IMPROVEMENTS IN FILTERING APPARATUS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Oxley, of Frome, in the County of Somerset,
Backmaker and Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FILTERING APPARATUS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Oxley at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 4th July 1868.
I, JAMES OXLEY, of Frome, in the County of Somerset, Backmaker and
Engineer,. do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN FILTERING. APPARATUS," to be as follows:-
.:This Invention has for its object improvements in filtering apparatus. For
these purposes filtering bags or cloths are placed in frames, each bag or cloth
being by preference between two sheets of wire cloth, which may be fixed in.
frames, or made suitable to fit into the frames. Two or more of such frames,
with their filter bags or cloths, are used in each apparatus in such manner
that one of the edges of one frame comes next and butts against the edge of
another' frame; this however is not essential as there may be ribs or projec-
tions on the interior of the apparatus within which two or more frames are
used, so that the edges of the neighboring frames may be prevented coming
against each other by the ribs or projections within the apparatus in which
the frames are placed. The frames and the wirework used with. them'may
be flat, or they may be of a bent or curved form, according to the form of the
apparatus within which they are placed when being used. The form of the
apparatus used to receive the frames with their filtering cloths may be varied.
An apparatus of a circular or of a rectangular section is preferred. When the
apparatus is of a circular section it consists of two parts, an outer cylinder,
and an interior or cylindrical inner body or core of such dimensions that

page_text: when the inner core or body is placed concentrically within the outer cylinder
a space is left-between them suitable for receiving two or more frames with
their filter bags or cloths, which, when in their places, will together fill up such
space, and one of the sheets of wire of each frame will be supported by coming
against the inner surface of the outer cylinder, whilst the other sheet of wire-
work will come against and be supported by the inner body or core of the
apparatus. The surfaces of the apparatus against which the wirework comes
may be grooved or otherwise arranged to facilitate the getting away of the
fluid, when it has filtered through the filter bags or cloths. Any number of
these apparatus may be connected to a supply pipe by suitable branches, one
to each frame, and the supply pipe may be connected with a force pump or to
apparatus wherein compressed air is used to force liquids into filters, or the
supply of liquids to the filters may be otherwise provided for. In order to
facilitate the removal of the frames with their filter bags or cloths from and
their introduction into the space between the inner body or core and the outer
cylinder, the outer cylinder may be arranged to separate into parts. When
the apparatus is rectangular the space at each side between the internal body
or core and the outer core may be arranged to contain one or more flat frames
and filter bags or cloths, by which arrangement four or more filter bags or
cloths will be contained in each apparatus.
In like manner may other forms of apparatus be constructed, each capable
of containing two or more frames with their filter bags or cloths, and even
*single frames with their filter bags or cloths may be arranged end to end, and
'be enclosed or shut in between two surfaces, acting in the manner above
described in respect to the core on one side and the outer surface on the other
side of each frame.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Oxley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd
January 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES S
OXLEY, of Frome, in the County of Somerset, Backmaker and Engineer, send
..greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
. Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred. and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of 3
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said James Oxley, Her special licence that I, the said James

page_text: Oxley, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said James Oxley, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times.
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FILTERING APPARATUS," upon the condition (amongst others):
that I, the said James Oxley, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should parti-
cularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what.
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed-in
the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately.
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Oxley, do hereby declare the.
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-,
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in filtering apparatus. For.
these purposes filtering bags or cloths are placed in frames, each bag or cloth
being by preference between two sheets of wire cloth, which may be fixed in.
frames, or made suitable to fit into the frames. Two or more of such frames
with their filter bags or cloths are used in each apparatus, in such manner that
one of the edges of one frame comes next and butts against the edge of another
frame; this however is not essential as there may be ribs or projections on
the interior of the apparatus within which two or more frames are used, so
that the edges of the neighboring frames may be prevented coming against
each other by the ribs or projections. The frames and the wirework used
with them may be flat, or they may be of a bent or curved form, according to
the form of the apparatus within which they are placed when being used.
The form of the apparatus used to receive the frames with their filtering cloths,
may be varied. An apparatus of a circular or of a rectangular section is
preferred. When the apparatus is of a circular section it consists of two
parts, an outer cylinder and an interior or cylindrical inner body or core of
such dimensions that when the inner core or body is placed concentrically:
within the outer cylinder a space is left between them suitable for receiving.
two or more frames with their filter bags or cloths, which when in their.
places will together fill up such space, and one of the sheets of wire of each.
frame will be supported by coming against the inner surface of the outer
cylinder, whilst the other sheet of wirework will come against and be supporteil..

page_text: by the inner body or core of the apparatus. The surfaces of the apparatus
against which the wirework comes may be grooved, or otherwise arranged.to
facilitate the getting away of the fluid when it has filtered through the filter
bags or cloths. Any number of these apparatus may be connected to 'a supply
pipe by suitable branches, one to each frame, and the supply pipe may be
connected with a force pump, or to apparatus wherein compressed air is used
to force liquids into-filters, or the supply of liquids to the filters may be other-
wise provided for. In order to facilitate the removal of the frames with their
filter bags or cloths from and their introduction into the space between the
inner body or core and the outer cylinder, the outer cylinder may be arranged
to separate into parts. When the apparatus is rectangular the space at each
side between the internal body or core and the outer core may be arranged to
contain one or more flat frames and filter bags or cloths, by which arrangement
four or more filter bags or cloths will be contained in each apparatus. In like
manner may other forms of apparatus be constructed, each capable of con-
taining two or more frames with their filter bags or cloths, and even single
frames with their filter bags or cloths may be arranged end to end, and 'be
enclosed or shut in between two surfaces acting in the manner above described
in respect to the core on one side and the outer surface on the other side of
each frame.
. : .
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same. And I would state that
I prefer to construct the apparatus of a cylindrical form, but this may be
varied as above explained.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a side elevation of apparatus arranged according to my
Invention; Figure 2 shows a plan thereof, partly in section; and Figure 3
shows a side elevation of one of the filter frames and a plan of the upper plate.
The sides of the frame are composed of wire cloth, or other suitable reticulate
material. The interior of the cylinder and the exterior of the core have
grooves formed to allow of the liquid getting away as it flows through the
frames, whilst the frames are supported by the other parts of the surfaces of
the core and the cylinder. Each cylinder contains two wire frames, made as
shown; each of these wire frames contains a bag or cloth folded like a bag,
and is connected to a pump or other forcing apparatus by means of the
ordinary pipes, branches, and nozzles. The pressure is resisted on one side of
each bag by the cylinder, and on the other side by the core, and such pressure
as comes upon the edges of the framework around the bags is resisted by iron

page_text: or metal straps fixed either outside or inside the wire, and extending from the
top to the bottom of each frame in such numbers as are found necessary;
the cylinders being. by preference made of wrought iron are generally strong
enough in themselves, but, where necessary, they are to be strengthened by
wrought metal bands applied round the top, or around any other part that
may require strengthening. The cylinder may be made with or without
bottoms, in the former case the liquid expressed runs away through a cock,
and in the latter case the liquid runs directly down into a tray placed beneath
to receive it. The cores rest on the bottom of the cylinder when
the cylinder has a bottom, otherwise they rest on plates or bars fixed
across the lower end of the cylinder. Each core is made in two halves, or
rather it has a thick slice cut out of its centre, the portions which remain
being kept asunder, and the space between them as it were filled up at bottom
by means of short angle iron rivetted on to the bottom of the cylinder or to
the plates or bars before described, and at top by means of strong screw bolts
with broad shoulders dropped into slots or recesses in the solid wood, the two
parts of the core, thus resting at bottom against the angle iron and kept
asunder at top by the screw bolts, become as solid and resist the pressure as
well as if the core were whole, and when the top bolts are removed the two
parts of the core are drawn together at top and fastened to the cross bar,
which is placed across the upper part of the cylinder at the centre, thus
releasing the frames, which can then be easily drawn out and emptied of their
solid matter. In order to facilitate the drawing out and replacing of these
frames with their bags each cylinder is placed on trunnions in a strong frame,
as shown, and fitted with a tangent wheel and screw, for the purpose of tilting
the cylinder to any required angle, so that when the core is loosened, as before
described, the frames with their contents can be easily drawn out of the
cylinder and as easily replaced. In place of the core being made to come
apart, as above described, other arrangements may be resorted to, or the
cylinder or outer case or structure may be made in parts, so as to facilitate the
introduction and removal of the filter frames.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Oxley, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirtieth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
JAMES OXLEY. (L.S.)