Improvements in Water Purifying or Softening Apparatus.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Apr., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 13th Jan., 1896-Accepted, 7th Mar., 1896
Improvements in Water Purifying or Softening Apparatus.
We, STANLEY HOWARD HODGKIN, and PHILIP ELIOT HODGKIN, both of
63 Queen Victoria Street, in the City of London, Engineers, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists in improvements in water purifying or softening apparatus
of the kind in which a liquid re-agent such as lime water is used for purifying or
softening impure water.
In order to obtain a very intimate mixture of the liquid re-agent, hereinafter
referred to as lime water, with the impure water, we cause the two whilst on their
way to a settling chamber, to flow together in a thin sheet or sheets over one or more
walls, partitions or weirs and afterwards over inclined surfaces by which the resulting
streams, also it may be in the form of sheets, are caused to impinge one against
the other, and thus become intimately mingled, these operations being repeated if
desired.
Au arrangement for this purpose in a water purifying and softening apparatus
of the kind mentioned, comprises a box or casing provided at its upper end with a
dish-like receptacle and with a horizontal partition arranged between the said
receptacle and the bottom of the box or casing, and carrying two inclined plates
arranged at a right or other convenient angle to each other with an exit opening
between them when they are nearest together, the arrangement being such
that lime-water and impure water discharged in regulated quantities into the
receptacle will flow in a thin sheet or stream over the edge of the receptacle,
which may be circular, onto the partition below and then in opposite directions
over the upper edges and downwardly inclined surfaces of the plates to the exit
opening through which the two streams, after impinging one against the other,
will flow on their way to the settling tank of the apparatus. In apparatus of the
kind herein referred to, it is common to obtain the supply of lime water from a
lime water tank through a pipe the upper end of which is located below the level
of the lime water and is carried by a float, the pipe being kept filled with water.
this arrangement however, the rate of supply of lime water varies with the head or
height of lime water in the tank, so that though the proper proportion of lime
water to impure water may be correct at starting, it will not be maintained constant
as the level of the lime water falls.
With
To obviate this disadvantage we provide means whereby the lime water can be
drawn off from the aforesaid tank, at a practically constant rate, notwithstanding
that the level of the lime water in the tank is constantly falling. For this purpose
we provide in the lime water tank, or in each tank where there are two, as usual, a
receptacle carried by a float and formed with an inlet opening, or there may be
more than one, arranged at a predetermined depth below the level of the lime
water in the tank, and provided it may be with a regulating device by which its
area can be varied from time to time to suit different requirements, and leading
from the receptacle is an air pipe terminating above the level of the lime water,
and a discharge pipe the cross sectional area of which is greater than that of the
said inlet opening, or of the combined area of all the openings when two or more
are used, so that such pipe will never be full of water and the rate of supply will
be that due to the depth of the said inlet opening below the level of the lime

page_text: water, and will therefore be constant, notwithstanding that the said level will be
constantly falling whilst the apparatus is in use.
In an arrangement for this purpose, the receptacle is in the form of a box of
rectangular form in cross section, provided with a vertical air pipe and carried by
a bar each end of which is provided with a float. The inlet opening, which is
circular, is in the top of the box and is controlled by a conical plug carried by a
screw spindle provided with a hand wheel and working through a bracket or
stirrup shaped support secured to the top of the box, the arrangement being such
that the area of the opening can be varied by screwing the plug up or down, and
that the plug can be withdrawn sufficiently to permit of the opening being cleared
from obstructing matter should this at any time become necessary. The discharge
pipe connected with the box is a hose pipe.
01 3
C A1 1005
STANLEY H. HODGKIN.
P. E. HODGKIN.
W. Lloyd Wise,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicants.
тргоѵещент water rurnying or роцing арралатно,
We, STANLEY HOWARD HODGKIN, and PHILIP ELIOT HODGKIN, both of
63 Queen Victoria Street, in the City of London, 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 :-
This invention consists in improvements in water purifying or softening apparatus
of the kind in which a liquid re-agent such as lime water is used for purifying or
softening impure water.
In order to obtain a very intimate, mixture of the liquid re-agent, hereinafter
referred to as lime water, with the impure water, we cause the two whilst on their
way to a settling chamber, to flow simultaneously in a thin sheet or sheets over
one or more walls, partitions or weirs, and afterwards over inclined surfaces by
which the resulting streams, also it may be in the form of sheets, are caused to
impinge one against the other, and thus become intimately mingled, these operations
being repeated if desired.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings shows in vertical section, an arrangement
for this purpose.
It comprises a box or casing 1 of square or rectangular form in plan, provided
at its upper end with a correspondingly shaped dish-like receptacle 2 that is divided
into two compartments by a vertical division 2ª. Between the receptacle 2 and
the bottom of the box or casing 1 are two inclined plates 3, 3ª arranged at an
angle to each other as shown, an exit opening 4 being left between them when
they are nearest together. As will be seen, the arrangement is such that lime
water and impure water discharged in regulated quantities into the two compartments
of the receptacle will flow in thin sheets or streams over the edges 2° 2° of the
receptacle onto the upper and downwardly inclined surfaces of the plates 3, 3"
over which they will flow in opposite directions to the exit opening 4 through
which the combined stream, will flow, passing on through the outlet 5 to the
settling tank of the apparatus.
As will be obvious, the liquid re-agent and impure water, in regulated proportions,
might be delivered into a box similar to 2, but, without the division 2, wherein
they would become more or less mixed, passing thence over the top edge of the
box in a thin sheet or sheets, falling upon a horizontal partition 3* (shown in dotted
lines in Fig. 1) and thence on to and over the downwardly inclined surfaces of the

page_text: plates 3, 3 and away as above described, but we prefer the arrangement shown in
full lines.
In apparatus of the kind herein referred to, it is common to obtain the supply of
lime water from a lime water tank through a pipe the upper end of which is
located below the level of the lime water and is carried by a float, the pipe being
kept filled with water. With this arrangement however, the rate of supply of lime
water varies with the head or height of lime water in the tank, so that though the
proper proportion of lime water to impure water may be correct at starting, it will
not be maintained constant as the level of the lime water falls.
To obviate this disadvantage we provide means whereby the lime water can be
drawn off from the aforesaid tank at a practically constant rate, notwithstanding
that the level of the lime water, in the tank is constantly falling. For this purpose
we provide in the lime water tank, or in each tank where there are two, as usual,.
a receptacle carried by a float and formed with an inlet opening, or there may be
more than one, arranged at a predetermined depth below the level of the lime
water in the tank, and provided it may be with a regulating device by which its
area can be varied from time to time to suit different requirements, and leading
from the receptacle is an air pipe terminating above the level of the lime water,
and a discharge pipe the cross sectional area of which is greater than that of the
said inlet opening, or of the combined area of all the openings when two or more
are used, so that such pipe will never be full of water and the rate of supply will
be that due to the depth of the said inlet opening below the level of the lime water,
and will therefore be constant, notwithstanding that the said level will be
constantly falling whilst the apparatus is in use.
Fig. 2 is a vertical section and Fig. 3 a plan, showing a lime water tank provided
with apparatus of the kind just referred to.
The receptacle is in the form of a box 6 of approximately rectangular form in
cross section, and circular form in plan, provided with a vertical air pipe 7 and
carried by a bar 8 each end of which is connected to a float 9 by which the box is
supported with its upper side at a short distance below the level of the line water 10
in the tank 11. 12 is the lime water inlet opening, of circular form in plau, made
in the top of the box and controlled by a conical plug 13 carried by a screw
spindle 14 provided with a hand wheel 15 and working through a bracket or stirrup
shaped support 16 secured to the top of the box, the arrangement being such that
the area of the opening can be varied by screwing the plug up or down, and that
the plug can be withdrawn sufficiently to permit of the opening being cleared from
obstructing matter should this at any time become necessary. The discharge pipe 17
connected to the box 6 at 62, is a hose pipe of larger cross sectional area than the
annular inlet opening 12 formed around the plug 13. It is connected at its lower
end to the tank by a union 16 to which another pipe is connected for leading away
the lime water to the desired place.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is:-
1.. Water purifying and softening apparatus of the kind herein referred to
wherein the liquid re-agent and the impure water to be treated are caused whilst
on their way to a settling chamber, to How in a thin sheet or sheets over one or
more walls, partitions or weirs and afterwards over inclined surfaces so arranged
as to cause the streams to unite and the liquid re-agent and water to become.
intimately mingled, substantially as described.
2. In water purifying and softening apparatus of the kind herein referred to,.
mixing apparatus constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described
with reference to and shown in Fig. 1, of the accompanying drawings for intimately
mingling the liquid re-agent with the impure water to be treated.
3. In the tank for lime water or its equivalent or in each such tank, of water
purifying and softening apparatus of the kind herein referred to, draw off apparatus.

page_text: comprising a receptacle carried by a float and provided with one or more inlet
openings arranged at a predetermined depth below the level of the liquid in the
said tank, with an air pipe terminating above the level of such liquid, and with a
discharge pipe the cross sectional area of which is greater than that of the inlet
opening or openings, substantially as herein described for the purpose specified.
4. In water purifying and softening apparatus draw off apparatus for lime water
or its equivalent constructed, arranged and operating as hereinbefore described
with reference to and shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings annexed for the
purpose specified.
Dated this 11th day of January 1896.
STANLEY HOWARD HODGKIN.
PHILIP ELIOT HODGKIN.
W. Lloyd Wise,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicants.