IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FILTERING
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Cooke, of 54, Charing Cross, Westminster,
Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
FILTERING."
Sealed the 19th July 1861, and dated the 22nd January 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Cooke at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,, on the
22nd January 1861.
I, WILLIAM COOKE, of Charing Cross, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FILTERING,"
to be as follows:-
My Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for filtering,
purifying, refining, clearing, percolating, depurating, clarifying, or defecating
water or other liquids, For these purposes I form a hollow vessel, cup, or
ball made of iron, earthenware, glass, or any other suitable material to contain
or hold a filtering substance, such as charcoal or sand, such vessel having
one or more necks or openings therein, in which necks or openings
I place sponge or other suitable substance best calculated to prevent the
greater amount of matter, dregs, or impurities found in admixture with
water or other liquids from entering the above-named filtering vessel.
I pass through the sponge or other substance above named, and through the
one or porc necks or openings in the vessel, one or more tubes for the pur-

page_text: pose of receiving or conveying water or other liquid after purification, and also
for conveying such filtered or purified water or liquid to any distance away
from such filter. I form also one or more apertures in or near to the neck or
necks, or leading to the hollow vessel, such apertures being inlets and outlets
for the water or other liquid, with certain taps or stoppers in certain positions,
as required. I form near to the neck of the vessel and near to the sponge
which surrounds the tube, or near to the one or more outlets or inlets, or else-
where in suitable position, a receptacle or space, of concave or other suitable
form, conveniently constructed for catching and holding sand, grit, dregs, and
other impuritics or admixtures found in water or other liquids. I also form
beneath or at a convenient part of my filtering vessel an opening, such opening
being fitted in with cork or other suitable stopper, waterproof, and calculated
to withstand great pressure, but having a screw or other contrivance, so as to
be removable, if required.
From the simple construction of the above apparatus numerous advantages
arise, it being formed in such a manner as that the impurities in the water or
other liquid required to be filtered are collected or deposited in one particular
part, such deposit being quickly removed by drawing off unfiltered water, the
filter being easily and completely flushed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed a
by the said William Cooke in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd July 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
COOKE, of 54, Charing Cross, Westminster, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto him,
the said William Cooke, Her special licence that he, the said William Cooke,
his executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as he, the said Williams
Cooke, bis 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

page_text: OR FILTERING," upon the condition (amongst others) that he, the said.
William Cooke, his executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under his, 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 performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Offico within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Cooke, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
My Invention has for its objects improved apparatus for filtering, purifying,
refining, clearing, percolating, depurating, clarifying, or defecating water or
other liquids.
way most
Fig. 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a section of a hollow filtering vessel
A, A, made of iron, glass, earthenware, or other suitablo material, to contain
or hold a filtering substance, such as charcoal, sand, &c., shewn at B, B. It
may be of a circular shape as here shewn, or otherwise. C is a movable lid
or cover which may be fixed by means of a screw, or in any other
convenient. In the bottom part of the filtering vessel A, A, or in any other
part most convenient, I construct one or more necks or openings D, in which I
place sponge or other suitable material best calculated to prevent the greater
amount of matter, dregs, or impurities found in admixture with water or
other liquids from entering the above-named filtering vessel A, A. I form one
or more apertures in or near to the neck or necks D, or leading to the filtering
vessel A, A; such apertures as shewn at E, E, being inlets and outlets for the
purpose of conveying, by means of the tubes or pipes F, F, the water or other
liquid to be purified or cleansed by the filtering vessel A, A, and also for flush-
ing the filtering vessel and for obtaining unfiltered liquid when required, and
conveying the same to any distance away from such filtering vessel, such tubes
or pipes having certain taps or stoppers, as shewn at G, G, in certain positions
as required. I form near to the neck of the vessel and near to the sponge or
other filtering medium which surrounds the tubes, or near to the one or more
inlets or outlets, or elsewhere in suitable position, receptacle or space H, of
concave or other suitable form, conveniently constructed for catching and
holding sand, dregs, grit, and other impurities or admixtures found in the
liquid to be purified. I place inside the filtering vessel A, A, and pass through
the neck D one or more tubes J, by means of which the water or other purified
8

page_text: liquid is conveyed away from such filtering vessel A, A, to any required dis-
tance, such pipe or tube J having an enlarged bell or other shaped opening at
top K to hold sponge, fine sand, or any required substance L, for effectually
preventing any of the filtering medium at B passing through the receiving
tube J.
Fig. 2 is a section of a vessel similar to the above, excepting that the glass
receiving tube J has extra bends or elbows, and passes through the centre of a
hollow ball or vessel M, such vessel being kept filled with water, ice, or
otherwise, for the purpose of effectually cooling the water or other liquid as
it passes through the filter. N is a screw or tap at bottom; O is a union
joint.
Fig. 3 is an elevation of the filtering vessel, shewing the manner of using
elastic tubing instead of brass or metal taps. P is a piece of elastic tubing
attached to the pipe F; R is the thumb screw, same as shewn in Fig. 10, for
closing and opening the pipe.
Figs. 4 and 6 are plans of filtering vessels.
Fig. 5, a section of the same.
Figs. 7 and 11 represent several filters A, A, or tubes J, J, all emptying the
filtered liquid into one reservoir S, which may be of glass or other material,
suitable where large quantities of filtered water are required from one supply
pipe; such reservoir may be placed in an ice box, as shown at I.
Figs. 8 and 9 are filters suitable for a counter or shelf.
Fig. 10 is a thumbscrew to open and close an elastic tube, as shewn in
Fig. 3.
Fig. 12 is a filter calculated for fixing in angular or other recesses against
walls or otherwise.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature and object
of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is constructed, I may
observe that I do not restrict myself to the precise details of form or arrange
ment above shewn, as many variations may be made therein without departing
from the principles or main features of the Invention; but what I particu-
larly claim is the general arrangement of filtering vessels, hollow, and having
necks or openings in which are pipes or tubes as inlets and outlets for the
admission and emission of water or other liquids, filtered or unfiltered; also the
arrangement by which the filter has a receiving tube inside passing through
the neck or necks thereof and conveying the liquid filtered therefrom; also
the manner of constructing the lower part of the neck of the filter of a hollow
or concave-like shape for holding the impurities found in the liquids to be

page_text: filtered, and the arrangement by which the grosser impurities are prevented
from entering the body of the filtering vessel; I also claim the right of form-
ing the neck inside or outside the filtering vessel; also the manner of flushing
the filtering vessel by means of turning on both taps connected with a neck,
as above mentioned, which thus renders the filter as nearly as is possible self-
cleansing.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Cooke, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
WILLIAM COOKE. (L.S.)