Plate filter with horizontally arranged bilaterally acting filters

In a plate filter apparatus composed of a plurality of horizontally disposed filter plates arranged in a vertical stack and each presenting an upper face and a lower face, a locking assembly associated with the plates and operable to press the plates toward one another to close the filter and to move the plates away from one another to open the filter, an endless filter cloth band, and a plurality of guide rollers around which the band passes, the rollers being arranged in a manner such that the band passes between adjacent filter plates, each filter plate defining a liquid tight partition located between its faces and provided with channels for the discharge of liquids, and each plate being provided with rim portions projecting vertically at both plate faces to define sealing surfaces, the improvement wherein:

• each said filter plate is provided at each of its said faces with fluid flow channels communicating with said channels for the discharge of liquids;
• said apparatus comprises a plurality of frame members each disposed between a respective pair of adjacent filter plates and each constituted by a rim surrounding a hollow region and formed to coincide with the rim portions of said plates which are directed toward said frame member, the rim of each said frame member and said pair of filter plates adjacent thereto defining a filter chamber when said plates are pressed toward one another;
• and said filter cloth band extends along a path which passes between each filter plate face and the respective adjacent frame member.