Means for concentrating suspensions

Claim 1

A FILTER FOR CONCENTRATING SUPENSIONS, COMPRISING A VESSEL FOR RECEIVING LIQUID TO BE FILTERED, INLET MEANS FOR INTRODUCING A SUSPENSION TO BE FILTERED INTO SAID VESSEL, OUTLET MEANS FOR REMOVAL OF CONCENTRATED SOLIDS FROM THE LOWER PORTION OF THE VESSEL, A FILTER ELEMENT IN THE VESSEL, SAID FILTER ELEMENT HAVING A SUSPENSION SIDE AND A FILTRATE SIDE, THE SUSPENSION SIDE BEING EXPOSED TO THE SUSPENSION, A RIGID TUBE HAVING A PASSAGEWAY THEREIN FOR PASSAGE OF FLUID THERETHROUGH AND HAVING ONE END THEREOF FIXEDLY CONNECTED TO SAID FILTER ELEMENT AND IN FLUID CONNECTION WITH THE FILTRATE SIDE OF THE FILTER ELEMENT AND A PORTION OF THE OTHER END THEREOF SLIDABLY RECEIVED IN A CYLINER, SAID RIGID TUBE BEING RECIPROCATABLE IN SAID CYLINDER WHEREBY THE FILTER ELEMENT IS MOVED IN A RECIPROCATING MOTION, CONDUIT MEANS THROUGH SAID CYLINDER FOR CONNECTION TO A SOURCE OF POSITIVE PRESSURE AND A SOURCE OF POSITIVE PRESSURE CONNECTED THERETO, AND CONDUIT MEANS THROUGH SAID CYLINDER FOR CONNECTION TO A SOURCE OF NEGATIVE PRESSURE AND A SOURCE OF NEGATIVE PRESSURE CONNECTED THERETO, AND CONDUIT MEANS IN SAID TUBE FOR COMMUNICATING SAID PASSAGEWAY IN SAID TUBE RESPECTIVELY WITH THE CYLINDER POSITIVE PRESSURE CONDUIT MEANS AND THE CYLINDER NEGATIVE PRESSURE CONDUIT MEANS ACCORDING TO THE POSITION OF THE TUBE IN SAID CYLINDER DURING THE RECIPROCATION THEREOF WHEREBY THE FILTRATE SIDE OF THE FILTER ELEMENT CAN BE CONNECTED TO A SOURCE OF NEGATIVE PRESSURE TO CAUSE FILTRATION OF THE SUSPENSION AND UPON RECIPROCATION OF THE RIGID TUBE, TO A SOURCE OF POSITIVE PRESSURE TO DISLODGE FILTER CAKE FROM THE FILTER.