Dewatering machine
AssigneeEnvirotech Corporation
InventorSteven S. Davis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A dewatering machine comprises an integral and cooperative combination of a vacuum filter of the rotary drum type and an expression device of the diaphragm type. An intermittently-indexed endless filter medium belt carries a sheet of filter cake to the expression device after the cake is formed on the vacuum filter. The belt indexing action is coordinated with pressurization of the expression device so that the filter drum is indexed only when the diaphragm is relaxed and the pressurization is effected only at such times as the drum is not being indexed.
Claims21
An integral machine for filtering and dewatering solids from a slurry comprising:
- a. a rotary drum vacuum filter mounted for at least partial immersion in a tank containing slurry;
- b. an endless belt of filter medium trained about the rotary drum of said filter to cover at least the immersed sectors of the drum so that vacuum applied through said filter causes a cake of solids from the slurry to build upon the belt;
- c. an expression device inclusive of drainage means supported at a location spaced from said drum and arranged to present a drainage deck over which said endless belt passes, a flexible impervious diaphragm which is supported in face-to-face relationship with said drainage deck and spaced apart therefrom in a relaxed position, and pressurizing means for selectively applying fluid pressure against said diaphragm to urge the same from the relaxed position to a distended position whereat said diaphragm exerts pressure against a cake of solids on a section of said filter medium belt overlying said drainage deck to express liquid from said cake;
- and
- d. indexing means operatively connected to said rotary drum for intermittently indexing the same so that said filter belt carries solids cake from said slurry and onto said drainage deck, said pressurizing means and said indexing means being cooperatively operative such that said drum is indexed only when said diaphragm is relaxed and such that said pressurizing means applies pressure against said diaphragm only at such times as said drum is not being indexed.
An integral machine for filtering and dewatering solids from a slurry comprising:
- a. a vacuum filter constructed and arranged to filter solids from a slurry;
- b. an endless belt of filter medium trained about said vacuum filter so that vacuum applied by said vacuum filter causes a cake of solids from the slurry to build upon the belt;
- c. an expression device inclusive of drainage means supported and arranged to present a drainage deck over which said endless belt passes, a flexible impervious diaphragm which is supported in face-to-face relationship with said drainage deck and spaced apart therefrom in a relaxed position, and pressurizing means for selectively applying fluid pressure against said diaphragm to urge the same from the relaxed position to a distended position whereat said diaphragm exerts pressure against a cake of solids on a section of said filter medium belt overlying said drainage deck to express liquid from said cake;
- and
- d. indexing means operatively connected to said vacuum filter for intermittently indexing said filter medium belt so that said belt carries solids cake onto said drainage deck, said pressurizing means and said indexing means being cooperatively operative such that said drum is indexed only when said diaphragm is relaxed and such that said pressurizing means applies pressure against said diaphragm only at such times as said belt is not being indexed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.