A CERTAIN IMPROVEMENT OR CERTAIN IM- PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FILTERING
Year: 1847

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, BROOKB
SMITH, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer, and
RICHARD FORD STURGES, of Birmingham aforesaid, 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 Twenty-
first day of October, One thousand eight hundred and forty-seven, in the
eleventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said Brooke Smith and Richard Ford Sturges, our
exors, admors, or assigns, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege
and authority, that we, the said Brooke Smith, and Richard Ford Sturges,
our exors, admiors, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Brooke
Smith and Richard Ford Sturges, our exors, adiñors, 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, our Invention of "A CERTAIN IMPROVEMENT OR CERTAIN IM-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FILTERING;" in which said Letters Patent is
contained a proviso that we, the said Brooke Smith and Richard Ford
Sturges, should cause a particular description of the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,. by an
instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or under the hand and seal
of one of us, to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in part

page_text: recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto
had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, we, the said
Brooke Smith and Richard Ford Sturges, do hereby declare that the nature of
our said 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:-
Our Invention consists,-
First, of improvements on apparatus whereby filtering apparatus, in combi-
nation with a cock or pipe, is so arranged that the filter may be reversed in
respect to its connection with the cock or pipe, and thus cause the water to
flow through the filter in the opposite direction to that in which it had been
before flowing, by which means the filter used may be cleansed.
Secondly, our Invention consists of so arranging a suitable cock or valve
externally of a filtering apparatus in such manner that, without taking the
filtering apparatus off, the direction of the flow of water may be reversed, in
order to the filter being cleansed.
Thirdly, our Invention consists of so constructing filtering apparatus that a
suitable cock or valve may be arranged within a filter for causing the direction
of the flow of water to be reversed, in order to cleanse the filter.
Fourthly, our Invention consists of applying a flexible and elastic pipe or
tube, in combination with filtering apparatus.
And in order that our Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect, we will proceed to describe the means pursued by us in
putting the same into practise.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shews a filtering apparatus in connection with a cock made
according to the first part of our Invention. a is a cock, and 6 is a filter in
combination therewith, suitable for drawing off water, whether from a supply a
main or from a cistern or other vessel. The shape of this filtering apparatus
may be varied, and the means of connecting it with a cock may also be varied
without departing from this part of our Invention, which consists of so forming
a filtering apparatus that it may be connected with a cock at either end,
and thus the direction of the flow of water through the filtering medium be 3
reversed in order to cleanse the filter. In the Figure the filter 6 is formed
with a male screw c at each end, and the cock is formed with a flanch, and
has a washer d, also a screw ring or hoop e, by which means the cock and.

page_text: the filter will readily and securely combine at either end of the filter; and in
order that sponge may be used, the mouth of the cock is opened into a conical
form as shewn.
Figure 2 shews a section of a filtering apparatus constructed according to
the second part of our Invention. Figure 3 shews an external side view,
Figure 4 shews a plan, and Figure 5 shows an horizontal section of the cock
used. b is the filtering apparatus, the internal arrangement of the filter
forming no part of our Invention, and the same, and also the shape thereof,
may be varied without departing from this part of our Invention, which
consists of so arranging the filtering apparatus that water flowing from a
main or from a cistern or other vessel may have its course reversed by a suitable
external arrangement of a cock or valve and apparatus so as to cleanse the
filter, as hereafter explained. f is the point of connection of the filter with a
pipe or cock leading from the source of supply. 9,9, are pipes communicating
with the filter at the upper and lower parts thereof, as shewn. h is a cock
which, according to the Drawing, allows of the water flowing from the pipe f
to the upper part of the filter, and having passed through the filter the water
again enters the pipe 9, passing through another passage in the cock h, and
flows off at i. This arrangement of the cock might evidently be varied; the
filtration may also take place up through the filter in place of down through
it, as shewn. When it is desired to cleanse the filter, then the plug of the
cock is to be moved so that the passage i may be closed, and the flow of
water will be up through the filter, and flow off by the separate passage j,
there being a spring plug at that passage, which will give way with the
pressure of the water in the filter should the pressure become greater than
the filter is intended to sustain; and when the filter is to be cleansed the
spring plug is to be drawn back, as shewn by dotted lines in Figure 2; and
although we have in the Drawing shewn the cock with a passage to allow of
the filtered water passing out by the spout i, we sometimes omit this passage,
and draw the water through a separate cock or valve axffied at either the
upper or the lower part of the apparatus, according as the filtration takes place,
by the water passing up or down through the filtering medium; or, in place of
having a separate outlet, the cock might be so formed as to allow of the
water passing through the spout i both when drawing off filtered water and
when cleansing. x, y, are two screws which regulate the position to which
the plug of the cock may move, and by which the quantity of water passing
through the filter in a given time may be regulated, so that the apparatus may
be adjusted to deliver only so much water as it will most advantageously filter.
We would remark, in respect to this part of our Invention, that although we
have shewn a cock having a suitable arrangement of plug as the means or

page_text: changing the direction of the flow of water through the filter, we do not
confine ourselves thereto, as in place thereof other suitable arrangement of cock
or a valve might be used. But we believe the arrangement above described
to be the best for the purpose. In Figure 5 we have shown an arrangement
of apparatus for regulating the admission of water into, a filter under circum-
stances of fluctuating pressure in the supply pipe. is a cylindrical plug
with one part removed in an inclined direction, as shewn, or it might be a
conical plug. The plug at its cylindrical part nearly fits the opening m, m,
and is constantly acted upon by the spring n. The water passing in the direc
tion of the arrow causes the plug to be borne in a direction to compress the
spring, and this compression will be in proportion to the force of water pressing
upon the plug, whereby the aperture formed between the inclined surface
and the opening m will be diminished as the force increases.
Figures 10,
We will now describe the third part of our Invention. Figure 6 shows an
external side view of a filtering apparatus, arranged with an internal cock
and parts for changing the direction of the flow of water through such filter.
Figure 7 shows a section thereof. Figure 8 shows an external view of the
upper side. Figure 9 shows an external view of the under side.
11, and 12, shew sections of the internal cock in three positions. We would
remark, that the internal construction and arrangement of the filter may be
varied, and such is the case in respect to the shape of the filter, and also of
the construction of the internal cock or valve, so long as the arrangements of
the cock or valve used for changing the course of the flow of water is within
the filtering apparatus. a, a, is the filtering medium, which may be of sand,
charcoal, or of other material suitable for the purpose. 6 is the plug of the
cock, which, by means of its passages, is suitable for conducting the water
passing in to the apparatus from the supply pipe c into the chamber A, or
into the chamber B, thence to percolate through the medium a, and out by the
passage d. In the section Figure 7, and also in the horizontal sections
Figure 10, the water is shewn to be passing up to the upper chamber A of
the filter through the passage (1) in the plug, and thence through the filtering
medium to the lower chamber B, and by the passage (2) to the outlet d.
When the plug is turned round so that the handle will be in the position. C
in the Plan, Fig. 8, the passage (3) (which opens into the passage (1)) in the
plug will be turned so as to direct the water flowing into the apparatus first
into the chamber B, thence the water will pass through the filtering medium
into the chamber A, and be directed through the passage (4) to the outlet d,
as is indicated by the sectional view, Figure 11. Figure 12 shews similar
sections of the cock and plug, but in this case the plug is turned to the position
indicated by the handle in dotted lines D, Figure 8, and the passages are closed.

page_text: We will now describe the fourth part of our Invention. Figure 9 shows a
filtering apparatus attached to an ordinary cock by means of an elastic and
flexible pipe, the elasticity of the ends of the pipe allowing of their being
respectively drawn over the end of the filter and the cock, as shewn, and then
so tightly embracing the same that the connections will be water-tight. We
prefer to use for this purpose vulcanized india rubber.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be peformed, we would have it understood that what we
claim is,―
First, the so arranging filtering apparatus that the same may be attached by
cither end to a cock or pipe, and readily detached for the purpose of reversing
it, to effect the cleansing of the apparatus.
Secondly, we claim the so arranging a single cock or valve externally of
filtering apparatus that the direction of the course of water through the filter
may be changed, as herein described.
Thirdly, we claim the so arranging filtering apparatus that an internal cock
or valve may be.combined therewith so as to change the course of the water
flowing through the filter. And we also claim the application of the
screws x, y.
Fourthly, we claim the combination of elastic and flexible tubes for
connecting filtering apparatus with cocks and pipes, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Brooke Smith, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of April, One thousand eight
hundred and forty-eight.