Improvements in Filters.
Year: 1892

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by EDWARD MARTIN KNIGHT, of New York,
United States of America, Gentleman.]
Improvements in Filters.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co., Patent Agents
45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows :-
My invention relates especially to that class of filters employing a supply chamber
for the unfiltered water, and a second chamber for the filtered water received from
the first named chamber, and my invention consists essentially in the employment
with said chambers, of a hollow stand or base which serves as a support for the
filtered water chamber and also as a support for the unfiltered water chamber to
receive the drip therefrom during the temporary removal of the filtered water
chamber.
My invention also consists of the construction and arrangement of suitable
filtering discs, and in the combination of devices hereinafter described.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1, represents a side view of a filter, which embodies a supply chamber,
a receiving chamber for the filtered water, and a hollow stand which serves as a
support for the filtered water chamber and also as a support for the filter chamber
when removed.
Figure 2 is a sectional view of the stand showing in elevation the filtered water
chamber removed, and the filter chamber supported upon the stand so as to
receive its drip.
Figure 3, is a detail of one of my filter frames.
Figure 4 is a sectional view of a round filter having my improved filtering
discs within it.
Figure 5, is a similar view of a filter having a square or rectangular frame.
Figure 6 is an enlarged view of one of the filter discs showing a part of the
fibrous covering broken away.
Figures 7 and 8, illustrate the discs applied to modified forms of filters.
In Figures 1, and 4 I have shown the chamber or receptacle for the filtered
water, as being in the form of a jug bowl or pitcher A having a handle by which
it is manipulated to pour out the filtered water when needed for table or other use.
This receptacle, which I designate the filtered water chamber, is preferably com-
posed of glass, porcelain, stone or analogous material of suitable design and
ornamentation to make it attractive, and it is designed to receive and support
the lower end of the vessel or chamber B, also preferably made of the same
material as the vessel or chamber A, and ornamented in any manner to impart to
it an attractive appearance.
This chamber or vessel B has a cover C, and in its lower portion is placed
or fitted suitable filtering discs G and H secured in a frame or support D as shown
and which will be hereinafter described.
The chamber or receptacle for the filtered water may be supported upon a
hollow stand E' suitably ornamented and of circular form, having a central opening
in its sunken upper surface of a diameter that is about equal to the diameter of
the base of the filtered water chamber, and the diameter of the lower end of the
unfiltered water chamber, the said opening in the stand being bounded by an
annular flange a upon which the said chambers rest.
This stand E' answers a twofold purpose; it serves as a support for the
receiving vessel or filtered water chamber which in turn supports the unfiltered

page_text: water chamber, and it also serves, at times, as a holder for the unfiltered water
chamber when the same is temporarily removed from the filtered water chamber.
To make this part of my invention especially manifest, I will here state that the
chamber for the filtered water is here shown as being a pitcher which is removably
seated on its base, and receives the water which has filtered through the first
chamber. Now as this filtered water in the chamber A, is designed for drinking
purposes, it is manifest that the vessel or receptacle containing it must be removed
from its stand, and also from its engagement with the filter chamber above it.
When this is done the water in the filter chamber B will continue to percolate
from the latter chamber and will drop upon the cloth, table or floor unless some vessel
or means is handy to receive it during the temporary removal of the chamber A,
therefore I construct the open top of the stand E so that it shall receive the
filter chamber when removed from the chamber A, whereby the drip from the
filter chamber will enter the hollow base and not soil the cloth, table or floor.
When the desired amount of filtered water is poured from the vessel A, the filter
chamber is lifted from the stand E¹ the vessel A placed thereon and the filter
chamber placed upon the vessel A. so that the water from the filter chamber will
fall directly into the chamber A. as before stated.
By reason of the above construction I provide a portable filter for house-
hold purposes and form the several parts thereof so that when the vessel
containing the filtered water is temporarily removed, the vessel containing the
unfiltered water is kept near at hand and so disposed of that its drippings will not
soil the table, cloth or floor.
In carrying out my invention, I employ any well known form of filter round,
square, rectangular or otherwise and made of any material suitable to hold water
for drinking purpose, and within such a filter the filtering discs G and H are
supported either in a horizontal or vertical position.
The construction and form of the frame used to support the filter discs will
vary somewhat with the form of tank with which they are used, but the operation,
and construction and arrangement of parts are practically the same in all cases.
In Figures 1 and 4, the unfiltered water chamber has an outlet c leading to the
filtered water vessel. In the bottom of this unfiltered water chamber a filter
frame D is supported with its outlet tube entering the outlet of the vessel.
This frame D, when applied to the form of filter shown in Figures 1 and 4 will
be of cup shape or dished and within it, upon suitable supporting shoulders E
and F, the filtering discs G and H are placed so that they may be readily removed.
I preferably construct the frames D and the discs G and H of glass, pottery,
earthenware or other non-corrodible material.
The dish-shaped frame of Figure 4 is round simply because the filter therein
shown is cylindrical, but other forms may be given the frame as well as the discs ;
for instance in Figure 5, the frame and discs will be square or rectangular or may
be of oval form if desired without departing from the spirit of my invention.
In making the frames D, the shoulders E and F are formed one below or at one
side of the other, so as to leave an intervening space between the discs when the
latter are in place, thereby forming a chamber which may be packed with granu-
lated charcoal (or other filtering material if desired) or the fibrous covering of the
lower or inner disc.can be brushed over with a thin coating of paste made by
mixing powdered charcoal (or other filtering material) with water.
The first or uppermost disc serves two purposes 1st, to prevent the filtering
material or bed being disturbed when the water to be filtered is poured in. This is
more particularly the case when a fine or paste bed filter is used. 2nd, as a strainer
to catch and hold back coarser filtrates thereby separating the coarser and fine
material and preventing the filtering material from being so soon clogged up thus
enabling it to be used for a much longer period.
The discs are preferably also of different sizes the inner or undermost disc being
smaller in circumference than the others, which enables me to place the discs
in position in the frame or remove them without difficulty.

page_text: The walls of the frame which lead to the shoulders are inclined or converge
inwardly to produce a frictional binding effect when the discs are in place. In
order that this latter effect may be produced in the best manner, I prefer to form the
discs G and H with peripheries which are tapered or inclined to correspond with
the walls leading to the shoulders and make the diameters of the discs slightly less
than the diameter of the walls which bound the shoulders.
This enables me to cover one or both surfaces and edges of the discs with
asbestos cloth, or fibrous material, which is preferably fastened to the discs by
sewing it through small holes I, formed in the discs near their peripheries; discs
being perforated with other holes K¹ to enable the water to pass through without
obstruction.
When the frame and discs are formed as herein stated the discs may be pressed
to their seats against the shoulders and with the covered inclined edges of the dises
held with sufficient friction against the inclined walls leading to the shoulders to
retain them in place, and to make a water tight joint around the edges of the discs.
In order that the discs may be removed, when necessary, I employ a small
removable plug or handle K2 which I pass through an opening in the centre of
the upper and outer disc, and which is held tight enough to the disc to enable the
latter to be removed. The object of making this plug or handle removable is
that it enables me to stretch the fibrous covering over the disc without cutting
out the centre, a feature not possible if the plug was integral with the disc,
and by using two or more discs the filter will run much longer without choking, and
the exterior or uppermost disc which I prefer to call the strainer may be removed
and cleaned without affecting any other part of the device.
In the form of filter shown in Figure 5, the construction is practically the same
as that before described, but in this case the frame L is vertically disposed and has
the shoulders M upon each side, said shoulders having the adjacent walls inclined
inwardly. The discs in said Figure 5 are in pairs and are vertically disposed
and seated against the shoulders in the manner before stated, and if desired the
inner discs of each pair may be united together by a tie rod N.
The frame of Figure 5 is adapted for lateral filtration and it is located within
a tank O having a draw-off cock P for the filtered water while an air pipe R
enters the top of the frame to aerate the water.
It is not absolutely necessary that shoulders should be formed on the frame,
because, in some instances, as for instance where the discs supporting frame is
made conical as in Figure 7, the inclination or taper of the edges of the discs
will fit snugly the taper of the walls of the frame, and the discs being of different
sizes, they will be supported in place one above the other, as shown.
In Figure 8, suitable flanges S projecting inward from the straight walls of a
tank or vessel would support the discs but would not form a water tight joint so
well as when the taper is given the edges of the discs and also of the engaging
walls.
The frame T in Figure 3, is shown as being made of one piece from a suitable
metal blank and then bent to form a rectangular or other shaped frame with
surrounding flanges 1' extending from its walls parallel with the front and rear
sides of the frame.
This enables the sides of the frame to present straight surfaces over which the
asbestos or other fabric is placed, with its edges bent over the flanges, and then
secured by clamping strips K which embrace the flanges 1 and turned over edges
of the asbestos-and are pressed closely upon the same to form a water tight joint
between these parts. This greatly simplifies the construction of this form of
frame, and enables the asbestos to be stretched tightly over the frame and be
rigidly secured.
The frame may be provided with interior bracing strips L, to which a perforated
plate, wire gauze or lattice work W is soldered or otherwise secured so that the
inner surface of the asbestos shall lie against it.

page_text: .
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
First. A filter consisting of readily removable upper and lower chambers, the
upper one of which has its base adapted for seating upon the upper portion of the
lower one, said upper chamber adapted to receive unfiltered water and provided
with a filtering medium, and the lower chamber adapted to receive the filtered
water, and a hollow base or stand having a seat common to the bases of both vessels
and adapted to receive the drip of the unfiltered water chamber when the filtered
water chamber is temporarily removed, substantially as herein described.
Second. In a filter the combination of a dise supporting frame, the perforated
and removable discs and a fibrous covering over the surface and edges of the discs,
said discs being removably held against the walls of the supporting frame by
frictional contact, substantially as herein described.
Third. In a filter, a filter frame having shoulders with inclined walls, and
filtering discs having their peripheries inclined or tapered to fit the taper of the
frame, substantially as herein described.
Fourth. In a filter, a plural number of foraminous discs separated from each
other and having their peripheries inclined a fibrous covering secured to said
discs and extending over the edges thereof, and a supporting frame for the discs
having walls inclined to fit the taper of the edges of the discs, said discs being held
within the frame by frictional contact of their covered edges with the walls of the
frame whereby a tight joint is made, substantially as herein described.
Fifth. In a filter, a filter-disc having a series of holes formed therein near its
periphery, and a fibrous covering over said discs and secured thereto by lines of
stitching passing through said holes, substantially as herein described.
Sixth. In a filter, a foraminous filter frame having a series of holes formed
near its periphery, a fibrous covering for the edges and surface of the disc secured
thereto and a plug or handle detachably fitted to the disc for effecting its removal,
substantially as herein described.
Seventh. In a filter, a cup-shaped frame of glass pottery or earthenware having
separate shoulders with inclined walls leading thereto and provided with an outlet
tube, foraminous discs of like material adapted to be seated against said shoulders
and having their edges inclined to correspond with the walls of the frame, a fibrous
covering for the discs sewed thereto through the holes near the peripheries of the
discs and adapted to form frictional contact with the inclined walls of the frame,
substantially as herein described.
Eighth. An improved filter consisting of a tank or vessel, a filtering frame
therein having separate shoulders foraminous discs of varying sizes and made of
glass pottery or earthenware, said dises being supported against said shoulders and
a fibrous covering extending over the surface and edges of the discs to form a
frictional binding surface between said edges and the walls of the frame, sub-
stantially as herein described.
Ninth. A filter frame having its front and rear sides provided with outwardly
extending flanges, asbestos or fibrous material placed against said sides with its
edges turned over the flanges, a clamping strip over the bent-over edges of the
asbestos or fibrous material whereby a water tight joint is formed, and a foraminous
plate contiguous to the asbestos or fibrous material, substantially as herein
described.
Dated this 9th day of February 1892.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.