Improvements in Combined Water Cooler and Filter.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Mar., 1895-Accepted, 27th Apr., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Combined Water Cooler and Filter.
1, JOSEPH JACKSON DAVENPORT, of Number 1413 Front Avenue, Kansas
City, Missouri, U.S.A., Lawyer, 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:―
The objects of my improvement are to provide: First, a portable water cooler
and filter combined, in which the impure ice, as well as water, can be put into the
same compartment and filtered into a separate and ventilated storage chamber in
the same vessel, where its coldness will be maintained by the iced water in process
of filtration. Second, to provide a water cooler and filter combined, in which a
greater quantity of unfiltered and filtered water can be stored, in which the
filtration will be faster, the filtering material kept clean more easily and smaller
and narrower pieces of natural, porous stone be utilized for filtering and preserved
longer than in those now designed, used, or patented.
I attain these results by the combination of the parts illustrated in the accom-
panying drawings, in which-
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the device.
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same, with the filtering material removed.
A represents the flat filtering stone or material. B represents the grooves,
holding stone in position. C represents the shelf for holding ice. D represents a
sealed opening in shelf C. E represents the air vent for chamber G. F repre-
sents the storage compartment for unfiltered water. G represents the ventilated
storage chamber for filtered water. H represents the fawcett through which
water is drawn.
The ice is placed upon shelf C, which is moulded, cast or built on the side of the
vessel and projects into the middle, or nearly so, about half-way from the top, and.
is provided with a sealed opening D, opening into compartment G, so that the latter
can be cleaned, or fawcett H replaced or repaired.
The impure water is poured in upon the ice until compartment F is full, when
the iced water filters through the flat filtering stone or material A, placed in the
lower part of the vessel, into the closed and ventilated storage chamber G, from
which it is drawn through fawcett H. Thus, by this simple, cheap and durable
contrivance, the melted ice, which almost always contains unwholesome matter,
and the impure water, are filtered and stored in a separate compartment of the
same vessel, where the coldness is maintained by the iced water in process of
filtration in chamber F, that surrounds and covers storage chamber G, upon the
top and side.
I know there are combined coolers and filters in which both the ice and water
can be placed in one compartment at the same time and the iced water filtered
into a separate chamber in a separate vessel placed beneath the filter, but it is not
done because no means have been devised for keeping the filtered water cold after
it is there, except mixing it with ice again, which vitiates it anew, or placing a
covered vessel containing ice inside the storage chamber, which also has its disad-
vantages, or by packing in on the outside and between the walls. Filters in
which hydrant or other artificial pressure is employed are packed in ice, and the
water filtered and cooled only as fast as it is required for drinking. Those
without hydrant or similar pressure cannot cool and filter by the latter process,
and by the former, usually waste the melted ice.

page_text: The combination I have devised for keeping the water cold, also utilizes the
iced water with which it is cooled for drinking purposes, avoids the danger of
the unfiltered contents of an ice holder overflowing when the ice is replenished,
or being spilt, by careless handling when taken out of the chamber to be emptied,
into the pure, filtered water usually surrounding it. The chamber G, thus separated
and sealed so as to prevent its contents being disturbed or contaminated, is devoted
exclusively to the storing of pure water, and is ventilated by the connection with
air vent E, as will be seen in Figs. 1 and 2, whereby its purity is maintained.
By my improvement, and combination, a larger quantity of both filtered and
unfiltered water can be stored, first because space in cooling chamber G is not
taken up by another vessel placed inside of it for holding ice; second, because the
cooler and filter is in one piece, whereas those now in use or patented are
composed of two distinct and separate parts, one of which must be kept empty
if the other is full; otherwise the contents would all run out through the division
in the centre. Again, if the ice be placed in the bottom portion in such a vessel, as
I have mentioned, the upper or filtering part would have to be empty before
the ice could be replenished unless wetting everything upon which it was placed
was unobjectionable.
The flat filtering stone or material A., being placed in a vertical position, as
shown in Fig. 1, its pores cannot become clogged by the precipitation of sediment
upon its surface, as is the case in those filters where it is horizontal. As the
pure water is drawn from chamber G, through fawcett H, that in chamber F, will
fall and passing over the face of the filtering material A, carry anything upon
its surface down to the bottom of the vessel, thus keeping it clean more easily and
in a manner that will preserve it indefinitely where natural porous stone or other
soft substance is used. When the stone or filtering material is placed horizontally,
it is necessary to brush it daily and sometimes oftener with a stiff brush or rub it
with a cloth, either wearing it away or by stopping the pores destroying its
efficiency. There being no opening or division around the exterior of my device,
I have shown that a greater quantity of water can be stored without the danger
of overflowing, consequently, I get more natural pressure upon my filtering
surface A, as the space devoted to the impure ice and water in process of filtration
in chamber F, is much greater than that devoted to such purpose in other combined
coolers and filters; thus, together with keeping the surface of my filtering
material clean all the time, which cannot be done when it is placed horizontally or
when the agitation by artificial pressure prevents the natural settling of the water,
filtration is greatly accelerated.
The vessel is provided with grooves B, as will be seen in Figs. 1 and 2, whereby
the filtering stone or material is held in position and in order that its cylindrical
form may be maintained upon the exterior surface, is made thicker near the bottom
than at the top, as will be seen in Figs. 1 and 2.
I do not confine myself to this particular construction, however, as the cooler
may be made any shape to suit individual fancy, and the filtering stone or
material may be grooved and ridges left upon the inside of the vessel to enter said
grooves, or it may be made to set in a bevelled opening cast, moulded or built in its
centre, near the bottom.
By securing the filtering material A in position with grooves B, as shown in
Figs. 1 and 2, and placing it in a vertical position in the vessel, I am enabled to use
narrower pieces of natural, porous stone than can be used for such purposes
horizontally, as a tight joint can be made with cement or other material when
placed one above the other in the former position, when it cannot if placed along-
side of one another in the latter. The weight of the stone placed vertically in
grooves B, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, bolds the cement firm, so that the action of
the water does not affect it, whereas placed horizontally, the downward pressure of
the water will cause it to fall to the bottom of the vessel, as the absorptive quality
of the stone is so great that a permanent and perfect bond cannot be made between
two pieces. Large and perfect pieces of natural porous stone cannot always be

page_text: readily obtained. When such is the case, I can, by my combination and
improvement, build any size cooler and filter desired.
In the above description I have, as is seen, used the words "vertically arranged
in reference to the filtering material or body, in contradistinction to the words
"horizontally arranged." Therefore, I regard as within the scope of my invention
all arrangements in which the filtering body or material is placed at such an angle
to a horizontal position that the sediment is enabled to be carried off its surface by
gravity and the action of the water.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. A combined water cooler and filter having separate storage compartments in
one of which is placed the ice and unfiltered water, and in the other is gathered the
cooled, filtered water, and a vertically arranged mass of filtering material which
forms, in whole or in part, the separation between the compartments.
2. A combined cooler and filter having separate storage compartments, in one of
which is placed the ice and unfiltered water, and in the other is gathered the cooled,
filtered water, and a vertically arranged mass of filtering material which forms, in
whole or in part, the separation between the compartments and an ice-supporting
shelf in the first of said compartments to hold the ice.
3. A. combined cooler and filter having separate storage compartments, in one of
which is placed the ice and unfiltered water, and in the other is gathered the cooled,
filtered water, and a vertically arranged slab of filtering stone forming, in whole or
in part, the separation between the compartments and having a smooth, vertical
side facing the compartment containing the unfiltered water, whereby sediment
collecting on the side of the stone readily falls therefrom to the bottom of the
vessel.
4. The combined water cooler and filter substantially as described and shown in
the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 12th day of February 1895.
JOSEPH JACKSON DAVENPORT.