Abstract: An endless belt conveyor for collecting floating matter, particularly highly viscous oil lumps from the water surface is disclosed. The endless belt conveyor extends between a pair of pulleys, one of which being located above water level and the other pulley being located beneath water level, and comprises (1) a pair of driving bands located at widthwise ends of the conveyor, (2) a plurality of connection plates fixed to the driving bands at a given interval, (3) a plurality of projections provided outwardly on the upper surface of each connection plate, (4) a plurality of sleeves provided on the lower surface of each connection plate, and (5) a plurality of flexible ropes passing through the sleeves and extending between the pulleys.

Abstract: An apparatus for the recovery of liquid from a liquid medium containing solids includes a rotatable outer drum having a liquid-permeable drum wall and containing liquid-absorbing material, a rotatable inner wall having a liquid impervious drum wall and being mounted for rotation within and eccentrically relative to the outer drum, the drums being rotatable in the same direction into the liquid medium so as to transport the material through a compression zone in which the material is compressed so as to remove absorbed liquid therefrom and subsequently through a pressure-relief zone in which the liquid-absorbing material is allowed to expand and to absorb liquid from the liquid medium, a device or devices contacting the exterior surface of the outer drum to remove solids deposited thereon, such devices being located between the zones, and a device for collecting liquid removed from the liquid-absorbing material in the compression zone.

Abstract: A rotary disc filter machine having a rigid scraper blade member supported on radially innermost and outermost circumferentially extending side surfaces of a filter disc unit by cake scraping and blade supporting shoe devices mounted on the radially innermost and outermost end portions of the scraper blade member, the radially innermost end portion of the scraper blade member having a pivotal connection relative to the tank means to enable axial movement of the blade member with the filter disc unit caused by wobble of the filter disc unit while being mounted in a fixed rigid adjusted position relative to the filter disc unit by mounting bracket devices enabling various radial, circumferential, and axial adjustments of the scraper blade position and gap relative to the filter disc unit which is axially confined at the radially outermost portion thereof by guide and abutment devices mounted on the side wall plates of the cake removal slots.

Abstract: A structure for dewatering solids utilizing a rotating cylindrical screen wherein the solids and water are directed to a portion of the rotating screen with the water passing into the interior of the screen and the solids adhering to the external surface of the screen. Doctor means remove substantially all of the solids from the external surface of the screen, after which the screen is washed by the water which has entered into the screen, the water being directed by a baffle into a flowing stream which strikes the screen and passes therethrough in a concentrated mass. The baffle is fixedly carried by a fixed shaft on which the screen is mounted for rotation.

Abstract: The self-cleaning filter assembly includes a collecting tank for receiving a liquid, such as the dirty wash water from a car washing installation, containing suspended or dispersed substances to be removed. The dirty wash water passes through a filter cloth and an underlying layer of a porous, resilient material disposed about the outer periphery of a hollow, perforated drum which is rotatably mounted in the collecting tank. The filtered water passing through the filter material enters the interior of the drum through the drum perforations and is discharged therefrom through the open end of a perforated hollow shaft which serves as the axle for the drum. A roller biased into rolling engagement with the outer surface of the filter cloth presses or squeezes the resilient material, causing a portion of the filtered water retained in the resilient material to be forced back through the filter cloth and dislodge separated substances collected on the filter cloth.

Abstract: Continuous filtration under pressure is obtained by combination of a looped filter belt and an alveolar belt which are caused to cooperate with a rotary distributor drum. The belts are compressed against the drum through application onto the belts of an external pressure which is at least equal to the filtration pressure but which is exerted on a surface which is larger than that onto which the filtration pressure is exerted.

Abstract: A hollow cylindrical breaker drum is rotatable and mounted in a cylindrical chamber of a main body to be connected to the forward end of the extruder and a band-like filter screen is introduced into the cylindrical chamber from the outside through a slit formed in the wall of the main body to be wound around the hollow breaker drum and passed to the outside from the cylindrical chamber through another slit formed in the wall of the main body, whereby the filter screen is adapted to be automatically exchanged by differentiating the thicknesses of both slits.

Abstract: A filter belt is formed into a tube which follows a substantially U-shaped path. Feed is introduced into the tube and by hydrostatic pressure is filtered. The tube is opened and the cake removed and the tube reformed.

Abstract: Magnetic filter apparatus comprising a liquid container with an inlet for liquid contaminated by magnetizable material and an outlet for purified liquid. A wall of magnetic bars is disposed between the inlet and the outlet and liquid can flow through gaps between the bars. The wall of magnetic bars is carried by an endless conveyor which conveys the bars through a cleaning device located above the level of the liquid outlet in the container. The cleaning device comprises travelling wiper blades which engage the magnetic bars from opposite sides and pass lengthwise along the bars to remove magnetizable material which has adhered thereto.

Abstract: A slotted pipe is rotatably supported in a drag tank and communicates with the suction line of a pump. Magnetic discs are rotatable with the pipe and serve to attract and catch magnetic particles in liquid flowing to the pipe so as to prevent such particles from entering the pump. A scraper is positioned adjacent the rotatable discs and pipe to brush the caught particles therefrom and direct the particles to the bottom of the tank.

Abstract: A filter apparatus for slurries or the like broadly comprises a filter drum housing an accordion-type filter medium, and a cylinder actuator coaxially connected to the filter drum. The accordion filter medium includes a filter screen supported in the form of a bellows between a pair of opposed end plates slidable through the filter drum, one of the end plates being normally held at an open end of the filter drum. The cylinder actuator includes at least one piston rod projecting into the filter drum and connected to the said one end plate by slidably extending through the other end plate. A slurry enters the filter drum through its circumference, passes through the filter screen, and leaves the drum through the one end plate of the filter medium. Sludgy filter cake deposited on the filter screen is compacted and dehydrated as the end plates are moved toward each other by the cylinder actuator, and is removed from the screen as the cylinder actuator further operates to move the filter medium out of the drum.

Abstract: A precision system for moving a tool with very small increments with respect to a frame including at least two micrometer drive mechanisms each comprising a screw spindle and a cooperating nut and each provided with an intermittently driven worm and worm wheel. The tool is borne solely by the micrometer drive mechanisms that are supported in the frame. In a preferred embodiment is of each micrometer drive mechanism the worm wheel mounted on a spindle, one of said worm wheel and spindle being connected to the screw spindle and the other to the nut.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing matter accumulated on a filter element, rotatable about a central axis, having an arm portion mounted at an angle relative to the radii extending from the central axis of the filter element and in a stationary position relative thereto. The arm portion supports a flexible means for engaging a surface of the filter element as the element is rotated relative to it to frictionally remove the accumulated matter from the surface. The arm and flexible means are preferably curved outwardly toward the periphery of the filter element to facilitate outward removal of matter while maintaining the integrity of the surface of the filter element.

Abstract: A conveyor-type sludge filtering device for extracting the liquid component from the sludge, the device including a horizontally moving supported strand of a perforate endless conveyor belt onto which a continuous flow of sludge is deposited, while rows of flow breaker members extend downwardly into the moving sludge, thereby preventing the formation of sludge layers, especially of a belt-plugging bottom layer of solid matter. The flow breakers are preferably wedge-shaped and pivotably supported on transverse rods.

Abstract: A method and separator for removing sugar crystals from a syrup. The syrup is continuously delivered to a space defined by an inner conical first perforated wall subjected to air pressure and an outer conical second perforated wall coaxial with the inner conical wall and subjected to a vacuum from outwardly of the space containing the syrup. The perforations subjected to a vacuum are restricted by projections on a plate that extend axially into corresponding perforations and are movable axially therein to maintain these perforations unobstructed by sugar crystals. Rotationally driven scrapers scrape the inner surfaces of the second perforated wall in synchronism with the projections extending into the perforations.

Abstract: From a water medium, a harvester recovers algae useful as animal feed. The harvester has a preferably endless, movable belt screen. A coating device puts a first coating of long fibers (such as glass fiber or asbestos mixed with paper fiber) onto one side of the belt screen. A container of algae in water discharges onto the first coating permitting much of the water to pass through it and the belt screen but holding back the algae largely as a second coating on the fibers. A second screen having finer openings than the first screen is disposed against the second coating. This second screen has openings large enough to pass the algae but small enough to hold back the fibers. A suction is applied to the second screen causing the algae and entrained water to move therethrough. Concurrently, a washer directs a stream through the first screen and through the first coating and so washes off the second coating of algae, the fine screen holding the fibers behind.

Abstract: In mechanical filters, structure is provided for mounting a string-like member in closely spaced relation to its moving filter medium. At least one pick mounted on a rotating shaft is provided for periodically plucking the string-like member so that the string-like member vibrates against the filter medium. A rod mounted perpendicular to the path of movement of the filter medium past the string-like member acts as a guide to prevent the pick from catching the string-like member and controls the vibration of the string-like member in a plane substantially perpendicular to the path of movement of the filter medium thereby to obtain the most effect of the impact. The vibration or slapping of the string-like member against the filter medium causes filter cake formed thereon to be detached therefrom or to be compacted. In a belt-type of drum filter, the string-like member is preferably located between the breaker and discharge rolls.