GB2223689A

GB2223689A - Water filter

Info

Publication number: GB2223689A
Application number: GB8818823A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alexander Farquhar; Robert Harvey Rines
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1988-08-09
Filing date: 1988-08-09
Publication date: 1990-04-18
Anticipated expiration: 2008-08-09
Also published as: GB2223689B; GB8818823D0

Abstract

A gravity filter for removing solids from natural spring water before bottling comprises a vessel with inlet and outlet openings near the top and divided by a vertical flat filter element which lies in a plane generally parallel to the inlet and outlet pipes. The filter element is offset from the central axis of the vessel so that the chamber on the inlet side is twice as big as that on the outlet side (Fig. 3). Settling takes place in the inlet chamber, and a lower outlet enables settled solids to be removed. <IMAGE>

Description

METHOD OF NATURAL SPRING WATER STORAGE WITH FILTRATION-SETTLING OF PARTICULATE MATTER, AND SYSTEMS THEREFOR The present invention relates to methods of and systems for delivering naturally flowing spring water and the like to storage facilities as for bottling and other uses, being more particularly directed to techniques for effecting such delivery as under gravity with filtrationsettling of undesired particulate or other matter flowing from the spring without putting back-pressure upon or other substantial restriction or resistance to the natural flow that could cause diverting of the flow and consequent loss of volume and flow rate along the desired path or direction.

A principal object of the present invention, accordingly, is to provide such a novel method and system that, unlike conventional "straight" filter systems, can achieve particle settling filtration and then storage without sufficient backpressure or fluid build-up, restriction or resistance to alter or divert the natural spring flow along the direction desired.

Other and further objects will be described hereinafter and are more particularly delineated in the appended claims.

In summary, however, from one of its preferred aspects, the invention embraces a method of particulate and other unwanted material filtering and then storing of naturally flowing spring water and the like without restricting the natural flow, that comprises, flowing the spring water under gravity into an upper inlet region of a vertical housing on one side of the median transverse bisecting vertical plane thereof lying in the direction of flow; exiting the water filling the housing at an upper outlet region of the housing on the other side of said median plane and below the inlet region; interposing a planar filter separator transversely across said housing parallel to said median plane and spaced between the same and said outlet region and extending vertically from the bottom of the housing, at least to the level of the outlet region; and gravity feeding the filtered water on the outlet region side of the filter to storage while providing overflow exiting for such storage. Preferred and best mode embodiment and details are hereinafter set forth.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 of which is a diagrammatic drawing of the flow, filter ing and storage system of a preferred form of the invention operating in accordance with the method thereof; Fig. 2 is an expanded view of the filtration portion of the system of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a top elevation of the filtration apparatus of Fig. 2 looking downwardly with the top thereof removed.

Referring to Fig. 1, a natural underground spring water source egress is shown at S flowing under gravity, from upper areas (not shown) of high fluid potential to lower ground areas of low fluid potential, and thence along along#substantially horizontal pipe P1, (though on occasion a somewhat downwardly inclined pipe may be used) thrown a specially i3# filtration station F and by gravity along further piping P2 into the top of a first storage tank T1 shown of preferably cylindrical cross-section. From the tank T1, the stored water may be pumped at P to a remote second storage tank T2 (via flexible piping P3) which may be located at and directly feed a bottling plant or other utilization system at a location remote from the spring region.

In accordance with the present invention, this system, and particularly including the filtration station F, is designed to present insignificant back-pressure or build-up or flow restrictions or resistance to the water flowat the egress from the spring S, thus insuring its continued flow rate, pressure and path, void of diversions. To achieve this, the filtration system F is of special design involving a vertically disposed cylindrical housing H extending well below the level of the pipe P1 which, in turn, is connected at inlet A (shown with reduced diameter) near the top or upper portion of the housing H and in the side wall thereof, preferably on the far side (shown above in Fig. 3) of the transverse median or vertical bisection plane M of the housing lying in the direction of inlet flow, halving the cylinder.The filtration housing outlet region B, also near the top or upper portion, is, however, disposed below the level of the inlet region A, Fig. 2, and on the opposite side of the median plane M from the inlet, and preferably substantially tangential to the front wall portion of the housing (bottom in Fig. 3).

In the space within the housing H intermediate the median plane M and the front wall of the housing,a vertical planar particle filter separator F is interposed extending as a sector of the cylinder transversely across the housing and parallel to the median plane M (slid downward through the open top of the housing in vertical slide grooves G carried by the inner housing wills, as by handle FH -- and also thusly removable for cleaning or replacing), separating the inlet portion of the housing H1 from the outlet portion H2 throughout the filling depth of the housing H.The non-symmetrical location of the filter F' is preferred to provide a larger chamber Hs (shown about twice as large as H2) for separating particulate and other undesirable materials flowing from the spring S from passing through the outlet B and pipe P2 to the storage tanks T1 and T. In cleaning, the particulate or other undesired settled material in H1 may be washed out through the housing bottom outlet 0, Fig. 2. The water will enter inlet A and fill in portion H1 while simultaneously filtering through into and filling H2, as shown by the arrows in Fig. 3, exiting at B as it fills the housing to the level of B on both sides of the filter F'.The latter, as shown in Fig. 2, is preferably made to extend above the outlet level B and at inlet level A to keep inlet water from inadvertently getting into the filtered-water side H2. Through this construction, moreover, with appropriate piping, the spring flow will encounter no substantial back-pressure build-up, resistance or restriction, as before mentioned, and an overflow pipe in storage tank T1 furthers this end.

The remote filling or utilization storage tank T2, Fig. 1, is provided with a level limit switch LS, that via electrical cable C, will shut off pump P, as required.

The filtration housing or chamber H may assume other than cylindrical configurations, but utilizing the vertical transverse plane filter separation technique of the invention, and further modifications will also occur to thoseskilled in this art, such being considered to fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A method of particulate and other unwanted material settlingfiltering and then storing of naturally flowing spring water and the like without restricting the natural flow, that comprises, flowing the spring water under gravity into an upper inlet region of a vertical housing on one side of the median transverse bisecting vertical plane thereof lying in the direction of flow; exiting the water filling the housing at an upper outlet region of the housing on the other side of said median plane and below the inlet region; interposing a planar filter separator transversely across said housing parallel to said median plane and spaced between the same and said outlet region and extending vertically from the bottom of the housing, at least to the level of the outlet region; and gravity feeding the filtered water on the outlet region side of the filter to storage while providing overflow exiting for such storage.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 and in which said inlet region enters a side of said housing and said outlet region is disposed substantially tangentially to the front of såid housing.

3. A filtration system for: settling particulate and other unwanted materials from flowing spring water and the like without restricting the natural flow thereof, characterised by a vertical housing having an upper inlet region disposed on one side of the median transverse bisecting vertical plane thereof and connected by piping to receive gravity-flow natural spring water, and an upper outlet region disposed on the other side of said median plane and below the inlet region and connected by further piping to effect gravity flow for storage; and a planar filter separator disposed transvereely across said housing parallel to said median plane and spaced between the same and said outlet region and extending vertically from the bottom of the housing at least to the level of said outlet region.

4. A filtration system as claimed in claim 3 and in which the portion of the housing defined by the planar filter and the inlet side of the hosuing is approximately twice that of the inlet side.

5. A filtration system as claimed in either claim 3 or 4 and in which the said inlet region enters a side of the housing and said outlet region is connected substantially tangentially to the front of the housing.

6. A filtration system as claimed in any of claims3, 4 and 5 and in which the said planar filter extends above said outlet region to the level of said inlet region.

7. A filtration system as claimed in any of claims 3, 4, 5 and 6 and in which said planar filter is removable along vertical guides carried by the inner walls of the housing,upon removal of the top of the housing.

8. A filtration system as claimed in any of the preceding claims 3 through 7 and in which a first storage tank with overflow is connected to the outlet and means is provided for pumping the water therein stored to a remote further storage tank as for bottling and other utilization.

9. A filtration system as claimed in any of the preceding claims and in which said housing is cylindrical, said median plane is a plane transversely and diametrically halving the cylinder and said planar filter defines a sector of the cylinder.

10. The method and system substantially as described in the specification and shown in the drawings.