Apparatus for pressing liquid from cloth goods

Apparatus for use in pressing liquids from cloth goods, comprising a support having a porous surface on which a batch of goods may be received, a concave pressure vessel having a flexible membrane across its open end to form a pressure chamber therein, means supporting the vessel with the membrane facing the surface and for movement toward and away from the surface, means including pump means and conduit means connecting with the vessel for alternately supplying liquid under pressure to the chamber in order to press liquid from a batch of goods on the surface to form it into a cake, when the vessel and membrane have been moved to and held in a position over the batch, and applying suction to the pressure chamber to remove liquid therefrom and withdraw the membrane to a position in which it is adapted to fit over another batch of goods on the surface, following pressing of the first-mentioned batch into a cake and removal of the cake from the surface, but nevertheless spaced from the closed end of the vessel so that the membrane is not sucked into the connection of the conduit means therewith, means for selectively locking and unlocking said vessel with respect to said surface so as to respectively hold the membrane in or release the membrane from its position over a batch, and means responsive to movement of the membrane into said withdrawn position for stopping the application of suction to the chamber and maintaining said membrane in said withdrawn position in preparation for returning said vessel to a position over said another batch.