Filter press with means for automatic detachment of the filter cakes

Claim 1

IN A FILTER PRESS, IN COMBINATION, SUPPORT MEANS; A PLURALITY OF RIGID PRESS PLATES MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT MEANS MOVABLE WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER BETWEEN A CLOSED POSITION IN WHICH ADJACENT PLATES FORM BETWEEN THEMSELVES CHAMBERS RESPECTIVELY DEFINED BY SURFACES OF ADJACENT PLATES FACING EACH OTHER, AND AN OPEN POSITION; FLEXIBLE FILTER SHEET MEANS HAVING IN EACH OF SAID CHAMBERS A PAIR OF OPPOSITE FILTER SHEET PARTS RESPECTIVELY ENGAGING SAID SURFACES AND DEFINING BETWEEN THEMSELVES A FREE SPACE FORMING A FILTER CELL, EACH OF SAID FILTER SHEET PARTS BEING CONNECTED ALONG ONE EDGE PORTION THEREOF TO ONE EDGE PORTION OF THE RESPECTIVE PLATE, EACH OF SAID FILTER SHEET PARTS HAVING AN EXTENDED EDGE PORTION OPPOSITE SAID ONE EDGE PORTION AND EXTENDING BEYOND THE RESPECTIVE PRESS PLATE; FIRST PASSAGE MEANS FOR FEEDING A MEDIUM TO BE FILTERED INTO SAID FILTER CELLS SO THAT FILTER CAKES WILL FORM BETWEEN SAID FILTER SHEET PARTS WHILE THE FILTRATE WILL PASS THERETHROUGH; SECOND PASSAGE MEANS FOR FEEDING THE FILTRATE OUT OF SAID CHAMBERS; ELONGATED GUIDE MEANS CARRIED BY SAID SUPPORT MEANS AND EXTENDING IN DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF SAID PLATES ADJACENT SAID EXTENDED EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID FILTER SHEET PARTS; A PLURALITY OF ELONGATED FLEXIBLE MEANS RESPECTIVELY CONNECTING FILTER SHEET PARTS TO EACH OTHER AT PORTIONS THEREOF DISTANT FROM SAID ONE EDGE PORTION THEREOF; AND A PLURALITY OF RESILIENT CONNECTING MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID GUIDE MEANS FOR MOVEMENT IN LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION THEREOF AND RESPECTIVELY ATTACHED TO SAID EXTENDED EDGE PORTIONS OF PAIRS OF OPPOSITE FILTER SHEET PARTS AND EACH INCLUDING AN ELONGATED MEMBER EXTENDING ALONG AND CONNECTED TO SAID EXTENDED EDGE PORTIONS OF PAIRS OF OPPOSITE FILTER SHEET PARTS, RESPECTIVELY, FASTENING MEANS SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID ELONGATED GUIDE MEANS, AND RESILIENT MEANS EXTENDING BETWEEN AND CONNECTING SAID FASTENING MEANS WITH SAID ELONGATED MEMBER FOR DISENGAGING EACH OF SAID FILTER SHEET PARTS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE CONNECTED EDGE PORTION THEREOF FROM SAID SURFACE OF THE RESPECTIVE RIGID PRESS PLATE AND FOR CAUSING, IN COOPERATION WITH SAID ELONGATED FLEXIBLE MEANS, SAID OPPOSITE FILTER SHEET PARTS OF EACH FILTER CELL TO ASSUME POSITIONS INCLINED TO EACH OTHER AND TO SAID SURFACES OF THE RESPECTIVE PLATES WHEN SAID PLATES ARE MOVED FROM SAID CLOSED TO SAID OPEN POSITION TO ASSURE DETACHMENT OF THE FILTER CAKE FORMING BETWEEN EACH PAIR OF OPPOSITE FILTER SHEET PARTS WHEN SAID PLATES ARE MOVED TO SAID OPEN POSITION.