Improvements in Sterilizing Atmospheric Air for Use in Connection with the Purification of Water and Improvements in the Purification of Water and Apparatus for those Purposes.
Year: 1887

page_text: Improvements in Sterilizing Atmospheric Air for Use in Connection
with the Purification of Water and Improvements in the
Purification of Water and Apparatus for those Purposes.
We ARTHUR ANGELL of the County Laboratory Southampton in the County of
Hants Ph.D., F.I.C. and FRANK CANDY of High Street House Bexley in the County
of Kent Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as
follows:
Our invention consists first in the sterilization of atmospheric air by causing it to
pass through a quantity of the product manufactured as described in the specification
of Letters Patent No. 179386 which product is known in commerce as Magnetic
spongy carbon." Our said invention consists further in the treatment of water by
exposing it to the action of sterilized air. Our said invention consists further of the
apparatus hereinafter described for use in the sterilization of atmospheric air and of
the arrangements of apparatus hereinafter described for use in the purification of water
by means of sterilized air.
The apparatus for use in the sterilization of atmospheric air consists of a vessel or
chamber (hereinafter termed the sterilizing chamber) which is charged with the
product hereinbefore referred to and communicates at part or parts with the atmosphero
and at another part or other parts with apparatus in which the sterilized air is required
to be used.
One form of apparatus which we use for the purification of water by means of
sterilized air consists of a vessel or tank or chamber (hereinafter termed the aërator)
which is connected with the source of supply of the water to be treated and is provided
with means for permitting of water being drawn from it without access of unsterilized
air to the aërator. The said aërator communicates with a supply of sterilized air or
with the sterilizing chamber herein before described and the communication is or may
be furnished with a valve provided with a float so arranged that the entrance of
sterilized air is stopped automatically when water enters the aurator and rises therein

page_text: to or above a certain level. The water to be purified is or may be supplied to the
aerator under pressure and provision is made by means of valves or cocks or otherwise
for the control of the supply as required.
The action of apparatus consisting of a sterilizing chamber of the kind hereinbefore
described in communication with an aerator of the construction hereinbefore described
is as follows:—
When the aerator contains no water or when the water therein is below a prede-
termined level air passes into the sterilizing chamber and through the purifying
material therein and thence into the aërator and on water being admitted and rising to
the predetermined level the communication between the sterilizing chamber and the
aerator is automatically closed the sterilized air which has passed into the aërator
being thus confined therein and the further passage of water into the aurator
compresses the sterilized air therein and causes the water to become surcharged with
the sterilized air.
In place of a valve automatically actuated as hereinbefore described to close or
open communication between the aërator and the supply of sterilized air we in some
cases use a stop cock which may be opened or closed as required by hand or
otherwise.
Where the supply of water available for use is of such a quality that filtration is
desirable or necessary we prefer to use a filter consisting of a vessel or chamber
provided with means for connection with the source of supply of the water to bo
filtered and charged with a quantity of Magnetic spongy carbon which may be covered
or enclosed or confined by a packing or diaphragm or diaphragms of asbestos fibre or
other suitable permeable material the whole being arranged so as to admit of ready
access for cleansing the filter when necessary. We connect the exit of the filter with
the aërator hereinbefore described. The part of the filter into which the unfiltered
water enters is provided with a cock and water seal or trap to admit of unfiltered water
being drawn off and the cleansing of the filter.
We arrange for the purification of water in ordinary tanks and reservoirs according
to our invention by closing them air-tight and providing for the supply or admission
of sterilized air thereto and in some cases we also provide for the retention or con-
finement of such air therein as required either automatically or otherwise.
For example a sterilizing chamber may be so arranged in connection with the
closed tank or reservoir that air may be permitted or caused to pass through the said
sterilizing chamber into the tank or reservoir and be confined therein whereby the
water as it rises in the tank or reservoir is surcharged or supersaturated with sterilized
air the admission and confinement of which is regulated by a valve or valves or other
equivalent contrivance actuated either by the rising and falling of a float or floats
within the tank or reservoir or by hand or otherwise. Or the means for confining the
air may be dispensed with. We provide the draw off pipe with a water seal to prevent
unsterilized air passing through it into the tank or reservoir.
Where it is desired to treat water with sterilized air in ordinary domestic filters we
seal the junction of the lid and body of the filter with magnetic spongy. carbon or
other sterilizing medium and we form in the upper part of the filter a passage for the
inlet of water and air in which passage we placo magnetic spongy carbon or other
sterilizing medium and we seal the draw off tap so as to prevent entrance of atmo
spheric air through it and we arrange for sterilization of the air which is admitted to
the part of the filter in which the filtered water collects.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: Improvements in Sterilizing Atmospheric Air for Use in Connection
with the Purification of Water and Improvements in the
Purification of Water and Apparatus for those Purposes.
We ARTHUR ANGELL of the County Laboratory Southampton in the County of
Hants Ph.D. F.I.C. and FRANK CANDY of High Street House Bexley in the County
of Kent Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this Invention and the manner
in which the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
*
Our invention consists first in the sterilization of atmospheric air by causing it to pass
through a quantity of the product manufactured as described in the specification of
Letters Patent No. 1793 which product is known in commerce as Magnetic spongy
carbon and is herein after referred to by that name. Our said invention consists
further in the treatment of water by exposing it to the action of sterilized air. Our
said invention consists further of the apparatus herein after described for use in
the sterilization of atmospheric air and of the arrangements of apparatus herein after
described for use in the purification of water by means of sterilized air.
The apparatus for use in the sterilization of atmospheric air consists of a vessel or
chamber (hereinafter termed the sterilizing chamber) which is charged with magnetic
spongy carbon and is open at part or parts to the atmosphere and is provided at
another part or other parts with ineans for connection with the apparatus in which the
sterilized air is required to be used.
A suitable form of sterilizing apparatus is illustrated in Figure 1 of the accompany-
ing Drawings a being the sterilizing chamber and the means for communication
with the apparatus in which the sterilized air is required to be used. c is a bed of
fragments of magnetic spongy carbon constituting the sterilizing medium which is
When
supported by a perforated plate d over which is a layer of asbestos fibre c¹.
the sterilizing apparatus is required to be used the part is so connected to a closed
chamber or vessel that air cannot pass into the latter except through the bed of
sterilizing medium in the said sterilizing apparatus the air entering the said bed at
the upper part and passing from the said bed through the perforations in the plate d.
The size of the fragments of magnetic spongy carbon in the vessel a depends on the
depth or thickness of the bed thereof. Where the said bed is about six inches deep
or thick fragments of about the size of mustard seed have been found to answer well.
Where the bed is of greater depth or thickness fragments of proportionally larger size
may be used.
One form of apparatus which we use for the purification of water by means of
sterilized air consists of a vessel or tank or chamber (hereinafter termed the aërator)
which is connected with the source of supply of the water to be treated and is

page_text: provided with means for permitting of water being drawn from it without access of
unsterilized air to the aerator. The said aurator communicates with a supply of
sterilized air or with the sterilizing chamber herein before described. The water to
be purified is or may be supplied to the aurator under pressure and provision is made
by means of valves or cocks or otherwise for the control of the supply as required.
An apparatus of this kind is illustrated in vertical section in Figure 2 of the
accompanying Drawings. Referring to the said Figure 2-e is an air tight tank
constituting the aërator. is a pipe constituting the means of connection with the
source of supply of the water to be treated which pipe is trapped at in order to
prevent air passing through it into the aurator should the supply at any time become
exhausted. y is the means of connection with the supply of sterilized air or with a
sterilizing chamber such as that hereinbefore described or of other suitable kind his
the draw off cock the inner end of which is curved downward below the level of the
outlet orifice in order to prevent air passing through the said cock into the aërator
when the level of the water therein is below the outlet of the cock.
The method of using and the action of this apparatus are as follows:-
On first using the apparatus the air in the tanke and passage communicating between
it and the sterilizing apparatus is driven out by allowing water to pass in or by
forcing water into them until they are completely filled. When this has been done
and the water is withdrawn or the level thereof is lowered only sterilized air enters
the tank consequently the water in the said tank is kept free from contamination with
the germinal matters present in ordinary atmospheric air and the water is purified by
absorption of the oxygen in the sterilized air.
In some cases we provide the means of communication between the aërator and the
sterilizing chamber with a cock or a valve by which the passage of sterilized
air to the aërator may be cut off when it is desired to compress the air in
the aurator. The said cock or valve may be arranged so as to be actuated by hand
or provision may be made for causing it to be actuated automatically when water
has risen in the tank to a predetermined level. A suitable arrangement for automatic-
ally confining the air in the tank when required is indicated in broken lines in the
said Figure 2 being a valve for closing the air passage and j a float by which
the said valve is raised. Where an arrangement of this kind is used the air is con-
fined in the tank when the water has risen to a sufficient height to cause the valve
to close the air passage and the further inflow of water compresses the sterilized air
in the tank and causes the water to become surcharged with the said air.
Where the condition of the water available for use is such as to render filtration
desirable or necessary we use a filter and we prefer a filter consisting of a vessel
or chamber provided with means for connection with the source of supply of the
water to be filtered and charged with a quantity of Magnetic spongy carbon which
may be covered or enclosed or confined by a diaphragm or diaphragms or a layer
or layers of suitable permeable material the whole being by preference so arranged
as to admit of ready access for cleansing the filter when necessary. We connect the
exit of the filter with the aurator herein before described or with an aerator of other
suitable form. The part of the filter into which the unfiltered water enters is
provided with a cock and water seal or trap to admit of unfiltered water being drawn
off and the cleansing of the filter.
Figure 3 is a central vertical section of apparatus consisting of a filter of the
kind hereinbefore described in combination with an aurator and sterilizing chamber
the filter being so constructed and connected with the supply of water to be treated
and with the aërator that the said water passes through the filter in an upward direction.
is the vessel containing the filtering material is the aurator and m is the
sterilizing chamber which rests on the top of the aëraior. The filtering material
consists of a bed of magnetic spongy carbon above and below which are layers of
sand and layers of gravel the whole being supported by a perforated
diaphragm or plate and covered with a similar plate is a pipe by which
water to be treated is conveyed to the vessel the source of supply of which water
should be at a higher level than the top of the aurator. is the cock by which

page_text: unfiltered water may be drawn from the apparatus and is the water seal or trap.
is the draw off cock which is provided with a water seal. The sterilizing chamber m
is furnished with a cover m¹ under which air passes to the bed of sterilizing material m²
through holes m³ m³ in the upper part of the wall of the said chamber m. The
space below the said bed of sterilizing material m² communicates with the aërator /
by means of pipes n n connected by a bulb ² containing a hollow ball valve by
which the communication between the sterilizing chamber m and the aurator is cut off
as hereinafter described. The said bulb and the said valve and portions of the
pipes are shown drawn to a larger scale in Figure 3ª with reference to which
Figure the arrangement and action of the said valve are hereinafter further described.
n³ is the said valve n n are pins or spindles connected to the said valve which pins
or spindles pass freely through holes in guide bars n n secured respectively within
the pipen and bulb n². The said valve n³ is thus free to rise and fall within the
bulb n the upward motion of the valve being limited by the end of the pipe n which
constitutes the valve seating and its downward motion being limited by the barn.
The apparatus shown in the said Figure 3 may be supported by bearers on which
the flange at the upper part of the vessel rests as shown in the drawing at kaks.
The method of using the said apparatus and its action are as follows:
The water to be treated enters the vessel & by the pipe and passes upward through the
bed of filtering material and rises in the aërator and the pipe n¹. When the water
has risen to such a height as to cause the said valve ³ to float and press against the
lower end of the pipe the communication between the sterilizing chamber in and the
aurator is closed by the said valve and the sterilized air confined in the upper part
of the acrator is compressed therein and the filtered water in the aërator becomes
surcharged with the said air. The water seal prevents access of unsterilized air to
the aörator through the cock should the latter be opened when the level of the
filtered water is too low to admit of its flowing through the said cock. The filter
may be cleansed by opening the cock and allowing water to pass from the
pipe through the part of the vessel & below the plate and out through the
said cock Lº.
Figure 4 of the accompanying Drawings is a central vertical section of apparatus
essentially similar to that hereinbefore last described the chief difference being that
the filter is arranged above the chamber constituting the aërator and the water to be
purified enters the filter above the bed of filtering material.
22
Referring to the said Figure 4- is an air tight vessel in the upper part of which
the filtering material is supported the part of the said vessel below the filter bed con-
stituting the aerator into which air is conveyed from a sterilizing chamber p by means
of pipes connected by a bulb in which a valve is arranged as hereinbefore
described with reference to the pipes » Figures 3 and 3°. r is the pipe by which
the water to be purified is conveyed to the apparatus and s is the draw off cock. The
action of this apparatus is as follows:-The water to be purified entering by the pipe r
passes downward through the filter bed into the space below it constituting the aërator
and displaces the sterilized air therein until the valve rises and stops the passage by
which the said air passes out. When water is not passing through the filter bed the
filtering material is revivified by sterilized air which rises from the aërator and
permeates the said bed.
We arrange for prevention of contamination of water in ordinary storage tanks
and other receptacles such as cisterns and reservoirs according to our invention
essentially as herein before described with reference to Figure 2 of the accompanying
Drawings that is to say we close such tanks or reservoirs air tight and provide for the
supply or admission of sterilized air thereto and in some cases we also provide for
the retention or confinement of such air therein as required either automatically or
otherwise.
A convenient arrangement for the sterilization of air passing to a domestic or other
tank or cistern having an air tight cover or otherwise closed air tight except at the
ordinary overflow pipe consists in the connection of a sterilizing chamber to the said
overflow pipe. Such an arrangement is illustrated in Figure 5 of the accompanying

page_text: Drawings in which Figure t is the tank or cistern u the overflow pipe the sterilizing
chamber and a pipe by which the overflow water from the tank or cistern passes
from the sterilizing chamber and by which air passes to the said chamber. The pipe
by which the draw off tap is connected to the tank or cistern should be bent as shown
at w or be otherwise trapped to prevent access of air through the said tap. is the
supply cock the pipe of which may also be trapped as shown at a¹.
Where it is desired to treat water with sterilized air in ordinary filters we seal the
draw off tap so as to prevent entrance of atmospheric air through it and we arrange
for sterilization of the air which is admitted to the part of the filter in which the
filtered water collects.
Figure 6 of the accompanying Drawings is a central vertical section of a filter
provided with means for the sealing of the draw off tap and the sterilization of air
entering the aforesaid part. Figure 7 is a plan of the said filter taken without the
covery is the body of the filter z is the cover thereof and 1 is the draw off' tap all
of which are shown in the Drawings as made of earthenware. The sealing of the
said tap is effected by the bent pipe 1" the inner end of which opens into the part 2 of
the filter vessel which is the part in which the filtered water collects and constitutes
the aerator. The arrangement for effecting the sterilization of the air entering the
said aurator 2 consists of a chamber 3 which communicates with the aërator by means
of a passage 4.5 is a perforated diaphragm within the said chamber 3 the space
above which diaphragm is charged with magnetic spongy carbon or other sterilizing
material 6. To provide for facility in placing the sterilizing material within the
chamber 3 an opening of convenient size is formed in the wall of the filter vessel and
to prevent accidental displacement of the sterilizing material in the said chamber the
said opening is provided with a removable screw stopper 8 having a hole 9 formed
lengthwise in it to admit of access of air to the sail chamber when the stopper is in
place. 10 is a washer of india rubber or other suitable yielding material which admits
of the said stopper when made of earthenware being screwed home without injury
sufficiently tightly to prevent its accidental displacement. 11 is the filtering medium
which is supported by a perforated plate 12.
By the arrangements hereinhefore described the water in water tanks and storage
vessels and the filtered water in filters whether under pressure or not is subjected
to contact of sterilize air only and in the case of filters the filtering medium
becomes charged with condensed oxygen free from germinal matter and from
noxious vapour and gases. The water while in the said vessels and filters is
therefore not subject to the deterioration which ensues from contact with atmospheric
air in its ordinary condition. This is a very important advantage.
We wish it to be understood that we make no claim to the sterilization of air other-
wise than by means of the said magnetic spongy carbon.
We also wish it to be
understood that although we prefer to use magnetic spongy carbon as the medium
for the sterilization of air to be supplied to water storage vessels and filters and
as the filtering medium in water filters yet we do not limit ourselves to the supply
to such vessels and filters of air sterilized by means of the said material as our inven-
tion comprises broadly the supply to such vessels of sterilized air by whatever means
the sterilization be effected. We also wish it to be understood that we do not confine
ourselves to the supply of sterilized air to water filters constructed and acting as
herein before described or to filters in which magnetic spongy carbon is used for the
filtering medium as our invention also comprises broadly the supply of sterilized air
to filters whatever be the construction or action thereof and whatever be the filtering
medium used therein.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :-
Firstly Sterilizing atmospheric air by passing it through a bed of fragments of
magnetic spongy carbon.
Secondly-The sterilization of air passing into water tanks or reservoirs.

page_text: Thirdly The sterilization of air passing to the chambers of water filters in which
the filtered water collects.
Fourthly Purifying water by surcharging it with sterilized air.
Fifthly The combination with water filters of means for producing sterilization of
air coming in contact with the water after filtration.
Sixthly The combination with water filters of means for causing the filtered water
therein to he surcharged with sterilized air.
Seventhily The combination with water filters of means for causing the filtering
medium to be charged with sterilized air.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicants.