IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR MEANS TO BE EMPLOYED IN EFFECTING THE SOFTENING OR PURIFICATION OF WATED
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henderson Porter, of Blackfriars, in the City of
London, Civil Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
OR MEANS TO BE EMPLOYED IN EFFECTING THE SOFTENING OR PURIFICATION
OF WATED"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henderson Porter at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th July 1881.
JOHN HENDERSON PORTER, of Blackfriars, in the City of London, Civil Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR MEANS TO BE EMPLOYED IN EFFECTING THE
SOFTENING OR PURIFICATION OF WATER."
My Invention has for its object the regulation automatically of the supply of
the solution of lime or other reagent employed in carrying out the softening or
purification of water, so as to preserve the due proportion under varying rates of
discharge from the vessel in which the said solution is stored.
In the Specification to the Letters Patent granted to me, dated 20th May 1879,
No. 1990, for " Improvements in the Treatment of Water for Effecting the
Softening or Purification of the same, and in the Apparatus Employed therein,"
there is described and shown one arrangement by which, with the aid of motive
power, the solution of lime water or other reagent may be prepared continuously,
and automatically discharged into a "receiver" under the influence of the same
head of pressure as that which at the same time influences the discharge into the
same "receiver" of the water to be softened or purified by the action upon it of
the said solution.
But where no motive power is available for keeping up continuously the
preparation of the solution, it becomes necessary to prepare and store in some
convenient vessel a sufficient quantity of the solution for softening and purifying
a day's supply or some other proportion of water; and whereas it is desirable to
carry on this softening or purification automatically and under pressure, for
example, of the town service, or of the water contained in the common supply tank
at the top of a house or other elevated position, my Invention provides for placing
the vessel in which the solution is stored under the influence of the same head

page_text: of pressure as that which influences the discharge of the water to be softened or
purified in such a way as to secure under any variation of the rate of discharge a
constant proportion of the two.
"
I employ for this purpose two air tight vessels, in one of which I prepare and
store the desired quantity of solution of lime or other reagent. The other vessel
is of a capacity somewhat exceeding that of the first or solution" vessel, to which
it transfers alternately air and water by means of connecting pipes, of which one
for the passage of the air is fitted to the upper portions, and the other for the
passage of water is fitted to the lower parts of the said vessel, and is fitted with
a cock or valve. This second vessel has a third pipe communicating with the same
source of supply as that from which the water to be softened or purified is
conducted to the "receiver" or vessel, within which it meets the solution of lime
or other reagent discharged from the solution vessel, their respective proportions
being adjusted by suitably proportioned orifices, or by valves or cocks.
When the solution vessel is full, the second vessel will contain a quantity of air
somewhat exceeding in bulk the quantity of solution that can be withdrawn or
expelled from the solution vessel to the "receiver" or mixing vessel in which it
meets the water to be softened or purified.
The communication by the water pipe connecting the two air tight vessels being
shut, the air within the second vessel will be under pressure from the main supply
or tank above, and as the solution escapes to the receiver or mixing vessel air will
pass over from the second vessel to supply its place, and still maintain uniformity
of pressure and uniformity of discharge without any dilution of the solution by
the water supply that contributes the pressure to the air.
When the supply of solution is exhausted, or when it is desired to refill the
solution vessel with solution, the cock or valve on the water pipe connecting the
two vessels is opened; and the water that had expelled the air from the second to
the solution vessel now passes by gravitation to the lower part of said solution
vessel, causing the air to return by the upper pipe to reoccupy its place in the
second vessel. The water in the solution vessel is now intermixed with the lime
or other reagent stored in the bottom of the said vessel, which may be fitted with
any convenient rousing or stirring apparatus, as a churn for example; for this
purpose, and after a short period, determined by experience and the capacity of the
vessel, the solution may be left to complete and clear itself for use on the following
day, or as occasion may determine.
For the convenience of admitting or expelling water or air in adjusting this
apparatus, I fit a small cock or valve both at the top and the bottom of the second
air tight vessel.
While under ordinary circumstances it will be most convenient to place both
the solution vessel and the vessel into which the solution is discharged for mixture
with the water to be softened and purified under pressure from one and the same
source of supply, circumstances may occur under which the heads of pressure
though both constant may be different.
"
I can also employ both of the air tight vessels as solution vessels, communicating
with each other by means of one pipe only, that for the passage of the air to and
fro. In this case each vessel has its independent supply of water from the main
source, and its communication with the "receiver or vessel in which the mixture
with the water to be softened or purified is carried on. When one is quite full of
solution the other is occupied by a proportion of air corresponding, to the bulk of
solution to be discharged from the first.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Henderson Porter in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th January 1882.
JOHN HENDERSON PORTER, of Blackfriars, in the City of London, Civil Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR MEANS TO BE EMPLOYED IN EFFECTING THE
SOFTENING OR PURIFICATION OF WATER."
My Invention has for its object the regulation automatically of the supply of the
solution of lime or other re-agent employed in carrying out the softening or purifi-
cation of water, so as to preserve the due proportion under varying rates of
discharge from the vessel in which said solution is stored.
In the Specification to the Letters Patent granted to me, dated the Twentieth
May, One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine, No. 1990, for "Improvements
in the Treatment of Water for Effecting the Softening or Purification of the same,
and in the Apparatus Employed therein," there is described and shewn one
arrangement by which, with the aid of motive power, the solution of lime water or
other re-agent may be prepared continuously and automatically discharged into a
"receiver" under the influence of the same head of pressure as that which at the
same time influences the discharge into the same "receiver" of the water to be
softened or purified by the action upon it of the said solution.
But where no motive power is available for keeping up continuously the
preparation of the solution, it becomes necessary to prepare and store in some
convenient vessel a sufficient quantity of the solution for softening and purifying
a day's supply or some other proportion of water; and whereas it is desirable to
carry out this softening or purification automatically and under pressure, for
example, of the town service or of the water contained in the common supply tank
at the top of a house or other elevated position, my Invention provides for
placing the vessel in which the solution is stored under the influence of the same
head of pressure as that which influences the discharge of the water to be softened
or purified, in such a way as to secure under any variation of the rate of discharge
a constant proportion of the two.
I employ for this purpose two air-tight vessels, in one of which I prepare and
store the desired quantity of solution of lime or other re-agent. The other vessel
is of a capacity somewhat exceeding that of the first or "solution" vessel, to
which I transfer alternately air and water by means of connecting pipes, of which
one for the passage of the air is fitted to the upper portions, and the other for the
passage of water is fitted to the lower parts of the said vessel, and is fitted with.
a cock or valve. This second vessel has a third pipe communicating with the
same source of supply as that from which the water to be softened or purified is
conducted to the "receiver" or vessel within which it meets the solution of lime
or other re-agent discharged from the solution vessel, their respective proportions;
being adjusted by suitably proportional orifices or by valves or cocks.
When the solution vessel is full the second vessel will contain a quantity of
air somewhat exceeding in bulk the quantity of solution that can be withdrawn or
expelled from the solution vessel to the "receiver" or mixing vessel in which it.
meets the water to be softened or purified.
'
The communication by the water pipe connecting the two air-tight vessels being
shut, the air within the second vessel will be under pressure from the main supply
or tank above, and as the solution escapes to the receiver or mixing vessel air will
pass over from the second vessel to supply its place, and still maintain uniformity,
of pressure and uniformity of discharge without any dilution of the solution by:
the water supply that contributes the pressure to the air.

page_text: When the supply of solution is exhausted or when it is desired to refill the
solution vessel with solution, the cock or valve in the water pipe connecting the
two vessels is opened, and the water that had expelled the air from the second to
the solution vessel now passes by gravitation to the lower part of said solution
vessel, causing the air to return by the upper pipe to reoccupy its place in the
second vessel. The water in the solution vessel is now intermixed with the lime
or other reagent stored in the bottom of the said vessel, which may be fitted with
any convenient rousing or stirring apparatus, as a churn, for example; for this
purpose, and after a short period (determined by experience and the capacity of
the vessel), the solution may be left to complete and clear itself for use on the
following day or as occasion may determine.
For the convenience of admitting or expelling water or air in adjusting this
apparatus, I fit a small cock or valve both at the top and the bottom of the second
airtight vessel.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to
the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents apparatus arranged according
to my Invention. The vessel marked A is that in which is contained the solution
of lime or other re-agent to be employed in effecting the softening or purification
(or both) of the water. The air vessel is marked B, and the vessel marked C is
that in which the water to be treated and the re-agent meet. All these vessels are
airtight, and the capacity of the vessel B exceeds that of the vessel A to such an
extent, in accordance with the pressure in the supply pipe, that the air in the said
vessel when compressed will be sufficient in volume to displace the solution from
the vessel A, as hereinafter described.
The said vessels A and B communicate with each other by means of the pipes b
and a², the pipe b leading from the upper part of the vessel B and opening into the
upper part of the vessel A, and the pipe a² communicating with the lower portions
of both vessels and being provided with a stopcock. The pipe a is that through
which the water to be softened or purified (or both) is conducted from the town or
other supply, or from a tank or the like, into the vessel C to meet the lime solution
or other reagent, which passes into the said vessel C by the pipe c communicating
between the said vessel C and the lower part of the vessel A. A branch pipe a'
gives communication from the pipe a (or otherwise from the main supply or tank)
to the lower part of the vessel B. c² represents the pipe by which the water
after being treated by the lime solution or other reagent is discharged from the
vessel C.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-
The vessel A being filled with the solution of lime or other reagent to be
employed in the softening or purification (or both) of the water, and the vessel B
containing a quantity of air somewhat exceeding in bulk, as before mentioned)
the quantity of the reagent which is to be expelled from the vessel A into the
vessel C, the cock on the pipe a³ being closed, and the inlets on the pipes a and a¹
and the outlets from the vessels B and A being open, when the outlet from the
vessel C is opened the pressure of the water flowing from the main supply or tank
by the pipe a into the vessel B will cause air from the said vessel B to pass by the
pipe b into the vessel A, the said air by its pressure expelling a quantity of the
solution or reagent by the pipe c into the vessel C, to meet and mix with the water
entering the said vessel by the pipe a to soften or purify (or both) the said water,
the water so softened or purified (or both) being discharged from the vessel C by
the discharge pipe c². It will thus be readily seen that as the pressure to expel
the solution or re-agent is obtained from the main supply or tank from which is
obtained the untreated water, that as this pressure varies the quantity of the
solution or re-agent forced from the vessel A into the vessel C will correspondingly
vary, and thus always be in due proportion to the quantity of the water to be

page_text: treated entering the vessel C. By means of the cock c upon the pipe c the
proportion of solution or re-agent to water entering the vessel C may be regulated.
When the supply of solution or re-agent which was in the vessel A is exhausted,
and it is desired to refill the said vessel A with solution or re-agent, the cock on the
outlet from the vessel A is closed, and the cock or pipe a³ is opened, and the water
from the vessel B passes by the said pipe a² into the vessel A, the air returning
from the said vessel A into the vessel B. The cock on the pipe a² is then closed,
and the water so passed into the vessel A is now intermixed with the lime or other
reagent, and after agitation for a period determined by experience and the capacity
of the vessel, the solution may be left to clear for use, as before described, forming
the solution to be employed for treating a further quantity of water. The solution
of lime or other reagent employed may be prepared in any desired or convenient
way; for example, the solution may be prepared outside the apparatus, and passed
into the vessel A, in which case a cock on the bottom of the vessel B will be opened
to allow the escape of water therefrom whilst the solution is being introduced into
the vessel A, but the solution is preferably prepared by placing in the vessel A a
considerable quantity of the lime or other substance employed, which lime or other
reagent is mixed with the water in the said vessel by stirring or agitating them
together, and after the mixture has been allowed to stand for a short period deter-
mined by experience and the capacity of the vessel (generally a few hours) the
portion of the lime or other reagent which the water cannot hold in solution
subsides, leaving a clear solution of lime or other reagent for use as aforesaid, a
suitable opening capable of being closed so as to be air tight being provided in the
vessel A for the introduction of the lime or other reagent.
When this solution in the vessel A is exhausted, and a fresh quantity of water
admitted to the said vessel A from the vessel B, the precipitated lime may be
agitated with the said water as before described, to make a solution of lime or
other reagent, as aforesaid.
The apparatus employed to effect this agitation of the lime may be of any
suitable kind. In the Drawings a shaft a³ is shewn, which extends into or across
the vessel A, and is provided with rousing or agitating arms or prongs, the end
projecting outside the vessel being provided with a handle or hand wheel for turning
the said shaft.
J
In Figures 2, 3, and 4 of the accompanying Drawings I have shown other
arrangements of my apparatus. As these arrangements vary from that shewn in
Figure 1 only in their position, and as I have marked the parts corresponding to
like parts in Figure 1 with the same letters of reference, the description of Figure 1
applies equally to these arrangements, Figures 2, 3, and 4, and consequently further
description of these Figures is unnecessary..
For the convenience of admitting or expelling water or air in adjusting the appa-
ratus, a small cock or valve is fitted both at the top and the bottom of the vessel B.
The water after treatment in the vessel C is drawn off therefrom by the discharge
pipe C², being preferably passed into a filtering apparatus of any suitable kind, for
example, such as that described in the Specification filed in pursuance of Letters
Patent granted to me, and dated the Twenty first April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy six, No. 1697.
Whilst under ordinary circumstances it will be preferable to place both the
vessel B and the vessel C under pressure from one and the same source of supply,
as and for the purpose as herein before described, yet in the case of the supply of
water to be treated being obtained from a tank of but slight elevation the coluinn
of water supplied to the vessel B for giving the pressure upon the air therein may
be obtained from an independent tank. In this case the tank containing the water
which is to exert the pressure on the column of air in the vessel B will preferably
be so arranged as to exert such a pressure in excess of the pressure of the supply
from the tank of water to be treated, so as to overcome the extra friction conse-
quent upon the work which it has to perform. Figure 5 represents an arrangement
of this kind; the pipe a supplies the water to be treated from the tank e; the

page_text: pipe a' conveys water from a tank d, which is at a slightly higher elevation, as
shewn, than the tank e to give a sufficient pressure upon the column of air, and
consequently upon the solution for the purpose described. This supplying of
water to give the pressure upon the solution from a source other than that of the
water to be treated will also be useful where the water to be treated is unsuited to
the purpose of making the solution.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original,
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein before in part
recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The hereinbefore described apparatus or means to be employed in effecting
the softening or purification (or both) of water, the essential feature of the said
apparatus or means being the combination with a vessel containing the softening
or purifying solution or reagent employed of means for admitting water to press
upon a column or body of air with a pressure which varies with that of the pressure
from the source of water to be treated, so that the pressure on the said column or
body of air causes the softening or purifying reagent to be supplied in a constant
proportion to that of the water to be treated, substantially as hereinbeforo described
with reference to the accompanying Drawings.
Second. The modification of the apparatus or means described with reference to
Figure 5 of the accompanying Drawings, wherein the pressure upon the body of air
which expels the solution of lime or other reagent is obtained from a source other
than the source of the water to be treated.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henderson Porter, have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of January, One thousand
eight hundred and eighty two.
JOHN H. PORTER. (L.S.)