Continuous belt-type gravity filtration apparatus

Claim 1

Apparatus for use in filtering fluids by a gravity filtration process, comprising: a continuous filter belt forming a filtering media suitable for filtering said fluids; a cylindrical vessel consisting essentially of spaced end members, and an arcuate wall between said end members formed by a portion of said belt; said end members and said belt having mating sealing means circumferentially thereon, whereby said filter belt may be moved into intimate sealing contact with said end members to define a container for said fluids in said vessel, so that fluid may be held in said container and, upon establishment of a pressure differential across said belt, may be filtered through said belt resulting in the formation on said belt of a filter cake; a backing belt supporting the portion of said filter belt which is forming a part of said vessel; a precoating tank on the upstream side of said vessel so that said belt may be precoated to increase the filtration efficiency thereof; a cylindrical drum on the downstream side of said vessel, said drum being adapted for recipt of said filter belt in intimate contact therewith; means for heating said drum so that said filter belt may be dried upon contact with said drum; And, means downstream of said drum for removing filter cake from said filter belt, so that said belt is cleaned before it returns to said filter vessel for further filtration operations.