Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 15th July, 1886.
Complete Left, 7th Apr., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 24th May, 1887
I JOHN SHEPHERD SAWREY of 20 Bucklersbury in the City of London Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
My Invention has reference to the softening and purifying of hard or impure water
by means of the addition of reagents such as lime soda or alumina or all or any of
them either in solution or in solid form and has for its object the hastening and more
thorough performance of the chemical reaction. My said Invention consists in
agitating the mixture of water and reagent introducing steam or air (preferably hot
air) or a mixture of steam and air into the mixture of water and reagents the result
being a violent agitation the effect of which is to induce more rapid formation of the
insoluble precipitates. Or a mechanical stirrer may be placed in the mixture of water
and reagents and be actuated by either engine, hand, or water power so as to agitate
the mixture to effect the desired result, or both the aforesaid means may be combined.
Dated this 15th day of July 1886.
J. HENRY JOHNSON,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London,
Agent for the said John Shepherd Sawrey.

page_text: I JOHN SHEPHERD SAWREY of 20 Bucklersbury in the City of London, 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:
My Invention has reference to the softening and purifying of hard or impuro water
by means of the addition of re-agents such as lime soda or alumina, or all or any of
them either in solution or in solid form and has for its object the hastening and more
thorough performance of the chemical reaction.
My said Invention consists in agitating the mixture of water and re-agent or
re-agents which may be effected by introducing steam or air (preferably hot air) or
both into a mixture of water and re-agent or re-agents the result being a violent
agitation the effect of which is to induce more rapid formation of the insoluble
precipitates. Or a mechanical stirring apparatus may be placed and operated in the
mixture of water and reagent or reagents and be actuated by a steam or other engine,
by hand or by water power so as to agitate the mixture to effect the desired result or
both the aforesaid means may be combined.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the several
figures on the annexed sheet of drawings the same letters of reference indicating
corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing represents in vertical section an apparatus
arranged in accordance with my Invention illustrating the use of a jet of steam or of
air and of a mechanical stirring apparatus combined. Figure 2 is a similar section
illustrating the use of a double jet of steam and air.
Referring to Figure 1, A is a vessel into which the water to be treated is passed
together with the re-agent or re-agents selected. B is a steam pipe or compressed
air pipe passed into the said vessel and provided with a valve at 6 by which the
admission of steam or air can be regulated. At the upper part of the vessel A and
mounted in suitable watertight bearings is a shaft C having upon the part of it
situated in the vessel A stirrers or blades c and on the end projecting from the said
vessel a pulley c² around which a band from a suitable motor is passed to rotate the
shaft C.
On the said shaft C being rotated the blades c effect an agitation of the water
which agitation may be supplemented by the admission of steam or air by the pipe B
into the lower part of the vessel. I continue the agitation for a period in accordance
with the degree of hardness or impurity of the water under treatment and the strength
or kind of re-agent or re-agents employed.
It will be understood that the steam or air can be used without the mechanical
agitator above or that mechanical agitators alone may be used in which case shafts
blades and pulleys like those shewn at the upper part of Figure 1 may be placed

page_text: below and above and at any suitable intervals and they may all be driven from one
motor by any suitable arrangement of gearing or driving bands connecting the shafts
to the motor and with each other in any usual or suitable way of transmitting motion.
Figure 2 illustrates the use of air and steam combined. At the upper part of the
vessel A is an injector I the steam to which is led thereinto by the pipe B and is
controlled by the valve b. The air is admitted by the pipe d and the combined steam
and air pass down the pipe E which is turned upwards as shewn and may be provided
with a rose e.
The air and steam thus delivered effect the desired agitation in
substantially the same manner as explained with regard to Figure 1. I prefer to use
hot air and in that case the air may be heated in any suitable stove or air heating
arrangement and led to the piped by a pipe or passage connected thereto. As before
indicated air can be used alone if it be admitted under sufficient pressure to effect the
desired agitation. The inclined bottom of the vessel at f is for the collection of
deposit which can be run off by opening a discharge passage at g and will be received
in the chamber h from which it can be removed at intervals..
1 claim as my Invention
1st. The softening and purifying of water by subjecting it with a reagent or with
reagents to agitation substantially as hereinbefore described.
2nd. Apparatus for softening or purifying water consisting of a vessel for
receiving the water and reagent or reagents and provided with means for admitting
steam or air or steam and air or with mechanical stirrers or with any two or more
such means or devices for effecting agitation substantially as hereinbefore described.
3rd. The combination of the vessel A and steam or air. pipe B and valve b with or
without the shaft C and blades c substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore
explained with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.
4th. The combination of the vessel A and injector I with steam and air inlets and
the discharpe pipe E substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore explained with
reference to Figure 2 of the accompanying Drawings.
Dated this 1st day of April 1886
JOHN S. SAWREY.