CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN PURIFYING AND FILTERING WATER
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Johnson, of Blackburn, in the County of
Lancaster, Gentleman, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
PURIFYING AND FILTERING WATER."
Sealed the 2nd March. 1858, and dated the 5th September 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Johnson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 5th
September 1857.
I, RICHARD JOHNSON, of Blackburn, in the County of Lancaster, Gentleman,
do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN PURIFYING AND FILTERING WATER," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to the purification of such waters as contain mineral
matters or particles held in solution, and consists in removing the mineral
properties therefrom, and subsequently filtering to separate vegetable matter
or other impurities. The water to be purified or freed from the mineral held
in solution is first to be exposed to the influence and chemical action of the
atmosphere, which is effected by causing the water to pass through the atmo-
sphere for some distance in a small quantity, such as small jets or streams,
and to fall upon a layer of broken slate. The water is thus brought into
contact with the oxygen of the atmosphere, which will cause the mineral
particles to be separated, and be precipitated upon the slate, which forms
the first bed or filtering layer; the water thus treated, and having passed
through other filtering beds, will be perfectly purified and free from all
mineral, vegetable, and other extraneous matters.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th March 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1, RICHARD
JOHNSON, of Blackburn, in the County of Lancaster, Gentleman, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Richard Johnson, Her especial license that I, the said Richard Johnson,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Richard Johnson, 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVE
MENTS IN PURIFYING AND FILTERING WATER," upon the condition, (amongst
others, that I, the said Richard Johnson, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal 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
inonths next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Richard Johnson 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 and accompanying Drawings (that is to say):-
My Invention relates to the purification of such waters as contain mineral
matters or particles held in solution, and consists in removing the mineral
properties therefrom and filtering the same, in order to separate the vegetable
matters or other impurities therefrom. The water to be purified or freed from
the mineral held in solution is to be exposed to the influence and chemical
action of the air, which is effected by causing the water to pass through the
atmosphere for some distance in a small quantity, such as jets, sheets, or
streams, and to fall upon a layer of broken slate, stone, or other suitable
material. The water is thus brought into contact with the oxygen of the
atmosphere, which will cause the mineral particles that are held in solution

page_text: by carbonic gass to be separated and be precipitated upon the slate, &c.,
which forms the first bed or filtering layer, the water thus treated and having
passed through other filtering beds, will be perfectly purified and free from
all vegetable, mineral, and other extraneous inatters.
In order that the Invention may be more readily understood and explained
in detail I have hereunto attached a Sheet of Drawings, illustrative of some of
the various methods which may be employed to bring the water into contact
with the atmosphere in sufficiently small quanties to effect its purification
from mineral matters. Fig. 1 shews an adaptation of a jet or jets applied
to a filterer, the water being forced through such jet into the air either by
means of a head of water or other force; Fig. 2 represents another con-
trivance for sprinkling the water through the atmosphere in small quantities
or drops and suspended above the filterer; Fig. 3 represents an arrangement
of apparatus principally applicable to domestic purposes; Figs. 1 and 2
being arrangements better calculated for purifying large quantities of
water, as required for waterworks, &c.
In Fig. 1, a, a, is the filterer, which may be of any ordinary and well
known construction; and is a dish or ledge upon the top of the filterer,
upon which is placed a quantity of broken slate, or any suitable absorbent
stone forming the first or mineral filtering layer, such ledge or dish being
provided with a hole in the centre to admit of the water flowing through
it to the filterer; c is the supply pipe by which the water is supplied to
the jet or jets. In Fig. 2, a, a, is the filterer, and d is a tube suspended
above it. Near the bottom of the tube slots are formed in it through which
the water is emitted from the tube d into the rotating chamber; and tubes
e, e, e which are pierced with holes at the required angle, to cause the weight
or force of the water to effect the revolution of the tubes in a circle, of which
the tube d is the centre by this means the water is brought thoroughly into
contact with the chemical properties of the atmosphere. In Fig. 3, f is a
chamber containing layers of slate, cinders, broken stone, or other suitable
material, and is perforated with holes and openings s or slots upon all sides for
the admission of air to the interior, and also at the top and bottom; this
chamber is elevated upon the legs or standards g, g, which bear upon the top
of a filterer, and support the chamber above it. The water to be purified is
poured into the chamberf, and after passing through the cinders, &c., it drops
from the chamber, passing through the atmosphere and becomes dashed or
showered upon the layer of slate upon the dish or the filterer, which has the
Effect of abstracting and absorbing the mineral properties from the water

page_text: which form in a deposit upon the slate; finally, to separate dirt or other
impurities it passes through the filterer, which renders it perfectly pure and
fit for use.
I would here remark that although I have only exhibited, as an example, a
few of the numerous methods which may be employed to pass the water
through the atmosphere in small portions, drops, sheets, or streams, I wish
it to be understood that the purification of water may be effected in various
ways, such as by causing it to flow over a succession of ledges or steps (par-
ticularly when operating upon large quantities of water) in thin streams or to
fall or be forced by atmospheric pressure in a stream from an altitude upon
a layer of slate or stoue, or other suitable materials, by which means the
mineral properties may be extracted therefrom, either prior or subsequent
to its being filtered, if required for the purpose of rendering the water
perfectly pure and free from vegetable and other extraneous matters.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention together with the
manner of performing the same, I would remark that I claim the method or
manner of removing the mineral matter or particles, or poisonous mineral
matters from water, by submitting it in drops, sheets, or streams to the
chemical action of the atmosphere, either by means of the apparatus herein-
before described, set forth, and fully exhibited in the Drawings annexed,
or by any other such contrivance, and whether operated upon in large or
small quantities, by which the water is brought into contact with the
atmosphere in suitable quantities, to effect the required result, either prior
or subsequently to submitting water to the process of filtering.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Johnson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
RICHARD JOHNSON. (L.s.)