Apparatus and Process for the Purification, Softening, or Hardening of Water for Domestic, Manufacturing, or other Purposes.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Jan., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 13th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 19th Dec., 1896
Apparatus and Process for the Purification, Softening, or Hardening
of Water for Domestic, Manufacturing, or other Purposes.
I, JOHN HARRY WILLIAMS Consulting Engineer and Expert to the Mineral
Water Trade 16 Percy Terrace Waterford do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
(1) Firstly. An apparatus consisting generally of a series of tanks or com-
partments which for preference are placed on different levels that is to say one
above the other but they can be arranged in any position and consisting generally.
of a depositing tank No. 1, a neutralizing tank No. 2, and a store or filtering
tank No. 3, but the whole process can however be accomplished in some cases with
only one tank, in other cases two tanks are required but generally it is intended to
make use of three or more tanks according to requirements.
2 (Secondly). The process consists in a method or way of depositing when
necessary some or any or all of the suspended matters or matters in solution in the
water in tank No. 1 by means of the addition of one or any of the following in
proportions according to requirements viz. calcic carbonate, calcic-sulphate, alum,
potassic-permanganate &c. or by means of an electric current passed through the
water in tanks No. 1, No. 2, or No. 3, or by passing a stream of oxygen through
the water in the same tanks viz. No. 1, No. 2, or No. 3.
After treatment of the water in tank No. 1 the water is conveyed into tank No. 2,
and when necessary treated with one or any of the following in proportions
according to requirements viz.-borax, sodic carbonate potassic carbonate &c.
After treatment in No. 2 tank the water is conveyed into No. 3 tank to be
afterwards used with or without further filtration through carbon or other filterants
according to requirements.
Dated this 11th dor of Jennern 1806
JOHN HY. WILLIAMS.
Apparatus and Process for the Purification, Softening, or Hardening
of Water for Domestic, Manufacturing, or other Purposes.
I, JOHN HARRY WILLIAMS, Consulting Engineer and Expert to the Mineral
Water Trade, of 16, Percy Terrace, Waterford, 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 :-
According to my invention I construct an apparatus or plant consisting generally
of a series of three tanks or water tight compartments which for preference are
placed on different levels, but the actual number of tanks as well as their relative
levels and positions may be varied according as the space at disposal or other
circumstances such as the amount and nature of the impurities in the water to be
ID 077

page_text: treated, will permit. For small plants I prefer to make the said tanks or
compartments of slate, iron or carthenware and for larger ones of stuue, brick,
concrete or the like.
My apparatus when comprising three tanks or compartments placed on different
levels consists generally of a depositing tank on the highest level, a storage tank,
on the lowest level, and a neutralizing tank occupying an intermediate position
between these two. The tanks are connected with each other by means hereafter
described whereby the contents of one tank may be transferred to that of the
next, and are also fitted with means whereby not only the water which is free from
matter in suspension is allowed to be drawn or conveyed therefrom but the removal
of sediment is readily effected.
The process consists in a method or means of depositing, when necessary, some
or any or all of the suspended matter or matters in solution in the water in the
highest or depositing tank, by means of the addition of one or more of the
following substances in proportions according to requirements as may be discovered
by a previous analysis of the water to be treated, namely:-calcic carbonate,
calcic sulphate, alum, potassic permanganate, calcium permanganate or other like
precipitants, or by means of an electric current or stream of oxygen passed through
the water in any or all of the tanks or containers.
When oxygen is required in the process of purification it is forced through
perforated tubes of suitable material placed on the bottoms of tanks mentioned,
and when it is required to pass an electric current through the waters, lines are
connected from the supply of electricity through the sides, ends or bottoms, of
tanks so that the current is discharged from the end or ends of suitable conductors
projecting into the tanks through opposite sides or ends or arranged on the bottoms
of tanks whichever is most convenient.
To render my process and apparatus more comprehensible I will now describe it
and the cycle of events brought about in order as they occur during the purifi-
cation and filtration of a quantity of impure water, with references to the
accompanying drawing which illustrates one form of my apparatus in vertical
section.
Similar letters denote corresponding parts throughout the drawing. The dotted
lines represent the water level in each tank. A is the depositing tank, B the
neutralizing tank, C the storing tank. The impure water enters the tank A
through the inlet or stop-cock d and ball-tap b, until the said tank is full. The
stop cock d is then turned off and the water is chemically, electrically or otherwise
as above specified, treated with a view to depositing its impurities both as regards
any dissolved organic matter as well as matter in suspension, at the bottom of the
said tank. The water thus to a considerable extent freed from impurities of a
certain nature, passes down a pipe tube or other conduit e, called the sediment
separator which is hinged or jointed at its lower end near the bottom of the tank
as shown and bears a ball-float z at its upper end for the purpose of keeping its
mouth at or near the surface of the water so that only the purest portion of the
treated water can enter it. The level of the water is maintained by virtue of a
ball float on the ball tap h, and the waste pipe w prevents any overflow. The
water having passed down the sediment separator c, can flow on through the
lower stop-cock d and ball-tap b into the neutralizing tank B, where it may be
further treated with any or several of the well known softening and precipitating
agents such as borax, sodic carbonate, potassic carbonate and the like and after-
wards drawn or conveyed off by means of a conduit c in a similar manner to that
in which it was drawn from tank A. From tank B, it passes into tank C, through
the lower stop cock d, and ball-tap b. The water thus passing into the tank C
may for some purposes be used without filtration, but when the latter is alec
desired I place a filter composed of carbon or other filtrant with which is connected
an aerating pipe and cock e, which may also be used to regulate the force and
speed with which the water is allowed to pass through the filter. The water
having passed through the filter can then be drawn off at the outlet cock/
1

page_text: purified, aerated and filtered. It is understood that the process of hardening may
be taking place simultaneously with that of purification or the softening may be
effected without any regard to the purification.
Further that the water in tank A does not necessarily enter at the same time
that it is being drawn off into tank B, and generally it is not intended that
the water in tank B shall be drawn off into tank C at the same time that it is
running from A to B. excepting in some few cases and which would depend upon
circumstances and the water under treatment.
When it is desired to cleanse any of the tanks the inlet being first closed, the
cover and waste pipe may then be removed and the sediment separator tied or
held up. The actual cleansing may then be effected by brushing out with clean
water, the waste finding its way by gravity down the plug hole of the waste pipe,
or a special tap may be fitted to the bottom of either tank for drawing off sediment
and waste.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. An apparatus for the purification, softening or hardening of water for
domestic, manufacturing or other purposes, consisting of a series of tanks or
compartments connected with one another by a pipe and containing or fitted with
a floating hinged tube, a filter with aerating pipe and suitable inlet and outlet
taps and stop-cocks where required, all substantially as herein described and
set forth.
2. The apparatus for the purification softening or hardening of water for
domestic, manufacturing or other purposes, constructed and operating substantially
as herein described and set forth.
3. The process for the purification, softening, or hardening of water for
domestic, manufacturing or other purposes consisting of first a treatment with any
or all of the chemicals herein specified for precipitation, then a further treatment
of the same with other substances herein specified for neutralization, and then if
required, a final treatment of same for filtration and aeration purposes, all
substantially as herein described and set forth.
Deted this 13th dow of October 1896
BENJ. T. KING, A.I.M.E.,
(Of T. B. Browne, Limited),
163, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C.,
Registered Patent Agent.