Improvements in Filters specially designed for Treating Sewage or other Fouled Waters.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Jan., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 26th Oct., 1894-Accepted, 22nd Dec., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Filters specially designed for Treating Sewage or
other Fouled Waters.
I, WILLIAM RAMSBOTTOM of No. 76 Burnley Road, Accrington in the
County of Lancaster formerly Contractor now out of business, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in filters, or settling tanks designed for
filtering and disinfecting large quantities of sewage, or impure water, and the
invention consists of a tank or series of tanks in which are laid beds or layers
of different filtering and disinfecting media and on the top or surface of each
bed is placed a board or division plate so that the bed or beds of medium can
be removed without displacing the bed or beds beneath whereby the filtering and
purifying of the water is improved and the cleansing or renewing of the filter
is greatly facilitated.
According to this invention the bottom of the tanks are formed of cement
concrete, and the walls of brick, or brick and concrete cement there being
preferably one large tank divided into a series of compartments or smaller tanks
by the brick division walls. At each end of the tank is a trough which conveys
the water to be purified to the several tanks, and afterwards carries the purified
water to the desired point. At the end of each tank is a sluice or stop door, and
in the troughs between each tank, is also a sluice which guides the water and
conveys it to the required tank or tanks.
The sluices or doors fit into grooves formed in stone or brick walls or divisions
and the doors and grooves are preferably made larger or wider at the top than at
the bottom.
The filtering beds or media preferably consists of the following:-A layer or
bed of charcoal is laid on the bottom of the tank or tanks, 'above this a layer
or bed of coarse gravel, next a layer of finer gravel, or engine ashes, then a
layer or bed of clean sharp sand and over this a layer or bed of engine ashes.
Between each layer or bed boards about one and a half inches thick are laid
and rest on projecting courses of the brick division walls, there being sufficient
space between the edges of the boards and the walls of the tanks for the water
to pass through freely. The boards extend to within about nine inches of the
outlet ends of the tanks where there is a sluice, or division board extending to
nearly the bottom of each tank and under which all the water has to pass before
leaving the tanks. A trough with perforations or passage ways through the
bottom is employed in connection with each inlet sluice distributes the impure
water evenly over the whole surface of the tank.
Along the sides of each tank or compartment I place vent pipes which act as air
vents from and to the lower parts of the tanks, these pipes have vertical branches,
or are carried in a vertical direction at short distances, the tops to be above the
high water line and open to the atmosphere.
The purified water may be drawn from the tanks either by way of the outlet
sluices or by pipes or outlet ways communicating with the tanks.
Dated this 23rd day of January 1894.
WALTER BRIERLEY,
Penny Bank Chambers, Halifax, Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Filters specially designed for Treating Sewage or
other Fouled Waters.
I, WILLIAM RAMSBOTTOM, of No. 76 Burnley Road, Accrington, in the
County of Lancaster, formerly Contractor, now out of business, 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in filters or settling tanks designed for
filtering, cleansing, and disinfecting large quantities of sewage or impure water, and
the invention consists of a tank or series of tanks in which are laid beds or layers
of different filtering and disinfecting media, and on the top or close above the
surface of each bed is placed a board or division plates, so that the bed or beds of
medium can be removed without displacing the bed or beds beneath, whereby the
filtering and the cleansing or renewing of the filter is greatly facilitated.
Such being the nature and object of my said invention, the following is a
complete description of same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,
in which :-
:-
Fig. 1 is a front sectional elevation of the improved filter in duplicate.
Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation on the line A. B of Fig. 1 looking in the
direction indicated by the arrow.
According to this invention, the bottom 1 of the tanks are formed of cement
concrete, and the walls 2 of brick, or brick and concrete cement, there being
preferably one large tank (see Fig. 1) divided either longitudinally (as shewn) or
laterally into a series of compartments or smaller tanks 3. 4 by brick division
walls 2, and communicating with one another by the passage way 5. 5, near the
bottom of each tank or compartment.
The filtering beds or media preferably consist of the following. A layer or
bed 6 about 12 inches deep of gravel, coarse at the top and fine at the bottom, and
there may be a fine layer of charcoal beneath the gravel. The next layer or bed 7
is about 8 inches deep of clean sharp washed sand. The top layer or bed 8 is
about or 6 inches deep, and is composed of engine ashes with the fine particles
washed or sieved out. Each layer or bed 6. 7. 8 rests on a platform composed of
boards 9. 9 about 3 inches deep and 1 inches wide, such boards 9. 9. being laid
on their edges side by side, and about an eighth of an inch apart, the ends of the
boards resting on projecting courses 10. 10 of the brick walls of the filter.
A trough 11 with perforations or passage ways 12. 12 through the bottom is
employed in connection with each tank or compartment and above the top layer or
bed 8. The sewage or water to be filtered is delivered into the troughs 11. 11,
which distribute the impure water evenly over the whole upper surface of the
filters. The water percolates through the layers of filtering media and between
the boards 9. 9, and finds its way to the bottom of the tank or compartment, which
has air inlets 13. 13 above the level of the water, which is drawn off by means of a
valve or sluice, so as to maintain it at about an uniform level. The air has free
circulation over the whole surface of the water, which is thereby further purified.
Along the sides or in the corners of each tank or compartment, I place vent
pipes 14, which act as air vents from and to the lower parts of the tank, and these
pipes may have branches or perforations 15 at short distances apart, the tops of
such pipes 14 being above high water level, and open to the atmosphere.
An outlet valve or sluice is provided for each tank or compartment, so that one
or more of the tanks can be closed and rendered inoperative.
When two tanks are employed as shewn by Fig. 1, the impure water may be
distributed over the top of one tank or compartment, and percolating through the

page_text: several layers or beds, finds its way by the passages 5. 5 to the bottom of the next
succeeding tank or compartment, through which (if its outlets are closed) the water
will pass from the bottom upwards, thus upwashing the sand and ashes of the
filtering beds. The filtered water may be drawn from the top of the tank or from
the bottom of a third tank if desired.
It will be seen that by the use of the platform or boards 9. 9, the upper layers
or beds of filtering media can be removed, cleaned, and replaced without disturbing
those beneath them, effecting a great saving in time and labour.
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) The general construction, arrangement and combination of parts constituting
the improved filter, as and for the purpose herein described, and substantially as
illustrated by the annexed drawings.
(2) A filter consisting of a tank and beds or layers of filtering media, each layer
or bed of medium being laid on a platform consisting of boards or strips of wood, as
herein described and substantially as illustrated by the annexed drawings.
Dated this 25th day of October 1894.
WALTER BRIERLEY,
Penny Bank Chambers, Halifax, Agent for the Applicant.