AN IMPROVED MECILANICAL FILTER
Year: 1885

page_text: I, ARTHUR PILLANS LAURIE, of Nairne Lodge, Duddingstone, in the County of
Midlothian, North Britain, Bachelor of Chemistry do hereby declare the nature of
the said invention for AN IMPROVED MECILANICAL FILTER to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved mechanical filter.
The improved filter consists in its simplest form of a vessel, the lower part of
which contains the filtering medium. The filtering medium is in communication
with the suction pipe of a pump, which pump draws the liquid through the filtering
medium leaving the separated matter, which does not pass through the filter
collected upon its surface or in its pores or interstices. The filtering medium is
also in connection with an air pump, which acting alternately with the aforesaid
suction pump, forces compressed air through the filtering medium as well as
through the collected or separated matter gathered upon or in it, and thus renders
the pores or interstices of the filtering medium free and open for the next filtering
action of the suction pump.
The vessel containing the liquid to be filtered may be an open or a closed vessel.
When it is closed advantage is taken of the pressure of the air driven in to force
the liquid through the filtering medium more rapidly than the rate which would be
due to the action only of suction and gravitation.
Instead of forcing air (which may be either cold or heated) through the filter
gas or steam may be forced through it either from a pump or from a generator or
reservoir.
By continuing to force air, gas or steam through the separated solid product
collected in the filter, which product may be obtained dry, and in a more or less
solid or broken up or pulverised condition, besides which stirrers or rotating
cylinders may be employed in the filter both for facilitating the filtering operations
as well as for preventing the separated matter settling in the condition of a solid
mass.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Mechanical Filter.
I, ARTHUR PILLANS LAURIE, of Nairne Lodge, Duddingstone, in the County of
Midlothian, North Britain, Bachelor of Chemistry, do hereby declare the nature of
my invention for AN IMPROVED MECHANICAL FILTER and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
My Invention relates to an improved mechanical filter.
The improved filter consists, in its simplest form, of a vessel, the lower part of
which contains the filtering medium. The filtering medium is in communication
with the suction pipe of a pump which draws the liquid through the filtering
medium, leaving the separated matter, which does not pass through the filter,
collected upon its surface or in its pores or interstices. The filtering medium is
also in connection with an air pump, which, acting alternately with the aforesaid
suction pump, forces compressed air through the filtering medium as well as
through the collected or separated matter gathered upon or in it, and thus renders
the pores or interstices of the filtering medium free and open for the next filtering
action of the suction pump.
The vessel, containing the liquid to be filtered, may be an open or a closed
vessel. When it is closed, advantage is taken of the pressure of the air driven in,
to force the liquid through the filtering medium more rapidly than the rate which
would be due to the action only of suction and gravitation.
Instead of forcing air (which may be either cold or heated) through the filter,
gas or steam may be forced through it either from a pump or from a generator or
reservoir.
By continuing to force air, gas or steam through the separated solid product
collected in the filter, which product may be obtained dry and in a more or less
solid or broken up or pulverised condition, besides which, stirrers or rotating
cylinders may be employed in the filter both for facilitating the filtering operations
as well as for preventing the separated matter settling in the condition of a solid
mass.
This
In order that my said Invention may be properly understood and readily carried
into effect, I will now proceed to describe the Drawing hereunto annexed.
figure of drawing is a section through a mechanical filter constructed according to
my present Invention the suction pump, air pump and motive power engine
connected with, and for operating, the same being represented in elevation.
In constructing a mechanical filter in accordance with my present Invention,
I provide the tank a, which may be a closed tank or the said tank a, may be open
as shewn upon the annexed drawing. At a short distance up from the bottom of
the tank a, I secure the filtering medium 6, which is composed of a sheet of felt or
The
equivalent material supported in position between two perforated plates.
space below the filtering medium 6, is divided into two compartments a, and d,
with each of which two pipes e, f, and g, h, respectively are connected.
pipes e, and g, are connected to the outlets at the two ends of the air pump &, the
air inlets to which are shown at j, and k. The pipes f, and h, are connected to the
The

page_text: inlets at the two ends of the suction pump 1, the two discharge outlets of which
The
are connected together so as to discharge through the one outlet pipe m.
pipes e, f, g, and h, are provided with the valves or cocks n, o, p, and q, each of the
spindles of which is fitted with a lever, the outer or free end of which is pivoted to
the rod r. Directly in line, that is to say, co-axial with the air-pump i, and suction
pump 1, there is arranged the steam or other cylinder », provided with a suitable
slide or equivalent valve arranged to admit and exhaust steam, or other motive
To the
agent employed, at each forward and backward stroke of the piston.
piston and pump rod t, there is rigidly secured the arm u, the position of the outer
or disengaged end of which is so related to the position of the collars v, and w,
which are rigidly secured upon the rod r, as to cause the rod r. at the end of each
of the engine piston's strokes to move longitudinally to an extent sufficient to open
and close the valves n, o, p, and q, these valves being so constructed that when the
valves n, und g, are shut, the valves o, and p, are open and vice versa.
In the operation of the herein before described apparatus the water or other
liquid contained in the tank a, is drawn through to the underside of the filtering
medium 6, and out from the compartment d, below the said filtering medium, at
the same time as air is forced into the compartment d and thence up through that
portion of the filtering medium b, which is immediately above the said com-
partment d, and vice versa. The better to illustrate these operations let it be
supposed that the piston and pump rod t, and the rod r, are in the relative positions
in which they are represented upon the annexed drawings and that the piston and
piston rod t, are moving in the direction indicated by the arrow ; under such
operation the liquid is drawn from the tank a, down the pipe f, and air is forced
up the pipe g. At or near the end of the stroke, the arm u, passes against the
collar w, and thereby moves the rod r, longitudinally so as to close the valves in
the pipes f, and g, and open those in the pipes c, and h. The engine having been
reversed and the piston rod t, moving in a direction the reverse of that indicated
by the arrow r, the liquid is drawn from the tank a, down the pipe h, and air is
forced up the pipe c, and so on alternately.
I desire it to be understood that the air which is forced by the pump i, through
the filtering medium b, may be heated, or gas or steam direct from a generator or
reservoir or other source may be forced up therethrough, and if desired, stirrers or
their equivalents may be employed in the filter both for facilitating the filtering
operations as well as for preventing the separated matter settling in the condition
of a solid mass.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
=
The general arrangement and combination of parts constituting the mechanical
filter herein before described and wherein air, either heated or not heated, or gas or
steam is forced at one part of the tank a. up through the filtering medium 6, and
at the same time at another comparatively distant part the liquid is drawn from
such tank a, down through the said filtering medium b, all substantially as and
operating in the manner herein before set forth with reference to the annexed sheet
of drawing.
Dated this thirtieth das of June 1886
J. H. JOHNSON, DAY & JOHNSON,
Applicant's Agents.