Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Nov., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 13th Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 5th Oct., 1888
I, WILLIAM TAPP Perfumer 37 College Green City and County of Bristol do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention consists of a cistern in or near the bottom of which I construct two or
more outlet pipes closed on the outside by means of taps or other suitable arrangements,
on the inside of at least one of the said outlet pipes I attach flexable or other suitable
tubing, on the other end which I connect by suitable means a float so arranged as to
draw off at or near the surface the clear water, to obviate the necessity of waiting
until the whole of the percipitation has settled and also to render filteration unnecessary
or at least optional. I construct the tank in divisions or simi-devisions to allow of the
continuous operation of mixing with as little disturbance of that part acted on by the
above named floating tube as possible, and to aid percipitation. I also construct a
container, for lime, lime water, or other reagent so as to be acted on by the action of
the ball tap.

page_text: I, WILLIAM TAPP, of 37, College Green. in the City and County of Bristol,
Perfumer, 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 :-
The object of this invention is to provide improved means for softening, purifying,
or otherwise improving water for domestic, manufacturing, or other uses, for treating
effluent water from sewage farms and other similar waste waters.
My invention consists of a cistern or tank, in or near the bottom of which I construct
an outlet pipe or pipes as may be found necessary, the outside of which may be closed
or regulated by a tap, taps, or other suitable arrangements. On the inside of the above
named outlet or outlets I connect flexible or suitable tubing, on the end or ends of
which I attach a float or floats so as to draw off the clear water at or near the surface
to obviate the necessity of waiting until the whole of the precipitate has settled, and
also to render filtration optional and in many cases unnecessary. I construct the tank
in divisions or sub-divisions to allow of a continuous operation of mixing when
necessary with as little disturbance as possible of the contents of that part of the tank
acted upon by the above named floating tube or tubes and to assist precipitation.
I also construct a chamber or container for lime, lime water, or other re-agent that
I may elect to employ, so as to be acted upon by the operation of the ball-tap.
Now in order to make my invention more fully understood, I have hereto annexed
drawings, to which reference will hereinafter be made.
In these drawings
Fig. 1 is a plan view of my apparatus.
Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation thereof.
Fig. 3 sectional elevation of the mixing chamber.
Figure 4, one form of float for the pipes.
Fig. 5 another form of float therefor.
The apparatus consists of a tank A, which by partitions B is divided into any suit-
able number of compartiments. The compartment I term the mixing chamber, the
other compartments D being what I term settling chambers.
The mixing chamber is shown separately and on an enlarged scale in fig. 3. Above
or beside it is a reservoir E for containing the re-agent (see also figs. 1 and 2). A tap c
fitted with a ball or other float c¹ serves to admit the water or other liquid to be
treated whilst the tap or valve e also connected with the float e admits the re agent
into the mixing chamber. The relative quantities of the two liquids are regulated by
the capacity of the pipes admitting the same, but in order to give further control over
the proportion of re agent admitted, a regulating tap or cock e¹ may be provided,

page_text: preferably as shown in dotted lines in fig. 3, that is to say, within the reservoir E.
Cis what I call the check-board, it divides the mixing chamber into two portions.
It is preferably inclined not only with reference to the perpendicular, but also with
reference to the centre line of the chamber C, so that the latter is divided into two
unequal portions. The water or other liquid and the re-agent are simultaneously
admitted into the portion C2 (fig. 3) and the motion caused by their inflow is confined
to this part of the chamber. The comparatively quiet water at the bottom flows past
the lower edge of the checkboard C¹ into the part C3 whence it is drawn off as will
presently appear.
FF (figs. 1 and 2) are flexible tubes, preferably of India-rubber or the like, but if
desired may be made of metal and jointed. Each tube carries at one end a float G
which keeps its mouth at or near the level of the liquid wherein the tube is immersed.
Now the tube F in the mixing chamber has its outlet end so fixed in the partition B
of the said chamber that the liquid passing into the pipe or tube at the top of (³ will
be delivered at the bottom of the first settling chamber D, and in that part of the
latter which is cut off by the checkboard D¹. The checkboards D are placed and
arranged similarly to the check-board C, the object being to make that part of each
chamber wherein the inrush of liquid takes place as small as convenient, the check-
boards C and D¹ being fixed at an angle to the sides of the chambers for the purpose of
allowing the outlets to be all in one line, whilst the larger part of each chamber com-
municates with the small one of the next. In fig. 2 the check board (and that of
the first chamber D, i.e. D¹, are indicated, the others are omitted for the sake of greater
clearness.
As shown in figs. 4 and 5 the float G may be either a hollow ball a which by a chain
is attached to an open funnel shaped mouthpiece I, this mouthpiece being inserted in
the tube F to which it is tied with wire or the like at f, or it may be a hollow metal
drum a at the top of a mouth-piece H. having holes g', this mouth-piece being attached
as before described to the tube.
It will be readily understood that the details of construction may vary considerably:
For instance the position of the partitions or check-boards C, D, D', may be different
from that explained and illustrated, the arrangement of tubes F and of their floats
(which may be of metal, wood, cork, or other material) could be varied in many ways,
as well as the arrangements for regulating the flow of the liquid to be treated and of
the re-agent. Instead of the tubes or pipes F which pass through the partitions Bat
their lower end syphons might be employed: the number of the compartments D may
be increased or diminished as required; or finally, instead of one tank with several
compartments, separate tanks may be used in such shapes or at such distances from
each other as may be convenient for the space in which the apparatus is to be
used.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-When the whole apparatus is empty,
or when the level of the liquid therein has descended, then assuming the supply to be
turned oll,
the ball chaving descended, the taps c, e, and e¹ are open, and both water
and the re-agent flow into the part 2 of the mixing chamber C. Having thus com-
mingled they reach the bottom and pass under the check-board C¹ into the part C³.
Precipitation begins, and the impurities (or the solids to be removed) settle at the
bottom. The tube F by its mouth-piece receives the comparatively speaking pure and
quiescent water and conducts it into the first compartment D in front of the check-
board D. Here again the liquid passing under D³ rises quietly and a further portion
of the solids is deposited. The same effect is produced in each of the successive
chambers, and the clear resultant is carried by the last of the pipes or tubes F to the
outlet K, whence it may be drawn off.
I have in fig. 1 indicated waste cocks L, which will serve for the removal of the
sediment and for flushing the apparatus, but other means may be employed for this
purpose. In large apparatus man-holes with suitable covers may be used, and the
whole so arranged that one or more compartments or chambers can be (as will be
easily understood) isolated from the rest for cleaning, without interfering with the
operation of the remaining chambers.

page_text: 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) An apparatus for purifying, softening, or otherwise treating water and other
liquids by the admixture of a re-agent or re-agents, and subsequent settling, consisting
of a mixing-chamber C, into which the liquid to be treated and the re-agent flow in
quantities regulated by the capacity of the tap c and that of the tap e, as determined
by the tap e¹, such chamber being divided by a check-board C, and of a suitable
number of settling chambers D, each divided by a check-board D', the liquid being
transferred from one chamber to another by tubes or pipes F or the like, the whole
constructed and operating substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth
and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
(2) In an apparatus for treating water or other liquid as set forth, the tubes or
pipes F having floats, whereby the mouth of the pipe is supported at or near the top
of the liquid as specified and shown.
WILLIAM TAPP