Improvements in Apparatus for the Automatic Delivery and Discharge of Sewage and other Liquids to and from Filter Beds.
Year: 1899

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for the Automatic Delivery and Discharge
of Sewage and other Liquids to and from Filter Beds.
I, EDWIN BROWN, of Hurstville, Mill Road, Burgess Hill, Sussex, Surveyor
and Nuisance Inspector, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to the delivery to and discharge from filter beds of sewage
and other liquids, and provides means for carrying the same into effect alternately
and automatically.
Whereas it has been found desirable for the purification of sewage or other
liquids that they should be held in contact with the filtering medium for certain
periods, and that such filter should also remain empty free from all liquids for
certain periods, sufficient for effectually cultivating bacteria and also the complete
aeration of the filter.
By my invention sewage or other liquid is automatically and alternately
delivered to and discharged from any number of filter beds in rotation so as to
give the sewage the necessary periods of rest in contact with the filterating
medium and rest for the aeration of the filter.
My improved apparatus is operated by the difference of weight between air
and water, and is an adaptation of the principle which obtains in the ordinary
ball cock.
1 construct air vessels, preferably cylindrical, and of suitable capacity which
rise and fall in suitably shaped chambers and which are connected by shafts to
each end of a lever beam rocking on a horizontal shaft, to which is connected
delivery and discharge valves. In operation the introduction of the liquid to the
filter bed causes the liquid to rise in the chamber connected therewith, lifts the
air vessel, shifts the gearing and opens a delivery valve which directs the liquid
into a fresh filter, and opening at the same time a discharge valve from another
filter.
As it is necessary that this action should not take place until the filter is full
it is regulated by a small float, which cannot come into operation until the filter is
full, when the liquid rises in the aforesaid chamber to the level of the float, which
is then lifted up and moves a lever, which sets free an escapement, which holds
the large air vessel in check until the proper time for the action; when the catch
is freed, the main action takes place and the valves are shifted in readiness for the
filling and emptying of the next filters.
To prevent disarrangement by frost the shafts from the air vessel may be dis-
connected from the lever beam by removing the connecting bolt, and the whole
apparatus may be worked by hand.
The apparatus is operated in the following manner :--
The gearing to commence would be set by hand, so that the liquid would flow into
the first filter, the discharge valves from this filter being closed; the liquid
flowing into the filter would also rise in the chamber in connection therewith,

page_text: and when filled will lift the float and release the escapement, which would free
the catch on the shaft of the air vessel. This air vessel would then rise and
shift the valves diverting the liquid by opening delivery valves to the next
filter, and also the discharge valve from another filter, at the same time replacing
the catch on the shaft of the air vessel.
The liquid flowing into the next filter would also rise in the chamber in con-
nection therewith and the above described action would be repeated, and by
arrangement the apparatus may be applied to any number of filters in rotation.
Dated this 16th day of January 1899.
Improvements in Apparatus for the Automatic Delivery and Discharge
of Sewage and other Liquids to and from Filter Beds.
I, EDWIN BROWN, of Hurstville, Mill Road, Burgess Hill, Sussex, Surveyor,
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:-
It is been found desirable for the purification of sewage or other impure liquids
that they should be held in contact with the filtering medium for certain periods
and also that the filter should remain empty free from all liquids for certain
periods, which shall be sufficient respectively for effectually cultivating bacteria
and for completely aërating the filtering medium.
My invention consists in apparatus for automatically delivering the sewage or
other impure liquid to and discharging it from any suitable number of filter
beds in rotation so as to give the sewage the necessary periods of rest in contact
with the filtering medium, and so as to give the latter the necessary period of
rest for aëration, while at the same time any one of the filter beds may be
cut out of connection for any period desired. The apparatus is operated by
the difference of weight between air and water and is an adaptation of the prin-
ciple which obtains in the ordinary ball cock. For operating the valves for
admitting the sewage to the filter beds and the valves for discharging the sewage
therefrom I provide air-filled vessels, preferably cylindrical of suitable capacity
and adapted to rise and fall while suitably guided in chambers connected with
the filter beds. To these float-vessels is connected a beam on a horizontal rocking
shaft, said shaft being connected to the sewage inlet and discharge valves so as to
close the one set while opening another.
It is necessary that this action should not take place until the filter is as full as
desired. For this purpose I employ a catch or equivalent means whereby the afore-
said float vessel is held in its down position until the liquid in the filter_bed
has reached a predetermined level and I provide self acting means for then releas-
ing the catch so that the float vessel can rise and actuate the valves. The self-
acting means is by preference in the form of a small float in the aforesaid chamber
which float cannot come into operation until the filter is full. When the liquid
therefore rises in the chamber to the level of the small float, the latter is lifted
and set free a catch, escapement or locking device whereby the aforesaid cylin-
arl float-vessel which was held in the down position in the chamber, will now
e released and rise and thereby, while acting on the aforesaid beam operate the
valves in readiness for the filling of one filter and emptying of another filter.
To prevent disarrangement by frost the bolt or part which connects the beam

page_text: with the float-vessels may be removed so that the apparatus may be operated
by hand.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying diawings is a side elevation partly in section Fig. 2
a plan and Fig. 3 an end sectional elevation of an apparatus operating in the
manner described and Fig. 1 is a diagram of an arrangement of 5 filter beds.
Figs. 1 and 2 show one half of a double set of apparatus, and this involves the
use of five filter beds.
The
AAAA and B B B B Fig 4 are the two sets of valves for admitting
sewage to the filter beds. Each set of four valves is connected by rods Q to the
beams (, Figs. 1 and 2, which are carried in each apparatus by a shaft D.
To the other end of each of the shafts D, is fixed a beam which is connected by
the rods to the outlet or discharge valves G1, G2 and G3 G, see Fig. 4.
ends of the beams E are connected by the links I to the floats J numbered 1, 2, 3
and 4, which are guided by rods L and are arranged in chambers T1, T2, T3, and T+,
which communicate by pipes c¹, &, and with the discharge drains of the filter
beds. The double aimed levers M R of the ball floats N1, N2, N3, № which are
also arranged in the chambers T1, T2, T3 and T are hinged to the bracket P in
such a manner that a nose R' on said lever passes between the links I and
engages with a roller S mounted between the said links and acting as a stop,
anu prevents the float-vessel J, which is down, from rising until the liquid rises
and lifts the ball float N, whereby the nose R¹ becomes disengaged from the stop
roller S and allows the float in this case J¹ to rise in the liquid, reversing the
valves, while simultaneously the float J2 descends and the corresponding
stop S strikes the corresponding nose R¹ and lifts that end of the lever
so that the stop roller S comes below the nose and the float-vessel is retained
in the down position until the liquid flowing into the chamber T raises the ball
float N. a, a², a², a³, d³, d², d, are inlet pipes connecting the several filters with
the inlet valves A1, A2, A2, A3, B3, B4, B B The valve serves to
admit the sewage to the inlet valves of the filter beds and the pairs of sluice
valves VW, 12, 13 W, V+ W serve to admit the sewage or liquid from the
filter beds to the discharge valves G1, G2, G3 G. X is the outlet channel for the
purified effluent liquid.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-
Assuming that filters Nos. 1, 3, 2 and 4 are to be filled in the order given while
filter No. 5 remains idle for aëration and the valves V1 V2 V3 V are opened and
the valves W2, W, W, We are closed, the beam E of the left hand apparatus
must be set to begin with so that valve A¹ is opened and the outlet valve is
closed. At the same time in the left hand set of valves the right hand valve A
and the left hand valve A³ are disconnected and in the right hand apparatus the
beam is set so that the valve B is closed while the valve B5 and right and left
hand valves B are also disconnected. The liquid will then flow into filter No. 1
charging it from the top by the inlet pipe and will remain in the filter during
the period (say 1 to 3 hours under some circumstances) occupied in charging the
next filter in rotation. The chamber T will be filled from the filter No. I by
the discharge drain b and the connecting pipe c When the filter No. 1 is full
the liquid in the chamber T will have risen to the required level for raising
the small float N in that chamber thus releasing the catch and setting free the
large float vessel J which will at once rise. By this action the beam E will be
vibrated so that the sewage inlet valve B to No. 3 filter is opened. By the
same action the outlet valve G is opened, and the oulet valve G³ closed.
filter No. 3 will be charged. The left hand valve B' may now be re-connected.
The sewage collecting in the drain will rise in the chamber T through the
connecting pipe c¹. When the proper level has been reached the small float N¹
therein will rise, release the catch and allow the large float-vessel J to rise whereby
the left hand inlet valve A2 will be opened and inlet valve closed while the
outlet valve G¹ will be opened and the outlet valve G closed. No. 2 filter will
now fill and the liquid collecting in drain 62 will run into chamber T3 by connecting
Now

page_text: pipe c³.
When the small float N³ herein has risen and released the catch the
large float vessel J will rise whereby the left hand inlet valve B will be opened
and inlet valve 133 closed while the outlet valve G³ is opened and the outlet
valve G closed. Filter No. 4 will now fill, the liquid in drain will flow
into chamber T through connecting pipe, and when the small float N has
released the catch the large float-vessel J2 will rise, whereby the whole gear
will assume the position as at the commencement, with the exception of valve B
which has been reconnected and filter No. 1 will be recharged.
During all
these four filter filling operations repeated say three times a day the filter No. 5
has been at rest for the purpose of aeration, while of the four filters in operation
one filter has been standing empty during the same period in which a second has
been filling a third emptying and a fourth filter standing full of liquid.
By regulating the sluice valves V, W the filter cut out of connection may be
substituted for any one of the other filters in operation. When for example it is
desired to substitute filter No. 5 for filter No. 4, in order that the latter may be
given a period of rest. say for a week or more, the valves V, W, are closed
and valve W is opened so as to cut off all communication through the discharge
drain with filter No. 4 and to permit of the discharge from filter No. 5 while
the left and right hand inlet valves B are disconnected and the inlet valve B³
is connected up.
I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the use of a double set of
apparatus as it is obvious that the apparatus may be applied to any number of
filter beds.
Instead of the small float N, for at the right moment releasing the catch that
holds the float-vessel in the down position, I may employ other self-acting
means, for instance an open vessel which slowly fills with liquid and when full
releases the catch and overbalancing empties itself, or I may use clockwork set for
effecting the periodic release of the catch.
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. For the bacteriological treatment of sewage and other liquids the applica-
tion and use of automatic apparatus for charging and discharging the filter beds
said apparatus comprising large flot vessel in chembra communicating with
the filter beds and inethanically connected with valves for admitting the sewage
to the filter Leds and for discharging the same therefrom and self acting means
for allowing the Hoat devies to actuate the valves when the liquid has arrived
at a predetermined level in the several filter beds substantially as and for the
purposes set forth.
2. The application and use of two sets of charging and discharging valves
operate alternately from Leams connected with large float-vessels self acting
means being provided for allowing the said float-vessels to actuate the valves when
the liquid has arrived at a predetermined level in the several filter beds substan-
tially as and for the purposes set forth.
3. The application and use of two large-float-vessels for operating the charging
and discharging valves in combination with self-acting means which come into
operation at the end of the charging period, said means then releasing catch
mechanism for holding the said float vessel in the down position, whereby the
position of the valves is reversed substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
4. The application and use of large float-vessels for operating the charging and
discharging valves in combination with small floats and catch mechanism for
holding the large float-vessels in the down position during the filter-bed-charging
period and for releasing them at the end of spid period whereby the position of
the valves is rapidly reversed substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
5. The application and use of two or more sets of apparatus operating by
float-devices in the manner described so that the flow of the liquid from a filter

page_text: connected to one set shall fill a float-chamber of another set and the sets thus
work conjointly substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
6. The general construction and arrangement of apparatus shewn on the
drawings.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Patent Agents.