Filter press

A filter press which comprises, in combination:

• a machine framework including fixed and movable heads, said movable head being supported in position for movement between projected and retracted positions in a direction towards and away from the fixed head, respectively;
• a plurality of filter plates supported in position between the fixed and movable heads in face-to-face relation to each other, said filter plates being compressed together to a substantially watertight closure between said fixed and movable heads in response to movement of the movable head from the retracted position towards the projected position and being separated from each other when and so long as said movable head is held in the retracted position, each of said filter plates having first and second filtering surfaces opposed to each other and respectively facing towards the fixed and movable heads;
• means for guiding said filter plates to permit the filter plates to be moved incident to the movement of the movable head between the retracted and projected positons;
• a filter medium provided for each filter plate, said filter medium being composed of first and second webs of filter cloth adapted to respectively cover the first and second filtering surfaces of any one of the filter plates, each of said first and second filter webs being supported for movement between an operative position, in which the filter web covers the filtering surface of the corresponding filter plate, and an inoperative position in which such filter web is brought clear of such filtering surface of the corresponding filter plate;
• a tensioning and winding roll assembly provided for each filter plate and carried by and positioned below the filter plate, said tensioning and winding roll assembly comprising a hollow cylindrical roll, to which the adjacent ends of the respective first and second filter webs of any pair are anchored, and means for biasing said cylindrical roll in one direction about the longitudinal axis of said cylindrical roll with the first and second filter webs of the corresponding pair forced to be wound up around said cylindrical roll;
• a support bar positioned between each adjacent two of the filter plates and to which the other end of any one of the first and second filter webs of one pair and the other end of the other of the first and second filter webs of the next adjacent pair are anchored;
• a pair of winding elements provided for each filter plate and positioned on respective sides of and above each adjacent two of the filter plates;
• a pair of elongated connecting members provided for each pair of the winding elements, said connecting members of each pair being connected at their one end to the opposite ends of the corresponding support bar and at their other end to the corresponding winding elements;
• means operable when said movable head is in the retracted position for driving said winding elements of any pair to bring said first and second filter webs of the corresponding pair to the operative position against the biasing means of the associated tensioning and winding roll assembly and to allow the first and second filter webs of said any pair to be drawn onto the associated tensioning and winding roll assembly by the action of the biasing means, selectively;
• and
• a pair of juxtaposed guide rolls carried by each filter plate and positioned below the tensioning and winding roll assembly, said first and second filter webs of the pair, which extend from the associated support bars towards the tensioning and winding roll assembly, being turned respectively around said guide rolls to assume a substantially U-shaped configuration.