Improvements in and in Connection with Settling or Depositing Tanks or Vessels.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Dec., 1886
Complete Left, 6th Sept., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 14th Oct., 1887
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and in Connection with Settling or Depositing
Tanks or Vessels.
I, GEORGE RODGER, of 63 Queen Victoria Street, London, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be as
follows
--
This invention relates to that class of settling tanks or vessels in which the
liquids under treatment pass over a number of plates or weirs and are thereby caused
to take alternately quicker and slower motions, through which motions the solid
and heavier particles are precipitated and deposited and which can then be with-
drawn and removed.
My invention consists of certain improvements in and in connection with
settling or depositing tanks or vessels whereby a greater relative efficiency is
obtained, also simplicity and strength of construction, economy of space, and
facilities for cleaning.
A tank or vessel with my improvements applied thereto consists of a vessel or
tank preferably of cylindrical form, having within it a number of circularly coned
weirs for directing the flow, arranged in relation to one another and in an inclined
position, so that the liquid under treatment receives alternately a quicker and
slower motion, through which motions the solid and heavier particles are precipi-
tated and deposited, which can be withdrawn or removed. The inclined circular
weirs are arranged in pairs in the tank or vessel annularly. One of each pair serves
to deflect and direct the liquid, whilst the other serves as a depositing or collecting
receptacle, and also as a means of directing the liquid. The liquid to be treated
enters the vessel, preferably tangentially, at the bottom of the apparatus and passes
over the various weirs and in travelling over and through the passages formed
by them receives alternate accelerations and retardations of velocity.
The liquid may if desired be admitted at the bottom of one apparatus and escape
at the top through a duct, thence into the upper portion of a second apparatus from

page_text: whence it takes its exit at the bottom. By these means relatively shorter apparatus
may be employed to effect results equivalent to those obtained by the use of
apparatus of greater height.
During the various times the liquid is altered in direction and is travelling
at its altered rate the heavier particles in it are precipitated and deposited in the
collecting receptacles from whence they are withdrawn. This is effected by a duct
leading from the bottom of the vessel, the deposited matter having been led or
gravitated thence through dip pipes by which inter-communication between the
collecting cones is obtained. Or, the deposited matter may be drawn off from
separate ducts communicating between the exterior of the vessel and the lower
portion of each collecting cone, the ducts being provided with cocks and a general
drain pipe at the exterior of the vessel.
An inverse arrangement of the above described construction of apparatus according
to this invention will obviously consist substantially of the same parts, the position
and function of the coned collectors and direction coned plates or weirs being
reversed, namely the cones serve as the means of directing the flow of the liquid
whilst the formerly directing plate or cone becomes the collecting device, from whence
the deposited material may be led away in manner similar to that above described.
Although the section of the cylinder, deflectors, and deposit receptacles are
particularly set forth in the above description as being of circular formation, I would
have it understood that I do not confine myself to this precise form, as other sections
giving endless metal are equivalents and may be used without departing from my
invention. For example such continuous or endless sectioned apparatus may take the
form of other curvilinear figures, such as oval, and rectilinear figures such as square
or polygonal. Also although the liquid is herein mostly specified as entering the bottom
of the vessel it may be caused to enter it at either the top or bottom, according to
convenience.
..

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and in Connection with Settling or Depositing
Tanks or Vessels.
1, GEORGE RODGER, of 63 Queen Victoria Street, London in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said 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 relates to that class of settling tanks, or vessels in which the liquids
under treatment pass over a number of plates, or weirs and are thereby caused to
take alternately quicker and slower motions, through which motions the solid and
heavier particles are precipitated and deposited and which can then be withdrawn and
removed.
My Invention consists of certain improvements in and in connection with settling,
or depositing tanks, or vessels, whereby a greater relative efficiency is obtained,
also simplicity and strength of construction, economy of space and facilities for
cleaning.
A tank, or vessel with my improvements applied thereto, consists of a vessel, or
tank, preferably of cylindrical form having within it a number of circularly coned
weirs for directing the flow, arranged in relation to one another and in an inclined
position, so that the liquid under treatment receives alternately a quicker and slower
motion through which motions the solid heavier particles are precipitated and deposited
and which can be withdrawn, or removed. The inclined circular weirs are arranged
in pairs in the tank, or vessel annularly, one of each pair serves to deflect and direct
the liquid, whilst the other serves as a depositing, or collecting receptacle and also as
a means of directing the liquid. The liquid to be treated enters the vessel preferably
tangentially at the bottom of the apparatus and passes over the various weirs and in
travelling over and through the passages formed by then receives alternate accelerations
and retardations of velocity.
The liquid may if desired be admitted at the bottom of one apparatus and escape at
the top through a duct, thence into the upper portion of a second apparatus from
whence it takes its exit at the bottom. By this means relatively shorter apparatus
may be employed to effect results equivalent to those obtained by the use of apparatus
of greater height.
During the various times the liquid is altered in direction and is travelling at its
altered rate, the heavier particles in it are precipitated and deposited in the collecting
receptacles from whence they are withdrawn. This is effected by a duct leading from
the bottom of the vessel, the deposited matter having been led, or gravitated thence
through dip pipes by which intercommunication between the collecting cones is
obtained. Or the deposited matter may be drawn off from separate ducts communicating

page_text: Figure 2 is a sectional plan through X X Figure 1.
Figure 3 is an elevation in section of an apparatus constructed according to my
Invention showing a modified form of means of withdrawing the deposited matter.
Figure 4 is an outside elevation of Figure 3.
Figure 5 is a section through X X Figure 3.
Figure 6 shows a modification of apparatus set forth with reference to Figures 3. 4
and 5.
Figure 7 is an elevation in section of apparatus constructed according to this
Invention showing the inverse arrangement.
Figure 8 shows a duplex arrangement of apparatus according to this Invention.
Figure 9 is a side elevation, Figure 10 is an end elevation and Figure 11 is a plan
showing the general arrangement of a depositing tank, or vessel according to my
Invention in its preferred form.
In the Drawings Z designates the settling, or depositing vessel, or tank, consisting
of a cylindrical shell. A are the depositing or collecting receptacles and B are the
deflecting, or directing coned plates. a are the ducts by which the deposited matter
is withdrawn from the collectors A. D is the ingress passage for the liquid to be
treated and E is the egress passage for the liquid after treatment.
In operation the liquid to be treated enters the vessel Z tangentially through the
passage D which is provided with a cap i to give the flow a centrifugal tendency, by
which the deposition of solids in the liquid is facilitated. The liquid thus rises up
over the first coned device, which is a collecting receptacle A after flowing over the
edge, or lip of this collector, it meets one of the deflectors B, which causes it to take
a downward course, the liquid then flows under the lip, or edge of this deflector B and
up between its inner side and the succeeding collector A which thus serves to direct
the flow as well as to collect deposited matter. It is by the reversed directions of the.
flow of the liquid and the arrangement of the collectors and deflectors A and B that
the deposition of solid, or heavier particles is effected. It will be seen that the
collectors A and deflectors B act as weirs and as a means of directing and controlling
the liquid in its passage over them in a similar manner to that in other settling tanks,
or vessels of this type.
With reference to Figures 1 and 2 it will be seen that as the heavier particles are
deposited in the various collectors A they will collect round the lower portion of the
dip pipes a. Communication between the dip pipes and the coned collectors A is made

page_text: by slides a which are secured to the rod a³ and operated by the chain a*. When such
communication is made the deposited matters gravitate down the dip pipes a into a
chamber a¹ placed in the bottom of the vessel Z from whence they may be drawn, or
run off through the pipe F. At the lower part of the vessel Z, the collectors A and
deflectors B are closer to one another in their relative positions vertically and become
placed further apart towards the upper portion.
In Figures 3. 4. 5. 6 and 7 each of the blow off ducts, or passages a is shown
provided with cocks through which the deposited matters pass and are delivered into
the general drain pipe e from whence they may be conveyed away as desired. In
Figure 7 the weirs are shown inverted.
.
Figure 8 is a diagramatic view showing a duplex apparatus according to my
Invention in which the liquid first enters the bottom of the apparatus 1 rises in
manner as above described through the apparatus and thence flows by the duct E¹ to
the second apparatus 2 in which it takes a downward course and finally leaves by the
passage E. Apparatuses 1 and 2 as will be understood are fitted internally with coned
plates, or weirs substantially as above set forth.
In Figures 9. 10 and 11 I have shown a general arrangement of a complete
apparatus according to my Invention, the apparatus shown being of that class in
which a "
reagent" is used to precipitate the solid and heavier particles. In this
example the collectors A and the deflecting, or directing coned weirs B are of the
inverted type and are placed at equal distances from each other. in the vessel, or tank Z
in manner as shown at Figure 7. the weirs B having their points upward. The water,
or liquid to be treated enters at the bottom of the tank Z through the passage D and
after treatment in the tank Z passes out through the pipe E. The water, or other
liquid is supplied to the tank Z through the mixing pipe D¹ from a cistern h fed by
means of a ball cock h¹ which automatically regulates the supply to the mixing pipe Ď
through the pipe D. D³ is a stop valve at the foot of the pipe D2, the water, or liquid
entering the mixing pipe D¹ through the vessel D* at the head of the pipe D'. The
reagents" which vary according to the nature of the water, or liquid to be purified
are contained in the tanks J and X which are placed over the tank Z supported by
the ring J. is a cistern provided with a ball cock for supplying the "reagent"
to the vessel Ď and through such vessel to the mixing pipe D through the cock.
3 is a cock on the tank J to supply the cistern j through the pipe j*. The cock ³ is
worked by the rod from the platform I at the top of the apparatus. The tank Z is
provided with three drain, or collecting pipes e into which the sediment is delivered
from the collectors A through the weighted valves b, the lower valves b being worked
by hand and the upper ones being worked by the chains b². The apparatus is provided
with platforms, handrails, and a ladder, as shown and with a man hole and door v,
a sludge valve w, as shown.
"
and
Although the section of the cylinder, deflectors, and deposit collectors are particu-
larly set forth in the above description and illustrated as being of circular formation,
I would have it understood that I do not confine myself to this precise form, as other
sections giving endless metal are equivalents and may be used without departing from
my Invention. For example such continuous, or endless sectioned apparatus may
take the form of other curvilinear figures, such as oval; and rectilinear figures, such
as square, or polygonal. Also although the liquid is herein mostly specified as
entering the bottom of the vessel Z it may be caused to enter it at either the top, or
bottom according to convenience.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :
First. In settling tanks, or vessels of the type herein described the use of collectors
such as A and deflectors such as B of conical formation and being of a continuous,
or endless section, substantially as set forth.
Second. In apparatus of the type herein described, collecting the deposit from the
deposit collectors, substantially in the manner herein set forth with reference to
Figures 1 and 2 of the Drawings,

page_text: Third. In settling tanks, or vessels of the type herein described the combination of
collectors such as A deflectors such as B deposit ducts such as a and a chamber such
as a substantially as set forth and operating as described for the purposes specified
with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the Drawings.
Fourth. In apparatus of the type herein described effecting a centrifugal action of
the liquid substantially in the manner and for the purposes set forth.
Fifth: The apparatus arranged and constructed substantially as set forth with
reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the Drawings consisting of the circular vessel Z coned
.circular collectors A deflectors B ducts a chamber a slides a blow off F ingress
passage D and egress passage E as and for the purposes described.
Sixth. The apparatus arranged and constructed substantially as set forth with
reference to Figures 3. 4. and 5 consisting of the circular vessel Z coned circular
collectors A, deflectors B ducts a, cocks b drain e ingress passage 1 and egress
passage E as and for the purposes described.
Seventh. The inverted arrangement of weirs of the apparatus substantially set
forth with reference to Figure 7 of the Drawings operating as and for the purposes
specified.
Eighth. A duplex apparatus arranged and operating substantially in the manner
as set forth with reference to Figure 8 of the Drawings.
Ninth. The apparatus arranged and constructed substantially as set forth with
reference to Figures 9. 10 and 11 of the Drawings consisting of the circular vessel Z
coned circular collectors A deflectors B, cocks b drain, or collecting pipes e reagent
tanks J and X cistern h, cistern j mixing pipe D¹ ingress passage D and egress
passage E as and for the purposes described.
Dated this Fifth day of September 1887