Improvements in Filters.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, Tith may, 1898
Complete Specification Left, 8th Feb., 1899-Accepted, 18th Mar., 1899
Date of Application, 17th May, 1898
Complete Specification Left, 8th Feb., 1899-Accepted, 18th Mar., 1899
Improvements in Filters.
I, HENRI ARMAND DESRUMAUX, of 17, Rue du Louvre, Paris, in the Republic
of France, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to filters; and is has for its object to provide a filter
having a large delivery and capable of being instantaneously cleansed, designed
especially with a view to the use as a filter-bed of the layer of organic corpuscles
deposited in the filter by the water which passes through it, a bed which con-
stitutes the effective part of the filter, and ensures by its presence the efficiency
of the apparatus.
Furthermore my improved filter is constructed in such manner as to permit,
during the cleansing, of the reversal of the current of water, combined with the
ploughing of the filtering surface so as to facilitate the removal of dirt and deposits,
whilst serving to prevent accumulation of solid particles by the filtered water.
According to my invention I provide an external receiver terminating in a conical
bottom to which are fitted two pipes. A little above this bottom is arranged a metallic
frame, supporting a sheet of perforated metal, a piece of wire gauze of very fine
mesh, and a thick layer or bed of granulated flint.
Above the bed of flint the receiver forms a cistern or water container through
which passes a hollow shaft. This shaft has at its lower part a notched or toothed
dividing or separating disc, and at its extremity that is outside the receiver, a
funnel or cone into which is directed the water to be filtered.
This hollow shaft is further provided, above the dividing disc, with a fly-wheel
or disc having blades or prongs, the extremities of which enter the upper layer of
the flint. This fly-wheel is rotated by a gear wheel arranged near the wall of the
receiver, and actuated from outside by a transmission gear wheel operated by hand.
At a certain distance above the level of the flint bed, an emptying pipe opens into
the receiver which pipe communicates by means of a cock with one of the pipes
fitted to the conical bottom of the receiver. A float, arranged in the receiver, is
connected to a valve inserted in a supply pipe serving to convey the water to be
filtered.
The apparatus works in the following manner:
The water arriving by the supply pipe, and passing through a stop sock arranged
therein and through the float controlled valve, enters the receiver through the
hollow shaft and the separating disc, which last distributes it over the whole surface
of the flint bed. The water thus uniformly separated soon deposits on the surface
of the flint a layer of organic matter forming the actual filtering portion of the
apparatus. After having passed through the bed the filtered water issues through
one of the pipes at the bottom, the arrangement being such that it can only reach
the mouth of this pipe by a circuitous path. This arrangement is intended to
cause the water to leave behind any particles of flint which it may have carried
with it

page_text: Through this pipe the water reaches the above mentioned cock and the outlet.
The deposit of organic matters increases in thickness in proportion to the
working of the filter; the delivery of the apparatus tends, in consequence, to
lessen; but, the level of the water rising simultaneously in the empty or water-
containing space of the receiver, regulates the delivery by an increasing pressure,
gradually counterbalancing the diminution of permeability of the organic layer
of film.
So soon as the level of the water reaches the upper part of the receiver it is
necessary to clean the apparatus. At this moment the float operates the valve and
automatically shuts off the supply of water.
The stop cock placed in the supply pipe, and the cock affording communication
between the bottom and the outlet, are then closed, and a cock arranged in an
auxiliary pipe enabling communication to be established between the supply pipe
and the pipe fitted to the bottom is opened. I may sometimes employ a three-
way cock for this purpose. The direction of the current of water in the filter is
thus reversed, before which; however, the receiver is emptied through the emptying
pipe by suitably manipulating the cock arranged in such pipe so as to afford
communication with an outlet pipe. This last mentioned cock is preferably a
four-way cock.
While the water thus enters the filter in a reverse direction and rises turbulently
in the receiver, the fly-wheel provided with blades or prongs, is put in motion;
these prongs plough the upper part of the bed of flint, and assist, simultaneously
with the stream of water, in removing the layer of organic matter and the dirt
absorbed.
The upper layer of flint, the dirt and the threads or filaments of the organic
layer or film thus remain in suspension, carried in the whirl or eddies of the
body of liquid, so long as the rotation and the impulse of the stream of water
last:
When the rotation of the fly wheel is stopped and also the inlet of water into the
filter, by closing the cock, the particles of flint are deposited in the first place, before
the organic matter, which remains in suspension in the liquid. The liquid
contained in the receiver is then once more emptied by a suitable manipulation of
the emptying cock, the liquid thus carrying away the dirt and the greater
part of the deposit of organic matter. As the emptying pipe opens into the
receiver at a certain height above the upper level of the bed of Hint, there remains
in the apparatus a certain quantity of liquid containing organic matter in
suspension; this is deposited afresh and thus contributes to hasten the formation
of a new filtering bed.
The particles of flint deposited on the bottom of the apparatus may be emptied
out by another pipe, which can likewise, through the said emptying cock, be put
into communication with the outlet pipe.
To set the apparatus at work again it is sufficient to re-open the proper cocks
and to keep the other cocks closed. During the reversal of the current, a conical
baffle plate or bell placed under the bed of flint acts the part of separator, in the
sense that it distributes the cleansing water about the whole filtering mass and
breaks the force of the running water, thus avoiding or checking the formation of
holes or "
gaps."
It will be understood, that, in consequence of the apparatus being thus con-
structed, large volumes of clarified or filtered water can be constantly obtained;
the normal yield of the apparatus being always available, in consequence of the
ease and rapidity of the cleansing process. In case of need the formation of the
filtering layer or film may be assisted artificially; for example, by previously
mixing with the water to be filtered, particularly when it contains only a small
proportion of organic matter, a suitable coagulative substance, such as a salt of
iron or of aluminium.
The apparatus may obviously be of any external shape and that which is best
suited to the special use for which it is intended; it may be constructed of any

page_text: suitable material such as iron, wood, stone, cement etc., or even of stoneware in the
case of filters with small delivery.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
improvements in Filters.
I, HENRI ARMAND DESRUMAUX, of 17, Rue du Louvre, 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 filters and has for its object to provide a filter having
a large delivery and capable of being quickly cleansed, designed especially with a
view to the use as a filter bed of the layer of organic corpuscles deposited in the
filter by the water which passes through it, a bed which constitutes the effective
part of the filter, and insures by its presence the efficiency of the apparatus.
Furthermore, my improved filter is constructed in such manner as to permit,
during the cleansing, of the reversal of the current of water, combined with a
ploughing of the filtering surface so as to facilitate the removal of dirt and
deposits, all of these arangements serving to prevent accumulation of solid particles
by the filtered water.
In order that my said invention may be easily understood I have illustrated the
same in the accompanying drawings in which
Figure 1 a front elevation,
Figure 2 a vertical section, and
Figure 3 a plan.
According to my invention I provide an external receiver A terminating in a
conical bottom B, to which are fitted two pipes tt. A little above this bottom B
is arranged a metallic frame, supporting a sheet of perforated metal a piece of wire
gauze Cof very fine mesh, and a thick layer or bed G of granulated flint.
Above the bed of flint the receiver A forms a cistern D) or water container,
through which passes a hollow shaft E. This shaft has at its lower part a notched
or toothed dividing or separating disc F, and at its extremity which is outside the
receiver A, a funnel or cone H in which is directed the water to be filtered,
arriving, for example, through a tube T, provided with a cock R.
This hollow shaft E is further provided, above the dividing plate F, with a fly
wheel or disc V, having blades or prongs, P, the extremities of which enter the
upper layer of the flint G. This fly wheel V is rotated by a gear wheel d arranged
near the wall of the receiver A, and actuated from outside by a transmission gear
wheel M, operated by hand.
At a certain distance above the level of the flint G, an emptying pipe & opens
into the receiver, A, which pipe communicates by means of a cock R³ with one of
the pipes fitted to the conical bottom of the receiver. A float, N, arranged in
the receiver A, is connected to a valve L inserted in the supply pipe T which
conveys the water to be filtered.
The apparatus works in the following manner:
The water arriving by the supply pipe T and passing through the stop cock R
and through the float controlled valve L, enters the receiver A through the hollow
shaft E and the separating disc F, which latter distributes it over the whole surface

page_text: of the flint bed G. The water thus uniformly separated soon forms on the surface
of the flint a layer of organic matter forming the actual filtering portion of the
apparatus. After having passed through the bed G the filtered water issues
through one of the pipes at the bottom, the arrangement being such that it can
only reach the mouth of this pipe by a circuitous path. This arrangement is
intended to cause the water to leave behind any particles of flint which it may have
carried with it.
Through this pipe t¹ the water reaches the cock R and the outlet S.
The deposit of organic matters increases in thickness in proportion to the
working of the filter; the delivery of the apparatus tends, in consequence, to
lessen; but, the level of the water rising simultaneously in the empty or water
containing space of the receiver, regulates the delivery by an increasing pressure
gradually counterbalancing the diminution of permeability of the organic layer
or film.
So soon as the level of the water reaches the upper part of the receiver, it is
necessary to clean the apparatus. At this moment the float N operates the
valve L and automatically shuts off the supply of water.
The stop cock R placed in the supply pipe T and the cock R' connecting the
tube with the outlet pipe S are then closed, and a cock R2 arranged in an
auxiliary pipe enabling communication to be established between the pipes T
and is opened. I may sometimes employ a three-way cock for this, purpose. The
direction of the current of water in the filter is thus reversed, before which, how-
the receiver D is emptied by means of the cock R³, suitably turned so as to
cause the emptying pipe to communicate with an outlet pipe 13. This last
mentioned cock is preferably a four-way cock.
ever,
While the water thus enters the filter in a reverse direction, and rises turbulently
in the receiver D; the fly wheel or disc V, provided with blades or prongs P',
is put in motion; these prongs plough the upper part of the bed of flint, and assist,
simultaneously with the stream of water, in removing the layer of organic matter
and the dirt absorbed.
The upper layer of flint, the dirt and the threads or filaments of the organic layer
or film thus remain in suspension, carried in the whirl or eddies of the body of
liquid, so long as the rotation and the impulse of the stream of water last.
When the rotation of the fly wheel or disc V is stopped and also the inlet of
water into the filter, by closing the cock R², the particles of flint are deposited in
the first place, before the organic matter which remains in suspension in the liquid.
The liquid contained in the receiver I) is then once more emptied, by a suitable
manipulation of the cock R³, the liquid thus carrying away the dirt and the
greater part of the deposit of organic matter. As the emptying pipe 2, opens into
the receiver A at a certain height above the upper level of the bed of flint G,
there remains in the apparatus a certain quantity of liquid containing organic
matter in suspension; this is deposited afresh and thus contributes to hasten the
formation of a new filtering bed.
The particles of flint deposited on the bottom B of the apparatus may be emptied
out by the tube t, which can likewise, through the cock R³, be put into
communication with the outlet pipe t³.
To set the apparatus at work again it suffices to re-open the cocks R and R¹
and to keep the cocks R2 and R³ closed. During the reversal of the current, a
conical baffle plate or bell placed under the bed of flint acts the part of a separator,
in the sense that it distributes the cleansing water about the whole filtering mass
and breaks the force of the running water, thus avoiding or checking the formation
of holes or "gaps."
It will be understood that, in consequence of the apparatus being thus con-
structed, large volumes of clarified or filtered water can be constantly obtained;
the normal yield of the apparatus being always available in consequence of the
ease and rapidity of the cleansing process. In case of need the formation of the
filtering layer or film may be assisted artificially for example, by previously

page_text: mixing with the water to be filtered, particularly when it contains only a small
proportion of organic matter, a suitable coagulative substance, such as a salt of iron or
of aluminium.
The apparatus may obviously be of any external shape and that which is best
suited to the special use for which it is intended; it may be constructed of any
suitable material, such as iron, wood, stone, cement &c., or even of stoneware in
the case of filters with small delivery.
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 with large delivery and which can be quickly cleansed, characterised
by the water to be filtered being fed to the centre of a receiver by a tube or hollow
shaft, furnished with a dividing plate distributing the liquid uniformly over the
surface of a bed of granulated flint held in the bottom of the apparatus by a sheet
of perforated metal, with the object of facilitating the deposit of a filtering bed
formed by the organic matter in the water to be filtered.
2. In a filier of the kind claimed above, the combination with the hollow shaft
which has at its end a dividing plate, distributing the liquid above the granulated
flint, of a disc or fly wheel V provided with blades or prongs to which a rotary
motion is given from outside, and intended, in addition to cleaning, to plough the
surface of the flint, and to facilitate the removal of the filtering bed and of the
dirt deposited.
3. In a filter of the kind claimed above, the combination with the external
receiver of the apparatus of a conical baffle plate serving to spread the cleansing
water over the whole body of the flint at the time of the reversal of the current,
and forcing the filtered water, during the normal working, to take a contrary
direction, intended to prevent the particles of flint being carried away.
4. In a filter of the kind claimed above, the combination with the external
receiver of an outlet pipe for the dirt, opening a certain distance above the level
of the granulated flint, for the purpose of allowing a certain part of the liquid
containing organic filtering particles in suspension to remain in the apparatus
after the cleansing, for the purpose of hastening the re-forming of the filtering bed.
5. In a filter of the kind claimed above, the combination of feed pipes and of
outlet and emptying pipes with cocks, enabling the direction of the current of
water in the filter to be reversed.
"
1
T1
1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.