Improvements in Filtering Apparatus."
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Jan., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 29th Nov., 1897-Accepted, 1st Jan., 1898
66
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Filtering Apparatus."
I, WILLIAM ROBERT RENSHAW, of Phoenix Works, Stoke-on-Trent, in the
County of Stafford, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
Invention to be as follows:-
In filtering apparatus wherein the water or liquid to be purified passes through
layers or beds of sand or other material the upper portions or layers of such sand
or material become fouled more quickly than do the lower portions or layers and it
is sometimes desirable to wash and cleanse the upper portions or layers without
disturbing the lower portions or layers and it is the principal object of my
Invention to provide means whereby the upper portion or layers can be washed or
cleansed without disturbing the portion or layers beneath. According to my
Invention I provide passages for cleansing water or liquid which open into the
apparatus beneath the portions or layers which it is desired to wash or cleanse and
above the portions which it is desired to leave undisturbed. The details of the
arrangement may be varied without departing from the nature of my Invention
but the following are examples of convenient and economical constructions
according to my Invention. Centrally of the vessel containing the sand or other
material I arrange concentric pipes or passages each provided with an inlet for
cleansing water or liquid and with outlet pipes situated at different levels in the
sand or equivalent material. Say for example that there are three such concentric
pipes or passages each with its series of outlet pipes in the charge of sand or equiva-
lent material, those from one pipe or passage are beneath practically the whole
charge of sand or equivalent material the outlet pipes from the next concentric
pipe or passage are beneath say about the upper half of the charge of sand or
equivalent material and the outlet pipes from the third concentric pipe or passage
are beneath only a comparatively small portion of the upper part of the charge of
sand or equivalent material. The said outlet pipes are perforated preferably at
their lower sides to prevent the perforations being chocked by the sand or
equivalent material By admitting cleansing water or liquid, to one or other of
the concentric pipes or passages either the whole of the charge of sand or equiva-
lent material or the requisite portion of the upper part of the same can be cleansed
as required. In another arrangement the portions of the charge of sand or
equivalent material are held upon perforated trays beneath which the cleansing
water or liquid can be caused to enter as required to pass through either the whole
of the charge or through any portion or portions thereof. The outlets for the
washing water or liquid may be constituted by pipes opening into the spaces
beneath the perforated trays the said pipes preferably being provided with
enlarged or splayed out ends presented upwards to prevent access of the sand or
equivalent material into the said pipes. In this arangement the whole or any
portion of the charge of sand or equivalent material can be washed or cleansed
by admitting water or cleansing liquid to either any or all of the spaces beneath
the perforated trays. The charge of sand or other material in the apparatus may

page_text: be divided into any suitable number of portions each provided with means for
washing or cleansing them together or separately as described.
Dated this 28th day of January 1897.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX
47 Lincolns Inn Fields London W.C. Agents.
Improvements in Filtering Apparatus."
I, WILLIAM ROBERT RENSHAW of Phoenix Works, Stoke-on-Trent in the
County of Stafford, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
1
In filtering apparatus wherein the water or liquid to be purified passes through
layers or beds of sand or other material the upper portions or layers of such sand
or material become fouled more quickly than do the lower portions or layers and it
is sometimes desirable to wash and cleanse the upper portions or layers without
disturbing the lower portions or layers and it is the principal object of my
Invention to provide means whereby the upper portion or layers can be washed
or cleansed without disturbing the portion or layers beneath. According to my
Invention I provide passages for cleansing water or liquid which open into the
apparatus beneath the portions or layers which it is desired to wash or
cleanse and above the portions which it is desired to leave undisturbed. The
details of the arrangement may be varied without departing from the nature of
my Invention but the following are examples of convenient and economical con-
structions according to my Invention which I will explain with reference to the
accompanying drawing which illustrates in vertical section two arrangements
according to my Invention.
Referring first to Figure 1, centrally of the vessel A containing the sand or
other filtering material, I arrange concentric pipes or passages a b c each provided
with an inlet (a b³ ³) for cleansing water or liquid and with outlet pipes (a³ b³ ³)
situated at different levels in the sand or equivalent material. In the drawing
I have shewn three such concentric pipes or passages each with its series of outlet
pipes in the charge of sand or equivalent material but any other suitable number
may be used and in each set there may be any suitable number of radiating
pipes a³ ³ ³ the set of pipes or passages from the pipe c are beneath practically
the whole charge of sand or equivalent material the outlet pipes 63 from the next
concentric pipe or passage care beneath say about the upper half of the charge
of sand or equivalent material, and the outlet pipes a³ from the third concentric
pipe or passage a are beneath only a comparatively small portion of the upper part
of the charge of sand or equivalent material. The said outlet pipes are perforated
preferably at their lower sides to prevent the perforations being choked by the
sand or equivalent material. By admitting cleansing water or liquid to one or
other of the concentric pipes or passages by valves on the supply pipes attached
to the inlets ac either the whole of the charge of sand or equivalent material
or the requisite portion of the upper part of the same can be cleansed as required.
dare roses on radiating pipes communicating with the vertical passage d³
opening into the outlet 1 by which the filtered water passes off. These pipes
and passages can also be used to pass in cleansing water when desired. E is the
passage for the entrance of water to be filtered it having two branches e and e²
controlled by valves one being for the passage of water to be filtered and the other
for the escape of washing water or liquid.

page_text: The
In the arrangement illustrated in Figure 2 the upper portions of the charge of
sand or equivalent material are held upon perforated or reticulated trays or sup-
ports F beneath which the cleansing water or liquid can be caused to enter as
required by the pipes a b to pass through either the upper or upper and middle
portions of the charge or it can be passed through the whole of the charge by
admitting the cleansing water or liquid by the pipe radiating pipes and
roses d which allow the filtered water to pass away when the filter is in use.
outlets for the washing water or liquid are constituted by pipes e opening into the
spaces beneath the perforated or reticulated trays or supports and above the layers
of sand or the like the said pipes preferably being provided with enlarged or
splayed out ends as at e³ presented upwards to prevent access of the sand or
equivalent material into the said pipes. In this arrangement the whole or any
portion of the charge of sand or equivalent material can be washed or cleansed by
admitting water or cleansing liquid to either, any or all of the spaces beneath the
various parts of the charge of filtering material. The charge of sand or other
material in this apparatus may be divided as aforesaid into any suitable number
of portions each provided with means for washing or cleansing them together or
separately as described.
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:
1. In combination with filtering apparatus passages for cleansing water or liquid
between layers or portions of filtering material so that the water or liquid can be
passed through the whole or any layer or portion or layers or portions of the
filtering material substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. In combination with filtering apparatus the combination of means for
washing the whole of the filtering material or only the upper layer or portion or
layers or portions substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.
3. In combination with filtering apparatus the combination of means for
washing the whole or any desired portion of the filtering material substantially as
herein before described and illustrated in Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 29th day of November 1897.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX
47 Lincolns Inn Fields London W.C Agents.