Automatic filter plate moving apparatus in a filter press

Claim 1

AN AUTOMATIC FILTER PLATE MOVING APPARATUS FOR A FILTER PRESS HAVING A PLURALITY OF FILTER FRAMES SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SIDE RAILS BETWEEN A FIXED END PLATE AT ONE END OF THE FILTER FRAMES AND A MOVABLE END PLATE AT THE OTHER END OF THE FILTER FRAMES, SAID MOVING APPARATUS COMPRISING A PAIR OF PARALLEL SCREW SHAFTS ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE PLURALITY OF FILTER FRAMES, A REVERSIBLE MOTOR COUPLED TO SAID SCREW SHAFTS FOR DRIVING SAID SHAFTS, A PAIR OF RECIPROCATING MEMBERS, ONE MOUNTED ON EACH SHAFT AND HAVING MEANS THEREON FOR ENGAGING THE FILTER FRAMES AND MOVING THEM IN A DIRECTION TOWARD THE MOVABLE END PLATE AND MOVING PAST THE FILTER FRAMES WITHOUT ENGAGING THEM WHEN MOVING AWAY FROM THE MOVABLE END PLATE, LIMIT SWITCH MEANS ON AT LEAST ONE OF SAID RECIPROCATING MEMBERS COUPLED TO SAID REVERSIBLE MOTOR AND ENGAGEABLE WITH THE FILTER FRAMES AND END PLATES FOR REVERSING THE MOTOR WHEN THE RECIPROCATING MEMBER HAS ENGAGED A FILTER FRAME OR ONE OF THE END PLATES; A RELEASE MEANS ON EACH RECIPROCATING MEMBER OF RELEASING SAID ENGAGING MEANS, A CAM MEANS AT THE END OF SAID APPARATUS ADJACENT SAID FIXED END PLATE AND ENGAGEABLE BY THE RELEASE MEANS FOR RELEASING SAID ENGAGING MEANS SO THAT SAID ENGAGING MEANS DOES NOT ENGAGE THE FILTER FRAMES, AND A FIRST STOP MEANS AT THE OTHER END OF THE APPERATUS ADJACENT THE MOVABLE END PLATE AND ENGAGEABLE BY THE ENGAGING MEANS FOR RETURNING SAID ENGINGING MEANS TO THE FILTER FRAME ENGAGING POSITION, WHEREBY THE RECIPROCATING MEMBER WILL AUTOMATICALLY RECIPROCATE BACK AND FORTH AN MOVE INDIVIDUAL FILTER FRAMES FROM A POSITION AT THE END OF THE PLURALITY OF FRAMES AGAINST THE FIXED END PLATE TO A POSITION AGAINST THE PLURALITY OF FRAMES AGAINST THE MOVABLE END PLATE UNTIL ALL OF THE FILTER FRAMES HAVE BEEN MOVED AND THEN THE RECIPROCATING MEMBER WILL MOVE ALONG THE STACK OF FILTER FRAMES WITHOUT ENGAGING THEM TO THE MOVABLE END PLATE AT WHICH SAID RECIPROCATING MEMBERS WILL BE REVERSED TO START THE AUTOMATIC RECIPROCATING MOVEMENTS AGAIN.