IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FILTERING FLUIDS
Year: 1840

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
BEART, of Godmanchester, in the County of Huntingdon, Miller, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Eighth day of February, in the third year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Robert
Beart, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the
said Robert Beart, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Robert Beart, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of
years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in
the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, and also in all Her
said Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, my Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FILTERING FLUIDS;" in which said Letters Patent is
contained a proviso that I, the said Robert Beart, shall cause a particular
description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of
the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being
thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Robert Beart, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and the

page_text: manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawing
hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon (that is to
say) :-
My Invention relates to certain modes of constructing and combining
apparatus for filtering fluids, whereby an extended filtering surface is made
to occupy but comparatively small space, and some of such apparatus are so
arranged and combined as to offer ready means of changing and for cleansing
the filtering medium. And in order to give the best information in my power,
I will proceed to describe the Drawing hereunto annexed, first, however,
remarking that the same letters of reference are used to indicate similar parts

page_text: permit the fluid to pass away or pass into the filtering apparatus at the edges,
as will readily be traced in the Figures at present under description. The
clamp frame d is hinged together at d', and is retained secure by screws d²:
Thus, supposing the filtering medium used were filtering paper, such as used:
by chemists, a sheet would be folded over the filtering frame a, and cover
the same, and the edges of the paper would protrude on three sides, and be
shut and held securely by the clamp frame d; and the filter frame a will
always be securely held by the clamp frame; and it will be evident that in
like manner the various fabrics usually employed as filtering media may be
retained around the filter frame, and covering its whole surface. In using
these filtering apparatus one or more should be placed in a proper vessel; and
I prefer that where the fluid is to be filtered closely down to its dregs, that the
space should be narrow wherein the filtering apparatus is applied, in order to
the whole of the filtering apparatus being submerged in the fluid, any yet
require but a small portion of the fluid to keep the apparatus submerged,
because when any part of the filtering medium becomes uncovered with fluid,
the beneficial action of the pressure of the atmosphere will be diminished. In
placing the filtering apparatus in suitable vessels, the eduction pipe is passed
through the same, taking care to have such a packing at the opening as will
keep the joint fluid-tight. It will be evident, that although long rectangular
filtering apparatus, such as I have above described, offer material advantages,
owing to the very extended surface for filtering thereby presented, and which,
by adapting the vessel as above mentioned, and shewn in Figures 1 and 2, may
.be kept covered with the least possible quantity of fluid; yet the shape of the
filtering apparatus may be varied, as is indicated by Figures 6, 7, and 8;
Figure 6 shewing a circular filtering apparatus complete, Figure 7 shewing
a section thereof, and Figure 8 shewing the filtering frame a separately; with
the exception therefore of this apparatus being circular, it is identical with that
.before described.
Another part of my Invention relates to the construction of similar filtering
.frames, of a circular, square, or other figure, and covering it with a suitable
filtering surface of fabric by sewing, as is shèwn at Figures 9 and 10;
Figure 9 being an external view, and Figure 10 a section of the apparatus.;
a.being the filter frame, which is carried by two surfaces of the fabric called
moleskin, which will be found to be very useful for filtering water, though
other fabrics may be used; and I sometimes cover the frame a with filter
paper & then cloth. The object of this construction of filtering apparatus is to
obtain a portable filter, particularly for the purposes of the army; at the same
time these filters may be used in like manner to those above described. e is a

page_text: flexible waterproof pipe, affixed to the eduction pipe of the filter; by this
arrangement of apparatus a soldier or other person may have a filter of little
weight, which he may place in his hat, or may otherwise conveniently stow it
away, and when required for use he would simply have to obtain a vessel full
of water and place it in an elevated stand or place, and drop the filter into the
vessel; then by a sucking action draw the air out of the flexible tube, and the
water will follow, and will then continue to flow in a filtered state till the
vessel is nearly empty, the apparatus acting as a syphon; and, indeed, in this
way any fluid contained in any vessel may be filtered off with the least possible
disturbance, and the more the vessel of fluid is elevated and the longer the
tube e, the quicker will be the filtration. And another mode of using this
apparatus by a soldier or other person on a march is to drop the filtering
apparatus into a pond or other water, and then by a sucking action obtain the
water in a filtered state; and thus may a soldier obtain filtered water without
the use or aid of vessels.
Another part of my Invention relates to a mode of constructing filtering
apparatus of stone, whereby more extended filtering surfaces will be obtained
in a given space.
In making such apparatus according to this part of my
Invention, I employ the same description of stone as is suitable for drip stones,
and I either make a saw cut and divide a sheet of stone nearly into two halves,
and then fill the edges with cement, having first introduced a pipe to carry off
the water; or I take two plates of the proper stone, and join them together
with lead or other convenient means, leaving a small space between them, and
cement the edges so as to prevent the water entering except through the stone.
These filtering apparatus are then, one or more of them, placed in a vessel, as
at Figure 11, and the pipes for conveying off the fluid passes through, as shewn.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, I would have it under-
stood that what I claim is,-
First, the mode of combining filtering frames a with a clamp frame d, and
suitable filtering medium, as described.
Second, I claim the mode of constructing filters
means of a filter frame a,
covered with suitable filtering medium, as described in respect to Figures 9
and 10. And,
Thirdly, I claim the mode of constructing filters by means of two sur-
faces of stone, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Beart, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty.
ROBERT (L.S.) BEART.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Eighth day of August, in the
year of our Lord 1840, the aforesaid Robert Beart came before our said Lady
the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification aforesaid,
and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the
Statute made for that purpose.