Press for extracting juice from comestible solids and semi-solids such as fruits and vegetables

In a press for extracting juice from comestible solids and semi-solids such as fruits and vegetables having

• a stationary perforated platen,
• a pressing platen moveable into pressing relation to the stationary platen,
• a juice pervious belt for carrying comestible,
• feeder means for feeding and depositing a non-continuous bed of comestible upon said belt for pressing, and
• means for moving the belt incrementally to position one segment of the bed of comestible over the stationary platen, the improvement comprising:
• said pressing platen having mounted thereto and movable therewith a flexible membrane and a depending sealing flange for circumscribing one segment of the bed of comestible positioned over said stationary platen, said flexible membrane overlying the one segment of said bed and being expandable into pressing engagement with the bed;
• means for moving said pressing platen to place said sealing flange into sealing engagement with the belt and circumscribing the bed of comestible;
• and
• pressure means for expanding said flexible membrane into pressing engagement with said bed to press the juice from the comestible for drainage through the perforated stationary platen and juice pervious belt.