IMPROVEMENTS IN FILTERING APPARATUS, AND IN APPARATUS FOR MAKING TEAPOTS AND OTHER VESSELS OF METAL
Year: 1846

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
FORD STURGES, of Birmingham, Britannia Ware Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Seventeenth day of
September (One thousand eight hundred and forty-six), in the tenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Richard Ford Sturges, my exors, admors, and assigns, Her especial
licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Richard Ford
Sturges, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Richard
Ford Sturges, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FILTERING APPARATUS, AND IN APPARATUS FOR MAKING
TEAPOTS AND OTHER VESSELS OF METAL;" in which said Letters Patent is con-
tained a proviso, that I, the said Richard Ford Sturges, should cause a
particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in part
recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had,
will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Richard Ford Sturges, do hereby declare that the nature of my Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to
the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon,
that is to say:-
My Invention relates, first, to improvements in filtering apparatus, and such
improvements consist of combining certain arrangements of apparatus for
filtering with cocks or taps used on a water main or other pipe-supplying
cisterns or other vessels with water or other liquid, so that the supply will be
filtered as it flows into the vessel; and also in combining certain arrange-
ments of apparatus for filtering with cocks or taps used for drawing off water
or other fluids from cisterns or other vessels, so that the fluid may be filtered
as drawn off.
Secondly, my Invention consists of improvements in moulds for casting
teapots and other vessels, and in making handles therefrom.
And in order that my Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the means pursued by me.
Figure 1 shews an external view, Figure 2 a plan, and Figure 3 a section,
of a filtering apparatus combined with a cock or tap, according to my Inven-
tion. The apparatus is suitable to be applied to a main or service pipe, for
supplying a cistern or other vessel with water or other fluid; or the apparatus
may be applied to drawing off water and other fluids from a cistern or other
vessel, and the fluid will be filtered by the apparatus. a is the barrel of tho
cock or tap; b, the plug thereof; and c is the chamber containing the filtering
material used. In this case the chamber is to be filled with sponge; and it
is important, and it forms a peculiar character in my Invention, that the
chamber c should be so made in respect to the barrel a of the cock or tap,
that the parts may be readily separated, in order that the filtering material
may be taken out and cleansed. The Drawing shows the parts of filtering
chamber to be screwed together; but this may be varied, so long as the parts
can readily be separated to allow of cleansing the filtering material from time
to time.
Figure 4 shews an external view, Figure 5 a plan, and Figure 6 a section,
of another arrangement of apparatus, differing principally in the arrangement
of the filtering parts of the apparatus. In this case also the filtering portion
of the apparatus, in addition to being arranged so as readily to be opened and
the parts separated; it is also capable of being readily detached from the barrel
of the cock or tap. a is the barrel of the cock or tap; 6 is the plug thereof;

page_text: and c, the chamber affixed thereto for containing the filtering material, which
consists of woven twill cotton fabric, such as has been heretofore used in
constructing filters, there being perforated surfaces of metal d which retain the
woven fabric as a partition across the filtering chamber.c, as is clearly shewn.
At the lower end of the chamber c is a spring valve e, which will give way
and allow the water to flow off in that direction should the pressure be such
as to overcome the valve, and which if allowed to act on the filtering surface
would be liable to injure it. And it is. desirable to state, that by thus having
a valve, in case the apparatus has been neglected and the filter clogged, the
circumstance of water passing at the valve will indicate that the apparatus
requires cleansing. f is the outlet from which the filtered water or other fluid
will flow.
Figure 7 shews an external view, Figure 8 a plan, and Figure 9 a section,
of another arrangement of filtering apparatus. In this arrangement the filter-
ing surface is of woven fabric on a frame, as shewn, and the filter chamber c,
is affixed to the barrel of the cock or tap, as in the arrangement first described;
and the spring valve at the lower part of the vessel c'in the present arrange-
ment is different from that last described, but answers the same purpose, and
there is a handle to the valve, by which it can be drawn down to cleanse the
interior below the filtering material by a flow of water. a¹ is a cap with a
small hole through, placed on the end of the barrel a of the cock or tap; or
in place of a cap, the contraction desired may be obtained by a perforated disc
a' in the joint, as shewn at Figure 10, or other means of contracting the
opening from the barrel of the cock or tap into. the filtering apparatus may
be resorted to. The object of this cap or other means of contracting the
opening is to reduce the opening out of the barrel into the filtering chamber c,
so that in cases where the water or fluid is delivered, subject to great pressure,
the flow, by reason of the contraction of the passage into the chamber c, may
be only equal to what will flow off at the spout, without bringing. the whole
pressure of the water to act on the filtering material. I would state, that
although I have shewn only particular arrangements of filtering media in the
filtering chambers, the filtering media may be varied without departing from
my. Invention; and I have shewn at Figures 10.and 11 two sections of
filtering chambers, the parts of which are capable of being readily separated
and combined with a cock or tap, and capable of having charcoal, or charcoal
and other media, employed.
i
From the foregoing description of the first part of my Invention it will
readily be seen that the apparatus for filtering, and the manner of combining
filtering apparatus with a cock or tap, may be varied in shape and in the

page_text: details of construction; I do not therefore confine this part of the Invention
to the precise details of the arrangements shewn, so long as the peculiar
character of this part of my Invention be retained, whereby a filtering
apparatus and a cock or tap are combined together, so that in applying the
combined apparatus to a water or other supply main, the supply of fluid into
a cistern or other vessel will be filtered as it flows into such vessel, and when
the cock or tap having its filtering apparatus combined therewith is applied to
a vessel for drawing off water or other fluid therefrom, the water or other
fluid will be filtered as it is drawn off for use, and the simple turning or
acting on the plug or proper valve of a single cock or tap (whether a supply
cock or a cock for drawing off fluids) will be the means of putting the filtering
apparatus into use or action, and also of allowing of the filtered fluid flowing
freely off from the filtering chamber. And I would state, that when the
apparatus is intended to be used to filter into a cistern, the plug or valve of
the cock or tap may be arranged to be acted on by a ball or other float, as is
well understood.
I will now describe the second part of my Invention, which consists of a
mode of casting teapots and other vessels with spouts in metal moulds, in such
manner that the body and spout and sockets for the handles and joints for the
lid may consist of one casting; and this part of my Invention also consists of
a mode of casting the handles of teapots and other vessels requiring similar
handles.
Figure 12 and 12* show two external views of the mould complete for
making a casting therein. The mould is arranged for the casting of metal
teapots, the spout and sockets for the handles, and also the joints for the lid
being formed at one casting. When it is desired to use metal moulds for
casting other vessels with spouts according to my Invention, so as to produce
the vessel and the spout and sockets for the handles, if required, at one casting,
the only difference from the arrangements here given will be in the shapes of
the moulds according to the shapes of the different vessels.
Figures 12 and 12* are two side views of the mould; Figure 13 is a plan;
Figure 14, a section of the mould. The nature of the other views shewn by
the Drawings being written thereon, it will not be necessary to repeat them
here; and the parts shewn in are such other Figures are marked with the
same letters of reference as those in the Figures above noticed, therefore the
description here given applies to all the Figures.
a and b are the two half moulds, of brass or other metal, having handles c, c,
and the two half moulds are fastened together by means of screws passing
through lugs or projections, as shewn. The nature of each of the two half

page_text: moulds being very clearly shewn by the Drawings, a workman will readily
construct the same, and he will vary the sizes and shapes according to the nature
and size of the teapot or other vessel to be cast therein with a spout. d, d, d,
is the inner mould or core, which is received on to and is supported by the
stande, e; and the core d', for forming the interior of the spout, is of two parts,
and is pinned partly to the inner part of the mould and partly to the cored, and
the outer part of the core d' is retained in its true position by the pin at d².
The sockets for the handles are made by the plugs or cores f.f, passed through
the mould a, b. The hinge for the lid of the teapot is formed by the knuckle
piece introduced, as shewn, in the mould a, b, and the pin causes the
knuckle joints of the hinge to be hollow in the casting produced. Supposing
the mould to be put together as shewn, the funnel h is placed thereon, the
funnel having a hollow cone h³ fixed within. By this arrangement, the melted
metal poured into the funnel is deflected to the circumference of the base of
the cone,
and thus is directed correctly to enter the space between the parts
a, b, and the cone or inner metal mould d, and the air will readily escape up
the interior of the cone h¹³. When the mould a, b, has been properly filled,
the funnel is to be removed and the block j dropped forcibly into its position,
as shown, which will drive the metal into all parts of the mould a, b; and
when the inner surfaces of the mould a, b, are engraved, so as to produce a
pattern on the teapot cast in the mould, I have found it desirable to screw the
parts a, b, more closely together after the metal has been forced in by the
block j, by which greater sharpness of the pattern is obtained. And in
addition to these means, I have also found it to be of great advantage to place
the moulds when being filled, and so long as the metal is fluid, on a revolving
table, and to cause the table to revolve at a slow rate, which saves the trouble
of the workman moving the ladle of metal when pouring. By this arrange-
ment of mould I am enabled to make a metal teapot with a spout and sockets
for the handle and joints for the lid at one casting in the metal mould. The
moulds I prefer to make of cast iron or brass, though other metal might be
employed.
And I would state, in respect to this part of my Invention, that I do not
claim the casting of vessels with spouts, nor with, sockets, nor with joints
for the lid at one casting, unless such manufacture be conducted in metal
moulds, nor do I confine myself to the exact details, so long as metal moulds
are used capable of having a metal teapot or other vessel with a spout, or
with sockets, or with joints for the lid, cast therein at one casting. I would
remark, that I have found that the causing electric currents to pass through
the metal when being poured into metal moulds improves the process, and. I

page_text: believe enables me to obtain finer castings. And I have employed for the
purpose of casting teapots in the mould above described the use of a galvanic
battery, called "a constant acid battery," consisting of five or more cells, of
twenty-four inches in height and five in diameter, and I connect one end of
the battery to the ladle and the other end to the metal mould by wires, and
the metal as it flows from the ladle into the moulds will complete the circuit.
In handles for teapots and other similar vessels to contain heated fluids, it is
important to have non-conducting material between the metal vessel and the
metal handle. Heretofore such non-conducting material has been fixed into
the metal handles after they have been made. Now, by my Invention I cause
the metal handles, when made of metal melting at comparatively low tempe-
ratures, to be cast on to and to enclose the non-conducting material. .
Figures 15 and 16 show two half moulds for casting metal handles for teapots
and other vessels; Figure 17 shows a wooden handle before having the metal
cast thereon; and Figure 18 shows the metal handle cast on a wood handle,
the parts x, x, which are to enter the sockets of the teapot or other vessel not
having any metal cast thereon, and rings or collars y of ivory or other non-
conductor will be placed on the ends of the handles before they are fixed in
the sockets, by which no metallic contact will take place between the metal
vessel and the metal handle.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, I would have it under-
stood that what I claim is,-
First, the modes herein described of constructing filtering apparatus com-
bined with cocks or taps.
And, secondly, I claim the mode of manufacturing teapots and other vessels
with spouts, by using metal moulds, so as to make such vessels each of one
casting, as herein described.
And I also claim the mode of casting metal handles for teapots and other
vessels.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Ford Sturges, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-seven.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Fifteenth day of March, in the
year of our Lord 1847, the aforesaid Richard Ford Sturges came before our
said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
5 above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according.
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Seventeenth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-seven.