Improvements in Apparatus for the Filtration of Water Sewage and other Fluids.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for the Filtration of Water Sewage
and other Fluids.
We, ANDREW JAMES BELL and PETER ADAM GARDNER BELL, both of
41, Corporation Street, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to improvements in filtering apparatus such as is or may
be employed in the treatment of sewage in a fluid state, and other polluted fluids.
The object of our invention is to enable the filtering material in said apparatus
to be thoroughly washed and cleansed at intervals so as to obtain perfect filtration
and efficiently to purify the sewage or other fluid that is being treated. In this
invention we fit a hollow revolving vertical hydraulic shaft within the shell or
cylinder containing the filtering material. We affix to said shaft and at right
angles thereto a series of hollow radial arms to which vertical rakes are attached:
said rakes are fitted to each radial arm in alternate positions so as to project
between the rakes which are attached to the radial arm that is immediately above
or below the intermediate radial arm. We fit valves at intervals in the aforesaid
radial arms that will permit water to be ejected therefrom into the filtering
material but will prevent the filtering material entering the said radial arms.
The aforesaid vertical shaft is fitted at its base in a footstep and rests on a non-
corrosive bearing such as lignum vitæ. A stuffing box or gland is fitted in the
roof of the filtering chamber through which the aforesaid vertical hollow shaft
passes, which while making a watertight chamber leaves the shaft free to revolve,
and said shaft may be rotated by hand or power. The bottom of the shell or
filtering chamber is lined with concrete and numerous strainers fitted therein.
In applying our invention, when it is necessary at intervals to remove from the
filtering material the impure substances that have been retained by the process
of filtration, clean water is forced through the aforesaid hydraulic shaft, passes
into the radial arms hereinbefore described and is forced into the filtering
material through the valves in said radial arms, and at the same time clean water
is forced upward through the strainers in the floor. The shaft with the arms is
revolved and the rakes that are fitted to the arms agitate and stir up the filtering
material at the same time that the water is being forced through the valves in
said arms and through the strainers in the floor, the water and impurities being
carried off through the roof of the filtering chamber by an outlet pipe. By
these means the filtering material is effectually washed and is again prepared
for the purposes of continued filtration. The herein before described apparatus
for cleansing filtering material may be applied to open or gravity filter beds.
D
01
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page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for the Filtration of Water, Sewage,
and other Fluids.
We, ANDREW JAMES BELL and PETER ADAM GARDNER BELL, both of
41, Corporation Street, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, 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 improvements in filtering apparatus such as is or
may be employed in the treatment of sewage in a fluid state and other polluted
fluids.
The object of our invention is to enable the filtering material in said apparatus
to be thoroughly washed and cleansed at intervals so as to obtain perfect filtration
and efficiently to purify the sewage or other fluid that is being treated.
We attain this object by the means hereinafter described, reference being made to
the accompanying two sheets of drawings in which Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation
of a shell or cylinder containing filtering material with our invention applied.
Figs. 2 to 9 are details of our invention drawn to an enlarged scale and are as
follows. Fig. 2 is a side view and Fig. 3 a plan of a radial arm for connecting
to a hollow revolving vertical shaft. Fig. 4 is a rear end view and Fig. 5 a front
end view of the same radial arm. Fig. 6 is a side view, Fig. 7 a rear end view
and Fig. 8 a front end view of a modified construction of radial arm. Fig. 9 is a
form of valve employed in combination with the aforesaid radial arms.
drawings similar letters refer to similar parts.
In these
In this invention we fit within a shell or cylinder as a containing filtering
material a hollow vertical hydraulic shaft as 6 that is capable of being revolved.
We affix to said shaft and at right angles thereto a series of hollow radial arms
as c and to which rakes or forks dare attached by any preferred means so as to
form a part thereof. Said rakes which may be either hollow or solid are fitted
to each radial arm in alternate positions and project in such a manner that they
would pass between the rakes on the adjacent radial arm that is immediately
above or below the intermediate radial arm, if said radial arms were loose on the
vertical shaft. The radial arms are constructed with a base or flange'e to fit on
to a flange as f formed on the aforesaid vertical shaft b to which they are firmly
secured by studs or bolts.
We fit valves as g at intervals in the aforesaid radial arms c and sometimes in
the rakes d through which water may be ejected and flush the filtering material,
but said valves are constructed so as to prevent the filtering material entering
the radial arms; in the accompanying drawing the valve spindle g¹ is passed
through the arm and is secured by a nut g² an India rubber ferrule j being placed
between said nut and the radial arm; the India rubber ferrule j is compressed
when water is forced through the arm and valve, but when the pressure from the
water is withdrawn, said rubber ferrule causes the valve g to close, thereby
preventing the entrance of sand or gravel into the radial arm. The vertical
shaft 6 is fitted at its base in a footstep and rests on a non-corrosive bearing such
as lignum-vitae; the upper portion of the shaft passes through a water tight
chamber which is formed in the manner described in the Specification of the
Patent No. 2384 of 1897, and said shaft may be revolved either by hand or power:
the bottom of the shell or filtering chamber a is lined with concrete and with any
preferred number of strainers as m fitted therein.
In applying our invention, when it is necessary at intervals to remove from the

page_text: filtering material the impure substances that have been retained by the process
of filtration, clean water is forced through the aforesaid hydraulic shaft b, passes
into the radial arms c and is forced through the filtering material through the
valves in said radial arms, and at the same time clean water is forced upwards
through the strainers m in the floor of the filtering chamber: the shaft with the
arms is revolved, and the rakes d that are fitted to the arms agitate and stir up
the filtering material that is contained in the cylinder a at the same time that
the water is being forced through the valves in said arms, and through the
strainers in the floor, the water and impurities being carried off through the roof
of the filtering chamber by an outlet pipe. By these means the filtering material
is effectually washed and is again prepared for the purpose of continued filtration.
The herein before described apparatus for cleansing filtering material may be
applied to open or gravity filter beds.
We do not confine ourselves to the precise form or disposition of the rakes, or the
valves herein before described and shown on the drawings, as these may be
modified to suit requirements without departing from our invention, but
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:-
1st. In filter beds that are constructed with a shell or an equivalent for contain-
ing filtering material for the purification of water, sewage, and other fluids,
and fitted with a hollow vertical hydraulic shaft centrally placed, to which radial
arms with holes therein are attached the combination with said radial arms of
valves as through which jets of water under pressure from the aforesaid hollow
shaft may be forced through the filtering material substantially as and for the
purpose herein before described.
2nd. In filter beds that are constructed with a shell or equivalent for containing
filtering material for the purification of water, sewage, and other fluids, and
fitted with a hollow vertical hydraulic shaft centrally placed to which radial arms
are attached, the combination with said radial arms of rakes or forks as d that may
be formed thereon or attached thereto and may be either solid or hollow, for the
purpose and in the manner substantially as herein before described.
3rd. In filter beds that are constructed with a shell or an equivalent for con-
taining filtering material for the purification of water, sewage, or other fluid,
and fitted with a hollow hydraulic shaft centrally placed, the combination there-
with of hollow radial arms with rakes or forks attached and revolving at different
levels, valves as g in said radial arms and in the rakes or forks attached thereto,
substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
4th. In a filtering cylinder or other equivalent that is constructed for contain-
ing filtering material for the purification of water, sewage, and other fluids, and
the bottom of the shell or cylinder lined with concrete in which strainers are
fitted, the combination of a vertical hollow hydraulic shaft centrally placed that is
passed through a water tight chamber in the roof and resting on a non-corrosive
footstep in the floor of the cylinder is capable of being revolved either by hand
or power, hollow radial arms with rakes or forks attached extending from said
shaft, and valves in either or both said radial arms and rakes or forks all sub-
stantially as and for the purpose herein before described.
THOMAS PRESCOTT,
53, Arcade Chambers, St. Mary's Gate, Manchester.
Agent for the Applicants.
THOMAS PRESCOTT,
53, Arcade Chambers, St. Mary's Gate, Manchester.
Agent for the Applicants.