IMPROVEMENTS IN FILTERS FOR FILTERING OR PURIFYING WATER AND OTHER LIQUIDS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FILTERS FOR FILTERING OR
PURIFYING WATER AND OTHER LIQUIDS."-A communication from abroad
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward
Newton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 17th September 1874.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FILTERS FOR
FILTERING OR PURIFYING WATER AND OTHER LIQUIDS," to be as follows:-
:-
"
The improved filter which forms the subject of the present Invention
may be made of any convenient form (cylindrical by preference if it is
to be portable and of moderate dimensions), and in the upper part of this

page_text: $
vessel is fitted another of corresponding shape, but of about one-third
the depth, so as to leave a vacant space below in the outer vessel. In
the central part of this inner vessel is fitted (permanently secured thereto
by preference) a long cylindrical vessel or tubular chamber, which is
open at the upper end, and extends up to a level with or slightly above
the upper edge of the inner vessel, and projects through the bottom of
the latter down into the vacant space below. The bottom or lower part.
of this tubular chamber is perforated with small holes, and when in use
it is filled about half or two-thirds full of granulated charcoal or other
filtering medium. Around this tubular chamber are arranged a number
of hanks of wool, cotton, or other fibrous thread or yarn. These hanks
are tied in loose knots at one end, and these ends hang over the edges of
the tubular chamber, and are allowed to rest on the charcoal or filtering
material therein, while their opposite ends hang down the outside of the
chamber and rest on the bottom of the vessel outside.
When water or other liquid which requires to be filtered is poured into
this vessel the liquid will pass by capillary attraction up the threads or
yarns, and will drop into the central tubular chamber, and after filtering
through the charcoal will pass through the perforated bottom of the
central tubular chamber into the vacant space beneath, from which the
filtered and purified liquid can be drawn off (when required) through a
suitable tap. Those impurities which are held in suspension in the water
and do not deposit themselves of their own gravity in the upper vessel
will adhere to the threads or yarns, while the pure liquid will pass up.
These impurities may be washed off the yarns from time to time by
simply rincing them in water.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 17th March 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.

page_text: year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Edward Newton, Her special
licence that I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Edward Newton,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FILTERS FOR FILTERING OR PURIFYING WATER AND OTHER LIQUIDS," being a com-
munication to me from abroad by Josiah Vincent Lavers, of Sydney,
New South Wales, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Edward Newton, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Newton, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing
The improved filter which forms the subject of the present Invention
may be made of any convenient form (cylindrical by preference if it is
to be portable and of moderate dimensions).
The main object and advantage of the Invention is to construct a filter
which will act more efficiently and with greater rapidity than those now
in use, so that filters capable of delivering a given quantity of pure
water within a given time may be reduced in size, and consequently in
expense.

page_text: Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same with the cover of the filter removed
in order that the internal arrangement may be more clearly seen.
Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the filter.
In the upper part of the large vessel a is fitted another vessel b, of
corresponding shape, but of about one-third the depth of the larger
vessel a, so as to leave a vacant space below in the outer vessel a and in
the smaller one b. In the central part of this inner vessel b is fitted
(permanently secured thereto by preference) a long cylindrical vessel or
tubular chamber c, which is open at the upper end and extends up to a
level with or slightly above the upper edge of the inner vessel b, and
projects through the bottom of the latter down into the vacant space.
below. The bottom or lower part of this tubular chamber c is perforated
with small holes, as at c*, and when in use this chamber c is filled about
half or two-thirds full with granulated charcoal or other filtering
medium. Around this tubular chamber are arranged a number of
hanks d of wool, cotton, or other fibrous thread or yarn. These hanks d
are tied in loose knots at one end, and these ends are hung over the
edges of the tubular chamber c, and are allowed to rest on the charcoal
or filtering material therein, while their opposite ends hang down the
outside of the chamber c and rest on the bottom of the vessel 6 outside. .
When water or other liquid which requires to be filtered is poured into
this vessel 6, the liquid will pass by capillary attraction up the thread or
yarns d, and will flow into the central tubular chamber c, and after
filtering through the charcoal contained in this chamber will pass
through the perforated bottom c* of the central tubular chamber into
the vacant space beneath, from which the filtered and purified liquid
can be drawn off (when required) through a suitable tap e. Those
impurities which are held in suspension in the water and do not deposit
themselves of their own gravity in the upper vessel 6 will adhere to the
threads or yarns d, while the pure liquid will pass up the threads and
over the edge of the central chamber, and flow on to the charcoal con-
tained therein, through which it will percolate as before mentioned. The
impurities which adhere to or are deposited on the yarns may be
washed off therefrom from time to time by simply rincing them in
d
1

page_text: water, after which they may be replaced in the filter, and the filtering
operation resumed.
A small air pipe f extends up from the top of the space below the
vessel 6 to above the level of the top of the chamber c, so that the air
confined in the space below may not interfere with the filtering
operation.
Having now described the improvements in filters for filtering or
purifying water and other liquids, and having explained the manner
of carrying the same into effect, as communicated to me by my cor-
respondent as aforesaid, what I claim as the Invention secured to me by
Letters Patent as aforesaid is,--
The use of the threads or hanks d of fibrous material for the purpose
of conducting the water or other liquid by capillary attraction from the
vessel 6 to the vessel c, as herein set forth.
I also claim the combination with the vessel a of the vessels b and c,
provided with the hanks d and the body of granulated charcoal, as and
for the purposes herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Seventeenth day of March, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.