Improvements in Domestic Filters.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Dec., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 15th Sept., 1892-Accepted, 22nd Oct., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Domestic Filters.
1, FRANCIS CAULFIELD, of 21 Jamaica Street, in the City of Glasgow, Glass
& China Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
:-
This invention has for its object to provide a filter for domestic use which shall
be self-acting as regards the supply of water and which may be readily cleared of
any sludge or sediment whether lodging in the containing vessel or in the pores of
the filtering medium.
The improved filter is composed of a cylindrical or other shaped vessel of
earthenware or other material upon one side of which is formed a small tank com-
municating with the lower part of the main vessel by a pipe or duct. The water
from a service pipe is led into the small tank its admission being controlled by a
ball tap with lever and float whereby an approximately uniform level is maintained.
In the main vessel at some distance from the bottom the carbon or other filtering
medium is supported by a perforated casing or false bottom, the pipe or duct leading
from the ball cock chamber being led in under the filtering medium and the space
between it and the bottom serving as a settling chamber from which sludge or
sediment may be drawn off by a tap. The water admitted to the ball valve
chamber may be partially filtered by passing through a sponge or other porous
filtering medium placed over the pipe or duct leading to the settling chamber and
thence passing upwards through the filtering medium in the main vessel it rises to
the level of the unfiltered water. The filtered water is drawn off from the main
vessel by a tap and the water supply being automatically regulated by the ball-
valve a continuous flow may be maintained whilst pressure on the filtering medium
through which the water ascends is avoided or relieved by the counterbalancing
filtered water in the main vessel. On drawing off sediment from the settling
chamber the filtered water over the filter may be partially drawn off to remove any
sludge adhering to the underside of the filter but in general the inlet is made
large enough to permit of drawing off only unfiltered water from the settling
chamber.
In a modification of the invention two filtering vessels are placed side by side
and connected by a pipe or duct. In one vessel partitions are used to form a ball
valve chamber at one side and a settling chamber below. The water passes
upwards from the settling chamber through a coarse filter such as a sponge and by
the pipe or duct to a second settling chamber formed at the bottom of the second
vessel in which is placed the filtering medium at a point over the inlet orifice so
that the water is filtered by ascension through the filtering medium.
Taps are provided above the filtering medium for drawing off filtered water and
at the bottom of each settling-chamber for drawing off sediment and unfiltered
water. Instead of filtering the water by ascension through the filtering medium
it may be led so as to descend through it.
Dated this Sixteenth day of December 1891.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Domestic Filters.
I, FRANCIS CAULFIELD of 21 Jamaica Street in the City of Glasgow, Glass
& China Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-.
This invention has for its object to provide a filter for domestic use, which shall
be self-acting as regards the supply of water and which may be readily cleared of
any sludge or sediment whether lodging in the containing vessel or in the pores of
the filtering medium. As represented in the accompanying drawing the improved
filter is composed of a cylindrical or other shaped vessel A of earthenware or other
material, upon one side or in the middle of which is formed a small tank B, com-
municating with the lower part of the main vessel by a pipe or duct C. The water
from a service pipe D is led into the small tank B its admission being controlled
by a ball tap E with lever F and float G whereby an approximately uniform level is
maintained. In the main vessel at some distance from the bottom the carbon or
other filtering medium H is supported by a perforated casing or false bottom I,
the pipe or duct C leading from the ball cock chamber B being led to discharge
under the filtering medium H; and the space between the latter and the bottom A¹
serving as a settling chamber from which sludge or sediment may be drawn off by
a tap J. The water admitted to the ball valve chamber B may be partially
filtered by passing through a sponge or other porous filtering medium placed over
the pipe or duct C leading to the settling chamber and the water thence passing
upwards through the filtering medium H in the main vessel A it rises to the level
of the unfiltered water. The filtered water is drawn off from the main vessel A
by a tap K and the water supply being automatically regulated by the ball-valve a
continuous flow may be maintained whilst pressure on the filtering medium through
which the water ascends is avoided or relieved by the counterbalancing filtered
water in the main vessel. On drawing off sediment from the settling chamber A¹
the filtered water over the filter H may be partially drawn off to remove any
sludge adhering to the underside of the filter but in general the inlet is made
large enough to permit of drawing off only unfiltered water from the settling
chamber.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :
1. A domestic filter the parts of which are constructed arranged and combined
substantially as described with reference to the annexed drawing.
2. In a domestic filter the combination of the ball cock supply chamber a duct
leading the water therefrom to a chamber under the filtering medium, a receptacle
to which the filtered water ascends and taps for draining off filtered and unfiltered
water substantially as described.
Dated this 14th day of September 1892.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agents.