Automatic Apparatus for Purifying Water.
Year: 1898

page_text: NOVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Automatic Apparatus for Purifying Water.
I Dr. CARL SCHIERHOLZ, of I Kegelgasse No. 21, Vienna, Austria, Chemist,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows;-
-
My invention relates to a new or improved apparatus for uniformly adding
milk of lime of specific gravity from 1.10 to 1.20, solutions of soda, ferrous
sulphate or the like to impure water or manufacturing effluent which is to be
puified or softened, such apparatus being constructed without cocks, pipes and
regulators which are liable to be stopped up.
The apparatus consists essentially of two parts, viz. (1) a clarifying vat (a
cylinder, reservoir or the like) and (2) an apparatus for adding the chemicals.
The bottom of the clarifying vat is downwardly coned and is provided with a
sludge cock and any suitable arrangement for subdividing the upward flow of
water therein; in the upper part of the vat there is a filter which is cleaned at
the same time that the sludge is discharged.
The apparatus for adding the chemicals comprises three tanks; one of these
is for the preparation of the solution of soda or ferrous sulphate and is provided
with a side discharge cock and a float regulator. The second is for the prepara-
tion of the milk of lime and also has a side cock; its bottom is downwardly
coned and is provided with a sludge cock for the removal of undissolved lime.
The third tank which is to receive the milk of lime, or the milk of lime and
the soda solution mixed, has a suitably curved bottom and is preferably rect-
angular in form. At one side of and above this tank a horizontal rod parallel
to the side is pivotted to uprights fixed to the ends of the tank, and carries a
tube at right angles to it; the tube terminates at its longer end in a shovel
shaped enlargement, while its other end is curved upwards, and is weighted to
counterbalance the shovel enlargement. The curved up portion of the tube is
connected by a link with a stirring device which is arranged to move backwards
nd forwards over the bottom of the tank. There is attached to the tube near the
hovel end a wire which extends transversely on each side of the tube; one end
f the wire passes downwards and terminates in a fork which carries a small
coop attached to eyes at the ends of the prongs of the fork.
The water to be purified is made to flow into the shovel end of the tube and
lls first the tube and then the shovel, until, the latter becoming heavier than
e counterweight, the tube falls over, whereby the scoop is lowered to the
west part of the curved bottom of the tank so as to be filled with milk of lime;
the same time the stirrer is rocked forward.
When the water from the tube and shovel has flowed into a side tank the coun-
rweight pulls the tube over again and the reverse movements occur, viz.:-
e stirrer is rocked backwards and the scoop is raised; the latter is first turned
leways by a fixed pin as it is raised and then by striking against another pin
caused to empty its content of milk of lime into the before mentioned side
k containing the water to be purified.

page_text: The soda solution (or ferrous sulphate when effluent is being purified is
either mixed with the milk of lime and scoop up therewith, or is allowed to flow
at a constant pressure, maintained by the floating regulator, directly and
separately into the water to be purified.
The mixture of water and chemicals flows from the side tank into a suitably
wide pipe which extends down to the lowest point of the clarifying vat; thence
the mixture rises through the subdividing arrangement into the upper part of
the vat where it arrives in a thoroughly mixed, purified (softened) and clarified
condition.
The pure water then passes through the filter at the top of the vat, which
consists of a sieve containing a filtering material such as shavings or gravel of
appropriate size, and from which it flows off in a perfectly clear condition.
Dated this 3rd day of May 1898.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
Automatic Apparatus for rurifying water,
I, Dr. CARL SCHIERHOLZ, of I Kegelgasse No. 2A, Vienna, Austria, Chemist,
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:-
My invention relates to a new or improved apparatus for uniformly adding
milk of lime of specific gravity from 1.10 to 1.20, solutions of soda, ferrous
sulphate or the like to impure water or manufacturing effluent which is to be
purified or softened, such apparatus being constructed without cocks, pipes and
regulators which are liable to be stopped up.
The accompanying drawings shew an apparatus constructed according to my
invention.
Figure 1 is a vertical section of the apparatus for adding the chemicals and of
the top part of the clarifying vat, along line -x of Figure 2.
Figure 2 is a plan of the apparatus and
Figure 3 is a vertical section of the clarifying vat.
The apparatus consists essentially of two parts viz. a clarifying vat or reaction
vessel, 1, and an apparatus for adding the chemicals.
The bottom of the clarifying vat, 1, is downwardly coned at 2, and is pro-
vided with a sludge cock, 3, and with any suitable arrangement for subdividing
the upward flow of water in it. In the upper part of the vat there is a filter,
which is cleaned at the same time that the sludge is discharged. The filter con-
sists of a layer of coarse quartz, 5, supported on a perforated plate, 8, and covered
with a layer of fine quartz, 6, a second perforated plate, 7, being interposed
between the layers if necessary.
The impure water and the chemicals flow into the clarifying vat down the
pipe 9.
The apparatus for adding the chemicals comprises three tanks; one of these, 10,
is for the preparation of the solution of carbonate of soda or ferrous sulphate
and is provided with a side discharge cock, 11, and a float regulator of any known
construction (not shewn in the drawing). The second, 12, is for the preparation
of the milk of lime and also has a side cock, 13, it has a downwardly coned
bottom 14 and this has a sludge cock 15 for discharging unslaked lime particles.
The third tank, 16, which is to receive the milk of lime or the soda solution,
or the milk of lime and soda solution mixed, has a plain or suitably curved

page_text: Dottom and is rectangular in form. At one side of and above this tank a hori-
zontal bar, 18, parallel to the side, is pivotted to two uprights 19, 19, and carries
a tube 17, at right angles to it. This tube terminates at its longer end in a
shovel-shaped enlargement, 20, while its other end carries an upwardly bent air
3 tube 21 and is weighted by the counterweight 22 to render it somewhat heavier
than the longer part of the tube. The air tube 21 is connected by a link 23
with a stirring device arranged to move backwards and forwards over the bottom
of the tank and consisting, in the form shewn, of two or more scrapers, 30, carried
by rods 45. There is attached to the tube 17 near the shovel 20 a wire which
extends transversely on each side of the tube and carries two eyes in which is
suspended a second wire 25. This latter wire has an arm 26 extending backwards
and two arms 25 extending forwards and downwards and terminating in forks
provided with eyes 27, 27 to which are pivotted the suspension rods 28 of a small
scoop 29.
A part of the water to be purified is caused to flow into the shovel 20 from
the reservoir 39 through a regulating valve 46 and the pipe 44, so that the tube 17
is first filled and then the shovel 20 until this end of the tube becomes heavier
than the weighted end, whereupon it descends and the scoop 29 is thereby
lowered to the bottom of the tank 16 as indicated in dotted lines and becomes
filled with milk of lime; the stirrer 30 is at the same time moved forward.
When the water from the tube and shovel has flowed into the empty side
tank 31 of the tank 16, the counterweight 22 pulls the tube 17 back into its
original position and the reverse movements occur, namely, the stirrer is moved
backwards and the scoop is raised; the latter is thrust forward when the branch 26
comes in contact with the fixed pin 32 and then by striking against a fixed rod 33
is caused to empty its content of milk of lime into the impure water in the side
tank. Instead of using a part only of the water to be purified for actuating
the stirrer and the scoop the whole may be used.
The soda solution (or ferrous sulphate solution when effluent is being purified)
contained in the tank 10 is either mixed with the milk of lime and scooped up
therewith or is allowed to flow at a constant presure, maintained by a floating
regulator, directly and separately into the water to be purified.
The mixture of water and chemicals flows from the side tank or mixing
nk 31 of the tank 16 into a suitably wide pipe 9 which extends down to the
lowest part of the clarifying vat 1, thence the mixture rises through the sub-
dividing arrangement 4 (Figure 3) into the upper part of the vat where it
arrives in a thoroughly mixed, purified (softened) condition.
The purified water then passes through the filter at the top of the vat, which
consists of a sieve 8 covered with layers of quartz or gravel
cipitated matter is retained by this filter and the water now fully purified and
and 6. The pre-
clear flows through the exit tube 34.
Instead of layers of quartz or gravel of different sizes, coke or shavings may be
ised.
For cleaning and loosening the upper layer of fine quartz or gravel there is
provided a rake 36, the teeth 35 of which are imbedded in the filtering layer;
it is actuated by the rod 38 and handle 37.
The water necessary for preparing the solution of soda and the milk of lime
nay be drawn from the impure water reservoir 39 through the tubes 40 and 41
rovided with the regulating valves 42 and 43.
A stirring device is not absolutely necessary in the tanks which are to contain
oda solution or ferrous sulphate, but one must be provided for the milk of lime
ank.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
ion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
aim is:-
1. Automatic
annaretus
J

page_text: reaction vat in combination with an apparatus superimposed thereon for auto-
matically and adjustably supplying a precipitant or precipitants, the said
apparatus consisting of an oscillating tube, such as 17, suspended above the tank
containing the precipitant and caused to oscillate by being alternately filled and
emptied, which tube has a stirrer attached to or actuated by it for stirring the
precipitant, and carries a scoop or scoops by means of which the precipitant is
ladled from the tank containing it into the water to be purified at each oscillation
of the tube, substantially as described.
2. In an automatic apparatus for purifying water such as is referred to in
Claim 1, a gravel, quartz or coke filter situated in the upper part of the clarifying
or reaction vat, in order that the mechanically suspended impurities carried
forward by the water may be retained, substantially as described.
Dated this 31st day of January 1899.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.