Improved Apparatus for Washing Filtering Media.
Year: 1893

page_text: Improved Apparatus for Washing Filtering Media.
A communication by WILHELM ARNOLD, of the Schlossbrauerei, Gablenberg,
near Stuttgart, in the Empire of Germany, Inventor.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester,
both in the County of Lancaster, and 323, High Holborn, in the County of
Middlesex, Civil 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 has for its object the purification of filtering masses or media by
fresh water being constantly supplied and the unclean water being constantly
removed.
The apparatus is shown on the accompanying drawing-
In Figures 1 and 2 in two vertical sections supposed to be taken at right angles
to one another.
Figures 3 and 4 are drawn on a somewhat larger scale and show the exit of
the water which has become charged with impurities from the emptying device.
The elongated vessel A. is divided like a rag cylinder into two parts by means of
a partition A', and these parts communicate with one another, as the partition does
not extend right through. The agitating or stirring apparatus B, which is arranged
on the shaft C, is placed in one part of the vessel A, which agitating or stirring
apparatus is driven by the belt pulley C or in any other suitable manner, and ruus
entirely under water. The fresh water is constantly supplied under pressure at the
bottom of the vessel by means of the opening a.
In the other compartment of the vessel A, a peculiarly arranged emptying or
ladling apparatus D is placed, which consists of two solid walls and a perforated
casing. A number of scoops d are placed inside this casing, which scoops dip into
the liquid, are filled with the dirty water and, on the rotation of the emptying
cylinder D, elevate this water, but, on the other hand, leave the filter material in
the vessel owing to the casing being perforated. On the rotation of the emptying
cylinder, the scoops d begin at a certain point to discharge their contents, which
are then caught by one of the channels Di which lie concentrically round the axis
of rotation of the cylinder, and their contents (in consequence of the converging
of the bottom of the channel D' towards the hollow axis E,) flow to the
hollow axis. The number of channels D' is identical with that of the scoops d of
the emptying cylinder, and their position in relation to the scoops is such that the
side walls of the channel stand vertically upwards during and for a suitable time
after the discharge of its respective scoop, that is to say, the water can only run
away towards the hollow axis. The hollow axis E is attached by means of its
flange to one of the side walls of D which is provided with an opening, and the
hollow axle E is considerably widened at that point. The hollow axle does not
extend through the emptying or ladling cylinder, but only to the side above
mentioned, and the straight part e of the hollow axis forms one of the trunnions
of the emptying cylinder D; the other trunnion is formed by a short solid axis f,
which, at one end, is fixed in the other side wall of D, and, at the other end which
projects into the hollow axis E, has a ring which shuts off at the sides the
channels D' against the axis f, see Figure 3.
A round valve is held loosely suspended in the rear face of the axis f
which projects into the hollow axis E, this valve being cut off flat at the top
and fits tightly below in the extended hollow axis E. In order that the valve
may retain this position on the rotation of the axis f, a weight i is rivetted on the

page_text: under part of it. In consequence of the cut off form of the upper part of this
valve, the water from the channels D¹ may enter the space formed by the
widened hollow axis E, but is prevented by the valve from running back into
the emptying cylinder, and is forced to escape through the shaft e of the
hollow axis.
The emptying cylinder D is driven by means of a belt from the belt pulley c¹
on the shaft C, which belt operates the belt pulley c².
This improved washing apparatus has the advantage that, whilst fresh water is
constantly flowing in and the filter material is stirred up and the water which has
become charged with impurities is being constantly removed, the filter material
remains undiminished, notwithstanding the removal of the dirty water. When
the filter material has been thoroughly cleansed, the water may be run off and
the mass of material removed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
An apparatus for washing filtering media of all kinds, characterised by the
filter material being continuously agitated longitudinally in a longitudinally
divided vessel, resembling a rag cylinder, by means of a stirring apparatus whilst
fresh water is constantly supplied at the bottom, and the water which has become
charged with impurities being removed from another longitudinal compartment of
the vessel by means of an emptying apparatus arranged there, in which a number
of revolving scoops discharge their scooped up contents into channels arranged
below them, which also rotate, from which channels the water flows through the
hollow axis of the emptying cylinder, the latter for the object of not removing
the filter material having a perforated casing which allows the water but not the
filter material to have access to the scoops.
Dated this 30th day of September 1893.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.