Abstract: Endless plate belts for use in a double belt press are formed from a plurality of articulated plates whose leading and trailing edges are provided with a series of projections and corresponding recesses. Each face of each plate at the leading and trailing belt plate edges defines a series of projections and recesses for meshing with the recesses and projections of adjacent plates. The projections and recesses on one face of a plate edge are arranged alternately with respect to the projections and recesses on the other face of the same plate edge.

Abstract: A continuously operating double belt press in which the belts are formed from a plurality of articulated plates and which further includes endless steel bands surrounding and moving with the endless plate belts is provided with a large-diameter drum downstream of each endless plate belt. In addition, the endless steel band surrounding and moving with each endless plate belt is made to surround and move with the large-diameter drum as well. With this design, the compressive pressure exerted by the endless plate belts can be reduced since the large-diameter drums can be utilized to exert additional pressure at higher pressure levels when the material being processed passes out from between the endless plate belts.