IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE APPARATUS FOR CLEANSING AND FILTERING WATER FOR ARMY AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Rac, of Lower Sydenham, in the County of
Kent, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE
APPARATUS FOR CLEANSING AND FILTERING WATER FOR ARMY AND OTHER
PURPOSES."
Sealed the 6th March 1868, and dated the 10th September 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Rac at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 10th September
1867.
1, JAMES RAE, of Lower Sydenham, in the County of Kent, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PORTABLE APPARATUS FOR CLEANSING AND FILTERING WATER FOR ARMY AND OTHER
PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to the construction of self-cleansing and filtering
apparatus chiefly applicable for military use in barracks in the field or on
the march. The apparatus consists of a double cistern of metal mounted on
a suitable framing on either side of a wheel and axle for the purpose of
transportation. The bottom of each half of the cistern inclines downwards
towards a central well or channel provided with a pipe or cock at bottom
for drawing off the sediment. The cistern is supplied with water from any

page_text: source, such as from a pond when on the march, for instance, either by a
hand pump placed on the ground or fixed at any point outside the cistern.
In the well or bottom of the cistern I place a filter open at top and bottom
and enclosed in a casing in such manner that the water entering from below
will pass upwards through the filter and then into the casing with which
delivery pipes extending at back of the cistern are connected provided with
taps for drawing off the cleansed and purified water. The cistern may
be mounted on four wheels and fitted with one or more filters.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Rae in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th
March 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
RAE, of Lower Sydenham, in the County of Kent, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said James Rae, Her special licence that I, the said James Rac, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as 1, the said James
Rae, 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 PORTABLE
APPARATUS FOR CLEANSING AND FILTERING WATER FOR ARMY AND OTHER PURPOSES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Rae, 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 James Rae, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):--

page_text: My Invention relates to the construction of self-cleansing and filtering
apparatus chiefly applicable for military use in barracks, in the field and on
the march. The apparatus consists of a double cistern of metal carried on
a suitable framing or cart body mounted on wheels for the purpose of trans-
portation. The bottom of each half of the cistern inclines downwards and
has a central well or channel provided with a pipe or cock at bottom for
drawing off the sediment. The cistern is supplied with water from any source
such as from a pond when on the march, for instance, either by a hand pump
placed on the ground or fixed at any point on the cart outside the cistern..
In the well or bottom of the cistern I place a filter open at top and bottom
and enclosed in a casing in such manner that the water entering from below
will pass through the filter and then into the casing with which delivery pipes
extending at back of the cistern are connected, provided with taps for drawing
off the cleansed and purified water. The cistern may be mounted on two
or more wheels and fitted with one or more filters.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 of the Drawings is a side elevation of the cart serving to carry
the filtering apparatus of my Invention, and Figure 2 a longitudinal section
of the cart and filters on line A. A. Figure 4; Figure 3 is an end view of
the cart showing the arrangement of cocks for drawing off the filtered water;
Figure 4, a horizontal section of the cart filters and cistern; while Figure 5
is a transverse section of same on line B, B. Figure 4; c. c, is the cistern
for containing the water before it is filtered, a space a, a, being left between
the cistern and the cart sides to admit of a current of air constantly circulating,
which tends to keep the water cool in very hot weather; we, we, are tanks in
the bottom of the cistern in which are placed cases r, r, containing the
filters, f, and serving to hold the filtered water. The water is conducted
from chamber to the discharge pipe d, and is drawn off at the taps t, t,
placed on said discharge pipe; e, e, are throttle valves placed on pipes s to
regulate the flow according to the quality of the water to be filtered; m, m,
cocks placed at bottom of tanks w for drawing off any sediment, that may
deposit when the supply of water is pumped from a muddy stream or other
similar source. In this manner the water is comparatively cleansed before
passing through the filters, f. It will be observed that I filter the water
by ascension according to my former Invention for which Letters Patent were
granted to me dated 1858, No. 2538. For filling the cistern from any
desired source I use an ordinary suction pump which may either be fixed to
the top or other convenient part of the cart or placed upon the ground. The

page_text: necessary suction and discharge pipes are also provided, which I prefer to be
of some flexible material. The water is first pumped into the cistern c where
it deposits its sediment at bottom and passes up through the filters (which
are perforated at top and bottom as shown) into casings and thence to the
discharge pipe d by the pipes s, s, as before described. The filters I charge
with animal charcoal, which when supplied with an abundance of oxygen is
well known to act most favorably in purifying water containing organic
matters, but as some water contains only a small quantity of oxygen, the
charcoal is very liable to become clogged and inactive. In order to remedy
this occasionally force a current of air through the filtering material, for
which purpose I attach the discharge pipe of the pump by a union joint to an
air pipe p communicating with the filter f, and passing up through the cover
of the cistern c as seen, I then set the pump in motion and force fresh air
through the filters, by which means the charcoal becomes cleansed and
divested of the greater part of the organic matter adhering to it.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention to be
protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
The arrangement and combination of parts constituting the improved
portable self-cleansing and filtering apparatus herein described and represented
in the Drawings; while reserving the right of making any mere modifications
so long as there be no departure from the principle of the Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Rac, have hereunto set my hand
and scal, this Ninth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
JAMES RAE. (L.S.)