IM- PROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO WHAT ARE KNOWN AS HIGH PRESSURE FILTERS, AND IN APPLIANCES FOR CONNECTING THE SAME TO TAPS OR VALVES OF WATER SUPPLIES, PARTLY APPLICABLE TO APPARATUS FOR CONNECTING HOSE PIPES TO WATER TAPS OR VALVES, AND TO UNIONS FOR CONNECTING PIPES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John James Royle, of 71, Market Street, Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, Mechanical Engineer, for the Invention of “IM-
PROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO WHAT ARE KNOWN AS HIGH PRESSURE
FILTERS, AND IN APPLIANCES FOR CONNECTING THE SAME TO TAPS OR VALVES
OF WATER SUPPLIES, PARTLY APPLICABLE TO APPARATUS FOR CONNECTING
HOSE PIPES TO WATER TAPS OR VALVES, AND TO UNIONS FOR CONNECTING
PIPES."
Sealed the 9th December 1879, and dated the 13th June 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John James Royle at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th June 1879.
JOHN JAMES ROYLE, of 71, Market Street, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Mechanical Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO WHAT ARE KNOWN AS
HIGH PRESSURE FILTERS, AND IN APPLIANCES FOR CONNECTING THE SAME TO TAPS
OR VALVES OF WATER SUPPLIES, PARTLY APPLICABLE TO APPARATUS FOR CON-
NECTING HOSE PIPES TO WATER TAPS OR VALVES, AND TO UNIONS FOR CONNECTING
PIPES."
The object of this Invention is the construction of a high pressure filter capable
of being attached to any ordinary tap or other water supply without the assistance
of a plumber or of making a soldering or screwed connection, and yet the current
through which can be reversed at pleasure, so as to cleanse the filtering medium
from all impurities.
In carrying out my Invention, say, as applied to a domestic filter to be connected
to or suspended from any ordinary tap or valve I arrange a metal casing to contain
the filtering medium, and having a screwed outlet at each extremity, so as to
connect either such extremity at pleasure to a union which forms the second part of
this Invention, and by means of which the connection can be made to the tap or
valve of the supply of water requiring to be filtered. Another modification of my
Invention consists of a larger and more stationary vessel to contain the filtering
medium and having an outlet at each extremity, to each of which a connection can
be made at pleasure with a water supply, so as to divert the current in either
direction and so afford a means of cleansing the filtering medium, the connection in

page_text: this case being effected either with a length of hose pipe, using the improved union
hereinafter described, or by means of a rigid metal pipe, using the universal or swivel
union forming the subject matter of Letters Patent, No. 4895, granted to me on
the 30th day of November 1878, or other suitable union.
The second part of this Invention relates to the construction of a joint or union 5
for connecting the aforesaid or other filters, or flexible hose, or other pipes, and for
connecting apparatus generally to the tap or valve of a water supply. In
performing this part of my Invention I construct a metal casing to be affixed, as
aforesaid, to the filter or other apparatus, or at the end of a flexible tube by a
suitable tail-piece; and I provide this casing with an orifice or mouth to be slipped 1
on to the bib or nose of the tap or valve; and inside this casing I apply an india-
rubber cupped washer or ring, which, being acted upon by the pressure of water,
serves to make a perfectly tight joint without the assistance of the usual screwed
or ground-in parts common to unions, and thus affords facility for making a rapid
connection to the existing fittings in a household without requiring any alteration 1
of or addition to such fittings.
Instead of the pressure being exercised upon the india rubber washer by the
water, such pressure may be obtained by a screw or other clip acting upon the
outside of such washer; or the inside of the casing may be arranged with a tapered
india rubber or other suitable lining, and be tightened up against the mouth of the
tap or valve by a screw clamp.
It will be obvious that this arrangement of joint is equally applicable in the
construction of unions and for making permanent connections to water pipes.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John James Royle in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th
December 1879.
JOHN JAMES ROYLE, of 71, Market Street, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Mechanical Engineer. " IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO WHAT ARE KNOWN AS
HIGH PRESSURE FILTERS, AND IN APPLIANCES FOR CONNECTING THE SAME TO TAPS
OR VALVES OF WATER SUPPLIES, PARTLY APPLICABLE TO APPARATUS FOR CON-
NECTING HOSE PIPES TO WATER TAPS OR VALVES, AND TO UNIONS FOR CONNECTING
PIPES."
The object of this Invention is the construction of a high pressure filter capable
of being attached to any ordinary tap or water supply without the assistance of a
plumber or without making a soldering or screwed connection, and yet the current
of water through which filter can be reversed at pleasure, so as to cleanse the
filtering medium from all impurities. In Figure 1 I illustrate a sectional view of a
domestic filter constructed, by preference, of brass or white metal, and applied to or
suspended from any ordinary tap or valve H in accordance with my Invention. A
is the filtering medium consisting, by preference, of a solid block of silicated carbon
(although other filtering material might be substituted) securely cemented into a
thin metal casing B. This casing is open at both ends, and lias a flange C at one
extremity, as illustrated, by means of which a perfectly tight joint can be effected
between the outer metallic casing D and the screwed cap E, an india rubber or
other washer & being introduced on each face of the flange C, as illustrated. This
method of securing the filtering block in position not only ensures the liquid
passing entirely through the filtering medium, but is advantageous as affording a
ready means of removing and renewing the filtering medium from time to time.
The screwed cap E and the outer casing D are each provided with a screwed outlet
marked F and F respectively, and each of which screwed outlets is capable of
screwing on the neck G₁ of a union G, which forms the second part of this Invention
and will be described hereafter, and by means of which union the connection is
made to the tap or valve H of the supply of water requiring to be filtered.
The action of this filter is as follows:-The tap or valve H being opened the
water first enters the cavity A', and thence by its own pressure is forced through
the pores of the filtering medium A, leaving its impurities mainly on the upper
surface of such filtering material, and finally escaping in a filtered state through
the screwed outlet F'. To remove the impurities and to cleanse the filter it is only
necessary to disconnect the outer casing D from the union G by unscrewing at the
neck G, and then reversing such outer casing to screw it on the neck G again in
such reversed positions by means of the screwed outlet F. The water being now
once more turned on the first flow of water through the filter will wash away the
impurities through the outlet F, after which the filtering medium will proceed with
the filtering operation and continue the same until it again requires reversing.
In Figure 2 1 illustrate another mode of making a water tight joint between
the filtering medium A contained in the metal casing B and the outer casing D, an
india-rubber or other suitable washer e being applied at each extremity of the
metal casing, and such washer being arranged to slightly overlap the filtering block,
as illustrated; in this case it will be observed that the filtering block A and the
metal case B are clamped between the bottom f of the outer casing D and the
screwed cap E, and thus the desired joint is effected.
It will be obvious that a reversible filter might be made with the filtering
medium contained within a metal casing and arranged to screw direct on to
the water supply pipe or tap, but this I should consider a modification of my
Invention.
In Figure 3 I illustrate a sectional view of an additional connection which I
apply to the union of my improved filter, as seen dotted in Figure 1, when I require

page_text: to draw either filtered or unfiltered water, say, from the same tap or cock H without
removing the filter. This connection contains a valve I which is pressed to its
seat K by means of a spiral spring L with a sufficient force to prevent the same
opening so long as only filtered water is required to be drawn through the filtering
medium, and which is regulated by opening the cock or valve H only to a slight
extent, but which valve opens self actingly when it is required to draw unfiltered
water (owing to an excess of pressure produced by opening the tap or cock H to a
wider extent), and so allows unfiltered water also to flow through the spout M.
This application of a valve ensures that the filtering medium shall at no time be
subjected to a higher pressure than it is calculated to bear nor than is necessary to
filter the water effectually.
Another modification of my Invention consists of a larger and more substantial
vessel, by preference of cast iron, seen in elevation upon a small scale in Figure 4,
and in section in Figure 5. This vessel, marked I, contains the filtering medium
consisting by preference of a solid block of silicated carbon (although other filtering
material might be substituted) cemented in position, and is provided with a branch
pipe or bib at each extremity, marked J and K respectively, to either of which a
connection can be made at pleasure with a water supply, so as to divert the current
in either directions and to afford a means of cleansing the filtering medium, as will
be readily understood from the explanation already given with reference to Figure 1.
The connection between the bib J of this filter and the water supply being effected.
either with a length of flexible hose pipe, using the improved union hereafter
described, or by means of a rigid metal pipe or tube, using the universal or swivel
union forming the subject matter of Letters Patent, No. 4895, granted to me on
the 30th day of November 1878, or other suitable union, whilst the filtered water
flows out through the bib K. To cleanse this filter it is only necessary to disconnect
the union from the lower bib J and to connect it to the upper bib K, by which
means the water is caused to flow through in the reverse direction and to escape by
the bib J, so effectually removing the impurities. It will be apparent that these
improved filters may be constructed in a variety of forms, and that these improve-
ments are equally applicable to other arrangements of high pressure filters.
The second part of this Invention relates to the construction of a joint or union
for connecting the aforesaid or other filters, or flexible hose, or other pipes, and for
connecting apparatus generally to the tap or valve of a water supply.
Figure 6 represents an ordinary tap or valve of a water supply pipe with my
improved joint or union shewn affixed to a length of flexible hose and applied to
such tap or valve; and Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the joint or union alone.
In both views a is a metal box or casing connected to the nose pipe b by a tail
piece c in the ordinary manner, and provided with a cap d screwed upon the box or
casing, as illustrated, for enabling the india rubber cupped washer or lip ring e (seen
in plan in Figure 8) to be introduced and secured in position, as illustrated. c' is an
orifice or mouth formed in the cap d to allow the bib or nose of the tap or valve f
to enter the union, and by passing through the corresponding tapered orifice g
formed in the india rubber washer or lip ring e so serves to make the requisite
connection. The action of this joint or union is as follows:-The pressure of the
water acting upon the india-rubber washer or lip ring e causes the part marked i
(Fig. 7) to contract around the bib of the tap inside the metal box or casing u.
So nolding the union firmly on the tap and making a perfectly tight joint, and
this without the assistance of the usual screwed or ground in parts common to
unions, and thus affords facility for making a rapid connection to the existing
fittings in a household without requiring any alteration of or addition to such
fittings.
I would here remark that the union marked G in Figure 1 only differs from that
just described in the screwed neck G being substituted for the tail piece c.
Instead of the pressure being exercised upon the india rubber washer by the
water, such pressure may be obtained by a screw or other clip acting upon the
`outside of such washer, for instance, as indicated in Fig. 9. which illustrates

page_text: the india rubber washer of a different form, and capable of being squeezed
between the conical surfaces i and j formed inside the screwed cap and casing 1,
and the bib m of the tap; or the inside of the union or casing may be arranged
with a tapered india rubber or other suitable lining n, as illustrated in Figure 10,
and be tightened up against the mouth o of the tap or valve p by a screw clamp 9,
seen also in perspective plan in Figure 11. In Figures 12 and 13 I illustrate an
exterior view and section respectively of a modification of my Invention suitable
as a union for making connection between india-rubber and other tubing and a gas
supply, for instance, an ordinary gas burner. In this case as the pressure is low
the form of washer described in reference to Figures 6, 7, and 8 may be employed,
or a simple india-rubber washer with a hole pierced through, as marked r in
Figure 13. This gas union can be applied to any ordinary gas burner, and may be
made in a variety of forms, according to the position of the fitting affording the
supply and the direction in which the gas has to be carried, and is useful for
supplying reading lamps, cooking stoves, fire lighting apparatus, and other analogous
purposes. Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
my said Invention, together with the best methods with which I am acquainted
for carrying the same into practical effect, I wish it to be distinctly understood
that I make no claim to the use of an india rubber cupped or lip ring in the
construction of unions for connecting lengths of pipe together, as I have reason to
believe that such an application is not new, and that I do not confine myself to the
precise details, relative proportions, or dimensions of the various parts of the
improved apparatus hereinbefore described and illustrated on the accompanying
Drawing, as the same may be considerably varied without departing from the
Invention, but what I do claim is,—
1st. The improved construction and arrangement of reversible filters, substan-
tially as herein before described and illustrated on the accompanying Drawing.
2nd. The use and application to reversible filters of a metal casing for containing
the filtering medium and modes of making a water tight joint between the same and
the outer casing employed, substantially as herein before described and illustrated
on the accompanying Drawing.
3rd. The improved appliances for connecting high pressure filters, hose pipes, and
other similar apparatus to the taps or valves of water supplies, and for making
connection to gas supplies, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter
described and illustrated on the accompanying Drawings.
4th. In the construction of a union or joint, the use and application of an india-
rubber cupped washer or lip ring when mounted and operating, substantially as
and for the purposes hereinafter described and illustrated on the accompanying
Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said John James Royle, have hereunto set my hand
and seal this Thalfth day of December in the year of our Lord Ona
JOHN JAMES ROYLE. (L.S.)