IMPROVEMENTS IN FILTERS FOR SHIPS' TANKS AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1874

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Francis Henry Atkins at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
9th February 1874.
I, FRANCIS HENRY. ATKINS, of 62, Fleet Street, in the City of
London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention.
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FILTERS FOR SHIPS' TANKS AND OTHER PURPOSES," to be
as follows:-
This Invention has first for its object improvements in filters for
ships' tanks by the application thereto of sodified carbon filtering blocks
mounted in plates or frames as described in the Specification of Letters
Patent granted to me dated 14th February 1873, No. 556, and also
in enamelling or lining the chamber or reservoir containing the filtered
water with white enamelled glazed encaustic or vitrified tiles or slabs,
or with enamelled metal plates in order to preserve the filtered water in
a perfectly pure state in any climate. For this purpose according to one
method of constructing a filter for ships' tanks, I mount the carbon

page_text: filtering blocks in the lower part of a plate or frame in order to form a
partition to divide the tank into two compartments, one compartment
being used for the reception of the unfiltered water, and the other to
receive the filtered water which is filtered by passing through the carbon
filtering blocks placed and arranged in the lower part of the partition.
The filtered water is drawn from the tank as required by means of a
suitable cock or otherwise.
The carbon filtering blocks are so arranged and fitted to the partition
plate that they can be readily removed when foul and exchanged for
others by means of a man-hole formed in the cover of the tank.
In place of arranging the carbon filtering blocks in a vertical position
combined with or forming the lower portion of the partition as pre-
viously described they may be arranged in a horizontal position a short
distance above the bottom of a ship's tank, so as to form false porous
bottoms to the two compartments of the tank, the unfiltered water
passing downwards through the filtering block or blocks from one com-
partment, and rising up through the filtering block at the bottom of the
reservoir for holding the filtered water.
If it is desired compartments may be formed between the filtering
blocks filled with sponge, sand, charcoal, or other filtering materials.
The reservoirs or compartments for holding the filtered water are
either enamelled or lined in accordance with my improvements, either
with enamelled or other tiles or slabs cemented or otherwise secured
therein, or these compartments may be enamelled or lined with
enamelled metal plates, or chambers may be fitted therein and formed
with a perforated bottom plate to allow the filtered water to pass up into
them.
For some purposes I form the reservoirs for holding the filtered water
separate from a ship's tank, one side or the bottom of such separate
reservoirs having carbon filtering blocks fitted to and secured therein.
These separate reservoirs are filled with filtered water by placing them
for a suitable time in a ship's tank through a suitable man-hole or lid, or
they may form the lid or cover to the man-hole whilst they are being
charged with filtered water and when full exchanged for others. When
filled they may be placed in such a position that the carbon filtering

page_text: block forms the upper surface of the chamber or reservoir until the
contents are drawn off by means of a cock, screw, plug, stopper, or
otherwise.
The reservoirs of filters for purposes other than ships' tanks may be
lined as previously described in accordance with my improvements.