AN IMPROVED FILTERING APPARATUS ESPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR DOMESTIC AND SHIPS' USE
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John George Kirtley, of Monkwearmouth,
Sunderland, in the County of Durham, Plumber, for the Invention of
"AN IMPROVED FILTERING APPARATUS ESPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR DOMESTIC AND
SHIPS' USE."
Scaled the 9th April 1875, and dated the 14th October 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John George Kirtley
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 14th October 1874.
I, JOHN GEORGE KIRTLEY, of Monkwearmouth, Sunderland, in the
County of Durham, Plumber, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "AN IMPROVED FILTERING APPARATUS ESPECIALLY ADAPTED
FOR DOMESTIC AND SHIPS' USE," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object the speedy and efficient filtration of
water for domestic use, for which purpose two or more cylinders con-
taining the filtering medium are placed side by side, and assuming two
cylinders only are employed are connected at the top with each other by
means of an inverted shaped pipe. The whole may be enclosed in any
Ụ

page_text: suitable covering of an ornamental character provided with projections
in order that the apparatus may be fastened in a convenient place,
preferably against the wall near the service cock. To the bottom of the
cylinder in which the water from the supply first enters, a screwed cap
is fitted, having a flexible junction pipe to fasten by any convenient
means to the service cock. Near the bottom of the other cylinder a
cock is fitted from which the filtered water issues. This cock is so
adapted as to allow the flexible tube before mentioned being connected
thereto for a purpose herein-after specified. At the bottom of the same
cylinder is also a screwed cap. In the interior and near the extremities
of each cylinder a diaphragm of finely perforated sheet metal or any
permeable material is placed to prevent the filtering medium shifting
from its position.
When the apparatus is to be put into working order it is for con-
venience turned upside down, and the screwed caps from both cylinders
removed. A diaphragm is then placed on projections in the interior of
each cylinder near the orifice of the U shaped pipe. Into the first
cylinder the coarser filtering material is poured and another diaphragm
placed thereon to prevent it falling into the flexible tube when brought
to its normal position; the screwed cap is then screwed on with a washer
to render it water-tight.
Into the second cylinder a finér description of filtering material is
poured until it reaches the aperture of the cock, when a diaphragm is
placed thereon and kept up to the material by suitable means; the
screwed cap is then screwed on and the apparatus brought to its normal
position and fastened to the wall near to the service cock, to which a
communication is made by connecting thereto the flexible junction
pipe. This pipe is of sufficient length to allow its being connected when
required to the cock fitted in the second cylinder, the apparatus thus
becomes self-cleansing, for the water taking a contrary course carrys
with it the refuse left by the previous filtrations.
A modification of this Invention is to fit to the upper part of a force
pump a circular chamber with a tube passing upward for the passage of
pump rod. A vertical partition is fitted across the chamber dividing the
coarse from the fine filtering material; this partition however does not
reach quite to the top of the chamber, but allows the water after per-
colating upward through the coarse material in the one division to flow
over the top of the partition and pass downward through the finer

page_text: material in the other, the water being forced on its way by means of the
force pump to which it is attached by a flexible pipe. Over the top of
the chamber is fitted a cover with a circular opening for the passage
of the pump rod tube, and made water-tight by a washer between the
cover and flanges of the chamber and of the tube in the centre,
and screwed down by bolts and nuts. This modification is adapted
for ships' use where the portable water is pumped from tanks below
deck, or in cases where the service supply is derived from pumps or
wells.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John George Kirtley in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 14th April 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
GEORGE KIRTLEY, of Monkwearmouth, in the County of Durham,
Plumber, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John George Kirtley, Her special licence
that I, the said John George Kirtley, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said John George Kirtley, 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 "AN IMPROVED
FILTERING APPARATUS ESPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR DOMESTIC AND SHIPS' USE,” upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John George Kirtley, 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 John George Kirtley, 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 in writing, reference being had to the
Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say) :-
.
This Invention has for its object the speedy and efficient filtration of
water for domestic use, for which purpose two or more cylinders con-
taining the filtering medium are placed upright side by side, and
(assuming that two only are employed) connected at the top with each
other by means of an inverted U shaped pipe. This will be the better
understood by referring to the accompanying Drawing, where Figure 1
is a front view of my improved filtering apparatus; Figure 2 a plan of
the top of same; Figure 3, a plan looking up to show how I unscrew the
oaps by means of the square shoulders f, f, when it is required to fill or
refill the cylinders with the filtering medium; and Figure 4 a side view.
In these Figures A and A' are the two cylinders containing the filtering
medium, and connected together at the top by the bent pipe B. At the
bottom of the cylinder A is a screwed cap (c) so made as to admit the
flexible tube (d) from the service supply cock, being connected thereto
by the union joint (e). Near the bottom of the cylinder A¹ a nozzle is
inserted from which the filtered water issues. This nozzle is so adapted
as to allow the flexible tube before mentioned being connected to it
for a purpose herein-after specified. At the bottom of the same cylinder
is also a screwed cap (c¹). These caps (c and c¹) are for the purposes
of filling and refilling the cylinders with filtering material and the
joints are made water-tight in the ordinary way by washers (g, g',).
In the interior near the extremities of each cylinder a diaphragm
of finely perforated sheet metal or any permeable material is placed to
prevent the filtering medium shifting from its position, and thus blocking
up the orifices.
To give stability to the apparatus and to enable it to be fastened to
any convenient place, preferably against a wall near the service supply
cock, I provide supports h, h, to which the cylinders are fastened, and by
which they are nailed to the wall.
When the apparatus is to be put into working order it is for con-
venience turned upside down, and the caps from both cylinders

page_text: unscrewed. The diaphragms are removed to allow the filtering medium
being poured in. Into the first or inlet cylinder A I prefer to put a
coarser material than that poured into the second or outlet cylinder A'.
When the cylinders are sufficiently filled the diaphragms are returned
to their places, the caps screwed on, and the apparatus brought to its
normal position and fastened to the wall near the service cock, to which
This
a connection is made by connecting thereto the flexible tube d.
tube is of sufficient length to allow of it being disconnected from the
inlet cylinder and connected when required to the screwed nozzle inserted
in the outlet cylinder A'. The apparatus thus becomes self-cleansing,
for the water when turned on from the service taking a contrary course
carries with it the refuse left by the previous filtrations.
Where the potable water is derived, as in ships, from tanks below
the deck, I fix my apparatus near the bottom, and connect the outlet
cylinder to a horizontal pipe, on which several of my apparatus may be
From this hori-
arranged, according to the demand for filtered water.
zontal pipe a vertical pipe proceeds to the pump on deck, as shewn in
Figure 5, where the arrows show the water from the tank entering the
inlet cylinder 1, containing the coarser filtering material, it then passes
through the outlet cylinder 2 into the horizontal pipe I, I, from thence
upward to the pump which is provided with a reversible valve (k). This
valve is made reversible in order that when it is required to reverse the
action of the pump to cleanse the filter, the valve is turned upside down
and the lower valve (1) removed. This permits the pump to act as a
force pump and to drive air or water through the cylinders in a contrary
direction to that taken by the filtered water, thus driving out the refuse
left by previous filtrations. In Figures 6 and 7, I have shewn this valve
to a larger scale, m being the india-rubber valve and n the boss, into
either face of which the pump rod can be screwed, according as it is
required to draw water from or force water through the cylinders. In
Figure 6 the india-rubber valve m is removed to more clearly show the
construction.

page_text: the filtered water from the cylinders would flow; an air pipe rising
therefrom to the surface, with a screwed plug at the top, allows
the reservoir to be under the influence of the atmosphere at pleasure.
Having now described the object and nature of my said Invention,
together with the manner of carrying the same into effect, I would
remark in conclusion that I claim as my Invention the arrangement and
application of two or more cylinders connected together or in groupes,
substantially as and for the purposes above described and illustrated on
the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said John George Kirtley, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of April, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.