Improvements in Apparatus for the Treatment of Water to Prepare it for use in Steam Boilers and for other purposes.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 9th July, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 11th Apr., 1892-Accepted, 28th May,
1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for the Treatment of Water to Prepare
it for use in Steam Boilers and for other purposes.
We, RICHARD MOUNTFORD DEELEY, of No. 10 Charnwood Street, Derby,
Mechanical Engineer, and LEONARD ARCHBUTT, of No. 11 Charnwood Street,
Derby, Analytical Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for the treatment
of water to prepare it for use in steam boilers and for other purposes.
The apparatus is contrived to facilitate the treatment of water by the process
described in the Specifications of our previous Patents and which consists in
causing the water to be first softened by suitable chemical reagents and clarified
by means described in the Specification of our previous Patent No. 1791 of 1889
and afterwards to be treated with coinbustion gases as described in the Specification
accompanying our Patent application No. 3051 in the present year in order
that the softened water may be as suitable for all purposes as natural soft water.
We employ a cast iron tank of suitable dimensions divided into two compartments,
the upper compartment forming the vessel in which the hard water is softened and
clarified and the lower compartiment forming a reservoir from which the supply of
softened and carbonated water is drawn whilst the softening and clarification of a
further supply is going on.
The upper tank receives the hard water up to a fixed level indicated by the
floating gauge, the level being more accurately controlled, if necessary, by means
of a ball-tap on the supply pipe, or by an overflow pipe. The chemical solution or
milk is poured through a funnel into a vessel provided to receive it. By admitting
steam to a blower air is forced into the chemical vessel and the solution is injected
into the hard water in the upper tank. Air and steam from the blower is forced
through a perforated pipe at the bottom of the upper tank which has the effect
of mixing the chemicals and the hard water thorouglily together, and also of
stirring up some of the precipitate of former operations from the bottom of
the tank.
When the softened water in the upper compartment has rested for the necessary
time, a tap is opened, and the softened water descends into the storage vessel through
a floating pipe so arranged that the water is drawn off at a short distance below
the surface. The floating pipe is hinged to a fixed pipe which passes into the top
of the lower compartment, and in flowing down these pipes the water is carbonated
in the manner to be described and falls into the storage compartment, whilst the
excess of gases escapes into the air through a pipe provided for the purpose.
The floating pipe is constructed preferably of rectangular section, greater in
breadth than in height, and inside, at short intervals along the bottom, there are
transverse ribs which cause the softoned water in flowing down the pipe to be
repeatedly splashed up into the gases contained in the upper part of the pipe. The
carbonating gases are introduced by means of a small pipe which enters the floating
pipe at a short distance from the open end which is curved downwards nearly in a
semicircle. The rush of water down the discharge pipes tends to draw in a con-
siderable quantity of gas automatically, so long as the lower orifice is open to the
atmosphere; but as soon as water fills the storage compartment and begins to rise
into the air pipe, the flow of gas is checked to a less or greater extent depending
upon the head of water to be overcome. To avoid this diminution of the gas
supply, and also to increase, if necessary, the volume of gas which would be

page_text: automatically drawn into the open pipe, a small steam blower is introduced into
the pipe which conveys the carbonating gases. When the water in the storage
compartment rises high enough to close the orifice of the discharge pipe, the blower
continues to force gas down the pipe until the head to be overcome at the lower
end is greater than at the upper end of the pipe; the gases then escape at the
upper end of the pipe and water ceases to flow down. As the gases if allowed
to bubble up through the water in the upper compartment might not only disturb
some of the mud which has settled but might also cause some of it to be
redissolved, a short pipe is provided which allows the gases to escape direct
into the air.
As soon as the level of the water in the storage compartment has fallen low
enough for the gases to escape from the lower end of the discharge pipe, water
commences again to flow down the pipe so long as there is enough in the upper
compartment to immerse the floating pipe sufficiently. To provide for the escape
of the condensed steam from the blower and combustion gases, a drip trap is
placed at the lowest part of the pipe which conveys the steam and gases.
It is convenient to employ the products of combustion of a Bunsen gas burner,
but the carbonic acid may be derived from a lime kiln or a fermenting vat or
from any other suitable source without material modification of the essential parts
of the apparatus.
When it becomes necessary to remove the accumulated mud from the upper
compartment it is allowed to pass away down a mud pipe by raising a valve.
Sometimes we employ a tank divided into two equal compartments arranged side
by side. Both compartments are softening tanks, and are intended to be used
alternately, a supply of softened water being drawn from one whilst the other is
being refilled and the water softened for use. The arrangements for filling,
Boftening and carbonating are the same as before but the water is drawn from a
well with which the floating discharge pipes are alternately placed in communication.
The excess of carbonating gases escapes from the well through a pipe provided
for the purpose..
For the treatment of very large quantities of water we employ tanks fitted with
wells and trajectors as described in our Patent Specification No. 1791 of 1889, but
the same arrangement is employed for carbonating the softened water as in the
smaller apparatus described above.
Dated this 8th day of July 1891
R. M. DEELEY.
L. ARCHBUTT.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for the Treatment of Water to Prepare
it for use in Steam Boilers and for other purposes:
We, RICHARD MOUNTFORD DEELEY, of No. 10 Charnwood Street, Derby,
Mechanical Engineer, and LEONARD ARCHBUTT, of No. 11 Charnwood Street,
Derby, Analytical Chemist, 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 :-
This invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for the treatment of
water to prepare it for use in steam boilers and for other purposes.
The apparatus is contrived to facilitate the treatment of water by the process
described in the Specifications of our previous Patents and which consists in causing
the water to be first softened by suitable chemical reagents and clarified by means
described in the Specification of our previous Patent No. 1791 of 1889 and afterwards
to be treated with combustion gases as described in the Specification of our Patent
No. 3051 of the present year in order that the softened water may be as suitable
for all purposes as natural soft water.
"

page_text: Figure 1 is a side elevation, Figure 2 is a plan and Figure 3 a vertical section
on the line Figure 2 of an apparatus constructed according to this invention.
We employ
a cast iron tank of suitable dimensions divided into two compart-
ments, AA the upper compartment A forming the vessel in which the hard
water is softened and clarified and the lower compartment A forming a reservoir
from which the supply of softened and carbonated water is drawn whilst the
softening and clarification of a further supply is going on.
The upper tank receives the hard water up to a level indicated by the floating
gauge B, (which is about its lowest position) the level being more accurately
controlled, if necessary, by means of a ball-tap on the supply pipe C, or by an
overflow pipe. The supply pipe Ċ terminates in a hollow casting C¹ perforated
with a horizontal ring of holes C C³ through which the water escapes in jets
which prevents mud from accumulating in the neighbourhood of the orifice of the
floating pipe J for which the casting C also serves as a rest. The chemical solution
or milk is poured through a funnel E into a vessel E provided to receive it. By
admitting steam by a cock F¹ to a blower Fair is forced through the pipe F³ into
the chemical vessel E and the solution is injected through the pipe E' into the hard
water in the upper tank A'. The cock E in the pipe E' is then closed and the
three way cock F³ is turned so that air and steam from the blower F is forced
through a perforated pipe G at the bottom of the upper tank which has the effect
of mixing the chemicals and the hard water thoroughly together, and also of
stirring up some of the precipitate of former operations from the bottom of
the tank.
When the softened water in the upper compartment A¹ has rested for the
necessary time, a tap H is opened, and the softened water descends into the storage
vessel A through a floating pipe J so arranged that the water is drawn off at a
short distance below the surface. The floating pipe J is shown to a larger scale
at Figures 4 which are a plan and two sections at right angles to each other. It
is hinged to a fixed pipe K which passes into the top of the lower compartment A³,
and in flowing down these pipes the water is carbonated in the manner to be described
and falls into the storage compartment A³ whilst the excess of gases escapes into
the air through a pipe L provided for the purpose.
The floating pipe J is constructed preferably of rectangular section, greater in
breadth than in height, and inside, at short intervals along the bottom, there are
transverse ribs J which cause the softened water in flowing down the pipe
to be repeatedly splashed up into the gases contained in the upper part of the
pipe. The carbonating gases are introduced by means of a small pipe M hinged
to a fixed pipe M' and which enters the floating pipe J at a short distance from
the open end which is curved downwards nearly. in a semi-circle. The rush of
water down the discharge pipes tends to draw in a considerable quantity of gas
automatically, so long as the lower orifice is open to the atmosphere; but as soon
as water fills the storage compartment A² and begins to rise into the air pipe, the
flow of gas is checked to a less or greater extent depending upon the head of water
to be overcome. To avoid this diminution of the gas supply, and also to increase,
if necessary, the volume of gas which would be automatically drawn into the open
pipe J, a small steam blower M is introduced into the pipe M' which conveys the
carbonating gases. When the water in the storage compartment rises high enough
to close the orifice of the discharge pipe K, the blower continues to force gas down
the pipe until the head to be overcome at the lower end is greater than at the upper
end of the pipe; the gases then escape at the upper end of the pipe and water ceascs
to flow down. As the gases if allowed to bubble up through the water in the
upper compartment A' might not only disturb some of the mud which has settled
but might also cause some of it to be redissolved, a short pipe K' is provided which
allows the gases to escape direct into the air.
As soon as the level of the water in the storage compartment A' has fallen low
enough for the gases to escape from the lower end of the discharge pipe K, water
commences again to flow down the pipe so long as there is enough in the upper

page_text: compartment to immerse the floating pipe J sufficiently. To provide for the escape
of the condensed steam from the blower and combustion gases, a drip trap N iB
placed at the lowest part of the pipe which conveys the steam and gases.
It is convenient to employ the products of combustion of a Bunsen gas burner O,
but the carbonic acid may be derived. from a lime kiln or a fermenting vat or
from any other suitable source without material modification of the essential parts
of the apparatus.
When it becomes' necessary to remove the accumulated mud from the upper
compartment it is allowed to pass away down a mid pipe P by raising a valve.
Sometimes we employ a tank divided into two equal compartments arranged side
by side as shown in Figure 5. Both compartments are softening tanks, and are
intended to be used alternately, a supply of softened water being drawn from one
whilst the other is being refilled and the water softened for use. The arrangements
for filling, softening and carbonating are the same as before, but the softened and
carbonated water falls through a ball tap Q into a well R from which it is drawn
for use.
For the treatment of very large quantities of water we employ tanks fitted with
wells and trajectors as described in our Patent Specification No. 1791 of 1889, but
the same arrangement is employed for drawing off and carbonating the softened
water as in the sinaller apparatus described above. Instead of having the chemical
tank fixed on a platform levol with the top of the tank, and running the chemical
liquid thence into the well by gravitation, we can force the chemical liquid into. the
well from the ground level by means of the arrangement described in the present
Specification, and this we should do in situations where the raised platform would
be impossible or inconvenient.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is-
1. The combination of the softening tank means for introducing chemicals into it,
means for agitating the contents of the tank, for drawing it off into the storage
tank and for mixing it with carbonic acid substantially as described.
2. The combination of the softening tank the vessel for receiving chemicals, the
blower for discharging its contents into the tank, means for agitating the contents
of the tank and a pipe for drawing off the contents of the tank and mixing it with
carbonic acid substantially as described.
3. The floating pipe substantially as described and shewn at Figures 4 of the
drawings.
4. Apparatus substantially as described and shewn at Figures 1 to 3 of the
drawings.
5. Apparatus substantially as described and shewn at Figure 5 of the drawings.
Dated thie 2nd dovr of Annil 1000
R. M. DEELEY.
LEONARD ARCHBUTT.