IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR DEPURATING FLUIDS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Needham and James Kite, both of
Vauxhall, in the County of Surrey, Engineers, for the Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR DEPURATING
FLUIDS."
Sealed the 9th March 1869, and dated the 18th September 1808.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Needham and
James Kite at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 18th September 1868.
We, WILLIAM NEEDHAM and JAMES KITE, both of Vauxhall, in the
County of Surrey, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR DEPURATING
FLUIDS," to be as follows:-
We propose to obtain a perfectly even surface on both sides of the
supply chambers of a filtering press or depurating apparatus by making
the perforated plates or diaphragms of equal or of greater length and
breadth or diameter than the frames, so that when the frames forming
supply and discharge chambers are brought close these diaphragms are
pressed between them, not recessed in or screwed to them as hitherto.
We purpose by this improvement to compass the application of paper
as a filtering medium under high pressure with the assistance of a single

page_text: filtering cloth to each perforated plate to keep the paper from entering
the holes and being thereby broken, or we may in some cases enclose
the filtering paper between two cloths. The frame which in con-
junction with the filtering papers, cloths, and perforated diaphragms
forms the supply chamber will be strengthened by a stay rod or rods
passing across it, and we propose to strengthen the frame of the
discharge chamber with diagonal bars crossing each other like lattice-
work to facilitate the running off of the liquid. The supply and
discharge chambers will alternate, and we propose to introduce the
fluid to be depurated under pressure by a conduit in the upper part
of frames and perforated plates and traversing the depurating apparatus
from end to end, corresponding perforations being made in the filtering
cloths and papers; we also purpose providing a similar conduit at the
lower part of the apparatus for the reception of the depurated fluid, so
that the entire filtration or depuration will be effected without exposing
the fluid to the atmosphere.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Needham and James Kite in the Great
Scal Patent Office on the 17th March 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
NEEDHAM and JAMES KITE, both of Vauxhall, in the County of Surrey,
Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said William Needham and James Kite, Her
special licence that we, the said William Needham and James Kite, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
William Needham and James Kite, our 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 MACHINERY OR APPARATUS

page_text: FOR DEPURATING FLUIDS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the
said William' Needham and James Kite, our executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under our; or one of our, their, or one of their
hands and scals, 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 we, the said William Needham and James
Kite, do hereby declare the nature of our 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 accompanying Sheets of Drawing, and to the figures and letters of
reference marked thereon, similar letters of reference being placed upon
and denoting similar parts where such parts appear or may be seen at
each of the Figures respectively :-
press
The object of our Invention is the employment of paper as a filtering
medium under high pressure, and it will be seen that all the im-
provements in machinery or apparatus for depurating fluids hercin-after
set forth and described concur to this end. To compass our object
the first requirement was a perfectly even surface on both sides of the
supply chambers of the filtering press or depurating apparatus; and
this we have obtained by the use of perforated plates or diaphragms
of equal or of greater length and breadth or diameter than the frames
forming the supply and discharge chambers, so that when the is
put together ready for operating these diaphragms are simple nipped
between and are not recessed in or in any way fixed to these frames. By
this arrangement of the diaphragms we have got rid of all the recesses
and irregularities of surface which in the various apparatus hitherto
constructed render the application of paper as a filtering medium
impracticable, but this would not of itself entirely secure the paper
against breakage, as it would be liable to break under pressure against
the edges of those perforations in the diaphragms by which the depurated
fluid enters the discharge chamber after filtering through the paper, and
thus give passage to unfiltered fluid. We overcome this difficulty by
interposing a textile fabric, an ordinary filtering cloth for example,
between the paper and the perforated diaphragm, and we sometimes
enclose the paper between two cloths to give it additional support and

page_text: to keep the densest matter from contact with the paper. The paper
being thus secured against breakage under the pressure of the fluid the
next requirement was to provide for its casy and rapid introduction into
the press as well as for its removal when fresh paper became necessary.
For this purpose we make holes in the frames forming supply chambers
in the perforated diaphragms and in the cloths, these holes corresponding
with short tubes set in holes in the frames forming the dischargo
chambers, so that when the whole are placed in juxtaposition they form
supply and discharge conduits traversing the press or depurating
apparatus from end to end. By this arrangement we obviate the
necessity of holding the paper by hand until two frames are brought
together, as the above-mentioned tubes passing through the paper
support it so that it cannot slip from the face of the diaphragm, the
cloths being carried in a similar manner, and thus it is only necessary
to push the frames together and brace the whole to have the press ready
for working, while by loosening the bearing bolts or braces and pulling
the frames apart the papers can be removed and others substituted with
the greatest facility. Another advantage resulting from this arrange-
ment of the conduits is that we dispense with a multiplicity of cocks and

page_text: 2°
pull the frames apart to renew the paper or cleanse the apparatus;
m, (Fig. 4), cross bars strengthening frame O'. Every additional supply
chamber should be similarly braced, but this is not needed for the end
frames C, C, as they may be cast with the ends B, B'. n, opening
forming supply conduit; o, orifico by which the fluid passes from n into
supply chamber; o³, orifice by which the thick unfiltered fluid passes
to the opening n' which forms its discharge conduit; p, opening to form
conduit for the depurated fluid from the discharge chambers; q, q
(Figs. 1, 4, and 6), brackets by which the frames C' and D are supported
on the bearing bolts ; and forming handles for their ready removal ;
(Figs. 1 and 5), brackets or handles for supporting and removing
diaphragms; 8, 8, 8, 8, (Fig. 5), openings for reception of tubes forming
part of frames D; t, (Fig. 6), tube which forms continuation of
conduit n of frame C'; ', tube for continuation of conduit n¹; ", tube
continuing conduit p; u, orifice by which the depurated fluid flows
from the discharge chamber into conduit p; and v, diagonal bars for
strengthening discharge chamber and supporting perforated dia-
phragms E. The red lines (Figs. 1 and 3) represent the filtering papers,
and the blue lines the cloths w interposing between the papers and the
diaphragms E and those x between the filtering papers and the fluid to
be depurated. The dotted lines (Figs. 1 and 3) indicate the course of
the continuous supply and discharge conduits. y, cloth for making
joint.
The working of this apparatus is as follows:-The fluid to be
depurated is introduced by a force pump or otherwise through the
cock into the conduit n (an air vessel being used to maintain pressure
during the strokes of the pump) from the conduit n; the fluid passes by
the orifice o into the supply chambers C, C¹, C, and from thence through
the cloths, filtering papers, and diaphragms E, E, E, E, into the dis-
charge chambers D, D, where it thus arrives perfectly depurated, running
from thence by the orifices u into the conduit p, and thence by the outlet
cock h, and so on continuously. It will be seen that the first and last
supply chamber C, C, filter from one side only, but that the chamber C
filters both right and left, as will every additional chamber which may be
added.
Every part of this apparatus being separate may be removed for the

page_text: It need scarcely be observed that the filtering press or depurating.
apparatus which we have above described and shewn on the Drawing is
simply an illustration of and given for the better comprehension of our
Invention, and that we do not limit ourselves to the number or to the
precise combination of chambers therein shown, as these chambers may
if preferred be placed horizontally and be of rectangular, circular, or any
desired form, and the perforated centre of planc diaphragms be obtained
by the insertion of wire gauze or analogous material in substitution
thereof, and the material used in the construction of the various parts
of the apparatus may be metal, wood, or other material, this being
dependent upon its particular application.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same may be carried into practical effect, we would have it
distinctly understood that although we deem the use of all the improve-
ments herein described and shewn as most conducive to a perfect
operation, yet we do not absolutely bind ourselves to the entire com-
bination, as our arrangement of plane perforated diaphragms and the
interposition of a textile fabric, cloth or cloths between the paper and
the diaphragm might be used without the adoption of our method of
forming continuous conduits by simple contact of the frames and
diaphragms, and we therefore claim,—
Firstly. Securing filtering paper from breakage under high pressurė
by the use of plane diaphragms and textile fabrics applied substantially
as herein-set forth.
Secondly. Forming continuous supply and discharge conduits by
simple contact of the frames, substantially as described and shewn.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Needham and James Kite,
have hereunto set our hands and scals, this Fourth day of March,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine.