Improvements in Apparatus for Purifying Water and other Liquids.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Apr., 1889
Complete Specifnation Loft 27th Jan 1890 Accepted 15th Mar 1890)
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Purifying Water and other Liquids.
'I HENRI DESRUMAUX in care of Messieurs E. Bede & Cie. of 37 Rue Philippe
le Bon, Brussels in the Kingdom of Belgium, Engineer do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
The improved apparatus hereinafter described is intended principally for purifying
natural water to be used in manufactures requiring such water, but it is als..
applicable to the purification of waste liquors and in general for the treatment of
liquids with a view to the separation in a solid form of inatters dissolved or held in
suspension therein.
The improved apparatus consists of three main parts which may be called the
distributing regulator, the saturator, and the treatment chamber.
The distributing regulator comprises a tank or vessel to which the water to be
treated is supplied by a pipe provided with a valve controlled by a float so that a
constant level of water is maintained in the tank. The water issues from the tank
by two outlets each controlled by a hand cock or valve, the one supplying a portion
of the water to the saturator to form lime water, the other causing the main volume
of water to flow.towards the chamber in which it is to be treated causing it at the
same time to turn a turbine or water wheel by which power is derived for the moving
parts of the saturator hereinafter spoken of. A certain part of this stream of water
after actuating the turbine is also led off to another compartment of the saturator to
be treated as hereinafter explained.
Under the chamber containing the water wheel and between it and the treatment
chamber is a reservoir for solution of caustic soda in communication with with a sinall
tank with float valve for maintaining constant level, this float valve being connected
by suitable lever and rods' or other ineans to the float of the water supply tank first
mentioned so that when the water supply ceases or is cut off, the supply of soda
solution is also stopped. The latter, in the usual course, however overflows into the
treatinent chamber.
The saturator is more especially intended for preparing clear lime water for the
treatment of spring or other natural water, but it may be used for preparing other
solutions or for making a chalk milk with or without production of clarified lime
water.
The saturator is formed of a cylindrical vessel open above and terminating below
in a conical bottom with a draw off cock; in the centre is a hollow rotary shaft
provided below with wings or pallets moving between counter pallets on the interior
wall of the vessel, this combination constituting the mixture.
A circular cuplike
trough around the upper part of this shaft receives the water to be converted into
lime water etc. as aforesaid, this water passing out at the lower part of the shaft
through suitable perforations and spread by a disc or discs so as to be thrown equally
over all the saturator.
Under the circular trough above mentioned is a perforated false bottom to receive
chalk paste kept stirred by a rake on the shaft, the second supply of water from
below the turbine is carried and delivered over this chalk paste, the liquor being carried
down to the lower part of the saturator through a tubular channel surrounding the
shaft. Outside this channel down to the uppermost pallet of the mixer is a cylindrical
portion in the lower part of which are fixed radial vertical plates of sheet metal and
above these a spirally wound sheet of metal inclined upwards towards its outer edge.
at an angle of 45" or thereabouts, and extended as are also the vertical sheets below
it up to the wall of the chamber. This part of the chamber terminates above in a
circular gutter, whence the liquid clarified by passage through the said plates passes

page_text: into the treatment chamber. This apparatus may be supported on a hollow column
serving also for removal of the used chalk liquor.
The treatment chamber comprises two concentric cylinders, the larger of which is
open above and terminates below in a conical botton, with a draw off valve to be
opened from the outside by a lever or otherwise. The interior cylinder is open at both
ends, its upper end projects above the end of the outer cylinder and carries a mixing
chamber, in which the lime water, or chalk milk and the soda solution or other
solutions that may be made by the saturator or otherwise, are mixed with the main
volume of water to be treated.
The space between the cylinders is occupied by a conoidal spirally wound plate
extending from one cylinder to the other so as to form a continuous spiral V channel
or trough within this space. At regular intervals the continuity of passage in this
channel is broken by cross plates in shape of right angled triangles which are
alternately placed under and over the spiral plate in radial vertical planes. Those
triangular plates which are above the spiral-plate form along the latter a series of
pockets, and in the lower part of each of these pockets an outlet is made in the wall
of the inner cylinder, these outlets communicating with collecting pipes ending at the
bottom of the treatment chainber. Above the system of the spiral trough are
arranged two perforated false bottoms or trays and in the space between them is
placed suitable filtering material.
The water mixed with the solutions in the mixing chamber, passes down into the
treatinent chamber and then rises upward along the spiral channel depositing therein
and in the chamber the precipitated matters and eventually the purified water
rising lastly through the filtering bed is carried off through suitable pipes ready
for use.
Dabad thin och 1
2000
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Purifying Water and other Liquids.
I HENRI DESRUMAUX, Engineer in care of Messieurs E. Bede & Cie. of 37 Rue
Philippe le Bon, Brussels in the Kingdom of Belgium 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 apparatus intended principally
for purifying natural water to be used for feeding boilers or in manufactures and
industrial processes requiring such purified water but it is applicable for the
purification of waste liquors and in general for the treatment of liquids with a view
to the separation of matters dissolved or held in suspension therein.
The improved machine hereinafter described requires only at intervals of time for
instance daily the charging of a reservoir with certain chemicals and of a saturator
with lime, to act without attention for purifying a certain quantity of water, the
manipulation and the treatment of the reagents being automatically performed by
the flow of the water in the apparatus.
The method of purifying is as follows. The water is received in a feed tank and a
small part of it is drawn off through a pipe and cock from this tank to the saturator
which contains an agitating or stirring device the hollow shaft of which serves also as
a conduit to carry the water into the bottom of the saturator. The greater volume of
water in the feed tank is made to fall upon and revolve a turbine so that the fall of
the water may be utilized for power to operate the agitating device in the saturator,
the water passing from the turbine mainly into a mixing tank, while a small part of
this water is collected by another tank and also goes to supply the saturator. The
level of soda solution which is generally employed as a reagent for supplying the
mixing tank is controlled by a float valve and this float valve is also connected with
that of the water feed tank so that when the flow of water stops the supply of soda

page_text: also ceases. The water which has passed to the saturator rises through the lime milk
therein and runs off as clarified line water into the mixing tank, where together with
the soda aforesaid it is mixed with the water to be purified arriving from the
turbine.
The nixed water passes over into the decantor or depositor and gradually rises
between spirally wound walls in the latter, depositing therein the sediment and
precipitate formed from the soluble salts etc.and the reagents employed; this sediment
collects in pockets whence pipes carry it into the bottom of the decantor near to the
sediment outflow valve.
Reference being made to the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a vertical section of
the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof on a larger scale. Fig. 3 is a vertical
section of the receiving tank showing mechanism therein. Fig. 4 a similar view of
tank for controlling flow of caustic soda solution or its equivalent. Fig. 5 a similar
view of the mixing chamber. Fig. 6 a vertical cross section and Fig. 7 a plan of the
receiver for caustic soda. Figs. 3 to 8 being all on an enlarged scale.
The improved apparatus consists of three main parts which may be called first, the
distributing regulator, second the saturator, and third the apparatus for treatment of
the water being mainly the mixing chamber the depositor or decanter and filter.
The distributing regulator comprises a tank or vessel A. to which the water to be
treated is supplied by a pipes provided with a valve s controlled by a float f so that a
constant level of water is inaintained in the tank. The water issues from the tank by two
outlets t and veach controlled by a hand cock or valve, one outlet the pipe t supplying
a portion of the water controlled by cock to the saturator to form lime water the
other outlet, the sliding valve v being for delivery of the main volume of water to be
treated, and causing said water to fall upon and turn a turbine or water wheel B by
which means power is derived for the moving parts of the saturator hereinafter spoken
of. The water falls from the pockets of the turbine B into the pipe or receiver G
which carries said water into the mixing chamber .D. A certain quantity of water
after actuating the turbine falls into the tank or tray b from which a pipe t with
tank cock leads to the saturator so that a certain quantity of the water in the tank bis
also led off to a compartiment of the saturator to be treated as hereinafter explained.
Under the chamber containing the water wheel and between it and the mixing chamber
is a reservoir C for solution of caustic soda in communication by pipe *" with a small
tank A' with float valve f¹ for maintaining constant level this float valve being
connected by suitable lever and rod system as 11 q or other means to the float f of
the water supply tank A first mentioned so that when the water supply ceases or is
cut off the supply of soda solution is also stopped by the action of float f. The soda
solution in the usual course however overflows into the mixing chamber, through a pipe
or channel 11.
The reservoir C is supplied with caustic soda through the basin c and water is
added to the latter by hand by the cock rl connecting with the tank b.
The saturator is more especially intended for preparing clear lime water for the
treatment of spring or other natural water but it may be used for preparing other
solutions or for making a line milk with or without production of clarified lime water.
The saturator is formed of a cylindrical vessel E open above and terminating below
in a conical botton F with a draw off cock R in the centre is a vertical hollow rotary
shaft a provided below with wings or pallets a¹ moving between counter pallets all on
theinterior wall of the vessel this combination constituting a mixing device. A circular
cup-like trough e around the upper part of this shaft a, receives the water to be
converted into lime water etc. as aforesaid, this water passing out at the lower part of
the shaft through suitable perforations m¹ and spread by a disc or discs m mll so as to
be thrown equally over all the saturator. Under the circular trough e above mentioned
is a tank c with perforated false bottom to receive lime paste kept stirred by a rake c¹¹
on the shaft the second supply of water from below the turbine is carried by pipe t™ and
delivered over this lime paste the liquor being carried down to the lower part of the
saturator through a tubular channel n surrounding the shaft.
Qutside this channel n down to the uppermost pallet of the mixer is a cylindrical

page_text: portion in the lower part of which are fixed radial vertical plates v¹ of sheet metal and
above these a spirally wound sheet of metal y inclined upwards towards its outer edges
at an angle of 45° or thereabouts and extended as are also the vertical sheets below
it, outward to the wall of the saturator. This part of the chamber terminates above
in a circular gutter whence the liquid clarified by passage through the said plates vi
and y passes into the treatinent chamber by gutter u. This apparatus may be
supported on a hollow column serving also for removal of the used lime milk. The
shaft a is revolved through pulley p by helt from a pulley on the shaft of the turbine B.
The depositor or decanter comprises two concentric cylinders G and I the larger of
which G is open above and terminates below in a conical bottom with a draw off
valve S¹ to be opened from the outside by a lever or otherwise. The interior cylinder
is open below,its upper end projects slightly above the end of the outer cylinder and
carries the mixing chamber D in which the lime water or lime milk and the soda
solutions or other solutions that may be made by the saturator or otherwise are mixed
with the main volume of water to be treated.
This mixing chamber D (Fig. 6) consists of an inner bottomless tank into which
the water and solutions are poured, standing within an outer tank of less height the
water flows over the edge of the outer tank as it fills.
The space between the cylinders I & G is occupied by a conoidal spirally wound
plate H extending from one cylinder to the other so as to form a continuous spiral
channel or trough within this space with shelving or inclined bottom. At regular
intervals the continuity of passage in this channel is broken by cross plates V in
shape of right angled triangles which are alternately placed under and over the spiral
plate in radial vertical planes. Those triangular plates which are above the spiral
plate form along the latter a series of pockets P and in the lower part of each of
these pockets an outlet 0 is made in the wall of the inner cylinder, these outlets
communicating with collecting pipes T ending at the bottom of the treatment
chamber. Above the system of the spiral trough are arranged two perforated false
bottoms or trays K and in the space between them is placed suitable filtering
material.
The action of the apparatus is as follows.
The water to be purified issues from the pipe into the feed tank A within which
as described above it is kept at as steady a level as possible by the float f and the
valve S.
The width of the opening of the sluice V and of the cock is regulated by hand so
that a certain quantity of the water is delivered to be purified and a certain quantity
to be saturated with lime, and it is the same with the use of the solution of caustic
soda the supply of which is regulated in the tank A¹ as described, this regulating
constituting an important factor in attaining thorough purification.
The water to be purified falls upon the turbine B, drives this latter and transmits
the motion by the pulley p to the arbor of the agitator of the saturator E, the water
from the tank A passing through the pipe t to the basin e, flows through the hollow
shaft a issues below in the vessel E and rises within the saine through the lime milk
which has been previously introduced from the cistern c¹. The continued influence
of the pallets of the agitator, causes the water to become saturated with line, and
the latter rises between the vertical strips v which stop the circular motion trans-
mitted by the wings. The liquid rises along the spirally wound sheets y deposits
thereon the lime particles carried along and flows at last saturated and clarified
through the channel u to the mixing tank D for the purpose of mixing with the
solution of caustic soda and water to be purified. The particles of line deposited
upon the spirally wound sheets y of the saturator E return to the agitator where
they pass into the lime milk in order to serve afresh for saturation until the lime milk
is thoroughly exhausted.
The water from the turbine B is carried to the treatment chamber D, by the pipe g
and mixes in D with the saturated liquid introduced through u from the saturator E
as well as with the solution of caustic soda arrived through t" from the tank A¹

page_text: Under the influence of the reagents mentioned (lime water and caustic soda) the
lime salts contained in the water are here decomposed and precipitated and the water
flowing down into the inner cylinder of the decantor becomes clarified. From here
the water enters the intermediate space between the two cylinders G and I, leaves the
coarser sediment upon the conical shaped bottom, is distributed between the spirally
wound sheets H where it circulates slowly, and during the course deposits the still
suspended sediment upon the said sheets H.
In consequence of the inclination of these sheets H the sediment collects in the
pockets P whence it passes down through the openings O into the collecting pipes T
and from here to the conical bottom of the treatment chamber whence all sediment
can be removed by opening the valve S¹ (Figs. 1 and 3).
The water which has deposited in this manner the ingredients separated by the
reagents mixed therewith then runs through the filter (Figs. 1 and 2) which retains
the particles not deposited because of their inferior specific weight or some other
reason.
The charging of the apparatus should take place at regular intervals preferably
every 24 hours, a certain quantity of solution of caustic soda is poured into the
tank C by the lip c water being added from the cock . The exhausted lime is
then removed from the saturator E by opening the cock R, the lime nilk
previously well mixed is then poured into the cistern c¹ and water added through the
cock 11.
The water mixed with the solutions in the mixing chamber D passes down into
the cylinder I and then rises upward along the spiral channel H depositing therein the
precipitated matters and eventually the purified water rising lastly through the filtering
bed is carried off through the pipe d ready for use.
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. An apparatus for purifying water having a receiving tank for said water, a
turbine adapted to be revolved by water from said tank, a saturator for formation of
lime water or other solution or liquor for treatment, said saturator having a stirring
device operated by said turbine.
2. In apparatus for purifying water a saturator having a central vertical hollow
shaft a for admitting water, a cup receiver e on said shaft, a mixing device in the
lower part of said saturator, a spiral inclined plate in the upper part of said
saturator and arrangement for receiving line paste or equivalent material and
water and passing same to said mixer substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
3. An apparatus for purifying water having a receiving tank A for water to be
purified, a float valve therein a tank A' for supply of caustic soda solution or
equivalent solution for treatment and a float valve adapted to control supply of solu-
tion to said tank, said float valves being connected so that the supply of solution is
arrested when the flow of water to be purified stops.
4. An apparatus for purifying water having a decanting or precipitating chamber
composed of two concentric cylinders I and G with a spirally wound conoidal plate H
in the space between said cylinders, plates V dividing the latter into pockets P sub-
stantially as set forth and an opening O at the lowest point of each pocket leading to
waste pipes T for the purpose described.
5. The combination of the receiving and distributing tank A, the turbine B, the
saturator E the solution reservoir C the mixing chamber D and the depositor or
decanter and filter bed all substantially as herein described and illustrated for the
purpose set forth.