Filtering apparatus

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR REFINING SUGAR SIRUP, COMPRISING A TANK SUBDIVIDED INTO FIRST AND SECOND COMPARTMENT, A FIRST FILTER ELEMENT IN SAID FIRST COMPARTMENT, A SECOND FILTER ELEMENT IN SAID SECOND COMPARTMENT,SAID FILTER ELEMENTS BEING PROVIDED WITH A COMMON, SUBSTANTAILLY HORIZONTAL SHARFT, INLET MEANS FOR ADMITTING A SIRUP TO BE TREATED INTO SAID FIRST COMPARTMENT, FIRST STRIPPER MEANS AT SAID FIRST COMPARTMENT FOR REMOVING ADHERING SOLIDS FROM THE SURFACE OF SAID FIRST FILTER ELEMENT, TRANSFER MEANS EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID COMPARTMENTS FOR DELIVERING THE REMOVING SOLIDS TOGETHER WITH A DILUENT FLUID TO SAID SECOND COMPARTMENT AS A SLURRY,DRIVE MEANS FOR MOVING SAID FILTER ELEMENTS INTO AND OUT OF SAID SIRUP AND SAID SLURRY, RESPECTIBELY, BY ROTATING SAID SHAFT, FIRST SPRAY MEANS ITS EMERGENCE FROM SAID SIRUP, SECOND SPRAY MEANS ADAPTED TO DIRECT WATER AT SAID SECOND FILTER ELEMENT UPON ITS EMERGENCE FROM SAID SLURRY, FIRST SUCTION MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID FIRST FILTER ELEMENT IN POSITIONS BOTH ABOVE AND BELOW THE LEVEL OF SAID SIRUP FOR DRAWING A FIRST JUICE THROUGH SAID FIRST FILTER ELEMENT, SECOND SUCTION MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID SECOND FOLTER ELEMENT IN A POSITION BELOW THE LEVEL OF SAID SLURRY FOR DRAWING SECOND JUICE THROUGH SAID SECOND FILTER ELEMENT AND DE LIVERING AT LEAST PART OF SAID SECOND JUICE TO SAID FIRST SPRAY MEAND AS THE LIXIVIANT, THIRD SUCTION MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID SECOND FILTER ELEMENT IN A POSITION OPERATIVELY ALIGNED WITN SAID SCOND SPRAY MEANS FOR DRAWING A THIRD JUICE THROUGH SAID SECOND FILTER ELEMENT AND DELIVERING AT LEAST PART OF SAID THIRD JUICE TO SAID TRANSFER MEANS AS THE DILUENT FLUID, SEPARATOR MEANS FOR REMOVING A SUGAR-RICH FRACTION FROM EACH OF SAID JUICES, SECOND STRIPPER MEANS AT SAID COMPARTMENT FOR REMOVING ADHERENT SOLIDS FROM THE SURFACE OF SAID SECOND FILTER ELEMENT, AND CONDUIT MEANS FOR DELIVERING SAID FRACTION TO A POINT OF UTILIZATION.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR REFINING SUGAR SIRUP, COMPRISING A TANK SUBDIVIDED INTO FIRST AND SECOND COMPARTMENT, A FIRST FILTER ELEMENT IN SAID FIRST COMPARTMENT, A SECOND FILTER ELEMENT IN SAID SECOND COMPARTMENT,SAID FILTER ELEMENTS BEING PROVIDED WITH A COMMON, SUBSTANTAILLY HORIZONTAL SHARFT, INLET MEANS FOR ADMITTING A SIRUP TO BE TREATED INTO SAID FIRST COMPARTMENT, FIRST STRIPPER MEANS AT SAID FIRST COMPARTMENT FOR REMOVING ADHERING SOLIDS FROM THE SURFACE OF SAID FIRST FILTER ELEMENT, TRANSFER MEANS EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID COMPARTMENTS FOR DELIVERING THE REMOVING SOLIDS TOGETHER WITH A DILUENT FLUID TO SAID SECOND COMPARTMENT AS A SLURRY,DRIVE MEANS FOR MOVING SAID FILTER ELEMENTS INTO AND OUT OF SAID SIRUP AND SAID SLURRY, RESPECTIBELY, BY ROTATING SAID SHAFT, FIRST SPRAY MEANS ITS EMERGENCE FROM SAID SIRUP, SECOND SPRAY MEANS ADAPTED TO DIRECT WATER AT SAID SECOND FILTER ELEMENT UPON ITS EMERGENCE FROM SAID SLURRY, FIRST SUCTION MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID FIRST FILTER ELEMENT IN POSITIONS BOTH ABOVE AND BELOW THE LEVEL OF SAID SIRUP FOR DRAWING A FIRST JUICE THROUGH SAID FIRST FILTER ELEMENT, SECOND SUCTION MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID SECOND FOLTER ELEMENT IN A POSITION BELOW THE LEVEL OF SAID SLURRY FOR DRAWING SECOND JUICE THROUGH SAID SECOND FILTER ELEMENT AND DE LIVERING AT LEAST PART OF SAID SECOND JUICE TO SAID FIRST SPRAY MEAND AS THE LIXIVIANT, THIRD SUCTION MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID SECOND FILTER ELEMENT IN A POSITION OPERATIVELY ALIGNED WITN SAID SCOND SPRAY MEANS FOR DRAWING A THIRD JUICE THROUGH SAID SECOND FILTER ELEMENT AND DELIVERING AT LEAST PART OF SAID THIRD JUICE TO SAID TRANSFER MEANS AS THE DILUENT FLUID, SEPARATOR MEANS FOR REMOVING A SUGAR-RICH FRACTION FROM EACH OF SAID JUICES, SECOND STRIPPER MEANS AT SAID COMPARTMENT FOR REMOVING ADHERENT SOLIDS FROM THE SURFACE OF SAID SECOND FILTER ELEMENT, AND CONDUIT MEANS FOR DELIVERING SAID FRACTION TO A POINT OF UTILIZATION.