Improvements in Filters.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 29th May, 1893-Accepted, 8th July, 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Filters.
I, ERNEST ARTHUR SCAMMELL, of King William Street, Adelaide, in the
Province of South Australia, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my
invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FILTERS," and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained, in and by the
following statement :—
My invention relates to that class of filters or filtering appliances in which the
impurities are removed by upward filtration.
The object of my improvements is to provide such an arrangement of parts as
shall enable the filter to be simple in construction, automatic in action, and
constantly self cleansing.
In my invention the filter or filter casing is divided into a suitable number of
chambers, the top or upper chamber being connected by a suitable pipe or channel
extending preferably down or within the material of the casing to the bottom or
lower chamber.
Between the lower and middle chambers and forming the bottom of the latter, I
place a block of carbon or other suitable filtering material. I provide the lower
chamber with a vent or vents for the purpose hereinafter mentioned, and the middle
chamber with a tap and down air pipe.
The unfiltered water is placed in the upper chamber and flows through a con-
necting pipe or channel into the lower chamber. From this it rises through the
filtering medium into the middle chamber, and is withdrawn for use through a
suitable tap provided for the purpose.
In order that my invention may be the better understood, I will now proceed to
describe the same by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which,—
Fig. 1. is a vertical sectional elevation of my improved filter.
Fig. 2. a vertical sectional elevation of a modified form of filter, constructed in
accordance with my invention.
Similar letters indicate corresponding parts in both figures.
A is the filter casing constructed of any material, and in three chambers B. C. D.
E supply pipe or channel extending from the chamber B into the chamber C.
F carbon block or filtering medium. G a vent or opening in the bottom of the
lower chamber through which the dirt, sediment, or other foreign matter can be
removed. H pipe or opening in the side of the casing to permit the escape of the
displaced air from the chamber D, when the filter is in operation, and to admit the
passage of a free current of air through the filtering medium when the filter is not
in use, by opening the vent or vents G. I tap for the filtered water.
In practice, the unfiltered water supplied to the chamber B descends through the
pipe or channel E and fills the chamber C.
The upper chamber B forms a reservoir which keeps the lower chamber C con-
stantly full until the supply of impure water is exhausted. The pressure from this
reservoir forces the water upwards through the filtering medium F, into the
chamber D, from which it is withdrawn for use. Meanwhile the solid particles
held in suspension are constantly settling to the bottom of the chamber C and can
be allowed to escape from time to time by opening the vent G. This vent may be
either in the bottom as shown, or at the side of the chamber as found convenient.
When from time to time the downward pressure from the chamber D becomes
greater than the upward pressure from C, the filtered water has a tendency to
percolate downwards, carrying with it into the lower chamber C, any impurities
with which the filtering medium has become charged. In addition to which the
impurities being constantly in a state of flotation will from their own specific

page_text: gravity have a tendency to descend from the filtering medium to the bottom of the
chamber C. Though using preferably a block of carbon carefully cemented or
secured by other suitable means to the casing, I may use any suitable filtering
medium, and instead of a block F, may provide a chamber filled with suitable
material and provided with perforated plates or divisions at the top and bottom.
Fig. 2. shews a modification of my invention in which the impure water is in a
position higher than that of the filter, and is conducted through a suitable pipe E
to the bottom chamber C. The chamber D extends from the upper surface of the
carbon block or other filtering medium F to the top of the filter casing.
prevent the overflow of the water in the upper chamber D, a float J attached to a
rod which passes through an opening in the casing is connected to a lever or
arm L secured to a tap K, on the supply pipe E, providing a valve arranged to
automatically cut off the supply of water passing through the pipe E, when the
liquid in the chamber D is sufficiently high.
To
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, declare that what I
claim is :-
The herein described filter in which water is purified by upward filtration, con-
sisting essentially of an upper chamber, reservoir, or source of supply from which
the water flows or can pass to a lower chamber (such as C), a connecting pipe or
channel (such as E), a centre chamber (such as D), and a filtering appliance (such
as F), a vent (such as G), and an air pipe (such as H), substantially as herein
described, and for the purpose indicated.
E. A. SCAMMELL.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicant.