IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FILTERING LIQUIDS
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by George Mant at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 27th November 1880.
GEORGE MANT, of Louise Road, Stratford, in the County of Essex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FILTERING LIQUIDS."
This Invention relates to improvements in filters for purifying water and other
liquids, and can be used for taking out chemical agents in the process of softening
hard water. One of the principle objects of my improvement is to devise more
simple and efficient means for cleaning the filtering medium than have hitherto
been employed, and making an apparatus capable of being worked with much less
power, and many parts of it are made much smaller and less expensive for doing a
given quantity of work.
In one of its forms the main body of the filtering apparatus has a cylindrical
shape from two to three feet in diameter, more or less, and by preference made of
iron. The body of the apparatus is usually divided into three parts; the lower
part serves as a subsiding tank, the top of which is provided with a perforated
metal diaphragm; above this is the space occupied by the filtering material,
composed of bits of ordinary sponge or any other suitable material, which lays on
the diaphragm, and above this is the space in which the moving diaphragm, works.
The requisite mechanism is attached to a frame at the top of the machine for
revolving the diaphragm in the process of cleaning the filtering medium, hereinafter
more fully described, and also for pressing the filtering material to the required
density or porosity.
The whole or main body of the apparatus or cylinder can be made in one or
composed of several pieces. I prefer making the filtering chamber and subsiding
tank in seperate pieces for economy and convenience in construction. The
following is a detailed description of the parts of the apparatus, and mode of
action: The top of the subsiding tank or bottom of the filtering chamber is
provided with a stationary or fixed perforated metal diaphragm, on which the
filtering medium rests; the upper portion of the filtering chamber is furnished
with a moving diaphragm for acting on the filtering medium, and is constructed
for a rotary and vertical motion by the application of suitable mechanism; the
vertical movement is for pressing the filtering medium to the required density or
porosity during the process of filtering the liquid, and the rotary movement is for
mechanically separating, rolling, displacing, and stirring the filtering medium in the
process of cleaning it.
The stirring and separation of the filtering medium is effected by a number of
stationary bars or their equivalent attached to the stationary diaphragm at the
bottom of the filtering chamber, and made to extend up the required height into.
the filtering medium, and the revolving diaphragm at the top of the filtering
medium is provided with a number of stirring and separate bars, which revolve

page_text: with the diaphragm by means of a horizontal shaft pulley, belt, and bevel gearing,
placed at the top of the machine, or through the medium of a crank worked by
hand. The agitation bars are fit loose to the revolving diaphragm, so that their
ends always remain in the same relative position with the filtering material or
apparatus.
As before stated there are two movements given to the moving diaphragm
above the filtering material, a vertical movement to compress the filtering medium,
and a revolving motion to mechanically clean the filtering medium in the manner
before stated.
In order to obtain this double movement of the working diaphragm from one
spindle and the same source of power, a portion of the spindle is made square, and
provided with a friction clutch composed of discs of wood and iron of the proper
size, and suitable shape, and made to work in a cylinder attached to the top of
the working diaphragm. This friction clutch is thrown out of gear when it is
required to force or screw the diaphragm down on the filtering medium, which is
done by a screw on the lower end of the spindle working in the diaphragm, and
when the diaphragın is to be revolved for cleaning the filtering medium in the
manner before stated the friction clutch is brought into action by screwing the
metal and wooden discs into close contact by a hand wheel provided with a screw
or its equivalent working on the spindle, which firmly unites the spindle and
diaphragm together when the whole is revolved through the medium of the
horizontal shaft and bevel wheels or cranks attached to the top of the apparatus,
as before described.
The subsiding tank is supplied with an inlet for the water or liquid to be
filtered, and an outlet for carrying away the washing or dirty waters in the
process of cleaning the filtering material, and the upper portion or chamber of the
apparatus is provided with an outlet for taking off the filtered water to any
required receptacle for use or storage, and an inlet for passing the washing water
into the apparatus for cleaning the filtering material; each of these inlet and outlet
water passages or pipes are supplied with any suitable valves or cocks for opening
and shutting the same when required.
The inlet pipes in the subsiding chamber is usually made near its top. As the
water enters the chamber it passes up through the perforated diaphragm and
filtering medium by which it is purified, and through the perforated moving
diaphragm into the top chamber, and through the outlet pipes for use or storage.
The filter may be worked continuously from ten to sixty hours according to the
impurities in the water. When it becomes necessary to clean the filtering material,
the inlet valve of the subsiding chamber and outlet valve of the upper chamber of
the apparatus is closed, and the cleaning inlet valve of the upper chamber and
washing outlet valve of the subsiding chamber are opened. The diaphragm on
the top of the filtering material is then raised sufficient to loosen it for stirring
and separating the filtering medium by revolving the moving diaphragm with its
separating and stirring bars, in manner before stated, so that the washing water
as it passes down through the perforations in the moving diaphragm and down
through the filtering medium, will wash and carry away all the dirt and impurities
with it out of the filtering medium into the subsiding chamber from which it is
discharged.
The apparatus is then prepared for again performing purifying functions by
closing the inlet and outlet washing valve, and compressing the filtering medium
to the required density by forcing the perforated diaphragın down on the top of it,
and opening the inlet valve into the subsiding chamber and outlet valve in the
filtering chamber, in the manner before stated.
The several parts of the machine are put together by means of flanges and screw
bolts in the usual way of making such attachments. The filtering chamber or
cylinder is provided with suitable openings at its sides for putting in and taking
out the filtering medium.
The small cylinder attached to the upper part of the diaphragm through which

page_text: the vertical spindle works, and in which the friction clutch is placed, is truly
turned and provided with a stuffing box on its outside of any known suitable
structure for retaining the water in the apparatus.
The filtering apparatus, as herein described, may be used for purifying water
for domestic use as well as manufacturing purposes; however in some cases when
it is desired to further purify a portion or all the water by passing it through a
filter of charcoal. This may be done by combining an annular chamber on the
outside of the filtering cylinder around its entire circumference, and opposite the
purified water space at its top or at other parts of the apparatus; this annular
space is provided with a filtering bed of charcoal placed near its bottom, with
sufficient space left below it for receiving the filtered water; the annular chamber
is put into communication with the interior of the main filter or cylinder by a
suitable water passage for receiving the water first purified by passing through the
sponge, in the manner before described. Provision is made for drawing off the
charcoal filtered water at any convenient place at the bottom or side of the annular
chamber. When the filtering apparatus is thus constructed with an annular
filtering chamber, and when placed at the top of the filter, a water passage is made
through it horizontally for the washing out water to enter the filter for washing
the filtering medium, in the manner before described; this annular chamber may
be made of any required dimensions.
Another modification of my filtering apparatus is to construct the cylinder part
of it similar to that before described, with a subsiding tank and chamber or
chambers for placing the purifying medium and space for receiving the filtered
liquid. This modified form of the apparatus is provided with the inlet and outlet
pipes and valves for receiving and discharging the liquid to be purified and the
washing out water. But instead of providing means for stirring or agitating the
sponge or filtering medium in the process of cleaning it, as before described, the
space in the cylinder occupied by the filtering medium is provided with two,
three, or more radial arms or webs of suitable length, cast to or otherwise attached
to the insides of the cylinder, and the vertical spindle passing down through the
centre of the apparatus is provided with the same number of web arms as is
attached to the cylinder, and which may be oscilated from right to left.
The webs on the spindle when in working position are placed between the
stationary radial webs in the cylinder, so as to leave an equal space between the
two sets of arms in the form of a segment.
In these spaces I place the sponge or filtering material up through which the
liquid passes in the process of purifying. The bottom of this filtering chamber is
provided with a perforated diaphragm, and also the top. The top diaphragm in
this modification of the apparatus may be made stationary or to revolve, if desired.
When the filtering medium becomes choked and requires cleaning it is effected by
providing the apparatus with washing out water in the manner before described,
and at the same time, through the medium of a wheel or crank attached to the
upper part of the spindle, it is mechanically moved by oscilating the web arms on
the spindle to the right and left for alternately compressing and separating the
filtering medium placed between the moving and stationary web arms in the
cylinder, and in the mean time the washing water passes down through the
medium and washes out and carries off the impurities therefrom, in the manner
before stated.
This modification of the apparatus can be constructed cheap, and is more
specially adapted for filtering small quantities, but if desired it can be made of
any required size.