Improvements in Feed Water and other Filters.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Oct., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 16th July, 1898-Accepted, 8th Oct., 1898
Improvements in Feed Water and other Filters.
We, ALFRED HENRY RIGMAIDEN, of 31, Chapel Walks, in the City of Liverpool,
Iron Merchant, and WILLIAM HILL, of 57, Virgil Street, Liverpool aforesaid,
Boiler Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object a very simple form of filter to be applied more
especially for filtering feedwater on steam-ships. It is also applicable however
for filtering feedwater and indeed for filtering any water, from gross impurities.
The invention consists essentially in forming in a pipe a longitudinal filtering
chamber composed mainly of wire-work surrounded by canvas or other material,
this chamber being of course of considerably smaller diameter than the pipe and
preferably concentric with it. Near one end of the pipe a branch preferably with
T-joint enters having two branches therefrom, one for the entrance of water, the
other for a safety or escape valve (in case the filter gets choke). This T pre-
ferably enters from above if the pipe be horizontal. At the other end another
Topening out at the bottom is supplied with a mud-cock. The two ends are
stopped by removable flanges. The central chamber is formed at each end, of
an annular disc fitting the main pipe. To these annular discs a tube or other
strong longitudinal support is fixed forming the upper frame of the filtering
chamber while at one two or more points in the circumference straight rods
connect the two discs. Spring steel or other wire is wound round these supports
at intervals of say one half inch, and this wire is held in place by small binding
wire. The whole is tinned or galvanized or otherwise coated with a non-corrod-
ible material which also tends to bind the whole firmly together. The tube
forming the top support of this chamber has studs or screws in it at intervals.
A sheet of canvas is wound round the chamber and a bar placed on top and screwed
down tight with nuts on these screws. The ends are fastened by metallic clips
or other suitable device. At the entrance end we prefer to place a plug in the
disc with a spring attached abutting against the terminal flange of the pipe.
This plug tightly fits a hole into the filter. In some cases we may place however
instead of a plug a pipe and tap through the annular disc and the flange and use
it as hereafter described for cleaning the filter. The other end of the pipe is also
closed by terminal disc and the annular disc of the filtering tube fits tight on a
pipe passing through the terminal flange and leading to the boiler. The terminal
discs in both cases are made water-tight so that the water cannot enter the
chamber. The mode of action is as follows:-The water from the inlet enters
the tube and envelopes the filtering chamber under pressure. It therefore passes
through the canvas leaving its coarser dirt behind and escapes to the boiler.
When a telltale or the escape of water at the escape valve or a pressure gauge on
the filter shows that the filter is getting clogged we close the exit and open the
mud-cock we then pass steam or water through the filter and if desirable through
the central chamber also in the reverse direction cleaning out the filter. In some

page_text: instances we may even pass water in the reverse direction only through the pipe
entering the central chamber. In order in prevent the filter wearing more
immediately opposite the entrance we place a shield at this point. There can be
numerous filtering chambers parallel to each other in the same pipe or vessel
and connected together by pipes, or two groups worked alternately.
Dated the 15th day of October 1897.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co..
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in Feed Water and other Filters.
We, ALFRED HENRY RAGMAIDEN, of 31, Chapel Walks, in the City of Liverpool.
Iron Merchant, and WILLIAM HILL of 57. Virgil Street, Liverpool aforesaid,
Boiler Maker, 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 has for its object a very simple form of filter to be applied more
especially for filtering feed water on steam ships. It is also applicable however
for filtering other feed water and indeed for any water from gross impurities.
The invention is best described by aid of the accompanying drawing, which shows
an elevation partly in section of our invention.
In these A is the inlet to the filter, B 1 stop cocks whereby this particular filter
can be at any moment withdrawn from the circuit. Csafety valve. This safety
valve acts as a relief and if any kind of alarm be placed thereon an alarm is given.
]) branch to the filter. E the filtering chamber consisting of a long pipe. F an
internal chamber of wire-work surrounded by canvas F1 flannel or other material.
This chamber is of course considerably smaller in diameter than the pipe E as
shown, and preferably concentric with it or slightly higher than the centre so as
to allow of a little sediment Near one end of the pipe a branch G leads to the
drain or mud cock whereby any sediment collected can be at any time discharged
and by opening this drain cock H a blow through is obtained. I is a gauge glass
for seeing the pressure on the filter. This is not absolutely necessary. In our
Provisional we mentioned placing a shield immediately below the entrance D. We
now prefer to put this entrance close in the end of pipe E and have a blank tube
as shown immediately opimosite the filtering portion of the tube commeueing a
little later on as shown. The mode of forming the central pipe F and its covering
is as follows: The central pipe F is formed of stout wire-work or of perforated
metal preferably tinned or galvanized or it is formed of straight rods separated by
skeleton dises of spiders and bound round with steel or other wire at intervals
of say half an inch, this wire being held in place by small binding wire; the
whole is then tinned galvanized or covered with non-corrosible material which also
tends to bind the whole firmly together. A sheet of canvas is wound round the
chamber and either a har placed on top of the canvas and screwed down by means
of studs and screws fixed to the spiders or skeleton dises or it is attached by
metallic clips or the covering is simply sewn or rivetted in position. Where it
is desirable that the internal tube should be pulled out through the end M
it preferably fits on a socket in the end N; it is then formed in one with the
flange L or is fixed to it in any convenient manner. 0 is a by pass.
The mode of action is as follows:-

page_text: The valves B and B being opened the water from the pump enters the chamber E
and filters through into the chamber F from which it escapes to the boiler at K.
When the pressure becomes excessive owing to clogging of the filter, the valve C
rises and gives the alarm. The cock B is then shut off momentarily and the
cock opened, water from the boiler now rushes through the filter in the contrary
direction and drives the mud and sediment out through drain cock H.
When the water runs clear, the drain cock His closed and the valve B opened
and filtering commences afresh. When however the filtering material is
thoroughly clogged both cocks B and B are closed, the flange at the ends of
pipe E are opened and pipe F withdrawn and clothed with a fresh flannel or
canvas and reinserted when it can be used as before, or the valve B may be left
open and a valve on the branch D he closed when the water will pass along the
pipe to the boiler without passing through the filter. A row of apparatus
similar to this can be all connected with the boiler and thus at any time any one
of them can he cut off without disadvantage and cleaned while the remainder
continue the filtering operation.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. A sectional filter consisting of one or a series of pipes such as E having an
internal filtering pipe such as F. the whole arranged substantially as described.
2. The general arrangement of feed water or other filter substantially as
described and illustrated."
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Patent Agents, of Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham and London.