IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF APPARATUS FOR FILTERING WATER AND OTHER LIQUIDS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Prosper Auguste Maignen, of Great Tower Street, in the
City of London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
AND ARRANGEMENT OF APPARATUS FOR FILTERING WATER AND OTHER
LIQUIDS." Partly a communication from abroad by Jules Retif, of Lyons, in
the Republic of France.
Sealed the 23rd May 1879, and dated the 28th November 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Prosper Auguste Maignen
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th November 1878.
PROSPER AUGUSTE MAIGNEN, of Great Tower Street, in the City of London.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF APPARATUS FOR
FILTERING WATER AND OTHER LIQUIDS." Partly a communication from abroad by
Jules Retif, of Lyons, in the Republic of France:
•
This Invention consists in improvements in the construction and arrangement of
apparatus for filtering water and other liquids whereby such operation is performed
in an economical, efficacious, and expeditious manner, whilst the cleansing of the
filtering surfaces is greatly facilitated.
The case or receptacle in which the apparatus is placed may be constructed in
any desired or suitable manner, and may be made of wood metal, glass, or other.
suitable material or combination of materials.
The apparatus which forms the subject of this Invention consists of a rigid frame
of any suitable material, such as wood, glass, or non-oxidizable metal, and is of any
desired size or shape. The said frame is covered either on the outside or inside
with any suitable tissue or material, such as paper, felt, wool, cotton, or silk, which
tissue or material is also covered or coated with the filtering medium as hereinafter
described, or in some cases the said tissue or material alone is sufficient, for instance,
when the apparatus is employed for filtering wine containing lees, in which case the
lees will alone or in combination with a portion of the desired filtering medium

page_text: suffice, and also when used for chemical and similar purposes on a small scale the
filtering medium may be dispensed with.
It will be well understood that one or more of the above described frames may
be employed within the case or reservoir, the said frames being so constructed and
arranged as to present a great area of filtering surface to the liquid under treat-
ment, and at the same time to occupy very little space. In all cases where the
shape of the frame admits thereof, cross bars or divisions are provided in order to
add strength thereto, to prevent twisting and to assist in maintaining the rigidity
of the covering.
When the frames are covered on the outside by the tissue or material they are
employed by preference in the following manner :-The frames are made with flat
sides and are arranged parallel to and at a little distance from each other, being
maintained in their relative positions by a rack, the projections on which take into
the spaces between the frames. Through the lower side of each frame is passed a
tube provided with a collar which prevents it from entering too far into the interior
of the frame while the end which projects into the frame is turned down or pro-
vided with a screw head, by which means the tube is firmly fixed in position. The
said tube has perforations in its sides which correspond or come into juxta-position
with longitudinal channels in the before mentioned lower side of the frame, each
division of which is placed in communication with the said longitudinal channels
by means of smaller channels, thus allowing the filtered liquid contained in the
several divisions to pass into the main channels through the sides and lower part
of the pipe (which is provided with a ring of india rubber, cork, leather, or other
suitable material for fixing in a water-tight manner) into the false botton or other
reservoir provided for its reception. This arrangement, by preventing the pipe
being closed by the rush of liquid, permits air to pass through into the interior of
the frame. The lower ends of the said tubes, instead of passing into a false bottom
or other reservoir as described, may be provided with taps, by which means the
filtered liquid may be drawn off directly from the interior of the frames or con-
ducted by pipes to any desired receptacle. The filtering medium employed may
be of any suitable nature, such as powdered animal or vegetable charcoal, or pulped
paper, and it is deposited on the coverings of the frames in the following manner:-
The said filtering medium is mixed with liquid which is placed in the interior of
the case or receptacle containing the frames; the liquid immediately passes through
the coverings of the frames into the interior thereof, and is allowed to escape, the
filtering medium being deposited on the covering of the frame. This operation is
repeated until the whole of the exterior of the covering, which is perfectly rigid,
becomes coated with the said filtering medium. The liquid to be treated is then
placed in the case or receptacle, and passing through the filtering medium into the
interior of the frames, makes its escape through the before mentioned tubes in a
clarified condition.
When a frame which is covered on the inside with the tissue or material as
before mentioned is employed, it is arranged by preference in the following
manner The upper part of the frame is provided with a projecting rim covered
with india rubber or other suitable material, and which rim rests upon a corre-
sponding rim or ledge in the interior of the case or receptacle, thus forming a water
tight joint. When the frame has the form of an inverted cone or of a funnel or
other suitable shape it is constructed by preference in the following ways:
By a spiral arrangement formed of glass or other suitable material, the convolutions
of which decrease gradually towards the lower end, or the cone is constructed of
glass or other suitable material having a number of perforations therein for the
passage of the filtered liquid, or the cone may be constructed entirely of wood or of
wire gauze of a non-oxidizable metal. The covering of tissue or material is placed
within the frame, where it is maintained in a perfectly rigid manner, the filtering
medium being deposited thereon as before described. The upper part of the frame
may be covered with a tissue such as muslin in order to collect the coarser impu-
rities or deposits contained in the liquid under treatment before the latter comes

page_text: into contact with the filtering medium or covering. The liquid to be treated is
placed in the frame and receptacle, and being acted upon by the filtering medium
and tissue or material becomes clarified, as will be well understood.
When the lower part of the case or other receptacle provided for the reception of
the filtered liquid is closed it is furnished with a tube for the admission of air.
The nature of the tissue or material, and also of the filtering medium, is varied
according to the requirements of the liquid to be treated.
The case or receptacle containing the filtering apparatus is, if desired, placed in
an outer casing or jacket, between the interior of which and the exterior of the
reservoir can be introduced steam, hot water, ice, or other suitable medium for
raising or lowering the temperature of the liquid under treatment.
The case containing the apparatus is by preference provided with a cover, and
when the operation of filtering is to be conducted by means of pressure the said
cover is strongly and hermetically secured to the case, and is provided with a valve
for the exit of air during the process of filling the case, and also a suitable arrange-
ment for the introduction of the liquid. The pressure may be obtained by means
of hydraulic or other suitable power.
The casing may, when desired, be provided with tubes or gauges for ascertaining
the level of the filtered and unfiltered liquid respectively.
When the liquid to be filtered is conducted to the apparatus from a cistern, reser-
voir, or other receptacle by means of a pipe the exit end of the said pipe is provided
with a ball cock or other automatic contrivance, in order to regulate the supply of
such liquid.
It is generally preferred to employ above the frames a perforated plate to prevent
the force of liquid disturbing the filtering medium.
When the frames are covered on the outside the covers thereof may be cleansed by
forcing liquid through them the reverse way, that is to say, from the interior to the
exterior.
The arrangements of apparatus as above described, while occupying very little
space, permit a large area of filtering surface to be presented to the liquid under
treatment, thus allowing the operation of filtering to be conducted in a much more
rapid manner than is the case with apparatus as ordinarily constructed, and at the
same time the cleansing or replacing of the filtering medium or tissue covering can
be readily performed as desired.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Prosper Auguste Maignen in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
27th May 1879.
PROSPER AUGUSTE MAIGNEN, of Great Tower Street, in the City of London.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF APPARATUS FOR
FILTERING WATER AND OTHER LIQUIDS." Partly a communication from abroad by
Jules Retif, of Lyons, in the Republic of France.
The said Invention consists in improvements in the construction and arrangement
of apparatus for filtering water and other liquids whereby a large area of filtering
surface is obtained in a small space, and the operation of filtering is performed in
an economical, efficacious, and expeditious manner, whilst the cleansing of the
filtering surfaces is greatly facilitated.
The case or receptacle in which the apparatus is placed may be constructed in
any desired or suitable manner, and may be made of wood, metal, glass, or other
suitable material or combination of materials.
The apparatus which forms the subject of this Invention consists of a rigid frame
of any suitable material, such as wood, glass, or non-oxidizable metal, and is of any
desired size or shape. The said frame is covered with any suitable tissue or other
material, such as paper or felt, which tissue or other material is also covered or
coated with the filtering medium as hereinafter described, or in come cases the said
tissue or other material alone is sufficient, for instance, when the apparatus is
employed for filtering wine containing lees, in which case the lees will alone, or in
combination with a portion of the desired filtering medium, suffice; and also when
used for chemical and similar purposes on a small scale the filtering medium may
be dispensed with.
It will be well understood that one or more of the above described frames may
be employed within the case or receptacle, the said frames being so constructed and
arranged as to present a great area of filtering surface to the liquid under treat-
ment, and at the same time to occupy very little space. In all cases where the
shape of the frame admits thereof, divisions and cross bars are provided, in order to
add strength thereto, to prevent twisting, and to assist in maintaining the rigidity
of the covering.
The frames are employed, by preference, in the following manner :-In cases
where more than one are used they are arranged parallel to and at a little distance
from each other, being maintained in their relative positions at the top by a rack
which is pressed down thereon, and the projections on which take into the spaces
between the frames. Through the lower side of each frame is passed a tube pro-
vided with a collar which prevents it from entering too far into the interior of the
frame, whilst the end which projects into the frame is turned down; the lower part
of the said tube is fixed in a water tight manner in the aperture in the lower part
of the case or receptacle by means of a washer. The said tube has perforations in
its side which correspond or come into juxta-position with longitudinal channels in
the before mentioned lower side of the frame, each division of the latter being
placed respectively in communication with the said longitudinal channels by means
of smaller channels, thus allowing the filtered liquid contained in the several divi-
sions to pass into the main channels through the perforations in the last mentioned
tube, and thence into a false bottom or reservoir provided for its reception. The
lower ends of the tubes for conducting the filtered water from the interior of the
frame, instead of passing into a false bottom or other reservoir as described, may be
provided with taps, by which means the filtered liquid may be drawn off directly
from the interior of the frames, or conducted by pipes to any desired receptacle.
In frames of small dimensions the divisions are in some cases made to communicate
directly with each other by means of channels, the liquid passing away through the
tube which projects or opens into one of the divisions. The filtering medium

page_text: employed may be of any suitable, nature such as powdered vegetable charcoal or
paper pulp, and it is deposited firmly and evenly on the coverings of the frames in
the following manner:-The said filtering mediumn is mixed with some of the liquid
to be treated, which is placed in the case or receptacle containing the frames, the
liquid, passing immediately through the coverings of the frames into the interior
thereof, is allowed to escape, thereby creating a suctional action, which causes the
said filtering medium to be deposited on the covering of the frame. This operation
is repeated until the whole of the exterior of the covering, which is perfectly rigid,
becomes well coated with the said filtering medium. The remainder of the liquid
to be treated is then placed in the case or receptacle, and, passing through the
filtering medium into the interior of the frames, makes its escape through the before
mentioned tubes in a clarified condition.
The lower part of the case or receptacle provided for the reception of the filtering
liquid may be placed in communication with the external atmosphere by means of
a pipe. The nature of the tissue or other material, and also of the filtering medium,
is varied according to the requirements of the liquid to be treated.
The case or receptacle containing the filtering apparatus may, if desired, be placed
in an outer casing or jacket, between the interior of which and the exterior of the
receptacle can be introduced steam, hot water, ice, or other suitable medium for
raising or lowering the temperature of the liquid under treatment.
The case containing the apparatus is, by preference, provided with a cover, and
when the operation of filtering is to be conducted by means of pressure the said
cover is strongly and hermetically secured to the case, and is provided with a valve
for the exit of air during the process of filling the case, and also a suitable arrange-
ment for the introduction of the liquid; the pressure being obtained by hydraulic
or other suitable power, as is well known and understood.
It is desirable that the cases be provided with tubes or guages for shewing the
level of the liquid in the interior.
.
When the liquid to be filtered is conducted to the apparatus from a cistern, reser-
voir or other receptacle by means of a pipe, the exit end of the said pipe is provided
with a ball cock or other automatic contrivance in order to regulate the supply of
such liquid.
A perforated metal plate or a screen of suitable construction to allow the liquid
to pass through is placed within the case above the frames in order to prevent the
force of liquid from disturbing the filtering medium, and the same or another plate
or screen may support thereon a quantity of animal charcoal or other suitable
filtering material for the purpose of arresting the coarser impurities, and, when
desired, for decolorizing purposes.
The covers of the frames may be cleansed by forcing liquid through them the
reverse way, that is to say, from the interior to the exterior, or the said covers may
be unlaced or otherwise detached, and then cleansed.
I will now proceed to refer to the accompanying Drawings, from which the nature
of the said Invention will be more clearly understood. Figure 1 shews a case or
receptacle in which are arranged sixteen filtering frames. Figure 2 is a section
of the same, with one of the frames uncovered. Figure 3 is a cross section of the
frame. Figures 4 and 5 are sections shewing another method of arranging and
constructing the apparatus. Figure shews a modification of the arrangement of
the frames. The same letters of reference indicate similar parts in the several
Figures. A is the case or receptacle; B, the frames; b, the divisions therein;
6', the covering; and 62, the pipe for the escape of the filtered liquid. C is the
reservoir for receiving the latter; D is the rack for keeping the frames in their
relative positions; and E the plate or screen for breaking the force of the liquid.
Although certain methods of arranging the frame or frames within the case or
receptacle have been hereinbefore described, and are illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings, it is not intended to restrict this Invention to those particular methods,
as the frames may be arranged within the case or receptacle in any similar and
suitable manner.

page_text: Having thus described and ascertained the nature of the said Invention and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, I would observe in conclusion that
what I consider novel and original and therefore claim as constituting the Invention
secured by the said herein before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
The construction and arrangement of rigidly covered filtering frames, substan-
tially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Prosper Auguste Maignen, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.