Filtering apparatus and method
OwnerJack Bratteninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A filtering apparatus and method is disclosed adapted to filter suspended solids from a liquid, consisting of a filter housing which receives a flexible belt filtering element into a filter chamber, the liquid to be passed through the belt to filter out solids. The flexible belt is movably mounted to be passed through end openings on either side of a filter chamber to enable removal of accumulated solids after each filter cycle. The end openings are sealed during filtering cycles by flexible tube segments extending across the openings which are pressurized to effect a seal and evacuated to allow removal of the belt. A series of such filters may be stacked together with a traveling roller assembly utilized for simultaneously moving the belts of each filter in and out of the chamber.
Claims14
A filtering apparatus comprising the elements of:
- a rigid filter housing including an internal filter chamber;
- said filter housing defining at least one elongated opening extending into said chamber;
- a filter element adapted to be passed into said filter chamber through said opening so as to be movable into and out of said filter chamber;
- said filter element located beneath a space in said filter chamber;
- inlet means for directing fluid to be filtered under pressure into said filter chamber space above said filter element;
- filter element support means mounted within said housing and having an upper face located to receive said filter element thereon, said support means including clearance spaces enabled to receive fluid flow through said filter element;
- outlet means for collecting said fluid flow passed through said filter element and support means;
- sealing means for sealing said filter chamber opening comprising a flexible tube segment and means mounting said tube segment extending across and within said opening, said tube segment configured to move into sealing engagement with the perimeter of said opening upon pressurization thereof;
- said elongated opening defined by opposing top and bottom surfaces, and a pair of side members wherein said side members are each formed with a side opening through which each end of said tube segment passes to be coextensive with said top and bottom opposing surfaces, each of said side openings having an internal surface configured to be sealed by said respective tube segment ends upon pressurization thereof said elements being relatively positioned to enable sealing of said filter housing openings to be achieved solely by sealing engagement of said tube segment with said top and bottom member opposing surfaces and with said side openings internal surface;
- control means for selectively pressurizing or depressurizing said tube segment, to thereby controllably seal said opening and said side openings during operation of said filtering apparatus.
A method of filtering comprising the steps of disposing a flexible element within the interior of a substantially rigid filter housing, said filter housing having an elongated opening through which said flexible filter element is disposed during a filtration cycle, with a filter chamber defined within said filtering housing above the upper surface of said flexible filtering element;
- disposing said flexible filtering element overlying a support which is adapted to receive flow through said filter element;
- sealing said elongated opening by the step of pressurizing a flexible tube segment disposed within said elongated opening extending thereacross, said flexible tube segment being passed through a pair of side openings formed in said housing adjacent said elongated housing, such that upon pressurization the exterior thereof moves into sealing engagement with said filter element and said surfaces of said elongated opening and said side openings;
- establishing a filter cycle by directing a flow of liquid into said filter chamber and collecting the filtered liquid after passing through said filter elements;
- depressurizing and at least partially evacuating said tube segment after each filtration cycle;
- moving said filter element with the accumulated solids thereon out of said filter chamber and removing said accumulated solids.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.