Improvements in Filtering Apparatus.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Aug., 1894-Accepted, 29th Sept., 1894
Improvements in Filtering Apparatus.
I, WILLIAM OLIPHANT, of 41st Street and Twentieth Avenue, in the City of
Paterson, County of Passaic, and State of New Jersey, United States of America,
Silk Manufacturer, 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, reference being had to the accompanying
drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :—
This invention relates to apparatus for the purification of water or other liquid
by mechanical filtration under pressure.
The present invention has for its object to increase the efficiency of this class
of apparatus and to generally improve its structure.
In the apparatus embracing the invention the liquid is subjected to three
separate filtrations, that is to say, it is passed through three separate filtering
beds or masses of filtering material, the course of the liquid being downward
through the first bed-of comparatively coarse material, from thence upward
through the second bed-of comparatively fine material, and it may be a different
material from that in the first bed, and thence downward through the third bed
of the same material, or a finer material, and it may also be of a different
material to both the first and second beds.
The apparatus also embraces a means for automatically cleansing each of the
filtering beds, with a conical settling of sediment collecting chamber common to
two of the filtering beds and through which the liquid passes before passing
through the second and final filtering beds; all of which will be more fully
hereinafter set forth.
The accompanying drawings illustrate a practical embodiment of the invention,
in which :-
Fig. 1 is a vertical transverse sectional elevation of the filtering apparatus; and
Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof.
In its general construction the apparatus consists of a rectangular filter
structure A of considerably greater length than width, provided with a sealed
covering plate B, tightly bolted to the flanges of the vertical walls of the
structure. These vertical walls merge at their lower ends into downwardly
tapering walls which form a lower and conical settling or sediment chamber C.
The interior of the structure is provided with two vertical partitions a, b,
extending across from wall to wall providing three separate filtering bed
chambers, c, d, e. The partition a, extends upward to and in close contact with
the underside of the covering plate B, and the joint between the two is properly
sealed as by a packing f; the lower end of the partition falling short of meeting
the wall of the conical sediment chamber and leaving a free space below it.
The partition b, extends from a point a little below the covering plate leaving
a space above it for the flow of the water over it down and joining a partition y,
meeting the walls of the conical sediment chamber, thereby cutting off said
latter chamber from the filtering bed-chamber e. The chambers c, d, e, are each
provided with a top and bottom diaphragm formed by reticulated plates h, i, or
by suitable wire or other screens, between which each of the chambers are
filled with suitable filtering material that rests upon the lower plate or screen
and is properly confined by both the upper and lower screens. The first
chamber c will preferably be packed with comparatively coarse filtering material
and will form the first filtering bed; the second chamber d, will be packed with
comparatively fine filtering material which may be the same or different from

page_text: ;
that in the first chamber and will form the second or intermediate filtering
bed and the third chamber e, will be also packed with a comparatively fine
filtering material or finer material than that of the second bed and of different
or the same material and form the third or final filtering bed.
The liquid is conducted from its source of supply by an induction pipe j at
the upper part of the filter structure into the top of the chamber c above the
filtering bed, thence it will pass downward through said filtering bed into the
settling chamber C filling said chamber, thence upward through the second or
intermediate filtering bed into the space above it, thence over the top of the
partition b, and downward through the third or final filtering bed and outward
through an eduction pipe for use. The induction pipe is provided with a stop.
valve, and the eduction pipe with a similar valve.
From the foregoing it will be seen that the liquid is subjected to two down-
ward filtrations, and one upward one. Of course, it is obvious that the course
of the liquid might be the reverse of that described, as for instance upward
through the chamber e, downward through the chamber d, then upward through
the chamber C, and thence outward for use; but the course shown and previously
described is the preferred one.
The means for cleansing each of these filtering beds may, it will be apparent,
be of any convenient and suitable form. Thus, there is shown what has hereto-
fore been found to be an effective and rapid means, consisting in providing each
filtering bed with perforated pipes n, o. p, extending horizontally and about
centrally within the bed of material and connected by T's and vertical pipes q, r, s,
also perforated along the portions within the filtering beds and each connected
to a single supply pipe t, with the induction pipe ; upon the source of supply-
side of its stop valve 1. Each of the vertical pipes q, r, s, has a stop valve u,
by which the cleaning liquid may be cut off or turned on at will to each of the
filtering beds independently, so that each may be cleansed separately and in
succession or simultaneously. During the cleansing operation, of course, the
stop valve of the induction pipe will be closed down and the water permitted
to pass from the filtering beds and chambers c, d, e, through discharge pipes e,
which communicate with the interior and at the upper part of the filter structure,
as shown and thence out by a waste pipe w. Each of the discharge pipes will
also be provided with stop valves y which will be closed during the filtering
process, and opened while the cleansing is taking place.
The sediment collecting in the conical chamber C will, owing to its shape,
fall and accumulate at the bottom thereof, and this may be discharged from
time to time by opening a valve z in a pipe connecting said chamber with the
discharge pipe r. In like manner the sediment that may collect in the lower
part of the chamber e below the bottom plate or screen of the filtering bed may
be discharged by a pipe 10 communicating therewith and with the discharge
pipe v, said pipe 10 also having a stop valve to close and open it.
The material of each of the filtering beds may be conveniently renewed when
found desirable by removing the covering plate B and raising the upper
reticulated plate or screen h as will be apparent.
The occasion for cleansing the filter beds will be comparatively infrequent
because of the work being shared appropriately by the coarse and the fine
filtering materials, but when they become fouled the operation previously
described may be readily and quickly resorted to without the necessity of stopping
the flow of filtered liquid for but a short time.
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 :
1. In a filtering apparatus, the combination of a closed casing having therein
three separate filtering beds through which the liquid passes in succession, a
lower passage between the first and second filtering beds having a discharge

page_text: valve for removing the sediment, and an upper passage between the second
and third filtering beds, and induction and eduction pipes, substantially as
described.
2. In a filtering apparatus, the combination of a closed casing having therein
three separate filtering beds, through which the liquid passes in succession, a
settling chamber common to two of the filtering beds and through which the
liquid passes from one to the other and having a discharge valve for removing
the sediment from said chamber, a passage from one of these beds to the third
bed, and induction and eduction pipes, substantially as described.
3. In a filtering apparatus, the combination of a casing having therein three
separate filtering beds through which the liquid passes in succession, a settling
chamber common to two of the beds, a discharge opening and valve for the
removal of sediment from said chamber, induction and eduction pipes, a cleansing
pipe for each filtering bed in communication with a liquid supply, and discharge
pipes for the discharge of fouled liquid, substantially as described.
.... this 91 dow of At 1894
ERNEST DE PASS,
Chartered Patent Agent,
78, Fleet Street, London, and 6, Victoria Street, Nottingham,
Agent for the Applicant.