Improvements in and relating to the Softening and Purifying of Water, and Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Aug., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 8th May, 1894--Accepted, 7th July, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION,
Improvements in and relating to the Softening and Purifying of
Water, and Apparatus therefor.
We, HENRY LOUIS DOULTON, Potter, and ALFRED WILLIAM MANGER,
Engineer, both of Lambeth Potteries, in the County of Surrey, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
Our invention relates to the softening and purifying of water and to apparatus
for those purposes and has for its object to provide efficient and reliable means and
self acting apparatus for the removal of temporary hardness (that is, the carbonates
contained in water) or both temporary and permanent hardness (that is, both the
carbonates and the sulphates contained in water) and for otherwise purifying same
so as to render the effluent suitable for manufacturing and potable purposes. For
removing temporary hardness only we treat the water with a reagent consisting of
a saturated solution of lime or equivalent in an apparatus which consists mainly of a
reagent tank, a mixing tank or funnel, a settling tank, and a filtering tank, all
suitably connected as hereinafter appears. Part of the supply is led to the lower
part of the reagent tank below a movable perforated false bottom or diaphragm
covered with asbestos cloth or suitable material, above which is arranged a rotary
mechanical agitator. This is constructed according to our invention of two frames
connected by vertical gridiron or flat stirrers; by this arrangement a uniform
quality of saturated solution is ensured and also an even deposit of lime upon the
diaphragm. In the lower part of the tank the supply pipe is suitably disposed and
perforated so that the water flows up through the superposed reagent in the
agitating tank. The diaphragm is hinged and adapted to be dropped and raised
and fixed when required by a lever and chain or the like. A valved water pipe
opens into the reagent tank above said diaphragm, which together with the supply
pipe previously mentioned serves to effect a very thorough flushing and cleansing
of the diaphragm and tank when required. From the reagent tank and from the
supply tank separate pipes lead to the mixing tank or funnel, each of these is
provided with a regulator for adjusting the proper proportions of the inlet waters,
and their delivery into the funnel is controlled by a pair of ball cocks. The outlet
pipe from the mixing tank or funnel leads to the lower part of the settling tank and
a projecting edge or baffler is arranged in convenient position for the purpose of
setting up eddy currents for more thoroughly commingling the hard supply water
and the saturated solution.. In the settling tank cross baffle plates are arranged,
below and over which alternately the water flows to the outlet pipe. This leads to
the filter tank below the filtering material which is or may be manganous carbon
or other suitable material and is supported upon a perforated galvanised iron plate
and preferably enclosed by a screen of the same or suitable material: After passing
up through this the water, deprived of its temporary hardness, escapes by an outlet
pipe to store tanks or other destination. The bases of some or all of the tanks are
or may be coned and suitable blow out pipes with valves are provided beneath each
tank leading to one main drain or pipe, and overflow and air pipes are provided
where required and the whole apparatus may be conveniently grouped upon girders,
frames or floorings.
For removing both temporary and permanent hardness, that is to say, for reducing
the sulphates as well as the carbonates, we first treat the carbonates as above
indicated and then we add certain reagents for the sulphates, and this separate and
subsequent treatment is an important part of our invention, as hitherto all attempts

page_text: so far as we know have been made in the direction of treating both carbonates and
sulphates together and have resulted in failure through want of uniformity.
To effect our purpose we arrange in connection with the settling tank (wherein
the water has been treated as above described) a duplicate arrangement of tanks, in
one of which water is mixed with soda or suitable reagents for sulphates and the
other serves as a check valve thereto for maintaining a uniform head therein, the
supply being delivered into a funnel opening into the settling tank and controlled
by suitable regulating and ball valves. Upon this supply pipe we provide a double-
acting automatic valve for shutting off the reagent when the water level rises above
or falls below the normal level, and so prevent waste of reagent.
Finally we provide in connection with plant such as is above described means for
eliminating alkalinity when required. These consist in the use of certain reagents
which will prevent or eliminate alkalinity, such for example as boracic, oxalic,
stearic, or acetic acid, aluminum or sodium phosphate, etc.
We apply such reagent or reagents by placing same in a perforated tray or box
arranged between the baffles of the settling tank in such manner that the water will
flow therethrough on its way to the abovementioned funnel for the admission of the
sulphate reagent, or in other suitable manner : The apparatus may be constructed
in any suitable form and it is adapted to deal with and deliver continuously any
required volume of water to be treated.
Dated this 8th day of August 1893.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Softening and Purifying of
Water, and Apparatus therefor.
We, HENRY LEWIS DOULTON, Potter, and ALFRED WILLIAM MANGER,
Engineer, both of Lambeth Potteries, in the County of Surrey, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
Our invention relates to the softening and purifying of water and to apparatus
for those purposes and has for its object to provide efficient and reliable means and
self-acting apparatus for the removal of temporary hardness (that is, the carbonates
contained in water), or both temporary and permanent hardness (that is, both the
carbonates and the sulphates contained in water), and for otherwise purifying same
so as to render the effluent suitable for manufacturing and potable purposes.
We will fully describe our invention in reference to the accompanying drawings
in which Fig. 1 is an elevation partly in section, and Fig. 2 is a plan..
These views show one convenient arrangement of our apparatus, but it is to be
understood that the arrangement will always be varied to suit individual
circumstances and sites without departing from the essential features and nature of
our invention.
We will describe seriatim the three objects of our invention.
Firstly. For removing temporary hardness only we treat the water supplied
with a re-agent consisting of a saturated solution of lime or equivalent in an
apparatus which consists mainly of a re-agent tank A, a mixing tank or funnel B,
a settling tank C, and a filtering tank D, all suitably connected as hereinafter
appears. Part of the supply is led from the supply tank T by a pipe S to the
lower part A¹ of the re-agent tank A. below a movable perforated false bottom or
diaphragm F fitting the vessel and dividing it into two parts, the lower one of
which A' is or may be provided with an air pipe a". The diaphragın F is covered
with asbestos cloth or suitable material, and above it is arranged a rotary mechanical.

page_text: the process above described of certain re-agents which will prevent or eliminate
alkalinity, and these may be for example, boracic, oxalic, stearic, or acetic acid,
aluminium or sodium phosphate, etc.
We apply such re-agent or re-agents by placing same in a perforated tray or
box R arranged between any of the baffles c c of the settling tank C and extending
across the tank in such manner that the water is thereby subjected to the action of
such anti-alkaline re-agents as are adopted.
Our apparatus may be constructed in any suitable form and it is adapted to deal
with as above set forth and deliver continuously any required volume of water to
be treated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
:-
1. The means or process of removing temporary hardness from water by treating
it with a saturated solution of lime or equivalent substantially in the manner
hereinabove described and illustrated.
2. The means or process of removing both temporary and permanent hardness
from water by first treating the carbonates as above explained and then adding
re-agents such as are specified for treating the sulphates separately and subsequently,
substantially in the manner above set forth.
3. The means of eliminating alkalinity from water during the process of softening
same above referred to which consists in the application of re-agents for alkalinity
(such as are above specified under the third heading) substantially in the manner
above described and illustrated.
4. The arrangement and combination of parts forming the apparatus for effecting
the process (above referred to) of removing
(a) temporary hardness,
(b) temporary and permanent hardness,
hardness and alkalinity, from water,
substantially as above described and illustrated in the drawings.
Dated this 8th day of May 1894.

page_text: agitator E. This is constructed according to our invention of two frames e con-
nected by vertical gridiron or flat stirrers e³, and it may be rotated by hand, as
illustrated at e, or power as desired. By this arrangement a uniform quality of
saturated solution is ensured and also an even deposit of lime upon the diaphragm F.
In the lower part A¹ of the tank A the said supply pipe S is carried round or
otherwise suitably disposed and perforated so that the water flows up through the
superposed re-agent in the agitating tank A. The diaphragm F is hinged at fand
adapted to be dropped and raised and fixed when required by a lever and chain.
such as for the like. A valved water pipe S' opens into the re-agent tank A
above said diaphragm F which together with the. supply pipe S previously
mentioned serves to effect a very thorough flushing and cleansing of the
diaphragm F and tank A A' when required. From the re-agent tank A. and from
the supply tank T separate pipes a and t respectively lead to the mixing tank or
funnel B, cach of these is provided with a regulator at respectively for adjusting
the proper proportions of the inlet waters, and their separate deliveries into the
funnel B are controlled by a pair of ball cocks a' t. The outlet 6 from the mixing
tank or funnel B leads to the lower part of the settling tank C, and a projecting
edge or "baffler" such as is shown at c is arranged in convenient position for the
purpose of setting up eddy currents for more thoroughly commingling the hard
supply water from tank T and the saturated lime solution from tank A. In the
settling tank A any suitable number of cross baffle plates c'e' are arranged, below
and over which alternately the partly treated water flows to the outlet pipe O as
indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1. This outlet pipe leads to the filter tank D
below filtering material M which is or may be manganous carbon or other suitable
material and is supported upon a perforated plate m and preferably enclosed by a
screen of the same or suitable material, an air pipe m¹ being arranged when
required. After passing up through this filter the water escapes by an outlet
pipe G to store tanks or other destination. The tanks A. C. D. may be circular,
square, or of other suitable shape and the bases of some or all of them are or may
be coned or curved as illustrated, and suitable wash-out pipes such as P. P. with
valves are provided beneath each tank leading to one main drain or pipe P¹. The
usual overflow and air pipes are provided where required and the whole apparatus.
may be conveniently grouped upon girders as shown, or upon frames or flooring in
any workmanlike manner.
Secondly. For removing both temporary and permanent hardness, that is to say,.
for reducing the sulphates as well as the carbonates, we first treat the carbonates
as above indicated and then we add certain re-agents for the sulphates, and this
separate and subsequent treatment is an important part of our invention, as hitherto
all attempts, so far as we know, have been made in the direction of treating both
carbonates and sulphates together and have resulted in failure through want of
uniformity.
To effect our second purpose we arrange in connection with the settling tank C
(wherein the water has been treated as above described) a duplicate arrangement
of tanks K. K' to one of which (K) the water supply is led by a suitable pipe such
as k³, Fig. 2 and mixed with soda or suitable re-agents for the removal of sulphates,
an ordinary agitator such as is shown at K' Fig. 2 being arranged if required.
The other tank (K¹) contains a check valve K' and serves as a waste preventer
for maintaining a uniform head in the tank K; the supply is delivered through
pipe n into a funnel-shaped vessel N preferably directly over the orifice n' which
opens into the settling tank C, the flow being controlled by any suitable kind of
regulating valve such as is shown at k. Upon this supply pipe n we provide a
double-acting automatic valve V Fig. 2 (of known construction and operated by a
float v) for automatically shutting off the flow of re-agent when the water level in
the tank C rises above or falls below the normal level, and so prevent waste of
re-agent.
Thirdly. We provide in connection with plant such as is above described means
for eliminating alkalinity when required. Such means consist in the use during