Improvements in Filtering Water, and in Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Nov., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Filtering Water, and in Apparatus therefor.
I, JAMES FORBES HENDERSON, of 139, Great Western Road, Aberdeen, North
Britain, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for filtering water the
improvements being specially adapted for use in combination with a cistern for
containing the filtered water for manufacturing and other purposes.
In a suitable arrangement for carrying out my invention I provide a cistern
or tauk preferably made of slate and furnished with a division so as to separato
the filtering apparatus from the cistern proper. The space serving as the filter
is also furnished with a division which extends nearly to the bottom of the
apparatus.
The two compartments of the filter thus formed serve to receive the filtering
media, namely, washed sand and animal charcoal respectively, the washed sand
being the medium through which the water first passes and being covered on the
top with a covering of suitable material such as swansdown cotton which serves
both as a strainer and to prevent currents forming in the filtering media.
An inlet is provided for the water to be filtered, which, entering the washed
sand chamber, passes through the covering of the sand which retains all suspended
matter The water then gravitates through the washed sand and passes un-ler
the division or partition dividing the two filtering chambers and rises up
through the animal charcoal and flows or is discharged from the charcoal chamber
into the cistern proper.
By this construction, in addition to effecting a thorough filtration of the water,
the filter can be quickly and efficiently cleansed without the supply of filtered
water from the cistern proper being interfered with or cut off.
In order to cleanse the filter the supply is shut off and a discharged cock from
the washed sand chamber is opened and, if the cistern be full of filtered water,
the water will pass down through the charcoal and up through the sand so as to
escape through the discharged opening carrying with it all impurities deposited
in the filtering media. The swansdown covering of the sand has been removed
before the filter is washed by the filtered water as above described and the said
cover is thoroughly washed before being replaced.
Means are provided for supplying, water to the charcoal chamber to allow of the
filter being cleansed without using the filtered water.
Dated this 17th day of November 1896.

page_text: improvements in Filtering water, avu in Apparatus therefor.
I, JAMES FORBES HENDERSON, formerly of 139, Great Western Road, Aberdeen,
North Britain, now of 65, Lancaster Avenue, Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Gentleman, 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:-
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for filtering water the
improvements being specially adapted for use in combination with a cistern or
storage chamber for containing the filtered water for manufacturing, and other
purposes.
In a suitable arrangement for carrying out my invention I provide a cistern
o tank preferably made of slate and furnished with a division so as to separate
the filtering apparatus from the cistern proper. The space serving as the filter
is also furnished with a division which extends nearly to the bottom of the
apparatus.
The two compartments of the filter thus formed serve to receive the filtering
media, namely, washed sand and animal charcoal respectively, the washed sand
being the medium through which the water first passes and being covered on the
top with a covering of suitable material such as swansdown cotton which serves
both as a strainer and to prevent currents forming in the filtering media.
An inlet is provided for the water to be filtered, which, cutering the washed
sand chamber, passes through the covering of the sand which retains all suspended
matler The water then gravitates through the washed sand and passes under
the division or partition dividing the two filtering chambers and rises up
through the animal charcoal and flows or is discharged from the charcoal chamber
into the cistern proper.
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe it by reference
to the accompanying drawing, in which:-
Figure 1 is a plan of apparatus made according to my invention:
Figure 2 is a vertical section on the line 2--2 Figure 1.
a is the cistern or tank which is preferably made of slate, and b is the cross
partition or division which separates the cistern proper c from the filtering
apparatus. is the partition in the filtering apparatus which extends nearly to
the bottom of the cistern and divides the said filtering apparatus into two com-
partments e, f g is the washed sand which partially fills the compartment e of
the filtering apparatus, and h is the layer of swansdown cotton or other suitable
straining material which covers the upper surface of the said sand g. i is the
inlet pipe for the unfiltered water into the compartment e, the flow of the water
through the said pipe being controlled by the ball cock j. k is a cock for emptying
the compartment e of water for cleansing purposes.
I is the layer of animal charcoal which partially fills the compartment f of
the filtering apparatus, the said layer being arranged between two layers and
of sand, and m is the opening in the partition b which puts the chambers fand e
in communication with one another. n is an overflow pipe provided in the
chamber in which the filtered water collects, and o is an outlet pipe for the
filtered water from the said chamber c.
The unfiltered water enters the chamber through the pipe i and passes
through the covering 7 down into the sand layer, the said covering h retaining all
suspended matter in the water. The water then gravitates through the washed
sand g and passes under the partition d up through the sand, animal charcoal/

page_text: and sand to the space above the same and on attaining the level of the opening m,
flows through the partition b into the storage chamber c.
In order to cleanse the filter the supply is shut off and the discharge cock k
from the washed sand chamber e is opened and, if the cistern c be full of filtered
water, the water will pass down through the charcoal and up through the sand g
80 as to escape through the discharge opening & carrying with it all impurities
deposited in the filtered media. The swansdown covering h of the sand g has
been removed before the filter is washed by the filtered water as above described
and the said cover is throughly washed before being replaced.
The chamber f is provided with an inlet pipe f' for supplying water to the
charcoal chamber to allow of the filter being cleansed without using the filtered
water.
With my apparatus therefore in addition to effecting a thorough filtration of
the water, the filter can be quickly and efficiently cleansed without the supply
of filtered water from the cistern proper c being interfered with or cut off.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. Apparatus for filtering water comprising a cistern divided by a partition
Ento a storage chamber and a filtering apparatus proper, which latter is divided by
a partition extending nearly to the bottom thereof into a chamber for containing
washed sand and a chamber for containing animal charcoal, substantially as
described and illustrated.
2. The improved apparatus for filtering and storing water, herein before
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 17th day of Inant 1907
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.