IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR FILTERING OR CLEANSING WATER OR OTHER FLDING
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Wrigley, of Bury, in the County of Lan-
caster, Paper Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR FILTERING OR CLEANSING WATER OR OTHER
FLDING"
Sealed the 4th December 1863, and dated the 13th June 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Wrigley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 13th
June 1863.
I, THOMAS WRIGLEY, of Bury, in the County of Lancaster, Paper Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR FILTERING OR CLEANSING WATER OR OTHER
FLUIDS," to be as follows:-
I construct a vessel of any suitable shape or dimensions with a valve or
aperture to admit the water or other fluid to be filtered, and in the bottom of
the said vessel I put a valve or aperture for the purpose of cleaning it out.
In this vessel I place a cylinder covered with fine wire cloth, or any suitable
filtering medium; one of the centres on which this cylinder revolves is solid,
and the other hollow, so that a screw acting upon the end of the solid centre
forces the edges of the hollow centre against a ring made of metal, wood,
india-rubber, or other suitable material to make a perfectly tight joint.. The
water or other fluid to be filtered being admitted into the vessel passes from
the exterior to the interior of the cylinder, and through the hollow centre,

page_text: leaving the filthy and rejected matter on the exterior surface of the cylinder.
When the surface of the cylinder becomes so far covered with the rejected
matter as to obstruct the passage of the water or fluid, I stop the supply
valve and open the one at the bottom of the vessel, then by means of a handle
and wheel communicate a rapid motion to the cylinder, which by centrifugal
action throws off all the dirt and extraneous matter accumulated on the
surface of the cylinder, and which passes away through the valve at the
bottom of the vessel; or if found desirable the cylinder may have a constant
revolving motion.
Although I have described a cylinder only, it is evident that I can obtain
the same result by an endless band of fine wire or other material, though in
practice a cylinder will be found preferable.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Wrigley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th
December 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME; I, THOMAS
WRIGLEY of Bury, in the County of Lancaster, Paper Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Thomas Wrigley, Her special license that I, the said Thomas Wrigley,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas
Wrigley, 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 MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS FOR FILTERING OR CLEANSING WATER OR OTHER FLUIDS," upon the
condition (among others) that I, the said Thomas Wrigley, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Wrigley, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
(that is to say):-
:-
I employ a vessel of any suitable shape or dimensions having an aperture
communicating with a pipe and valve for admitting the water or other fluid to
-be filtered, and another aperture leading to a pipe and cock for the purpose of
taking off the refuse. In this vessel I place a hollow perforated cylinder
covered with fine wire cloth or any suitable filtering medium. One end
of this cylinder is provided with a solid spindle, and the other end with a
nozzle or hollow shaft, both resting on bearings at two sides of the vessel.
One end of the nozzle communicates with the interior of the cylinder, and
the other end with a pipe or aperture at one side of the vessel. Between
the edge of the nozzle and the aperture or pipe there is a washer of metal,
wood, india-rubber, or other suitable material for the purpose of making a
perfectly tight joint when the cylinder is moved forwards by a screw acting on
the end of the solid spindle, and when the cylinder is drawn back by the screw
it is free to revolve in its bearings. When the edge of the nozzle is forced
against the washer, and the joint tight, the water or other fluid to be filtered
is admitted to the vessel, and passes from the exterior to the interior of the
cylinder, and escapes through the nozzle to the aperture or pipe at the side of
the vessel, and leaves the dirty and rejected matter on the exterior surface
of the cylinder. When the lower surface of the cylinder, or so much of it
as is immersed in the water, becomes so far covered with rejected matter as
to impede the operation of filtering, I ease the forcing up screw, and turn the
upper surface into the water, and having again tightened the joint by the
forcing up screw the operation of filtering again proceeds. Now the clean
surface is brought into contact with the water, and when the whole surface of
the cylinder has become so far covered with rejected matter as to obstruct
the passage of the water or fluid I shut the supply.valve and open the cleaning
out cock until the water in the vessel is below the bottom of the nozzle on the
cylinder. I now close the cleaning out cock, and turn back the screw at the
end of the solid spindle to break the joint of the nozzle, and then give a rapid
revolving motion to the cylinder by gearing or in any other convenient way,
which by centrifugal action throws off all the dirt and extraneous matter accu-
mulated on the surface of the cylinder into the fluid in the vessel, which fluid
and rejected matter is passed off through the cleaning out pipe and cock pro-
vided for the purpose.
These improvements will be clearly understood by referring to the figures

page_text: and letters on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, in which Fig. I is a
vertical section, and Figs. 2 and 3 side and end elevations of one of my
improved arrangements of filtering apparatus.
a, represents the vessel for containing the water or fluid to be filtered; 6, the
supply pipe; c, the supply valve; d, the cleaning out pipe; e, the cleaning out
cock, and f the hollow perforated cylinder covered with wire gauze or other filter-
ing medium. The end g of the cylinder is closed, and to that end is fixed the solid
spindle h, which rests in the bearing i, and has its outer end against the head of
the screw k, which passes through the nut 7, fixed to the exterior of the vessel.
To the other end of the cylinder is fixed the nozzle m, one end of which passes
through an aperture at that end of the cylinder, and the other end is fitted to
a bearing in that side of the vessel and communicates with the exit pipe n, and
between the edge of the nozzle and the flanch of the pipe there is a washer o,
for making a tight joint when by means of the screw k the nozzle is pressed
against it. To the cylinder or nozzle is fixed the toothed ring or wheel p,
gearing into the toothed wheel r, fixed to a spindle provided with a handle s
or with a driving pulley. The supply valve is simply a flat plate covered with
india-rubber in connection with the upper flanch of the pipe b. The valve
is attached to the rod t, having at the upper end a screw passing through a
stationary nut u, and lock nut v, and to the top of the rod is fixed a handle w
for turning the rod and raising or lowering the valve as required. Thus when
the joint between the end of the nozzle and the flanch of the external pipe n
is tight the cylinder is stationary, and the fluid passes from the vessel into the
interior of the cylinder, and makes its exit through the said pipe n. When
the lower portion of the cylinder is covered with dirt and refuse the joint is
broken and the upper portion of the cylinder turned below by the handle and
gearing, and when the entire surface of the cylinder is covered with refuse the
joint is broken and the cylinder turned with rapidity in water in the vessel so
as to remove by centrifugal action the refuse, and thereby clean the surface of
the cylinder.
Thus the peculiar nature of this Invention consists in placing in a water-
tight vessel a cylinder having a nozzle fitted against a washer so as to form a
joint, which can be readily tightened or loosened by means of a screw, so that
'when the joint is tight the fluid may be filtered and pass to the exterior
of the vessel, and when loosened the cylinder may be cleaned by centrifugal
action.
Having now described the nature and particulars of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I desire.it to be distinctly
understood that I claim the combination and arrangement of machinery or

page_text: apparatus for filtering or cleansing water or other fluids as herein described
and illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, having for its object
the rejection of objectionable matter from water or other fluids, and affording
ready and efficient means of cleaning the filtering surface by contrifugal
* modification thereof
apparatus for filtering or cleansing water or other fluids as herein described
and illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, having for its object
the rejection of objectionable matter from water or other fluids, and affording
pready and efficient means of cleaning the filtering surface by contrifugal
petion, or any modification thereof
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Wrigley, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighth day of December, in the year
etion, or any modification thereof
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Wrigley, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named Thomas Wrigley,
in the presence of
E. J. HUGHES,
Patent Agent,
Manchester.
THOMAS WRIGLEY. (L.S.)