IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING MATERIALS FOR FILTERING WATER AND OTHER FLUIDS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis Henry Atkins, of 62, Fleet Street, in the City
of London, and of Chepstow, in the County of Monmouth, Civil Engineer, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING MATERIALS FOR FILTERING
WATER AND OTHER FLUIDS."
Sealed the 9th July 1878, and dated the 15th January 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis Henry Atkins at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th January 1878.
FRANCIS HENRY ATKINS, of 62, Fleet Street, in the City of London, and of
Chepstow, in the County of Monmouth, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PREPARING MATERIALS FOR FILTERING WATER AND OTHER FLUIDS."
This Invention relates to improvements in preparing carbonized clay or earthen-
ware for the purpose of filtering water, refining sugar, and other like purposes, and
my improvements have for there object the absorption of the empyreumatic vapours
given off during the destructive distillation of organic substances by the substance
to be carbonized, and the subsequent calcination of the material or substance in a
closed vessel or retort.
For this purpose I first introduce a quantity of the organic substance, whether
bones, wood, shale, or other matter, into a retort connected to a receiver, which is
charged with dried clay, broken earthenware, or other suitable porous substance in
small pieces, so that all the gases given off during the destructive distillation of the
organic substance must pass through the clay or porous earthenware, which will
absorb, condense, and retain the empyreumatic vapours, the inabsorbable gases
being allowed to escape from the receiver and used for illuminating purposes or
otherwise disposed of.
The contents of the receiver are then placed in a retort and submitted to
destructive distillation; and when this is completed, the clay, earthenware, or other

page_text: substance will be found to be fully carbonized and fit for use as a medium for
water filtration, sugar refining, or other like purpose.
The receiver above mentioned may be a retort, which may be heated at once
without any transfer of the contents to a second vessel, thus saving a considerable
amount of time and labour.
By this improved method the carbonization is more perfect than when the clay
is heated in contact with sawdust or other organic matter, as the cold porous
substance more readily absorbs the carbon compounds than when heated together
with the organic matter; also, that a further great saving of labour and expense is
effected by the condition in which the carbonized substance is obtained, it being
ready for immediate use.
No sifting or blowing is necessary to isolate the carbonized material from the
charred organic matter with which it would otherwise have been mixed.
In place of employing the process previously described for preparing or car-
bonizing filtering materials I take broken earthenware in small pieces, or dried clay
granulated, and I mix such materials with sawdust or other carbonaceous substances,
and subject them to a carbonizing process in a vessel or retort. The loose car-
bonaceous particles are afterwards separated from the broken carbonized earthen-
ware, which will then be ready for use as a filtering medium. Or the broken
earthenware may be saturated with carbonaceous fluid, such as petroleum, tar oil,
or similar carbonaceous fluids, and then subjected to a carbonizing process in the
usual manner; the earthenware so treated being then rendered fit for uso as a
filtering medium.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Francis Henry Atkins in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th
July 1878.
FRANCIS HENRY ATKINS, of 62, Fleet Street, in the City of London, and of
Chepstow, in the County of Monmouth, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PREPARING MATERIALS FOR FILTERING WATER AND OTHER FLUIDS."
This Invention relates to improvements in preparing carbonized clay or earthen-
ware for the purpose of filtering and purifying water, refining sugar, and other
like purposes, and my improvements have for their object the absorbtion of the
empyreumatic vapours given off during the destructive distillation of organic
substances by the substance to be carbonized, and the subsequent calcination of the
material or substance in a closed vessel or retort.
For this purpose I first introduce a quantity of the organic substance, whether
bones, wood, shale, or other matter, into a retort connected to a receiver, which is
charged with dried clay, broken earthenware, or other suitable porous substance in
small pieces, so that all the gases given off during the destructive distillation of
the organic substance must pass through the clay or porous earthenware which will
absorb, condense, and retain the empyreumatic vapours, the unabsorbable gases
being allowed to escape from the receiver and used for illuminating purposes, or be
otherwise disposed of.
The contents of the receiver are then placed in a retort and submitted to
destructive distillation, and when this is completed the clay, earthenware, or other
substance will be found to be fully carbonized and fit for use as a medium for
water filtration, sugar refining, or other like purposes.
The receiver above mentioned may be a retort, which may be heated at once
without any transfer of the contents to a second vessel, thus saving a considerable
amount of time and labour.
By this improved method the carbonization is more perfect than when the clay
is heated in contact with sawdust or other organic matter, as the cold porous
substance more readily absorbs the carbon compounds than when heated together
with the organic matter; also, that a further great saving of labour and expense is
effected by the condition in which the carbonized substance is obtained, it being
ready for immediate use.
No sifting or blowing is necessary to isolate the carbonized material from the
charred organic matter with which it would otherwise have been mixed.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of performing
or carrying the same into practice, what I claim is, the improved method of pre-
paring carbonized clay or earthenware for filtering water and other fluids by means
of vapours given off during the destructive distillation of organic substances,
substantially in the manner herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis Henry Atkins, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
F. H. ATKINS. (L.S.)