AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CLARIFYING WATER AND OTHER FLUIDS
Year: 1831

page_text: . TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
NEVILLE, of Great Dover Road, in the County of Surrey, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Ninth day of September, in the second year of His reign,
did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
James Neville, His especial licence, sole privilege and authority, that I, the
said James Neville, my exors, adññors, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said James Neville, my exors, admiors, or assigns, should at any time agrec
agree with and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of
years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my
Invention of "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CLARIFYING WATER AND OTHER
FLUIDS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said
James Neville, 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
His 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
James Neville, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, are particularly described and

page_text: ascertained in and by the following description hereof, reference being had to
the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon
(that is to say) -
Figure 1 represents a vertical section of my improved apparatus for clarify-
ing water. a, a, is a vessel, cask, or other reservoir made of wood or any
other suitable material, on the bottom b, b, of which I place the pan c, c,
which is made of porous or unglazed earthenware, and is of a conical or
dished form, inverted or placed mouth downwards. The rim or mouth of this
pan has a number of notches or apertures to admit of the free passage of
the purified water; and I cement or tie a strong slip of felt d, d, round the
mouth or lower rim of the said pan c, c, in order to prevent any minute
particles of the filtering or clarifying medium from passing or entering into
the said pan c, c, at the top of which the pipe e, e, communicates with the
interior of said pan, for the purpose of drawing the clarified water therefrom.
This pipe passes through the side of the vessel or reservoir a, a; and where
the situation of the said reservoir will admit of it, I carry the said pipe e, e, as
low as possible, in order to obtain greater atmospheric pressure on the surface
of the fluid contained in the vessel or reservoir a, a, by which means a greater
quantity of water will be forced through the clarifying medium. In such case
I employ a small valve f, which is at liberty to rise, and allow any air that
may be contained in the descending or delivering pipe c, e, to escape; but
where the situation will not admit of such descending pipe, I merely employ
a common. tap or cock communicating by a short pipe with the interior of the
pan c, c, for the purpose of drawing the water therefrom. The pan c, c, in
the reservoir a, a, is first surrounded with a layer or stratum of coarse silicious
grit or sand g,g, to the heighth of two or three inches, on the surface of which
there is a bed of vegetable charcoal h, h, which has been reduced in a proper
mill to the fineness of course ground coffee, and from which all the impurities
have been extracted repeatedly boiling it in pure water. This bed of char-
coal rises several inches above the top of the pan c, c. It is compactly rammed
down, and the surface levelled, over or on which is laid a piece of thick
woollen felt, and thereon a slate i, i, which nearly fits the area of the reservoir
or vessel a, a. This slate i, i, (or other covering) is intended to protect the
filtering medium from being disturbed either in the operation of cleansing the
apparatus from an accumulation of mud or other impurities, or from the sudden
or violent flow or fall of water thereon. At the same time there is a sufficient
space left between the edges of the slate (or other covering) and the sides of
the vessel or reservoir a, a, for the passage of the water over the surface of the
felt, which latter is nailed or cemented to the sides of the said vessel or reser-

page_text: voir. When this apparatus requires cleansing, it is to be done by scouring it
round with a broom or mop, and opening the tap or orifice k to allow the foul
water, &c. to escape. In order to regulate the supply of water to this appa-
ratus, where it is fed from a service pipe or main, or from any cistern or other
feeder, I employ a more simple and effective instrument than the ballcock now
in use. This is shown by in Figure 1, and Figure 2 represents a full-sized
section of the same. m, m, is a metal tube having a bottom which is per-
forated with a hole of smaller diameter, the same being countersunk, so as to
admit of a common Dutch or other marble n, n, to bed itself therein, and to
protrude about one third of its diameter through or beyond the said aperture.
To the joint o, o, the lever p, p, is affixed, having a small hollow sphere q, q,
at the extremity. This lever and sphere are at liberty to rise and fall on the
joint o, o, and their weight should be sufficient to raise the marble n, n, against
the pressure of the water in the service pipe, &c. At the same time the
hollow sphere q, q, should be sufficiently buoyant, when half immersed in
water, to raise the lever p, p, and thereby permit the marble n, n, to descend,
and close the aperture or stop the current of water, whereby the supply will
be regulated according to the required consumption. On the interior of the
tube m, m, is cut a female screw or worm r, r, whereby it may be firmly
screwed on the leaden service pipe without the necessity of soldering. The
marble (being stone) will never be liable to be set fast from any corrosion of
the metallic base on which it rests.
Figure 3 represents an apparatus to be applied to cisterns or water butts
or other reservoirs already erected, for purifying the water contained therein.
This apparatus is precisely the same in principle as that described in Figure 1,
and the same alphabetical letters refer to the same arrangements or respec-
tive parts, except that s, s, is an earthen pan or vessel of sufficient capacity to
contain the filtering or purifying medium, &c. as described in Figure 1, and
that it is placed in the bottom of any cistern or water butt, which is repre-
sented by the dotted lines in said Fig. 3, a communication being made with
the pan s, s, by means of the dotted pipe t, t.
Figure 4 represents a tank or cistern for purifying water on a large scale
for manufacturing or other purposes. On the bottom of the tank a, a, I
place a number of semi-cylindrical or arched earthen pans, u, u, u, u, u. These
run' the whole length of the tank or cistern, at one extremity of which there
is a communication v, v, v, v, v, from each set of arched pans, with the main
pipe e, e, for the purpose of drawing the clarified water therefrom. This pipe
I carry as low as the situation will admit of, as described in Fig. 1; but where
that cannot be done, I attach a pump thereto for drawing the water in greater

page_text: quantities through the clarifying medium. In other respects the arrangement
is similar to that described in Figure 1, and the same alphabetical letters
refer to the same parts, except that in this apparatus the lower stratum g, g,
¡is composed of Kentish rag or any other very porous stone broken small; and
the stratum h, h, is composed of fine charcoal and well-washed sand mixed
together in equal quantities.
Figure 5 represents a vertical section of my improved apparatus for clarify-
ing malt liquor, oils, &c. &c., in large quantities. A, A, is a cast-iron or other
cistern, open at top, and having a bottom, B; B, of a hopper. shape, from the
centre of which the pipe C, C, descends about twelve feet. D, D; is a cast-
iron or other grating. or false bottom perforated with holes, which rests on the
inclined or sloping sides of the bottom B, B. This grating is covered with
wove brass or copper wire gauze, on which is laid a sheet of fine chamois or
wash leather E, E. On the surface of the latter is a bed of pure ground
charcoal, F, F, and therein is placed a frame, G, G, which fits exactly the
interior of the cistern A, A, the said frame G, G, being covered with a thick
woollen felt. From the centre of the said frame G, G, the revolving shaft or
axis H, H, rises, on which there are a set of brushes or agitators I, I; and
motion is to be communicated thereto from the pulley K, K, or in any other
manner whereby the sediment or impurities contained in the liquid intended
to be purified will be kept suspended therein, or be prevented from accumu-
lating on the surface of the felt or other covering of the frame G, G. Lis
an aperture and valve for allowing such sediment or impurities to escape,
when required; and M is a pipe for supplying the fluid to the apparatus.
Where such is malt liquor, or any other liquid subject to injury from exposure
to the atmosphere, I use the floating cover N, N, which exactly fits the inte-
rior of the cistern A, A. The edges of this cover are lined with leather or
other substance, so as to render it air-tight, at the same time
liberty to rise and fall as the fluid is supplied or withdrawn.
axis H, H, passes through the centre of the said cover N, N. O, O, is a
small pipe furnished with a valve to allow the air contained in the pipe C, C,
and in the lower part of the cistern, to escape. The lower end of pipe C, C,
is curved, as shewn at P, P, which will prevent the admission of any air when
this machine is in action. If the descending pipe C, C, of this apparatus be
twelve feet. long, and the cistern A, A, be four feet square (or containing a
surface of sixteen superficial feet), when the said pipe is filled with any fluid
of the specific gravity of water, then, when the cock q is turned or opened,
the atmosphere will act on the surface of the fluid contained in the cistern
A, A, with an immense force or pressure of more than five tons or about
that it is at
The shaft or

page_text: eleven thousand six hundred pounds weight, whereby a large quantity of the
fluid will be driven through the clarifying medium in a short time. The force
or pressure thus obtained will always depend on the altitude of the apparatus
here described (or the depth of the descending pipe c; c), and the specific
gravity of the fluids operated on; and I vary such altitude and consequent
pressure according to the nature of the fluid so operated on, and the force
necessary to effect its clarification in large quantities.
Figure 6 represents a portable apparatus for fining or clarifying malt liquor,
wine, &c., and for the first-mentioned purpose it is intended for the use of
publicans, &c., and to be attached to their present beer engines, so as to
enable them to fine or clarify their malt liquor in small quantities, or during
the operation of drawing and vending it. R, R, Figure 6, is a cylindrical
vessel made of malliable zinc (or any other material), the lower part of which
terminates in a cone S, S. This cone is perforated with a number of holes
similar to a cullender or grater, as shewn by the dots thereon, over which is
drawn a covering of thin chamois or wash leather. This cylinder and cone
are filled with pure ground charcoal (prepared as described in Figure 1); and
at T, T, there is a screwed joint to admit of the conical cap U, U, being
screwed thereon, previous to which there is a circular piece of chamois
leather laid on the surface of the charcoal contained in the cylinder R, R,
which is firmly screwed down by the conical cap U, U, and which will prevent
any of the clarifying medium from rising at the bottom of the cylinder R, R;
and where the cone S, S, commences, there is another screwed joint V, V, on
which the external cylinder W, W, is screwed. This external cylinder has a
conical bottom at the apex of which there is a plug or valve X for cleansing
or discharging any impurities or sediment that may accumulate in the said
exterior cylinder W, W, on the side of which there is a nozzle and screw
joint Y for connecting the suction or service pipe which conveys the liquor
from the cask or butt. At the top of the cone U, U, is a union screw joint,
for connecting the pipe Z, Z, which leads from the beer engine,' to this appa-
ratus; and, where required, I attach several pipes from this apparatus to several
distinct casks or butts, and to the respective pumps of such beer engine where
the malt liquor to be drawn is of the same denomination.
For clarifying or fining wines, instead of a pump being employed for draw-
ing the liquor through this apparatus, I prefer the uniform and constant action
of a syphon, Figure 7, which is screwed on to the top of the cone U, U; and
the descending leg of this syphon 1, 1, must be of sufficient length to cause
the required draught or pressure of the fluid through the clarifying medium.
Near the bottom of the syphon, Figure 7, is a stopcock, and all the air must

page_text: be exhausted from the said syphon and apparatus before they will act. The
syphon is to be inserted in a cask, &c., to receive the clarified fluid, leaving
only the vent peg open; and the service pipe at Y is to be attached to the
cask or vessel containing the unclarified fluid, the vent peg of which must be
left open; and the operation of fining may proceed as slowly as required. This
apparatus may be effectually cleansed and kept in order by unscrewing the
joints T, T, and V, V, when the chamois leather may be taken off, washed, and
dried, when this apparatus is not in constant use.
I have given a scale to each separate Figure, which will furnish the relative
proportions for all practical purposes; but I do not confine myself to the said
dimensions or to the peculiar forms described, nor to the peculiar metals or
materials enumerated in the foregoing description; and I disclaim as being
new, or as forming any part of my said Invention, the use of charcoal, stone,
or sand as a clarifying or filtering medium, the same having been known and
acted on for half a century at least.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Nevill, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Seventh day of January, in the second year of the reign
of our Sovereign Lord William the Fourth, by the grace of God of the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, King, Defender of
the Faith, and in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and thirty-two.
Inrolled the Ninth day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and thirty-two.