Abstract: A veneer processing apparatus squeezes water out of a crude veneer when the veneer is inserted into the apparatus in such an orientation that fibers thereof extending substantially parallel to an intended direction of veneer insertion, and forms short splits in the veneer when the veneer is oriented such that the fibers extend substantially perpendicular to that direction. A pair of rolls each being provided with teeth thereon are so located as to cause their teeth to become aligned with each other at a predetermined position for veneer insertion. Each teeth is indented to have alternating projections and recesses. In the position for veneer insertion, the projections of the teeth on one roll are substantially interlocked with the recesses of the teeth on the other roll or are spaced from the projections of the teeth on the latter roll by an amount which is smaller than the thickness of the veneer. The recesses are filled with sponge or like elastic material.

Abstract: The present invention is concerned with a mechanical, continuous dewartering press for a fibrous material, in which press the material to be dewatered is dewatered by compression between a perforated revolving drum and a roll revolving in the said drum so that the high compression force required in the dewatering and the high tangential force resulting from the revolving of the roll are directed by means of levers journalled on the end plates of the frame of the press onto the end plates, on which the counter-blades are also journalled.

Abstract: In an extended nip proess including a stationary support member, a hydraulically actuatable press shoe supported on and extending along the support member and a rotatable counter-roll opposed to and extending along the direction of the press shoe, there is a flexible, tubular press jacket which rotates around the support member and which is sealed so as to be inflatable by air. Before rotation of the counter-roll starts, the press jacket is air inflated and expands to partially wrap around the counte-roll. After rotation of the counter-roll and the press jacket begins, and only after a set minimum velocity has been exceeded, then the press shoe is fluid pressurized against the press jacket. At the time, the air pressure in the press jacket is reduced. Various control devices control the feed of pressure liquid to the press shoe and the feed of air to the press jacket until and then after a minimum speed level is exceeded.

Abstract: The device according to the present invention comprises a unidirectionally circulating endless filter cloth with a napped filter layer on the surface, a solid-liquid mixture supply device installed on the front side of filter cloth, a depressurizing suction device installed on the backside of the filter cloth, a non-filterable content withdrawing device installed downstream of the solid-liquid mixture supply device and the depressurizing suction device, and a filter cloth wash device installed downstream of the non-filterable content withdrawing device in the running direction of the filter cloth and located between the non-filterable content withdrawing device and the solid-liquid mixture supply device or the depressurizing suction device. The depressurizing suction device is equipped with a depressurized suction port splaying in the running direction of said filter cloth.

Abstract: In a dewatering machine for dewatering wet solids in which an elastomeric covered roll applies pressure upon one or more dewatering valves, the improvement whereby the elastomeric roll covering is a multi-layer covering having a graded hardness across the covering layer. A typical covered roll of such a machine is one in which a soft rubber-like material adheres to the surface of the roll and is covered by a harder outer covering.

Abstract: An apparatus for dehydrating a crude veneer includes a pair of spaced parallel rolls each being provided with teeth on the periphery thereof which become sequentially aligned with those of the other roll as the rolls are rotated in opposite directions to each other. A veneer is passed through the gap between the rolls to efficiently squeeze out water while being subjected to a minimum of plastic deformation. This is accomplished by optimumly selecting the distance between the tips of the teeth on the two rolls as well as the distance between the peripheries of the rolls except for the teeth. The periphery of each roll is covered with an elastic material such as sponge in order to prevent water once pressed out from the veneer by the teeth from permeating into the veneer again.

Abstract: A drum press with a rotating dewatering drum, inside which is eccentrically located a press roll of which the outer surface together with the inner surface of the dewatering drum defines a press gap compressing mass, such as bark, and in conjunction with the dewatering drum a removal screw is provided which detaches the mass that has been pressed to adhere to the inner surface of the dewatering drum and removes it for the next treatment step. The portion of the removal screw which is used to detach the pressed mass comprises a separate screw section removably disposed on the shaft of the removal screw and which is replaceable with ease.

Abstract: Apparatus and process for compressing moisture containing material including a pair of opposed rolls for receiving and advancing the material therebetween to apply rolling load thereto to compress the material and remove at least a portion of said moisture therefrom, and differential means for causing one of said rolls to rotate at a lower speed than the rolling speed of the other of the rolls, the differential rolling speeds developing friction between the rolls causing the rolls to be heated and apply heat to said material to further remove moisture therefrom, to cause the compressed material to adhere to the one roll and to cause the removed moisture to adhere to the other roll, also alone and in combination, apparatus and process of decomposing organic material such as an animal biomass by the action of aerobic microorganisms in the presence of oxygen, including introducing the organic material into a container having an end adapted to receive the organic material and an output end adapted to discharge th

Abstract: The present invention provides a drying apparatus for use in a papermaking machine and comprising at least four press rollers in nip contact with one another in succession in a closed train to define a substantially sealed chamber between the press rollers and chamber end walls. At least one of the press rollers is a hollow roller having a pervious outer wall to support at least one endless felt disposed for advance over an outer support surface of at least some of the rollers and passing through all of the nip contacts. The endless felt is a pervious carrier for a paper sheet to be dried. Resilient support means is provided for at least one press roller. Drive means is also provided for at least one press roller. Conduit means permits air movement through the hollow roller and the chamber. Air displacement means is connected to the conduit means. The air movement passes through the sheet carried on the felt whereby to extract moisture from the sheet and for convection of the moisture by the conduit means.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for automatically controlling operation of a juice finishing machine of a type having a cylindrical perforated screen in a housing forming an inlet for introducing initial juice or the like into an interior portion of the screen, temperature of juice solids in the pad area and temperature of the initial juice entering the machine being separately monitored and converted to proportional electrical signals, a differential controller establishing a differential output signal proportional to the differential between the sensed temperatures, the differential electrical signal being converted to a pneumatic signal suitable for regulating operation of the actuator means in order to automatically control finished quality of juice product from the machine. A fail-safe control is also provided for establishing a predetermined setting for the actuator means if the differential electrical signal exceeds predetermined limits.

Abstract: A manure separator arrangement is described including a flume and chain conveyor arrangement by which initially received slurry of liquids and solids is directed over a perforated flume floor. Liquid is allowed to drain through perforations in the floor as the slurry is moved along a pair of troughs formed along the flume. The entire flume is inclined so the liquids received from the perforated flume floor will drain downwardly away from the solids being carried along by the drag conveyor. Solids leaving a discharge end of the flume may lose approximately 80% of the liquid previously contained in the slurry or mixture. The manure discharged from the flume may be received by a separator press roll mechanism by which remaining moisture can be separated. The separator includes a rotated perforated drum and an oppositely rotated press roll. The press roll is yieldably urged against the rotating surface of the drum and is simultaneously rotated to press or squeeze liquid from the solids.

Abstract: A system for extracting soluble substances from fiberous material by lixiviation is followed by various steps of compression and maceration exerting moderate compression on the fiberous material up to 14 Bar. Hereby, special arrangements are made to saturate the fiberous material to maximum absorption between each pressure application. Moisture content of the spent fiberous material is reduced with a special roller assembly with the application of low and high pressure. Heat is used to facilitate the extraction process and to suppress biological alterations of matter involved. With heat exchange between raw material and extracted solvent, overall heat economy is improved. Fiberous material is used as filter aid to reduce contamination of extracted solvent with foreign matter. The system is particularly suitable for the extraction of sugar from sugar cane.

Abstract: Dewatering press, which is provided with a perforated rotary drum and with a press roll revolving inside the drum, between which the material to be dewatered is compressed and wherein the compressing force of the press roll is produced by means of compression levers, on which the shaft of the press roll is journalled, and the rotary movement of the roll is produced by means of a gearbox, which has been made so that a compression lever and an ordinary pivot gearbox have been built together, whereby the entire machine becomes of shorter length, of lower weight, and simpler.

Abstract: Liquids, such as sugar cane juices, are removed from fibrous materials by an apparatus which receives the fibrous, felt type or matted materials in strand form, for example from a sugar cane diffuser. Two hollow compression rollers having perforated circumferential walls are pressed toward each other for working in a compression range of about 0.5 kg/cm.sup.2 to about 50 kg/cm.sup.2, and form a material feed-in gap facing substantially upwardly. The rollers are arranged above liquid collecting troughs. Lateral funnel forming walls sealingly close the ends of the feed-in gap so that the rollers together with these lateral walls form a feed-in funnel. Material entraining members cover the holes in the perforated circumferential roller walls but with a spacing between the outer roller wall surface and the respective entraining member to form a liquid flow channel into each hole. The material is supplied into the feed-in gap through a substantially vertically extending chute reaching to or into said funnel.

Abstract: A drum press for separating liquid from solid substance, the drum press consisting of two different sized, cylindrical, perforated drums rotating one within the other around different centers, between the envelope surfaces of which the liquid is pressed out from the substance being pressed, and the outer drum being provided with non-rotating end plates disposed with requisite clearance in relation to the rotating outer drum. The inner drum provided with a shaft passes through the non-rotating end plates of the outer drum with requisite clearance, and in its shell and in its end plates fixed on the shaft have been made, towards the shell, apertures, through which the liquid that has entered the drum during the pressing operation is enabled freely to flow out from the drum.

Abstract: An improved roller for sugar cane squeezing mills, comprising a roller shaft, a mounting sleeve tightly fit over the roller shaft, a plurality of roller shell segments detachably mounted onto the peripheral surface of the mounting sleeve. The mounting sleeve is provided with a plurality of longitudinal slots equally spaced around the peripheral surface thereof. Each roller shell segment has a plurality of peripheral grooves and ridges on the outer side and a longitudinal key on the inner side to fit one of the longitudinal slots of the mounting sleeve. In a preferred embodiment a space is provided between each longitudinal slot of the mounting sleeve and each longitudinal key of the roller shell segment so as to form a passage, and juice collecting ports are provided in each groove of the roller shell segments to communicate with the aforesaid passage.

Abstract: As a preparatory step to rigid substrate application, indefinite length strips of wood veneer are tenderized by cross-grain stressing through a roll nip wherein the surface of a steel roll is corrugated with circumferentially extending flutes bearing against the veneer strip and backed by a medium hard rubber roll. Such treatment fractures the natural, transverse or cross-grain fiber in the veneer along longitudinal strip increments of the veneer surface.

Abstract: A press roll in a paper making machine comprises a non-perforated inner frame onto which an elastic layered structure is applied, the layered structure including an inner layer having a volume of which a substantial portion is constituted by cavities and an outer layer adapted to act against the inner surface of a looped press felt which passes through the press nip, the outer layer having passages formed therethrough which communicate with the cavities of the inner layer. During operation, the cavities are compressed together and thereby widen or extend the nip zone and, additionally, the cavities act as suction devices to produce a negative pressure in the nip zone following the centerline thereof. A press is disclosed which is formed by the press roll described above and a counter-roll which is provided with an elastic coating and a hollow face. A pair of press felts pass through the nip zone formed by these rolls between which the web to be dewatered is passed.

Abstract: An apparatus for extraction of uncontaminated aloe vera gel from the leaves of aloe vera plants. The harvested leaves of the aloe vera plants are positioned between a pair of endless moving belts for passing by a plurality of crushing rollers arranged in a desired pattern. The rollers first crush the core of the leaf to enable the gel to flow internally while a second set of rollers extrudes the gel from the leaf. The crushed leaf and extruded gel is then deposited on a drain grate to enable gravity flow separation of the gel from the crushed leaves. The drainage grate is sloped in order that the leaves will slowly move across the drain grate to enable separation of the gel while removing the leaf from the gel collection area prior to the flowing of the contaminate aloin from the leaf.

Abstract: A motor driven wringer unit for use in combination with a counter and sink of the type commonly found in a household kitchen. A motor driven wringer has a frame with a pair of rollers rotatably attached thereto and a motor for rotating one of the rollers whereby a cloth or sponge will pass between the rollers and squeeze the liquid out of such wet cloth or sponge to achieve a predesired dampness in such cloth or sponge. A liquid catching arrangement is provided for catching liquid extracted from the cloth or sponge and a spout is provided for directing such liquid back into a sink or the like. A base is provided for the aforementioned apparatus whereby the motor driven wringer unit can be placed on a counter adjacent to a sink wherein the spout means will direct the liquid extracted from the cloth or sponge into the sink. A safety mechanism is also provided on the wringer apparatus for automatically turning off the rollers when the user's hand is in danger of being caught between the rollers.

Abstract: Destruction of the bond of urethane roll covers to metal paper machine rolls is eliminated by venting the interface of the urethane and the metal to the atmosphere. Venting of the interface can be accomplished by drilling small holes through the roll periphery, by applying an adhesive substrate to the roll with grooves exposed to the atmosphere, by providing porous wicks between the roll and cover or by grooving the periphery of the roll to provide channels exposed to the atmosphere.

Abstract: A mill roll for a juice extracting system having a plurality of circumferential grooves and a plurality of spiral flow passages extending from end to end below the surface of the roll. A plurality of holes around each circumferential groove open into the flow passages so that juice squeezed between the rolls flows through the holes and out the spiral passages. With the passages disposed spirally, the rolls may be used as the bottom roll in a three roll mill because juice squeezed between the top roll and a bottom roll and flowing into a channel will exit below the restraining flange normally provided on the top roll.

Abstract: This invention is a machine for squeezing water out of peat or other material of low tensile strength; the machine including an inner roll eccentrically positioned inside a tubular outer roll, so as to form a gradually increasing pinch area at one point therebetween, so that, as the rolls rotate, the material is placed between the rolls, and gets wrung out when passing through the pinch area.

Abstract: A double cylinder press for the formation of fibrous layers is capable of extracting fibers from fiber-containing liquid, causing the fibers to be adsorbed on the surfaces of wire gauzes 41 of cage cylinders 40 disposed in a stationary butt 10 and a swing butt 12, allowing masses of fibers produced in the course of the formation of fibrous layers to spontaneously drop down from above a region in which the cage cylinders are brought into pressure contact with each other to be collected, and allowing waste liquid resulting from compression and dehydration of the fibers to be dropped and discharged out of the double cylinder press with high efficiency.

Abstract: An extended nip press having a press nip formed between a first press roll and a looped traveling belt wrapping a portion of the roll with the belt having a shaped mandrel therein with a concave surface conforming to the roll facing the nip and a concave surface facing away from the nip conforming to a support roll with lubricant between the mandrel and belt and the rolls having a deflection control means with the mandrel being self-positionable during operation of the press.

Abstract: The length of material, provided uniformly over the operating width with a liquid mixed with frothing chemicals, is to be massaged on the pile side for producing the froth and/or for the complete wetting of all pile fibers. A reel or a similar device exhibiting round bars uniformly distributed over its circumference and partially encompassed by the material serves for this purpose. The length of material is in contact under tension with the rotating reel. On the rear side, the material is urged against the reel by means of an air-impermeable hugger belt, held under tension, or by means of a wearproof pressure shell.

Abstract: A press for applying pressure to a moving web of fiber material to squeeze water from the web by means of auxiliary belts and comprising a pressure roll, pressure shoes mounted on the periphery of a rotary carrier in circumferentially spaced relation to each other, and a pressure belt extending about the carrier and shoes. The carrier is rotated by a motor to bring any one of the shoes into an operative position adjacent the pressure roll.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a continuous press for pressing beet pulp and other juice-containing materials, and comprising a wheel (10, 12) which rotates about its own axis inside an eccentric rotatable ring (16) which is pressed against the wheel, and which has an inside diameter larger than the outside diameter of the wheel. The axial ends of a pressure region are closed by cheek plates (48) in the form of rings of smaller diameter than the wheel. These plates are pressed against the inside surface of a wheel rim (12) by pressure wheels (58). They prevent material from escaping from the pressing region, but being of small diameter, they allow material to be inserted and removed from the wheel-ring assembly up and downstream respectively from the pressing region.

Abstract: A bark press including a frame and supporting rollers rotatably carried on the frame. These rollers support a rotatable dewatering drum, within which is eccentrically located a press roll, the outside surface of this press roll and the inner surface of the dewatering drum defining a press gap therebetween. The outside surface of the dewatering drum carries at least one ratchet circle with which at least one pressure cylinder cooperates. One end of this pressure cylinder is supported by the frame of the press and the opposite end rotating the dewatering drum step by step through the ratchet circle.

Abstract: An extended nip press for a paper machine for removing water from a wet paper, cardboard or similar fibrous or porous web. The press comprises a rotating press roll and at least one stationary loading shoe as well as a band impermeable to a medium and movable between said press roll and loading shoe. The loading shoe is provided with a sliding surface against which the press roll is pressed through the band for forming an extended press zone. A paper web to be dried is passed through the press zone together with a felt for receiving water. The band is made compressible, and in its surface facing the sliding surface are formed a plurality of separated recesses into which a lubricating medium is sprayed.

Abstract: A method and apparatuses for expressing the liquid phase from a wet mixture such as a clay-like mixture includes a primary roll (12, 104) with a plurality of smaller pressure rolls (13, 112-118) biased against its surface at circumferentially spaced intervals and at increasing pressures. The primary roll and at least the upstream one (112) of the pressure rolls have a thick outer covering of a substantially deformable elastomeric material. A pair of opposed filter belts (22, 23 or 142, 144) are trained about the primary roll and means are provided to feed the wet mixture between the belts to carry the mixture successively through the nips between the primary roll and the pressure rolls. The mixture is initially subjected in the first nip to a relatively gradual rate of increase in pressure and in subsequent nips is subjected to progressively steeper rates of increase in pressure adapted to the different flow behavior of the mixture caused by the increasing solids content of the mixture.

Abstract: A band press for a fiber web contains a cylinder having a solid surface over which there is guided the fiber web, for instance a paper web, which experiences a pressing or squeezing action in conjunction with a felt or wire and a press band which is impervious for a pressurized fluid medium. To accomplish the pressing or contact action there is provided a press housing containing a plurality of pressure chambers or spaces for pressurized fluid medium and with such pressure chambers operating at different pressures. The paper web is guided in a manner such that it bears upon the surface of the cylinder. The press housing is provided at the location where there outbound or depart the bands with a sharp departure or runnoff edge by means of which the bands are separated from the paper web which continues to remain at the cylinder.

Abstract: A dewatering press section for a paper or cardboard web includes a press roll having a wide pressing zone over which a belt is provided to run guided by guide rollers with the web being arranged to run in the pressing zone in compression between the press roll and the belt. At least one fabric runs in the pressing zone and acts on a respective face of the web. A pressure transmitting device has a surface which overlies the belt substantially in the pressing zone. According to the invention, ultrasonic field generators are provided in association with the pressure transmitting device surface for applying an ultrasonic field substantially in the pressing zone such that the friction between the surface of the pressure transmitting device and the belt is substantially reduced.

Abstract: A fire hose retracting and flattening apparatus has a first endless belt having a width at least as great as that of the hose to be retracted which is mounted in a main frame so as to have a generally planar run thereof on which the hose can be lain. The belt is mounted so as to be operatively connected to a motor to effect the driving thereof in a retracting direction. First and second pairs of rollers are provided which co-act with the planar run of the belt to retract and flatten the hose disposed thereon. The first and second roller pairs are mounted above the planar run, with the first roller pair downstream of the second roller pair, for pivotal movement between a first position wherein the first roller pair is adjacent to the run and the second roller pair is spaced apart therefrom and a second position wherein the first roller pair is spaced apart from the run and the second roller means is adjacent thereto.

Abstract: The liquid content of sugar cane bagasse is reduced by a low pressure process having a substantially longer duration than the duration of prior art high pressure liquid removal processes. For this purpose the liquid containing bagasse, as it emerges from a diffuser, is exposed to a relatively slowly increasing yet low pressure as compared to prior art high pressures, whereby the bagasse travels with a substantially constant speed sequentially through a dewatering zone, wherein a further compaction takes place, a preliminary squeeze-out zone and a final squeeze-out zone. During the preliminary squeeze-out the pressure above an open surface area or section without a sieve or screen is about 0.2 kg/cm.sup.2. During the final squeeze-out the pressure (p) is about p/0.6D>0.003, wherein D is the diameter, in mm, of a squeeze-out roller. The pressing duration t in seconds is also related to the squeeze-out roller diameter D such that D:t is smaller than a constant value K 16.

Abstract: A dewatering roll or cylinder of a wire press possesses radial support walls upon which there is supported a roll shell or jacket. The roll shell possesses gaps or spaces piercingly extending through the roll shell. The support walls are provided with outflow openings for the expressed liquid.

Abstract: A two roll press machine for removing moisture from particulate organic material includes a stationary powered roll and a powered positionable roll journalled within a carriage slidably entrained on a machine base. A hydraulic cylinder biases the movable roll into heavily biased, linear contact with the stationary roll. Barrier plates in place above the rolls laterally confine expelled fluid. Collector boxes proximate the extremes of the roll nip remove the fluid. A spreader mechanism is supported on the machine base for distribution of material across the rolls. The machine base permits stacking of the machines for sequential pressing of material.

Abstract: A mill roll includes a roll body, a plurality of circumferentially extending grooves formed in the periphery of the roll body, a plurality of channels extending axially through the roll body at positions inwardly of the grooves, a plurality of inserts fitted within the roll body at the radial bottoms of the grooves, and each insert having extending substantially radially therethrough an opening connecting the respective groove with a respective channel. Each opening has an elongated, substantially rectangular circumferential cross-section with a longer dimension extending substantially circumferentially of the roll body and a narrower dimension extending axially of the roll body.

Abstract: Disclosed is a maceration system of the type generally used in the grinding and juice extraction of sugar cane. The last mill has a roll and feed and discharge bottom rolls with elongated trash plate spanning the space between the bottom rolls. Separate troughs extend below each of the bottom rolls to catch and separate juice therefrom. The top roll has longitudinal flow passageways around it opening into ports in the roll surface and water is introduced through these passgeways to flow into the pulp moving over the trashplate to the discharge roll, and the juice from below the discharge roll is directed to the pulp moving to the feed roll. In the case of multiple mills in tandem, the juice recovered from the feed roll is directed to the top roll passageways of the previous mill and the juice from the discharge roll of that mill is directed to the feed roll thereof.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for dewatering screenings collected at a sewage treatment plant or the like continuously and effectively by preliminary and secondary dewatering processes. Any alien substance mixed in the screenings such as stone, chips of wood, etc. which cannot be dewatered can be detected automatically and extracted immediately, without suspending the operation of the apparatus.

Abstract: A press roll for a press couple for dewatering a web in a papermaking machine wherein the roll preferably is a roll shell with certain of the drilled holes extending radially fully through the shell and certain other holes blind drilled to extend only a partial way into the shell and in one form, the shell having a rubber cover and the blind drilled holes extending alternate different depths to avoid shear planes in the rubber cover.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a continuous press constituted by a central wheel jointly rotatable with a shaft driven at low speed, and the rim is provided with bearing and guiding means for a movable external crown whose internal diameter is greater than the external diameter of the rim, constituting in association a rotary assembly of two cylinders internally substantially tangent to one another, at least one of the two cylinders being perforated, the external crown being applied radially against the rim of the internal wheel by means of a device bearing upon the wheel or its shaft, constituted essentially by two spools rotating freely about their shafts and externally tangent to the external crown and by a system of production and transmission of the tightening effort, not driven in rotation.

Abstract: A roll having an elastomeric cover for engaging another roll to form a couple, said cover having circumferential grooves and comprising an anisotropic material which has a greater modulus of elasticity as measured in the transverse direction than in the circumferential direction to prevent closing of the grooves by transverse flow of rubber in the nip area.

Abstract: Water containing bark, or the like, is fed into a gap of a bark press, mounted in an inclined plane, the gap being formed between the inner face of a rotating large rigid perforated drum and the outer face of at least one of a plurality of independently rotating smaller compressor rolls. Water is expelled from the bark through the perforations in the drum. Any of the compressed bark which adheres to the drum or compressor roll surfaces is scraped therefrom, falls to the lower portion of the bark press where it is subjected to additional compressive forces and is finally collected at the lower end of the inclined bark press. The relatively dry bark, which is obtained, can be more effectively used as a fuel.

Abstract: A device for harvesting grapes or other berries having a plurality of hollow cylindrical wheels. Each of the wheels in turn has a wide tire having a rectilinear perforated circumference. The tires are maintained at reduced pressure by connection to a storage reservoir which is maintained under vacuum. The cylindrical wheels serve as presses and are arranged in pairs along two parallel vertical axes. The wheels are maintained in contact by springs which assure the pressure necessary to burst the berries or grapes which pass between the cylinders. After bursting, the fruit is drawn across and through the perforations of the cylinders and is conducted towards the storage reservoir. The device can further be utilized for harvesting other types of fruits.

Abstract: In an apparatus for treating a blanket of rayon fibers with a treating solution having means for conveying said blanket and at least one means for compressing out excess solution prior to drying, including means along the edges of said blanket for causing the edges of said blanket to turn in and fold over on itself prior to compression during its advancement along the conveyor means.

Abstract: A dewatering press which is particularly suited for use on a self-propelled vehicle designed to field process alfalfa for obtaining therefrom fiber and protein components and a deproteinized liquid component which is simultaneously applied on the field as the vehicle advances. The dewatering press includes a pair of conical pressure members mounted in a frame assembly which provides outward and downward pivotal movement of the conical members to afford access to the interior of the press. Material to be pressed is charged downwardly between the pressure members as they are rotated slowly by motors mounted in the frame assembly, and after having passed through a pressing zone located below the rotational axis of the conical members, the pressed material is discharged outwardly by a deflector mounted between the conical members. Expressed juices are collected in a pan which extends along the lower periphery of the pressure members.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for processing fresh cheese curd such as is produced in the manufacture of cottage cheese. Employs a belt in the form of a plastic screen which is caused to press a continuous layer of the curd against the peripheral surface of a rotatable drum to express liquid and to provide a curd of the desired moisture content for further processing. The pressing action can be controlled by adjusting the belt tension.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method to express liquid from wet fibrous material while minimizing breakage thereof and splashing of the solvent and easying solvent recovery. The method comprises laying said material on a smooth perforated surface, gradually compressing said body of wet fibrous material against said surface to force out liquid, and removing from said surface said body of material in a drier state. A convenient way to compress said body is by exerting on it a gradually increasing compression by means of a second roller having a smooth surface.

Abstract: A press mechanism for removing liquid from a traveling fibrous web such as a web of paper received from the fourdrinier section of a paper machine including a backing roll and a looped traveling belt forming a press nip with the roll with a plurality of shaped shoes extending the length of the roll and pressing the belt toward the nip with said shoes having a concave curved surface facing the belt and being pivotally supported so that a wedge of lubricating fluid builds up between each of the shoes and the belt to lubricate the shoes and to press the belt toward the nip. Means are provided for individually controlling the force with which the shoes are pressed toward the belt.