Improvements in Apparatus for the Distribution of Liquids, particularly applicable for Discharging Sewage or other Foul Liquids upon Filter Beds.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 16th July, 1898
Complete Specification Left, 5th Dec., 1898-Accepted, 18th Feb., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Improvements in Apparatus for the Distribution of Liquids,
particularly applicable for Discharging Sewage or other
Foul Liquids upon Filter Beds.
I, GEORGE EDWARD RIDGWAY, of Ashley, in the County of Chester, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for the intermittent and auto-
matic distribution of fluids in general and is particularly applicable to apparatus for
receiving either by a constant or intermittent flow or supply the effluent from any
kind of sewage tank, or sewage works, or the like, or waste liquors from any kind of
manufacturing process or the like, or water from any natural or artificial source what-
ever requiring filtration, and for intermittently and automatically feeding or dis-
charging the same onto the surface of a series of filters, in certain definite quantities
and in regular sequence, whereby a great economy of labor is effected and a more
perfect action of the filters is secured, and the requisite amount of rest for aeration
is allowed.
-
The apparatus consists principally of a tank or chamber of definite capacity (which
I call the "siphoning chamber") into which the fluid (say the effluent, waste liquor,
or water) is allowed to flow and from which it is automatically discharged and dis-
tributed (say to the filter beds) by means of several siphons or valves as soon as it
reaches a certain fixed level.
In some cases we arrange in the interior of the said tank or siphoning chamber
itself a row or series of siphons or suitable valves each provided with a separate exit
pipe leading to (say) one of the filter beds.
When siphons are used a convenient way of causing the said siphons to act auto-
matically is to arrange in connection therewith a shaft provided with a series of arms
or tappets acting upon levers or the like connected to the said siphons, in such a way
that as the said tappet shaft revolves it will open the said siphons either seriatim, or
otherwise, and rapidly discharge the contents of the chamber through one or
more of the siphons to the corresponding filtering beds, or to any other desired
receptacles.
The said tappet shaft may he caused to act automatically so as to discharge the
contents of the tank or chamber as soon as the liquid rises to a certain definite level,
by keying or otherwise fixing on the said shaft a ratchet wheel having preferably as
Imany teeth as there are siphons and hanging on the said shaft a lever provided with
a ratchet or dog and with a float so arranged as to move the ratchet wheel and the
shaft one tooth each time the tank becomes full.
The siphons are each provided with a counterbalanced lever and as the tappet
shaft revolves, one of its arms or tappets acts upon one of these counterbalanced
levers and causes it to raise the dome of the corresponding siphon and empty out
the contents of the chamber. As the liquid flows out the float descends causing the
ratchet or dog of the float lever to take up a fresh tooth of the ratchet wheel and as
the float rises again it releases the first tappet and brings a fresh tappet into action

page_text: and when the liquid has attained the proper level again it opens another siphon and
distributes the contents of the tank or chamber to a fresh filter bed or receptacle
and so on.
It will be obvious that by arranging the positions of the tappets or arms accord-
ingly the apparatus may be made to open a series of siphons or valves seriatim singly,
or in pairs or otherwise as may be desired, the object in applying the invention to the
filtration of sewage being that each filter shall be allowed a certain amount of rest to
aerate the filter after it has performed its work before a fresh supply of liquid to be
filtered is distributed therein.
Or the same result of intermittent and automatic distribution of fluids may be
obtained by the use of a separate chamber containing a siphon working automatic-
ally so as to discharge its contents intermittently into a second chamber provided
with the distributing valves the tappet shaft of which is actuated by a ratchet or
equivalent device and a lever connected with a float in the said siphon chamber or in
a chamber connected therewith," in such a way that the rising and falling of the level
in the siphoning chamber shall cause the intermittent distribution of the fluid into
a series of channels for conveying the same to its desired destination.
Dated thin with day of Tul., 1000
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
Agents for the Applicant, 4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester.
Improvements in Apparatus for the Distribution of Liquids,
particularly applicable for Discharging Sewage or
"
Foul Liquids upon Filter Beds.
other
I, GEORGE EDWARD RIDGWAY, of Ashley, in the County of Chester, 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
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for the intermittent and auto-
matic distribution of fluids in general and is particularly applicable to apparatus for
receiving either by a constant or intermittent flow or supply the effluent from any
kind of sewage tank, or sewage works, or the like, or waste liquors from any kind of
manufacturing process or the like, or water from any natural or artificial source what-
ever requiring filtration, and for intermittently and automatically feeding or
discharging the same onto the surface of a series of filters, in certain definite
quantities and in regular sequence, whereby a great economy of labor is effected and
a more perfect action of the filters is secured, and the requisite amount of rest for
aeration is allowed.
The apparatus consists in the first place of a tank or chamber of definite capacity
(which I call the "siphoning chamber") into which the fluid (say the effluent waste
liquor, or water) is allowed to flow and from which it is automatically discharged,
and distributed (say to the filter beds) by means of several siphons or valves as soon
as it reaches a certain fixed level in the aforesaid chamber.
In some cases we arrange in the interior of the said tank or siphoning chamber
itself a row or series of siphons or suitable valves each provided with a separate
exit pipe leading to (say) one of the filter beds.
When siphons are used a convenient way of causing the said siphons to act auto-
matically is to arrange in connection therewith a shaft provided with a series of
arms or tappets acting upon levers or the like connected to the said siphons, in such

page_text: a way that as the said tappet shaft revolves it will open the said siphons, either
seriatim or otherwise, and rapidly discharge the contents of the chamber through
one or more of the siphons to the corresponding filtering bed, or to any other
desired receptacles.
The said tappet shaft may be caused to act automatically so as to discharge the
contents of the tank or chamber as soon as the liquid rises to a certain definite level,
by keying or otherwise fixing on the said shaft a ratchet wheel having preferably as
many teeth as there are siphons, and hanging on the said shaft a lever provided with
a ratchet or dog and with a float so arranged as to move the ratchet wheel and the
shaft one tooth each time the tank becomes full.
The siphons are each provided with a counterbalanced lever, and as the tappet
shaft revolves, one of its arms or tappets acts upon one of these counterbalanced
levers and causes it to raise the dome of the corresponding siphon and empty out the
contents of the chamber. As the liquid flows out the float descends causing the
ratchet or dog of the float lever to take up a fresh tooth of the ratchet wheel and as
the float rises again it releases the first tappet and brings a fresh tappet into action
and when the liquid has attained the proper level again it opens another siphon and
distributes the contents of the tank or chamber to a fresh filter bed or receptacle and
so on,
It will be obvious that by arranging the positions of the tappets or arms
accordingly the apparatus may be made to open a series of siphons or valves seriatim
singly, or in pairs or otherwise as may be desired, the object in applying the invention
to the filtration of sewage being that each filter shall be allowed a certain amount of
rest to aerate the filter after it has performed its work before a fresh supply of liquid
to be filtered is distributed therein."
Or the same result of. intermittent and automatic distribution of fluids may be
obtained by the use of a separate chamber containing a siphon working automatically
so as to discharge its contents intermittently into a second chamber provided with
the distributing valves, the tappet shaft of which is actuated by a ratchet or
equivalent device and a lever connected with a float in the said siphon chamber, or
in a chamber connected therewith, in such a way that the rising and falling of the
level in the siphoning chamber shall cause the intermittent distribution of the
fluid into a series of channels for conveying the same to its desired destina-
tion.
The manner in which my invention may be carried into practical effect will be
readily understood on reference to the accompanying drawings and the following
description thereof.
On Sheet 1 Fig. 1 is a plan view, Fig. 2 a transverse section, and Fig. 24 a detached
part (hereafter described) of a siphoning chamber made according to the first above
described modification of this invention.
On Sheets 2 and 3, Figs. 3 and 3^ are together a complete longitudinal section of
siphoning and distributing chambers combined according to the inodification of this
invention last above described, and
Figs. 4 and 4 show together a partial plan (part in section) of this arrangement.
On Sheet 4 Figs. and 6 are transverse sections through the distributing
chamber and siphoning chamber respectively.
Referring to Sheet 1, a is the siphoning chamber in which the level of the fluid
rises say to the dotted line X, raising the float b into the position shown by the full
lines. The float b is carried by the lever c which is provided with a pivotted catch c¹
acting on a ratchet wheel (.
This wheel d is fast on the shaft e which is provided with tappets e¹, e², e³, e¹, e³, e³, e³, es,
so set thereon with regard to the eight teeth of the ratchet wheel as to act in
succession (as the said wheel is intermittently moved) upon the corresponding arms
or levers f, f, f, ƒª, ƒ³, ƒ³, ƒ³, ƒ³, these arms act on the domes g¹ g2g³ g*g*gg² g³ of
suitable siphons h¹, h², h³,h,h³,h,,h³, communicating with outlets 1,2,3,1,1,0, 27, 23
leading to the several (in this case eight) filters or other plates which are to be
supplied in turn with the fluid. k², k², h³, k³, k³, 1º, k, s, are weighted levers assisting

page_text: The raising of the domes g', I", 9", 9`, I", 9", I', 9º, by the tappets e², e², e³, et, e³,
eo, e³, es.
1 (see Figs. 1 and 2) is a ratchet similar to d and provided with a catch 1* on a
fixed pivot to prevent the backward motion of the shaft.
Thus at the first charge of the chamber a with fluid as soon as the level has risen
to x the dome g¹ will be raised by the tappet e¹ and levers f¹ to such a height that
the fluid can flow over the top of the siphon h¹ to the outlet i¹, and the chamber will
be emptied the float will then drop to the position shown by dotted lines and the
catch c will engage with a second tooth on the ratchet wheel d so as to partly rotate
the shaft e again at the next charge of the chamber a with fluid and after first
releasing the dome g¹ raise the dome g² of the siphon h² to discharge the contents
of a (when full again) through the outlet and so on.
It will be evident that by readjusting the positions of the tappets on the shaft e
the order of the action of the siphons can be altered as desired.
Referring now to Figs. 3, 34, 4, 44, 5 and 6, the siphoning chamber a is in this
case only provided with one siphon of suitable construction, automatically
delivering the contents of the chamber a when full to a distributing chamber a
provided with a series of outlets i*.
The levers or arms c carrying the float b in the siphoning chamber a are mounted
on a shaft b, separate from the shaft ex which is mounted above the chamber ax
and (like the shaft e above described) carries a series of (say six) tappets 1, 2, 3,
4, 5, 6 acting one after the other on a series of arms or levers f* connected or
linked to levers g* fitted to pivotted valves h* closing the outlets **.
I prefer to mount the levers fx loosely on one long bar or rod fxx parallel with the
shaft ex.
The shaft 6 is provided with an arm c* carrying the catch c¹ which works the
ratchet wheel d on the shaft ex.
The catch (acting on the ratchet wheel in the same manner as in the modifi-
cation shown on Figs. 1 and 2) may be carried by the rod or bar f** as shewn.
The action of this apparatus is as follows:-
Before the first charge of the chamber a with fluid the float b and arms or
levers c c and catch are in such position that the ratchet wheel d .holds the
shaft ex so that the tappet 1 has moved the first of the series of arms fx and
raised the first of the valves * (as seen dotted on Fig. 5) and so has opened the
first of the outlets so that, as soon as the siphoning chamber a is full and the
automatic siphon h discharges the contents thereof into the distributing chamber a*,
the fluid can escape through this last named valve and outlet to the first filter or
place to which it is to be conveyed.
The fall of the level of the fluid in the chamber a will cause tappet 1 to
allow the first valve to close its outlet, and tappet 2 to raise the second valve
and open the second outlet ready for the second charge and discharge of the
fluid.
It will be observed on Figs. 3 and 3, 4 and 44, that there is an additional or
relief valve ** and outlet ** fitted in the distributing chamber a; but these
are not used in the ordinary course of work; their levers however may be pro-
vided with a tappet on the shaft ex should any valve require repair, or should it
be desired to divert the fluid from one or more of the filters or places supplied
by the valves h* and outlets i*.
I prefer to make the outlet side of the distributing chamber of cast metal so
that the valves and outlets can be accurately applied to the chamber, as illus-
trated by the drawings.
By this invention the valves or siphons are worked by the rise and fall of the level
of the fluid in the siphoning or collecting chamber or tank, and not by the rush
or force of the flow of the fluid.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said

page_text: invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
:-
1. The combination with a suitable tank of two or more siphons each capable of
emptying the tank (say when the fluid has reached a certain height therein) and each
operated by suitable means automatically and separately by the rise and fall of the
water in the tank so that the tank can be emptied by either of the siphons as required,
substantially as and for the purpose herein before described.
2. The combination in a suitable tank of a float, and a lever and ratchet (or their
equivalent), with a ratchet wheel or equivalent device upon a suitable shaft provided
with two or more arms or levers or equivalent means for acting in any desired order
upon all or some of a series of two or more siphons or other suitable devices for
emptying the tank aforesaid and distributing the fluid contained therein in one of
two or more directions in the desired order substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. The combination of lever, float, and ratchet, tappet shaft and tappets, and
siphons with counterbalanced domes, all arranged in a suitable tank for the
distribution of fluids substantially as herein before described with reference to the
drawings.
4. The means for distributing fluids consisting of a tank in which works a suitable
float the rise and fall of which actuates by suitable means a shaft extending across or
along a second tank, the first tank being provided with a siphon automatically dis-
charging its contents (when the fluid has risen therein to the required level) into the
second tank, which is provided with two or more valves each opening or closing a
separate outlet and each actuated by suitable means by the shaft aforesaid substantially
as herein before described.
5. The combination of a collecting tank, and means for intermittently discharging
its contents into a distributing tank, with a float in the collecting tank actuating the
valves of the distributing tank to cause the fluid, intermittently discharged from
the collecting tank into the distributing tank, to be directed as desired (without using
the force of the water for such purpose) substantially as herein before described.
Dated this 2nd day of December 1898.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
Agents for the Applicant, 4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester.