ABRIDGMENTS OF Specifications RELATING TO PURIFYING AND FILTERING WATER, INCLUDING THE DISTILLATION OF SEA WATER TO PRODUCE PRINTED BY GEORGE E. EYRE AND WILLIAM SPOTTISWOODE, PUBLISHED AT THE OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONERS OF PATENTS FOR INVENTIONS, 1876. 176. i 105. THE Indexes to Patents are now so numerous and costly as to render their purchase inconvenient to a large number of inventors and others, to whom they have become indispensable. To obviate this difficulty, short abstracts or abridgments of the Specifications of Patents under each head of invention have been prepared for publication separately, and so arranged as to form at once a Chronological, Alphabetical, Subjectmatter, and Reference Index to the class to which they relate. As these publications do not supersede the necessity for consulting the Specifications, the prices at which the printed copies of the latter are sold have been added. The number of Specifications from the earliest period to the end of the year 1866 amounts to 59,222. A large proportion of the Specifications enrolled under the old law, previous to 1852, embraces several distinct inventions, and many of those filed under the new law of 1852 indicate various applications of the single invention to which the Patent is limited. Considering therefore the large number of inventions and applications of inventions to be separately dealt with, it cannot be doubted that several properly belonging to the group which forms the subject of this volume have been overlooked. In the progress of the whole work such omissions will from time to time become apparent and be supplied in future editions. This volume contains Abridgments of Specifications to the end of the year 1866. From that date the Abridgments will be found in chronological order in the " 'Chronological and Descriptive Index" (see List of Works at the end of this book). It is intended however to publish these Abridgments in classes as soon as the Abridgments of all the Specifications from the earliest period to the end of 1866 have appeared in a classified form. Until that takes place, the reader (by the aid of the Subject-matter Index for each year) can continue his examination of the Abridgments relating to the subject of his search in the Chronological and Descriptive Index. This series embraces all means, both mechanical and chemical, of purifying water for drinking and domestic purposes, whether by the use of filters, distilling apparatus, or chemical ingredients which cause a precipitation of extraneous matters held in solution or suspension, 66 The filters are restricted to those intended for purifying water. All other apparatus and processes, though often described as filters and "filtering," are omitted, as for example, sieves and other strainers for clearing infusions, decoctions, syrups, &c. from solid particles, or for separating and collecting the denser matters and allowing the more liquid to pass off; such will be found in series relating to the special manufactures for which they are intended, as Brewing, Wine Making, and Distilling Alcoholic Liquids;" "Cooking and Confectionery ;""Manure" (filtration of sewage);" "Pottery " (filtering "slip "); "Medicine" (medicinal tinctures and infusions); and others. The series of Abridgments relating to 66 66 Sugar" contains the processes and apparatus for "filtering' syrups, and likewise comprehends the manufacture and use of animal charcoal and its substitutes used for purposes of such filtration. Consequently such inventions have, as a rule, been omitted from the present volume. Another class of inventions which are included embraces all chemical methods of purifying water for drinking and domestic purposes; but methods of treating water so as to prevent incrustation or "furring" in boilers are excluded, and will be found in the series devoted to the "Steam Engine;" inventions for "softening" water 'for household use will be found herein, but for washing powders claiming to be used for softening water reference should be made to the series relating to "Bleaching, Dyeing, and Printing ;" inventions relating to purifying sewage water by precipitating matters held in suspension or solution are omitted, but are contained in the series relating to "Manure." The other inventions inserted in this volume describe apparatus for obtaining pure water by distillation from salt water, or water containing mineral or other matter in solution or suspension; but inventions designed for feeding marine boilers with fresh water obtained by condensing waste steam or by distillation are excluded, and will be found in the "Steam Engine" series. A few inventions are likewise included for rendering distilled or other unpalatable water less objectionable for drinking purposes, but not inventions for the manufacture of effervescent aerated waters. June, 1876. H. READER LACK. |