Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Dec., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 18th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 2nd Nov., 1888
We, JOHN SHEPHERD SAWREY, of 53 Carleton Road, Tufnell Park, Middlesex,
Engineer, and HAROLD COLLET of 7 Coleridge Road, Finsbury Park, Middlesex,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to apparatus through which liquids are passed for the purpose
of inducing the solid matters suspended therein to settle out by gravitation, provision
being made for drawing off the deposit or solid matter through escape cocks. For
this purpose we place in a suitable vessel a number of perforated diaphragms stretching
from one side of the vessel to the other and from the back almost down to the front of
the vessel, the diaphragms inclining at an angle of about 45 degrees from the perpen-
dicular. The water is introduced below the lowest of tho perforated diaphragms, and
rises inthe tank by passing through successive diaphragms; the diaphragms divide the
liquid into thin layers, rendering it easy for the suspended matters to settle upon the
plates or diaphragms along which they slide to the bottom or to an intermediate un-
perforated diaphragm (or a portion of which is not perforated) provided with a draining-
off cock. Alternatively the water may be made to pass downwards through the
diaphragms, or the tank may be placed horizontally, the water moving horizontally
from end to end.
It is important that the gap between the front or lower end of the diaphragm and
the side of the tank shall be so small that a comparatively small proportion of the
water shall pass through it, the greater part passing through the perforations.
The diaphragms may advantageously be corrugated, the perforations then being
preferably on the upper curves; the lower curves then act as gutters to carry the
deposited precipitate 'down to the side of the tank without being disturbed by the
water rising through the holes. In this case the corrugations may advantageously be
DR31

page_text: alternated in adjoining diaphragms, so that a row of holes in one diaphragm shall not
be exactly above or below the holes in the next one. The water is thus caused to take
a wavy course, while the layers of water in the lower curves of the corrugations are
thicker and consequently stiller and more favourable to the fall or sliding down of the
precipitate.
Matters Suspended therein.
We, JOHN SHEPHERD SAWREY of 53 Carleton Road, Tufnell Park, Middlesex,
Engineer, and Harold (ollet, of 7 Coleridge Road, Finsbury Park, Middlesex,
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 :-
Our invention relates to apparatus through which liquids are passed for the purpose
of inducing the solid matters suspended therein to settle out by gravitation, provision
being made for drawing off the deposit or solid matter through escape cocks. For
this purpose we place in a suitable vessel a number of perforated diaphragms stretching
from one side of the vessel to the other and from the back down to or almost down to
the front of the vessel, the diaphragms inclining at an angle of about forty five degrees
from the perpendicular. The water or other liquid is introduced below the lowest of the
perforated diaphragms and rises in the tank by passing through successive diaphragms;
the diaphragms divide the liquid into thin layers, rendering it easy for the suspended
matters to settle upon the perforated plates or diaphragms along which they slide to
the bottom or to an intermediate unperforated diaphragm (or a portion of which is
not perforated), provided with a drawing-off cock. Alternatively the water may be
made to pass downwards through the diaphragms, or the tank may be placed
horizontally, the water moving horizontally from end to end. It is evident that a
mudcock may be provided to every diaphragm if desired, the diaphragm in that case
extending all the way down to the front of the tank; or what is practically the same
the perforated diaphragm does not extend quite to the front of the tank, but a short
plate is placed just below it to catch the deposit and lead it to a mudcock. The
bottom of the tank is of course not perforated.

page_text: It is important that any gap between the lower end of the diaphragm and the front
of the tank shall be so small that but a little quantity of the water shall pass through it,
by far the greater part passing through the perforations.
The diaphragms may advantageously be corrugated, the perforations being
preferably on the upper curves; the lower curves thus act as gutters to carry the
deposited precipitate down to the front of the tank without being disturbed by the
water rising through the holes. In this case the corrugations may advantageously be
alternated in adjoining, diaphragms so that a row of holes in one diaphragm shall not
be exactly above or below the holes in the next one; the water is thus caused to take
a wavy course, while the layers of water in the lower curves of the corrugations are
thicker and consequently stiller and more favorable to the fall or sliding down of the
precipitate.
Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 shews a round tank provided with a number of
perforated plates, some of which extend completely across the tank in every direction
as in Fig. 1a, and are furnished with mudcocks; other intermediate diaphragms do
not extend quite all the way down and the deposit slides off them on to the continuous
plates. If desired all the plates may be continuous and provided with mudcocks.
Fig. 2 shows a straightsided tank with five sides, the fifth or lowest angle being
flattened as in Fig. 2a to allow of mudcocks being fixed to it. The plates may be
corrugated, but as it is difficult to rivet corrugated plates at an angle across the
corrugations, we need not use a corrugated plate all the way to the lower angle but
only to the end of the rectangular portion as in Fig. 2b, the lower edge resting on a
flat plate which continues down to the mudcock angle.
Fig. 3 shews a horizontal tank with a sloping bottom, the section being as in
Fig. 3 a, which represents one of the plates.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is :-
1. In apparatus for the purpose herein described, precipitating or clarifying tanks
divided into sections by perforated plates sloping downwards, and provided with mud-
cocks substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.
2. In apparatus for the purpose herein described, the use in a precipitating or
clarifying tank of one or more sloping perforated diaphragms provided at the lower
angles with mudcocks or equivalent devices substantially as described and for the
purpose set forth.
Dated this 18th day of September 1888.