Process and Apparatus for Purifying Water.
Year: 1893

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Process and Apparatus for Purifying Water.
We, CARL SCHMIDT, and EMIL LOH, Proprietors of the firm of August Lob
Sohne, Army Contractors, of 22 Wilhelm Strasse, and HANS BRACKEBUSCH,
Doctor, of 24 Bulow Strasse, all of Berlin, Germany, 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 present invention consists of a process for purifying water by effectually
destroying all bacteria contained therein by means of suitable chemical agents
and afterwards freeing the said sterilised water from the said chemical agents.
In the practice we advantageously put crystallised tartaric acid into a sort of
sieve or strainer device arranged at the upper part of the filter reservoir in such
position that the water entering the said filter shall pass through the sieve.
The sieve should be so arranged that the passage of the water through the same,
.e. the contact of the water with the acid, may be regulated so as to prevent the
solution of too much acid.
After having passed the sieve the water, which should not contain more
than 0.2% of acid descends a tube arranged in the centre of the filter and open
at both ends. The space between the central tube and the walls of the filter is
filled with pieces of marble. The outflow should be arranged some inches below
the top of the filter.
The water let into the filter passes through the sieve containing the crystallised
acid, which entirely destroys all bacteria contained therein, it then descends the
central tube and rises through the pieces of marble outside the said tube, by means
of which it will be freed from the acid obtained in its passage through the sieve,
the marble being converted from calcium carbonate to calcium tartrate.
In order to render this Specification more easily comprehensive reference is
had to the accompanying drawings in which similar letters denote similar parts
throughout the several views.
Fig. 1, is a diagrammatical representation of means for carrying out the process.
Fig. 2, is a sectional representation of one form of filter which may be advan-
tageously employed.
Fig. 3, is a plan of the said filter with the cover removed.
A is a
We will now proceed to describe the process with reference to Fig. 1:
vessel of any convenient shape size or material, and B is an open pipe suspended in
the same in any suitable manner. The water to be filtered enters at the upper end
of B and flows out at a into a vessel C having outlet D.
The pipe B is filled with stones which may be of any indifferent kind and over
which quick lime is strewed and the space between A and B is filled out with
kieselguhr. The water on passing B will absorb sufficient lime to effectually
destroy all bacteria contained therein and then on rising in the outer vessel A the
lime will combine with the kieselguhr, separating out of the water, which flows out
at a thoroughly and efficiently purified.
We have found, however, the employment of tartaric acid to be advantageous in
the practice and have employed the form of filter shown in Figs. 2 and 3 to carry
out this process.
A is a circular exterior vessel having a cover E with an aperture for the pipe B
and a connection a at the upper part for an outlet cock. B is the inner pipe open
at both ends and extending through the cover E and having feet B¹ at the lower
end upon which it stands. The pipe B however may simply be placed loosely in
the reservoir A instead of having feet, as in this case sufficient water will be able
to escape underneath the lower end. F is a sieve or strainer device, hereinafter

page_text: more particularly described, supported in the upper end of B and containing
crystallised tartaric acid. The annular space between A and B is filled up with
chips of marble. The water enters the filter at the projecting end of the pipe B
takes up sufficient acid to destroy the bacteria at F and passes then down pipe B
underneath the same, and up through the marble chips with which the tartaric acid
combines to form calcium tartrate, whilst the water may be drawn off at a
thoroughly purified and freed from all bacteria.
The sieve F is provided with a central circular chamber H and the annular
space formed between the exterior of this central chamber and the walls of the
sieve is divided into three or more compartments 1, 2, 3, into one or more of these
compartments the crystallised tartaric acid is placed whilst the water is not
allowed to flow directly on to the acid but enters the central chamber H. Here it
is detained for a moment by the sieve bottom, during this time however sufficient
acid is dissolved underneath the partitions which do not fit down tightly on to the
sieve. By this means we prevent too much acid from being dissolved and we are
also able to regulate the quantity, for instance if only a small stream of water
enters the filter only one of the compartments will be filled with crystallised
tartaric acid and on increasing the inflow two or more compartments may be
filled.
On the acidulated water rising in the receptacle A the marble will be
decomposed to form calcium tartrate. The filter illustrated is made of enamelled
iron plate, but the same may be made of any suitable material.
We wish it to be clearly understood that we do not confine ourselves to the
means hereinbefore particularly described for carrying out the process, as in some
cases citric acid or any other suitable organic acid may be employed instead of
tartaric acid, whilst the apparatus, illustrated in Fig. 2 may also be used in
combination with sulphuric acid for instance, for sterilising the waste water from
various manufactories.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our inven-
tion.and in what manner the same is performed what we claim is :-
1The process of purifying water consisting in first, destroying the bacteria
contained in the same by means of a suitable chemical agent, and then eliminating
the said chemical agent by filtration combined with chemical decomposition,
substantially as described.
2: The combination of the outer vessel A. having at its upper end outlet a and
the open pipe B arranged within the same to project through the cover E and
having at its upper end a strainer or sieve F substantially as described and shown
and for the purpose specified.
3 The combination of the outer vessel A having at its upper end outlet a,
the open pipe B arranged within the same and the sieve or strainer device F
arranged at the upper end of pipe B and having central chamber H and com-
partments 1, 2, 3, for the acid substantially as described and shown and for the
purpose specified.
Dated this 20th day of January 1992
CASTLE SMITH,
Invention" Office, 54, Fleet Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicants.