Improvements in or relating to the Separation of Sand from Water.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Feb., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 30th July, 1890-Accepted, 11th Oct., 1890.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Separation of Sand from Water.
I, GEORGE FOUNTAINE WEARE HOPE of 39 Coleman Street, in the City of London,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:---
In carrying out this invention I prefer to cause the water with the sand in
suspension in it to fall upon a grid or sieve of sufficiently fine mesh. From this both
sand and water fall into a shoot. from which they pass into a catch pit where the sand
accumulates the water passing over the wall of the catch pit. The difficulty in
arrangements of this kind has always been to get the sand to fill the catch pit so
much of it being carried off in suspension in the water that this has not hitherto been
successfully accomplished unless an impracticable amount of time were consumed in
the operation. Now I have found that by providing what I may term a false top or
edge to that wall or walls of the catch pit over which the water flows I can readily
and quickly cause the sand to rise in the catch pit to the required level; then when
this level is reached I turn off the supply of water and sand, remove the false edge
and the superfluous water runs off leaving the catch pit full of dry sand.
It will be seen that in carrying this invention into effect various devices may be
employed but I will describe what I believe to be capable of giving the best results
though in doing so it must be understood that I do not bind myself to this absolute
apparatus. The mingled sand and water after passing from the sieve fall on to a
shoot preferably slightly inclined by which it passes to the catch pit. I prefer to
employ two catch pits side by side and to make the shoot serve these alternately
which may be conveniently done by the employment of a pivoted door which may be
so turned as to direct the flowing water into either of the catch pits. Each catch pit
is arranged with any convenient form of movable bottom preferably in the form of
two doors hinged at the sides or ends and closing together and a rubber or other
suitable packing or lining may be employed to make a tight joint. Suitable means
also are employed for securing and releasing the doors as required. Each catch pit
is provided with one or more false ends or sides at the upper edge; this false end is
hinged, pivoted or otherwise arranged so that it can be entirely or partially removed
or turned and it may be controlled by any suitable levers or mechanism. The
operation of this false end is that when the catch pit is being filled the end is in its
place, forming a continuation of the wall to which it appertains, and the water
flows over the top of it, but when the catch pit is full the false end is turned or
removed thus reducing the height of the wall to which it belongs.
The practical operation of this apparatus then is that the mingled sand and water
are turned into one catch pit which is gradually filled; when it is full the position
of the door in the shoot is changed so that the sand and water are turned into the
other catch pit. The false wall of catch pit No. 1 is now turned or removed so as
to allow the escape of the water, which remains on the top of the sand, which quickly
escaping leaves the catch pit full of sand which for all practical purposes may be
called dry. This sand is then dumped into a barge, hopper, or whatever receptacle
is provided for it by the opening of the bottom which is then closed and this catch
pit is again ready for use the false wall being of course re-made.
During this operation catch pit No. 2 has been filling and when full the door in
the shoot is again turned over and the stream turned into catch pit No. 1 while
catch pit No. 2 is discharged in the manner already explained.
It will be understood that I may operate with only a single catch pit if desired
the stream of water being cut off while the catch pit is discharged; it is however
preferable to work with the catch pits in pairs so that the flow of the water may

page_text: not be interfered with or time lost. However instead of working with two catch pits
I may employ any desired number or a number of catch pits may be arranged in
connection with a single shoot which would supply the whole quantity.
As will be understood from the preceding explanation the object of the false wall
above described is to cause the water during the filling of the catch pit to flow over
a level above the top of the catch pit proper so that the water may not draw with
it the sand near the top of the catch pit; from this it follows that so long as this is
effected it is immaterial bow the false top be arranged. For example instead
of having a movable top a valve or valves so arranged as to promptly allow of the
escape of the water would effect the same result as the false wall, or other means
producing the same result may be employed.
Dated this 28th day of February 1890
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Separation of Sand from Water.
I, GEORGE FOUNTAINE WEARE HOPE of 39 Coleman Street, in the City of London,
Merchant, 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 :-
In carrying out this invention I prefer to cause the water with the sand in
suspension in it to fall upon a grid or sieve of sufficiently fine mesh. From this
both sand and water fall into a shoot from which they pass into a catch pit where
the sand accumulates the water passing over the wall of the catch pit. The difficulty
in arrangements of this kind has always been to get the sand to fill the catch pit so
much of it being carried off in suspension in the water that this has not hitherto been
successfully accomplished unless an impracticable amount of time were consumed in
the operation. Now I have found that by providing what I may term a false top or
edge to that wall or walls of the catch pit over which the water flows I can readily
and quickly cause the sand to rise in the catch pit to the required level; then when
this level is reached I turn off the supply of water and sand, remove the false edge
and the superfluous water runs off leaving the catch pit full of dry sand.
It will be seen that in carrying this invention into effect various devices may be
employed but I will describe what I believe to be capable of giving the best results
though in doing so it must be understood that I do not bind myself to this absolute
apparatus. The mingled sand and water after passing from the sieve fall on to a
shoot preferably slightly inclined by which it passes to the catch pit. I prefer to
employ two catch pits side by side and to make the shoot serve these alternately which
may be conveniently done by the employment of a pivoted door which may be so
turned as to direct the flowing water into either of the catch pits. Each catch pit is
arranged with any convenient form of movable bottom preferably in the form of two
doors hinged at the sides or ends and closing together and a rubber or other suitable
packing or lining may be employed to make a tight joint. Suitable means also are
employed for securing and releasing the doors as required. Each catch pit is
provided with one or more false ends or sides at the upper edge; this false end is
hinged, pivoted or otherwise arranged so that it can be entirely or partially removed
or turned and it may be controlled by any suitable levers or mechanism. The
operation of this false end is that when the catch pit is being filled the end is in its
place, forming a continuation of the wall to which it appertains, and the water flows
over the top of it, but when the catch pit is full the false end is turned or removed
thus reducing the height of the wall to which it belongs.
The practical operation of this apparatus then is that the mingled sand and water
are turned into one catch pit which is gradually filled; when it is full the position
of the door in the shoot is changed so that the sand and water are turned into the
other catch pit. The false wall of catch pit No. 1 is now turned or removed so as

page_text: to allow the escape of the water, remaining on the top of the sand, which quickly
escaping leaves the catch pit full of sand which for all practical purposes may be called
dry. This sand is then dumped into a barge, hopper, or whatever receptacle is
provided for it by the opening of the bottom which is then closed and this catch pit
is again ready for use the false wall being of course re-made.
During this operation catch pit No. 2 has been filling and when full the door in the
shoot is again turned over and the stream turned into catch pit No. 1, while catch
pit No. 2, is discharged in the manner already explained.
It will be understood that I may operate with only a single catch pit if desired the
stream of water being cut off while the catch pit is discharged; it is however
preferable to work with the catch pits in pairs so that the flow of the water may not
be interfered with or time lost. However instead of working with two catch pits I
may employ any desired number or a number of catch pits may be arranged in
connection with a single shoot which would supply the whole quantity.
As will be understood from the preceding explanation the object of the false wall
above described is to cause the water during the filling of the catch pit to flow over a
level above the top of the catch pit proper so that the water may not draw with it the
sand near the top of the catch pit; from this it follows that so long as this is effected
it is immaterial how the false top be arranged. For example instead of having
movable top a valve or valves so arranged as to promptly allow of the escape of the
water would effect the same result as the false wall or other means producing the same
result may be employed.
a
The accompanying drawings will serve to show one way in which this invention
may be carried into practical effect.
In these drawings
Fig. 1 is a side elevation and Fig. 2 a plan of the complete apparatus ;
Fig. 3 is a side view of a portion of the upper part of the apparatus showing in
cross section the upper portion of the catch pit channels.
Like letters represent like parts throughout these drawings.
A and B are two catch pits, A' and B₁ being the respective channels leading to
them. C is a shoot by which the sand and water are delivered to the respective
channels A and B, this shoot being so arranged as to deliver at will into either of
the channels. In the drawing it is shown provided with a hinged or jointed end C¹
which when placed in line with the shoot as in Figure 2 causes it to deliver into the
further channel A' or when raised up as in Figure 3, shortens the length of the shoot
so that it delivers into the nearer channel B'.
The shoot is arranged at a slight incline and at its higher end is enlarged to
accommodate the sieve D or is otherwise so connected with the sieve that the sand and
water passing through it are delivered into the shoot C which may also contain one or
more preferably concave and removable sieves such as C2 of fine mesh for further
eliminating the shells and other larger matters not desired in the sand. E represents
the supply pipe or shoot by which the water and sand are delivered to the sieve and
shoot this delivery pipe may lead from any suitable source of supply whether a pump
a stream reservoir or otherwise.
Returning now to the description of the catch pit of which two similar in all
respects are shown in the drawings, this consists of any suitable chamber hopper vessel
or equivalent A provided with a bottom or bottoms which can be opened or closed
at pleasure. In the drawings the bottom F is shown in the form of a door hinged to
the side or wall of the catch pit at F¹ and adapted to be closed by the chains G
the lower ends of which are connected to the door and the upper ends
join the main chain H which passing over the pulley I extends to the winch K
which may be operated by the winch handle L and gearing M or the door may
be controlled in any other suitable manner. The door F may either be a single
door covering the whole bottom of the catch pit or it may be in two or more parts
pivoted to the catch pit and divided in the centre or centrally pivoted and opening at
the ends and provided preferably with india-rubber packing so as to make a practically
tight joint when closed. A valve or valves could be employed in place of the door or

page_text: doors, but the latter are preferable. K₁ is a pawl for retaining the catch-pit door in
its closed position.
An overflow shoot or tray N may if desired be provided so as to carry the overflow
clear of the catch pit; in Fig. 2 one such overflow is shown adapted to accommodate
both catch pits A and B. Each catch pit is provided at its outlet end or part with a
door, sluice valve or equivalent O which when closed serves as an extension or false
top of the wall A² B2 of the catch pit. This door O may be opened and closed in any
convenient manner, the simple method shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings
being perhaps as suitable as any. In these drawings the door O slides in vertical
grooves O¹ in the walls of the channel A¹ and may be lifted by the lever P fulcrummed
at P¹ upon the cross stay A³ of the catch pit or channel in such a manner that when
the handle end P* of lever P is depressed the door O is raised and vice versa.
The whole of the mechanism described in connection with catch pit A also applies
to catch-pit B. The walls of the channels may with advantage be raised as at Q so as
to prevent splashing or overflow and the whole of the apparatus may if desired be
covered in with permanent or temporary or hinged coverings. The operation of this
apparatus is as follows ;-
The water and sand arrive by the pipe or shoot E and are delivered onto the sieve D
of a sufficiently fine mesh to effect a preliminary sifting and to eliminate stones, lumps,
and other matters which it is desired to get rid of. These may be removed from this
sieve in any convenient manner as for example by an overflow arrangement, scrapers,
jogging or the like. In the drawings only one sieve D is shown and where dealing
with moderately clean material this would be sufficient but it would be understood that
any desired number of sieves may be employed.
From the sieve D the mingled water and sand pass by the shoot C into the second
channel A' as shown in Figure 2 where the shoot extension C₁ is shown in use.
From the channel A' which may preferably be arranged at a slight angle the sand and
water gravitate to the catch pit A, the ends of the channels A' and B₁ being of course
closed.
The sand and water continue to flow into the catch pit A (of which the bottom F
and door O are closed) until the pit is filled with sand up to the level of the bottom
of the door O the surface water overflowing over the top of the door O.
The end C of the shoot C is now raised as in Fig. this may be done in any
suitable manner the most convenient perhaps being to lift it up by hand and turn it
right back on to the top of shoot C as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, the sand and
water being thus diverted from channel A¹ into channel B'. While catch pit B
whose doors are now closed is filling, the door O of catch pit A is opened by the
lever P and the water lying above the sand is allowed to escape by the overflow N.
When this has been accomplished the door F of catch pit A is opened as by releasing
chain H by the winch handle L and allowing the door to fall of its own weight,
the sand from the catch pit A being dumped into the barge or other receptacle and
the door F re-closed by the winch and the operation of catch pit A recommenced as
soon as catch pit B has been filled.
The operations in catch pit B are similar to those above described with reference
to catch pit A, all that is necessary to change the operation from one to the other
being the movements imparted to the end of the shoot C, the operations of the
apparatus thus continuing uninterruptedly, one of the catch pits always being in
operation.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is ;-
1. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete apparatus
for the separation of sand or other materials from water substantially as described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. In an apparatus for the separation of sand or other materials from water the
employment of a valve sluice false top or equivalent such as whereby when the catch

page_text: pit is filling the overflow level is raised such level being subsequently lowered for the
escape of the surplus water substantially as described.
3. In an apparatus for separating sand or other materials from water the method
of securing the practical filling of the catch pit by means of an adjustable overflow
level substantially as described."
G. F. W. HOPE.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicant.