IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR THE FILTRATION OF FLUIDS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Benjamin Dancer, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR THE FILTRATION
OF FLUIDS."
Sealed the 9th December 1879, and dated the 14th June 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Benjamin Dancer
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th June 1879.
JOHN BENJAMIN DANCER, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster.
PROVED APPARATUS FOR THE FILTRATION OF FLUIDS."
" IM-
This apparatus is intended for use in laboratories and workshops.
In performing my Invention I make use of two vessels of glass or other material,
placed one above the other, and each fitted with an air tight cover. In these covers
an aperture is left, to which a flexible tube can be attached when required. The
bottom of the upper vessel is secured to a cell, in which the filters are placed. The
filters may be circular in form, and may be composed of linen, woollen, calico,
filtering paper, asbestos, spun glass, or any other suitable material, according to the
nature of the fluid requiring filtration. To the under portion of the cell which
contains the filters is attached a tube, which descends inside the lower vessel.
small pump or syringe, which both exhausts and condenses, is supplied with these
filters.
A
If the fluid to be filtered contains a large amount of sediment it can be put into
the lower vessel, and by means of the exhaust pump, which can be attached to the
cover of the upper vessel, the fluid may be drawn up through the filtering medium
into the upper vessel.
If an alcoholic or etherial solution, such as varnish or collodion, requires filtration
it may be also placed in the lower vessel. In this case the condensing part of the
pump is connected with the flexible tube attached to the cover of the lower vessel,
and the solution is forced up through the filtering medium into the upper vessel,
thus causing less loss of vapour than by drawing it up by exhaustion.
In this form of apparatus fluids may be filtered by being drawn up from the
lower vessel or forced up and also by being drawn down from the upper vessel or
forced down.
The upper vessel is securely attached by means of a cross bar to two upright
rods placed one on each side of the vessel.

page_text: By means of this cross bar or by two cross bars the upper vessel can be drawn
up any convenient height above the lower vessel, so that the lower end of the tube
connected with the filter cell may be made to dip any convenient depth into the
lower vessel.
This is an advantage when filtration by being drawn up is taking place.
A simpler form of apparatus is made by having the upper vessel only fitted with
an air tight cover. In this case there is also a tube fitted to the under part of the
filter cell. Filtration can be performed in this apparatus downwards by pressure,
or upwards by causing a vacuum in the upper vessel.
In both these forms of apparatus means are supplied for keeping the air tight
covers of the vessels firmly secured.
My improved filter cell consists of a hollow plug, in the upper portion of which
a shoulder is formed, on which the filtering medium rests, and is held in its place
by the neck of the upper vessel, or by a screwed plug, or by other convenient means;
the lower portion of the plug or cell is shaped so that a tube may be easily
attached.
I make these improved cells or plugs of glass, ebonite, or other substance not
acted upon by the fluid to be filtered.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Benjamin Dancer in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th
December 1879.
JOHN BENJAMIN DANCER, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster.
PROVED APPARATUS FOR THE FILTRATION OF FLUIDS."
"IM-
In performing my Invention I make use of two vessels of glass or other material
placed one above the other, and each fitted with an air tight cover. In these covers
an aperture is left, to which a flexible tube can be attached when required. The
bottom of the upper vessel is secured to a cell in which the filters are placed. The
filters may be circular in form, and may be composed of linen, woollen, calico,
filtering paper, asbestos, spun glass, or any other suitable material, according to the
nature of the fluid requiring filtration. To the underportion of the cell which con-
tains the filters is attached a tube, which descends inside the lower vessel. A small
pump or syringe, which both exhausts and condenses, is supplied with these
filters.
If the fluid to be filtered contains a large amount of sediment it can be put into
the lower vessel, and by means of the exhaust pump, which can be attached to the
cover of the upper vessel, the fluid may be drawn up through the filtering medium
into the upper vessel.
If an alcoholic or etherial solution, such as varnish or collodion, requires filtration
it may be also placed in the lower vessel. In this case the condensing part of the
pump is connected with the flexible tube attached to the cover of the lower vessel,
and the solution is forced up through the filtering medium into the upper vessel,
thus causing less loss of vapour than by drawing it up by exhaustion.
In this form of apparatus fluids may be filtered by being drawn up from the
lower vessel or forced up, and also by being drawn down from the upper vessel or
forced down.
The upper vessel is securely attached by means of a cross bar to two upright rods
placed one on each side of the vessel. By means of this cross bar or by two cross
bars the upper vessel can be drawn up any convenient height above the lower
vessel, so that the lower end of the tube connected with the filter cell may be made
to dip any convenient depth into the lower vessel. This is an advantage when
filtration by being drawn up is taking placo.
A simpler form of apparatus is made by having the upper vessel only fitted with
an airtight cover. In this case there is also a tube fitted to the under part of the
filter cell.
Filtration can be performed in this apparatus downwards by pressure, or upwards
by causing a vacuum in the upper vessel.
In both these forms of apparatus means are supplied for keeping the air tight
covers of the vessels firmly secured.
My improved filter cell consists of a hollow plug, in the upper portion of which
a shoulder is formed, on which the filtering medium rests, and is held in it place by
the neck of the upper vessel, or by a screwed plug, or by other convenient means;
the lower portion of the plug or cell is shaped so that a tube may be easily
attached.
I make these improved cells or plugs of glass, ebonite, or other substance not
acted upon by the fluid to be filtered.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood I will describe the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
Fig. 1 is an elevation partly in section of one of my improved filters for drawing
up or forcing up, or for drawing down or forcing down, the fluid to be filtered; a is
the upper vessel provided with an air tight cap g, held in its place by the cross
bar and thumb screws; b is the lower vessel; cis the plug containing the cell in
which the filtering medium d is placed; the upper portion of this plug is surrounded
by a tube of india rubber which forms an airtight joint where it fits into the neck

page_text: of the upper vessel; the lower part of the plug passes through the cross bar f¹ and.
into the neck of the lower vessel b; round the plug is a flange, which flange rests
on an india rubber washer placed on the cross bar f', where the plug passes
through; this cross bar holds in its place a cap g', which rests on the neck of the lower
vessel, and is provided with india rubber washers i to make the joints airtight;
h is a tube attached to the lower portion of the plug, and reaching down to near
the bottom of the vessel b; this tube is to convey the liquid when it is forced from
the lower to the upper vessel; j is a nozzle fitted on the caps to be connected by a
tube to the air pump; n, n, aro rods on which the cross bars fand f¹ slide; the
cross bars are caused to press the caps firmly on to the vessels by means of thumb
screws fitted on the rods.
Fig. 2 is an elevation of one of my improved filters, in which the upper vessel
only is airtight; in this apparatus the fiuid can be forced down or drawn up, as
may be required; Fig. 3 shews an enlarged view in section, and a plan of the
plug and cell which contains the filtering medium; in this plug the glass tube h is
held in its place and made air tight by means of india rubber rings secured by a
screwed cap.
Fig. 4 shews another mode of performing my Invention, in which the plug is
dispensed with, and the filtering medium is placed in a cell or hollow block c¹ and
kept tight and held in its place by the neck of the upper vessel a. In place of a
cross bar I use a ring k, fitting loosely on a flange m, formed round the body of
the upper vessel. I apply the pressure necessary to hold the upper vessel by
means of thumb screws acting on lugs (through which the rods n pass) on the
ring k.
The upper vessels a and the rods n, shewn in Figs. 2 and 4, are attached to a s
stage o, which slides up or down on a pillar to regulate the distance which the
tube / shall descend into the lower vessel.
Fig. 5 shews one of my improved filters in which the liquid to be filtered is
drawn down from the upper vessel; c² is a cell or hollow block provided with lugs,
to which the rods n are fixed; this cell or block is made so large that the lower g
edge of the upper vessel can rest in it to secure the filtering medium & in its place;
the upper vessel is secured in the manner described in reference to Fig. 4. The
lower part of the cell or block c³ is a taper plug, on which I place an india rubber
tube to form an air tight joint where it fits into the neck of the lower vessel; in
this plug is an annular groove, this groove is connected by a hole to a tube screwed g
into the side of the block to which the air pump is attached for drawing down the.
liquid from the upper vessel.
In filtering solutions containing a large amount of sedimentary inatter which
would quickly clog or pack the filtering inedium I make use of a strainer 8, placed
in the top of the upper vessel, and made airtight by means of an india rubber 4
washer . The vessels may be surrounded by hot water jackets when the fluid to
be filtered must be kept hot.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described the manner of
performing the same, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the
exact details given, as the same may be varied or modified, but what I claim is,-
The method of securing and employing the filtering medium, substantially as
shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Benjamin Dancer, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelvth day of December, One thousand eight hundred
and seventy nine
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