Improvements in Filtering-apparatus.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 2 st May, 1996
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Feb., 1897-Accepted, 15th May, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Filtering-apparatus.
I, JOHN ALEXANDER ORME, of,27, Church Street, Egremont, in the County
of Chester, Superintendent Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to filtering-apparatus comprising a filter for extracting
impurities from water or other fluid and means for cleansing the filtering material
without removing it from the filter.
The body-part of a filter according to this invention comprises a vertical
cylindrical casing preferably formed in two lengths whose adjacent ends are
secured together with a perforated or reticulated plate between them. On each
end of the casing there is secured an outwardly extending hollow conical cover and
the internal space of each cover is separated from that of the casing by a
perforated or reticulated plate, the interior of the filter. being thus divided into
four compartments by the three perforated or reticulated plates.
The two
compartments between the said plates are nearly filled by any suitable filtering
material that may consist of a mixture of two or more substances having different
specific gravities or divided into pieces of different sizes, or both. Thus the
filtering material may consist for example of oxide of iron and broken quartz, or
it may consist of calcined iron stone, according to the purpose for which the filter
is to be used.
Suitable inlet and discharge pipes lead into and from the upper and lower, conical
covers respectively. These pipes are connected together by a third pipe connected
to the supply-pipe or to a branch-pipe leading therefrom and are provided with
two-way cocks arranged to work in conjunction with each other e.g., by being
provided with arms connected by a link-and controlled by a lever, the arrange-
ment being such that in order to cleanse the filtering material the inflowing, liquid
may, by suitably operating the lever, be caused to pass upwards through the
filtering material and discharge itself through a wash-out pipe. By opening and
closing the two-way cocks a few times in quick succession the filtering material can
be put into violent agitation, with the result that the impurities will be removed
from the surfaces of its particles by their rubbing against one another and the
quick reversing of the flow of the liquid. After such agitation the lighter
constituent of the filtering materials when it comprises two, will settle at the top
and the perforated or reticulated plates will cause the material to assume a level
surface.
A suitable air vessel may be provided to prevent sudden shock in the pipes
whilst cleaning the filtering material. This vessel may in some cases be tubular
and placed in a horizontal position and it may be connected at one end with the
supply-pipe or a branch thereof by a pipe containing a regulating-valve and be
provided at the other with a removable cap. For filtering liquids of some kinds,
there may be inserted in the air vessel, or in another vessel, chemicals, such as
pieces of alum, that will slowly dissolve and mix with the entering liquid.
The apparatus may be coupled up to an ordinary water or other supply-pipe by
means of the branch-pipe herein before referred to and a second branch-pipe leading
to the two-way cock of the discharge-pipe, a stop-valve being provided in the

page_text: portion of the supply-pipe between the branch-pipes and in the first of these
branch pipes and preferably also in the second branch pipe.
Dated this 21st day of May 1896
Improvements in Filtering-apparatus.
I, JOHN ALEXANDER ORME, of 27, Church Street, Egremont, in the County
of Chester, Superintendent 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 construction of filtering-apparatus
comprising a filter for extracting impurities from water or other fluid, and means
for cleansing the filtering-material without removing it from the filter.
Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings are respectively a sectional elevation
and a partial plan of filtering-apparatus according to this invention.
Fig. 3 is an elevation taken at right angles to Fig. 1 to indicate specially the
advantageous arrangement of piping.
The body-part of a filter according to this invention comprises a vertical
cylindrical casing. 1 preferably formed as shown, in two lengths whose adjacent
ends are secured together with a perforated or reticulated separator plate 2 between
them. To the two ends of the casing there are secured outwardly extending
hollow conical covers 3 and 4, the lower of which inay advantageously be provided
with feet 5, the internal space of each cover being separated from that of the
casing by a finely perforated or reticulated plate 6 which prevents the fine filtering
material from passing through. The interior of the filter is thus divided into four
compartments by the perforated or reticulated separator plate 2 and the finely,
perforated or reticulated plates 6. The lower compartment between the said
plates 2 and 6 is nearly filled with any suitable filtering material 7 which may
consist of a mixture of two or more substances having different specific gravities,
or divided into pieces of different sizes, or both. Thus the filtering material
may consist, for example, of a mixture of finely broken quartz or ordinary sand
and ferric oxide or calcined ironstone broken into small pieces depending somewhat
as to size on the capacity of the filter.
Suitable inlet and discharge pipes 8 and 8 lead into and from the upper and
lower conical covers 3 and 4 respectively. These pipes are connected together by
a third pipe 9 connected to the supply-pipe 10 by a branch-pipe 11 and are
controlled by the two-way cocks 12, 13 arranged to work in conjunction with each
other-e.g. by being provided with arms 14 and, 15 connected by a link 16-and
controlled by a lever 17, which may advantageously be formed as shown by the
arm 14 and a suitable handle, the arrangement being such that in order to cleanse
the filtering material, the inflowing liquid can, by suitably operating the lever
handle 17, be caused to pass upwards through the filtering material 7 and discharge
itself through a wash-out pipe 18. By opening and closing the two-way cocks 12
and 13 a few times in quick succession, the filtering material 7 can be put into
violent agitation with the result that the finer particles will be driven through the
perforations in the separator plate 2 together with the impurities removed from the
surfaces of its particles by their rubbing, against one another and the quick
réversing of the flow of the liquid. After such agitation, the lighter, constituent

page_text: of the filtering material, when it comprises two, will gradually settle and pass back
through the perforations in the separator plate 2 and rest on the top of the larger
particles of the filtering material and cause it to assume a level surface.
A suitable air-vessel 19 may be provided to prevent sudden shock in the pipes
whilst cleansing the filtering material in the manner. just described. This vessel
may, as shown, be tubular and be connected at one end with the supply-pipe or the.
branch 11 by a pipe 20 containing a regulating-valve 21 and be provided at the
other with a removable cap 22. The pipe 11 may advantageously be formel with
a syphon shaped portion 11", as best shown in Fig. 3, and the pipe 20 be connected
to the pipe 11 at the highest point of its portion 11. For filtering liquids of some
kinds, there may be inserted into the air vessel chemicals, such as pieces of alum,
that will slowly dissolve and mix with entering liquid; when the direction of flow
of the liquid is being suddenly reversed for cleansing purposes as herein before
described, a small quantity of the liquid will, at each reversal, enter the vessel 19
and dissolve a portion of the chemicals contained therein, and the chemicals thus
dissolved will be caused by the reaction of the compressed air in the vessel 19 to
pass into the filter.
Large filters may advantageously have in addition to the vessel 19 described for
containing the chemicals, a separate air vessel.
The apparatus may advantageously be coupled up, as shown, to an ordinary
water or other supply pipe 10 by means of the branch pipe 11 hereinbefore
referred to and by a second branch pipe 23 leading to the two way cock 13 of the
discharge pipe 8, a stop-valve being provided, as at 24, in the portion of the
supply pipe between the branch pipes 11 and 23, and, as at 25, in the branch
pipes 11, and preferably also, as at 26, in the branch-pipe 23.
By this arrangement it will be seen that by closing valve 24, opening valves 25
and 26 and turning valves 12 and 13 into the positions shown, water can be caused
to flow from the pipe 10 through the filter, the purified water escaping through the
pipes 8 and 23 into the part 10 of the pipe 10 beyond the valve 24; by then
closing valve 26 and turning valves 12 and 13 through a quarter of a circle by
moving the arms 14 and 15 to the left, water can be caused to enter the filter by
pipes 119 and 8 so as to cause the filtering material to become agitated and boil
up against the separator plate 2, the smaller particles passing through the
perforations therein (which may be about one quarter of an inch in diameter) into
the upper chamber, the finely perforated plate 6 preventing them from entering the
cavity in the cover 3, thus washing the filtering material, the dirty water escaping
from the top of the filter through the waste pipe 18.
It will thus be seen that after washing out, the fine particles of the filtering
material will again settle and pass through the perforations in the plate 2 and rest
on the coarser filtering material. By closing both valves 25 and 26 and opening
valve 24, the filtering apparatus can be put out of use and a supply of unfiltered
water be delivered through the pipe 10*.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. Filtering apparatus provided with means substantially as described whereby
the direction of flow of the liquid through the filtering-material can be reversed by
operating a simple part.
2. In filtering apparatus provided with means whereby the direction of flow of
the liquid through the filtering material can be reversed, constructing the filter
casing with a perforated or reticulated separator plate such as 2 arranged between
the ends of the casing substantially as herein described.
3. In filtering apparatus provided with means whereby its filtering material can
be cleaned and the fine parts thereof separated from the larger parts by reversing
the direction of flow of liquid therethrough, the arrangement of an air vessel for

page_text: preventing sudden shocks in the pipes when reversing the direction of flow of
liquid through the filtering chamber, substantially as hereinbefore described.
4. The combination with a filtering-apparatus provided with means for cleansing
its filtering material by reversing the direction of flow of liquid therethrough, of
an air vessel provided with a removable cap or cover so that soluble chemicals can
be inserted therein, the vessel being so connected to the filter that on reversing the
direction of flow liquid will enter the said vessel and dissolve portions of the
chemical contained therein and will afterwards carry the said chemicals, in solution
into the filter, substantially, as hereinbefore described.
5. Filtering-apparatus constructed, arranged, and operating substantially as
hereinbefore described with reference to and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this
day of Febru
1897.
For the Applicant,
W. LLOYD WISE,
46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.