Improvements in Method and Apparatus for Purifying Liquids Magnetically, to which may be added Electrolysis and Aeration.
Year: 1894

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Method and Apparatus for Purifying Liquids
Magnetically, to which may be added Electrolysis and
Aeration.
I, JOHN TRUE HARRIS, Manufacturer, of Mills Building, 35 Wall Street,
New York City, N.Y., 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, that is to say :-
This invention relates particularly to the purification of water and other liquid
.or fluids, whether the same be under pressure or not. In many impure liquids or
fluids the impurities carried thereby are in the form of fine particles, and being so
are difficult to remove, especially where there is a strong current in the apparatus;
and it is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a simple and
effective method and means by which such impurities are held back, caused to
settle or removed.
To this end it consists in the novel method and apparatus hereinafter set forth
and employed either alone or in conjunction with any mechanical, chemical or
electrical means of purification or filtration whereby all classes, or certain desired
classes, of impurities are removed from the water or other liquid or fluid that
passes through the apparatus.
The invention is based upon the well-known principle in natural philosophy that
every material body is subject to magnetic influence, and is either paramagnetic or
diamagnetic. Paramagnetic substances as are attracted by a magnet, include iron,
nickel and cobalt, and a few metallic salts and oxides; and a large number of other
materials are diamagnetic and are repulsed more or less by a magnet. This latter
property of the magnet is utilized in the present invention to repel the diamagnetic
particles such as organic matter, albuminoids, silica, alumina, &c., that are held
suspended in the liquid, whereby the liquid that is allowed to pass onward is
purified, while the remaining body of the liquid acts as a vehicle by which the
impurities or other matters may be conveyed away from the purified liquid. The
purifying or settling action of the magnet inay be employed in conjunction with the
action of an electric current that is caused to pass through the liquid that is being
acted upon, or which is to be acted upon, by the magnet; and, also, such action of
the magnet may be employed in conjunction with the liquid which is being or has
been treated by forcing air, oxygen, ozone, or other oxidizing agent therein; or,
the magnet may be used when both of such treatments are usel.
In the practice of this method there is provided one or more permanent or
electro-magnets supported in position so that the pole-pieces are either wholly or
partially immersed by, or are in the path of the flow of liquid, as it passes onward,
in such manner that the liquid is subjected to the lines of force of the pole or poles
of a magnet or magnets either while it is at rest or in its onward flow and whether
its flow be regular or intermittent.
The particular location of the magnet pole pieces and their construction or form
may be greatly varied, depending upon the class of apparatus with which the
magnet or magnets may be used, and also upon the character or nature of the
liquid or fluid being treated, it being simply necessary that the liquid or fluid,
either as a stream or as a body, shall pass or flow or be confined within the
influence of the magnetic lines of force, whereby the impurities or other matters
carried by such liquid or fluid may be properly and effectually prevented from
passing onward or caused to settle or he otherwise removed.

page_text: In the practical application of the invention it is obvious that the style of
apparatus may be varied within wide limits, but there is shown in the accompanying
drawings an apparatus of special construction adapted to a special arrangement of
the magnets, such being the preferred form so far as present experience has
demonstrated.
In said drawings :—
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of an apparatus embodying the
invention and adapted to the carrying out of the improved method.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.
Fig. 3 is a cross section, taken on the line 3, 3, of Fig. 1.
Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged elevation and cross section of a magnet core and its
pole pieces.
Fig. 6 is a diagram hereinafter described.
As the improved method of purifying or otherwise treating liquids or fluids will
be better understood by describing an apparatus designed to carry out such method,
a description of such apparatus will first be given.
The apparatus taken for illustration consists of a casing A forming a holder or
receptacle for the liquid being treated, and is shown arranged longitudinally with
a sufficient depth to provide a settling or collecting basin B for the repelled
impurities or other matters that may be caused to settle, and of a width preferably
suited to the form of magnet pole pieces that may be employed. The settling
basin has a draw-off valve a, through which the collected substances may be
removed from the holder. At one end of the casing, preferably near its upper
end, it is connected with an induction pipe b, controlled by a valve c, and through
which pipe the liquid to be treated may pass into the holder. The casing is also
provided with an eduction pipe d, by which the purified liquid is allowed to pass
from the holder. The holder may be entirely closed, depending upon whether the
liquid is under pressure or not.
At the upper side of the holder, preferably some distance from the induction
pipe, there is supported one or more magnets-electro magnets are shown-the
pole-pieces of which extend sufficiently into the holder so as to be immersed
to a more or less degree by the liquid therein. The pole pieces of the magnet
or magnets are of iron of considerable depth and width, and some thickness,
and are supported so that the opposite pole-pieces of each magnet provide a
narrow space between their adjacent or opposed faces. At the point where the
lines of force are the greatest, or the most powerful, the orifice of the eduction
pipe d, is located, and as this point occurs at or near the upper end of the pole
pieces near the point where they join the magnet cores, the liquid is compelled to
pass upward through a space in which the lines of force gradually become stronger
and stronger and finally enter the eduction pipe or leave the holder at the point of
their strongest influence. It is obvious that the eduction pipe may be led from this
point in any direction it may be desired to lead it. In this passage of the liquid
between the pole pieces, the diamagnetic substances which it may contain are
repelled with a gradually increasing force, and as there is a body of liquid
constantly present, these repelled substances or particles descend through such
body of liquid and are caused, more or leas quickly, to settle at the bottom of the
holder. Where a number of magnets are employed, their pole pieces will extend
in a longitudinal direction, and separated from the pole pieces of the adjacent
magnet or magnets by a small space, so that the number of pole pieces provide a
narrow vertical and longitudinally extending channel for the liquid passing between
the opposite pole pieces.
Instead of leading a separate eduction pipe from the space between each magnet,
there may be provided a continuous conduit extending longitudinally the length
of the several pole pieces, which conduit is open on its under side and finally
emerges into an unbroken eduction pipe that is adapted to convey the purified
liquid into it out of the holder.
The holder is preferably formed of some diamagnetic material, such as wood, so

page_text: that the lines of magnetic force are not diverted, and also so that the deposited or
settling particles may not be repulsed or retarded from settling.
Instead of depending wholly upon the magnetic treatment of the liquid as thus
far described, such treatment may be used in connection with a current of electricity
that may pass through the liquid in the holder, or which has been caused to pass
through such liquid before or as it is being conducted to the holder. For this
purpose a conductor e, leading from any suitable source of electricity, is led to or
into the liquid in the holder, and another conductor f is also led into the holder;
the terminals of each of these conductors being arranged so that the current from
any suitable generator G, Fig. 6, will pass through the body of liquid in the holder.
The current that may pass through the liquid may be such as to have an electrolytic
action, and therefore, strong enough to make the decomposition of the liquid more
or less visible, or the current may be such as to have little decomposing effect, but
rather an electrifying action. In passing an electric current through the body of
liquid within the influence of the magnetic lines of force, their repelling
property is augmented and the impurities carried by the liquid more effectually
removed.
In addition to this use of electric current, or independent thereof, the body of
liquid being treated or on its way to be treated by the magnets as before described,
may have forced into it air, oxygen, ozone, or other oxidizing or aerating agent to
further aid the purification of the liquid. I prefer, however, to use, as being less
expensive, ozonized air, as being more effective than ordinary air, and which may
be produced in a simple manner by causing electric discharges to pass through the
air in a confined space as it is being conducted to the holder. The pipe / conveying
this ozonized air or other oxidizing agent is shown as leading into the holder, and
provided with a number of perforations, which permit the agent to be forced into
the body of liquid in the holder to aerate it or to cause the more ready oxidization
of the impurities therein.
One mode of ozonizing the air passing to the casing A, is indicated in Fig. 6,
where the air conduit leading from an air force pump P is enlarged into a
chamber Q, into which are led one or more terminals of a pair of conductors, r, s,
leading from the generator G. The electrical discharges passing between the
terminals within and across the air chamber Q ozonize the air as it is forced and
conducted onward to enter the liquid in the casing A.
While I have only shown one holder for the liquid it is obvious that two or more
may be employed, into the second one of which the liquid carried off by the eduction
pipe from the first holder may be conveyed, and such liquid be again subjected to
the influence of the lines of magnetic force of another magnet or a number of
magnets, to be then conveyed in a similar manner from such second holder by an
eduction pipe for use or for further treatment.
The induction pipe for leading the liquid into the holder is preferably arranged
so that the inflowing current will not unnecessarily disturb the proper settling of
the repelled substances and this tendency may be effectually guarded against by
arranging one or more diaphragms i, one extending downward within a short
distance of the bottom of the holder and the other one extending upward within a
short distance from the upper level or top of the holder, and separating the
incoming supply of liquid from the body in which the settling action is taking
place. Substantially the same effect may be produced by extending the end of the
induction pipe some distance into the holder as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1,
and perforating such extension for the liquid to flow from the pipe in a number of
small streams.
From the foregoing it will be understood that the improved method consists
substantially in causing the holding back, settling or depositing of diamagnetic
substances held in suspension in a liquid by subjecting such liquid to magnetic
action so that the liquid from which the diamagnetic substances have been expelled
may pass onward free from such substances, while the liquid yet under treatment

page_text: -acts as a vehicle for such repelled substances to convey them away in their
repelled or settling movement.
It furthermore consists in withdrawing the purified liquid from the receptacle
from a point immediately adjacent the pole piece or pieces at a point where the
diamagnetic material has been repelled.
While both pole pieces of the magnet are shown as immersed in the liquid it is
recognized that only one pole may be utilized at a time.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The herein described method of purifying a flowing body of liquid, which
consists in presenting both poles of a magnet simultaneously to the body of liquid
being treated in such manner that the impurities therein are diamagnetically
repelled in the direction of gravity through the body of liquid being treated, and
at the same time continuously separating that portion of the flowing liquid which is
in contact with the face of the magnet pole pieces and from which the impurities
have been repelled from that portion through which the repelled impurities are
settling, removing the liquid thus purified, and then separately removing the settled
repelled impurities or sediment.
2. The herein described apparatus for purifying liquids, consisting of a receptacle
for the liquid, an induction passage opening thereinto, a magnet having its pole
piece extending into the said receptacle, and an eduction pipe having its exit
orifice located in close proximity to the surface of the pole piece, substantially as
specified.
3. The herein described method of purifying liquids, the same consisting in
subjecting the liquid to the influence of one or more magnets, forcing an oxidizing
agent into said liquid thereby modifying the condition of the impurities in the
liquid whereby such impurities are rendered susceptible to diamagnetic influence,
and drawing off the liquid from a point immediately adjacent to and while it is in
contact with the magnet pole pieces and from which repellant substances are
prevented from approaching.
4. The herein described liquid purifying apparatus, consisting of a holder for
the liquid, an induction pipe leading thereto, a magnet having its pole pieces
extending into said holder, an eduction pipe the orifice of which leads from between
said pole pieces, electrodes within the holder to increase the effect of the magnet,
and a pipe for conducting an oxidizing agent into said holder.
5. The combination of the holder having a supply or induction pipe leading
thereto, a magnet having its pole pieces extending into the space in said holder,
and an eduction pipe, the orifice of which leads from between said pole pieces,
substantially as described.
6. The combination of the holder for the liquid, a magnet having for its pole
pieces two opposed broad pieces of metal providing a vertical space between the
pole pieces which extend into the space in the holder, an eduction pipe leading from
the upper end of the space between the pole pieces, and means for supplying liquid
to the holder, substantially as described.
7. The combination of the holder for the liquid, a plurality of magnets having
their pole pieces extending into the space in said holder, an eduction pipe, the
orifice of which leads from between each of the pairs of pole-pieces of the magnets,
substantially as described.
Dated thie 18th day of December 1664
J. T. HARRIS,
Per W. H. Beck,
115, Cannon Street, London, Agent.