IMPROVEMENTS IN FILTERING OR PURIFY- ING WATER, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Bailey Denton, of Whitehall Place, in the County
of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FILTERING OR PURIFY-
ING WATER, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."
Sealed the 3rd November 1876, and dated the 5th May 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Bailey Denton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th May 1876.
JOHN BAILEY DENTON, of Whitehall Place, in the County of Middlesex. "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN FILTERING OR PURIFYING WATER, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREIN."
My Invention relates to an improved mode of filtering water for domestic
purposes, and it has for its object mainly the removal of all impurities incidental
to service cisterns or tanks in which the water is stored for use; but it is also
applicable to supply pipes when the water is conducted direct from the source or
main without the intervention of a service cistern or tank.
In carrying out my Invention I employ a filtering vessel which is divided into
two compartments, an upper and a lower compartment, into the former of which
containing the filtering material the water (say, for example, from the service
cistern above) is admitted, and whence, by percolating through the filtering material
it is discharged into the lower compartiment frou which the domestic supply is
obtained.
The Invention, however, consists essentially in arranging the apparatus in such a
manner that water is supplied into the said upper compartment of the filtering
vessel only as water is drawn off from the lower compartment for uso in the
dwelling, so that the filtration takes place intermittently, the effect of this arrange-
ment being that each time the supply ceases nir replaces the water in the filtering
material, which aeration secures the oxidation of any deleterious matter contained in
solution, and which may have been admitted from the service cistern or main.
The connection between the supply and discharge so as to ensure the intermittent
action before mentioned may be effected in various ways.
According to one mode of carrying out the Invention I employ two balls or
floats dipping respectively into the water contained in the upper and lower com-

page_text: partments, but both acting upon a single valve or cock for controlling the supply
to the upper compartment.
The balls or floats are arranged in such a manner as to operate upon the valve or
cock when the water in either compartment has risen to a certain height, the float
in the lower compartment being so adjusted that sufficient space is left in it for the
reception of the water in process of filtration in the upper compartment, and thus
an interim of time is secured in which air is admitted to the filtering material as
before mentioned whereby the required oxidation is obtained.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Bailey Denton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th
November 1876.
JOHN BAILEY DENTON, of Whitehall Place, in the County of Middlesex.
"IM-
PROVEMENTS IN FILTERING OR PURIFYING WATER, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREIN.
My said Invention relates to an improved mode of filtering water for domestic
purposes, and it has for its object mainly the removal of all impurities incidental to
service cisterns or tanks in which the water is stored for use, but it is also applic-
able to supply pipes when the water is conducted direct from the source or main
without the intervention of a service cistern or tauk.
The filtration is effected in a vessel which is divided by a perforated partition
into two compartments, an upper and a lower, into the former of which containing
the filtering material the water (say, for example, from the service cistern above)
is admitted, and whence by percolating through the filtering material it is dis-
charged into the lower compartment, from which the domestic supply is obtained.
Now my Invention consists essentially in arranging the apparatus in such a
manner that water is supplied into the said upper compartment of the filtering
vessel only as water is drawn off from the lower compartment for use in the dwell-
ing, so that the filtration takes place intermittently, the effect of this arrangement
being that each time the supply ceases air from below as well as from above
replaces the water in the filtering material, which perfect aeration secures the oxi-
dation of any putrescible and deleterious matter contained in the said water.
The connection between the supply and discharge so as to insure the intermittent
action before mentioned may be effected in various ways.
The accompanying Drawing, however, to which I shall now proceed to refer,
represents in sectional elevation a convenient mode of carrying out the Invention.
a is the filtering vessel which is divided by the perforated horizontal partition b
into the two compartments c, d. To the upper compartment c (which forms the
filtering cistern proper, and contains the filtering material c¹ placed on the perfo-
rated partition b) water is supplied, say, for example, from a service cistern above
through a pipe e, whilst the lower compartment d, herein-after designated the
supply cistern, serves for the reception of such water after its filtration through the
filtering material c', and for the supply of the filtered water for domestic purposes
through any suitable number of pipes f, g, h. To the pipe e for the supply of water
to the filtering cistern c there is fitted a valve i, which is provided with two balls
or floats k, l, dipping into the water contained in the filtering cistern c and the
supply cistern & respectively, so that when the water in either of the said two
cisterns c, d, has risen to a given height the valve i shall be closed, and the supply
to the filtering cistern c thereby suspended until the level of the water contained
in the supply cistern d descends below a given point. The ball or float of the
supply cistern is moreover so adjusted that space shall be left in such cistern
more than sufficient for the reception of the whole of the water in course of filtra-
tion in the filtering cistern c, so that when the supply is cut off from the filtering

page_text: cistern the process of filtration proceeds until the whole of the water which was
contained therein has percolated through the filtering material cand passed
through the perforations of the partition into the supply cistern d, and as the
supply to the filtering cistern c cannot be renewed until the level of the water in
the supply cistern sinks to the given point referred to by the withdrawal of
water through any one or more of the pipes f, g, h, an interim of timo is secured in
which air both from below and above can enter and permeate the filtering material
as before mentioned, whereby the required oxidation is obtained. The overflow
pipe m is provided as a precaution against the occurrence of any contingency
rendering the escape of any surplus necessary.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and one mode of carrying the same into effect, I would observe in conclusion
that I do not confine myself to the precise details of the arrangement described and
illustrated, as the same may be greatly varied without departing from the principle
of my Invention, but what I consider to be novel and original, and thereforo claim
as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is, effecting the filtration or purification of water by the employment of
apparatus arranged and combined in such a manner that the water is admitted to.
the filtering cistern only as water is drawn off from the supply cistern in which the
filtered water is contained, so that tho filtration takes place intermittently, and
interims of time are secured in which air is admitted to the filtering material,
whereby the oxidation of any putrescible and deleterious matter contained in the
water is effected as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Bailey Denton, have to this my Specifica-
tion set my hand and seal, this Second day of November, One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-six..
J. BAILEY DENTON. (L.S.)