Improvements in Filtering and Heating the Water of Swimming Baths and other Large Bodies of Water.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Dec., 1886.
Complete Left, 21st Sept., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 21st Oct., 1887.
RESERV
Improvements in Filtering and Heating the Water of Swimming
Baths and other Large Bodies of Water.
I CHARLES HENRY ROSHER of 22 Charing Cross, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
My invention has for its object the maintenance in an efficient state for use of large
volumes of water such as are used in swimming or plunge baths; and it consists in a
mode of maintaining a continuous circulation of the water through suitable filtering
and heating apparatus and of causing the water so filtered and heated to be thoroughly
mixed with or circulated through the whole voluune of water to be dealt with. I
provide the bath or other receptacle with one or more overflows communicating with
filtering apparatus (which may or may not be of the special kind hereinafter described)
whence the effluent water is conducted to a well or sump where it may be raised to a
higher temperature by the direct action of steam. The filtered and heated water is
returned thence to the bath by means of an ordinary steam pump of which the delivery
pipe (or pipes) opens into the bath at some convenient point, preferably in or near the
bottom of the bath. Or, in lieu of an ordinary pump a steam jet apparatus may be
employed to perform the combined operations of heating the filtered water and
returning it to the bath. When the latter arrangement is adopted, the steam jet
The steam-
apparatus may be either immersed in the well or sump, or fixed above it.
jet apparatus may be provided with two suction pipes which can be used together or
independently, one communicating with the bath at the deep end, so that when cold
water is admitted to refill the bath after it has been emptied for the purpose of cleaning,
it may be heated and circulated by means of the steam-jet apparatus until the desired
temperature is attained, or until the water in the bath rises to the overflow level when
the other suction pipe communicating with the well or sump may be opened, in order
that the water that has passed through the filter may be heated and returned to the
bath by means of the steam-jet apparatus or pump. By supplying more or less water
or steam, as the case may require, the rates of heating, filtering, and circulating may
be regulated as required and by a judicious arrangement of the overflow from the
bath and the delivery of the heated filtered water as regards their position a current

page_text: or currents may be induced in the bath, which will diffuse the heat and equalize the
temperature of the water, thus overcoming a very common defect in baths as at
present arranged, which results in great variations of temperature in different parts of
the bath. By this means the water will also be kept constantly clean and will there-
fore require changing less frequently thus effecting a great economy in the consump-
tion of water, and at the same time no heat is wasted, the steam being used for the
combined purposes of heating the filtered water and returning it to the bath. Currents
may also be induced and agitation effected by means of one or more sets of steam-jet
apparatus fixed at various suitable positions in or near the bath and these may be so
arranged as to draw the water from one part of the bath and deliver it to another.
The filter, which may be constructed in one or more principal parts, should possess
the following features."
A strainer or scum separator preferably composed of copper wire gauze and forming
the bottom of a tray or drawer which should be so made as to be readily removable
for cleansing purposes. The water having first passed through, the strainer should
then be allowed to gravitate through one or more layers of ballast (or other suitable
filtering medium) contained in trays or drawers also constructed so as to be readily
removable for cleansing purposes. The number and arrangement of overflow pipes,
filters, delivery pipes for returning the water, steam-jet apparatus for heating or
forcing the water or both, or for circulating or agitating the water, will of course
depend upon the size of the bath and special requirements in each case.
The steam-jet apparatus used may be of any ordinary known description, as for
instance "Rainbows" water and liquid raiser (Patent No. 4114 of 1881) which
instrument is well adapted for the purposes hereinbefore described.
Dated this 21st day of December 1886.
C. H. ROSHER.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agents.

page_text: Improvements in Filtering and Heating the Water of Swimming
Baths and other Large Bodies of Water.
I CHARLES HENRY ROSHER late of 22 Charing Cross in the County of Middlesex
and now of 5 Westminster Chambers Victoria Street in the City of Westminster,
Civil Engineer, 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 has for its object the maintenance in an efficient state for use, of
large volumes of water such as are used in swimming baths, by maintaining a con-
tinuous forced circulation of the water through suitable apparatus whereby the water
may be heated, or heated and filtered, or filtered or circulated only, as required, the
water after being so treated being thoroughly mixed with the whole volume of water
to be dealt with. The water is circulated and heated by the direct action of a steam-
jet apparatus by which the water is drawn from the bath either directly or through a
filter, as the case may be, the delivery pipe (or pipes) opening into the side of the
bath near the bottom.
The steam-jet apparatus would be provided with two suction pipes which can be
used together or independently, one communicating with the bath, near the bottom at
the deep end so that when cold water is first admitted to refill the bath after it has
been emptied for the purpose of cleaning, it may be heated and circulated by means of
the steam-jet apparatus until the desired temperature is attained or until the water in
the bath rises to the overflow level. The other suction pipe communicates with a well
or sump beneath a filter connected at the upper part with the overflow from the bath,
and when this suction pipe is opened, the overflow water from the bath passes through
the filter, is heated, and returned to the bath. In addition to the steam-jet apparatus,
a circulator or pump is provided in connection with the bath and filter in the same
way as the steam-jet apparatus and is brought into operation when it is required to
circulate and filter the water without heating it. By supplying more or less water or
steam as the case may require, the rates of heating, filtering, and circulating may be
regulated as required and by a judicious arrangement of the delivery pipes for the
heated filtered water and of the overflow from the bath, the heated water may be so
diffused as to equalize the temperature of the whole body of water, thus overcoming a
very common defect in baths as at present arranged wherein great variations of
temperature occur in different parts of the bath. By this means, the water will also
be kept constantly clean and will therefore require changing less frequently, thus
effecting a great economy in the consumption of water.
The filter is constructed of a
series of removable trays or drawers, the upper one being a strainer or scum separator
and the lower ones containing filtering material through which the water is allowed to
gravitate. The number and arrangement of overflow-pipes, filters, delivery-pipes for
returning the water, steam-jet apparatus for heating and forcing the water, or for

page_text: circulating or agitating the water, will of course depend upon the size of the bath and
special requirements in each case.
I will now proceed to particularly describe my invention with reference to the
accompanying drawings which for the purposes of this specification. illustrate an
ordinary swimming bath deeper at one end than the other, but my invention is
equally applicable to baths of forms other than those illustrated. Figure 1 is a
sectional plan of a swimming bath shewing the arrangements for circulating, heating,
and filtering; and figure 2 is a vertical section thereof on the longitudinal centre
line 2-2 figure 1. Figure 3 is a side elevation (external) Figure 4 is a vertical
section of the filtering apparatus shewn in figures 1 and 3, drawn to a larger scale.
Figures 5 and 6 are respectively a sectional plan and a longitudinal vertical section
of a swimming bath having a modified arrangement of heating and circulating
apparatus. Figures 7 and give details of heater shewn in figures 5 and 6. The
same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.
Referring to figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, A is the heater and B C are respectively the
return and delivery pipes connected thereto and with the deep end of the bath tank.
The heater is of the steam-jet type whereby a circulation of water is produced by the
inductive action of the steam jet, the water being drawn from the bath through
pipe B and returned to the bath through pipes C C and c c.
The heater shewn is an
instrument of the kind known as Rainbow's water raiser (Patent No. 4114 of 1881)
which is well adapted for the purpose, but any other known form of steam-jet ejector
may be used. The delivery pipes ce may open direct into the bath, as shewn in
figures 1 and 2, or they may be continued along the sides or entirely round the bath,
in which case they would be perforated at intervals for the purpose of delivering
heated water to the bath, the aggregate area of the perforations not exceeding the
sectional area of the delivery pipe from the heater. D is the overflow outlet or
outlets preferably in the wall of the bath and at the shallow end. This outlet leads
into the channel E formed in the wall of the bath to which is connected the return-
pipe F which leads to the upper part of the filter G. H is the circulator or pump
communicating by a suction pipe I with the lower part of the filter G and connected
by a pipe J to the delivery pipes C, C¹. It is an instrument of the kind known as
Burnett and Körting's Aquapult, but any other suitable form of pump may be
used.
I will first describe the operation of raising the water in the bath to the desired
temperature. The connection with the circulator H being cut off by closing the
three-way cocks to the pipes communicating therewith, the operation of heating
may be commenced as soon as the water is admitted to the bath. The steam being
admitted to the heater A by pipe s, water is drawn from the bath tank into the
apparatus through pipe B and is returned thereto through pipes C¹ cc, having been
raised to a higher temperature by the steam which becomes condensed. The pipes c
being about on a level with the floor of the bath, the water is delivered into the bath
with great force and caused to travel along the floor, thus creating currents having
such a velocity and direction as (especially after the bath is filled) to prevent the
heated water immediately rising to the surface. Thus, the effect of the heat is more
evenly distributed throughout the whole body of the water than it would otherwise
be, were the water simply to issue into the bath without the force and direction
necessary to cause it to spread over the bottom of the bath. A counter current is at
same time set up towards the pipe B into which the water is drawn through a grating
covering the outlet K with which the pipe B communicates, the outlet being closed
by a valve (not shewn) below the point of connection of pipe B, except when emptying
the bath. As soon as the bath has been filled and the required temperature of the
body of water has been attained, the use of the heater A is discontinued, the water in
the bath being then caused to circulate without being further heated in order to
maintain a uniform temperature at all depths. For this purpose, the three-way
cocks are respectively set, so as to cut off the connection of the return pipe B
and delivery pipes Cce with the heater A and the pipe [ from the filter. Connection
is thus established with the circulator H to which steam is then admitted through

page_text: pipe and the water is then caused to circulate in the bath in the same manner as
described with reference to heater A, the only difference being that the water passes
through the circulator instead of through the heater and that the temperature of the
water is very slightly affected by the circulator H. If the water is to be filtered as
well as circulated, the three-way cock r is so set as to cut off connection with the
return pipe B and to open connection between the circulator H and the filter G by
means of the pipe I. The sluice-valve I, being open, the surface water is then drawn
off through the overflow E and passes through the pipe F to the filter G. The water
having passed through the filtering media, is collected in a sump beneath the filter
whence it is pumped by the circulator H and returned to the bath by the delivery
pipes c c. In order to filter and heat the water simultaneously, the cocks p q r are so
set as to cut the circulator H out of, and bring the heater A into, the circuit, the
water then returning through pipe F to the filter G, thence through pipe I to the
heater A from which it is delivered through pipes CCce to the bath, as before.
Figure 4 shews a vertical section of the filter G. Fis the pipe connected with the
inlet formed in the cover of the filter and m is a perforated hollow cone designed to
N is a
spread the incoming water as evenly as possible over the area of the filter.
shallow tray or drawer provided with a grated or open-work bottom covered with
asbestos cloth, copper-wire gauze, or other suitable material, for separating the
scum &c. from the water. The tray N may be readily removed for the purpose of
cleaning the strainer. Immediately beneath the strainer N is a deeper tray O
containing a stratum of filtering medium resting on a perforated bottom, and
immediately beneath this tray may be another tray O₁ of similar construction con-
taining a stratum of filtering medium which may be of a different character to that
contained in tray O. Other similar trays may be used if desired. The trays 00'
may be provided with means of lifting them out when necessary for the purpose of
cleaning. g is the sump.
In figures 5 and 6 a somewhat different arrangement of heater to that previously
described, is shown; the return and delivery pipes being connected with the bath and
the heater in a different manner, the heater being also of different construction,
although on the same principle. In this case, the return pipes B connect with the
shallow end of the bath at the sides, and supplementary return pipes B³ connecting
with the deep end, are branched on to them, the pipes B B₁ being controlled by
three-way cocks p p'. The operation of filling and heating is as follows:-Sufficient
water having been run into the bath to cover the orifices of pipes B₁ B¹ and the
three-way cocks pp' being open to B₁ B¹ and closed to B B steam is admitted by
pipes to the heater A, and the water is drawn from the bath through pipes B' B' to
the heater A whence it is delivered with considerable force into the bath through the
pipe C which is fixod in a line parallel to, and just above, the floor of the bath. When
the water in the bath has risen to such a level as to cover the orifices of the pipes B,
the three-way cocks p p'aro then set so as to open connection with the bath through
pipes B B, B B¹, or if preferred through pipes B only. The return pipes B may be
placed in a different position to that shewn in the drawing. The arrangement of the
filter and circulator, and their connections with each other and the bath, may be the
same as before.
The
Figures 7 and 8 shew the construction of the heater A represented in figures 5 and 6.
A is the body of the heater preferably of bulbous form and communicating with the
return pipes by branches bb, with the delivery pipe by the branch c, and with the
steam pipe by the branch d. e is the steam-nozzle and is the receiving cone.
cone fits in the branch c and is carried by an apertured or skeleton cylinder h in free
communication with the interior of the casing A in which it is inserted through the
branch the cylinder abutting by a shoulder at its front end against the interior of
the casing and by a flange g at its rear end against the end of the branch d. The
would
cone and the skeleton cylinder (shewn in section in figure 8) and flange
be preferably made in one piece. The steam nozzle e screws into the flanged end y of
the frame and projects inwards through the same axially in line with the cone f. It
can be screwed in or out, and when desired the steam nozzle and cone can be easily

page_text: removed from the body of the apparatus without breaking the joints of the return and
delivery pipes. The steam enters through the pipe s connected with the nozzle e and
the water entering through branches & passes to the cone through the apertures
between the bars h of the skeleton cylinder.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is ;-
-
1. The herein described combination and arrangement of apparatus connected with
a swimming bath in the manner described, whereby the whole body of water may bo
continuously circulated and also when required, heated or heated and filtered, or
filtered only, as specified.
2. The combination with a bath tank of a circulation system, comprising a steam-jet
apparatus or a pump connected with the tank by suction and delivery pipes as
described, whereby the water is circulated and heated, or circulated only, by being
drawn from one part of the bath and returned to another part of the bath as remote as
possible from the first, by being injected at a high velocity along the floor of the bath,
as described.
3. In a water circulating system for swimming baths, the combination with a water
circulating, or circulating and heating apparatus, of a filter, so connected with each
other and the bath, that the water will be drawn through the filter from the. overflow
of the bath and returned directly to the bath, as described.
Dated this 20th day of September 1887.