Apparatus for separation of solid and liquid materials

Apparatus for receiving effluent comprised of solid and liquid effluent material and separating the solid effluent material from the liquid effluent material for the purpose of collection, said apparatus comprising:

• a container having a closed bottom surface and an open top end facing opposite said closed bottom surface;
• means for separating the container into separate respective solid and liquid effluent chambers, said means for separating extending in a plane substantially perpendicular to said closed bottom surface;
• means for directing the solid and liquid effluent material to the open top end of the container into said solid effluent chamber;
• a porous bag disposed in said solid effluent chamber for substantially separating liquid effluent material from solid effluent material and having an open top end;
• said means for directing the effluent material having an outlet port disposed within said open top end of said container and aligned with said open top end of said porous bag, said outlet port for directing said effluent to fall by gravity into said open top end of said porous bag;
• means attached to said container for disposing the porous bag such that said porous bag is hanging in said solid effluent chamber and such that said porous bag is positioned to receive the solid and liquid effluent material therein;
• means disposed in the liquid effluent chamber for enabling collected liquid effluent material received from said porous bag, absent any substantial solid effluent material removed by said porous bag, to be directed to a liquid drain;
• wherein said means for disposing the porous bag is arranged to dispose the porous bag above the closed bottom surface of said container with a gap between said bag and the closed bottom surface of said container;
• said container including means for releasably supporting said means for disposing said porous bag;
• and,
• said porous bag including means in the vicinity of said bag open top end for releasable connection to said means for disposing the porous bag.