel wall. This disengaging action of the shoe from the channel wall is 
assisted by a pair of springs compressing the bellows, and thus pulling 
the backwash shoe away from the wall. The bridge then travels to the next 
cell, and the process is repeated until all of the cells are backwashed. 
In its broader aspects, therefore, the present invention relates to a 
traveling bridge filtration system comprising a tank configured to include 
a plurality of side-by-side filter cells all extending longitudinally in a 
first direction, and a common filtrate channel extending longitudinally in 
a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; each filter cell 
having an outlet extending through an interior wall of the tank thereby 
establishing fluid communication with the filtrate channel; a traveling 
bridge mounted atop the tank and movable from cell to cell in the second 
direction; a backwash pump having an inlet and a discharge pipe, the 
discharge pipe connected to a backwash shoe, the pump and shoe pivotally 
suspended from the bridge and located within the filtrate channel; and 
fluid means for moving the backwash shoe selectively into sealing 
engagement with a tank wall surface surrounding one of the filter cell 
outlets, the means responsive to actuation of the backwash pump. 
In another aspect, the invention relates to a method of effecting sealing 
engagement between a backwash shoe and a filter cell outlet port in a 
traveling bridge filtration system which includes a tank configured to 
include a plurality of side-by-side filter cells all extending 
longitudinally in a first direction, and a common filtrate channel 
extending longitudinally in a second direction perpendicular to the first 
direction; each filter cell having an outlet extending through an interior 
wall of the tank thereby establishing fluid communication with the 
filtrate channel; a traveling bridge mounted atop the tank and movable 
from cell to cell in the second direction; a backwash pump having an inlet 
and a discharge pipe, the discharge pipe connected to a backwash shoe, 
said pump and shoe suspended from the bridge within the filtrate channel, 
the backwash pump including a discharge pipe connected between the pump 
and the backwash shoe; the method comprising (a) moving the bridge into 
alignment with a filter cell to be backwashed; (b) moving the backwash 
shoe into sealing engagement with a tank wall surface surrounding an 
outlet of the filter cell as a direct function of pressure developed in 
the backwash pump; (c) backwashing the filter cell; (d) relieving the 
pressure in the pump and disengaging the backwash shoe from the tank wall 
surface; and (e) moving the bridge to the next adjacent cell. 
The above described invention has several advantages: 
(1) positive sealing is effected between the backwash shoe and the backwash 
port or cell outlet, eliminating undesirable bypassing of backwash water; 
(2) wear strip liners on the backwash shoe and the channel wall are 
eliminated through the use of an intermittently operated and mechanically 
actuated resilient seal; 
(3) continuous spring mechanisms and resulting side load on the traveling 
bridge mechanism are eliminated; 
(4) improved backwash efficiency is achieved as a result of the superior 
sealing design which insures all backwash water is directed into the 
filter bed; 
(5) the positive, frictionless, wear-resistant mechanical sealing system 
actuated by hydraulic power inherent within the system requires no 
additional power source; 
(6) a simplified design is provided with fewer sealing components; and 
(7) the system is easily retrofitted to existing systems utilizing the old 
seal designs. 
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the 
detailed description which follows.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
With reference to the drawings, and particularly FIG. 1, the tank 10 
includes a peripheral wall 12 and a bottom wall 14 which together define 
an open-topped rectangular tank. The peripheral wall 12 includes a pair of 
side walls (one shown at 16), and a pair of end walls (one shown at 17). 
An interior partition wall 18 is spaced from, and extends parallel to the 
side wall 16 from between the end walls to define along with a portion of 
the peripheral wall 12 a filtrate channel 20 running along the length of 
the tank. Transverse cell partitions 22 define individual filter cells 24 
which extend across the tank (perpendicular to the channel 20), between 
the interior partition, or channel wall 18 and the opposite side wall (not 
shown). 
Each cell 24 may be provided with an underdrain header 26 which extends 
along the length of the cell and through the interior partition or channel 
wall 18. In this way, filtrate passing downwardly through the filter media 
in each cell will flow through the header 26, into the filtrate channel 
20. For purposes of this invention, however, it is important to note that 
the cells 24 may drain directly through the channel wall 18 and into the 
filtrate channel 20, i.e., without a header 26. Thus, reference will be 
made herein to the cell outlet or port, embracing both a header 26 and a 
simple outlet port through the wall 18. 
A traveling bridge 28 is mounted atop the tank for movement between the end 
wall portions of the tank, i.e., in a direction perpendicular to the 
transversely extending cells 24. The bridge, also of conventional 
construction, supports a submersible backwash pump 30 within the channel 
20 to enable each of the cells 24 to be backwashed, in succession, as the 
bridge 28 moves from cell to cell. The pump 30 includes an inlet through 
which it receives filtrate from the channel 20, and a discharge pipe 32 
which is arranged in an inverted U-configuration best seen in FIG. 2. The 
discharge pipe 32 terminates at a backwash shoe 34 which is adapted to 
align with respective headers 26 or outlets of the cells 24. 
It will be appreciated that the backwash operation per se is known, wherein 
filtrate from channel 20 is pumped through discharge pipe 32, into a 
header 26 or cell outlet and then upwardly through the cell 24 in a 
direction counter to the normal filtration flow direction, to be collected 
and removed via a collection hood (not shown) also suspended from the 
bridge. This invention is specifically concerned with the manner in which 
the backwash shoe 34 sealingly engages an outside surface 35 of the 
interior partition or channel wall 18, about the individual cell outlets. 
As noted above, the discharge pipe 32 is configured in an inverted U-slope, 
with an upward leg 36, a downward leg 38 and a connecting leg 40 to 
include a backwash flow control valve 42. The backwash shoe 34 at the 
lower free end of downward leg 38 includes a resilient, annular gasket 44 
which is urged into sealing engagement with outside surface 35 of the 
channel wall 18 after the shoe 24 is aligned with a header 26. The sealing 
engagement of gasket 44 with surface 35 is carried out by a bellows 
actuator assembly 46. This assembly includes a bellows or expandable 
diaphragm 48 (made from any suitable, commercially available material) 
secured between a pair of plates 50, 52 which are connected by rods 54, 
56. The rods 54, 56 extend beyond the plate 52 and each supports an 
actuator return spring 58, 60, respectively. These springs, which are 
preferably coil springs telescoped over the respective rods, are secured 
to the rod ends so as to exert a compressive force on the bellows (to the 
left as viewed in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4), as described in greater detail below. 
The bellows plate 52 is fixed to an actuator support or thrust rod 62 
which, in turn, is fixed to the downward leg 38 of pipe 32, adjacent the 
backwash shoe 34. Rod 62 is braced by a reinforcing strut 64 extending 
between the support 62 and the downward leg 38, as best seen in FIG. 3. 
The entire assembly comprising the backwash pump 30, discharge pipe 32, 
backwash shoe 34 and actuator assembly 46 is carried at the lower end of 
two, parallel supporting struts 66, 68 which are pivotally secured to the 
bridge by pins 70, 72. These struts extend vertically downwardly into the 
filtrate channel and support a substantially square frame 74 (see FIG. 1) 
which, in turn, carries the backwash pump 30. As will be appreciated from 
FIGS. 1 and 2, the discharge pipe 32, backwash shoe 34 and actuator 
assembly 46 are cantilevered from the pump 30 and frame 74. A pressure 
connector line 76 extends between the upward leg 36 of the discharge pipe 
32 (proximate the pump 30) and the actuator assembly 46 so that, upon 
actuation of the pump 30 under the control of valve 42, the bellows 48 is 
expanded by reason of back pressure developed in the pump transmitted via 
line 76 (against the counter biasing force of springs 58, 60), to move the 
shoe 24 to the right, from the position shown in FIG. 3 to the position 
shown in FIG. 4. 
In use, the bridge 28 will move to a position over a filter cell to be 
backwashed, and the collector hood on the bridge will be moved into 
position over the cell. At the same time, the backwash shoe will be 
aligned with the cell header or outlet 26 within the filtrate channel 20. 
The backwash pump 30 will then be actuated under the control of valve 42. 
This is a low pressure system which requires only about 5 lbs. of pressure 
to run the pump 30 and to expand the bellows actuator 48. When the pump 
comes up to pressure, the bellows or diaphragm 48 will expand, causing the 
gasket 44 to engage and seal to the surface 36 of channel wall 18 about a 
respective cell outlet or header 26. It will be noted that the bellows 
actuator assembly 46 is positioned close to the tank side wall 16 so that 
plate 50, upon expansion of bellows 48, will push against the wall surface 
of the tank side wall 16, thereby driving the shoe 34 via thrust rod 62, 
in the opposite, sealing direction. Movement of the shoe 34 and gasket 44 
is made possible by the manner in which the pump and shoe assembly is 
"hung" from the bridge. As a practical matter, the assembly, which is 
suspended about seven feet below the bridge 28, need only move laterally 
about two inches between a non-sealing position and a sealing position. 
The resiliency of gasket 44 (which may comprise a BUNA-N elastomer) insures 
good sealing even with minor imperfections in the surface 35 of wall 18. 
After the backwash operation is completed, the pressure in line 76 is 
relieved, thus allowing the bellows 48 to contract. Upon release of this 
pressure, springs 58, 60 compress the bellows back to the position 
illustrated in FIG. 3, disengaging the shoe 24 from the channel wall 18. 
The bridge 28 is then indexed automatically to the next cell and the 
process repeated. 
While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently 
considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be 
understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed 
embodiment, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various 
modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and 
scope of the appended claims.