A stacked plate filter comprising filter plates provided in invertedly positioned symmetrical facing pairs, wherein each pair of filter plates forms an enclosed liquid flow channel, with a filter element disposed in each flow channel;
- each of said filter plates comprising
- (a) a generally rectangular and generally planar shape with main top and bottom surfaces;
- (b) a first wall extending upwardly from said main top surface and circumscribingly bounding a flow channel area of generally rectangular shape thereon;
- (c) a second wall on said main top surface extending upwardly therefrom, said second wall being interior to and of lesser height than said first wall and in spaced relation to the first wall along diagonally opposed L-shaped peripheral sections of the flow channel area thereby defining an L-shaped channel therebetween;
- (d) each L-shaped peripheral section comprising said L-shaped channel which comprises a leg extending transversely across the flow channel area for a major portion of the width thereof, and a leg extending longitudinally for a portion of the length of the flow channel area and communicating at its extremity with an opening extending through the plate, with peripheral portions of the flow channel area not comprising said L-shaped sections comprising ridges extending between the first and second walls;
- (e) an inlet port opening in the filter plate at a first end thereof, extending through the plate, the interiorly positioned in a polygonal-shaped distribution basin on the main bottom surface of the plate, said distribution basin being bounded by generally linear side edges defining corners of the basin at respective intersections of the side edges;
- (f) an inlet trough opening extending through said plate and transversely across a major portion of the width of said flow channel area and along a first side edges of said distribution basin, such that said inlet trough opening communicates said distribution basin on the main bottom surface of the plate with said flow channel area on the main top surface of the plate;
- (g) an outlet port opening in the plate at a second end thereof extending through the plate, and interiorly positioned in a polygonal-shaped collection basin on the main bottom surface of the plate, said collection basin being bounded by generally linear side edges defining corners of the collection basin at respective intersections of the side edges thereof;
- (h) an outlet trough opening extending through the plate and transversely across a major portion of the width of said flow channel area and along a first side edge of said collection basin, such that said outlet trough opening communicates said collection basin on the main bottom surface of the plate with said flow channel area on the main top surface of the plate;
- and
- (i) a plurality of transversely spaced-apart partitions extending upwardly from the floor of the flow channel area between the inlet trough opening and the outlet through opening, said partitions being of substantially the same height as the second wall and substantially parallel to one another to define a series of channels between the partitions, extending longitudinally between the inlet trough opening and the outlet trough opening.