Rotary filter apparatus having continuous web supporting a sheet filter media

Claim 1

A FILTER APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM A SLURRY, COMPRISING A TANK HAVING AN INLET AND AN OUTLET FOR SAID SLURRY, A ROTARY DRUM HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL AXIS AND EXTENDING INTO SAID TANK FOR PARTIAL IMMERSION INTO THE SLURRY, THE DRUM HAVING A CYLINDRICAL PERIPHERAL WALL WITH PERFORATIONS THEREIN, THE PERIPHERAL WALL DEFINING THE OUTER WALL OF A SUCTION CHAMBER IN THE DRUM, AN ENDLES CARRIER WEB, CARRIER AND GUIDE MEANS MOUNTED ABOVE SAID TANK AND COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF ROLLERS POSITIONED TO GUIDE SAID ENDLESS CARRIER WEB TO SURROUND A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THE PERIPHERAL WALL OF THE DRUM AND TO EXTEND SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTALLY FROM THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID DRUM TO A POSITION REMOTE FROM SAID DRUM, WHEREBY ONLY A SMALL EXPOSED PORTION OF THE DRUM IS UNCOVERED BY THE CARRIER WEB IN A REGION ABOVE THE SLURRY, A SUPPLY MEANS INCLUDING A ROLL OF A DISPOSABLE FILTER MEDIA, MEANS CONTINUOUSLY FEEDING THE DISPOSABLE FILTER MEANS FROM SAID ROLL TO OVERLIE THE CARRIER WEB AROUND SAID SUBSTANTIAL PORTION THE PERPHERAL WALL OF THE DRUM SO THAT THE FILTER MEDIA OVERLIES THE WEB ON THE DRUM AT LEAST IN THE PART THEREOF IMMERSED IN THE SLURRY AND OVERLIES SAID WEB ON A HORIZONTAL PORTION THEREOF EXTENDING FROM SAID DRUM TO SAID REMOTE POSITION, SAID FEEDING MEANS COMPRISING ROLL MEANS POSITIONED TO CONTINUOUSLY HOLD SAID FILTER MEDIA AWAY FROM CONTACT WITH THE OUTSIDE OF SAID TANK, SUCTION MEANS CONTINOUSLY OPERABLE WITHIN SAID SUCTION CHAMBER TO KEEP THE FILTER MEDIA AND WEB WRAPPED THEREAROUND PRESSED AGAINST SAID PERIPHERAL WALL AND TO CAUSE THE SOLIDS FROM THE SLURRY TO SEPARATE ONTO THE FILTER MEDIA AS THE LIQUID OF THE SLURRY PASSES THROUGH THE FILTER MEDIA AND CARRIER WEB AND THROUGH SAID PERFORATIONS FOR DISCHARGE FROM THE DRUM, AND MEANS FOR INHIBITING LOSS OF VACUUM IN THE DRUM BY WAYS OF SAID EXPOSED PORTION OF THE DRUM.