Abstract: A relatively thin briquetting chamber having a filter screen along at least one wall thereof, openable ends, a piston movable through said chamber from one end to the other to squeeze liquid from solid particles collected on the screen in said chamber and form a briquette, and an opening in the chamber for introducing the liquid and solid particles into the chamber. The chamber is so designed that no point inside the chamber is more than about three inches from a filter screen wall. This chamber may comprise a flat rectangular parallelepiped having openable ends, a bottom screen wall, a pair of side walls along the longitudinal edges of the bottom wall, and a top wall having an opening therein for introducing the liquid and solid particles, which if in the form of a sludge, this opening has to have a minimum dimension of at least six inches.

Abstract: A filter-dewatering-expression apparatus. Rotating helical blades of a screw conveyor compress and squeeze liquid from the sludge within structure which permits the liquid to escape therefrom, and discharge the dewatered solids out the end. The filter-dewatering medium which is held rigid by a frame may be a series of hoops or rings, separated and closely spaced, or may be a continuous wire, semicircular in cross section, closely wound into a coil, or may be a perforated screen. An imperforate filtrate collection housing surrounds this medium, and a vacuum pump is connected to the filtrate housing. A coil-spring wiping or cleaning blade may be held on the outside edge of the helical blade of the screw conveyor for continuous contact with the inside surface of the filter-dewatering medium, cleaning solids therefrom.