Solids concentrator with a rotor having ploughs thereon

Claim 2

A dynamic concentrator for separating a filtrate and a concentrated slurry from a solids-containing fluid, said concentrator comprising (1) a housing characterized by a longitudinal axis and having an inlet for introducing a solidscontaining fluid into said housing and an outlet for removing a concentrated slurry of solids therefrom; (2) at least two substantially parallel, coaxially spaced apart and relatively stationary filter means mounted within said housing between said inlet and said outlet, said filter means each comprising a filter chamber having at least one filtering surface with the interior of each filter chamber being in fluid communication with the exterior of said housing for the removal of filtrate from those chambers and filtering surfaces on said two filter means being in facing relation one to the other from filter means to filter means; (3) a rotor shaft extending coaxially through said housing and disposed to have a motor means connected thereto for imposing rotation thereon; (4) a rotor disc mounted to said rotor shaft to be rotated therewith coaxially with said filter means and located between opposite, facing filtering surfaces thereof to thereby provide a flow path for solids-containing fluid from said inlet to said outlet which extends across said filtering surfaces and from one side of said disc to The opposite side thereof passing around the peripheral outer edge of said disc between that edge and the interior surface of said housing, and (5) at least one plough member extending outwardly from the peripheral, outer edge of said rotor disc into said flow path to deter accumulation of solids between said two filter means in the region defined radially between the interior surface of said housing and said outer edge of said rotor disc as said rotor shaft and disc are rotated and said plough member is rotated therewith.

Claim 3

A dynamic concentrator as set forth in claim 1 wherein said filter means are annular members.

Claim 4

A dynamic concentrator as set forth in claim 1 wherein a plurality of said plough members extend outwardly from the peripheral, outer edge of said rotor disc and are equally spaced therearound.

Claim 5

A dynamic concentrator as set forth in claim 1 wherein said plough member extends radially outwardly from said rotor disc.

Claim 6

A dynamic concentrator as set forth in claim 1 wherein said plough member is curved in the directions of curvature of the peripheral, outer edge of said rotor disc.

Claim 7

A dynamic concentrator as set forth in claim 1 wherein said plough member is disposed perpendicularly to the plane of said rotor disc.

Claim 8

A dynamic concentrator as set forth in claim 1 wherein said plough member is inclined to the plane of said rotor disc at an angle other than a right angle.

Claim 9

A dynamic concentrator for separating a filtrate and a concentrated slurry from a solids-containing fluid, said concentrator comprising (1) a housing characterized by a longitudinal axis and having an inlet for introducing a solids-containing fluid into said housing and an outlet for removing a concentrated slurry of solids therefrom; (2) at least two substantially parallel, coaxially spaced apart and relatively stationary filter means mounted within said housing between said inlet and said outlet, said filter means each being of annular configuration and each comprising a filter chamber having at least one filtering surface with the interior of each filter chamber being in fluid communication with the exterior of said housing for the removal of filtrate from those chambers; (3) a rotor shaft disposed to have motor means connected thereto for imposing rotation thereon extending coaxially through said housing and the central openings of said annularly configured filter means with perceptible radial clearance from the inner peripheries of the two filter means; (4) a radially extensive element mounted on said shaft to be turned therewith between said filter means in spaced relation to each of them; (5) at least one outer plough member mounted on and extending outwardly from the outer periphery of said radially extensive element and terminating adjacent but spaced apart from the interior surface of said housing, and (6) at least one inner plough member fixedly mounted on and extending inwardly from the inner periphery of each of said filter means and terminating adjacent but spaced apart from said rotor shaft whereby said outer and inner plough members cooperate to deter accumulation of solids between (i) said radially extensive element and the interior surface of said housing and (ii) the inner peripheries of said two annular filter means and said rotor shaft as said rotor shaft, radially extensive element and outer plough member are rotated at the same time creating relative movement between not only said outer plough member and the interior surface of said housing but also said inner plough members and said rotor shaft.

Claim 10

A dynamic concentrator for separating a filtrate and a concentrated slurry from a solids-containing fluid, said concentrator comprising (1) a housing characterized by a longitudinal axis and having an inlet for introducing a solids-containing fluid into said housing and an outlet for removing a concentrated slurry of solids therefrom; (2) at least two substantially parallel, coaxially spaced apart and relatively stationary filter means mounted within said housing between said inlet and said outlet, said filter means each being of annular configuration and each comprising a filter chamber having at least one filtering surface with the interior of each filter chamber being in fluid communication with the exterior of said housing for the removal of filtrate from those chambers; (3) a rotor shaft disposed to have motor means connected thereto for imposing rotation thereon extending coaxially through said housing and the central openings of said annularly configured filter means with perceptible radial clearance from the inner peripheries of the two filter means; (4) a radially extensive element mounted on said shaft to be turned therewith between said filter means in spaced relation to each of them; (5) at least one outer plough member mounted on and extending outwardly from the outer periphery of said radially extensive element and terminating adjacent but spaced apart from the interior surface of said housing, and (6) at least one inner plough member fixedly mounted on and extending inwardly from the inner periphery of each of said filter means and terminating adjacent but spaced apart from said rotor shaft whereby said outer and inner plough members cooperate to deter accumulation of solids between (i) said radially extensive element and the interior surface of said housing and (ii) the inner peripheries of said two annular filter means and said rotor shaft as said rotor shaft, radially extensive element and outer plough member are rotated at the same time creating relative movement between not only said outer plough member and the interior surface of said housing but also said inner plough members and said rotor shaft.

Claim 11

A dynamic concentrator as set forth in claim 8 wherein said radially extensive element has at least one passageway therethrough in juxtaposition to said rotor shaft for a minor flow of said solids-containing fluid through said radial element.

Claim 12

A dynamic concentrator as set forth in claim 9, said concentrator further comprising at least one plough member mounted adjacent the downstream side of said passagEway through said radially extensive element and disposed to be rotated with that element and said rotor shaft and configured to provide forward thrust on solids-containing fluid issuing through said passageway.