Improvements in Mechanical Filters and in the Methods of Sterilizing and Aerating the same.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Mar., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Dec., 1898-Accepted, 25th Feb., 1899
TRUVIDIONAL MULTIVA
Improvements in Mechanical Filters and in the Methods of
Sterilizing and Aerating the same.
We, PHILIP HENRY PALMER, of Stanley Road, Hastings, in the County of Sussex,
Civil Engineer, and FRANK CANDY, of 56, Nightingale Lane, Balham, in the County
of Surrey, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
Our invention consists in the improvements hereinafter described in the
construction and arrangement of mechanical filters for the rapid purification of water
and treatment of other liquids.
According to our said invention we construct a tank or series of tanks
or filters preferably of iron or steel such tanks or filters having closed tops
or covers.
These filters are divided into compartments by perforated or slotted partitions or
divisions provided with suitable means for regulating the flow and each compartment
is filled with granulated polarite or other suitable filtering material.
A portion of the first and last compartments should contain a layer of a coarser
material such as granulated coke broken stone or the like for the purpose of holding
back the finer filtering medium from the top and bottom chambers formed at each
end for receiving the water or other liquid under treatment.
We provide a manhole & where necessary also hand holes to each compartment.
The partitions are kept in position by means of suitable stays & supports which
also add to the strength of the tank.
Each compartment is provided with one or more pipes or coils of pipes provided
with perforations or nozzles for the admission under pressure or otherwise of steam or
liquids or gases for the purpose of sterilizing the filtering medium or otherwise
treating the liquids.
We also force air preferably previously sterilized through the compartments by
pipes suitably placed this is effected either before or after the sterilizing process has
taken place in order to aerate and revivify the filtering medium.
Each filter tank is or may be fitted with a suitable pressure gauge or gauges and
relief valve or valves also air pipes with stop cocks when necessary.
The water or other liquid to be filtered is admitted (preferably under pressure) at or
near the top or front of the first compartment and discharged at or near the bottom
back or end of the last compartment.
In order to cleanse the filter the action & flow of the water or liquid under pressure
is reversed and for this purpose the pipe or pipes leading from the filter tanks are
are or may be fitted with suitably arranged three-way valves & washout pipe
or pipes for the discharge of the impurities. After the cleansing is effected the
filtering medium is sterilized & aerated in the manner before described and the
process of filtration is again continued.
Dated this 28th day of February 1898.
PHILIP HENRY PALMER.
FRANK CANDY.

page_text: Improvements in Mechanical Filters and in the Methods of
Sterilizing and Aerating the same.
We, PHILLIP HENRY PALMER, of Stanley Road, Hastings, in the County of Sussex,
Civil Engineer, and FRANK CANDY, of 56, Nightingale Lane, Balham, in the County
of Surrey, Mechanical 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 :-
Our invention consists in the improvements hereinafter described in the con-
struction and arrangement of mechanical filters for the rapid purification of water and
treatment of other liquids.
Our said improvements are illustrated by the accompanying drawings of a pair of
filters, Figure 1 being a plan and Figures 2 and 3 elevations and Figure 4 a cross
section on lines Y Z which shows the perforated partitions or divisions with the
sterilizing and aerating pipes or tubes which are perforated at intervals or distances
of about 3 inches apart.
The drawings represent a pair of circular filter tanks (hereinafter called the filters)
preferably of iron or steel A A are the valves or cocks admitting the liquid through
pipes B B to the top of the filters at CC the liquid then passes downwards through
the filtering medium contained in the chambers marked D which is filled in between
the perforated or slotted partitions E and out through the pipes F F controlled by the
valves or cocks G G. Figure 4 shows the arrangement of perforations each. perfora-
tion H being about th inch diameter placed at a distance of about half an inch
apart the precise size and number of perforations will depend upon the nature of the
liquid to be filtered and the rapidity of filtration to be effected, the pipes J J J are
also perforated as shown at K K K and are about one sixteenth of an inch diameter
the holes being about three inches apart as before stated these pipes are of tinned
copper or other suitable metal and are used for the admission under pressure or other-
wise of sterilizing fluid or steam or gases for the purpose of sterilizing the interior of
the filters as well as the filtering medium and the water passing therethrough and are
also used for the admission of atmospheric air preferably previously sterilized by
passing through a chamber containing cotton wool, granulated polarite or the like
when it is required to aerate the material in the filters the pipes being carried through
the outer shell of the filters as shewn at L L L in Figure 4. The valve or cock N and
the pipe M are used for carrying away the impurities when the filter is washed or
otherwise purified. The filters are supplied with air valves OO and pressure
gauges PP also a draw off pipe Q with cock R.
It will be understood by the foregoing description that filtration takes place
downwards and the washing is effected by reversing the flow by turning on the liquid
through the valve or cock & and carrying off the impurities through the pipe M when
the cock N is opened.
In some cases the method of working the filters may be reversed and the filtration
may take place by an upward flow in which case the inlet will be through the valve
or cock G and the purified liquid will pass out under pressure at the pipe B and
valve or cock A. The method of holding the perforated partitions in position and
securing the stability of the filter when worked under considerable pressure is shewn
in Figure 4. SSS being the stay or tie bolts and T the distance pieces which are
threaded on the tie bolts the method of charging the filters with the filtering medium
(preferably granulated polarite) is by taking out all the perforated partitions except
the bottom one then dropping over each of the tie bolts a set of distance pieces
and filling up to the level of the first set of distance pieces with the filtering medium

page_text: after which the first removable perforated partition is dropped over the tie bolts until
it is caught upon the distance pieces and brackets U U, shown in Figure 4 when this
is accomplished a second set of distance pieces are dropped over the tie bolts and a
second layer of filtering material placed on top to the level of the distance pieces
when the second removable partition is dropped over the tie bolts and then proceed
as before until the last or top removeable partition is put into position this top
partition is then kept in position by top distance pieces which reach up to the inner
side of the cover or dome which is securely bolted down and rendere: water tight by
an india rubber washer or packing or the like. Although circular shaped filters only
are shewn in the drawings yet it will be readily understood that the filters may be
either square or rectangular or of any other convenient shape or size.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we claim
is:-
(1) The method or mode of constructing mechanical filters as herein described.
(2) The method or mode of sterilizing and aerating the interior of the mechanical
filters as well as the filtering medium as also the water passing therethrough.
(3) The combination of filtering sterilizing and aerating in mechanical filters
substantially as herein before described and illustrated.
Dated the 30th day of November 1898.
PHILIP HENRY PALMER.
FRANK CANDY.