and Apparatus for Cleaning the Filtering Bodies of Chamberland and other similar Filters
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Apr., 1889-Accepted, 6th July, 1889
Process and Apparatus for Cleaning the Filtering Bodies of
Chamberland and other similar Filters,
OSCAR ANDRÉ engineer of 15 rue royale, Paris, France 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 :-
The rapid clogging of the filtering surfaces has created serious difficulties in the
practical employment of the Chamberland and other similar filters for considerable
amounts of water; moreover, it is a cause of complication for the filtration of
fermented liquors and the like.
The cleaning, by machinery or by hand, of numerous and brittle filtering bodies
is a long and costly operation and besides, it is seldom reliable.
My improvements consist of a process and apparatus for cleaning the filtering
bodies of filters such as the Chamberland and other filters. The process consists in
employing water under pressure as a means for cleaning; the water is projected in
fine jets against the clogged filtering bodies, whereby the sediments thereto adhering
are removed, without in any way affecting or injuring the filtering bodies. This
cleaning operation can be facilitated by causing water preferably filtered water or
steain or another fluid to circulate through the filtering bodies, from the inside to the
outside; the said water assists in detaching the sediments from the surface of the
filtering bodies.
The apparatus devised for projecting the jets of water for effecting the cleaning of
the filtering bodies has imparted to it a rotary motion, either in the horizontal plane
alone or in the vertical and horizontal planes simultaneously, and either continuous,
alternate, successive or combined. If a sufficient amount of water under pressure is
at hand, to be used for the cleaning operation, a horizontal motion alone will be
sufficient and if the water is to be dealt with sparingly then a vertical motion
combined with a rotary montion will be necessary.
In order that my improvements may be clearly understood, I shall describe them
in detail in reference to the accompanying drawings in which fig. 1, 2, 3 & 4 show
an apparatus in accordance with a first arrangement, under my invention, whilst
fig. 5 and 6 are a modification thereof.
Fig. 1 sheet 1 is an elevation.
Fig. 2 sheet 2 is a sectional elevation.
Fig. 3 sheet 3 is a sectional plan of fig. 2.
Fig. 4 sheet 4 is a partial elevation similar to fig. 2, but at right angles thereto,
that is to say a section through A A, fig. 3.
a is a vessel closed at the top by a bolted cover b. c c is the base and d is a
hollow axis leading therefrom. The base c comprises a chamber e into which leads an
inlet pipe for the water under pressure to be filtered. g is a door which closes a
hole in the base c, through which the chamber e can be inspected or cleaned.
Across the top of the chamber e is laid a framework or a grate, connected to a fine
wire cloth, the purpose of which is to retain the coarse impurities which might get
into the vessel a and impede the action of the apparatus.
Within the vessel a are a series of circularly bent pipes i which rest upon radiating
horizontal supports j. The filtering bodies k are connected to the pipes i by means
of nozzles secured to the latter and of lenghts of rubber piping m, the said bodies k
are held vertically by means of connecting rings n. Each of the series of circularly
bent pipes i communicates with a collecting pipe o, fig. 1 & 4, common to all the
pipes i, by means of short pipes p, fig. 1, 3 & 4, passing through the bottom of the
vessel a, any suitable means being resorted to for forming a tight joint. The
collector o receives the filtered water which may be led or forced to any desire
place.

page_text: The cleaning apparatus is formed of a T shaped tube q, the vertical branch of
which enters the hollow axis d, after first passing through an annular cap r acting as
a guide for the said branch. s is a cup leather for insuring a water tight joint in
the usual manner.
The bottom end of the vertical branch of the T-shaped tube q is
open and at some distance from the said end are several holes t, the aggregate area
of which is equal to the cross-sectional area of the said tube q. The horizontal
branch of the T-shaped tube q is somewhat shorter than the internal diameter of the
vessel a and is closed at each end by a plug u, screwed or otherwise secured. In a
line with the vertical branch of the tube q is connected a screw threaded rod v which
engages a stationary nut w secured to the cover of the vessel. The screw threaded
rod has a long groove into which engages a key (not shown) fastened to a worm
wheel y which engages the screw threated rod v, and which receives its motion from
a worm, not shown, fastened on the driving shaft z, worked by an ordinary handle.
The T shaped tube 9 has connected to it a series of pending tubes 1, the lower end
of which is closed by any suitable plug 2. Each plug has two or more holes of such
a size, shape and direction as to project the water to all points of the circumference
of each filtering body k.
3 is a pressure-gauge and 4 is a valve for letting air into the apparatus, and closing
the latter when full of water.
The operation is as follows: rotary motion is imparted to the driving shaft z, so
as to cause, by means of the intermediate parts y, w and v, the T-shaped pipe q to
turn and to rise simultaneously until the bottom of the screw threaded rod v strikes
against the under face of the nut w. The cock 5 of the inlet pipe is opened and
the valve 4 is likewise opened; the water to be filtered rushes into the chamber e
rises into the hollow axis d and finds its way into the inside of the vessel a by
issueing through the holes t of the vertical branch of the T-shaped pipe q, the said
holes being over and above the top face of the hollow axis d, as shown in dotted
lines, in fig. 2. As soon as the apparatus is filled with water, the valve 4 rises and
closes automatically; thereupon the water is forced through the filtering bodies k
and is filtered. The filtered water trickles down the inside of the filtering bodies
and runs into the circularly bent pipes i, fig. 4 and thence into the collecting pipe o.
After a certain time, the amount of filtered water yielded by the filter is reduced
in consequence of the filtering bodies becoming clogged. The filter then requires to
be cleaned. For this purpose, the cock 5 for the inlet is closed and a cock, not
shown, in the discharge pipe 6 is opened and the water contained in the apparatus
flows out, air being allowed to enter through the valve 4. As soon as the apparatus
is empty, the cock of the discharge pipe 6 is closed and the cock 5 is again opened,
and at the same time, the cleaning apparatus is set in motion, by means of the
handle connected to the driving shaft z. The vertical branch of the T-shaped tube
begins to descend and its holes t move into the cup leather s and gradually into the
hollow axis d, whereby the unfiltered water supplied from the inlet pipe cannot any
longer enter the vessel a, but is obliged to seek another course, viz. the inside of the
vertical and horizontal branches of the tube q, and into the pending tubes 1, from
which the water under pressure is projected in the shape of jets which strike the
filtering bodies and remove therefrom the sediments or impurities which have
gathered thereon. When the cleaning apparatus has reached its lowermost position,
the motion of the driving shaft z is reversed and the apparatus is brought back to
its starting point, shown in dotted lines, in fig. 2. At this moment, the cock of the
discharge pipe 6 is closed and the unfiltered water again issues from the holes t into
the apparatus and the filtering operation is continued, as soon as the valve 4 is closed
again.
If desired or if the filter has been operating on liquids which leave a sediment of a
viscous character upon the surface of the filtering bodies, the cleaning operation can
be facilitated by causing, at the same time as the cleaning apparatus is acting, water
to be forced through the filtering bodies from the inside to the outside so as to aid
in detaching the impurities from the outer surface of the filtering bodies. The said
water, which should preferably be filtered water, can be taken from the collecting

page_text: pipe o and be made to fill a reservoir 7, fig. 4, provided with a pipe 8 and cock 9.
The reservoir 7 should be placed at a sufficiently high level to yield the requisite
head or pressure and find its way through the thickness of the filtering bodies & from
the inside to the outside.
Just before proceeding to clean the filtering bodies k, the cock, not shown, in the
collecting pipe o is closed and the cock 9 is opened, whereby the reservoir 7 soon
gets filled with water. When the reservoir 7 is full, the cleaning operation is
proceeded with, as formerly.
In case the water to be filtered should enter the apparatus at a pressure which is
sufficient for the filtering operation to take place, but insufficient for projecting the
jets of water with the required force for cleaning the filtering bodies, then a force
pump of any suitable kind can be used, for effecting the cleaning operation. In
such case, the base c would have an extra opening, not shown, for connecting the pipe
by which the water is forced from the pump.
Fig. 5 & 6 show a modification of the apparatus, differing from the arrangement
shown in fig. 1, 2, 3 & 4 in this that instead of filtering by pressure, the filtering
operation is effected by suction. Fig. 5 is an elevation in section on the line B B
fig. 6 and fig. 6 is a plan in section, of fig. 5.
In this modification, a suction pump draws the liquid to be filtered through the
filtering bodies k, and the filtered water of all the said bodies k enters the circularly
bent pipes which, instead of resting on supports, as in fig. 2, are held up by
supports 10, 10, 10, 10, and by means of the pipes P, P, P, P acting likewise as
supports and leading into the collecting pipe o to which the suction pump is
connected.
The cleaning apparatus is substantially the same as the one previously described
and need not be again described.
11 is the inlet for the water to be filtered and 12 is the inlet for the water to be
used for the cleaning operation. 13 fig. 6 is the opening at the bottom of the vessel a
to which is connected the discharge pipe, not shown.
The vertical branch of the T-shaped pipe q guided by the hollow axis d receives
the water from the inlet 12, which water does not, as in the foregoing arrangement,
issue by holes into the inside of the apparatus. It will likewise be understood that
the cleaning operation can, in this modification, also be assisted by forcing water
through the filtering bodies from the inside to the outside. This may be effected by
forcing filtered water or other liquid through the suction pipe o.
If the amount of water under pressure is considerable, the number of holes in the
pending tubes 1 may be increased and extend over the whole length of the said
tubes, if desired, in which latter case, the cleaning apparatus need but receive a
rotary motion alone.
In other respects, the apparatus shown in fig. 5 and 6 is substantially the same
as that shown in fig. 1, 2, 3 and 4.
The apparatus may be made in the shape of a half or quarter circle, instead of
having the shape of a cylindrical body.
The circularly bent pipes i can be cleaned by being removed from the inside of the
apparatus and then dipped into acidulated water. The filtering bodies k may like-
wise bave boiling water or acidulated water projected against them, while in the
apparatus.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1.-The herein before described process for cleaning the filtering bodies k, con-
sisting in projecting a series of jets of water against the outer surface of the said
bodies, and also in causing water, preferably filtered water or steam or another fluid
to circulate through the said filtering bodies from the inside to the outside, for the
purpose of removing the sediments or impurities from their outer surface, substantially
as described and shown with reference to fig. 4 of the drawings.

page_text: 2. The herein before described apparatus for cleaning the filtering bodies k, con-
sisting substantially of one or more slotted or perforated tubes 1 for projecting a
series of jets of water or another liquid against the filtering bodies to be cleaned,
the said tubes 1 being connected to a device having imparted to it, a suitable motion,
substantially as described and shown with reference to fig. 2 of the drawings.
3. The hereinbefore described arrangement of T-shaped tube fitted water tight
in a guides, & d and provided with holes t, for the purpose set forth, the said tube
receiving its motion from an outside operating mechanism, as set forth and shown
with reference to fig. 2 of the drawings.
4. The arrangement of concentric rows of filtering bodies & secured to concentric
rows of pipes i supported either by radial bars ; as in fig. 2, 3 & 4, or by the pipes p
as in fig. 5, the said concentric rows of pipes i, discharging into a common
collector o, in combination with a cleaning device moving between the concentric
rows of filtering bodies, substantially as described.