"Clark's Process" and to other Purposes.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Oct., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 13th July, 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 31st Aug., 18
"Clark's Process" and to other Purposes.
We JOHN HENDERSON PORTER, Engineer, and GEORGE PORTER, Engineer, both of
165 Queen Victoria Street in the City of London and JOHN PORTER, Civil Engineer
of 56 Sparkenhoe Street Leicester do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
Primarily, to facilitate the adoption of what is known as "Clarks Process" for the
softening and purification of water for the supply of towns, the same system being
available upon a smaller scale.
Whereas in the carrying out of the said Process for the water supply of towns as
for example Canterbury, Caterham and other places, large reservoirs or tanks each
capable of containing one day's consumption are necessary by reason of the many
hours required for the clearing of the water by the precipitation and subsidence of the
finely divided chalk and other matters produced in that process: We, in lieu of such
large duplicate reservoirs or tanks employ one and of smaller dimensions or utilize a
portion only of a large storage reservoir and expedite and perfect the clearing of the
chalky water, by causing it to pass into a series of filtering partitions constructed as
hereinafter described and extending across the reservoir or tank.
To construct these filtering partitions in an economical manner and to admit of the
convenient cleansing of the filtering surfaces and of their renewal when necessary,
we stretch a series of wires or rods under a tensile strain across the reservoir or tank
introducing at intervals such upright supports as the length may render desirable for
maintaining the wires or rods in a horizontal position.
On one or both sides of the skeleton thus provided we place a backing of any con-
venient and suitable matting or fabric, metallic or textile and secure this fabric or
matting to the wires or rods and upon the faces of this fabric or matting if one, or
upon the outer face of each when two are employed, we attach if necessary a covering
of any suitable filtering cloth in any manner to admit of easy removal when desired.

page_text: By this arrangement the inner fabric serves to convey away through its interstices or
channels or by what may be called a capillary action or attraction the clear water that,
having deposited the chalk or other matter in suspension upon the surfaces of the
outer cloths has passed through them to the inner sides. The lower edges of the
inner fabric or matting are confined between the lips or flanges of an outlet channel
or pipe, and, where the top of the partition is below the surface of the water in the
reservoir or tank the filtration may be expedited by connecting the outlet pipe with
the suction of a pump.
Also, where the height of the partition or the character of the water under filtration
render it desirable, we introduce within and between the surfaces of the partition one
or more perforated pipes to facilitate the escape or withdrawal of the filtered water.
Our Invention consists in the novelty of this method of constructing and sustaining
across a reservoir of any dimensions filtering surfaces and outlets of the character
described whereby the aforesaid Process known as "Clarks Process" may be inore
expeditiously and effectively carried on continuously and within much less space than
by the system of precipitation and subsidence hitherto adopted.
The Invention being available and equally novel for the filtration of impure waters
having matters in suspension or for any waters rendered turbid by other chemical
processes of purification we claim the rights of originality for such other purposes also.
In some cases it may be found convenient and sufficient to rely entirely upon the
thicker mat or matting, dispensing with the outer coverings of filter cloth and while
we prefer light rods or wires under tensile strain as giving stiffness with economy in
dealing with long spaces, we claim equally the use of stronger rods or bars not in
tension but more frequently supported in any case where the proportions of a tank or
reservoir may make that equally advantageous.
JOHN H. PORTER.
GEORGE PORTER.
JOHN PORTER.

page_text: Improvements in Filtration in relation to the Process known as
Clark's Process and to other Purposes.
WO JOHN HENDERSON PORTER and GEORGE PORTER, Engineers, both of 165
Queen Victoria Street in the City of London and JOHN PORTER, Civil Engineer, of
56 Sparkenhoe Street, Leicester, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
Primarily to facilitate the adoption of what is known as Clarks Process for the
softening and purification of water for the supply of towns the same system being
available upon a smaller scale.
Whereas in the carrying out of the said Process for the water supply of towns
as, for example, Canterbury, Caterham and other places, large reservoirs or tanks
each capable of containing one days consumption are necessary by reason of the
many hours required for the clearing of the water by the precipitation and subsidence
of the finely divided chalk and other matters produced in that process we, in lieu of
such large tanks or reservoirs employ one, and of smaller dimensions or utilise a
portion only of a large storage reservoir and expedite and perfect the clearing of the
chalky water by causing it to pass into a series of filtering partitions Figs. I and 2
Sheet 1 constructed as hereinafter described and extending across the reservoir or tank.
To construct the filtering partitions in an economical manner and to admit of a
convenient cleansing of their filtering surfaces and of their renewal when necessary,
we stretch a series of wires or rods under a tensile strain across the reservoir or tank
introducing at intervals such upright supports as the length or space may render
desirable for maintaining the wires or rods in a horizontal position so that, for example,
in a reservoir or tank of one hundred feet in length or width these wires and rods and
their supports would have the appearance of a length of iron fencing;
On one or both sides of the skeleton thus provided we place a backing of any con-
venient and suitable matting or fabric, metallic or textile, and secure this matting or
fabric to the wires or rods as A Fig. 1 and upon the face of this matting or fabric, if
one, or upon the outer face only, of each, when two are employed we attach if
necessary, a covering of any suitable filtering cloth in any manner to admit of easy
removal when desired.
When such cloths B Figs. 3 and 4 Sheet 2 are employed, the inner fabric or matting
serves to convey away through its interstices or channels or by what may be termed
a capillary action or attraction, the clear water that having deposited the chalk or
other matter in suspension upon the outer surfaces of the cloths has passed through
them to the inner sides imposed upon the matting or fabric attached to the metallic
skeleton above described.
By one arrangement Fig. 3, Sheet 2 the lower edges of the inner fabric or
matting Care introduced or confined between the lips or flanges disposed longitudinally

page_text: upon an open pipe or channel serving to conduct away the filtered water passing into
it from the interstices or channels of the matting or fabric as above explained. The
lower edges or selvedges of the outer or filtering cloths, when such are employed, are
attached or weighted down in any convenient way as D or E external to the lips or
flanges which confine the matting or fabric and in a manner to exclude the passage of
unfiltered water into the open channel or pipe mentioned above. Or, in lieu of such
open channel or pipe, we employ one or more perforated pipes, Fig. 4 completely
surrounded or inclosed by the outer filtering cloths which also inclose impose upon
and cover the matting or fabric and by this arrangement the filtered water passes from
the interstices or channels of the said matting or fabric through the perforations of
the said pipes or pipe inclosed with it by such outer cloths, such pipe or pipes being
disposed horizontally or in such other direction as the circumstances may render
desirable.
When the outer or filtering cloths are not employed to cover the two faces of the
one, or the outer faces of each of two mattings or fabrics the unfiltered water may be
excluded from the pipes or channels provided for conducting away the filtered water
by strips of cloths or other suitable material of width not more than sufficient for that
purpose and, in that way, covering only a small portion of the surfaces of the matting
or mattings or fabric: as F. F¹ Fig. 5.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is
The methods hereinbefore described of constructing and sustaining across a reservoir
of any dimensions filtering surfaces and outlet pipes or channels of the character so
described whereby the aforesaid Process known as Clark's Process may be more
expeditiously and effectively carried on continuously and within much less space than
by the system of precipitation and subsidence of the matters held in suspension in the
turbid water.
Our invention being available and equally novel for the filtration of impure waters
having matters in suspension or for waters rendered turbid by chemical processes of
purification, we claim the aforesaid methods of constructing and sustaining filtering
surfaces and outlets for such other purposes also.
While we prefer light rods or wires under tensile strain, as hereinbefore described,
as giving stiffness with economy in dealing with long spaces, we claim also the use of
stronger rods or bars not in tension but more frequently supported in any case where
the proportions of the tank or reservoir may make that more convenient in connexion
with the other parts of our methods described.
Dated this Eleventh day of July 1888.