IMPROVEMENTS IN FILTERS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark of the firm of A M and
W Clark of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agents,
for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN FILTERS Communicated to him from
abroad by William Maynard, of the City County and State of New York,
United States of America, Chemist.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st August 1882.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK of the firm of A M and W Clark of 53, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agents "IMPROVEMENTS IN FILTERS."
[Communicated to him from abroad by William Maynard, of the City County
and State of New York, United States of America, Chemist.]
The object of this Invention is to furnish an improved device for filtering water
and other liquids, which shall be so constructed as to thoroughly filter the liquid
and enable the collected refuse to be readily removed from the filter.
The Invention consists in an improved filter formed by the peculiar and novel
shape of the filtering medium, and also the material of which it is composed,
together with the construction of the complete filter.
The filtering medium is a disc or diaphragm made of corundum or other similarly
bi-sected conglomerate enclosed within a vessel formed of two hemispherical cups
between which the edges of the disc are clamped, the disc thus separating the two
parts of the vessel in the manner of a diaphragm. An elastic washer or gasket
is placed between the edges of the cups and the filtering disc to make a tight joint,
and the cups are screwed together. The cups are provided with ingress and egress
pipes the lower one being that by which the water enters into the filter, and the
upper one the one by which it flows out. The lower cup is also provided with a
lateral pipe by which water can flow out without filtration whenever unfiltered
water is required or whenever the filter becomes filled with dirt. By opening this
pipe the deposit is washed away.

page_text: The filtering disc or diaphragm has a hole through the centre to receive a tapered
cork or other elastic stopper which is placed in the said hole for the purpose of
reducing by its compressibility and elasticity the breaking strain on the filter. By
making the stopper cone shaped it acts like a key stone of an arch and is prevented
from being forced through by the pressure of the water.
I do not, however, confine myself to the special or particular shape of the filter
proper as this may be varied without departing from the Invention.
Having described the construction of the filter, I will now proceed to described
the material of which the filter proper is made.
I take corundum, or other analagous material (excepting glass or its analagues)
and selecting it carefully from all impurities, and as carefully selecting its uniform
atomic structure with regard to weight size etc. I chemically combine and compress
it so that whilst it is mechanically pressed together so that no atoms of organic
matter can permeate its structure or interstices, yet it is throughly pervious to
water or other limpid liquid-The sharp points and angles of the material together
with the hardness and smoothness of its faces preventing any amount of organic
matter from collecting within any interstices upon the surface, whilst the angular
points of incidence peculiar to the material of which the filtering medium is
composed, allows the liquid to pass through its sinuous interstices, and at the same
time prevents the organic matter or dirt from passing through, rendering the
matter of cleaning the filter an easy one and when the filter proper or filtering
medium shall have by long use of very dirty liquid become useless for the purpose;
then by simply detaching the upper from the lower part of the filter vessel, the
filter proper can be taken out and a fresh one placed in its stead, All that is
required to purify the old one being simply to burn out the impurities.

page_text: SPECIFICATION n pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 27th February 1883.
"
"
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK of the Firm of A, M, and W, Clark of 53 Chancery
Lane in the County of Middlesex Patent Agents IMPROVEMENTS IN FILTERS.'
A communication to me from abroad by William Maynard of the City, County
and State of New York, United States of America, Chemist.
The object of this Invention is to furnish an improved device for filtering water
and other liquids which shall be so constructed as to thoroughly filter the liquid
and enable the collected refuse to be readily removed from the filter.
The Invention consists in an improved filter formed by the peculiar and novel
shape of the filtering medium, and also the material of which it is composed,
together with the construction of the complete filter.
In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a vertical central section of the filter.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the disc or filtering diaphragm. Figure 3 is a
perspective view of the cork or elastic plug which fits in the central aperture of
the disc.
A represents the disc or filtering medium which is made of corundum or other
similarly bisected conglomerate. B B are two hemispherical cups between which
the edges of the disc A are clamped, the cups being formed with ears or lugs C
fastened together by a series of screw bolts D. I is an elastic washer or gasket
placed between the edges of the cups B and the filtering disc to make a tight joint.
EF are the pipes of ingress and egress, the lower one E being that by which the
water enters into the filter, and the upper one F the one by which it flows out.
G is a pipe by which the water can flow out without passing through the filter if
required, or whenever the filter becomes filled with dirt by opening pipe G the
deposit is washed away.
Figure 2 shows the shape of the filter proper which is that of a disc with a hole
through the centre, but I do not however confine myself to the special or particular
shape of the filter proper as this may be varied without departing from the
Invention
H is a tapered cork or other elastic stopper placed in the hole in the centre of
the filter proper for the purpose of reducing by its compressibility and elasticity,
the breaking strain on the filter. By making the stopper cone shaped, it acts like
the key stone of an arch and is prevented from being forced through by the pressure
of the water,
Having described the construction of the filter, I will now proceed to describe
the. material of which the filter proper is made. I take corundum or other analogous
material (excepting glass or its analogues) and selecting it carefully from all
impurities and as carefully selecting its uniform atomic structure with regard to
weight, size, &c, I chemically combine and compress it so that whilst it is
mechanically pressed together so that no atoms of organic matter can permeate its
structure or interstices, yet it is thoroughly pervious to water or other limpid
liquid. The sharp points and angles of the material together with the hardness
and smoothness of its faces, prevent any amount of organic matter from collecting
within any interstices upon the surface, whilst the angular points of incidence
peculiar to the material of which the filtering medium is composed, allows the liquid
to pass through its sinuous interstices and at the same time prevents the organic
matter or dirt from passing through, rendering the matter of cleaning the filter an
easy one by means of the pipe G, and when the filter proper or filtering medium

page_text: shall have, by long use of very dirty liquid, become useless for the purpose, then
by simply detaching the upper from the lower part of the filter by means of the
screws, the filter proper can be taken out and a fresh one placed in its stead. All
that is required to purify the old one being simply to burn out the impurities.
Having described the nature of the said Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is.
1st A filtering medium composed of corundum or its equivalent in the form of a
porous conglomerate as described.
2nd The combination with a filter case or chamber, of a porous filtering medium
having a hole through the same provided with an elastic stopper, substantially as
and for the purpose described.
3rd The combination of the filtering disc A, the cups B B having inlet and
outlet pipes E F and G and provided with ears and screws, and the elastic
gaskets I substantially as and for the purpose described.
In Witness whereof I the said Alexander Melville Clark have hereunto set my
hand and seal this twenty seventh day of February, A.D. 1883.
A M
CT AD 17