Improvements in and relating to Means for Purifying Water.
Year: 1889

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
Improvements in and relating to Means for Purifying Water.
JOHN DAVIS, residing at Number 17 Stockton Avenue, Allegheny, in the County
Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, one of the United States of America, Scientist,
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
ement:
My invention relates to means for purifying water, as hereinafter described.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
Improvements in and relating to Means for Purifying Water.
JOHN DAVIS, residing at Number 17 Stockton Avenue, Allegheny, in the County
of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, one of the Unitel States of America, Scientist,
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 relates to means for purifying water, as hereinafter described.
Referring to the accompanying Drawings
Figure 1 represents a plan of a system of filters,
Figure 2, a vertical section of the penstock, turbine wheel, and one of the air-pumps
operated by said wheel;
Figure 3, an enlarged sectional view, showing the mechanism for operating the
agitators, and the configuration of one blade of the agitators;
Figure 4, an end view of one of the filters;
Figure 5, a vertical transverse section ;
Figure 6, a vertical section of a valve for controlling the supply of chemicals to the
water to be purified;
Figure 7, a plan of the valve;
Figure 8, a horizontal section on the line, x, x, Figure 5,
Figure 9, an enlarged vertical longitudinal section;
Figure 9, a plan view of pipes on the line, x, x, Figure 9;
Figure 10, a front end view of a purifier, separate from the filters;
Figure 11, a similar view on the line, y, y, Figure 12,
Figure 12, a vertical longitudinal section;
Figure 13, a top or plan view of a modified construction of a filter ;
Figure 14, an inverted plan view of the cover detached ;
Figure 15, a vertical section ;
Figure 16, a top or plan view of a detachable bottom for a filter, partly broken away
to show the filling;
Figure 17, an inverted plan view of the same,
Figure 18, a vertical transverse section on an enlarged scale, and
Figure 19, a plan view of a section of the bottom shown in Figure 9
Reference being had to the drawings and the letters thereon, A, indicates an
elongated vessel forming my improved filter, which may be used singly, or two or more
may be grouped together to form a system of filters for supplying cities or towns,
When grouped to form a system they are by preference arranged in sets on opposite
sides of a building, and are connected to supply mains, B, C, as shown in Figure 1,
by branches, a, provided with suitable stop-cocks, b, as shown in figure 9.
To the
D, represents a penstock for a turbine water wheel, and is supplied with water from
any suitable source, such as a reservoir, stand-pipe, or artesian well, by a conduit (not
shown) which discharges into the penstock and operates the turbine wheel
shaft, c, of the wheel is secured a mitre wheel, d, which engages with similar wheels, e, f,
movably secured on the inner ends of the shafts, g, h, which are suitably supported on
brackets, 1, k, and are provided at their outer ends with mitre wheels, l, m, which
engage with corresponding wheels, n, o, on the shafts, p, q, for transmitting motion
rom the turbine wheel to the shafts, r, s, on the several filters The shafts, p, q, are
provided with worm gear, t, which engage with the disk gear wheel, u, on each
haft, r, s, which is connected thereto, as shown in Figure 3. Each agitator shaft, w, is
provided with a gear-wheel, y, which is movably secured thereon and is thrown in
nd out of gear with a worm, z, on the shaft, r, or, s, by means of a lever, c²,
ecured of the hub of the wheel, y, and fulcrumed in a support, d', on top of
he vessel, A. The shafts, p, q, are supported in suitable bearings, e¹, on top of the
essels, and the lever, c, is provided with a suitable locking device, f¹, for holding the

page_text: wheel, y, in operative engagement with the worm, z when it is desired to agitate the
filter bed for the purpose of cleansing it.
The mechanism shown is used simply as an illustration of a means for operating the
agitators from the motor propelled by water from a reservoir, or other su table source of
supply, on its way to the filters, and whereby all of the filters may be agitated simultaneously,
or those on one side of the building may be agitated while those on the opposite sile
are at work supplying filtered water, or any one or more of the filters on either side,
may be cleansed, while all the others are at work filtering water.
>
E, F, represent air-pumps which are connected to the penstock, D, by pipes, g',
which are provided with check valves (not shown) at their inner ends, and discharge;
air into, or upon the buckets of the turbine wheel for the purpose of aerating the
water to be filtered. By forcing the air into the penstock at the point described it
comes in contact with water in a high state of agitation, produced by the vanes or
buckets of the turbine, and mingles readily with the water before it enters the
receiving chamber of the filter, where it is further treated before it enters the filter
chamber. The oxygen in the air unites with such impurities in the water as have an
affinity for it, and the impurities are precipitated in the sediment chamber. The air
may, however, be delivered into the supply mains, B, C, or into the filters, or it may
be conducted into the distributing mains G, H The air-pumps are also operated by
the turbine wheel, with which they are connected by any suitable mechanical
connections leading to the shafts, g,
In the construction of large rectangular filters, one of the principal obstacles in the
way of their practicability lies in the enormous amount of metal usually required to
brace vessels of this form to resist the internal pressure brought to bear upon them. To
counteract this pressure without the use of braces or stays crossing the filter chamber
I have adopted the construction of the vessel shown.
The sides, h, ¹, are curved from the top to the bottom of the filter chamber, the
ends, k, l, are curved transversely, and the top, m³, is curved from one side, h¹, to the
other side, ¹, thus distributing the pressure on all of the sides, ends and top, and causing
each to brace and support the other. The sides, ends, top and bottom are secured
together by angle irons, n', at their several points of juncture.
1, indicates the filter chamber, below which is a receiving and precipitating
chamber, K, and at one end of said chamber, K, is partitioned off a chamber, L,
for containing suitable chemicals, such as alum, to be dissolved and mingled with the
water to coagulate the animalcular, and other impurities.
The bottom of the filter chamber is formed of sheet metal having right angled
corrugations, the vertical walls, o', of which, and the horizontal bottom portion, p¹, are
perforated, and the spaces between them are filled with coarse filtering material, and
the upper horizontal portions, q', are imperforate and form a bearing or support
for the wire cloth, r, upon which the filter bed rests. The sheet metal bottom is
supported upon beams or stringers, s¹, which are supported upon columns, t¹, which
rest upon the bottom of the chamber, K The filtered water passes through the
perforations in the sheet metal bottom into the chamber, M, from which it is discharged
through pipe, N, leading into the distributing mains, G, H. The filter bed is
composed of any suitable material, such as clean sand, granulated coke, etc.
The several branches connecting the supply mains, B, C, and the distributing
mains, G, H, with the filters are provided with stop-cocks, so that any filter in the
system or battery may be disconnected at any time for cleansing, or other purposes.
Each filter is provided with one or more agitators, O, according to the size of the
filter, and upon the shaft of the agitator is secured a series of blades, u³, set at an
angle of about 15° from a right angle with the shaft, w, and which are arranged
directly over each other in a vertical plane with the lower edge in advance in the
direction of rotation of the shaft, as clearly shown in Figure 3, where the upper arın
only of one agitator appears. By this construction of the arms of the agitators the
filter bed is raised in columns, affording a free passage of the water through it and
producing a thorough cleansing thereof. The agitator shafts are supported in suitable
bearings, e', resting upon the bottom of the filter chamber.

page_text: Water is supplied to the filter through a branch pipe, a, which communicates with
the supply main, B, or , passes through the chemical chamber, L and discharges the
water into the receiving and precipitating chamber, K in a thin horizontal sheet
directly under the top, ¹, of said chamber, through the flattened and laterally
distended nozzle, w². Connection is made with the pipe, a, by a pipe, y', provided with
a valve, zl, fig. 4, for supplying and regulating the quantity of chemicals in solution
to the water to be filtered; and water is supplied to the chemical chamber from the
receiving chamber through an opening, y, in the top of the chemical chamber, or it
may be supplied by pipe, yll, in the supply pipe extending into the chemical chamber.
The valve, z', consists of a body, 1, which is provided with a conical seat, 2, and two
passages, 3, 4, one of which communicates with the pipe, 5, leading down into the
chemical chamber, and the other with the pipe, y', and discharges chemicals in solution
into the supply pipe, and a screw-threaded conical plug, 6, having an operating disk, 7,
attached to the outer end thereof Upon the outer surface of the disk, 7, 1s secured a
circular leaf spring, 8, which at its free end supports a stud or pin, 9, which projects
through the disk, 7, and enters apertures, 10, in the outer end of the body, 1
this construction the valve may be set to graduate the flow of chemicals to any desired
amount, without danger of the valve moving and changing the flow. To set the
valve the pin, 9, 1s withdrawn from the aperture, 10, in which it is seated (by raising
the free end of the spring, 8,) the plug, 6, screwed back from its soat, 2, until the pin
registers with another aperture, when the spring, 8, will automatically force the pin, 9,
into said aperture and lock the valve
By
By discharging the water into the receiving chamber in the upper part thereof,
and in a thin sheet, it is directed across the receiving chamber, and a large pro-
portion of the impurities contained in the water are precipitated in the sediment
chamber.
Q. is a pipe for conducting water from the receiving chamber into the filtering chamber
above the surface of the filter bed and at the rear end of the filter. T'he pipe, 9, is also
provided with a flattened receiving nozzle, 6", which is located in a plane with tho
discharge nozzle, w¹, to collect the water at the upper portion of the receiving
chamber after the major portion of the sediment has been precipitated to the bottom
of the chamber Immediately in front of the nozzle, 6", and crossing the receiving
chamber is a vertical bar, cl, which forms a barrier to, and arrests any light substance
which may be floating upon the surface of the water, and prevents it entering the pipe
leading to the filter chamber. The bar, el, also quiets the water and compels it to
pass under the bar, carrying with it the sediment which it contains in the direction of
the sediment waste cock, in the pipe, V
It will be observed that the water enters the filter chamber, I, at the rear end, is
discharged upon a double screen or diaphragm, 11, to comminute the water, and
distribute it throughout the length of the filter bed The screen also prevents the
escape of particles of the bed when water is being pissed up through it for the purpose
of washing the bed The water passes forward over and through the filter bed
diagonally, thus utilizing the maximum of the area and body of the filtering material,
and is discharged from the chamber, M, at the front of the filter through pipe, N, into
the distributing main, G, or, H
In the construction of a system or battery of filters for cities or towns, the filters
will be about thirty feet long, ten feet wide, and seven feet deep or high. Under such
a construction the water entering the filter chamber at one end and flowing toward the
other end has ample time to percolate through the filter bed and deposit all of the
remaining impurities which have not been precipitated and collected in the sediment
chamber
R, indicates a pipe connecting the chamber, M, with the pipe, Q, which is provided
with a three-way cock, S, for conducting water into the chamber, M, for passing it up
through the filter bed for the purpose of cleansing it. While the filter bed is being
cleansed, the agitators are put into operation, the bed raised and the foul water from
the bed flows off through the strainer, 11, into pipe, Q, and 15 discharged therefrom by
pipe, l', and conducted into the waste water pipe, U. The chamber I, below the

page_text: filter bed is connected to the pipe, T, by a branch, T¹, having a valve, for the
purpose of running off the first water which passes down through the filter bed after
the cleansing operation, so that no unclean water will piss into the distributing mains;
and the sediment chamber, K, is connected to the pipe, U, by a pipe, V, so that the
sediment can be flushed out whenever it becomes necessary
While the filter beds are being cleansed the water passes up through the perfora-
tions in the corrugated bottom in vertical, and transverse or horizontal streams and
cuts any sediment from the coarse bodies in the troughs or spaces between the vertical
walls of the bottom; and during this time communication with the distributing
mains must be cut off
The chamber, L, is charged with chemicals through pipe, d¹¹, and when the
receiving and precipitating chamber is of the trough shape shown, the filter is sup-
ported in cast metal cradles, e", which are distributed throughout its length. This
chamber may, however, be made rectangular, in which instance the bottom would be
flat, and the filter would then rest upon a corresponding flat foundation.
Suitable openings or manholes are provided for charging the filter chainber with
filtering material, and in large filters a similar opening is provided in the end of the
sediment chamber. These openings being of ordinary and well known construction,
they are not shown in the drawings
As hereinbefore stated a large percentage of the impurities contained in water inay
be removed by coagulation and precipitation before the water is conducted to the filter
beds; and to make this system most available I have provided a device for such
treatment of water.
By referring to Figures 10, 11 and 12, A¹, indicates an elongated vessel which may
be in the form of a cylinder, as shown, or of any other desired form, and may be
used in a horizontal position, as shown. or it may be used vertically by slight
modifications in the construction, such as changing the position of sediment discharge
pipes and the pipes through which the chemicals are put into the chemical chamber.
The preferred position, however, is that shown Within the vessel, A¹, 1s a coagn-
lating and precipitating chamber, B', which is provided with a supply pipe, C, and
chambers, a2, 63, for containing suitable chemicals, such as alum, or other coagulating
agent, for mingling with the water supplied to the chamber, B', to produce
coagulation and precipitation of the animalcular and other impurities.
With the supply pipe, C, are connected pipes, c, d, which are turned so that
their open ends are in the direction of the incoming water in said pipe, and com-
municate respectively with the chemical chambers, a, b, tor supplying water
thereto; and pipes, e³, f³, controlled by suitable valves, g, h, for regulating the
quantity of the chemical solution supplied to the water flowing into the coagulating
and precipitating chamber. B', communicate with the chambers, a², 62, and the pipe
The chemicals are supplied to the chambers, a, b, through pipes, i², k², which project
through the end, D', of the vessel, and are provided with suitable caps or covers for
closing them.
Cr
Instead of using two chemical chambers and different kinds of coagulating agents,
one chamber, and one kind only may be used.
E', indicates a discharge pipe for purified water, and, F', a series of pipes for
discharging sediment, all of which, and the supply pipe, C, are provided with
suitable stop-cocks, P, and to prevent the escape of sediment with the purified water,
a diaphragm, m³, crosses the chamber, B', and extends into said chamber a suitable
distance.
G, H, indicate pipes extending along the inside of the vessel on each side and
about the median line, and are provided with a narrow slot, n³, to discharge water in
a thin sheet against the walls of the chamber, B', for the purpose of wasbing off the
sediment while the coagulating chamber is being cleaned. These pipe-, G₁, H', also
extend through the front end of the vessel, A¹, communicate with the supply pipe, C³,
and are provided with stop-cocks, o², for controlling the supply of water for cleansing
the chamber, B¹.
In the practical application of my purifier it may be used in connection with one,

page_text: or a system of filters for supplying water in large quantities for any purpose, and the
water may be aerated by any suitable means, or the water may be used directly from
the purifier for many mechanical purposes. In its application to a system or battery
of filters it must be made large enough to accommodate all the water to be supplied'
to them, and its use therewith, will dispense with the necessity of providing sediment
chambers in the filters.
The vessel, A¹, is provided with one or more manholes (not shown) to afford access
to the chamber, B¹.
I am aware that it has heretofore been proposed to impregnate water with hime;
and chemicals have also been used for treating water to produce coagulation of the
impurities, but in all such instances known to me filter bodies of some kind have been
relied upon to collect and arrest the impurities. By the device just described water is
purified for practical mechanical purposes without the use of a filtering body of any
kind; but to perfect the purification of the water for drinking and medicinal-purposes
it may be conducted through such material.
In the construction of filters for household and other purposes it will be found
advantageous under some circumstances to use the construction shown in Figures 13,
14 and 15, in which, A2, indicates the body of the filter; B, the detachable cover;
C, the chemical chamber secured to the cover; D³, the supply pipe; E, the
discharge pipe for filtered water; F, the discharge pipe for muddy water in cleansing
the filter bed; G³, the agitator shaft, and, H³, its blades or vanes of the construction
herein before described.
The top or cover, B³, and the base, I³, are secured in position by bolts, a", and
nuts, 63, which pass through and bear upon said parts respectively.
The supply pipe, D, communicates with a circulating pipe, K, which is housed in
a groove, c³, in the cover, B³, and communicates with the chemical chamber, C³,
through a branch, d, for supplying water to the chemicals 'therein contained. The
water charged with the chemicals to produce coagulation flows from the chamber, C³,
into the circulating pipe through valve, e*, and branch, f, and is discharged through
the exit pipe, 9', into the filter above the bed, h³, which may be of any suitable
material used for filtering purposes.
The chemical chamber is supplied with chemicals through the aperture, 3, and the
quantity of chemicals admitted to the water to cause the impurities to coagulate 19
regulated by the cock or valve, e³.
The filter bed, h³, rests upon a bottom, ³, composed of two-layers or thicknesses of
wire, and below sand bottom is a chamber, P, for filtered water with which the
pipe, E, communicates. The pipe, E³, 19 provided with a detachable discharge
nozzle, L', and an external screw-thread; m³, for attaching a section of hose for supplying
water under the filter-bed when it is desired to cleanse at In cleansing the bed the
agitator is revolved, the bed raised in columns by the vanes, H',' and the water forced
through the passages formed by the vanes, and the muddy water discharged through
the horizontal diaphragm, the screen, n³, and the pipe, F.
The agitator shaft is mounted upon a step or pintle, o³, and is operated by a lever
or handle, p.
By this construction the chemical chamber, the filter-bed and the space above the
filter-bed, (which forms a coagulating chamber, q',) are brought very close together
and the whole encompassed in a small space.
In Figures 16, 17 and 18, I have shown a modified construction of the filter-
bottom, shown in Figures 9 and 18, which is made separate from the filter, and.
capable of being renewed without injury to any of the parts of the structure. In
said Figures, E, indicates the detachable bottom, and is composed of an upper-head
or diaphragm, 64, of wire or perforated sheet-metal, and a lower-head or diaphragm, ct,
of sheet-metal provided with numerous perforations, d, and larger openings, et ;
over which openings are placed hollow supports, f. for the upper-head, b, to rest
upon, and prevent it from bending or breaking under the weight of the filter-bed.
The supports, f*, may be cylindrical in form as shown, or they may be of any other

page_text: desired form The vertical walls of the hollow supports are provided with
perforations, g, for a purpose hereinafter described.
The space between the heads, the supports, and the outer vertical wall, h*, of the
bottom is filled with coarse material, such as coke or stone and serves to pack said
space and affords additional filtering surface, and support to the head, 64, and also
prevents the sand or granulated bed from wasting by passing down through the
bottom.
When it is desired to cleanse the filtering material water under pressure is admitted
to the filter under the bottom, E³, and forced up through the apertures, d', in vertical
streams, and through, g', in lateral or horizontal streams, which thoroughly cleanses
the material in the bottom, and then passes on up through the filter-bed and is
discharged through a suitable opening. The bed should be agitated while the water
is passing up through it.
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 18-
1. A water purifier consisting of a chemical chamber, a coagulating and precipi-
tating chamber, a supply pipe communicating with both of said chambers, a filter-
bed, and a chamber for purified water under said bed, and all within one and the
same vessel, in combination with a discharge pipe.
2. A water purifier consisting of an elongated body having a combined receiving
and precipitating chamber, a separate filter-chamber above the receiving chamber, and
a filtered liquid chamber between the filter and receiving chambers, in combination
with a supply pipe, a pipe for conducting liquid from the receiving chamber into the
filter chamber at one end thereof, and a pipe for drawing filtered liquid from the
liquid chamber at the opposite end of the purifier.
3. A water purifier having a receiving and precipitating chamber, in combination
with a supply pipe provided with a flattened and laterally distended nozzle to
dischare liquid in a thin horizontal sheet at the top of said chamber, a filter chamber
and suitable pipes for conducting liquid to and from the filter chamber.
4 A water purifier provided with a receiving and precipitating chamber, in
combination with a horizontal supply pipe and a similar discharge pipe, each having a
flat nozzle, a transverse vertical bar between the nozzles, and a filter chamber.
5. A water purifier having a horizontally elongated body and provided with a
receiving and precipitating chamber, a chemical chamber crossing one end of the
receiving chamber, a horizontal supply pipe communicating with the chemical
chamber and the receiving chamber and terminating in a flattened and laterally
distended nozzle, in combination with a filter chamber, and a purified water chamber
below the filter chamber.
6. A bottom for a water purifier composed of sheet-metal, having right angled
corrugations perforated as described, a covering of wire, and a filling of coarse
filtering material, or its described equivalent, for the purpose set forth
7. A water purifying vessel consisting of a horizontally elongated body having its
ends curved transversely, its sides curved vertically, and its top curved transversely
from side to side, whereby each wall braces the walls adjacent thereto without the
intervention of stay-rods.
8. In a water purifier, an agitator consisting of a shaft and a series of blades
projecting therefrom in the same vertical plane and at an oblique angle to the horizon,
whereby the filter bed is raised in columns and passages formed for the liquid
supplied from beneath the bed to cleanse it.
9. The combination of a motor operated by water from a supply conduit, an air
compressor and suitable pipes for conducting air from the compressor into the water
flowing into the motor, in combination with a supply main communicating with the
motor and one or more water purifiers.
10. The combination of a water motor, an air compressor operated by said motor

page_text: and discharging compressed air into the water a supply main and one or more water
purifiers supplied with water which has propelled the motor.
11. The combination of a motor, a series or system of water purifiers provided with
agitators, suitable operating mechanism connecting the motor and agitators of all the
filters, and shipping devices, whereby all of the filter-beds may be agitated simul-
taneously, or one or more agitated separately.
12. In a water purifier, the combination of an air supplying device, a chemical
supplying device, a precipitating and sediment collecting chamber, a filter-bed and
suitable distributing mains, substantially as described
1000
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.