IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF TANK
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Frederick Crease, of Eastney, in the
County of Southampton, Captain in the Royal Marine Artillery,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF TANK
Sealed the 17th May 1870, and dated the 30th November 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Frederick Crease
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 30th November 1869.
I, JOHN FREDERICK CREASE, of Eastney, in the County of Southampton;
Captain in the Royal Marine Artillery, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF TANK
FILTERS, AND IN THE CONVERSION OF TANKS INTO FILTERS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the construction of filters of that class in
which the whole or portions of the charcoal and sand or other filtering
materials employed are placed between perforated plates, so that the
liquid to be filtered on its way from the compartment or chamber con-
taining unfiltered liquid to the compartment or chamber provided for the

page_text: reception of the filtered liquid has to pass through the perforations in the
plates and through the filtering materials, and the distinctive features of
the Invention consist in the peculiar manner of constructing and
arranging the various parts in combination, so that the perforated plates
and filtering materials may be readily taken out and cleansed or renewed
when necessary through duly proportioned openings formed for that
purpose in the main outer vessel or tank, and provided with suitable
doors or covers, which are secured in position by bolts and nuts or
equivalent devices when the filters are in operation.
In carrying out my Invention the arrangement of the various parts
will admit of considerable modification according to the requirements of
each particular case, thus, for instance, the outer vessel or tank may have
either one or more openings formed in it, and such opening or openings
may be situated either in the top or bottom or sides thereof as may be
found most convenient.
According to one arrangement I divide a tank or vessel into an upper
compartment for unfiltered liquid and a lower compartment for filtered
liquid by means of three perforated plates supported at suitable distances
from each other by angle irons fastened for that purpose to the sides of
the tank, and I secure the upper plate to its flange by screws or bolts,
placing all the plates opposite to and in such manner that they may be
withdrawn through a suitably flanged opening or openings formed in the
side or sides of the tank or vessel, and provided with a door or doors.
made water-tight when in position preferably by the interposition of a
thin sheet or sheets of vulcanized india-rubber between itself or them-
selves and the flange or flanges to which it or they is or are bolted, such
india-rubber being attached to the door or doors by some suitable adhesive
composition, preferring that known as "Jeffery's Patent marine glue."
The perforations in the upper plate are provided with vertical pipes or
tubes, into which are fitted small cups furnished with suitable packing
and containing sand or other filtering material, the upper edges of these
small cups being formed with projecting rims or flanges and their bottoms
being finely perforated, as are also the two lower plates. The spaces
between the plates are filled up with any suitable filtering material or
materials, preferring to use well packed sand between the upper plate and
middle plate and coarsely granulated animal charcoal between the latter
and the bottom perforated plate. A vertical pipe (for air to enter and
escape hy, as cccasion may require) having its lower end closed com-

page_text: municates (at a point slightly above its lower end) by a short branch pipe
with the upper part of the interior of the lower or filtered liquid com-
partment, and suitable taps or cocks are provided for regulating the
discharge or withdrawal of liquid from the filter. I coat the inside of
the main tank or vessel in this and other modifications with Roman,
Portland, or other like cement, according to the Invention for which I
applied for Letters Patent, No. 3057, on the 20th day of October last.
In some cases I form the sides of the vessel with flanges and make its
top or bottom as a door or cover to be secured in position by bolts, or else
I provide flanged openings with doors at two opposite sides of the tank or
vessel which I divide in either case into two compartments or chambers by
mcans of a vertical partition whose lower part is perforated, and in such
cases to the sides of the one compartment intended for unfiltered liquid
I attach angle irons to which I screw or bolt the plate whose perforations
are provided with vertical pipes or tubes and packed perforated cups as
herein-before described. I place sand or other filtering material between
this plate and the removable or other bottom of the tank. To the sides
of the other or filtered liquid compartment I secure angle irons to which
is attached the finely perforated plate corresponding to the bottom plate
in the modification first described, and below it I place the charcoal or
its equivalent, so that the unfiltered liquid passes down through the per-
forated cups and sand, thence through the holes in the bottom part of the
vertical division plate, and up through the charcoal and finely perforated
plate into the filtered liquid compartment, from whence it may be with-
drawn at pleasure through suitable taps or cocks provided for the purpose.
In converting a wrought-iron tank, such as an ordinary ship's tank, into
a filter, according to my Invention I first cut the necessary hole or holes
in its top, bottom, or sides of sufficient size to admit the angle irons for
supporting the perforated plates, and I straighten portions of the metal.
at the sides of each hole, and secure thereto suitable angle irons to form
flanges for the reception of a frame or frames, to which I afterwards
secure the door or doors. I make the sides of the tank flush by a plate or
plates at those parts where the angle irons are to be fixed. I then pass
in angle irons made of the proper form to suit the shape of the tank, and
secure them in their proper positions (one vertically and the rest hori-
zontally, or all horizontally as the case may be) one at a time by rivets,
after which I put the perforated plates through the door or doors into
their places, fastening them when necessary by screws or bolts to the

page_text: angle irons. I afterwards charge the proper compartments with filtering
material and bolt on the door or doors ready for use. When the
perforated plates and pipes used according to my Invention are of iron
they should be tinned or galvanized, or coated with some suitable material
not affected by water.
According to another modification of my Invention I use two distinct
and separate filtering vessels (communicating with each other by a pipe
or tube provided with a regulating cock) flanged at both ends and having
top and bottom lids or covers, each provided at some little distance from
itself with a perforated plate secured to it by studs or equivalent devices
and fitting freely within the chamber. Between the two perforated plates
in the one chamber I place the sand or its substitute, and between the
perforated plates in the other chamber is the charcoal or its equivalent.
The liquid to be filtered is led by a suitable pipe from a tank or reservoir
into the space between the upper lid or cover and perforated plate of the
sand chamber, thence it passes down through the upper perforated plate,
sand, and lower perforated plate into the space between the latter and the
lower cover, thence through the communicating pipe or tube into the space
between the lower lid and perforated plate of the charcoal chamber, up
through the charcoal and upper perforated plate into the space between
it and the top lid of the charcoal chamber, from whence it is conveyed by
a suitable pipe or channel to a separate tank or reservoir provided for its
reception. Tank filters according to my Invention may be made of various
materials and may be of cast-iron or other metal having the requisite
projections cast thereon to receive the perforated plates and provided
with the necessary openings for doors.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Frederick Crease in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 30th May 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
FREDERICK CREASE, of Eastney, in the County of Southampton,
Captain in the Royal Marine Artillery, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-third.

page_text: year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said John Frederick Crease, Her special licence that
I, the said John Frederick Crease, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said John Frederick Crease, 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 THE CONSTRUCTION OF TANK FILTERS, AND IN THE CONVERSION
OF TANKS INTO FILTERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said John Frederick Crease, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Frederick Crease, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to the construction of filters of that class in
which the whole or portions of the charcoal and sand or other filtering
materials employed are placed between perforated plates, so that the
liquid to be filtered on its way from the compartment or chamber
containing unfiltered liquid to the compartment or chamber provided
for the reception of the filtered liquid has to pass through the perforations
in the plates and through the filtering materials, and the distinctive
features of the Invention consist in the peculiar manner of constructing
and arranging the various parts in combination so that the perforated
plates and filtering materials may be readily taken out and cleansed or
renewed when necessary through duly proportioned openings formed for
that purpose in the main outer vessel or tank, and provided with suitable
doors or covers which are secured in position by bolts and nuts or
equivalent devices when the filters are in operation.
In carrying out my Invention the arrangement of the various parts will
admit of considerable modification according to the requirements of

page_text: each particular case, thus, for instance, the outer vessel or tank may
have either one or more openings formed in it, and such opening or
openings may be situated either in the top or bottom or sides thereof as
may be found most convenient.
According to one arrangement which is illustrated by Figures 1 to 12
inclusive on Sheet 1 of the accompanying Drawings, I divide a tank or
vessel a into an upper compartment a¹ for unfiltered liquid and a lower
compartment a for filtered liquid by means of three perforated
plates b, b', 63, supported at suitable distances from each other by angle
irons c, c¹, c, (like that shown at Figure 7) fastened for that purpose to
the sides of the tank, a packing plate x (Figure 2) being inserted at the
back end between the inside of the tank and the angle iron to make a
tight joint, and I secure the upper plate 6 to its flange c by screws or bolts,
placing all the plates opposite to and in such manner that they may be
withdrawn through a suitably flanged opening d (or openings) formed
in the side (or sides) of the tank or vessel and provided with a door e
(or doors) made water-tight when in position preferably by the inter-
position of a thin sheet or sheets of valcanized india-rubber between
itself (or themselves) and the flange or frame f (or flanges) to which it
(or they) is (or are) bolted. The india-rubber may be attached to the
door by some suitable adhesive composition, preferring that known as
Jeffery's Patent marine glue." The perforations in the upper plate b
are provided with vertical pipes or tubes g into which are fitted small
cups furnished with suitable packing (preferring fearnought let into
the recess (Figure 11) and sewn on) and containing sand or other
filtering material, the upper edges of these small cups being formed
with projecting rims or flanges h, and their bottoms being finely per-
forated, as are also the two lower plates b', 6%. The vertical pipes or
tubes
9 and
cups h are shown full size at. Figures 8, 9, 10, and 11;
Figure 8 being a section shewing the cup within its pipe or tube. The
spaces between the plates 6, 6, and b', 63, are filled up with
suitable
filtering material or materials, preferring to use well packed sand between
the upper plate b and middle plate 6', and, coarsely granulated animal
charcoal between the latter (6) and the bottom perforated plate (b²). A
vertical pipe i (Figure 12) (for air to enter and escape by as occasion
may require) having its lower end closed communicates (at a point
slightly above its lower end) by a short branch pipe with the upper
part of the interior of the lower or filtered liquid compartment a², and
"
any

page_text: suitable taps or cocks
are provided for regulating the discharge or
withdrawal of liquid from the filter.
I prefer to coat the inside of the main tank or vessel a in this and
other modifications with Roman, Portland, or other like cement according
to the Specification of my Patent, No. 3057, dated the 20th day of
October 1869, or other suitable material not affected by water.
Figure 13, Sheet 2, is a longitudinal section of a filter provided with
a door e at each end. In all other respects this filter resembles the one
already described.
In some cases I form the sides of the vessel a with flanges 1, and
make its top, bottom, or side as a door or-cover c to be secured in
position by bolts, as illustrated respectively at Figures 14 and 15, 16
and 17, and 18 and 19, or else I provide flanged openings with doors e
at two opposite sides of the tank or vessel a, as in Figures 20, 21, and
22, 23, which I divide in either case into two compartments or chambers
a', a², by means of a vertical partition whose lower part 6' is perforated,
and in such cases to the sides of the one compartment (a¹) intended
for unfiltered liquid, I attach angle iron c, to which I screw or bolt
the plate b, whose perforations are provided with vertical pipes or tubes g
and packed perforated cups h, as herein-before described. I place sand
or other filtering material between this plate b and the removable or
other bottom of the tank. To the sides of the other or filtered liquid
compartment a². I secure angle irons c¹, to which is attached the finely
perforated plate 6s corresponding to the bottom plate in the modification
first described, and below it I place the charcoal or its equivalent, so
that the unfiltered liquid passes down through the perforated cups h,
and sand thence through the holes in the bottom part of the vertical
division plate and up through the charcoal and finely perforated plate b³
into the filtered liquid compartment a², from whence it may be with-
drawn at pleasure through suitable taps or cocks provided for the
purpose.
In the arrangement shown at Figures 22 and 23 a perforated plate b¹
is used, at cach side of the lower end of the vertical partition, and these
plates 6' are provided with studs y, which form legs and rest on the
bottom of the tank so as to support the perforated plates 61, say, 1 or 2
inches above it.
In converting a wrought-iron tank, such as an ordinary ship's tank
into a filter according to my Invention, I first cut the necessary hole or

page_text: 20
holes in its top, bottom, or sides of sufficient size to admit the angle
irons c for supporting the perforated plates b, b', 62, and I straighten
portions of the metal at the sides of each hole, and secure thereto
suitable angle irons m as in Figures 3, 4, 5, and 17, to form flanges for
the reception of a frame or frames f, to which I afterwards secure the
door or doors e. I make the sides of the tank flush by inserting a plate
or plates (as in Figure 2), at those parts where the angle irons are to
be fixed. I then pass in angle irons c made of the proper form to suit
the shape of the tank and secure them in their proper positions, (one
vertically and the rest horizontally or all horizontally as the case may
be,) one at a time by rivets, after which I put the perforated plates 6, 6', 6º,
through the door or doors e into their places, fastening them when
necessary by screws or bolts to the angle irons c, c¹, c. I afterwards
charge the proper compartments with filtering material and bolt on the
door or doors e ready for use. When the perforated plates b, b¹, b², and
pipes g used according to my Invention are of iron they should be
tinned or galvanized or coated with some suitable material not affected
by water. The filters above described are to be formed with openings,
as shown at w in Figures 1, 2, and 3, for filling and other purposes.
According to another modification of my Invention shown in longi-
tudinal section at Figure 24, Sheet 2, I use two distinct and separate
filtering vessels a', a, (communicating with each other by a pipe or
tube o, which may be provided with a regulating cock) flanged at both
ends, and having top and bottom lids or covers e each provided at some
little distance from itself with a perforated plate, the perforated plate
of each top lid is secured to it by studs p or equivalent devices, and
fits freely within the chamber. The bottom perforated plates are provided
with studs p forming legs, which rest upon the bottom covers. Between
the two perforated plates b, b', in the chamber a¹ I place the sand or
its substitute, and between the perforated plates 6, 63, in the other
chamber a is the charcoal or its equivalent. The liquid to be filtered
is led by a suitable pipe q (provided with a regulating tap q') from a
tank or reservoir into the space between the upper lid or cover c, and
perforated plate of the chamber a¹, thence it passes down through the
upper perforated plate b, sand and lower perforated plate ', into the
space between the latter and the lower cover e, thence through the
communicating pipe or tube o into the space between the lower lid e
and perforated plate of the charcoal chamber a up through the

page_text: charcoal and upper perforated plate into the space between it and the
top lide of the charcoal chamber a², from whence it is conveyed by a
suitable pipe or channel (provided with a cock ) to a separate tank
or reservoir provided for its reception. The flanges of the vessels a', a³,
in this filter may be made of angle iron rivetted to the vessels, aud
india-rubber packing should be interposed between the flanges and the
covers e.
Tank filters according to my Invention may be made of various
materials and may be of cast iron or other metal having the requisite
projections cast thereon to receive the perforated plates and provided
with the necessary openings for doors.
And having now described the nature of my Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I would remark that I know that
tank filters have been previously made in various ways, but that what I
claim as of my Invention and desire to have secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is, the constructing and arranging
the various parts in combination to form filters so contrived that the
perforated plates and filtering materials may be readily taken out and
cleansed or renewed when necessary, substantially as herein.before
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
h
I also claim the use of the pipes or tubes y and cups arranged and
operating together as herein-before described for the purpose specified.
In witness whercof, I, the said John Frederick Crease, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of May,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
JOHN FREDERICK CREASE. (L.S.)