AN IMPROVED BAG FILTER TO BE USED IN SUGAR MANUFACTORIES AND REFINERIES, AND IN A communication from abroad by Leopolds, of OTHER MANUFACTORIES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Hunter Henry Murdoch, of No. 7, Staple Inn, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED BAG
FILTER TO BE USED IN SUGAR MANUFACTORIES AND REFINERIES, AND IN
A communication from abroad by Leopold Lots, of
OTHER MANUFACTORIES.”
Schaerbeck, near Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Sugar Refiner, and
Auto Frost Tison of Brussels aforesaid, Banker.
"
Sealed the 28th May 1878, and dated the 12th December 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Hunter Henry Murdoch at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th December 1877.
HUNTER HENRY MURDOCH, of No. 7, Staple Inn, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent.
"AN IMPROVED BAG FILTER TO BE USED IN SUGAR MANUFACTORIES
AND REFINERIES, AND IN OTHER MANUFACTORIES." [A communication from abroad
by Leopold Lots, of Schaerbeek, near Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Sugar
Refiner, and Auguste Ernest Tison, of Brussels aforesaid, Banker.]
This Invention consists of a new or improved horizontal filter to be used in
filtering molassses, syrups, and other liquids or semi-liquids, in sugar manufactories
and refineries, and in other manufactories. The said filter consists of an clongated
casing or chest of any suitable sectional figure disposed horizontally, and closed at
In the said casing or chest, and near each
each end by a suitable cover or door
end is a transverse plate or partition, which plates are herein-after called the tube
plates. The said tube plates divide the said casing or chest into three compartments,
one large middle compartment between the two tube plates, and two smaller com-
partments between the tube plates and covers or doors of the said casing or chest.
In each of the said tube plates are holes provided with collars or tubular flanges
projecting in front and rear of the said tube plates, so as to form short tubes round
each of the said holes, and upon each of the said inner tubular flanges is mounted
one end of a sheath or tube made of wire gauze or other suitable open work, which
sheaths or tubes extend from one to the other of the said tube plates, and open into

page_text: the two end compartments of the casing or cheat through the holes aforesaid In
each of the said sheaths or wire gauze or openwork tubes is inserted a bottomless
filter bag of linen cloth or other suitable textile fabric which extends from one end
to the other of the sheath or wirework tube, and is attached by its ends to the outer
tubular flanges of the tube plates.
The casing or chest is provided with pipes and cocks or taps for the entrance of
the liquid to be filtered and of vapour and water, and for the exit of the filtered
liquid and the air, water, and vapour.
The compartments between the tube plates and covers of the filter may be
divided by partitions into separate chambers, so as to allow of one or several of the
said chambers being isolated or cut off from the others, whilst the work in the other
chambers is being continued. Each of the said chambers is closed by a special door
or cover, hinged or otherwise attached to the body of the filter.
The sheaths or openwork tubes are supported in their length by transverse
perforated plates mounted within the apparatus, and the tube plates and doors may
be secured in position either by a longitudinal rod or stay passing through the filter,
and provided with suitable nuts; or the tube plates may be cast with projections
upon them forming the compartments at the ends of the filter, or any other suitable
mode of construction may be used for the purpose.
The liquid or semi-liquid to be filtered is introduced into the compartments between
the tube plates and covers of the filter, and flows into the filter bags, and filtering
through the said bags and the openwork tubes or sheaths, falls to the bottom of the
middle compartment, whence it is drawn out through a suitable cock or tap.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Hunter Henry Murdoch in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th
June 1878.
HUNTER HENRY MURDOCH, of No. 7, Staple Inn, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent.
"AN IMPROVED BAG FILTER TO BE USED IN SUGAR MANUFACTORIES
AND REFINERIES, AND IN OTHER MANUFACTORIES." A communication from abroad
by Leopold Lots, of Schaerbeck, near Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Sugar
Refiner, and Auguste Ernest Tison, of Brussels aforesaid, Banker.
This Invention consists of a new or improved horizontal filter to be used in
filtering molasses, syrups, and other liquids or semi-liquids, in sugar manufactories
and refineries, and in other manufactories. The said filter consists of an elongated
casing or chest of any suitable sectional figure disposed horizontally, and closed at
oach end by a suitable cover or door. In the said casing or chest and near each
end is a transverse plate or partition, which plates are herein-after called the tube
plates. The said tube plates divide the said casing or chest into three compartments,
one large middle compartment between the two tube plates, and two smaller com-
partinents between the tube plates and covers or doors of the said casing or chest.
In each of the said tube plates are holes provided with collars or tubular flanges
projecting in front and rear of the said tube plates, so as to form short tubes round
each of the said holes, and upon each of the said inner tubular flanges is mounted
one end of a sheath or tube made of wire gauze or other suitable openwork, which
sheaths or tubes extend from one to the other of the said tube plates, and open into
the two end compartments of the casing or chest through the holes aforesaid. In
each of the said sheaths or wire gauze or openwork tubes is inserted a bottomless
filter bag of linen, cloth, or other suitable textile fabric which extends from one end
to the other of the sheath or wirework tube, and is attached by its ends to the outer
tubular flanges of the tubo plates.
The casing or chest is provided with pipes and cocks or taps for the entrance of
the liquid to be filtered, and of vapour and water, and for the exit of the filtered
liquid, and the air, water, and vapour.
The compartments between the tube plates and covers of the filter may be divided
by partitions into separate chambers, so as to allow of one or several of the said
chainbers being isolated or cut off from the others, whilst the work in the other
chambers is being continued. Each of the said chambers is closed by a special door
or cover hinged or otherwise attached to the body of the filter.
The sheaths or openwork tubes are supported in their length by transverse per-
forated plates mounted within the apparatus, and the tube plates and doors may be
secured in position either by a longitudinal rod or stay passing through the filter,
and provided with suitable nuts; or the tube plates may be cast with projections
upon them forming the compartments at the ends of the filter; or any other suitable
mode of construction may be used for the purpose.
The liquid or semi-liquid to be filtered is introduced into the compartments
between the tube plates and covers of the filter, and flows into the filter bags, and
filtering through the said bags and the openwork tubes or sheaths falls to the
5 bottom of the middle compartment, whence it is drawn out through a suitable cock
or tap.
Having thus explained the nature of the said Invention, I will proceed to describe
with reference to the accompanying Drawings, the manner in which the same is to
be performed,
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents a longitudinal section of a
horizontal bag filter constructed according to this Invention.
Figure 2 is an end view of the said filter, the cover of the said filter being
omitted.
a is the casing or body of the filter which is disposed horizontally, and is closed at
5 each end by a cover b; c, c, are the tube plates which divide the casing or body a

page_text: into three compartments, one middle compartment and two end compartments d, d,
which are closed outside by the covers b, b. In each of the said tube plates c, c, are
holes c', c, provided with collars or tubular flanges c², c³, projecting on both sides of
the said tube plates c, so as to form short tubes round each of the said holes c¹, and
upon each of the inner tubular flanges c³ is mounted a sheath or tube e made of
wire gauze or other suitable openwork. Two of the said sheaths or tubes e are
shewn in Figue 1, but it will be understood that upon each of the tubular flanges c²
is mounted one end of one of the said sheaths or openwork tubes e, which extend
from one to the other of the tube plates c, and open into the end compartments d, d,
of the casing or chest & through the holes c².
In each of the sheaths or wire gauze or openwork tubes e is inserted a bottomless
filter bag or tube f made of cotton, cloth, or other suitable textile fabric. One of
these bottomless filter bags is shewn in Figure 1; but it will be understood that in
each of the sheaths or openwork tubes e is inserted one of the said filter bags. The
said filter bags f extend from one end to the other of the said sheaths e, and the ends
of the said bags f are made to pass through the holo c' of the tube plate c, and are
turned over the outer tubular flanges c, as seen at f¹, Figure 1, and are firmly
attached to the said outer tubular flanges by steel or other metal rings g, which are
forced on to tho ends of the bags fon the flanges c²; h, h, aro tubes provided with
suitable cocks or taps for the entrance into the apparatus of the liquid or semi-
liquid to be filtered; i, i, are cocks or taps, to which are affixed suitable pipes for
the entrance of water into the apparatus when required; i, j, are cocks or taps to
which are affixed suitable pipes for the entrance of steam into the apparatus when
required; is a cock or tap for the exit of the filtered liquid, and the water and
vapour; is an air cock or tap
The sheaths or openwork tubes e arc supported in their length by a transverse
perforated plate m; n is a 1od or stay passing through the filter longitudinally, and
through the tube plate c, c, and covers 6 By means of the screw nuts n', n¹, upon
the said rod or stay n the tube plates c are held in position, and by means of tho
screw nuts n³, n², the covers or doors b are firmly affixed to the ends of the
apparatus, and are made to press upon the packing o, o, so as to secure a tight joint;
bi, b', are handles, one on each of the covers or doors b.
The working of tho apparatus is as follows:-The liquid or semi-liquid to be
filtered is introduced into the compartments d, d, of the filter through the pipes h, h,
the cock having been previously opened to allow of the air escaping. The said
liquid or semi-liquid as it rises in the compartments c, d, passes through the holes c¹
of the tube plates into the endless filter bags f, and filters through the said filter
bags and their sheaths or openwork tubes e, passing through into the body of tho
filter, from which the filtered liquid is drawn off through the cock or tap . As
soon as it appears that the filtration does not proceed as well as it should, the stenin
cocks or taps j, j, are opened and then the water cocks i, i, so as to remove tho
residual matter contained in the filter bags f. f.
When the filter bags become clogged, or when from any other cause the filter
ceases to work properly, it may be necessary to change the said filter bags; but
before doing so the two steam cocks or taps j, j, and afterwards the two water
cocks i, i, should be opened, so as to wash out the matter which may adhere to the
said filter bags. The screw nuts n², n², are then unsciewed, and the covers b, b, are
removed. The rings g, g, are then taken off from the tubes o² and the filter bags f,f,
are drawn out from the sheaths c, and may be replaced by fresh ones which having
been secured in position by the rings g, g, the covers b, b, are again placed on the
ends of the filter, and attached thereto by means of the screw nuts n and the
filtering operation may be resumed.
Figures 3, 4, and 5, represent a modification of the filter represented in Figures 1
and 2; Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of the filter; Figure 4 is a transveise
section of the same taken between the tube plates and door or cover; and Figure 5
is a partial horizontal section through one of the compartments into which the
liquid or semi-liquid to be filtered is admitted, showing the manner of mounting

page_text: the doors. In Figures 3 and 4, a is the casing or body of the filter; b, b. are the
doors of the said filter; c, c, are the tube plates which are cast with the frames d³, d,
and the partitions d², d³, which divide into separate chambers the end compart-
ments d, into which the liquid or semi-liquid to be filtered is admitted into the
filter; c, c, are the holes through the tube plates; and c³, c², are the tubular flanges
round the said holes; e, e, are the sheaths or wire gauze or openwork tubes con-
taining the filter bags f, one of which is represented in Figure 3. The said sheaths
and filter bags are mounted upon the tubular flanges c³ of the tube plates c, as
represented in Figure 1. The fraines d', d', are affixed to the casing a by means of
flanges d', d'; g. 9, 9, are tubes on the frames d', for the entrance of the liquid or
semi-liquid to be filtered, and of water and steam into each of the chambers of the
compartments d, d. The doors b, b, are hinged to the frame d¹ by means of screw
bolts b jointed to lugs b, b, on the frame d', the said screw bolts pass through
lugs 6s cast upon the doors b and carry screw nuts 6'. By unscrewing and removing
one of the said screw nuts from its screw bolt, the door binay be readily opened
by causing it to swing round the joint 63 on the opposite side of the frame d¹;
m, m³, are perforated plates for supporting the sheaths or openwork tubes e as
represented; is an air cock or tap, and is a cock or tap underneath the filter
for the exit of the filtered liquid, and the water and vapour.
The filter bags may be made of any suitable textile fabr.c, but it is preferred that
they should be made of cotton stuff.
The sheaths or wire gauze or openwork tubes in which the filter bags are inserted
may be made of metal wire of suitable thickness to support the pressure of the filter
bags, and liquid or semi-liquid they contain.
The width of the meshes of the openwork varies according to the material of
which the filter bags are made, and the matter which is to be filtered.
In many cases when the filter hags are made of ordinary cotton fabric, and
molasses is to be filtered through them, it will be found that a width of mesh of
about a quarter of an inch will answer well.
Having now described the nature of the Invention, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondents, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it to
be understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details herein-before
described, and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, as the said details may be
varied without departing from the nature of the said Invention, but I claim as the
said Invention the combination and arrangement of parts constituting the improved
bag filter herein-before described, and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings,
that is to say, a bag filter composed of a horizontal case closed by a door or cover
at each end, and divided into three parts or compartments by vertical tube plates,
in which are mounted sheaths or openwork tubes containing filter bags of the kind
described, the matter to be filtered being admitted into the end compartments (each
of which may be divided into several chambers), and passing thence into the filter
bags and through the openwork sheaths essentially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Hunter Henry Murdoch, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight
Witness,
C. I. WALLS,
his Clerk.
H. H. MURDOCH. (L.S.)