IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED FOR THE PURPOSE OF PERCOLATION OR FILTRATION OF FLUIDS OR INFUSIONS AND THE PRECIPITATION OF BODIES HELD IN SUSPENSION IN FLUIDS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Mather, of the City of Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, Pharmaceutical Chemist and Druggist's
Sundriesman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED
FOR THE PURPOSE OF PERCOLATION OR FILTRATION OF FLUIDS OR INFUSIONS
AND THE PRECIPITATION OF BODIES HELD IN SUSPENSION IN FLUIDS." -A
communication from abroad by Manuel Leopold Jonas Lavater, of
Number 8, Oité Rougemont, in the City of Paris, in the Republic
of France. Civil Engineer.
Sealed the 5th June 1874, and dated the 6th December 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Mather at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th December 1878.
I, WILLIAM MATHER, of the City of Manchester, in the County of
5 Lancaster, Pharmaceutical Chemist and Druggist's Sundriesman, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS USED FOR THE PURPOSE OF PERCOLATION OR FILTRATION OF FLUIDS OR
INFUSIONS AND THE PRECIPITATION OF BODIES HELD. IN SUSPENSION IN FLUIDS," a
communication from Manuel Leopold Jonas Lavater, of Number 8,

page_text: Cité Rougemont, in the City of Paris, in the Republic of France, Oivil
Engineer, to be as follows:-
These improvements consist in the application of atmospheric or
pneumatic pressure to percolators or filtering apparatus in such a
manner as shall effect the purpose of retarding, accelerating, or stopping
at will the percolation of infusions and filtration of other fluids and the
precipitation of bodies held in suspension in any liquid, either once or
as many times as may be desired. This I effect by means of a pneumatic
pump of double or single action, fixed or moveable, so constructed as to
operate by mere depression of a flexible cap applied to two vessels
connected with each other by means of a hollow cylinder, in which is
inserted a tap for the purpose of refarding, or wholly or partially
stopping the percolation, filtration, or precipitation at will by shutting
off communication between the two. The pump is so affixed as to
exhaust the air in the bottom vessel, thereby creating a vacuum, thus
inducing rapid percolation or filtration from the upper vessel of any
liquid therein through a strainer covered with a piece of felt or bag or
other suitable material placed at the bottom of the upper vessel imme-
diately over the cylinder, or precipitating upon or into such piece of felt
or other suitable material so placed as aforesaid any solid matter held in
suspension therein.
The reiteration of the process of filtration or percolation, when or if
desired, is effected by means of a connecting pump made of india-rubber
or other suitable material somewhat like an enema, by means of and
through which fluids may be raised from the lower vessel to the upper
one, when the process of percolation or filtration may be repeated.
The Invention may be used or applied to a portable or pocket filter
fitted with such a pump so as to avoid suction by the mouth.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Mather in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 6th June 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
MATHER, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Pharmaceutical Chemist and Wholesale Druggist's Sundriesman, send
greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc.
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said William Mather, Her special
licence that I, the said William Mather, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Mather, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS USED FOR THE PURPOSE OF PERCOLATION OR FILTRATION OF FLUIDS OR
INFUSIONS AND THE PRECIPITATION OF BODIES HELD IN SUSPENSION IN FLUIDS,” (a
communication from abroad by Manuel Leopold Jonas Lavater, of
Number 8, Cité Rougemont, in the City of Paris, in the Republic of
France, Civil Engineer), upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said William Mather, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 I, the said William Mather, do hereby declare
5 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 thereof, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, that is to say :—
These improvements consist in the application of atmospheric or
pneumatic pressure to percolators or filtering apparatus in such a
manner as shall effect the purpose of retarding, accelerating, or stopping
at will the percolation of infusions and filtration of other fluids and
precipitation of bodies held in suspension in any liquid, either once or as
many times as may be desired. This I effect by means of a pneumatic
5 pump of double or single action, fixed or moveable, so constructed as to
operate by mere depression of a flexible cap applied to two vessels
connected with each other by means of a hollow cylinder, in which is
inserted a tap for the purpose of retarding or wholly or partially stopping

page_text: the percolation, filtration, or precipitation at will by shutting off com-
munication between the two. The pump is so affixed as to exhaust the
air in the bottom vessel, thereby creating a vacuum, thus inducing rapid
percolation or filtration from the upper vessel of any liquid therein
through a strainer covered with a piece of felt or bag or other suitable 5
material placed at the bottom of the upper vessel immediately over the
cylinder, or precipitating upon or into such piece of felt or other suitable
material so placed as aforesaid any solid matter held in suspension
therein.
The reiteration of the process of filtration or percolation, when or if 10
desired, is effected by means of a connecting pump made of india-rubber
or other suitable material somewhat like an enema, by means of and
through which fluids may be raised from the lower vessel to the upper
one when the process of percolation or filtration may be repeated.
The Invention may be used or applied to a portable or pocket filter 18
fitted with such a pump so as to avoid suction by the mouth.
•
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood, I annex a
Sheet of Drawings, shewing several forms of apparatus constructed
according to my improvements.
The apparatus represented in vertical section in Figure 1 consists of a 20
lower vessel A provided with a spout B and handle C, and of an upper
vessel D, which may be also provided with a handle. The upper vessel
has a removable cover or lid E, while the top of the lower vessel is
permanently closed except to a hollow cylinder G, which forms the
communication between the two vessels. This cylinder is permanently 20
attached to the lower vessel, while the upper vessel is screwed to the
upper end so as to be capable of removal when required. The cylinder G
is furnished with a tap ■, by means of which the communication
between the two vessels can be partially or entirely closed as desired.
The upper vessel may have fitted therein a bag I of felt or other suitable 30
material, which is kept from contact with the bottom of the vessel by
wires K. The lower vessel A is provided with a pump composed of a
flexible cap L, which is fitted to a cup or vessel M. This cup com-
municates by a pipe N, which is provided with a tap O, with the vessel A,
the communication being fitted with a valve P, which opens outwards 3|
only from the vessel A into the cup M. The cup M is provided with
another valve Q, which opens outwards only from the cup into the

page_text: atmosphere. R is a spring to ensure the return of the cap L to its normal
position after each depression. When it is required to produce a vacuum
in the vessel A an air-tight cover 8 is placed on the spout B, and then
the cap L is alternately depressed and allowed to rise. At each
depression the air in the cup is forced through the valve Q into the
atmosphere, the valve P closing to prevent the air. going into the
vessel A; and each time the cap rises to its normal position the valve Q
closes to prevent air entering the cup from the atmosphere, while the
valve P on the other hand opens to allow air to be exhausted from the
vessel A to the cup. This exhausting or pumping out of the air from
the vessel A is continued as long as is thought necessary.
Figure 2 is an elevation of an apparatus in which the pump instead of
being placed above the handle O as in Figure 1 is attached to the
spout B. In this case the pump must be removable to allow of the
liquid in the vessel A being poured out by the spout, and the spout
should be situated at the upper part of the vessel, so that the pump may
not draw the liquid out. Trepresents a gutter, which may be formed
round the upper vessel for the purpose of containing spirits of wine,
so that by setting light to the spirit the liquid in the vessel may be
warmed.
Figure 3 is an elevation of an apparatus in which the process of
filtration or percolation of the liquid may be repeated or reiterated as
long as desired. Here the lower part of the lower vessel A is connected
with the upper part of the upper vessel D by means of a pipe U furnished
5 with a tap V, and having intercalated at a suitable position a pump W
resembling an enema. By working this pump, which is provided with
appropriate valves, the liquid is raised from the lower vessel to the
upper one.
cap
Figure 4 represents a portable or pocket filter fitted with a pump
O similar to that above described with reference to Figure 1. X is a block
of carbon or other suitable filtering material, and Y is a pipe leading
therefrom to the pump, which consists of the cup M and flexible L
together with inlet and outlet valves; the outlet valve opening com-
munication with the tube or spout Z. By simply working the flexible
5 cap L the water is drawn through the block X and pipe Y and discharged
by the spout Z.
TL
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