IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING WATER
Year: 1884

page_text: I WILLIAM ANDERSON of N° 3 Whitehall Place in the City of Westminster
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING WATER "and in what manner the same is. to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for purifying
water.
In the specification of a former Patent granted to me No 5496 in the year 1883
I have described a process for the purification of water consisting, in causing it to
pass through a rotating apparatus containing metallic iron in a state of division,
such as to present a large surface to contact with the water. By the movement of
the apparatus the iron is kept in agitation among the water and thereby the
purification is effected.
J
The object of my present invention is more effectually to prevent the finer
particles of the iron being carried forward by the current of water out of the
rotating apparatus, which is liable to occur when the current of water is rapid,
unless the outlet passage, which is through the axis, be made inconveniently large.
As in my former specification, the iron is contained within a cylinder mounted
to rotate about its horizontal axis, and the cylinder is provided with internal
shelves which raise the iron from the bottom of the vessel, carry it up towards the
top, and then allow it to descend by gravity through the water.
At the outlet end of the cylinder I now apply a trunk passing into the interior
of the cylinder through the hollow axis. Within the cylinder the trunk is caused
to curve upwards and at its end it is expanded to a hood like form, and it
terminates in a mouth of large area directed downwards. This mouth is of such
dimensions that the current of water passing through it to the outlet is com-
paratively slow, so much so as to be incapable of carrying the iron in an upward
direction in direct opposition to the force of gravity.
As the water ascends in this hood like appendage to the trunk the rapidity of
the current increases, and it flows away through the trunk with considerable
rapidity. By this arrangement I avoid the necessity otherwise found to give
unduly large dimensions to the outlet through the axis in order to prevent the
iron being washed out of the apparatus.

page_text: In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS..
Figure 1 is a vertical section showing the arrangement at the outlet end of the
rotating cylinder.
Figure 2 is a plan of the trunk and some other of the parts.
A is the cylinder, and A¹ is its trunnion or hollow axis that is mounted upon a
standard or bearing B. The cylinder is rotated in any convenient manner, and as
before it is charged with iron in a suitable state of division. There are shelves
within the cylinder to lift the iron as the cylinder rotates but these are not shown
in the Figure.
C is the trunk entering into the cylinder, for convenience of fixing it is made in
parts as the drawing represents. The trunk remains stationary whilst the
cylinder revolves, and a tight joint is formed around the trunk by packing applied
in the usual manner within the trunnion A¹.
C' is a hood like appendage of the trunk, it is approximately semi-globular in
form and open on the under side. This opening is the mouth or entrance to the
trunk, and it is directed downwards, so that full advantage is taken of the
gravitation of the particles to prevent them passing away.
At the top of the parts C¹ the opening by which the water ascending through
the mouth enters the part of the trunk marked C is of much smaller dimensions
than the lower opening or mouth.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
The combination with a rotary apparatus for the purification of water, of a
trunk projecting through the hollow axis into the interior of the rotating vessel
and terminating in a mouth of large area, through which the water in passing out
of the apparatus has to ascend substantially as described.