Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for Filtering Water.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 24th June, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Apr., 1891-Accepted, 23rd May, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for Filtering Water.
I, WILLIAM JAMES BAKER, of New Street, Huddersfield in the County of
York, Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in filters principally employed in cleansing
and purifying large quantities of river water.
In carrying out my invention, in place of the large cylinders hitherto generally
in use for containing the filtering materials, I employ a number of comparatively
small filter tubes or cylinders, and I construct and arrange the devices for con-
necting and securing the filter tubes or cylinders to the inlet and outlet pipes so
that removal and refixing are rendered easy.
My filter tubes or cylinders are advantageously made of a length of about 4 or
5 times their diameter, and they are provided with a flange at each end to form
joint surfaces.
The tubes or cylinders are used by preference in a vertical position, the dirty
water entering at the bottom, and when filtered passing out at the top.
Any required number of these filter tubes or cylinders may be employed, and
they are for that purpose placed upright upon flanges formed upon the upper side
of a horizontal inlet pipe or pipes of the required length, by which the dirty water
enters from a pump or by gravitation.
In a vertical line over the inlet pipe above mentioned, and also in a horizontal
position, is fixed the outlet pipe for the filtered water, into this pipe are screwed
short lengths of tube projecting downwards, one for each filter tube or cylinder,
each tube passing through a stuffing box in the cover of its cylinder, and thereby
forming a water-passage between the filter tube or cylinder and the outlet pipe.
The cover of each filter tube or cylinder, and the cylinder itself, are simul-
taneously secured and held in position by means of two long vertical bolts or stays,
the lower ends of which are fixed in bosses formed upon the inlet pipe, and the top
or screwed ends of which pass through lugs formed upon the cover, where they are
secured by screw nuts.
The water after flowing upward through the charcoal or other medium contained
in the filter tube or cylinder, passes through the small tube, which is held water-
tight by the stuffing box, into the outlet pipe, and thence to the storage cistern.
The filtering medium is held in position in the filter tubes or cylinders by means
of wire gauze supported by gratings, which rest or are screwed against headings or
projections formed upon the inner surface of the filter tubes or cylinders.
To uncouple and remove the filter tubes or cylinders for the cleansing or renewal
of the filtering medium, the nuts upon the stays which secure the cover are
slackened or removed and the cover is pushed upward, sliding upon the small tube
which passes through the stuffing box, the filter tube or cylinder is thereby released,
and may be lifted off the flange of the inlet pipe.
In place of a straight pipe passing through a stuffing box upon the cover of each
filter tube or cylinder hereinbefore described, for the purpose of conducting filtered
water to the outlet pipe, the stuffing box may be dispensed with, and the cover of
the filter tube or cylinder be connected with the outlet pipe by means of a curved
brass or copper tube screwed into the cover, and into the side of the outlet pipe,
which curved tube is sufficiently resilient to allow the cover to be raised the required

page_text: distance for the removal of the filter tube or cylinder without unscrewing the
curved tube.
A tap or valve is fixed upon each end of the inlet pipe, one of which taps is
opened to allow the filter to be flushed out, and at the same time a current of clean
water is forced downwards through the filtering medium, whereby most of the
accumulated dirt is washed back, and carried away through the flushing valve.
This current of water may be obtained from an elevated cistern, or may be forced
in by a pump, or by pressure from the pipes of the waterworks, or each filter tube
or cylinder may be removed and connected separately to a pump or to a pipe from
the waterworks supply and a strong current of water passed through the filtering
material in a reverse direction to that in which the water passes in the operation of
filtering, thereby washing back the dirt lodged in the filtering medium.
This cleansing process may be assisted by means of a stream of air, or oxygen
gas, or a mixture of the two, at high pressure, forced back through the filtering
material by means of an air compressor or pump driven by power, or by steam
blown through with a current of water.
When a piston or ram pump is employed for the purpose of forcing water through
the filter herein described, the inlet pipe is provided with a capacious air vessel to
cushion the shock caused by the sudden rush of water at each stroke of the pump,
and a pressure guage and relief valve are also mounted upon a convenient part of
the same pipe.
The filtering material we employ in the filter tubes or cylinders herein described
is principally animal or wood charcoal, or coke broken small, washed free from
dust, and placed in regular layers, the finest particles forming the middle layer, and
beds of broken sandstone, spar, gravel, or pumice at the top and bottom.
For convenience of transit the filter tubes or cylinders are packed in pairs, side
by side, with a short plank across the two flanges at each end, the two planks being
held to the flanges by a long bolt passing between the cylinders and secured by a
screw nut.
When the water to be filtered is drawn from a river or stream which contains a
large quantity of mud or earthy matter in suspension, as for instance after heavy
rains, it is advisable to remove the grosser or more easily separable particles to
prevent them from entering the tubes or cylinders of the filter herein before
described, where they would in a short time choke the filtering medium and stop
the operation of the filter.
To prevent this stoppage by removing the greater portion of the mud, the water
is first pumped by means of a centrifugal or other suitable form of pump, or may
gravitate into a cistern or tank which is provided with a perforated false bottom
or grating covered with wire trellis work, upon which are arranged horizontal
layers of washed gravel or sand, sandstone, or other broken stone, coke, engine
ashes, or wood cuttings or chips from a wood working machine or the like, which
layers are placed between courses of cocoa-fibre matting, or other coarse, strong,
suitable fabric.
The dirty water percolating through this primary filter or strainer leaves most of
its mud upon the surface of the upper layers, which are scraped off and replaced
with clean material, and the cocoa-fibre matting is washed as frequently as may be
necessary.
Perforated plates of iron are placed over the surface of this primary filter, to
prevent by their weight the displacement of the filtering materials.
To prevent overflow and regulate automatically the water level in this primary
filter, a float is employed attached to a lever or cord which actuates the strap-fork
of the centrifugal pump, or the steam valve of the pulsometer or other form of
steam pump or lift which supplies the cistern with unfiltered water.
This form of primary filter may be advantageously employed to remove mud or the
grosser impurities from water before it is allowed to enter the cylinders or chambers
containing charcoal or other purifying medium in other forms of filter beside that

page_text: which is hereinbefore described, thereby preventing the choking of the filter, and
prolonging its efficiency.
Dated this Twenty-fourth day of June 1890.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for Filtering Water.
I, WILLIAM JAMES BAKER, of New Street, Huddersfield, in the County of
York, Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to filters principally designed to be employed in cleansing
and purifying large quantities of river-water.
In carrying out my invention, in place of the large cylinders hitherto generally
in use for containing the filtering materials I employ a number of comparatively
small filter-tubes or cylinders, and I construct and arrange the devices for con-
necting and securing the filter-tubes or cylinders to the inlet and outlet pipes so
that removal and re-fixing are rendered easy.
My filter tubes or cylinders are advantageously made of a length of about four
or five times their diameter and they are provided with a flange at each end to form
joint-surfaces.
The tubes or cylinders are used by preference in a vertical position, the dirty
water entering at the bottom and when filtered passing out at the top.
Any required number of these filter tubes or cylinders may be employed and
they are for that purpose placed upright upon flanges formed upon the upper side
of a horizontal inlet pipe or pipes of the required length through which the dirty
water enters from a pump, or by gravitation.
In a vertical line over the inlet pipe above mentioned, and also in a horizontal
position, is fixed the outlet pipe for the filtered water, into this pipe are screwed
short lengths of tube projecting downwards, one for each tube or cylinder, each
tube passing through a stuffing-box in the cover of its cylinder, and thereby
forming a water-passage between the filter tube or cylinder and the outlet pipe.
The cover of each filter tube or cylinder and the cylinder itself are simultaneously
secured and held in position by means of two long vertical bolts or stays, the lower
ends of which are fixed in bosses formed upon the inlet pipe, and the top or screwed
ends of which pass through lugs formed upon the cover where they are secured by
screw-nuts.
The water after flowing upward through the charcoal or other medium contained
in the filter tubes or cylinders, passes through the small tubes, which are held
watertight by the stuffing-boxes, into the outlet pipe and thence to the storage
cistern.
The filtering medium is held in position in the filter tubes or cylinders by means
of wire-gauze supported by gratings, which rest or are screwed against beadings or
projections formed upon the inner surface of the filter tubes or cylinders.
To uncouple and remove the filter tubes or cylinders for the cleansing or renewal
of the filtering medium, the nuts upon the stays which secure the cover are
lackened or removed and the cover is pushed upward, sliding upon the small tube
which passes through the stuffing-box, the filter tube or cylinder is thereby
eleased and may be lifted off the flange of the inlet pipe.
In place of a straight tube passing through a stuffing-box upon the cover of
ach filter tube or cylinder as hereinbefore described, for the purpose of conducting

page_text: filtered water from the cylinder to the outlet pipe, the stuffing-box may be dispensed
with and the cover of the filter tube or cylinder be connected with the outlet pipe
by means of a curved brass or copper tube screwed into the cover and into the side
of the outlet pipe, which curved tube is sufficiently resilient to allow the cover to
be raised the required distance for the removal of the filter tube or cylinder without
unscrewing the curved pipe.
A tap or valve is fixed upon each end of the inlet pipe, one of which taps is
opened when the filter is required to be flushed out, a current of clean water being
at the same time forced downward through the filtering medium, whereby most of
the accumulated dirt is washed back and carried away through the flushing valve.
This current of water may be obtained from an elevated cistern or may be forced
in by a pump or by pressure from the pipes of the water-works supply and a strong
current of water forced through the filtering material in a reverse direction to
that in which the water passes in the operation of filtering, thereby washing back
the dirt lodged in the filtering medium. This cleansing process may be assisted by
means of a stream of air or oxygen gas or a mixture of the two at high pressure
forced back through the filtering material by means of an air-compressor or pump
driven by power; or steam and hot water may be employed.
When a piston or ram-pump is employed for the purpose of forcing water
through the filter herein described, the inlet pipe is provided with a capacious air-
vessel to cushion the shock caused by the sudden rush of water at each stroke of
the pump, and a pressure-gauge and relief-valve are also mounted upon a convenient
part of the same pipe.
The filtering material employed in the filter tubes or cylinders herein described
is principally animal or wood charcoal or coke broken small, washed free from dust
and placed in regular layers, the finest or smallest particles forming the middle
layer, and beds of broken sandstone, spar, gravel or pumice at the top and bottom.
For convenience of transit the filter tubes or cylinders are packed in pairs side
by side with a short plank across the two flanges at each end, the two planks being
held to the flanges by a long bolt passing between the cylinders and secured by a
screw-nut.
When the water to be filtered is drawn from a river or stream which contains a
large quantity of mud or earthy matter in suspension, as would be the case, for
instance, after heavy rains, it is advisable to remove the grosser or more easily
separable particles to prevent them from entering into the tubes or cylinders of the
filter hereinbefore described, where they would in a short time choke the filtering
medium and stop the operation of the filter.
To prevent this stoppage by removing the greater portion of the mud, the water
is first pumped by means of a centrifugal or other suitable form of pump or may
gravitate into a cistern or tank which provided with a perforated false bottom or
grating covered with coarse wire-gauze upon which are arranged horizontal layers
of washed gravel or sand, sandstone or other broken stone, coke, engine ashes or
wood cuttings or the like, which layers are placed between courses of cocoa-nut
fibre matting or other suitable coarse, strong fabric.
The dirty water is passed either in an upward or downward direction through
this primary filter or strainer and leaves most of its mud upon the upper or lower
surfaces or layers thereof which are periodically cleaned by scraping or flushing,
and are replaced with clean material, and the cocoa fibre is washed as frequently
as may be necessary.
Perforated plates of iron are placed over the top surface of this primary filter
to prevent the displacement of the filtering materials.
To prevent overflow and regulate automatically the water-level in this primary
filter a float is employed attached to a lever or cord which actuates the strap-fork
of the centrifugal pump or the steam-valve of the pulsometer or other form of
steam-pump or lift which supplies the cistern with unfiltered water.
This form of primary filter may be advantageously employed to remove mnd
or the grosser impurities from water before it is allowed to enter the cylinders or

page_text: chambers contain
charcoal or other purifying medium in
UI
than that which is hereinbefore described, thereby preventing the choking of the
filter and prolonging its efficiency.
In order to enable my invention to be fully understood I will proceed to describe
the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :-
Figure 1 represents a front elevation of one form of my improved filtering
apparatus with elevated storage cistern:
Figure 2 represents a sectional elevation of one of the filter tubes or cylinders:
Figure 3 a plan of a cylinder grating for holding the filtering materials in
position; and,
Figure 4 a plan of a cylinder cover with stuffing-box :
Figure 5 represents an end elevation; and,
Figure 6 a plan of a group of filter tubes or cylinders connected to the outlet
pipe by means of resilient tubes :
Figure 7 represents a sectional elevation of the primary filter herein referred to ;
and,
Figure 8 is an elevation illustrating the device for packing the filter tubes or
cylinders for transit when charged with filtering materials.
Similar letters refer to similar parts in all the drawings.
The filter tubes or cylinders are represented at A, A. and the flanges of the
cylinders at B, B. These cylinders stand vertically upon the flanges E, E which
are cast upon the inlet pipe C. The cylinder cover N is secured by the long bolts
or stays L and the screw-nuts K, the lower ends of the bolts or stays being fixed
in the bosses M upon the inlet pipe C. Upon the cylinder cover N is mounted the
stuffing-box J through which passes the tube H, which tube forms the water
passage between the cylinder A and the outlet pipe D, and upon this same tube H
the cylinder cover slides when raised for the purpose of liberating the cylinder A
to allow of re-charging or cleansing.
The filter tubes or cylinders are charged with filtering material X in the ordinary
manner, that is to say, the middle layer is formed of the finest grade of charcoal
or other suitable medium and the other or outer layers are formed of material
gradually increasing in size of particles or coarseness as they approach the top and
bottom of the cylinder.
The filtering materials are rammed as each layer is formed and are held in
position by means of discs of gauze supported by gratings of iron P, P which are
held by studs or projections R, R inside the cylinders.
A modification of the form of filter in which a stuffing-box is necessary upon the
cylinder-cover is represented in Figures 5 and 6, in which the resilient tubes S, S
are able to spring sufficiently to allow the cylinder-cover N to be lifted up for the
removal of the tubes or cylinders A, A. These tube S, S are screwed into sockets
formed in the centre of the cylinder covers N and at each side of the outlet
pipe D.
The air-vessel is represented at V and the pressure-gauge at W.
For the purpose of flushing and thereby cleansing the filtering material the inlet-
valve C² is closed and the flushing valves T and T are opened. A strong current
of clean water then descends from the storage cistern O and passing downward
through the filtering materials X, contained in the cylinders A, A, loosens the dirt
which has accumulated therein and escapes with it through the valve T.
The primary filter or strainer represented at Figure 7 consists of a cistern or
tank D' which is provided with perforated trays X and X2, between which the
layers of filtering materials are contained, and these trays are covered with wire-
gauze and cocoa-nut fibre matting or other suitable form of filtering cloth for the
purpose of preventing the smaller particles of the filtering materials from being
forced through the perforations of the trays.
The river water to supply this primary filter is raised by means of the
centrifugal pump M' which is started or stopped by the belt-fork K' connected

page_text: with the lever N¹ and the float H', whereby the level of water in the cistern is
regulated.
When a pulsometer or other steam lifting or pumping apparatus is employed for
supplying the cistern D¹ the lever N' is connected with the steam-valve of such
apparatus for the purpose of regulating the water supply.
The muddy water enters the cistern of the primary filter at the space F¹ and
passing downward under the false bottom X2 then rises through the layers of
filtering material and the perforated plate X' and then discharges itself partially
filtered by the outlet pipe G¹.
The flushing valve P is opened occasionally to discharge any accumulation of
mud deposited between the false bottom and the bottom of the cistern.
In some cases the water may be passed through the filtering material from top
to bottom but where practicable I prefer the reverse direction as above described.
The filter tubes A may be sent from the makers charged with filtering materials
and are packed for transit in the manner illustrated in Figure 8, in which the two
planks A¹ are secured against the flanges of the tubes by the bolt B₁ and screw-
nut C¹, and blocks upon the planks projecting into the ends of the tubes hold the
gratings and the filtering materials in position. Handles E' of rope or iron are
fixed to the planks to facilitate lifting.
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 1
claim is :-
1. In apparatus for filtering water, the cylinders provided with top and bottom
flanges, and containing the filtering materials held between gratings, the said
cylinders standing upon flanges formed upon the inlet pipe for unfiltered water, to
which flanges they are secured by long bolts or stays which pass through lugs upon
the cylinder-cover, whereby the cover is simultaneously secured upon the cylinder,
and the cylinder upon the flange of the inlet pipe, so that by slackening the nuts
upon the long bolts or stays the cylinder-cover and the cylinder can both be
liberated with facility, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
2. In apparatus for filtering water, connecting the tubes or cylinders containing
the filtering medium with the outlet pipe for filtered water by means of straight
tubes which pass through stuffing-boxes upon the cylinder-covers, or by means
of resilient tubes screwed into the cylinder-covers and into the outlet pipe for
filtered water, substantially in the manner described and as represented in the
accompanying drawings.
3. In apparatus for filtering water, the combination of the primary filter or
strainer herein described and illustrated in Figure 7 (with or without the float and
lever) with cylinders containing filtering materials, the said primary filter being
employed to preliminarily remove a large portion of the mud, carried by the water
in suspension, and by such removal preventing the mud from entering the cylinders
and impeding the action of the filtering materials.
4. In apparatus for filtering water, the general arrangement, construction and
relative positions of the various parts, substantially as described and represented
in the accompanying drawings.
5. The device for packing cylinders charged with filtering materials, substantially
as herein described and represented in Figure 8.
Dated the 921 de of A 1001
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.