Improvements in the Process of and Apparatus for Filtering Liquids.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 11th May, 1897-Accepted, 17th July, 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Process of and Apparatus for Filtering Liquids.
I, EMMANUEL SIMONETON of 15 rue des Halles, Paris in the Republic of France,
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:-
This invention relates to an improved filter, the filtering powers of which may be
varied at pleasure, independently of the pressure of the liquid, and which may be
easily and thoroughly cleaned as and when desired.
In the accompanying drawing,-
Fig. 1 is a vertical section, taken on the line of the axis of the apparatus.
Figs. 2 represent, in section and in plan, a ring of pliable filtering material, such as
a piece of woven fabric or paper.
Fig. 3 is a detail view, in horizontal section, showing corrugated form which may
also be given to certain perforated surfaces, which serve as supports to the cloths or
tissues which effect the preliminary filtration.
A is the exterior casing of the filtering apparatus, carried, as will be seen, upon two
trunnions, a, a', placed at or about the point of equilibrium.
BB' are two removable ends or covers, which are secured in place by bolts, as will
be well understood.
C is a perforated cylinder, the perforations taking the form of long slits. This
cylinder rests, by one end, upon a false bottom of the casing A, and is covered, its
whole length, by a fine wire gauze, or any other material Co, which material effects
a preliminary filtration. This perforated cylinder may be plain or it may be
undulated, as shown in Fig. 3.
C' is a smaller and concentric cylinder, perforated with holes, and covered at its top
end, with filtering material b, which is secured on the cylinder C' by a ring c forced
over it.
D represents an annular space between the two cylinders C C', and constituting the
first preliminary filtering chamber.
E represents the second interior preliminary filtering chamber.
F is the main filter body (the real subject of this invention) the filtering capacity
of which may be regulated, at will, by means of a bolt and nut. This filtering body
is formed by superposing dises or rings, f,f. of any flexible filtering material, by
preference a slack-meshed fabric, or paper.
Do represents the chamber into which the liquid runs before it is filtered.
dd' are telescopic perforated tubes, which constitute a central conduit or collector
for the water or liquids which have undergone final filtration.
Gis the bolt or rod by which the discs or rings are held together, the said bolt or
rod being provided, at one end, with a winged nut O. The lower end of this bolt or
rod G has cross-pieces which enter and work in grooves in the cylinder end, and thus
serve to prevent the rod turning, while they allow the liquid to flow freely. Below
these cross-pieces, the rod is threaded, and carries a nut R, in the form of a worm
wheel, which is rotated by a worm v on an axle h, which passes out through a stuffing-
box in the cylinder, and is furnished with a hand wheel. By turning this hand
ID 11

page_text: the pile of filtering dises, according to the degree of limpidity of the liquid. The
worm wheel nut R is pierced with holes o, o', which allow the filtered liquid to flow
into the lower chamber H, whence, it is drawn off by the cock f in the cover B'.
I is the admission cock for the liquid to be filtered.
J is a grating capable of being cleaned, which is placed inside the inlet for the
liquid to be filtered, to catch the greater impurities.
K is an air pipe.
Lis a conduit for emptying the three chambers Do, D, and E.
M is the lower end plate of the pile of filtering material, which is in one with the
false bottom e, and
M is the upper end plate of the pile, and serving also as the pressure plate for the
winged nut O.
P is an inspection chamber, consisting of a glass cylinder, and furnished with a
tube for the escape of air, and with two tubes provided with cocks one for the inlet
and the other for the outlet, and by which the liquid to be filtered may be made to
pass, for the purpose of judging of its degree of pollution.
P' is a similar chamber to P, and through which the filtered liquid may be made to
pass, to allow of judging of its degree of limpidity.
The turbid liquid, passing by preference through the chamber P (or it may pass
direct into the first zone of the filter), enters the filtering apparatus by the tap 1, and
passes through the grating J. It fills the whole space Do, and the air imprisoned in
the upper part may be extracted by a suitable vent placed for that purpose. From
this space Do the liquid penetrates through the fine meshes of the fabric Co,
surrounding the casing C, into the primary filter space D; then, after this first
preliminary filtration, the liquid passes through the closer vegetable fibre C', which is
supported by the casing C, and penetrates, thus already partially cleansed and filtered,
into the internal chamber E, which is in communication with the outer air by the
eock-controlled air tube K. It is at this stage that the subject of the present
invention is brought into operation. The liquid passes through the fine layers of
fabric or paper forming the pile F, and which are more or less compressed against
each other, by the pressure exerted by the nut O, according to the degree of filtration,
or the brilliancy desired, and according also to the rate of delivery that the filter shall
possess, the pressure being increased by means of the handle mounted on the axle of
the worm v, and which actuates the worm wheel R. The liquid, thus finally filtered,
arrives in the central collecting chamber formed by the two sliding tubes d, d', and
runs into the chamber H, and thence out by the pipe f, passing, by preference,
through the inspection chamber P' by means of which the degree of limpidity may
be ascertained. The filtration having been arrested or terminated, the liquid
remaining is drawn off by the conduit L, placed for that purpose sufficiently below
the level of the bottom plate of the filtering portion of the apparatus.
By this same conduit L, rinsing water may be introduced, or steam may be
employed. The introduction of water or steam may also take place through the
pipe f, but the most convenient construction is that (to which this kind of filter easily
lends itself) which consists in removing one of the two covers B or B', or both; then
taking out perforated cylinders C C' with their preliminary filtering appliances, which
are then rinsed and washed. The pile F is afterwards taken to pieces, and the filter
discs carefully rinsed and washed, and the pile is then put together again, and screwed
up more or less tightly, as before, according to the nature of the liquid to be filtered,
or the result it is desired to obtain.
It is possible, also, after having lifted out and washed the cylinders C C', with their
coverings, and after having washed only the outside of the pile F, to set up the filter
again, and proceed with the filtration, either keeping the pile at its original pressure,
or diminishing or augmenting the pressure, for the purpose of augmenting or
diminishing or maintaining its filtering capacity, and for diminishing, augmenting,
or maintaining its efficacy, from the point of view of the degree of filtration
desirable.
It is manifest that the filter which has just been described may be used to filter

page_text: any liquid; it may be stationary or mounted upon a carriage; it may be arranged in
groups or series of two or more, the last pile completing the filtration; and that in
such a group, or series of more than two, one filter may also be cut out, cleaned, and
set up again, whilst the filtration goes on through another substitution filter. The
change is easily made, and the discs inay be neutralised or sterilised according to
requirements. Finally, the perfection of manufacture effected by the edges of the
rings or discs of filtering material, with their variable pressure, as required, is so
great, that the filtration is equivalent to a sterilization.
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 :-
In a filtering apparatus into which the liquid is introduced directly, or, it may be,
through a transparent inspection chamber, or in which the liquid may have
undergone, or not, a preliminary filtration, or two preliminary filtrations, the filtering
body F formed by a superposing of discs or rings ff, of a flexible filtering medium,
such as non-metallic fabric or paper, the said rings, which filter edgewise, and radially,
into a central running-off chamber or passage, being more or less compressed together,
first and preparatory by the nut O engaging on the upper threaded end of the rod G',
and pressing on the plate N, and then from without, and during the filtration, by,
means of the worm wheel R and worm v, the whole as herein shown and described,
and for the purpose set forth.
Th: 10th SM 1002