IM- PROVEMENTS IN FILTERS FOR FILTERING AND PURIFYING WATER
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Jennings, of Palace Wharf, Stangate, and George
James Hinde, of 8, George Street, Wolverhampton, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN FILTERS FOR FILTERING AND PURIFYING WATER."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Jennings and George
James Hinde at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th March
1878.
GEORGE JENNINGS, of Palace Wharf, Stangate, and GEORGE JAMES HINDE, of 8,
George Street, Wolverhampton. "IMPROVEMENTS IN FILTERS FOR FILTERING AND
PURIFYING WATER."
In forming a filter for filtering and purifying water we use as the filtering
material fine iron or steel shavings, filings, or turnings, obtained from the swarf or
skin of cast iron, or wrought iron or steel; this material may either be used by itself
or it may be used with other materials, either mixed with them or in separate layers.
The iron or steel shavings, filings, or turnings of swarf being obtained from iron
or steel that has been brought to a state of fusion, either by melting or the processes
necessary for making cast iron, or wrought iron, or steel, and separated from many
of the impurities contained in the ore from which it was obtained will have but a
comparatively small portion of earthy impurities mixed with it, and will be for
this reason superior to iron which is obtained from native ores or oxides without
fusion.
In addition, by employing shavings, filings, or turnings of swarf, as above
described, we are able to apply to a useful purpose this material, which is now
obtained in considerable quantities as a residual product, and is at the present time
of small commercial value.
By filtering water through small divided swarf or skin of cast iron, or wrought
iron or steel, free oxygen will be withdrawn from the water, and consequently any
insects or animalculæ contained in the water will be deprived of life, and any germs

page_text: contained in the water will be deprived of the oxygen necessary for their develop-
inent and life, and the water so purified and rendered wholesome.
A convenient way of forming a filter is to use a layer of the turnings, shavings,
or filings, or swarf, together with layers of other filtering material, each layer of
filtering material resting upon a perforated partition placed across a closed vessel.
We pass through the centre of the vessel a pipe, and lead it out through its cover
and closed bottom. The waterway through this pipe we close at its centre; to the
top of the pipe we couple a water supply pipe, and allow water to escape through
perforations into the space above the top of the uppermost filtering layer.
To the bottom of the pipe we couple a draw-off pipe provided with a draw-off
cock, and the filtered and purified water inay be drawn off from a compartment at
the bottom of the filter below the lowest filtering layer through perforations in the
lower part of the central pipe. To permit the water to be thus drawn off from the
compartment at the bottom of the filter we provide a small pipe rising up from this
compartment, and provided at its upper end with an air inlet valve to allow air to
enter this compartment as water is drawn off from it..
The upper layer may be of sand, the next layer may be of swarf, and the lowest
layer, charcoal.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Jennings and George James Hinde in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 11th September 1878.
GORGE JENNINGS, of Palace Wharf, Stangate, and GEORGE JAMES HINDE, of
8, George Street, Wolverhampton. "IMPROVEMENTS IN FILTERS FOR FILTERING AND
PURIFYING WATER."
In forming a filter for filtering and purifying water we use as the filtering
material fine iron or steel shavings, filings, or turnings, or borings obtained from
the swarf or skin of cast iron, or wrought iron, or steel; this material may either be
used by itself or it may be used with other materials, either mixed with them or in
separate layers.
The iron or steel shavings, filings, or turnings, or borings of swarf, being obtained
from iron or steel that has been brought to a state of fusion either by melting or
the processes necessary for making cast iron or wrought iron or steel, and separated
from many of the impurities contained in the ore from which it was obtained, will
have but a comparatively small portion of earthy impurities mixed with it, and
will be for this reason superior to iron which is obtained from native ores or oxides
without fusion.
In addition, by employing shavings, filings, or turnings, or borings of swarf, as
above described, we are able to apply to a useful purpose this material, which is
now obtained in considerable quantities as a residual product, and is at the present
time of small commercial value.

page_text: By filtering water through small divided swarf or skin of cast iron, or wrought
iron, or steel, free oxygen will be withdrawn from the water, and consequently any
insects or animalcule contained in the water will be deprived of life, and any germs
contained in the water will be deprived of the oxygen necessary for their develop-
ment and life, and the water so purified and rendered wholesome.
A convenient way of forming a filter is to use a layer of the turnings, shavings,
or filings, or borings of swarf, together with layer of other filtering material resting
upon a perforated partition placed across a closed vessel, or we sometimes use fine
iron or steel filings or shavings, or turnings or borings, or a mixture of the different
kinds above mentioned without other materials, and we filter the water to be
filtered through the same.
Previous to using the above-mentioned materials we clean them by boiling them
in hot water with a small quantity of ordinary washing soda, say, one ounce to the
gallon of water, or more or less, as may be found requisite to remove any oil or
grease that might accidentally or otherwise be associated with the materials above
mentioned. Afterwards the iron borings should be well washed before being put
into the filter.
The filter vessel might be of any ordinary construction and shape.
If we use sand in conjunction with the above-mentioned inaterials we prefer to
place some of the sand at the bottom of the filtering vessel, say, enough to occupy
about one-fourth of the space which is to contain filtering material, and the iron or
steel materials, or both, over the sand, say, to occupy about half the space, and then
more sand over them for the remaining one-fourth of the space. These materials
we dispose so that they may be partially separated from each other by perforated
plates, which we make of earthenware, glass, or other suitable material; but this
partial separation, though convenient, is not essential, as the perforated plates may
be dispensed with and the material placed over and under each other in layers
without plates to separate them.
Sometimes we place in the filtering vessels animal charcoal as well as sand and
iron or steel, or iron and steel filings, or turnings, or borings, or shavings, and in
this case we prefer to place the animal charcoal at the bottom of the vessel, say,
enough to occupy one-eighth of the space, and the iron or steel, or iron and steel
filings, or turnings, or shavings, or borings, over the animal charcoal, say, enough to
occupy five-eighths of the space for filtering materials, and over the above-
mentioned materials we prefer to place the sand to occupy two-eighths of the said
space; but we do not confine ourselves to this arrangement of the materials, as the
same may be departed from without interfering with our Invention.
Another part of our Invention consists in forming filters with a pipe passing
downwards through the centre of the filter vessel, and led out through its cover and
closed bottom. The waterway through this pipe we close at its centre, to the top
of the pipe we couple a water supply pipe, and allow water to escape through per-
forations into the space above the top of the uppermost filtering layer.
To the bottom of the pipe we couple a draw-off pipe provided with a draw-off
cock, and the filtered and purified water may be drawn off from a compartment at
the bottom of the filter below the lowest filtering layer through perforations in the
lower part of the central pipe. To permit the water to be thus drawn off from the
compartment at the bottom of the filter we provide a small pipe rising up from this
compartment and provided at its upper end with an air inlet valve to allow air to
enter this compartment as water is drawn off from it.
The upper layer may be of sand, the next layer may be of iron or steel, or iron
and steel filings, or turnings, or shavings, or borings of swarf, and the lowest layer
animal charcoal, as herein-before described.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, we would have it understood that what we claim as our Invention is,-
First. The use of iron or steel filings, or borings, or turnings, or shavings, or iron
and steel filings, or borings, or turnings, or shavings, either with or without the

page_text: admixture, by layers or otherwise, of sand or animal charcoal, or other materiale of
a similar kind in filter vessels for filtering water as herein described.
Second. The construction of filter vessels for filtering water, substantially in the
manner berein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George James Hinde, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of September, in the year of our Lord Ono
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
Witness to the signature of G. J. Hindo,
RICHARD GROVE, J.,
Compton.
G. J. HINDE.
(LS.)