Improvements in connection with Filter Beds for Filtering Sewage Water or other Liquids.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Oct., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 20th July, 1898-Accepted, 27th Aug., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in connection with Filter Beds for Filtering Sewage
Water or other Liquids.
I, ROBERT OWEN WYNNE-ROBERTS, of Oswestry, in the County of Salop,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to means or mechanism in connection with filter beds, for
filtering sewage water or other liquids whereby valves are released automatically
to discharge the filtered water from the filter beds and also, if desired, a spout or
trough operated so as to conduct the water to be filtered into the said filter beds.
My invention is intended more particularly for use in combination with several
filter beds arranged in close proximity one to another and the mechanism is
arranged so as to effect the discharge of the filtered water from the said filter beds
one after another in succession. Each filter bed communicates by a pipe or
passage with a chamber into which the filtered water passes from the filter beds
and these chambers communicate by other pipes or passages with a larger
chamber common to all the smaller chambers. The pipes or passages leading
from the filter beds to the smaller chambers are provided with valves which open
into the said chambers the pipes or passages connecting the small chambers with
the larger chamber also having valves opening into the said larger chamber. The
filtered water from the filter beds enters the small chambers and when the water
rises above a certain height in these chambers it passes through overflow pipes
into a tilting vessel by which the operation of the valves are effected. The valves
in the pipes or passages which connect the smaller chambers with the larger
chamber are normally kept closed against the pressure of the water in the said
smaller chambers and filter beds, by a disc or its equivalent mounted on a vertical
shaft or spindle and bearing on the said valves or on levers or arms connected
therewith. This disc or its equivalent has in it two notches or openings one of
which is covered by a hinged flap opening upwards so that when the disc or its
equivalent is rotated the covered notch or opening comes over each valve, or over
the lever connected therewith in succession, whereupon the said valve will open
automatically by the pressure of the water in the small chamber and filter bed
in connection therewith and the said valve is kept open by the end of the lever
passing through the said opening and resting on the top surface of the said disc
while the filtered water flows from the filter bed and small chamber into the
larger chamber and away therefrom through the discharge pipe. The valve
remains open until by the rotation of the disc the uncovered notch therein comes
opposite the said valve, or lever in connection therewith, by which time the filtered
water will have been discharged from the filter bed and the valve closes, the end
of the lever then being beneath the disc the valve is retained in its closed position.
until the covered notch in the disc again comes over the end of the lever or valve
as before described. Each of the valves are in like manner operated in succession.
so that the filtered water is discharged from the several filter beds and small
chamber one after another. The disc or its equivalent is rotated automatically

page_text: in the following manner. In each of the small chambers is a pipe through which
the filtered water overflows into a vessel mounted on pivots so that when the said
vessel is charged with water to a certain height it tilts over and imparts rotation
through a pawl and ratchet or other suitable gear to a horizontal shaft geared to
the vertical shaft on which the disc is mounted, thereby giving an intermittent
partial rotation to the said disc each time the tilting vessel is operated, which
tilting vessel resumes its position to receive a fresh charge of water immediately
after it is emptied. The tilting vessel may discharge into a tank or chamber
and the water drawn therefrom by a syphon into the larger vessel herein before
described and flow thence into the water course or it may be discharged and con-
ducted from the tank or chamber by any other suitable means.
The sewage or other liquid to be filtered may be conducted to the filter beds
by any suitable means but according to my invention I mount on the vertical
shaft or spindle which carries the disc or its equivalent, hereinbefore described, a
trough or spout into which the water to be filtered is conducted from settling
tanks, or other source of supply, the said trough or spout turning with the disc
and conducting the said unfiltered water into distributing channels to the several
filtering beds.
Dated this 20th day of October 1807
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
Improvements in connection with Filter Beds for Filtering Sewage
Water or other Liquids.
I, ROBERT OWEN WYNNE-ROBERTS, of Oswestry, in the County of Salop,
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 relates to means or mechanism in connection with filter beds for
filtering sewage water or other liquids whereby valves are released or operated
automatically to discharge the filtered water from the filter beds, and also, if
desired, a spout or trough automatically operated for conducting the water to
be filtered into the filter beds one after another. My invention is intended more
particularly for use in combination with several filter beds arranged in close
proximity one to another and the mechanism is arranged so as to effect the dis-
charge of the filtered water from the said filter beds one after another in succes-
sion. I will describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings
of which Figures 1 and 2 are vertical sections at right angles to each other of an
arrangement of valve and operating mechanism constructed and arranged accord-
ing to my invention. Figure 3 is a half plan & half horizontal section of the
same. Figs. 4 and 5 are respectively a vertical section and a horizontal section
of one of the chambers into which the filtered water from the filter beds passes
and Figures 6 and 7 are respectively a sectional elevation and a plan of the disc for
governing the opening and closing of the valves. Each filter bed communicates
by a pipe or passage A with one of a series of chambers B into which the filtered
water passes from the filter beds and these chambers B communicate by other
pipes or passages C with a chamber D common to all the chambers B. The pipes
.or passages A leading from the filter beds to the chambers B are provided with
valves E which open into the said chambers B and the pipes or passages C con-
necting the chambers B with the chamber D are also fitted with valves F, open-

page_text: ing into the said chamber D. The filtered water from the filter beds enters the
small chambers B and when the water rises above a certain height in these
chambers it causes a float a to rise which opens a valve b and allows a portion of
the filtered water to flow through the pipes into a tilting vessel by which the
operation of the valves is effected. The valves F of the pipes or passages C which
connect the chambers B with the chamber D are normally kept closed against
the pressure of the water in the said chambers and filter beds, by a disc G,
mounted on a vertical shaft or spindle H carried in bearings in the chamber 1)
the said disc bearing on levers or arms F2 connected to and projecting from the
valves F. This disc has in it two notches or openings I and 12 one of which I is
covered by a hinged flap K opening upwards so that when the disc is rotated, the
covered notch or opening comes over the levers F one after another in succession
and permits of that projection 1 of the valve opposite this flapped opening to
pass to the upper side of the disc and the valve to open automatically by the
pressure of the water in the chamber B and filter bed corresponding to the said
valve. The said valve is kept open by the end of the lever resting on the top
surface of the said disc while the filtered water flows from the said filter bed and
chamber B into the chamber D and away therefrom through the discharge pipe L.
The valve remains open until by the rotation of the disc the uncovered notch or
opening 12 comes opposite the projection on the valve which is open, by which
time the filtered water will have been discharged from the filter bed and the
valve closes, the end of the lever F2 then being beneath the disc G and the valve
is retained in its closed position until the covered notch I in the disc G again
comes over the end of the lever or arm F2 as before described. Each of the valves
are in like manner operated in succession so that the filtered water is discharged
from the several filter beds and chamber B in connection therewith one after
another. The disc is rotated automatically in the following manner:-In each
of the chambers B is a pipe or passage M provided with the valve b and float a
through which pipe when the filtered water in the filter bed and chamber B in
connection therewith rises to a certain height causes the float a to rise and open
the valve of the pipe or passage M and allows the water to flow therethrough
into an annular trough N in the chamber D and from the said annular trough
into a tilting vessel in a chamber the vessel P being so arranged that when
the said vessel is charged with water to a certain height it tilts over and imparts
through a pawl and ratchet wheel R as shown, or by other suitable gear, rotation
to a horizontal shaft S geared by the bevel wheels S₁ to the vertical shaft H which
carries the disc G, thereby giving an intermittent partial rotation to the said disc
each time the tilting vessel is operated, which tilting vessel resumes its position to
receive a fresh charge of water immediately after it is emptied. The water dis-
charged from the tilting vessel into the chamber 0 passes by a passage T into the
chamber I and flows thence by the passage L into the water course.
The sewage
or other liquid to be filtered may be conducted to the filter beds by any suitable
means but according to my invention I fix on the vertical shaft or spindle H which
carries the disc G a trough or spout V into which the water to be filtered is con-
ducted from settling tanks or other source of supply the said trough or spout V
turning with the disc and conducting the said unfiltered water into distributing
channels W to the several filtering beds one after another. The apparatus shewn
in the drawings is arranged to work with nine filter beds one of which is held in
reserve to relieve each one of the other eight filter beds in succession. Eight
intermittent movements of the disc G and spout V complete the circuit. Each of
the eight filter beds is worked in succession until any one of them show indica-
tions of being overworked and requires a prolonged rest. There are two pass-
ages A and A2 for the admission of filtered water into each chamber B any one of
the passages A2 can be brought into work in place of any passage A in the case
of a filter requiring long rest. The valve E in each of these chambers is arranged
so that when moved to open one of the said outlet passages it closes the other
outlet passage so that the filter can be allowed proper rest.

page_text: The filtered water entering the chamber B rises therein to a predetermined
height governed by the position of the float a attached to the valve b of the
passage M through which the water flows into the inclined annular trough N
in the chamber D and thence by a pipe into the tilting vessel P and thus imparts
through the gearing hereinbefore referred to intermittent movements to the
shaft H and parts connected thereon so as to effect the discharge of the several
filter beds in succession and also conduct unfiltered water to the said filter beds
in succession so that while one filter bed is being discharged another of the filter
beds is being charged.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. In connection with a multiplicity of filter beds the improved mechanism
for automatically discharging filtered water from each of the several filters in suc-
cession, the said mechanism consisting in the combination of a tilting vessel
operated by the filtered water from the filter beds; a chamber with which the
several filter beds communicate, valves for closing and opening the passages for
the water from the filter beds to the said chamber; arms or projections on the
valves; a vertical rotatable shaft in the said chamber a disc mounted on the shaft
notches or openings in the disc, a hinged lid or flap covering one of the said
notches or openings; gearing for transmitting intermittent movements of partial
rotation from the tilting vessel to the vertical shaft and disc, so as to bring the
opening with the hinged flap over the arms or projections on each valve in succes-
sion to allow the valves to open by the pressure of the water in the filter beds the
valves being kept open until the uncovered opening or notch in the disc comes
beneath the arms or projections to allow the valves to close substantially, as herein-
before described.
2. In combination with the subject matter constituting the previous claim of
a trough or spout carried on the vertical shaft and receiving intermittent move-
ment therewith for conducting unfiltered liquid into the several filter beds one
after another in succession substantially as herein before described.
3. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting improved apparatus
or means for automatically discharging the filtered water from a multiplicity of
filter beds one after another substantially as herein before described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.