IMPROVEMENTS IN FILTERS
Year: 1884

page_text: I CHARLES EDWARD GITTINS of 113 Iverson Road, West Hampstead in the
County of Middlesex Clerk do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FILTERS" to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object improvements in filters and is specially
directed to the production of small filters applicable for direct application to a water
tap for domestic supply. The construction of my filter is somewhat analogous to
that of a filter press; it consists of two bowl like ends or pieces between which a
series of metal rings or perforated or grated discs are imposed. These parts are all
clamped together by screws or bolts The two ends are similar the one to the other
and each is provided with a nozzle adapted to screw on to the nose of a water tap
suitably formed to receive it.
Each of the discs mentioned above supports a sheet of asbestos cloth or it may be
other fabric or material and the edges of these sheets are nipped and securely held by
the screws or bolts which hold the parts together In the periphery of each disc there
are two holes and these when the discs are superposed form longitudinal channels
One of the channels is for the conveyance of the water to be filtered the other to
convey away the water after filtration. The cloths which the discs support are
also perforated with corresponding holes These passages are so contrived that the
one which conveys the water to be filtered admits it to the alternate spaces between
the filtering cloths and the passage for the filtered water allows it to escape from
the remaining spaces Thus the water entering by the tap comes directly into con-
tact with the uppermost cloth of the series and it finds its way through this into
the first space which is in communication with the filtered water channel. The
second space is supplied with water to be filtered and this finds its way through
the filtering cloths upwards into the first space and downwards into the third space
Similarly the fourth space (if so many be provided) is supplied with water to be
filtered and this finds its way through the filtering cloths upwards into the third
space and downwards into the fifth space. From the space last mentioned the
filtered water my pass directly to the outlet or other spaces may be provided.
It is not intended in the use of these filters that the water should be purified
only by its passage through the filtering fabric but on the contrary the filter
is first charged with carbonaceous matter or fibrous material or other filtering

page_text: medium in a finely divided state. The filtering medium is mixed with water and
is introduced into the uppermost space of the filter before the filter is screwed on
to the supply tap The water being then admitted under some pressure carries
this filtering medium with it in all the spaces of the filter and forces it against the
surfaces of the filtering cloths which thus become coated in a manner which
causes them to filter much more efficiently than they would without this
preparation.
From time to time the filter requires that the charge of filtering medium should
be renewed and my filter offers great facilities for this purpose All that is
necessary is to unscrew the filter from the tap to which it is applied to turn it
over and screw it on again in an inverted position. Then the water being again
admitted by the tap detaches the filtering medium from the cloths and causes it to
be discharged at the outlet. When the water runs clear the filter is thoroughly
cleansed, and ready to receive a fresh charge of the filtering medium.
For filters which are too large to be handled in this manner I provide connections
by means of pipes for the admission and discharge of the filtering medium and the
reversal of the flow through the filter.

page_text: I, CHARLES EDWARD GITTINS of 113 Iverson Road, West Hampstead in the
County of Middlesex Clerk do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN FILTERS 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 improvements in filters and is specially
directed to the production of small filters applicable for direct application to a water
tap for domestic supply. The construction of my filter is somewhat analogous to
that of a filter press; it consists of two bowl like ends or pieces between which a
series of metal rings or perforated or grated discs are imposed. These parts are all
clamped together by screws or bolts. The two ends are similar the one to the other
and each is provided with a nozzle adapted to screw on to the nose of a water tap
suitably formed to receive it.
Each of the discs mentioned above supports a sheet of asbestos cloth or it may be
other fabric or material and the edges of these sheets are nipped and securely held by
the screws or bolts which hold the parts together. In the periphery of each disc there
are two holes and these when the discs are superposed form longitudinal channels.
One of the channels is for the conveyance of the water to be filtered the other to
convey away the water after filtration. The cloths which the discs support are
also perforated with corresponding holes. These passages are so contrived that the
one which conveys the water to be filtered admits it to the alternate spaces between
the filtering cloths and the passage for the filtered water allows it to escape from
the remaining spaces. Thus the water entering by the tap comes directly into con-
tact with the uppermost cloth of the series and it finds its way through this into
the first space which is in communication with the filtered water channel. The
second space is supplied with water to be filtered and this finds its way through
the filtering cloths upwards into the first space and downwards into the third space.
Similarly the fourth space (if so many be provided) is supplied with water to be
filtered and this finds its way through the filtering cloths upwards into the third
space and downwards into the fifth space. From the space last mentioned the
filtered water may pass directly to the outlet or other spaces may be provided.
It is not intended in the use of these filters that the water should be purified
only by its passage through the filtering fabric but on the contrary the filter is
first charged with carbonaceous matter or fibrous material or other filtering
medium in a finely divided state. The filtering medium is mixed with water and
is introduced into the uppermost space of the filter before the filter is screwed on
to the supply tap. The water being then admitted under some pressure carries
this filtering medium with it in all the spaces of the filter and forces it against the
surfaces of the filtering cloths which thus become coated in a manner which
causes them to filter much more efficiently than they would without this prepara-
tion.
From time to time the filter requires that the charge of filtering medium should
hA FANATed and
33
filter aff
mmant Canilition
thi
All that is

page_text: over and screw it on again in an inverted position. Then the water being again
admitted by the tap detaches the filtering medium from the cloths and causes it to
be discharged at the outlet. When the water runs clear the filter is thoroughly
cleansed and ready to receive a fresh charge of the filtering medium.
For filters which are too large to be handled in this manner I provide connections
by means of pipes for the admission and discharge of the filtering medium and the
reversal of the flow through the filter.
In order that my said invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect I will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS,
Figure 1 is a side elevation and Figure 2 a vertical section of a filter con-
structed in accordance with my invention.
Figure 3. is a vertical section of the top end of the filter.
Figure 4 is an underside view of the same.
Figure 5 is a section of the bottom end of the filter, it is similar in all respects
to Figure 3 but inverted.
Figure 6 is a plan of one of the rings of the filter.
Figure 7 is a transverse vertical section of the same.
5
1
a a are screwed sockets in the ends by which the filter may be adapted to a tap 2
of the domestic water supply; the tap is provided with a corresponding thread.
There are similar sockets at both top and bottom so that the filter may be
inverted for cleaning as already explained.
bb are passages in the ends; that in the upper end serves for the passage of
water to be filtered to other parts of the filter and that in the lower end to admit
to it the filtered water.
e e aro
cc are similar passages in the rings and d d are other passages, leading through
the rings from side to side without communication with the interior.
perforated or grated discs shut in between the ends and the rings and also between
one ring and another. The body of the filter is thus divided up into a series of
intermediate compartments equal in number to the rings employed. This number
may be varied. ff are cloths preferably of asbestos, they support a bed of finer
filtering material.
gg are the bolts and nuts by which the filter is held together. The bolts pass
through holes formed to receive them in the edges of the rings and of the bowl like
ends as the drawing shows.
The filter is put together so that the passages c and d of the rings are alternately
on opposite sides-thus the water passing by the passage 6 in the upper end enters a
direct passage d of the adjacent ring; the water does not consequently find its
way into the interior space corresponding to this uppermost ring but passing on it
reaches the passage c of the ring below and by the duct with which this passage
is provided the water enters the interior space corresponding to the second ring.
So over as many rings as are provided in the filter the water is admitted directly
from the supply to alternate spaces and is excluded from the remaining spaces
which it only reaches by passing through the filtering beds. The water filters
inwards from above and below into the space corresponding to the uppermost ring,
into the space corresponding to the third ring and any other odd numbered ring if
more be employed. This filtered water reaches the bowl like lower end of the
filter by its passage b and it passes out at a.
It will be observed that the cloths ff are applied alternately over and under the
discs e so that the water pressure tends to hold the cloths against the discs
I prefer to form the filter beds with finely powdered carbon which I mix with
water and introduce into the filter in the manner already described. Such a
quantity of powder as will form when evenly distributed a layer about one thirty

page_text: second of an inch thick I find suitable but the quantity may be varied less being
used if very rapid filtration be required or more where very perfect purification
of a somewhat impure water is the object aimed at.
Where the object is mainly to remove solid particles from the water other
powders or pulp such as is used for paper making may be substituted for carbon.
Sometimes in place of asbestos or other cloth I use asbestos fibre or slag wool
confined between two perforated metal plates.
I also in some cases use discs of porous stone or earthenware as the filtering
medium or as the support for the filtering beds.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
(1.) A filter having two similar bowl like ends, rings, perforated or grated discs
supporting filtering material and connections by which the flow through the filter
may be reversed substantially as described.
(2.) A filter having upper and lower ends with inlet and outlet apertures, also
having between these ends, rings and horizontal discs supporting filtering material;
the whole so arranged that to wash away and remove the filtering beds when they
have become charged with impurities the filter may be inverted and liquid admitted
under pressure by the outlet aperture substantially as described.
(3.) A filter suitable for direct application to a water tap for domestic supply
and having upper and lower ends with inlet and outlet apertures, also rings and
perforated or grated discs supporting filtering surfaces and with passages in the
rings connecting the spaces between the discs alternately with the inlet and outlet
substantially as described.
(4.) A filter suitable for direct application to a water tap for domestic supply
and baving upper and lower ends with inlet and outlet aperturos, also rings and
porous filtering discs or porous discs supporting beds of filtering material and with
passages in the rings connecting the spaces between the discs alternately with the
inlet and outlet substantially as described.