IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREAT- MENT OF WATER FOR EFFECTING THE SOFTENING OR PURIFICATION OF THE SAME, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henderson Porter, of Blackfriars, in the City of
London, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREAT-
MENT OF WATER FOR EFFECTING THE SOFTENING OR PURIFICATION OF THE
SAME, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."
Sealed the 1st August 1879, and dated the 20th May 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henderson Porter at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th May 1879.
JOHN HENDERSON PORTER, of Blackfriars, in the City of London, Civil Engineer.
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF WATER FOR EFFECTING THE SOFTENING OR
PURIFICATION OF THE SAME, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."
E
My Invention has for its object the carrying out automatically of the softening
or purifying of water by the addition thereto of a solution of lime, soda, baryta, or
other suitable reagents.
In carrying out automatically the softening and purifying of water for the
purposes referred to in the Specification to Letters Patent granted to me dated the
21st April 1876, No. 1697, I have hitherto employed open vessels and controlled
the admission thereto of the water to be softened and the lime water (reagent) used
for softening it by valves actuated by floats working in the said vessels, the said
valves being arranged in such a manner as to maintain, whether fully or partially
opened, uniformity of proportion in the quantity of the said water and reagent
discharged; but it is found in practice that the mechanism of the said valves and
floats becomes more difficult of adjustment for maintaining those proportions when
treating small quantities, and is comparatively costly and subject to irregularity of
action by corrosion of the parts by formation of the carbonate of lime produced in
the process.
Now my said Invention relates to means, hereinafter described, of obviating
those difficulties, and although the Invention is particularly applicable for the
treatment of small quantities it is available also for large quantities.
In carrying out my Invention I employ a closed vessel, by preference fitted with
divisions and diaphragms more or less open, for baffling the water and promoting
the chemical reaction of the water and reagent or reagents in their passage through

page_text: it, and above this vessel I place a smaller vessel (preferably of a spherical form)
which I term a "receiver," and which I prefer to maintain as an air vessel, and to
discharge into it by pipes or jets of proportioned areas the water to be softened or
purified and the reagent or reagents I may employ for that purpose.
These pipes or jets I arrange in such a manner that the smaller stream or streams
shall impinge upon and be met in opposition and be overpowered by the more
powerful stream of the hard or impure water, and that they shall be thereby
together battered and intermixed against the interior surface of the "receiver,"
which for the apparatus upon a small scale I prefer to make of glass. The outlet
from the "receiver " is a pipe or "quill" passing into the closed vessel below and
extending into a tubular vessel immediately within the said closed vessel, and of a
diameter not largely exceeding that of the pipe from the "receiver" and closed at
the end opposite to the end of the said pipe.
By this means the water and reagents already intimately intermixed within the
receiver, as herein before described, are further agitated and commingled by the
opposition to their course presented by the closed end of the said tubular vessel,
from which they can escape only by ascending or returning in a contrary direction
to that by which they entered it, but externally to the pipe of the receiver, and so
escaping over the open end of the said tubular vessel disperse into the space of the
closed vessel within which the said tubular vessel is placed.
Or I may employ other means of checking and dispersing into the space of the
closed vessel the stream of water and reagents issuing from the pipe of the receiver,
as, for example, I may cause the said stream to impinge upon a plate or disc, but I
prefer the arrangement first hereinbefore described.
In the operation of the apparatus herein before described when the closed vessel
is filled with water air accumulates within the receiver to a degree sufficient without
other agency to check and to prevent the flow or discharge of the water and of the
solution, and when a cock or valve in the closed vessel is opened and allows the
water to escape the pressure of air within the receiver becomes less and the pipes
or jets again discharge into it in the manner above described.
I maintain a uniformity of proportioned discharges from the pipes or jets within
the "receiver" by connecting them with small service cisterns intermediate to the
said "receiver" and the tanks or reservoirs containing respectively the water to be
softened or purified and the solutions of the reagents, and I secure uniformity of
pressure by means of ordinary ball cocks or other convenient valves controlling the
levels of the water and of the solutions within the said service cisterns.
The outlet pipe from the closed vessel of the apparatus may discharge into a
tank or receptacle similarly fitted with a ball cock or other suitable controlling
valve for regulating the level of the water in the said tank; or when intermediate
to such tank or receptacle and the softening and purifying apparatus, and connected
with both or all of them, there is placed a pressure filter or filter press, such, for
example, as is described in the Specification to my said former Letters Patent, the
whole system of softening and purifying and of filtration will be automatically in
action continuously or intermittently, as may be desired or as may be controlled by
the ball cock or valve within the tank or receptacle for the softened and purified
water.
In order to promote the chemical reaction of limewater or other reagent in
solution by agitation and to assist the purification of the said water I utilize the
motion of the water when supplied under a sufficient head of pressure to the small
service cistern herein before referred to in inducing a current of air and forcing the
same into the closed vessel. This I effect by causing the water to descend a pipe
having one or more branches or apertures through which air is drawn by the
motion of the water with which it passes down into an enlarged receptacle at the
base of the said pipe. From the lower part of this receptacle the water is conducted
by a suitable pipe to the small service cistern aforesaid, and the air is conducted by
another pipe from the upper part of the said receptacle to the lower part of the
closed vessel containing the water under treatment by the softening and purifying

page_text: process, and being under pressure is forced and bubbles through the same and
escapes from the top of the said vessel by a pipe suitably proportioned and placed,
and fitted, if desired, with a cock or valve.
I may also in a similar manner utilize the water in producing agitation in the
tanks or vessels in which I prepare the solution of line or other reagents by
forcing in air during the time that is required for filling up the said vessels with
water.
It is obvious that other means of promoting agitation may be employed, as, for
example, forcing in air or producing mechanical agitation by motive power or by
the injection of steam,
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Henderson Porter in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th
November 1879.
JOHN HENDERSON PORTER, of Blackfriars, in the City of London, Civil Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF WATER FOR EFFECTING THE SOFTENING OR
PURIFICATION OF THE SAME, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN.”
My said Invention relates to an automatic process and apparatus for softening or
purifying water by the addition thereto of a solution of lime, soda, baryta, or other
suitable reagents.
In carrying out automatically the softening and purifying of water for the
purposes referred to in the Specification to Letters Patent granted to me, dated
the Twenty first April, One thousand eight hundred and seventy six, No. 1697,
I have hitherto employed open vessels and controlled the admission thereto of
the water to be softened and the lime water (reagent) used for softening it by
valves actuated by floats working in the said vessels, the said valves being arranged
in such a manner as to maintain, whether fully or partially opened, uniformity of
proportion in the quantity of the said water and reagent discharged. It is found
however in practice that the mechanism of the said valves and floats becomes more
difficult of adjustment for maintaining those proportions when treating small
quantities, and is comparitively costly and subject to irregularity of action by
corrosion of the parts from the formation of the carbonate of lime produced in the
.process.
Now my present Invention relates to means hereinafter described of obviating
those difficulties; the Invention, however, although particularly applicable for the
treatment of small quantities, is also available when operating upon a large
scale.
An in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now proceed
nore particularly to describe the same, and for that purposo shall refer to the several
Figures on the annexed Sheets of Drawings, the same letters of reference indicating
corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 (on Sheet 1) of the accompanying Drawings represents a sectional
elevation of a vessel with its appurtenances constructed and arranged according to

page_text: my present Invention, for automatically carrying out the softening or purification
of water by the process hereinbefore referred to, the said apparatus being adapted
more particularly for the treatment of small quantities. Figures 2 and 3 are
horizontal sections of the said vessel taken respectively along the lines 1, 2, and 3, 4,
(Figure 1,) and shewing the two forms of diaphragms or partitions hereinafter
referred to. Figure 4 is a sectional elevation illustrating a modification in the
arrangement of the vessel shewn in Figure 1 with the addition of accessory
apparatus which may be used for the carrying out of the complete process. Figure 5
(on Sheet 2) represents a sectional elevation of an apparatus constructed and
arranged in accordance with my Invention for the treatment of water upon a large
scale for the purpose of softening or purifying such water; and Figure 6 is a plan of
the sanre corresponding to Figure 1.
I employ a close vessel A (Figure 1) fitted with diaphragms or partitions B
(Figure 2) and C (Figure 3), the former having openings 6 at or near their outer
periphery whilst the diaphragm or partition C is provided with an opening c in its
centre. The object of these diaphragms or partitions is to promote the chemical
reaction in their passage through the vessel of the water and reagent or reagents
admitted, as hereinafter described, in circumstances where mechanical or other
means of agitation or intermixture cannot be conveniently applied, the mixture
being caused to follow a circuitous course, as indicated by the arrows in Figure 1,
by reason of the different positions of the openings in the alternate diaphragms or
partitions. Above the vessel A I place a smaller vessel D (preferably of a spherical
form as shewn) which I term a "receiver" and which I prefer to maintain as an air
vessel, and I discharge into it by pipes or jets of proportioned areas the water to be
softened or purified and the reagent or reagents I may employ for that purpose, the
pipe for the supply of the water being marked d, and the pipe for the supply of the
reagent or reagents being marked d' in the Drawing.
I may arrange the pipes d, d', with their nozzles either in the relative position
shewn in Figure 1 (for example) or opposite each other as shewn in Figure 4, or
otherwise, the object to be attained being to promote the intermixture of the water
and the reagent or reagents within the receiver before they are conducted into the
vessel A. The outlet from the receiver is a pipe or guill D¹ passing into the close
vessel A below, and according to one arrangement extending into a small vessel E
(Figure 1) open at its upper end. By this means the water and reagents already
intimately intermixed within the receiver D, as hereinbefore described, are further
agitated and cominingled by the opposition to their course presented by the bottom
of the vessel E, from which they can escape only by ascending or returning in a
contrary direction to that by which they entered it, but externally to the pipe D'
of the receiver D, and so escaping over the open end of the vessel E disperse into
the space of the close vessel A within which the vessel E is placed.
however of using the vessel E I may employ other means of checking and dispersing
into the space of the close vessel A. the stream of water and reagents issuing from
the pipe D¹, as for example I may cause the said stream to impinge upon the upper
diaphragm or partition B, as shewn in Figure 4, but I prefer to use the vessel E in
small apparatus.
In lieu
In the operation of the apparatus herein before described when the close vessel A.
is filled with water, air accumulates within the receiver D to a degree sufficient,
without other agency, to check and to prevent under moderate pressures the flow
or discharge of the water and of the solution, and when a cock or valve in the close
vessel A is opened and allows the water to escape the pressure of air within the
receiver D becomes less and the pipes d, d', again discharge into it in the manner
herein before described.
If the variation in the level of the water within the supply cistern of the house
be considerable, but not otherwise, I maintain a uniformity of proportioned dis-
charges from the nozzles of the pipes d, d', within the "receiver "D by connecting
them with small service cisterns interinediate to the said "receiver" and the supply
cisterns or tanks or reservoirs containing respectively the water to be softened or

page_text: purified and the solutions of the reagents, and I secure uniformity of pressure by
means of ordinary ball cocks or other convenient valves controlling the levels of
the water and of the solutions within the said service cisterns. One of such service
cisterns, videlicit, that for containing the water to be softened or purified, is shewn
at F in Figure 4, the water being conducted into it by a pipe d². I have not shewn
in my Drawings the intermediate service cistern for containing the solution of the
reagents, but such solution may be prepared in an open vessel and conducted into a
service cistern such as F, and thence conveyed by a pipe d¹ to the receiver D; or
the arrangement shewn in Figure 4 may be adopted, in which a close vessel G is
used, containing lime; for example, water is introduced into this vessel by a pipe g,
so as to take up a certain quantity of lime, this action being promoted by a
mechanical agitator H driven by power; the solution thus formed is thence con-
ducted by the pipe d' either into an intermediate service cistern, or, as indicated in
the Drawing, direct into the receiver D.
The water to be softened or purified and the solution of the reagent having been
introduced into the vessel A, and intimately commixed, and the resulting chemical
reactions having taken place, the water containing carbonate of lime in suspension
is discharged from the said vessel through the outlet h into a tank or receptacle
fitted with a ball cock or other suitable controlling valve for regulating the level of
the water in the said tank, or when a pressure filter or filter press I, Figure 4, such,
for example, as is described in the Specification to my said former Letters Patent, is
interposed between such tank or receptacle and the softening and purifying apparatus,
and connected with both or all of them, the whole system of softening and purifying
and of filtration will be automatically in action, continuously or intermittently, as
may be desired, or as may be controlled by the ball cock or valve within the tank
or receptacle into which the softened and purified water is conducted on leaving the
filter press at i.
In order to promote the chemical reaction of lime water or other reagent in solu-
tion by agitation, and to assist the purification of the said water, I utilize the motion
of the water when supplied under a sufficient head of pressure in inducing a current
of air and foreing the same into the close vessel A.
This I effect by causing the water to descend a pipe d² having one or more
branches or apertures d³ through which air is drawn by the motion of the water
with which it passes down in an enlarged receptacle or closed cistern F¹ (Figure 1)
at the base of the said pipe; from the lower part of this receptacle the water may
be conducted by the pipe d to the small service cistern before referred to, but not
shewn in this Figure, and the air is conducted by a pipe d from the upper part of
the receptacle F1 to the lower part of the close vessel A. containing the water under
treatment by the softening and purifying process, and such air being under pressure is
forced and bubbles through the same, conflicting with and producing an "agitation
in the several streams of water in their descent through the apertures in the
diaphragms aforesaid, and escapes from the top of the said vessel by a pipe d³ suit-
ably proportioned and placed, and if desired fitted with a cock or valve, or the
small service cistern F, Figure 4, may itself form the said receptacle or closed
cistern, the air being conducted from it to the lower part of the close vessel A by a
pipe d, and thence bubbling through the water, and escaping by a pipe d³ as
before.
I may also in a similar manner utilize the water in producing agitation in the
tanks or vessel in which I prepare the solution of lime or other reagent by forcing
in air during the time that is required for filling up the said vessels with water.
I prefer to make the receivers of glass in the case of small apparatus, but they
may be composed of other materials, especially when apparatus of considerable
dimensions are employed, although the main object of the receivers is to secure an
intimate intermixture of the water and reagent within a confined space. They are
also, being of small size, convenient for removal for the purpose of cleansing the
pipes and nozzles from any accumulation of carbonate of lime
Figures 5 and 6 (Sheet 2) illustrate a mode of applying my Invention when it

page_text: is required to operate upon large quantities of water. According to this example
the close vessel A is placed horizontally, and provided with partitions B, C, per-
forated or intermitted at b, c, respectively. Throughout the length of the vessel
extends a shaped trough E, into which the pipes D¹ of the several receivers D
dip. These receivers are supplied with lime water (for example) from the tanks G¹
by means of a pipe K common to the whole series of receivers and branches d',
and they are supplied with the water to be softened or purified from a tank L by
means of a pipe K¹ (common to the whole series of receivers) and branches d. À
circulation takes place in the vessel A, as indicated by the arrows, and the inter-
mixture of the water to be softened or purified with the lime water in order to
produce the required chemical reaction is further promoted by means of a mechanical
agitator H. The water containing carbonate of lime in suspension may then be
conducted by pipes h into filter presses I, whence the softened and purified water
is discharged by pipes i into a pipe M, common to the whole series of filter presses,
to be conveyed away for use where required. In this case, and also in other cases
where convenient, the requisite current or circulation may be obtained in the
apparatus by means of an exhaust or suction, as will be well understood.
It is obvious that any of the devices hereinbefore described for promoting agita-
tion may be employed in either arrangement when practicable, and that other
means may be adopted for a like purpose, such, for example, as forcing in air by
motive power, or inducing a current of air by means of a jet of steam.
the details of arrangement of the diaphragms or partitions may be modified to suit
the exigencies of the character of water under treatment.
Also that
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and some modes in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect,
I would observe in conclusion that I do not claim as forming any part of my
present Invention the use of filter processes for the purpose herein referred to, nor
the use of service cisterns with devices for maintaining a uniform level of liquid
therein, nor the use of the vessel G with its agitator for forming a solution of a
reagent or reagents, but what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore
claim as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part recited Letters
Patent is,-
The treatment of water for effecting the softening or purification of the same
automatically by intermixing proportionate quantities of such water, and of a
solution or solutions of a reagent or reagents in a receiver or receivers in the
manner herein described, and thence conducting such mixture into a close vessel
constructed and arranged as herein set forth, so as to complete the intermixture of
the said water and solution or solutions by causing them to follow a circuitous
course through the close vessel, and thus produce a chemical reaction within such
vessel, the intermixture of the said water and solution or solutions being promoted
if desired by agitation by mechanical means, or by inducing a current of air by the
motion of the current of water or otherwise, all substantially as hereinbefore
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henderson Porter, have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal, the Fifteenth day of November, One
thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
JOHN HENDERSON PORTER. (L.S.)