IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PURIFI- CATION OF WATER AND SEWAGE, AND IN APPARATUS AND MATERIALS EM- PLOYED IN CONNECTION THEREWITH
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Gustav Bischof, of No. 4, Hart Street, Bloomsbury, in tho
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PURIFI-
CATION OF WATER AND SEWAGE, AND IN APPARATUS AND MATERIALS EM-
PLOYED IN CONNECTION THEREWITH."
Sealed the 21st July 1876, and dated the 17th May 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Gustav Bischof at the Offico
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th May 1870.
GUSTAV BISCHOF, of No. 4, Hart Street, Bloomsbury, in the County of Mid-
dlesex. “IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PURIFICATION OF WATER AND SEWAGE, AND IN
APPARATUS AND MATERIALS EMPLOYED IN CONNECTION THEREWITH."
One part of my Invention relates to the purification of water by filtration, and
has reference more particularly to the construction and arrangement of filters that
are placed directly in the cistern or reservoir containing the water to be filtered or.
purified, such water being caused to pass through the filter, whence it is then con-
ducted away to a storage reservoir for filtered water.
I construct such filters in the following manner :-The filtering materials are
placed within a casing of stoneware, or other suitable material, resting upon one or
moro perforated bottoms therein, under which there is a small receptacle for filtered
water provided with a tubule. This tubulo is connected by a pipe passing through
the side of the cistern and downwards to a "regulator," to be presently described,
for regulating the yield of filtered water according to the size of the filter. As the
water enters the filter from the cistern through an aperture in its top, I provent the
action of the filter from ceasing when the water level in the cistern sinks below its
top by placing over the filter case a bell-shaped hood reaching down to near the
bottom of the cistern, in the top of which hood is a small air valve. On first
starting the filter the level of the water in the cistern should be above the top of.
the filter case. The hood is then placed on with the air valve open, so as to allow
all air to escape from its interior, after which the valvo is closed. The filter caso
and hood being now filled with water, the water in the before-mentioned pipe
leading down to the regulator will act as a siphon in drawing the water from the
cistern up between the hood and filter caso and down through the filter, and this.
action will continue till the water level in the cistern has sunk below the bottom of
the hood.

page_text: The before-mentioned regulator is in principle the same as that described in the
Specification to my Patent, No. 2243, of 1874; but in place of being contained in
the filter case itself, as there described, it is for cistern filters constructed separate
therefrom, and placed at a certain depth below the same. The regulator consists of
a pipe, by preference of tin, which passes through the side of a vertically inverted
glass bottle or other suitable vessel. The one end of the pipe is provided with a plug
or stop-cock, while the other open end is connected to the before-mentioned pipe
leading down from the filter. In the upper side of the pipe within the bottle or
other vessel is a small hole, through which the filtered water flows from the filter
into the regulator vessel, there being no other issue for the filtered water, so that by
regulating the size of this hole the flow of the water through the spongy iron and
other materials in the filter will be sufliciently retarded to prevent such materials
from being disturbed, and allow a sufficiently long contact between them and the
water to ellect the thorough purification of the latter.
The regulating pipe is secured to the side of the bottle or other vessel in a water-
tight mauner by flanges and caoutchouc washers, one of the flanges being screwed
on over the open end of the pipe, and secured to the pipe leading from the filter
case. The filtered water is either withdrawn from the neck of the regulating vessel
through a tap for immediate use, or, by preference, it passes thence through a tin
pipe to the storage reservoir for filtered water, whence it may be conducted to any
part of the building. These storage reservoirs consist of cylindrical vessels of
galvanised iron or other suitable material, by preference with a funnel-shaped
bottom with which the discharge pipe communicates, so that the water can be
entirely drawn off. The lids of these reservoirs aro soldered or otherwise fixed
down in an air-tight manner, and are provided with union screws for connecting
the pipe from the regulator vessel, and another pipe which leads to the top of the
reservoir for unfiltered water, and serves as an air tube.
If the water in the storage reservoir requires to be refrigerated, I fix centrally in
the reservoir a water-tight cylinder reaching nearly to the bottom where it is
closed, and ice is either introduced directly into the cylinder, or, by preference, the
ice is placed in a separate vessel fitting into the cylinder, the top of which is pro-
vided with a suitable cover, by preference of a bad conductor of heat.
My Invention relates, further, to the separation of the iron from water that has
passed through a spongy iron filter, as described in the Specification to my Patent,
No. 38, of 1873. Instead of employing limestone or animal charcoal for retaining
the iron, as described in the said Specification, any other material that will act as a
mechanical strainer, such as sand, coke, or asbestos, may be used for this purpose,
provided that sufficient time be allowed for the oxidation of the iron in solution
after the water has passed through the spongy iron, and before passing through the
above-mentioned materials. With a view, howover, of accelerating the oxidation
of the iron in solution I mix the mineral known as pyrolusito or polyanite, which
is manganic dioxide or peroxide in a finely granular stato, with the sand or other
materials.
My Invention further consists in employing such before-mentioned manganic
dioxide by itself as a purifying medium for water or sewage, using it either as a
filtering medium or as hercin-after described. For the first-named purpose it may
be formed into porous cylinders, slabs, or balls by mixing with cement or other
binding material.
My Invention relates, furthermore, to the mode of applying spongy iron or manganic
dioxide to the purification of water or sewage. As described in the Specification to
my Patent, No. 2516, of 1870, it was only proposed to employ spongy iron as a
filtering medium; but I find that in cases in which filtration is not desirablo or
practicable, a purification can also be effected by grinding the spongy iron or
manganic dioxide to a very fine powder, and mixing this powder with the water or
sewage to be purified, using the said substances cither separately or in combination.
These substances may either be mixed with the water or sewage by any well-
known mechanical micans or they are preferably added gradually theroto, and

page_text: caused to mix thoroughly with the liquid by its flow through the pipes or channels
.through which it is conducted to wherever required.
The spongy iron is by this means dissolved or otherwise oxidised, and the oxide
of iron thus produced is separated from water for domestic purposes by filtration
through sand, or through a mixture of sand and manganic dioxide, in the ordinary
subsiding reservoirs, whilst in the case of sewage such separation may in most cases
be dispensed with.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Gustav Bischof in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 16th November
1876.
GUSTAV BISCHOF, of No. 4, Hart Street, Bloomsbury, in the County of Mid-
dlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS' IN THE PURIFICATION OF WATER AND SEWAGE, AND IN
APPARATUS AND MATERIALS EMPLOYED IN CONNECTION THEREWITHI."
"
One part of my Invention relates to the purification of water by filtration, and
has reference more particularly to the construction and arrangement of filters that
are placed directly in the cistern or reservoir containing the water to be filtered or
purified, such water being caused to pass through the filter, whence it is then con-
ducted away to a storage reservoir for filtered water.
I construct such filters in the following manner-The filtering materials are
placed within a casing of stoneware, or other suitable material, resting upon one or
more perforated bottoms therein, under which there is a small receptacle for filtered
water provided with a tubule. This tubule is connected by a pipe passing through
the side of the cistern and downwards to a "regulator," to be presently described,
for regulating the yield of filtered water according to the size of the filter. As the
water enters the filter from the cistern through an aperture in its top, I prevent the
action of the filter from ceasing when the water level in the cistern sinks below its
top by placing over the filter case a bell-shaped hood reaching down to near the
bottom of the cistern, in the top of which hood is a small air valve. On first
starting the filter the level of the water in the cistern should be above the top of
the filter case. The hood is then placed on with the air valve open, so as to allow
all air to escape from its interior, after which the valve is closed. The filter case
and hood being now filled with water, the water in the before-mentioned pipe
leading down to the regulator will act as a siphon in drawing the water from the
cistern up between the hood and filter case and down through the filter, and this
action will continue till the water level in the cistern has sunk to the lower rim of
the hood.
The before-mentioned regulator is in principle the same as that described in the
Specification to my Patent No. 2243, of 1874; but in place of being contained in
the filter case itself, as there described, it is for cistern filters constructed separato
therefrom, and placed at a certain depth below the same. The regulator consists of
a pipe, by preference of tin, which passes through the side of a vertically inverted
glass bottle or other suitable vessel. The one end of the pipe is provided with a
plug or stop-cock, while the other open end is connected to the before-mentioned pipe
leading down from the filter. In the upper side of the pipe within the bottle or other
vessel is a small hole, through which the filtered water flows from the filter into
the regulator vessel, there being no other issue for the filtered water, so that by
regulating the size of this hole the flow of the water through the spongy iron and
other materials in the filter will be sufficiently retarded to prevent such materials
from being disturbed, and allow a sufficiently long contact between them and the
-water-to-effect-the thorough purification of the latter.
The regulating pipa is secured to the side of the bottle or other vessel in a
water-tight manner by flanges. and caoutchouc washers, or other suitable known
means, one of the flanges being screwed on over the open end of the pipe, and

page_text: secured to the pipe leading from the filter case. The filtered water is either with-
drawn from the neck of the regulating vessel through a tap for immediate use, or,
by preference, it passes thence through a tin pipe to the storage reservoir for
filtered water whence may be conducted to any part of the building. These storage
reservoirs consist of cylindrical vessels of earthenware or other suitable material, by
preference with a funnel-shaped bottom with which the discharge pipe communi-
cates, so that the water can be entirely drawn off. The lids of these reservoirs are
soldered or otherwise fixed down in an air-tight manner, and are provided with
union screws for connecting the pipe from the regulator vessel, and another pipe,
which leads to the top of the reservoir for unfiltered water, and serves as an air
tube.
If the water in the storage reservoir requires to be refrigerated, I fix centrally in
the reservoir a water-tight cylinder, reaching nearly to the bottom, where it is
closed, and ice is either introduced directly into the cylinder, or, by preference, the
ice is placed in a separato vessel fitting into the cylinder, the top of which is pro-
vided with a suitable cover, by preference of a bad conductor of heat.
My Invention relates, further, to the separation of the iron from water that has
passed through a spongy iron filter, as described in the Specification to my Patent,
No. 38, of 1873. Instead of employing limestone or animal charcoal for retaining
the iron, as described in the said Specification, any other material that will act as a
mechanical strainer, such as sand, coke, or asbestos, may be used for this purpose,
provided that sufficient time be allowed for the oxidation of the iron in solution
after the water has passed through the spongy iron, and before passing through the
above-mentioned materials. With a view, however, of accelerating the oxidation
of the iron in solution I mix the mineral known as pyrolusito or polyanite, which
is manganic dioxide or peroxide in a finely granular state with the sand or other
materials, or such manganic dioxide may be used without sand or similar materials
in combination with spongy iron.
My Invention further consists in employing such beforo-mentioned manganic
dioxide by itself as a purifying medium for water or sewage, using it either as a
filtering medium or as herein-after described. For the first-named purpose it is
formed into porous cylinders, slabs, or balls by mixing with cement or other binding
material.
My Invention relates, furthermore, to the mode of applying spongy iron or
manganic dioxide to the purification of water or sewage. As described in the
Specification to my Patent, No. 2516, of 1870, it was only proposed to employ spongy
iron as a filtering medium; but I find that in cases in which filtration is not desirable
or practicable, a purification can also be effected by grinding the spongy iron or
manganic dioxide to a very fine powder, and mixing this powder with the water or
sewage to be purified, using the said substances either separately or in com-
bination. These substances may either be mixed with the water or sewage by any
well-known mechanical means, or they are preferably added gradually thereto, and
caused to mix thoroughly with the liquid by its flow through the pipes or channels
through which it is conducted to wherever required.
The spongy iron is by this means dissolved or otherwise oxidised, and the oxide
of iron thus produced is separated from water for domestic purposes by filtration
through sand or through a mixture of sand and manganic dioxide in the ordinary
subsiding reservoirs, whilst in the case of sewage such separation may in most
cases be dispensed with, or be effected by subsidence, as herein-before described.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner the
Eame is to be performed, I claim,—
First. The construction of cistern filters wherein the filtered water is caused to
descend through a pipe to a regulator" outside the filter and cistern, whence it is
conducted to the storage reservoir, substantially as herein described.
Second. Providing cistern filters with a bell-shaped hood acting as a siphon to
draw the water into the filter when the water level is below the inlet opening, sub-
stantially as herein described.

page_text: Third. The use in spongy iron filters of sand, coke, asbestos, or other similar material
in combination with pyrolusite or manganic dioxide for separating the iron from
the filtered water, substantially as herein described.
Fourth. The use of pyrolusite or manganic dioxide in the form of porous slabs,
balls, or cylinders as a purifying medium for water or sowage, substantially as
herein described.
Fifth. The use of pyrolusite or manganic dioxide in combination with spongy
iron as a filtering medium for water, substantially as herein described.
Sixth. Effecting the purification of water or sewago by mixing therewith spongy
iron or manganic dioxide, or both, in a finely pulverised state, substantially as hercin
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Gustav Bischof, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
GUSTAV RISCHOR 70)