Improvements in Apparatus for Purifying Fluids.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Purifying Fluids.
I, ROBERT GRUNDY BROOKE, of Upton Grange, Macclesfield, in the County of
Chester, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists of improvements in apparatus for purifying fluids.
An apparatus according thereto and suitable for purifying steam by causing the
deposit therefrom of water and other matters suspended therein, comprises a casing
having an inlet and an outlet for steam, a discharge pipe or outlet for water or other
matter separated from the steam, and one or more slotted or perforated cylinders
arranged within the casing so as to form one or more annular steam-spaces, the slot,
slots, or perforations in the cylinder or each cylinder (when there is more than one)
being made at one side thereof, and the steam inlet, the slot, slots, or perforations in the
cylinder or the several cylinders, and the steam outlet being so arranged relatively to
one another and to the discharge-pipe or outlet for water that the steam will be
caused to pass around and through the wall or walls of the cylinder or cylinders and
will have its direction of flow changed on passing through the wall of the cylinder
or each cylinder and that water or other matter thereby separated therefrom can
readily pass to the discharge-pipe or outlet. The apparatus is adapted to be inserted
between two lengths of steam-pipe and the casing is composed of two or more parts
of which one is to be fixed to the lengths of steam-pipe and the other or others,
which hangs or hand down or projects or project from the former, is removably
secured thereto.
In order to keep the cylinder or cylinders in place when the lower or projecting
end portion of the casing is removed for any purpose, it or they is or are carried by a
plate suitably formed to fit the cylinder or cylinders internally or externally or both,
having, it may be, a projection to fit into the slot or a perforation of the cylinder or
each cylinder, and provided with a downwardly extending flange forming with the
bottom of the casing a chamber containing a discharge orifice and communicating
through a hole or holes in the plate with the interior of the cylinder or the annular
space or spaces between two or more of the cylinders. The plate may be secured to
the fixed upper part of the casing by a single bolt passing through the said upper
part. On the outside of the casing there may be fixed over the nut of the bolt a cap
secured to the casing by studs and nuts so as to clamp jointing-material between the
cap and the casing. Between the top of the cylinder or cylinders and the casing
there may be a ring fitting the cylinder or cylinders internally or externally or both
so as to keep them concentric.
The ring just referred to is sometimes provided with a cross piece, spider, or open-
worked centre, which may project upwards and is passed through by the bolt, a nut
on the holt being tightened down on the cross piece, spider or open-worked centre so
as to press the latter upon the cylinder or cylinders. With this arrangement the
cylinder or cylinders and their plates can be removed with their bolt as a rigid whole.
In another apparatus similar to that just described but having in its fixed part an
inlet or outlet, co-axial with the cylinder or cylinders and having one or more outlets

page_text: or inlets at right angles thereto, the casing has cast within it a cross piece or spider
to which the said bolt is fastened.
In another apparatus having a lower fixed part and having its inlet and outlet
arranged vertically one over the other, the plate is formed to fit the casing and also
the top of the cylinder or cylinders internally or externally or both so as to keep them
concentric and has a central opening corresponding to the upper inlet or outlet, and it is
secured to the fixed portion of the casing by three or any other suitable number of
bolts or studs passing vertically down through it to and into the said fixed part.
Apparatus such as herein before described may be adapted for the purification of
fluids such as water by filtration, by wholly or partially filling the annular spaces
between the cylinders herein before referred to with asbestos, coke, fibrous porcelain,
or other suitable fibrous. material. But I prefer for the purpose mentioned, an
apparatus inodified as follows:-
The apparatus is of the type first herein before described, but its lower removable
part extends slightly below the cylinder-carrying plate and the bottom of the afore-
said chamber below this plate is formed by a perforated plate and is preferably filled
with sponge or other suitable material; the hole or holes in the plate are arranged
so as to form a communication between the said chamber and the outmost annular
space. The outmost of the cylinders, of which there may be three, has no perfora-
tion or slot and each of the other cylinders is perforated at one of its ends only, the
arrangement being still such that the direction of flow of the fluid will be changed
each time it passes through one of the cylinders, but the fluid will be caused to pass
along instead of around the annular spaces between the cylinders and which are
charged with filtering material of the kind herein before mentioned. To enable the
filter to be cleaned in the usual way by the reversal of the flow of the fluid there-
through, the inlet and outlet are provided with suitable valves, a bye-pass pipe
furnished with a valve, is provided to lead from the supply-pipe to the outlet portion
of the apparatus, and the casing is provided with a discharge valve, the arrangement
being such that by closing the inlet and outlet valves, and opening the bye-pass
valve and the discharge-valve, the fluid will be caused to enter the apparatus at the
outlet portion, to pass through the filtering material in the direction reverse to the
normal direction, thereby cleansing the same, and to escape part the discharge valve.
For the concentric internal cylinders of such a filter there may be substituted a
single cylinder formed of.a number of cast iron or other rings placed one upon and
into another and having between each consecutive two a washer of flannel or other
suitable filtering mass held between two perforated or reticulated diaphragms, the
form and arrangement of the rings being such that the fluid to be filtered will pass,
from the annular space between the said cylinder and the casing of the apparatus,
through openings in the outer periphery of each ring, through the corresponding
diaphragms and filtering material, and through openings in the inner periphery of
the next higher ring into the cylindrical space within the cylinder, whence it will
pass direct to the outlet of the apparatus.

page_text: manner-the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
This invention consists of improvements in apparatus for purifying fluids.
In order that the invention and the way of carrying it into practice may be
properly understood, I will in the following description refer to the accompanying
drawings, whereof Figs. 1, 2, and 3 are vertical sections of various apparatus
according thereto, and Fig. 5 is an elevation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 4, with
its valves and connexions.
An apparatus according to this invention of the type of that shown in Fig. 1, and
suitable for purifying steam by causing the deposit therefrom of water and other
matters suspended therein, comprises a casing 1 having an inlet 2 and an outlet 3
for steam, a discharge-pipe or outlet 4 for water or other matter separated from the
steam, and one or more slotted or perforated cylinders 5 arranged within the casing 1
between the said inlet and outlet and so as to form one or more annular steam-
spaces 6 the slot, slots, or perforations in the cylinder or in each cylinder (when there
are more than one) being made at one side thereof. In the arrangement now being
described two cylinders 5 are shown, each having a single slot 7. The steam-inlet 2,
the slot, slots or perforations 7 in the cylinder or the several cylinders, and the
steam-outlet 3 are so arranged relatively to one another and to the discharge pipe or
outlet 4 for water that the steam will be caused to pass, as indicated by the arrows,
around and through the wall or walls of the cylinder or cylinders 5 and will have
its direction of flow changed on passing through the wall of the cylinder or each
cylinder, and that water or other matter thereby separated therefrom can readily
pass to the discharge-pipe or outlet 4. The apparatus is adapted to be secured
between two lengths of steam-pipe (Fig. 5), being provided for this purpose with
flanges 2 and 3, and the casing is composed of two or more parts of which one is to
be fixed to the lengths of steam-pipe and the other or others, which hangs or hang
down or projects or project from the former, is or are removably secured thereto : in
the apparatus shown the casing is composed of two parts 1ª and 16 secured together
by means of flanges and bolts.
In order to keep the cylinder or cylinders 5 in place when the lower or projecting
end portion 1b of the casing is removed for any purpose, it or they is or are carried
by a plate 8 suitably formed to fit the cylinder or cylinders 5 internally or externally
or both (as shown), having, it may be, a projection 8 to fit into the slot 7 or
a perforation of the cylinder or each cylinder, and provided with a downwardly
extending flange 8b forming with the bottom of the casing 1 a chamber 9 containing
the discharge-orifice 4 and communicating through a drain hole or holes 8° in the
plate with the interior of the cylinder, as shown, or through holes 8c in the
flange 8b with and indirectly through the the annular space 6, slot or slots 7 with
the interior of the cylinder. The plate 8 may, as shown, be secured to the fixed
upper part 1 of the casing by a single bolt 10 passing through the said upper part..
On the outside of the casing there may be fixed over the nut of the bolt, as shown
in Fig. 4, a cap 10" secured to the casing by studs and nuts (not shown) so as to
clamp jointing-material 10* between the cap and the casing. Between the top of
the cylinder or cylinders 5 and the casing there is a ring 11 fitting the cylinder or
cylinders internally or externally or both, as shown, so as to keep them concentric
and enable it or them to be more easily fixed in position.
The ring 11 is sometimes provided as shown in Fig. 4, with a cross piece, spider,
or open-worked centre 12, which may, as shown, project upwards and is passed
through by the bolt 10, a nut 12ª on the bolt being tightened down on the cross
piece, spider, or open-worked centre so as to press the latter upon the cylinder or
cylinders 5. With this arrangement the cylinder or cylinders and their plate 8 can
be removed with their bolt 10 as a rigid whole.
In another apparatus similar to that just described but having in its fixed part 1ª
an inlet 2 coaxial with the cylinder or cylinders and having one or more outlets 3
at right angles thereto, the casing has, as shown in Fig. 2, cast within it a cross

page_text: piece or spider 12b to which is fastened the bolt 10 for holding the plate 8 in
position. This plate may be further held in position by bolts 10d connected lo lugs 8*
and 1 on the plate and part 1* respectively as shown in dotted lines.
In another apparatus (see Fig. 3) having a lower fixed part 1 and having its
inlet two and outlet 3 arranged vertically one over the other, the plate 8 is formed
to fit the casing and also the top of the cylinder or cylinders 5 internally or externally
or both, as shown, so as to keep them concentric, the said plate having a central
opening 8d corresponding to the upper outlet 3 and being secured to the fixed
portion 1ª of the casing by three or any other suitable number of bolts or studs 10°
passing vertically down through it to and into the said fixed part 1". In the example
shown in Fig. 3, the lower part 1 of the casing is made of suitable form to keep
the cylinders concentric and is, in lieu of the plate 8, provided with projections 8" to
keep their slots in proper relative positions.
4ª
an additional water-outlet intended to be provided with a cock and to be used
only for ascertaining from time to time the quantity of water deposited in the lower
part of the inmost cylinder.
Apparatus such as herein before described may be adapted for the purification of
fluids such as water by filtration, by wholly or partially filling the annular spaces 6
between the cylinders with asbestos, coke, fibrous porcelain, or other suitable fibrous
material. But I prefer for the purpose mentioned, an apparatus such as shown in
Figs. 4 and 5.
This apparatus resembles that described with reference to Fig. 1,
but its lower removable part 1b extends slightly below the cylinder-carrying plate 8,
and the bottom of the chamber 9 below this plate is formed by a perforated
plate 13 and is preferably filled with suitable material, such as sponge, for abstracting
the grosser impurities; the hole or holes 8c in the plate 8 are arranged so as to form
a communication between the chamber 9 and the outmost annular space 6. The
outmost of the cylinders 5, of which there may be three, as shown, has no perforation
or slot and each of the other cylinders has perforations 7ª at one of its ends only, the
arrangement being still such that the direction of flow of the fluid will be changed
each time the fluid passes through one of the cylinders, but the fluid will be caused
to pass as indicated by the arrows, along instead of around the annular spaces 6,
which are charged with filtering material of the kind herein before mentioned.
To enable the filter to be cleaned in the usual way by the reversal of the flow of
the fluid therethrough, the inlet 2 and outlet 3 are provided, as shown in Fig. 5, with
suitable valves 2b and 3b, a bye-pass pipe 14 furnished with a valve 14ª is provided to
lead from the supply pipe 15 to the outlet-portion 3ª of the apparatus, and the casing
is provided with a discharge-valve 4 the arrangement being such that by closing the
inlet and outlet valves 2b and 3" and opening the bye-pass valve 14" and the discharge
valve 4* the fluid will be caused to enter the apparatus at the outlet-portion 3ª to
pass through the filtering material in the direction reverse to the normal direction,
thereby cleansing the same, and to escape past the discharge valve 4ª. When
apparatus such as shown in Figs. 1 2 and 3 are used for filtering liquids, means such
as described with reference to and shown in Fig. 5 are preferably employed to enable
the apparatus to be cleaned by reversing the direction of flow of the liquid.
For the concentric internal cylinders of such a filter there may be substituted, as
shown in vertical section in Fig. 6, a single. cylinder formed of a number of cast iron
or other rings 16 placed one upon and into another and having between each
consecutive two a washer 16ª of flannel or other suitable filtering mass held between
two perforated or reticulated diaphragms 17, the form and arrangement of the rings
being as shown, such that the fluid to be filtered will pass, from the annular space 6
between the said cylinder and the casing 1 of the apparatus, through openings 16 in
the outer periphery of each ring, through the corresponding diaphragms 17 and
filtering material 16 and through openings 16° in the inner periphery of the next
higher ring into the cylindrical space 18 within the cylinder, whence it will pass.
direct to the outlet 3 of the apparatus.
Cleaning arrangements such as shown in Fig. 5 are, of course, preferably employed
in connexion with this filter also.

page_text: As is obvious,-the normal course of the fluid through the apparatus may be the
reverse of that shown, so that what are spoken of as inlets would be outlets, and
vice versa in this case, of course, the position of the bye-pass pipe 14 will be
correspondingly altered.
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. Apparatus for purifying fluids comprising a casing consisting of a stationary
portion of a removable portion and having an inlet and an outlet for the fluid to be
purified, a discharge pipe or outlet for the water or other matter separated from the
said fluid, one or more slotted or perforated cylinders arranged within the casing so as
to form one or more annular spaces, and means for supporting the cylinder or cylinders
in its or their proper position or positions in or on the stationary portion of the casing
after the removal of the other portion, the slot, slots, or perforations in the cylinder
or each cylinder being made at one side or end thereof, and the inlet, the slot, slots,
or perforations in the cylinder or the several cylinders, and the fluid outlet being so
arranged relatively to one another and to the discharge pipe or outlet, and the casing
and supporting means being such that the fluid to be purified will be caused to pass
around or along and through the wall or walls of the cylinder or cylinders and will
have its direction of flow changed on passing through the wall of the cylinder or each
cylinder, and that the water or other matter separated therefrom can readily pass to
the discharge pipe or outlet, substantially as described.
2. Apparatus for purifying fluid constructed, arranged and operating substantially
as hereinbefore described with reference to and shown in Fig. 1, in Fig. 2, in Fig. 3,
in Fig. 4 or in Fig. 6 of the accompanying drawings.
.
3. The combination with purifying apparatus substantially as described and shown
of the means described with reference to and shown in Fig. 5 for enabling the
apparatus to be cleansed by reversing the direction of flow of the liquid.
Dated this 3rd day of November 1897.
For the Applicant
W. LLOYD WISE
46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London; W.C. Chartered Patent Agent.