Sludge flocculating and filtering apparatus

Claim 1

FILTERING APPARATUS FOR FLOCCULATING AND THEREAFTER FLITERING FLOCCULATED SLUDGE MATERIAL WHICH COMPRISES A LIQUID-IMPERMEABLE ELONGATED SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED FEED CONVEYOR BELT HAVING A RECEIVING END AND A FEEDING END, A HOPPER DISPOSED ADJACENT TO THE RECEIVING END OF THE FEED BELT FOR INTRODUCING SLUDGE MATERIAL TO BE TREATED ONTO SAID FEED BELT, A PLURALITY OF SEPARATE TREATING LIQUID DOSAGE MEANS BEING PROVIDED AT SPACED INTERVALS ALONG SAID FEED BELT FOR INDIVIDUALLY SUPPLYING FLOCCULATING AGENTS IN PREDETERMINED DOSAGES TO THE SLUDGE MATERIAL INTRODUCED ONTO SAID FEED BELT AND BEING CONVEYED THEREBY, MEANS DEFINING A FILTERING ZONE FOR FILTERING SLUDGE MATERIAL THEREIN, INCLUSING A LIQUID-PERMEABLE ELONGATED HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED FILTER CONVEYOR BELT HAVING AN INLET END AND A DISCHARGE END BEING DISPOSED FOR THE SAME LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT AS SAID FEED BELT, THE FEEDING END OF SAID FEED BELT BEING POSITIONED SLIGHTLY ABOVE SAID FILTER BELT AND INWARDLY DISPLACED WITH RESPECT TO THE OUTERMOST PORTION OF SAID INLET END, AND AN INCLINE MEMBER POSITIONED FOR FLOW CONVEYING SLUDGE MATERIAL FROM THE FEEDING END OF SAID FEED BELT TO THE INLET END OF SAID FILTER BELT.