Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for the Filtration and Purification of Water, Spirits, Beer, Steam, and other Fluids.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 24th June, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 9th Mar., 1900-Accepted, 19th May, 1900
PROVISIONAL DE MUITIO
Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for the Filtration and
Purification of Water, Spirits, Beer, Steam, and other Fluids.
314
I, WILLIAM HENRY BARR, L.R.C.P., L.R.C.S., L.A.H., &c., Fellow of the
Chemical Society, of Belgrave Place, Bury, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My said invention relates to an improved apparatus for use in the filtration of
water, beer, spirits, steam and other fluids.
In constructing a filter in accordance with my invention I provide an outer
casing of suitable capacity which may be mounted on wheels or on a carriage for
convenience of transport. The casing is provided with a removable cover and
also, with a receiver for the filtered water preferably at the bottom of the casing.
At the bottom of the casing I provide a floor forming a roof to the receiver and
this floor is perforated to carry a number of perforated metal tubes the number
of which would vary according to the capacity of the filter casing. The perforated
tubes are secured at one end to the floor of the filter casing by means of nuts,
The perforated
or are expanded in the floor or by any other suitable means."
tubes serve to support filtering cylinders and also to carry off and conduct the
filtered water or other liquid to the receiver. The filtering cylinders consist of
perforated metallic tubes which are placed upon the inner supporting tubes,
suitable fluid tight joints being formed between the ends of the two tubes.
For instance I may employ a screwed cap or nut engaging with a screw thread
formed on the inner tube, the nut serving to close the top of the inner tube and
being operated to bed tightly against the top of the outer filtering cylinder also
jambing the same tightly against the bottom plate, suitable packing rings being
employed if necessary. The perforated filtering cylinders are covered with a cloth
straining jacket preferably of mercerised cotton cambric, the cloth being secured
to the cylinder in top and bottom grooves by means of cord or elastic. Through a
suitable aperture provided in the cover of the casing I introduce into the casing a
quantity of filtering earth such as agalite, kieselguhr or other filtering media.
The filtering earths are previously mixed into an emulsion with clean or filtered
water and the filter case is filled with clean water before introducing the dirty or
impure water to be filtered.
The inlet for the unfiltered water or other liquid is disposed at the bottom of
the casing and the incoming upward rush of liquid carries the filtering earth
particles upon the cloth jacket of the filtering cylinders, jambs the same into the
insterstices of the cloth and covers it with a smooth even surface of filtering
5 material the surface and molecular attraction of which arrest and retain all
suspended matter, slimes, oil particles or other filth contained in suspension in
the liquid. The water or other liquid to be filtered passes through the filtering
cylinders into the perforated supporting tubes which conduct the filtered water to
the receiver from whence it can be drawn off to the point of supply.

page_text: Oxidising or deoxidising chemical agents or elements such as animal charcoal,
alkaline permanganates and the like can be added if desired to the filtering earth
media.
An important feature of my improved apparatus consists in the ease with which
the dirty filtering cylinders can be removed, cleansed, sterilized and replaced in
the filter casing. To effect this the cover of the filter casing is removed and by
unscrewing the cap nuts of the inner supporting tubes the filter tubes or cylinders
can be readily withdrawn. If desired the filtering cylinders may be cleansed in
situ by a reversed current of air and filtered water. To effect this the receiver is
provided with a tap or valve through which air under pressure is forced. The
air and the filtered water in the receiver is thus forced into the interior of the
supporting tubes and through the filtering cylinders throwing off the dirty filter
bed into the filter case and out by way of a flush tap provided for this purpose.
To assist the cleansing I place a sheet of perforated metal above the filtering
cylinders and provide a water tap above this perforated metal plate. The water
from the tap is broken up into a shower by the perforations in the plate, and falls
upon the filtering jackets.
The improved apparatus is particularly applicable and economical in cases
where a large number of filtering cylinders are employed for the delivery of very
large volumes of water.
The apparatus as described in addition to filtering water is also applicable for
the filtration of other liquids or beverages such as beer and spirits.
6
When used for purifying steam and removing therefrom all volatile ammonium
salts or hydrogen sulphide, oily particles and other foreign substances held in
suspension in the steam, and thus render it suitable for humidifying purposes, a
modification in the nature of the filtering media must be used. For this purpose I
employ a filtering earth consisting of a mixture of agalite one part, and zinc
oxide one part or any equal proportion of other basic metallic oxide. A few
ounces of this mixture is introduced within the filter case. Instead of carrying
the cloth covered filter cylinders upon supporting tubes I may when filtering steam
secure one or more such filtering cylinders directly to the removable lid. The lid
is provided with a cup having a tap and before turning in the foul steam about a
wineglassful of deodorant such as terebene" or any of the same class of terepene-
deodorant-hydrocarbons is poured through the cup on the outside of the filtering
cylinder or within the filter casing. The foul steam is introduced through the
feed pipe and valve at the bottom of the filter case and in a similar manner to
the liquid filter, throws by its upward direction and force the agalite, basic
metallic oxide, and liquid terepene hydrocarbon on to the surface of the cloth
jacketted filtering cylinder. Thus all suspended and oily particles are arrested
and bad smells due to hydrocarbon sulphide or volatile ammonium salts are
destroyed and removed by the chemical and mechanical action of the deodorants
and filtering media used. It is thus possible to purify steam raised from canal
and other foul waters and use the same for humidifying purposes such as in
weaving sheds and spinning rooms.
Steam so purified has an agreeable aromatic odour and by its action of develop-
ing ozone purifies the atmosphere in such rooms with beneficial results.
Dated this 23rd day of June 1800

page_text: provements in the Method of and Apparatus for the Filtration
Purification of Water, Spirits, Beer, Steam, and other Fluids.
I, WILLIAM HENRY BARR, L.R.C.P., L.R.C.S., L.A.H., &c., Fellow of the
emical Society, of Belgrave Place, Bury, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby
clare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
rformed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
atement and accompanying drawings:-
My said invention relates to an improved apparatus for use in the filtration of
ater, beer, spirits, steam and other fluids.
The accompanying two sheets of drawings clearly illustrate my invention.
Fig. 1 shows in sectional elevation a filter casing carrying a number of filter
eds or units.
Fig. 2 is a plan thereof with the cover removed one half of the filter beds being
hown in cross section.
Fig. 3 is a plan view of the interior arrangement of a small filter.
Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation to an enlarged scale of a filter bed broken in
ength for want of space.
Fig. 5 is a cross sectional plan thereof.
Fig. 6 shows in sectional elevation a single filtering unit within a suitable casing
as adapted for domestic purposes.
Fig. 7 indicates a modified method of constructing and mounting the filter bed
which is particularly applicable for filtering steam.
Referring in the first place to Figs. 1 to 5, in constructing a filter in accordance
with my invention I provide an outer pressure proof cylindrical casing A of
suitable capacity carried on a suitable base or support B but which may be also
mounted on wheels or on a carriage for convenience of transport. The casing A
is provided with a removable cover a, and also with a receiver 6 for the filtered
water preferably at the bottom of the casing.
The cover a is secured by means of hinged bolts c carried by the annular ring
or flange d. At the bottom of the casing A I provide a floor e forming a roof to
the receiver and this is perforated to carry a number of perforated metal tubes f
arranged in concentric circles around a central unit the number of which would
vary according to the capacity of the filter casing and the duty the filter is
required to perform. The perforated tubes are screwed to the floor e of the filter
casing A and are expanded in the floor or caulked or a fluid tight connection
The perforated tubes f serve to support
attained by any other suitable means.
5 filtering cylinders and also to carry off and conduct the filtered water or other
liquid to the receiver. The reader is referred to Figs. 4 and 5 for an enlarged
The filtering cylinders consist of per-
detailed construction of the filter bed.
forated metallic tubes g which may be of aluminium, tinned copper, brass or other
suitable metal. The cylinders g are placed upon the inner supporting tubes f
10 and an annular space maintained between the two by means of distance pieces f¹
secured top and bottom to the inner tube f as shown more particularly in the
and 5. The distance pieces f¹ may be secured if desired
enlarged views Figs.
to the interior surface of the cylinder g.
The perforated filtering cylinders g are covered with a cloth straining jacket h
45 preferably of mercerised cotton cambric cloth closely woven and manufactured
from long staple Egyptian or Sea Island cotton.
The cotton cambric is mercerised according to any well known process, but
the stretching of the cloth is omitted causing the shrinkage of the cloth so that

page_text: the interstices are reduced in size, at the same time the tensile strength of the
cloth fibres is increased, and the cloth is thus rendered very suitable as a straining
material, and foundation for the filtering earth media. The cloth jacket h is of
greater length than the tube g, and is tucked into the interior of the same as
shown in Fig. 4;
A cap nut i screwed upon the top of the inner tube 4 beds upon the top of the
cloth covered tube g and jambs the tube g tightly upon the floor-e of the casing A.
The turned in cloth jacket h serves as a flexible material to provide a fluid tight
joint between the cap nut and the cylinder g as well as at the foot of the
cylinder.
If necessary additional resilient washers may be used at these points to effect
the object.
Instead of a cap nut as illustrated an ordinary nut may be employed- and
the top screwed end of the tube f be plugged up. Through a suitable aperture
provided in the cover of the casing closed by a screwed plug j I introduce into the
casing A a quantity of filtering earth such as agalite, kieselguhr or other filtering.
media. The filtering earths are previously mixed into an emulsion with clean
or filtered water and the filter case is filled with clean water before introducing
the dirty or impure water to be filtered. A pressure gauge may be attached
to the casing to indicate the water pressure within.
The inlet for the unfiltered water or other liquid is so disposed that the
incoming rush of water is deflected to the bottom of the casing A, or if arranged
at the top the pipe extends downwards within the casing and is directed to
impinge upon the plate e so that the incoming rush of liquid rises and carries
the filtering earth particles upon the cloth jacket h of the filtering cylinders g,
jambs the filtering earths on and into the interstices of the cloth and covers,
it with a smooth even surface of filtering material, the surface and molecular
attraction of which arrest and retain all suspended matter, slimes, oil particles
or other filth contained.in suspension in the liquid. In the detached view Fig: 1°
the feed pipe is shown flush with the bottom of the casing. The water or other
liquid to be filtered, as shown by the arrows passes through the filtering cylinders
into the annular chamber and into the perforated supporting tubes f which con-
duct the filtered water to the receiver & from whence it can be drawn off through
the pipe to the point of supply.
1.
Oxidising or deoxidising chemical agents or elements such as animal charcoal,
permanganates and the like can be added if desired to the filtering earth media.
A coating of filtering media of from 1 to 1/16 of an inch in thickness deposited
upon the straining cloth suffices for an elective filter bed, which coating would
require from one to two and a half ounces of media such as kieselguhr for a
cylinder thirty inches in length and two inches in diameter.
From my experiments and experience I prefer to use as a matter of economy
and efficiency a thin coating of from 1 to 16 of an inch but I do not confine
myself strictly to these limits for the provision of a thicker coating would work
but not so economically.
An, important feature of my improved apparatus consists in the ease whereby
frequent cleansing of the filtering surface may be effected so as to avoid putre-
factive changes due to foul deposits. To effect this object the cover a of the filter
casing A is removed and by unscrewing the cap nuts i of the inner supporting
tubes the filter tubes or cylinders can be readily withdrawn.
The straining cloth can then be thoroughly cleansed and sterilized by washing
If desired
and boiling and be replaced in position as before upon the cylinder 9.
the filtering cylinders may be cleansed in situ by a reversed current of air and
filtered water. To effect this air under pressure may be forced through the
pipe 1.
The air and the filtered water in the receiver is thus forced into the interior
of the supporting tubes and through the filtering cylinders throwing off the dirty
filter medium into the filter case and out by way of a flush pipe m provided for
this
DUPRO00

page_text: ()
To assist the cleansing I place a sheet of perforated metal n aw
linders and provide a water pipe o above this perforated metal plate. The water
om the pipe o is broken up into a shower by the perforations in the plate, and
lls upon the filtering jackets.
It will be understood that the foul filtering medium is thrown away and
placed by a fresh supply which is deposited as described upon the straining
oth jackets.
I may also employ a comparatively small filter for use in cleansing by means of
ltered water large battery forms of filtering apparatus the filtered water being
elivered as described through the receivers of the filters. In cases where more
han one large battery form of filtering apparatus is employed they may be
onnected together so as to cleanse one another with filtered water as described
hrough the receiver b.
The number of filtering units employed may vary according to the volume of
iquid to be filtered. In Fig. 3 I show in plan the internal arrangement of a
mall filter containing seven units only which would be particularly suitable for
iltering small volumes of liquid, say from 500 to 1000 gallons of filtrate per hour.
The improved apparatus is particularly applicable and economical in cases
where a large number of filtering cylinders are employed for the delivery of very
Moreover by the arrangement of the filtering units as
large volumes of water.
shown in a common pressure proof casing an immense filtering area can be
obtained in comparatively small bulk.
The apparatus as described in addition to filtering water for domestic use is
applicable for the filtration of water for a variety of purposes and is capable of
filtering bright and clear, condensed water from paper maker's and calico printer's
drying cylinders and all such water whether hot or cold contaminated with oily
or other impurities. In addition to the filtration of water the apparatus is also
applicable for filtering other liquids or beverages such as beer and spirits.
In Fig. 6 I show a single filter bed within a casing applicable for use as a
domestic filter. The inner drainage tube f is secured in position by means of
nuts resilient washers being employed if necessary to provide a fluid tight
joint. The outer cylinder g is provided at each end with caps g gl. bored for
upon the
the passage of the inner tube f whilst a cap nut i binds the outer tube g in posi-
tion. A modification in the method of securing the straining cloth
cylinder g is shown in this fig. The caps gl glare grooved and the straining
cloth secured thereto by means of a cord or elastic.
The inlet pipe is marked and the delivery of the filtered water is by way of
the inner drainage tube f as shown by the arrows. The inlet pipe q and delivery
tubes fare provided with suitable taps or valves.
When used for purifying steam and removing therefrom all volatile organic
matter or hydrogen sulphide, oily particles and other foreign substances held in
suspension in the steam, and thus render it suitable for humidifying purposes, a
modification in the nature of the filtering media must be used. For this purpose
I employ a filtering earth consisting of a mixture of agalite or kieselguhr one
A sectiona
45 part, and zinc oxide one part or an equal proportion of other basic metallic oxide
A few ounces of this mixture are introduced within the filter case.
elevation of the form of filter I use for the purpose is shown in Fig. 7. Instead
of carrying the cloth covered filter cylinders upon supporting tubes I may whe
filtering steam employ one only of such cylinders the cylinder being secure
50 to the cover r and removable therewith.
The cover r is secured to the casing A by means of swing bolts r¹. A packin
ring s of asbestos is employed to form a fluid tight joint between the cover r an
The casing A is mounted by means of trunnion
the top of the casing A.
within the standards or base B. I place within the interior of the perforate
55 cylinder g a coil g¹ to enable the hollow cylinder to resist the steam pressu
The straining cloth is secured by cords in the grooves g² top and bottom of t

page_text: cylinder Foul steam enters by way of the pipe't at the bottom of the casing A
and when filtered is conducted by the pipe u to the point of supply.
Before turning on the foul steam in addition to the mixture of agalite and zinc
oxide I introduce daily during the working of the filter within the casing. A
through the cups about a wine glassful of deodorant such as terebene " or any
of the same class of terepene-deodorant-hydrocarbons.
The foul steam is introduced through the feed pipe t at the bottom of the, filter
case and in a similar manner to the liquid filter, throws by its upward 'direction
and force the agalite; basic metallic oxide, and liquid terepene hydrocarbon on
to the surface of the cloth jacketted filtering cylinder 9. Thus all suspended and
oily particles are arrested and bad smells due to hydrogen sulphide or volatile
organic matter are destroyed and removed by the chemical and mechanical action'
of the deodorants and filtering media used. It is thus possible to purify steam
raised from canal and other foul waters and use the same for humidifying purposes
such as in weaving sheds and spinning rooms.
.
"Steam so purified has an agreeable aromatic odour and by its action of develop-
ing ozone purifies the atmosphere in such rooms with beneficial results.
It must be understood, as in the case of the liquid filter, the filtering mixture
of agalite and zinc oxide is renewed when the coating becomes foul.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
1) A filter bed consisting of an inner supporting and drainage tube, an
outer perforated cylinder or tube, a space being left between the tubes for the
free circulation of the fluid, the outer cylinder or tube being provided with a
straining jacket preferably of mercerised and unstretched cotton cambric, upon
which is deposited a coating of filtering earth or media substantially as described
and illustrated.
2) The apparatus for filtering water and other liquids or beverages consisting
of a casing containing a plurality of filter beds constructed in accordance with
Claim 1, a receiver for the filtered water, and means for cleansing the filter beds
in situ, the whole arranged and acting substantially as described and illustrated
in Figs. and 2 of the drawings.
3) As means for purifying steam and removing therefrom volatile organic
matter or hydrogen sulphide, oily particles and other foreign substances the
employment of a filtering and deodorant media consisting of a mixture of agalite
and zinc oxide together with a deodorant such as "terebene" or other terepene-
deodorant hydrocarbon in the proportions and substantially as described.
4) The apparatus for purifying steam consisting of a perforated cylinder
secured to the cover of the steam reservoir or casing, provided with a cloth
straining jacket upon which is deposited a coating of a mixture of filtering earths
and deodorant substantially as described and shown.
Dated thie 8th dow of Moroh 1000
Dated this 8th day of March 1000
For the Applicant,
E. K. DUTTON & Co.;
Chartered Patent Agents, 5, John Dalton Street, Manchester: "