Improvements in Water-purifying. Apparatus.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Sept., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 12th July, 1890-Accepted, 16th Aug., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION:
Improvements in Water-purifying. Apparatus.
I GEORGE EDWARD DAVIS of 301 Great Clowes Street Manchester in the County
of Lancaster Chemical Engineer and Consulting Chemist do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
My invention consists in the construction and arrangement of plant for the purpose
of purifying water for use in steam boilers, and for use in dye and print works, paper
niills and similar industrial establishments, in which there is often no space at disposal
for the erection of large settling tanks. The apparatus is also suitable for the purifica-
fion of waste water from mills and factories.
The apparatus consists of several overhead tanks into one of which the water to be
purified is pumped, or allowed to flow, where it is kept at one constant level by means
of a tap regulated by a float, and further the same tank is fitted with another valve &
float that prevents the outflow of the water whenever the regulation quantity is not
forthcoming. A tank of similar construction, placed also overhead, contains the
chemicals either in solution or suspension as may be most convenient, and if in
suspension, arrangements made for agitating the mixture. The chemicals employed
for the purification of the water and contained in the tank before mentioned are
dissolved or treated with water in two or more dissolving tanks which are connected
by means of pipes and taps with the chemicals tank aforesaid. The outflow from the
water tank is controlled by a valve or tap & is allowed to flow into a measuring vessel
of known capacity. Similarly, the outflow from the chemicals tank is also controlled
by a valve or tap & is allowed to flow into a measuring vessel of known capacity. The
remainder of the apparatus consists of a mixing box in which the mixture of water
undergoing purification & the chemical solution, is made & if necessary, which is some-
times the case, heated to accelerate the purification. A pump is employed to take the
muddy liquid resulting from the treatment of the water with chemicals from the
mixing box.& to force it through the filter, which is made in a novel manner; for use
when the quantity of sediment is not excessive. This filter is constructed of a tall
cylinder of any suitable material and surmounted by a short cylinder in which a suit-
able fibrous material is tightly packed and kept in its place by upper and lower
perforated plates. The porous filter made as aforesaid may be packed and constructed
with hemp, jute, cotton waste, asbestos, slag-wool or cotton wool, or any substance of
a similar nature such as cocoa-nut fibre or even of a layer of granular material resting
upon a layer of fibrous material and covered over with the same, such as a layer of
sand, metallic oxides, or charcoal, sandwiched between two layers of cotton wool,
but I prefer to employ a prepared cotton wool known as absorbent wool, which answers
the purpose very well.
'
The muddy water described and produced as beforementioned is forced by the pump
into the interior of the tall cylinder of the filter where it finds its exit at a bell mouthed
pipe. The bulk of the sediment falls into the quiet space below the bell mouth, clear
water passing away from the top of the filter. The filter is constructed for ready
cleansing.
By means of a sludge valve at the lower end of the tall cylinder, the suspended
matters that have accumulated there may be let out from time to time. When the
valve is opened some of the altered water. rushes back through the fibrous material,
thereby cleansing it, as well as flushing out the mud from the lower part of the cylinder.
The nature of the chemicals that are employed to purify various waters forin no
portion of this invention and I have found that nearly every water requires different
reatiuent and with varying quantities of the several chemical agents. All the fore-
going variations are possible in the apparatus herein before described.
Dated this 18th day of September 1889.
GEORGE E. DAVIS.

page_text: Improvements in Water-purifying Apparatus.
I GEORGE EDWARD DAVIS of 301 Great Clowes Street, Manchester in the County
of Lancaster, Chemical Engineer and Consulting Chemist 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:-
My invention consists in the arrangement and construction of plant for the purpose
of purifying water for use in steam boilers, and for use in dye and print works, paper
mills, and similar industrial establishments, especially in places where there is often
no room for building the plant required for an intermittent process. The apparatus is
also suitable for the purification of waste water from mills and factories.
In the drawings accompanying this specification, sheet 1 illustrates the general
disposition of the apparatus to which my invention refers. The water to be purified is
allowed to flow into an overhead tank A where it is kept at one constant level by
means of a tap or valve regulated by a float B, the outflow from the tank being
regulated by means of a tap C on the outflow pipe, the water being allowed to run
into a measuring box D of known capacity. A tank E of similar construction placed
overhead, but smaller in size, holds the chemical solution with which the water is
treated this solution is made up in two or more dissolving tanks F, which are con-
nected by means of pipes and taps with the chemical solution regulating tank E. The
outflow from this regulating tank is controlled by a tap G discharging into a measuring
box H of known capacity.
When in action, the water and the chemical solution discharge together into a
mixing box, then overflow into the mixing clamber J of a suitable tank L.
With some descriptions of water it is necessary to heat them somewhat, after treat-
ment with the chemical solution and this I prefer to do by heating with a silent boiling
jet K in the mixing chamber of the tank beforementioned.
The treated water is now pumped by means of the pump M from the tank Land
forced through a filter-press or other suitable filtering appliance the clear water passing
away at P, either into a store tank, or direct to the steam boilors, or wherever required,
as may be most convenient. Prior to entering the filtering arrangement, I find that
the treated water may often be advantageously heated by passing it through a heater
such as is shown at N.
Where the quantity of sediment is not excessive I have devised a special filter O for
use as a part of this apparatus. It is constructed, as shown in sheet 2 of the drawings
accompanying this specification, of a tall cylinder or receptacle A of any suitable
material surmounted by a short cylinder B in which any suitable fibrous material is
tightly packed, such as, cotton-wool, or preferably a prepared cotton wool known in
trade as absorbent wool, and kept in its place by two perforated plates C, C. I have
also used, flax, tow, jute, paper pulp, asbestos, and cotton waste with equally good
results.
The cylinder B containing the fibrous material is surmounted by a cover D to which
is attached at the pipe leading to the boilers, or to the store tank, or wherever
required. The muddy water is delivered into the interior of the tall cylinder A by
means of a bell-mouth pipe F and the bulk of the suspended matters fall into the
quiet space below the pipe F, clear water passing away from the top of the filter
at E.
Once every day, or oftener if found necessary the filter is cleaned out by opening a
sludge-cock or valve at G in the lower portion of the tall cylinder A when some
of the filtered water flows back through the fibrous material of the filter, thereby
cleansing it, and at the same time flushing out the mud from the lower part of the
cylinder A.
The chemical solutions with which the water is purified, form no portion of this
invention as each water requires to be dealt with according to the nature of the sub-
stances with which it is contaminated.

page_text: 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 combination of the various parts herein described & their employment for
the purpose of rendering impure waters, of a better quality, substantially as is herein
described; and
2. The construction and use of the filter described and illustrated herein for the
purpose of separating insoluble substances, from the liquid in which they are
contained.
GEORGE E. DAVIS.