Mechanized automatic frame filter press

Claim 1

A FILTER APPARATUS COMPRISING A PLURALTIY OF FILTER FRAMES AND FILTER PLATES ASSEMBLED IN ALTERNATE FACE-TOFACE RELATIONSHIP PROVIDING A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED STACK, AN END PLATE ON EACH END OF SAID STACK, TIE RODS CONNECTING SAID END PLATES, A STRUCTURE FOR SUPPORTING SAID STACK IN AN ELEVATED POSITION, A CRADLE SURROUNDING SAID STACK AND MOUNTED FOR VERTICAL MOVEMENT ON SAID STRUCTURE, MEANS FOR RAISING AND LOWERING SAID CRADLE WITH RESPECT TO SAID STACK, EACH FILTER PLATE COMPRISING A FLAT ANNULAR CORE PROVIDING A CENTRAL FILTRATE RECEIVING CHAMBER, A SINGLE LENGTH OF FILTER CLOTH IN THE FORM OF A VERTICALLY DISPOSED LOOP SURROUNDING SAID CORE AND SAID CHAMBER, CROSS MEMBERS SECURED TO SAID CRADLE AND TO THE UPPER FREE EDGES OF SAID CLOTH, A TENSION BAR DISPOSED IN THE LOWER END OF SAID LOOP, TENSION SPRINGS CONNECTED TO SAID BAR AND SAID CRADLE FOR MAINTAINING SAID CLOTH IN STRETCHED CONDITION, A CLOTH SPACING TUBE DISPOSED WITHIN SAID CLOTH LOOP BETWEEN THE LOWER EDGE OF SAID CORE AND SAID BAR AND SECURED TO SAID CORE, SAID CORE HAVING A PASSAGE COMMUNICATING WITH SAID CHAMBER AND A CONDUIT CONNECTED TO SAID PASSAGE FOR CONDUCTING FILTRATE THEREFROM AND FOR SUPPLYING WATER OR AIR TO SAID CHAMBER FOR CLEANING SAID CLOTH, EACH FILTER FRAME COMPRISING A REINFORCING RIM SURROUINDING A CENTRAL WEB, A FILTER LIQUID RECEIVING RECESS ON EACH SIDE OF SAID WEB, MEANS TO SUPPLY FILTER LIQUID TO EACH RECESS, SAID WEB HAVING A PLURALTIY OF APERTURES PROVIDING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID RECESSES, SAID RIM HAVING AN ANNULAR OUTWARDLY OPENING CHANNEL IN EACH SIDE, A CLOSED TUBULAR MEMBER OF FLEXIBLE MATERIAL DISPOSED IN EACH CHANNEL, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING FLUID PRESSURE TO EACH TUBULAR MEMBER, A COVER SHEET OF RESILIENT MATERIAL SECURED TO SAID RIM AND OVERLYING EACH CHANNEL AND TUBULAR MEMBER, EACH TUBULAR MEMBER NORMALLY HAVING A FLAT OVAL CROSS SECTIONAL SHAPE SUBSTANTIALLY ENTIRELY RECEIVED WITHIN EACH CHANNEL AND OUTWARDLY PROJECTING CLOTH SCRAPING KNIVES SECURED TO THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID RIM, THE SCRAPPING EDGE OF EACH KNIFE ENGAGING THE ADJACENT FILTER CLOTH OPPOSITE SAID SPACING TUBE, WHEREBY UPON SUPPLYING FLUID PRESSURE TO SAID TUBULAR MEMBERS THE CROSS SECTIONAL SHAPE THEREOF WILL APPROACH A CIRCLE THEREBY FORCING SAID OVER SHEET OUTWARDLY TO CLAMP SAID FILTER CLOTH IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID CORE TO PROVIDE AN ANNULAR SEAL FOR SAID RECESSES AND CHAMBERS TO PROVIDE FOR FLOW OF FILTER LIQUID FROM SAID RECESSES THROUGH SAID FILTER CLOTH INTO SAID CHAMBERS, RELEASE OF FLUID PRESSURE FROM SAID TUBULAR MEMBERS SERVING TO DISENGAGE SAID COVER SHEET FROM SAID CLOTH, VERTICAL MOVEMENT OF SAID CRADLE SERVING TO MOVE SAID FILTER CLOTH WITH RESPECT TO SAID KNIVES THEREBY SCRAPING ACCUMULATED RESIDUE FROM SAID CLOTH.