Filter apparatus

An apparatus for filtering a suspension, the apparatus comprising:

• a housing having a cylindrical part centered on an axis, an inlet extending through the cylindrical part and receiving the suspension to be filtered, an outlet for extracting clear filtered filtrate, and a drain connected from below to the housing for removal of filter cake;
• a ring pipe connected to the outlet and externally surrounding the cylindrical part;
• a plurality of segmental filter holders fittable into the cylindrical part from above, together forming a circular insert, and each forming an inlet chamber having an outflow fitting connectable to the ring pipe;
• respective sets of filter elements below the respective inlet chambers and each formed by a respective strip-shaped support and mesh filter sock surrounding the support carried on the respective holder and opening into the respective inlet chambers;
• a removable cover upwardly closing the cylindrical part above the holders;
• respective pipe connections each extending from a respective one of the outflow fittings inside the housing below the cover above the respective holder radially outward through the cylindrical part to the ring pipe;
• and
• a respective slip connection connecting each pipe connection to the outflow fitting of the respective inlet chamber, each of the holders being formed with an axially extending radially open notch aligned with the respective pipe connection such that the holders are each movable upwardly out of the housing with the respective filter elements of the respective set without removal of the pipe connections.