Improved Means for Delivering and Distributing Polluted Water Upon and Over a Filter Bed.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Mar., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 16th Dec., 1891-Accepted, 6th Feb., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Delivering and Distributing Polluted Water
Upon and Over a Filter Bed.
JOHN DUNNELL GARRETT of Southwold in the County of Suffolk, Gentleman,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to means for effecting the delivery of sewage, or other
polluted water, to a filter bed of earth, and for automatically distributing the
discharge evenly over the surface.
In carrying out my invention, I employ either an overshot water wheel or a
breast water wheel, mounted in bearings in a travelling frame, which is arranged
to travel automatically over a bed of earth, thus depositing any polluted water, or
sewage, for filtration through the earth. A trough attached to the carriage
in which the wheel works, is led under the discharge pipe of the drain, or
sewer, and in this manner, the feed is supplied to the wheel, and distributed over
the surface of the bed of earth, under the wheel. Immediately after each discharge
of the polluted water, provision is made for automatically serving a layer of earth,
so as to deodorize and take up any fertilizing properties contained in the liquid.
A certain fall is necessary for the flow of the liquid to feed the wheel, so the
apparatus will, on the outward journey, travel on an incline, and in this direction
the extent of the track can be considerable. The wheels should work in pairs, so
that a rest, or time for filtration, is given. When one wheel is in work, the other
would be at rest. This reversing motion would be effected by altering the direction
of the feed to the wheel, ie, by simultaneously shutting off the feed from one wheel,
and giving it to the other, and this movement can be automatic, by means of
pendulums suspended to the fixed frame, at the end where the delivery pipe is.
Dated this 16th day of March 1891.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Delivering and Distributing Polluted Water
Upon and Over a Filter Bed.
1, JOHN DUNNELL GARRETT of Southwold in the County of Suffolk, Gentleman,
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 means for effecting the delivery of polluted water
to a filter bed, and for automatically distributing the discharge evenly over
the surface.
In carrying out my invention, I employ an overshot water wheel mounted in
bearings in a travelling carriage, which is arranged to travel automatically over a
bed of filtering material, thus depositing the polluted water thereon.
A trough attached to the carriage in which the wheel works, is led under the
discharge pipe of the drain or sewer, and in this manner the feed is supplied to the
wheel, and distributed over the surface of the filtering bed under the wheel.
Immediately after each discharge of the polluted water, provision is made for
automatically serving a layer of earth or chemical purifier, -o as to deodorize, and
take up any fertilizing properties contained in the liquid.

page_text: invention.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation ;
Fig. 2 a plan, and
Fig. 3 an end view.
A is the polluted water discharge delivering into a fixed trough B, which runs
the whole length of the filter bed. bare valves situated at intervals in the trough
bottom throughout its length. C is a trough capable of endwise travel in the
direction of its length, underlying the trough B, and approximately parallel there-
with. is a rib upon the trough C with inclined ends. By means of this rib
and the rollers depending from the valves, the latter are one by one raised,
and allowed to close as the rollers pass up and along the rib, as the latter
advances.
The trough C is supported on rollers running on rails extending the whole
length of the filter bed. The forward end of the trough overlies the water
wheels E, and is attached to part of the framing of the carriage D, which also
supports the said water wheel. The carriage D is supported on running wheels d d
and dd, one pair of which is driven by chains or belts from the axle of the water
wheel. The wheels of the carriage Dare preferably provided teeth for part of
their width, to engage with rack teeth wherewith the rails are furnished, to increase
the grip of the wheel thereon.
The wheel E is made up of pockets or troughs e (well shown in dotted lines in
Fig. 1) extending across the wheel. ff are a pair of pitch chains; f connects the
chain wheel e, which is fast on the axle of the wheel E, and the chain wheel d
loose on the axle of the wheels dd; the chain f' connects the chain wheel, loose
on a stud axle f, and the chain wheel loose on the axle of the wheels d d.
and are gear wheels, the former being fast on the axle of the wheel E, and the
latter keyed to the chain wheel.
9 are a pair of clutches keyed to the axle of the wheels dd, but free to slide
longitudinally thereon, and capable of locking one or other of the chain wheels
and to the said axle, so that the rotary movement imparted to the chain wheels
is imparted to the axle and the running wheels d d', to drive the carriage on its
supporting rails.
93 are clutch levers for throwing the clutches in and out of gear, and g' is a
rod connecting the levers for operating the clutches simultaneously in opposite
directions.
As the chain wheel is driven by a chain direct from the axle of the water
wheel, and the chain wheel is driven through an intermediate wheel, these two
are driven in opposite directions, although the water wheel continues to rotate in
the same direction.
Thus, when the clutch g is in engagement with chain wheel d, the carriage is
advanced forward (to the right), and when the other clutch is in operation, the
carriage will be driven back again.
In the drawings, the carriage is represented at the end of its return journey,
with the clutch g' in engagement with the chain wheel d³.
His a box or hopper containing earth, or other deodorant, which is distributed
by a feeding barrel rotated in the bottom of the hopper by a chain from the axle
of the water wheel.
The filter bed is preferably concrete, covered over with filtering medium, such
as earth, spread out between walls of rushes and perforated tiles. The polluted
water falling on the filtering medium, soaks through it sideways, and passes ont
through the perforations in the tiles to the gutters 1 1, in a filtered condition.
The filtering medium, after becoming foul, is removed and replaced as required.
The extent of the filter bed lengthwise, is only limited by the length of the
fixed trough B and the carriage rail; the comparatively short movable trough (
is easily advanced under the influence of the water wheel, and the water is delivered
thereon.

page_text: The rotation of the water wheel, and consequently the travel of the carriage, is
dependent, as regards speed, upon the supply of water, and thus the proper amount
of liquid which the filter will treat, is always automatically regulated and no portion
of the filter bed will be missed, for the wheel E being dependent on the flow of the
polluted water, will stop when the flow fails, and when the supply returns, the
wheel starts again.
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. The means substantially as shewn and described for distributing polluted
water for filtration over a filter bed, such means consisting of a water wheel, a
carriage impelled thereby, travelling over the filter bed, and an advancing trough
attached to the carriage.
2. In an apparatus for distributing polluted water, for filtration, over a length
of filter bed, the employment of a supply trough with valves therein, as described,
actuated by a raised part or projection attached to the supply trough of the
travelling carriage, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 16th day of December 1891.
NEWTON & SON.