Butterfly conveyor clip for flat bed filter

Claim 2

In a filter of the type having a movable perforate conveyor comprising a series of transverse bars and links interconnecting said bars, a sheet of filter medium supported on the top surface of said conveyor for movement therewith, means cooperating with said conveyor and filter medium for forming a pool of liquid to be filtered on said filter medium, and means comprising fixed sealing strips on opposite sides of said pool bearing against side edge portions of said filter medium for inhibiting flow of liquid from the sides of said pool, the improvement which comprises means operatively connected to said perforate conveyor for providing a substantially continuous support surface for supporting the portions of said filter medium passing under said sealing strips, said supporting means comprising a series of clips each of which has an upper surface substantially coplanar with the top surface of said conveyor and resilient tab means for removably securing the clip to the conveyor; said tab means comprising downwardly extending curved extensions of said clips resiliently engaging said transverse bars of said conveyor; said clips having first and second opposite side edges of predetermined generally complementary configuration including projections having free end portions extending over their adjacent transverse conveyor bars, thereby to form said substantially continuous support surface with adjacent clips; said tab means extending downwardly from the free end portions of said projections to positions below and beneath the projections for resilient engagement with their associated transverse conveyor bars.

Claim 3

A filter according to claim 1 wherein said clips each include at least two downwardly extending curved extensions located in opposite sides of the clip for respective engagement with adjacent bars of said conveyor.

Claim 4

A filter according to claim 2 wherein said downwardly extending curved extensions on said clips respectively engage confronting surfaces of adjacent bars of said conveyor.

Claim 5

A filter according to claim 3 wherein said clips are respectively secured to said conveyor between successive pairs of transverse conveyor bars in substantially longitudinal alignment with each other to form a continuous row of clips along the conveyor.

Claim 6

A filter according to claim 4 wherein the curved extensions on adjacent sides of successive clips in said row of clips engage opposite sides of the same transverse conveyor bar.

Claim 7

A filter according to claim 1 wherein said projections on said clips comprise a projecting tongue extending from one of said edges and a pair of spaced projecting tongues extending from the other of said edges and defining a recess therebetween of generally complimentary configuration to the projecting tongue on said one of said edges; said clips being secured to said conveyor by said tab means with the tongue on said one edge of each of said clips extending into the recess on the other edge of its associated adjacent clip, thereby to form a substantially continuous support surface.

Claim 8

A filter according to claim 6 wherein each of said clips includes at least three of said downwardly extending tab means formed thereon, one of said tab means being formed integrally with and depending from the free end of the tongue on said one edge of the clip and the other two of said tab means being formed integrally with and depending from the free ends of the projecting tongues on the other edge of the clip adjacent said recess, said tab means respectively comprising resilient curved extensions of the clips located below and beneath their associated projecting tongues for resiliently engaging the bars of said conveyor.

Claim 9

A filter as defined in claim 7 wherein said downwardly extending tab means are formed to resiliently engage confronting surfaces of adjacent transverse conveyor bars.

Claim 10

A filter as defined in claim 8 wherein said tab means have re-entrant curved surfaces formed thereon with the curved surfaces on the tabs at opposite side edges of said clips opening in opposite directions to engage the confronting surfaces of adjacent transverse conveyor bars.

Claim 11

A filter as defined in claim 8 wherein said tabs each have an inclined free edge portion defining a cam surface for guiding its associated tab into resilient mating engagement with its associated transverse conveyor bar.

Claim 12

A filter as defined in claim 7 wherein said tongue on said one edge of each of said clips, and said one edge thereof, define shoulder portions in said clips adjacent said one edge thereof, said shoulder portions of said clips being bent slightly downwardly towards said conveyor to insure that substantially all portions of said clips remain substantially coplanar with the top surface of said conveyor during movement thereof.

Claim 13

A filter according to claim 7 wherein the width of said clips between said first and second side edges is less than the width of said conveyor links, whereby said clips permit free pivotal movement of said links about said transverse bars through a curved path of travel.

Claim 14

A filter according to claim 7 wherein said links have a generally zig-zag configuration including a plurality of integrally formed and oppositely extending generally U-shaped members, with said links being slightly overlapped with respect to adjacent links whereby the bight portions of said U-shaped members extend between the legs of the U-shaped members of adjacent links, said clips having a width dimension between said first and second side edges which is less than the distance between bight portions of successive links, whereby said clips permit free pivotal movement of said links about said transverse bars through a curved path of travel, while said projecting tongues extend over their adjacent transverse bars to positions adjacent the edges of an adjacent clip thereby to form said substantially continuous support surface.

Claim 15

A filter comprising a frame, a perforate endless conveyor supported in said frame to form a pool of liquid supplied to the top thereof, means for moving said conveyor in said frame, a sheet of filtering medium positioned on and supported by said conveyor for movement therewith and sealing means having resilient strips extending from opposite sides of said frame and engaging the sheet of filter medium adjacent to and inwardly from its opposite side edges to retain the liquid to be filtered in said pool; said conveyor comprising a series of transverse conveyor bars and a plurality of "zig-zag" shaped links respectively pivotally connected between adjacent pairs of bars, said "zig-zag" shaped links each extending transversely of the path of travel of the conveyor and being formed of a plurality of generally U-shaped link sections alternately opening in opposite directions and pivotally connected adjacent their bight portions to said transverse bars whereby said links are partially overlapped with the bight portions thereof positioned between leg portions of adjacent links; and a plurality of removably mounted clips members secured to said conveyor in generally longitudinal alignment with each other for providing a substantially continuous support surface for supporting the portions of said filter material passing under said sealing strips, each of said clip members comprising a relatively flat main body portion for covering portions of an associated link, said main body portion having first and second opposite edge portions, said first edge portion including a projection extending outwardly therefrom and a pair of adjacent shoulders on opposite sides of said projection, said projection including a free end portion extending over its adjacent transverse conveyor bar, said second edge portion having a pair of spaced projections extending outwardly therefrom and defining a recess therebetween of generally complementary configuration to the projection on said first edge portion; said pair of projections having free end portions extending over their adjacent transverse conveyor bar, said projections on said clip each including tab means extending downwardly from the free end portions thereof to positions below and beneath their associated projections and located adjacent independent bight portions of its associated link for removably securing the clip to said adjacent transverse conveyor bars; with the projection on said one side received in the recess of the other side of an adjacent clip, thereby to form a substantially continuous support surface with adjacent clips.

Claim 16

A filter comprising a frame, a perforate endless conveyor supported in said frame to form a pool of liquid supplied to the top thereof, means for moving said conveyor in said frame, a sheet of filtering medium positioned on and supported by said conveyor for movement therewith and sealing means having resilient strips extending from opposite sides of said frame and engaging the sheet of filter medium adjacent to and inwardly from its opposite side edges to retain the liquid to be filtered in said pool; said conveyor comprising a series of transverse conveyor bars and a plurality of "zig-zag" shaped links respectively pivotally connected between adjacent pairs of bars, said "zig-zag" shaped links each extending transversely of the path of travel of the conveyor and being formed of a plurality of generally U-shaped link sections alternately opening in opposite directions and pivotally connected adjacent their bight portions to said transverse bars whereby said links are partially overlapped with the bight portions thereof positioned between leg portions of adjacent links; and a plurality of removably mounted clips members secured to said conveyor in generally longitudinal alignment with each other for providing a substantially continuous support surface for supporting the portions of said filter material passing under said sealing strips, each of said clip members comprising a relatively flat main body portion for covering portions of an associated link, said main body portion having first and second opposite edge portions, said first edge portion including a projection extending outwardly therefrom and a pair of adjacent shoulders on opposite sides of said projection, said projection including a free end portion extending over its adjacent transverse conveyor bar, said second edge portion having a pair of spaced projections extending outwardly therefrom and defining a recess therebetween of generally complementary configuration to the projection on said first edge portion; said pair of projections having free end portions extending over their adjacent transverse conveyor bar, said projections on said clip each including tab means extending downwardly from the free end portions thereof to positions below and beneath their associated projections and located adjacent independent bight portions of its associated link for removably securing the clip to said adjacent transverse conveyor bars; with the projection on said one side received in the recess of the other side of an adjacent clip, thereby to form a substantially continuous support surface with adjacent clips.

Claim 17

The filter as defined in claim 14 wherein said tabs are formed to engage confronting surfaces of their associated transverse conveyor bars.

Claim 18

The filter as defined in claim 15 wherein said tab means each have re-entrant curved surfaces formed thereon with the curved surfaces on the tabs at opposite side edges of said clips opening in opposite directions to engage the confronting surfaces of adjacent transverse conveyor bars.

Claim 19

The filter as defined in claim 14 wherein said clips are secured to said conveyor in predetermined locations with respect to one another, with the projections on said one side of said clips being received in the recesses formed on said second side of adjacent clips, thereby to form a substantially continuous support surface for the filter medium.

Claim 20

The filter as defined in claim 14 wherein said clips have a predetermined peripheral configuration selected to cover only portions of its associated links thereby to permit free pivotal movement of said links about said transverse bars through a curved path of travel.