Filtering process and apparatus

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR CONTINUOUSLY FILTERING A SLURRY OF FINE SOLIDS TO SEPARATELY RECOVER SOLIDS AND LIQUID THEREFROM SAID SOLIDS AND LIQUID NORMALLY FORMING A SLIME ON A FILTERING CLOTH WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF (1) FEEDING SAID SLURRY TO A FEED RESERVOIR IN THE BOTTOM OF A CONTINUOUS ROTARY FILTER PROVIDED WITH A CLOTH COVERED PERFORATE DRUM; (2) FORCEING SLURRY LIQUID THRU SAID CLOTH INTO A LOWER FILTERING SECTION OF SAID DRUM TO FORM A CAKE OF SOLIDS THEREON; (3) WASHING SAID CAKE ON AN UPPER SECTION OF SAID DRUM AS THE NEXT STOP IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING SAID LOWER FILTERING SECTION BY IMPINGING WASH LIQUID FREE OF SOLIDS DIRECTLY ON THE CAKE DEPOSITED IN STEP (2) AND FORCING SAID LIQUID THRU SAID CAKE AND CLOTH INTO SAID DRUM; (4) WITHDRAWING FILTRATE AND WASH LIQUID SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF CLOTH WASHING LIQUID OF SUBSEQUENT STEP (6) FROM INSIDE SAID DRUM; (5) DISLODGING SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE WASHED CAKE FROM A DOWNWARD MOVING SECTION OF SAID CLOTH IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING SAID UPPER SECTION BY BLOWING GAS OUTWARDLY THERETHRU; (6) WASHING SAID CLOTH AFTER CAKE IS REMOVED BY DIRECTING A SPRAY OF SOLIDS-FREE WASH LIQUID ONTO THE CLOTH ALONG THE LOWERMOST SECTION OF THE BLOWN AREA SO AS TO REMOVE SAID SLIME FROM SAID CLOTH; AND (7) SCRAPING SAID CLOTH JUST BELOW THE WASHED AREA BY MEANS OF A DOCTOR BLADE SO AS TO DIRECT SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE REMOVED AKE, SLIME, AND WASH LIQUID TO A RECOVERY ZONE OUTSIDE OF SAID RESERVOIR FOR COMPLETE REMOVAL THEREOF FROM SAID FILTER.