An Improved Method of and Apparatus for Purifying River Water.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Apr., 1895-Accepted, 18th May, 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of and Apparatus for Purifying River Water.
I, VICTOR BRAUNSHAUSEN of 65 Boulevard Picpus, Paris, France, Masonry
Contractor, 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 the purification of impure river water and it consists
in drawing the water from the river and then passing it through a mass of filtering
material which frees it of organic germs and other impurities.
And in order that my said invention may be properly understood I have
hereunto appended an explanatory sheet of drawings, whereon,
Fig. 1 is a vertical section, taken on the line c-d Fig. 2 of the filtering
reservoir.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the reservoir.
Fig. 3 is a part longitudinal vertical section to an enlarged scale taken on the
line e-f Fig. 2.
Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are views of valves or sluices.
Figs. 7, 9, and 10 are views of water conduits or gutters.
Fig. 8 is a plan view of a sandstone grating for covering the gutters.
Referring to the drawings:-
In carrying out my invention I construct a reservoir which is divided into four
separate and independent compartments A, B, C, D. Each of these compartments
is partly filled with filtering material in layers, as follows:-
1st; At the bottom is a layer of large pebbles; then,
2nd, a layer of gravel; then,
3rd, a layer of small river pebbles; then,
4th, a layer of coarse river sand; and,
5th, above this a layer of finely ground vegetable carbon, on which I spread,
6th, a layer of small river pebbles, which, again, I cover with,
7th, a layer of gravel, and then cover the whole with,
8th, a thick layer of fine river sand. This last layer of sand is in immediate
contact with the water to be purified.
The dirty water from the river passes up the pipe p and into a basin from
which it is distributed by the gutters r, s, t, u, to the different compartments A, B, C, D.
The water, after filtering through the mass of material, collects in the gutters v, v
x, x, y, y, and z, z² made in the bottom of each compartment of the reservoir,
along which the water flows, as indicated by the arrows Fig. 2, to the collecting
conduit a, running right round the reservoir by which it is conducted to the supply
reservoir.
This conduit a is provided, at intervals, with the screw down sluice valves g, h, i,
j, k, l, m, n, o, see Figs. 2, 3, and 6, for isolating each compartment so that cleaning or
repairing operations can be carried on in any one compartment without interfering
with the working of the others. The conduit a is also provided with screw down
plug valves 1, 2, 3, 4, (Figs. 2, 3 and 5) by means of which, when necessary, the
clean water from the conduit can be allowed to run away by the pipe 6'. As will
be seen vertical overflow pipes b (Figs. 2 and 3) from each compartment com-
municate with the pipe 6', which, as shown at Fig. 2, runs right round the
reservoir. From the pipe 6' the overflow runs back into the river or the sewer.

page_text: Fig. 4 shows, in section; one of the water distribution valves for the gutters r, s, t, u.
A section of one of these gutters is shown at Fig. 10.
The gutters in the bottom of the reservoir are covered with perforated gratings
such as w Figs. 7 and 8.
Fig. 9 shows a conduit pipe in section.
The capacity of the filter is not limited.
gallons of water per day.
It can be made to filter many thousand
It is to be understood that I do not confine myself to the precise construction
and arrangement shown as this may be altered to suit different requirements.
The system may also be carried out as an installation for supplying filtered water
to towns.
Having now particularly described and ascertaiend the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
consider novel and desire to claim is :-
1. A filtering reservoir for impure water constructed and arranged substantially
as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings annexed.
2. The method of filtering impure water substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
Dated this 6th day of Anril 1895
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.