FOR FILTEBING WATER AND OTHER LIQUIDS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Owen, of the City of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, for the Invention of
FOR FILTEBING WATER AND OTHER LIQUIDS."
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
Sealed the 1st August 1864, and dated the 5th February 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Owen at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 5th February
1864.
I, ROBERT OWEN, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR FILTERING WATER AND OTHER LIQUIDS." to be as follows:---
I make a vessel of any suitable shape or size, and divide it into two
compartments, one larger than the other, the larger compartment to hold
the unfiltered liquid. In the smaller compartment I fix two circular toothed
wheels gearing into each other, and made to work inwardly from the top, the
outsides of which when in motion come almost in close contact with a circular
casing, and lift the liquid from a chamber which is lower than the centre of
the wheels. The liquid flows from the larger compartment into this chamber
through an aperture in the lower part of the division, and is forced upwards
through a filtering agent into a higher chamber, from whence it is drawn off
by a tap perfectly filtered or purified.

page_text: My nitering agent consists principally of fine hat felt, so arranged in one
or more folds that the liquid can pass through it, but in some particular cases
it will be necessary to use with the felt other materials, such as linen, woollen,
cotton, silk, or other cloth, and use one or more of such materials in com-
bination with the felt as circumstances may require.
Or, as a modification of the said apparatus I make an outside jacket to the
vessel to open at any convenient position, inside of which I place another
vessel with flanges, around which I wrap one or more folds of the felt or
woven material, the liquid to be let on the same either on the centre or other
position, and after passing through the filtering agent it gravitates from the
top downwards, the filtered liquid being drawn off at one tap and the sediment
at another, and when it can be procured 1 employ pressure obtained from
the main or other source. In some cases I cause the liquid to enter the
vessel by a pipe or tube, at the end of which is fixed a ball or other shaped
receptacle covered with felt, or one or more of the other materials mentioned,
the liquid in this case oozes through the filtering agent into a chamber from
which it can be drawn pure; or it may be made to proceed from the
circumference to the centre of the ball or receptacle, and be drawn off at the
tube by suction or gravitation, which may be obtained by an elastic ball
employed and arranged with the requisite taps. Or when a boiler or other
vessel is to be supplied with water from a distance, or at a lower level, I use
a suction or force pump to draw or force the water through the filter, and
in such cases, if necessary, I place the felt and other material in layers one
above another, horizontally, instead of wrapping them round a pipe or tube as
before described, and when necessary for the purpose of more readily cleaning
the filtering agent, I construct divisions between each layer or lap of other
material than felt. Or I use with the hat felt, and in some cases by itself,
what is commonly termed "boiler felt," which is made of cow or other hair
placed between two pieces of cloth, the said cloths and felt to be stitched or
quilted together so as to form a filtering material, either alone or in conjunction
with the hat felt.
To fasten the filter to the water pipe I employ a pair of semicircular
clips to clip round the pipe or main, and secure them with screw bolts or other
mechanical contrivance, using white lead and cloth or similar means to make
a water-tight joint. To these pipes I attach a pipe or tube with a union
joint, or I join the tap to the main with solder in the usual way. In fixing
the tap to the main by means of the clips, I do so without first boring a hole
in the lead pipe, and when the clips are fastened round the water pipe, I use
a drill sufficiently large to fill the hole of the tap, the point of the drill being

page_text: made hollow with saw teeth so as to drill out the lead in one piece, and on
withdrawing the drill I employ a thick washer of india-rubber to prevent the
escape of the water. I wash or cleanse the felt or filtering agent by a piston
working in a cylinder, or two pistons and two cylinders, as most convenient,
the cylinders being perforated to allow the silt to escape, or I use a pair of
rollers placed in a frame with a vessel beneath containing water, the filtering
agents being made to pass between the rollers and through the water
alternately as the rollers revolve. I also use a graduated tap by which the
liquid is let out and shut off progressively.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Owen in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th
August 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
OWEN, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Robert Owen, Her special license that I, the said Robert Owen,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Robert Owen, 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
APPARATUS FOR FILTERING WATER AND OTHER LIQUIDS." upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Robert Owen, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 Robert Owen, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-

page_text: formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say):-
I make a vessel of any suitable shape or size, and divide it into two com-
partments, one larger than the other, the larger compartment to hold the
unfiltered liquid. In the smaller compartment I fix two circular toothed
wheels gearing into each other, and made to work inwardly from the top, the
outsides of which when in motion come almost in close contact with a circular
casing, and lift the liquid from a chamber which is lower than the centre of
the wheels. The liquid flows from the larger compartment into this chamber,
through an aperture in the lower part of the division, and is forced upwards
through a filtering agent into a higher chamber from whence it is drawn off
by a tap perfectly filtered or purified. My filtering agent consists principally
of fine hat felt, so arranged in one or more folds that the liquid can pass
through it, but in some particular cases it will be necessary to use with the
felt other materials such as linen, woollen, cotton, silk, or other cloth, and
use one or more of such materials in combination with the felt as circum-
stances may require.
Or, as a modification of the said apparatus, I make an outside jacket to the
vessel to open at any convenient position inside of which I place another
vessel with flanges, around which I wrap one or more folds of the felt or
woven material, the liquid to be let on the same either from the centre or
other position, and after passing through the filtering agent, it gravitates from
the top downwards, the filtered liquid being drawn off from one tap, and the
sediment at another, and when it can be procured I employ pressure obtained
from the main or other source. In some cases I cause the liquid to enter the
vessel by a pipe or tube, at the end of which is fixed a ball or other shaped
receptacle covered with felt, or one or more of the other materials mentioned,
the liquid in this case oozes through the filtering agent into a chamber, from
which it can be drawn pure, or it may be made to proceed from the circum-
ference to the centre of the ball or receptacle, and be drawn off at the tube
by suction or gravitation which may be obtained by an elastic ball compressed
and arranged with the requisite taps. Or when a boiler or other vessel is to
be supplied with water from a distance or at a lower level, I use a suction or
force pump to draw or force the water through the filter, and in such cases, if
necessary, I place the felt or other material in layers one above another,
horizontally, instead of wrapping them round a pipe or tube as before described,
and when necessary for the purpose of more readily cleansing the filtering
agent, I construct divisions between each layer or lap of other material than
felt. Or I use with the hat felt, and in some cases by itself, what is commonly

page_text: termed "boiler felt" which is made of cow or other hair placed between two
pieces of cloth, the said cloths and felt to be stitched or quilted together so as
to form a filtering material either alone or in conjunction with the hat felt.
To fasten the filter to the water pipe I employ a pair of semicircular clips to
clip round the pipe or main, and secure them with screw bolts or other
mechanical contrivance, using white lead and cloth or similar means to make
a water-tight joint. To these clips I attach a pipe or tube with a union joint,
or I join the tap to the main with solder in the usual way. In fixing the
tap to the main by means of the clips, I do so without first boring a hole in
the lead pipe, and when the clips are fastened round the water pipe I use a
drill sufficiently large to fill the hole of the tap, the point of the drill being
made hollow with saw teeth so as to drill out the lead in one piece, and on
withdrawing the drill I employ a thick washer of india-rubber to prevent the
escape of the water. I wash or cleanse the felt or filtering agent by a piston
working in a cylinder, or two pistons and two cylinders as most convenient,
the cylinders being perforated to allow the silt to escape. Or I use a pair of
rollers placed in a frame with a vessel beneath containing water, the filtering
agents being made to pass between the rollers and through the water alter-
nately as the rollers revolve. I also use a graduated tap by which the liquid
is let on and shut off progressively.
These improvements will be clearly understood by the following particular
description thereof, reference being had to the Figures on the accompanying
two Sheets of Drawings, and to the letters marked thereon, the letters
referring to each part separately.
Fig. 1 is a plan, and Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the first arrangement
of my improved filter.
a represents a chamber for the unfiltered water; b is a plan of the chamber
where the unfiltered water passes into through the aperture c, and in which
the wheels d, d, are placed. These wheels have each nine or more teeth, and
turn inwardly, forcing the water upwards through the perforated plates and
layers of felt e, e, e; f is an open tap through which the filtered water passes
into a vessel when drawn off; g is an elbow pipe with union joint to join an
upward pipe to where water is required at a higher altitude than the filter;
h, h, are segments of the circle in which the wheels run and confine the water
to be lifted within the teeth; i is the open space beneath the wheels where
the water lodges to be drawn up and filtered. The meeting of the teeth as
they gear into each other prevents the water from coming back down into the
space i. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of a modification of the foregoing filter.
It is fed from the top at the centre as at a, and the water is conveyed down-

page_text: ward to a chamber b which rests on a washer of felt g, which rests on the
bottom of the outside cylinder, the water proceeding from the centre to the
circumference, and rising up to the top outside the filtering agents, the felt is
lapped round the inside cylinder first, and the calico or other cloth d is lapped
over the felt outside so as to prevent the woolley fibres of the felt mixing with
the water. The water is drawn off at the bib tap e at the top of the filter.
The conical lid is fitted on similar to Fig. 4, but only with one screw in the
centre, which screw is part of the feed pipe as shewn in the Drawing.
Fig. 4 is a vertical section of another arrangement of my improved filter.
The outside casing a, a, is made of cast iron, tin, or other suitable material.
The lid bis fitted on as shewn in the Drawing, and made water-tight by an
india-rubber or other washer c. Two or more holdfasts d with nitches e are
rivetted or otherwise fastened inside near the top of the outside casing, and in
these nitches are fixed two or more cross bars f, to which the lid is fastened
down by means of screws g, one in each bar. A plan of one of these bars
drawn half size is shewn at A. This mode of fastening down the lid I can
apply to vessels of earthen or other ware. The feeding pipe h is fixed near
the top, and the pure water tap i near the bottom as shewn in the Drawing.
Inside this outside casing a is placed another cylinder k, about seven and a
half inches deep, by about three and three-quarters inches diameter. This
cylinder has a false or perforated bottom I, and a loose lid m on the top, with
a narrow rim about three-eighths of an inch deep, around which there is a
felt washer n, which rests on a flange on the top of the cylinder, this lid and
with it the felt washer prevents the water from entering the inner cylinder in
an unfiltered state. About two and a half inches from the bottom of this
inner cylinder there is fixed a flange o three-quarters of an inch wide, this
flange rests on a felt washer p, which is supported by a flange q fixed to the
inside of the outside casing a, and bears up the inside cylinder about half an
inch from the bottom of the said outside casing. The upper part of this
inside cylinder is perforated, and around it is lapped one or more folds of
calico to prevent the small fibres of the felt from penetrating into the inside
among the water, and over and around the calico is lapped one or more folds
of fine prepared felt which forms the first filtering medium through which
the water is forced by the pressure from the main or other head pressure. At
the bottom of the inside cylinder is placed one or more layers of felt k, and
over these layers of felt is placed a bag of granulated carbon or other
granulated mineral.
Fig. 5 is a vertical section of a modification of the filter shewn in Fig. 4.
It is fed from the lower end, the water penetrating through the filtering

page_text: agent to the centre, and rising upwards through one or more folds of felt and
cloth a reaches the upper chamber b and passes off at the bib cock c, shewn in
the Drawing. It has one cross bar d held by nitches in a holdfast e at each
side of the outside casing, and is secured by one screw f, being rendered water-
tight by means of an india-rubber or other washer, the lid g over the inside
cylinder being fitted with a felt washer h to keep the unfiltered water from
entering, and the space between the inside lid g and the conical outside lid i
being packed with felt or other padding to assist in pressing down the cylinders
close to each other; ; is a felt washer for the cylinder to rest upon.
Fig. 6 is a vertical section of a pocket filter. It consists of two cylinders:
a, b, of different diameters, one to go inside the other. The outside cylinder a
is used as the holder of the water to be filtered, and the smaller or inside
cylinder to act as a plunger or piston to force the water into its interior, and
for this purpose it is fitted with a false or perforated bottom c which is fixed
about half an inch from the lower end, and below this perforated bottom is
fitted into the open end one or more folds of felt d made fast by means of a
metallic ring e, which is joined to another false bottom f, and made tight
by a lapping g of linen thread or other material. This inside cylinder b being
placed within the outer one a containing the water, and then pressed down-
wards, the water percolates through the false bottoms, and also through the
filtering agents, and is thereby deprived of all its mechanical impurities so that
it can be drunk from the filter.
Fig. 7 is a vertical section of a gravitating filter; it is similar to the pocket
filter, except that it may be allowed to act simply by gravitation; but the lid
a may be fitted to an inside cylinder b with a water-tight bottom c, and about
a quarter of an inch from the bottom a swage or recess d is made in the
cylinder in which a round ring e of vulcanized india-rubber or other material
is fitted to make it fit close to the inside of the filter. At the bottom of the
outside cylinder there is a perforated bottom for holding a bag of granulated
carbon, above which there are layers of felt g resting on a flange h. Above
the felt there is a ring i made water-tight by wrapping round it first a layer
of calico and then one or more layers of felt, and when the said inside cylinder
is pressed downwards by the hand it accelerates the process of filtering, or
the filter being fitted with a feed pipe near the top water is supplied at each
stroke of the plunger or piston, and if worked by power large quantities of
water will be filtered and drawn off at the cock k.
Fig. 8 is a transverse section, and Fig. 9 a side elevation of the machine for
washing the felt or filtering agent. The frame a of this machine is of cast
iron similar in some respects to others, but the machine differs from all others

page_text: inasmuch as the processes of washing and wringing are carried on simul-
taneously with alternate repititions, this being necessary for the perfect and
speedy cleansing of the felt and other web material used in the process of
filtering. I place a water beck b under a pair of cylinders c, d; this beck
contains water to wash the filtering agents; this beck is made to rise or
lower as required for washing or wringing by means of an endless chain or
cord e revolving over two pulleys at each end of the machine, and turned
with a handle. During the process of washing the beck is at the highest.
position near the cylinders, and when wringing only is performed the beck is
lowered to the bottom and covered with a perforated lid which keeps the
cloth out of the water and admits the drops of water back into the beck
during the process of wringing. The top cylinder c is solid and smaller than
the lower one d which is hollow and perforated to admit the water wrung
[from the filtering agents. At each end of the bottom cylinder there is a
flange larger than the barrel of the cylinder and the top cylinder being shorter
than the lower one fits in between the flanges. Beneath the lower cylinder
is placed a semicircular trough g lower at each end than at the middle which
allows the water to pass back into the beck without dropping upon the newly
wrung cloth. The top cylinder c is acted upon at each end by a compound
spring shewn in Fig. 10, it is composed of several vulcanized india-rubber
washers h, with alternate metallic washers i, both sorts of washers having holes
in the middle through which a spindle k passes which connects all the
washers together, the top metallic washer is deeper than the others, and is
acted upon by a set screw according to the amount of pressure required in
wringing or washing.
For supplying the filter, and for taking off the dirty water, I employ
improved graduated taps, that is, those that are opened and shut gradually
instead of instantaneously as is the case with the common tap. My improved
taps drawn to an enlarged size in relation to the filters shewn in the Drawings
are represented in Fig. 11, in which the supply tap is shewn at A, the dirty
water tap at B, and a part of the side of the filter at c. The pipe connecting
the filter with the water supply is formed of two parts d and e, joined together
by the union joint f. One part of the pipe e is enlarged similar to the shell
of an ordinary tap, but closed at the bottom, and having a short vertical pipe g
at the top, the part between the two being conical. In the closed bottom
there is a recess for holding a leather or other washer h, and through the other
parts is passed a metal plug k parallel within a short distance from the top,
and conical for the remainder of its length or depth. Through the centre f
the plug there is a screwed hole, and above the conical part there is a circular

page_text: recess containing packing, above which there is a pin which fits a slot in
the aforesaid vertical part # for preventing the plug from turning. The
exterior of the vertical part g is screwed, and to it is fitted the cap m having
at the top a hole through which is passed the thumb screw n which fits the
thread in the plug, and is provided with a shoulder o under which there is a
metallic washer p, placed above a leather or other flexible washer or packing
q, resting on the top of the vertical pipe g, which arrangements are for the
purpose of keeping the thumb screw and plug in their places, and rendering
the tap water-tight; when the cap m is screwed tightly down, and when the
thumb screw is turned one way, the screw at the bottom raises the plug and
allows the water to be supplied to the filter, and when turned the other way
the water is shut off from the filter. At that part of the pipe d where the
dirty water tap is to be fixed, there is at the top a solid piece r screwed at the
outside and having a screwed hole in the centre, and at the bottom of the pipe
there is a short vertical pipe s into which is screwed another pipe t in such
manner as to leave a recess to receive a leather or other washer u held to the
bottom of the thumb screw v by a small screw w, or by a nut. The said
thumb screw passes through the screwed hole in the solid piece 7 over which
is screwed the cap x, there being a packing y for keeping the thumb screw
water-tight. When this tap is to be used the water from the main is shut off
by closing the supply tap A, and the thumb screw is turned a few times round
so as to raise the washer from the recess, and allow the dirty water to escape.
My improved arrangement for fastening the filter to the main supply pipe is
shewn in Fig. 12. I employ a pair of semicircular clips a to clip round the main
pipe b, and secure them with screw bolts c, or other mechanical contrivance
using white lead and cloth or similar means to make a water-tight joint. To
one of these clips I attach the supply pipe d which is provided with a stop
tap e similar to that shewn at A, Fig. 11, and when the plug of the tap is
drawn back I introduce the drill for boring the hole in the main pipe. I also
use when required an outside casing around the outside casing already named
for the purpose of holding cold water or ice, and water to keep the filtered
water cool; or I use a vessel for the purpose separate from the filter for the
water to pass through by means of a pipe before or after filtering. In any
of my improved arrangements of filters instead of employing periorated
cylinders, around which the filtering agents are wound, I may employ two
circular plates connected by bars or wires similar to a reel used for winding
off hanks of yarn as shewn in Figs. 13 and 14.
Having now described the nature and particulars of my said Invention, and

page_text: the manner in which the same is to be performed. I desire it to be understood
that I claim in apparatus for filtering water and other liquids.
First the use of ordinary woollen and boiler felt either alone or in combina-
tion with woven fabrics, the said materials to be placed in layers on a perforated
plate, or wrapped round a perforated cylinder or reel; or the felt may be made
into a bag to contain granulated carbon or any suitable granulated mineral
through which the water is passed.
Secondly, the arrangement of toothed circular wheels for lifting or forcing
the water through the filtering agents, as shewn in Figs. 1 and 2, and the
mode of fastening on the lids of filters as shewn in Figs. 4 and 5.
Thirdly, the use of two cylinders of different diameters working one inside
the other as shewn in Figs. 6 and 7.
Fourthly, the graduated taps by which the water is by degrees let into and
shut off the filter, and by which the dirty water is let off without removing the
filter.
Fifthly, in the washing apparatus the perforated cylinder d, Figs. 8 and 9,
and the compound springs, Fig. 10, and also the employment of perforated
cylinders in which work pistons acting as plungers to assist in cleaning the
felt and other filtering agents.
And, sixthly, the general arrangement and combination of my improvements
as herein described and illustrated in the accompanying two Sheets of
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Owen, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourth day of August, One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-four.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
said Robert Owen in the presence
of
E. J. HUGHES,
Patent Agent,
ROBERT OWEN. (L.S.)
Manchester.