Improvements in Apparatus for Separating Liquids from Solid Matters in Suspension therein.
Year: 1888

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Separating Liquids from Solid
Matters in Suspension therein.
We, JOHN SHEPHERD SAWREY, of 53 Carleton Road, Tufnell Park, Middlesex,
Engineer, and HAROLD COLLET of 7 Coleridge Road, Finsbury Park, Middlesex,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows
Our invention relates to apparatus in which salts of lime and magnesia are
precipitated from their solution in water, and in which such precipitates or other
solid matters in suspension may be induced to settle, the purified water being removed
by decantation or natural overflow, leaving the solid matters, both mineral and
organic, as a deposit in pockets, troughs, or corners, whence it can be removed or
run off by means of stopcocks.
In forms of apparatus hitherto used sloping plates have been provided, with holes
or spaces at the bottom or top of alternate shelves placed so that the liquid descended
in the space between one pair of plates, ascended in the next space, descended in the
third, and so on. Now while the liquid is descending, the tendency of the solid
matters to separate out and settle is but small, and the time so occupied is partly
wasted. We therefore make our apparatus with parallel sloping plates or diaphragms
arranged one above another (in a vertical apparatus) or one in front of another (in
a horizontal apparatus), so that the liquid enters between two diaphragms from one
side, travels in a horizontal direction to the other side, and then enters into the next
space, which it traverses in an opposite direction. The liquid is, for the reason before
stated, preferably introduced at the bottom and flows out at the top, but as the
settling of the solid matters takes place chiefly while the liquid is proceeding
horizontally, and the proportion of time occupied in passing from the end of one
space to the next being inconsiderable, the liquid may if desired be introduced at the
top and flow out at the bottom.
By a modification of this arrangement to produce the same result, the liquid may
enter by an opening in the middle of one shelf, flow horizontally both right and left,
and pass by both sides of the next shelf into the next space, and so on, travelling
alternately from the middle to the sides and from the sides to the middle.

page_text: In one form of our apparatus the plates or diaphragms may be vertical instead of
sloping, but this is not so good as when they slope, as the layers of liquid are deeper
perpendicularly and the solid matters have further to fall before reaching a settling
surface.
Improvements in Apparatus for Separating Liquids from Solid
Matters in Suspension therein.
We, JOHN SHEPHERD SAWREY, of 53 Carleton Road, Tufnell Park, Middlesex,
Engineer, and HAROLD COLLET, of 7 Coleridge Road, Finsbury Park, Middlesex,
Engineer 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 apparatus in which salts of lime and magnesia are
precipitated from their solution in water, and in which such precipitates or other
solid matters in suspension may be induced to settle, the purified water being removed
by decantation or natural overflow, leaving the solid matters, both mineral and
organic as a deposit in pockets, troughs, or corners, whence it can be removed or run
off by means of stopcocks.
In forms of apparatus hitherto used, sloping plates have been provided, with holes
or spaces at the bottom or top of alternate shelves placed so that the liquid descended
in the space between one pair of plates, ascended in the next space, descended in the
third, and so on. Now while the liquid is descending, there is but little tendency for
the solid matters to settle, and the time and space so occupied are in a great measure
wasted. According to our present invention, we make our apparatus with parallel
sloping plates or diaphragms arranged one above another (in a vertical apparatus) or
one in front of another (in a horizontal apparatus), so that the liquid enters between
two diaphragms from one side, travels in a horizontal direction to the other side, and
then enters the next space, which it traverses in an opposite direction. In vertical
apparatus the liquid is preferably introduced at the bottom and flows out at the top,
but as the settling of the solid matters takes place chiefly while the liquid is

page_text: proceeding horizontally, and the proportion of time occupied in passing from the
end of one space to the next being inconsiderable, the liquid may if desired be
introduced at the top and flow out at the bottom.
By a modification of this arrangement to produce the same result, the liquid may
enter by an opening in the middle of one shelf or diaphragm, flow horizontally both
right and left, and pass by both sides of the next shelf into the next space, and so
on, travelling alternately from the middle to the sides and from the sides to the
middle.
Referring to the drawings, Figs. 1 and 2 show a circular tank provided with
diaphragms a and b, each diaphragm being short alternately on the left or right side,
so as to admit the liquid from one space to another. Fig. 3 shews the shape in which
the diaphragms may be made.
Figs. 4 and 5 shew a straight-sided tank with five sides, with diaphragms a and b
arranged as described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
In apparatus for the purpose herein' described, the use in vertical, horizontal or
sloping tanks, of sloping diaphragms or shelves between which the liquid passes
backward and forward with a horizontal or practically horizontal motion, substantially
as described and for the purpose set forth.