US3855126A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Continuous incremental feed filtration process and apparatus
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1972-08-14
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Granted: 1974-12-17
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Expires: 1992-08-14
Abstract
Abstract A process and apparatus for continuously filtering a flowable material such as a heat-softened plastic material by incrementally moving a band or ribbon of a filter medium across the path of the softened plastic material. The band of filter material is preferably in a roll and stored in a cassette and is fed from the cassette through an inlet port in, for example, a plastic extrusion apparatus and is directed across a supporting breaker plate in the path of the plastic material as it flows through the extruding apparatus. The filter is then directed through an outlet port where it is sheared and discarded. When the necessity for changing the filter screen is sensed, a filter band feed mechanism is actuated to incrementally move the filter material through the extrusion apparatus and that portion of the filter medium passing out of the outlet port of the extrusion apparatus is sheared off by a shearing mechanism mounted adjacent the outlet port. The extrusion operation may be continuously carried out during the incremental movement of the filter screen and the feed mechanism and the shearing mechanism act to seal the inlet port and outlet port, respectively, during the extrusion operation.
Inventors
- 👤 G Smith
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 10:55
CPC Classifications
D; D01; D01D; D01D1/00; D01D1/10; D01D1/106; B; B29; B29C; B29C48/00; B29C48/25; B29C48/36; B29C48/50; B29C48/69; B29C48/692; B29C48/03; B29C48/07; B29C48/08
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
185 words
AN APPARATUS TO FILTER CONTAMINANTS FROM A HEAT-SOFTENED MATERIAL COMPRISING, A HOUSING SAID HOUSING INCLUDING A PASSAGE THERETHROUGH THROUGH WHICH SAID HEAT-SOFTENED MATERIAL IS FORCED TO FLOW SAID HOUSING PROVIDED WITH OPPOSED INLET AND OUTLET PORTS FLANKING SAID PASSAGE, A FILTERING MEDIUM COMPRISING A FILTER SCREEN IN THE FORM OF A BAND OF SUBSTANTIAL LENGTH, SAID FILTER BAND BEING DISPOSED THROUGH SAID INLET AND OUTLET PORTS ACROSS SAID PASSAGE WHEREBY SAID MATERIAL FLOWING THROUGH SAID PASSAGE IS FORCED TO FLOW THROUGH SAID FILTER SCREEN THEREBY TO FILTER OUT CONTAMINANTS FROM SAID MATERIAL, MEANS COOPERABLY DISPOSED NEAR SAID INLET PORT TO SELECTIVELY GRIP AND ADVANCE A PREDETERMINED LENGTH OF SAID FILTER BAND INTO SAID HOUSING TO INTRODUCE A FRESH SECTION OF SAID FILTER SCREEN WITHIN SAID PASSAGE, SAID MEANS TO GRIP AND ADVANCE FILTER BAND INTO SAID HOUSING INCLUDING MEANS TO POSITIVELY SEAL AND INLET PORT AFTER SAID FILTER BAND HAS BEEN ADVANCED TO PRECLUDE LEAKAGE OF SAID MATERIAL FROM SAID APPARATUS, AND MEANS TO POSITIVELY SEAL SAID OUTLET PORT AFTER SAID FILTER BAND HAS BEEN ADVANCED TO PRECLUDE LEAKAGE OF SAID MATERIAL FROM SAID APPARATUS.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
185 words
AN APPARATUS TO FILTER CONTAMINANTS FROM A HEAT-SOFTENED MATERIAL COMPRISING, A HOUSING SAID HOUSING INCLUDING A PASSAGE THERETHROUGH THROUGH WHICH SAID HEAT-SOFTENED MATERIAL IS FORCED TO FLOW SAID HOUSING PROVIDED WITH OPPOSED INLET AND OUTLET PORTS FLANKING SAID PASSAGE, A FILTERING MEDIUM COMPRISING A FILTER SCREEN IN THE FORM OF A BAND OF SUBSTANTIAL LENGTH, SAID FILTER BAND BEING DISPOSED THROUGH SAID INLET AND OUTLET PORTS ACROSS SAID PASSAGE WHEREBY SAID MATERIAL FLOWING THROUGH SAID PASSAGE IS FORCED TO FLOW THROUGH SAID FILTER SCREEN THEREBY TO FILTER OUT CONTAMINANTS FROM SAID MATERIAL, MEANS COOPERABLY DISPOSED NEAR SAID INLET PORT TO SELECTIVELY GRIP AND ADVANCE A PREDETERMINED LENGTH OF SAID FILTER BAND INTO SAID HOUSING TO INTRODUCE A FRESH SECTION OF SAID FILTER SCREEN WITHIN SAID PASSAGE, SAID MEANS TO GRIP AND ADVANCE FILTER BAND INTO SAID HOUSING INCLUDING MEANS TO POSITIVELY SEAL AND INLET PORT AFTER SAID FILTER BAND HAS BEEN ADVANCED TO PRECLUDE LEAKAGE OF SAID MATERIAL FROM SAID APPARATUS, AND MEANS TO POSITIVELY SEAL SAID OUTLET PORT AFTER SAID FILTER BAND HAS BEEN ADVANCED TO PRECLUDE LEAKAGE OF SAID MATERIAL FROM SAID APPARATUS.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
41 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 including means cooperably disposed near said outlet port to sever the length of said filter band exiting from said outlet port after said predetermined length of said filter band has been advanced into said housing.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
35 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said means to sever said length of filter band includes means to positively seal said outlet port after said length of filter band has been advanced and severed.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
91 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said means to sever said length of filter band exiting from said outlet port includes a slidably mounted knife member having a knife edge adapted to reciprocate across said outlet port and means to reciprocate said knife member from a first position wherein said knife edge is on one side of said outlet port to a second position wherein said knife edge is on the other side of said outlet port thereby to sever said length of filter band extending beyond said outlet port.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said knife member includes a surface area thereon which effectively seals said outlet port when said knife member is maintained in said second position.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
38 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said knife member reciprocates along a path which is angularly disposed with respect to a plane normal to the path of movement of said filter band exiting from said outlet port.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
33 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein said knife edge is arcuately shaped and angled back from a sharp edge to provide a smooth shearing action in severing said length of filter band.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
48 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said means to sever said length of filter band includes stop means associated with said severing means to provide an abutment stop against which said length of filter band abuts after said predetermined length of said filter band has been advanced.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
87 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means to grip and advance said predetermined length of said filter band comprises a reciprocating slide assembly, said slide assembly including selectively actuable filter band gripping members disposed on opposite sides of said filter band to grip said filter band therebetween and means to reciprocate said slide assembly from a first position spaced from said inlet port to a second position closer to said inlet port thereby to advance said predetermined length of said filter band into said housing.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
46 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein said filter band gripping members are determined to contact the full lateral width of said filter band and are adapted to seal said inlet port after said predetermined length of said filter band has been advanced into said housing.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
51 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 including a filter band inlet housing mounted on said housing adjacent said inlet port, said filter band inlet housing having a passage therethrough to accommodate said filter band, and said means to grip and advance said filter band being operatively associated with said inlet housing.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
119 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 11 wherein said means to grip and advance said filter band is disposed within said filter band inlet housing and comprises, a guide plate disposed within said housing having an inclined surface inclined in the direction of filter band advance, a wedge block provided with a complimentary inclined surface adapted to reciprocably slide along said guide plate, said filter band positioned between an opposed surface of said wedge block and a second guide plate in said filter band inlet housing and means to selectively extend and retract said wedge block toward and away from said inlet port whereby said wedge block grips and advances said predetermined length of said filter band into said housing.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
32 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 including means responsive to internal pressure conditions in said housing to indicate the necessity to introduce a fresh section of said filter screen within said housing.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
200 words
A process to filter contaminants from a heat-softened material being forced to flow through a passage in a processing apparatus comprising, providing a filtering medium in the form of a band and disposing said filter band through opposed inlet and outlet ports on opposite sides of said passage in said processing apparatus so that said material is forced to flow through said filter band in said passage, providing means at said inlet port to selectively and incrementally advance a predetermined length of said filter band through said inlet port into said passage, utilizing said filter band advancing means to form a positive seal at said inlet port to preclude leakage of said material from said processing apparatus through said filter band inlet port after said filter band has been advanced, providing means at said outlet port to shear the length of filter band exiting from said processing apparatus after said filter band has been advanced by said advancing means, and including the step of utilizing said filter band shearing means to form a positive seal at said outlet port to preclude leakage of said material from said filter band outlet port after said length of filter band has been sheared.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
200 words
A process to filter contaminants from a heat-softened material being forced to flow through a passage in a processing apparatus comprising, providing a filtering medium in the form of a band and disposing said filter band through opposed inlet and outlet ports on opposite sides of said passage in said processing apparatus so that said material is forced to flow through said filter band in said passage, providing means at said inlet port to selectively and incrementally advance a predetermined length of said filter band through said inlet port into said passage, utilizing said filter band advancing means to form a positive seal at said inlet port to preclude leakage of said material from said processing apparatus through said filter band inlet port after said filter band has been advanced, providing means at said outlet port to shear the length of filter band exiting from said processing apparatus after said filter band has been advanced by said advancing means, and including the step of utilizing said filter band shearing means to form a positive seal at said outlet port to preclude leakage of said material from said filter band outlet port after said length of filter band has been sheared.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-12-16 | 1978-06-17 | 1978-12-17 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-12-16 | 1982-06-17 | 1982-12-17 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-12-16 | 1986-06-17 | 1986-12-17 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |