Improvements in Apparatus for Sterilising Water.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Feb., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 18th Nov., 1897-Accepted, 19th Feb., 1898
Improvements in Apparatus for Sterilising Water.
I, LOUIS MAICHE, 368, Rue St. Honore, Paris, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:―
This invention relates to apparatus for sterilising water by heating it to a
sufficient temperature to kill the bacilli and then cooling it, the whole process being
conducted in closed vessels so that the cooled water contains in solution all the
air which it had originally.
a cistern fed to
constant
For this purpose, I supply the water from
level by a ball cock, this cistern being at a height of about 30 feet
above the apparatus. From the cistern the water passes through a large pipe coil
having a smaller pipe coil within it to a set of vertical tubes enclosed in a chamber
through which it passes to the lower part of a heating vessel heated by a gas or oil
lamp. From the upper part of the heating vessel the heated water passes around
the vertical tubes to the small pipe coil thus heating the oppositely flowing water in
the large pipe coil and in the vertical tubes and becoming itself cooled.
The pipe coil may surround the vessel containing the vertical tubes, but, in this
case communication of heat should be prevented by nonconducting lining or
covering which should also be interposed between the convolutions of the coil.
Instead of employing a double pipe coil, a pipe longitudinally divided by a
partition may be used, the water flowing in the two parts in opposite directions.
The heating vessel is provided with an air thermometer or vessel containing
air and covered by a diaphragm which is suitably loaded by a weight or spring and
is connected to valves governing the supply of gas to the heating flame and the
supply of water from the cistern, these valves being so arranged that when the
temperature in the heating vessel is too high the supply of gas is reduced and
the supply of water is increased, and conversely.
TL 1
1007
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Apparatus for Sterilising Water.
I, LOUIS MAICHE, of 368, Rue St. Honoré, Paris, France, Civil Engineer, 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 relates to an apparatus for sterilising water, by heating it to a
sufficient temperature to kill the bacilli therein and subsequently cooling it, the
entire process being conducted in closed vessels, and the water being maintained

page_text: under pressure, so that the cooled water contains in solution all the gases which it
had originally.
The construction and arrangement of the apparatus will be understood by refer-
ence to the accompanying drawings, in which:-
Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view and Figure 2 is a sectional plan taken ou
the line 2-2 of Figure 1.
The water to be sterilised which may first be passed through a filter Q, is led
into a suitable tank A, which is situated a considerable distance, say, 30 feet, above
the sterilising apparatus in order to give the necessary head or pressure column.
The tank A is provided with a float valve, which may be of the well known con-
struction, and serves to maintain a constant level of water in the tank. . Where the
apparatus can be connected with the service pipe, the tank A' may be dispensed
with. A pipe al connects the tank A with the smaller or inner of two concentric
pipes B, which are coiled together. The lower end of the smaller pipe is removably
connected, as by a union nut to a pipe e leading into a chamber C. A series of
vertical tubes 1) arranged within a casing E, preferably cylindrical connects the
chamber C, with a second chamber F into which the upper ends of tlie 'tubes D
open. The larger pipe of the coil B is removably connected, as by a union nut b,
to a pipe leading into the casing E. Thus the casing E communicates with the
larger pipe of the coil B, and the chamber C communicates with the smaller pipe
of the coil. On the top of the casing E is bolted a cover E. The chamber Fis
also provided with a cover bolted on it.
The cover F has a central port removably connected to a pipe G, which extends
into a heating vessel H, to be presently described.
In the preferred construction of the apparatus the pipe coil B surrounds the
casing E, but to prevent conduction and radiation of heat, the coil is enclosed
between walls of suitable non-conducting material and non-conducting material
-is interposed between the convolutions of the coil. The parts of the apparatus
described, that is the vertical tubes, the casing E and the pipe coil B with the
surrounding non-conducting material are preferably enclosed within a wooden or
other suitable jacket or casing.
The heating vessel H comprises an outer cylindrical casing O, at the bottom of
which is a burner L, of any preferred construction. At the side of the casing 0
is an opening leading to a chimney P. The heating vessel H is suspended within
the casing over the burner L. A cylindrical partition N midway between H
and O, causes the products of combustion to take a zig-zag course from the burner
to the chimney.
The pipe G extends into the vessel H nearly to its bottom and an outlet pipe K
leads from the top of the vessel H to the casing E.
The operation of the apparatus described is as follows;-
1.
Water from the tank. A or from the service supply passes through the inner
pipe of the coil and thence through the pipe into the chamber C. From C the
water passes up through the vertical tubes D into the chamber F and thence by the
pipe G, to the lower part of the vessel H in which the water is heated and sterilised.
From the upper part of the vessel H, the heated water passes by the pipe K, to the
interior of the casing E where it surrounds the vertical tubes 1) heating the water
flowing through them. From the lower end of the casing E the water passes into
the larger pipe of the coil B through which it circulates, surrounding the smaller
pipe and imparting heat to the incoming water which is flowing through the
smaller pipe in the opposite direction while it is itself becoming cooled, so that it
can be drawn off from the outlet pipe M, at a sufficiently low temperature for
drinking.
It will be seen that the apparatus described acts in a continuous manner the water
flowing continuously through the pipes and vessels under constant pressure, so
that the water loses none of its contained gases, but issues from the apparatus full
of life," and not in a flat." condition, as would be the case, if the water were
heated in open vessels.
66

page_text: All the parts of the apparatus where the water is so far heated as to form deposits
are removably connected so that access can readily be had for cleansing.
In an apparatus of this character, especially where it is designed for domestic use
a great desideratum is the conservation of the heat energy and the most perfect
exchange of heat between the outgoing and incoming water. By constructing
the heater in the manner described, and surrounding the pipe coil with non-con-
ducting material, and by further insulating the convolutions of the pipe coil
from each other by a non-conducting material interposed I reduce the loss of heat
by radiation to a minimum, and I secure a practically perfect exchange of heat
from the water in the large pipe of the coil, to that in the smaller. The water
thus enters the vessel H in a highly heated condition, and requires but slight
additional heating to raise it to the desired sterilising temperature.
Obviously the water from the tank A might pass through the larger of the pipe
coil, the sterilised water passing through the smaller or a pipe longitudinally
divided by a partition might be used the water flowing in the two parts in opposite
directions.
The heating apparatus may also be provided, if found desirable, with a heat
regulator of any preferred construction.
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:-
In an apparatus for sterilising water, the combination with a suitable source of
water supply of a coil of two concentric pipes the one enclosed within the other,
a set of vertical tubes communicating with one pipe of the coil and arranged within
a casing having communication with the other pipe of the coil, and a heating vessel
communicating in its lower part with the vertical tubes, and in its upper part
with the casing containing them, substantially as described.
Dated this 18th day of November 1897.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.