AN IMPROVED FILTER FOR WATER AND OTHER LIQUIDS
Year: 1853

page_text: OMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by Archibald Slate at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and Declara-
tion, on the 26th April 1853, pursuant to the 9th section of the
Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
ARCHIBALD SLATE, of Woodside Iron Works, near Dudley, in the
County of Worcester, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
my Invention of "AN IMPROVED FILTER FOR WATER AND OTHER LIQUIDS,"
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof,
reference being had to the drawings hereunto annexed, and to the
figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say:
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figures Nos. 1, 2, and 3, shew a section, elevation, and plan of a
filter for household purposes. The constituent parts of this filter are
as follows: One top piece A, and one bottom piece B, with one
intermediate case C, one hollow piece of filtering material D, and one
moveable bow frame E, having a tightening screw F, in the top

page_text: of the bow, and two eyes G, G, in the ends of the bow which move
round the pivots H, H, in the bottom piece.B; in the bottom piece B,
are the inlet tap I, and the outlet lap J, and in the top piece A, is the
filtered water tap K, and the filtering material D), secured by a cement
joint.
All these parts having been duly prepared, the inlet tap I, is
connected with the supply pipe J; a joint is placed in the groove in B,
and the case C, is placed in the joint. The top piece A, having a joint
in its groove, and the filtering material and filtered water tap in it, is
then placed on the top of the case C, the moveable bow E, is brought
over the top, as shewn; and the tightening screw F, being turned
round, the joints in A, and B, are tightened on C, and the filter is ready
to work.
THE ACTION OF THE FILTER IS AS FOLLOWS.
The water enters at the tap I, (and if the water is at all tainted, a
thin layer of charcoal should be placed in the bottom B, between
which and the stone a space has been left for that purpose,) the tap J,
is shut, and the water passes through the filtering material D, and
escapes by the tap K. When water is required unfiltered, it is drawn
at the tap J, which may also be used for washing the filter.
To clean this filter, unscrew F, turn back the moveable bow E, take
off the top piece A, and wash the filtering material, then rub it gently
with a piece of the same material; change the charcoal if it is used,.
then replace the top piece A, and tighten the joints as before
described.
Figures 4, and 5, shew the same description of filtering material
arranged for filtration on a large scale, so that by taking off the cover,
a man can go inside and clean the filter.
Figures 6, 7, and 8, shew filters in section, the filters being all
similar, and so arranged that the pressure of the water can be reversed,
so as to wash the filtering material clean, when composed of sand,
rammed in concentric cases between perforated metal plates, and
secured as in Figure 6; or of stone or other filtering material, secured
by metal frames or loops, as shewn in Figures 7, and 8.

page_text: The filters above described are capable of being constructed so that
the air must be dislodged from every part of the filter by the water on
the filter being put to work; and the liability to damage from the
pressure of air in a high state of compression, is entirely removed.
And I hereby declare that I claim as my Invention a filter con-
structed and arranged as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Archibald Slate, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of April, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.