US4081375A — Filter belt construction

Claim 1

Independent Claim 399 words

A filter for removing particles entrained in a liquid, consisting of a supporting frame, said supporting frame comprising a housing forming a reservoir having imperforate side walls and a bottom for holding a volume of sediment-holding liquid, a major portion of said bottom of said reservoir having an inclined planar opening, a single layer endless filter belt extending closely over said opening, driving means on said frame causing passage of said filter belt across said opening and then a return run back to said opening, said belt traveling outside said reservoir at ambient temperature and inside said reservoir in hot liquid, a closed suction box beneath substantially said entire opening, means for providing a vacuum in said box, a plurality of cylindrical uncrowned belt-supporting rolls rotatably mounted in spaced parallel relation on said frame, said endless filter belt mounted to pass over said rolls moving slowly, said belt being a single layer of generally delicate metallic woven mesh between 200 microns and 60 microns square of wires as small as 0.007 inches diameter, said belt having a length between rolls about two to five times its width, means for moving and tracking said belt including a link belt endless chain outside each longitudinal side edge of said belt, each link in each of said chains rotatably supporting two parallel rollers crosswise of said filter belt, extra link means on opposite sides of said chains connecting adjacent links, a bracket member pivotally supported between adjacent links on the inside thereof, each said bracket member having a rigid flange extending at right angles over the adjacent edge of the belt, means firmly fixing said flange to said adjacent edge of said belt with the plane of said belt substantially coinciding with the plane of the rotating axes of said rollers, said filter belt being uninterrupted crosswise between said brackets on opposite sides thereof, power means for driving said chains including a drive shaft for one of said rolls and drive sprocket means on said shaft outside of said one roll, said power means driving said one roll and said sprocket means simultaneously, whereby said filter belt may track in a straight line and may bend first in one direction and then in the opposite direction if necessary, without extra strain on the belt, and a straight doctor blade may scrape collected particle material off substantially the full width of said belt.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 399 words

A filter for removing particles entrained in a liquid, consisting of a supporting frame, said supporting frame comprising a housing forming a reservoir having imperforate side walls and a bottom for holding a volume of sediment-holding liquid, a major portion of said bottom of said reservoir having an inclined planar opening, a single layer endless filter belt extending closely over said opening, driving means on said frame causing passage of said filter belt across said opening and then a return run back to said opening, said belt traveling outside said reservoir at ambient temperature and inside said reservoir in hot liquid, a closed suction box beneath substantially said entire opening, means for providing a vacuum in said box, a plurality of cylindrical uncrowned belt-supporting rolls rotatably mounted in spaced parallel relation on said frame, said endless filter belt mounted to pass over said rolls moving slowly, said belt being a single layer of generally delicate metallic woven mesh between 200 microns and 60 microns square of wires as small as 0.007 inches diameter, said belt having a length between rolls about two to five times its width, means for moving and tracking said belt including a link belt endless chain outside each longitudinal side edge of said belt, each link in each of said chains rotatably supporting two parallel rollers crosswise of said filter belt, extra link means on opposite sides of said chains connecting adjacent links, a bracket member pivotally supported between adjacent links on the inside thereof, each said bracket member having a rigid flange extending at right angles over the adjacent edge of the belt, means firmly fixing said flange to said adjacent edge of said belt with the plane of said belt substantially coinciding with the plane of the rotating axes of said rollers, said filter belt being uninterrupted crosswise between said brackets on opposite sides thereof, power means for driving said chains including a drive shaft for one of said rolls and drive sprocket means on said shaft outside of said one roll, said power means driving said one roll and said sprocket means simultaneously, whereby said filter belt may track in a straight line and may bend first in one direction and then in the opposite direction if necessary, without extra strain on the belt, and a straight doctor blade may scrape collected particle material off substantially the full width of said belt.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 90 words

A filter as defined in claim 1, said means for moving and tracking said belt including driving sprockets fixed on opposite ends of one of said supporting rolls meshing with said rollers of said chains to drive them equally thereby, and said sprockets of a thickness less than the length of said rollers of said chains whereby said tracking of said belt may be accomplished by a pulling force directed outwardly from one side or the other of said belt and sideways pushing forces on said belt edges are eliminated.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 90 words

A filter as defined in claim 2, said means for moving and tracking said belt including smoothly rimmed discs fixed on opposite ends of one or more of said supporting rolls on which may ride said rollers of said chains whereby said tracking of said belt may be accomplished by a pulling force directed outwardly from one side or the other of said belt and pushing forces on said belt edges are eliminated, and said chains are allowed to equalize in tension by slipping around the periphery of said discs.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 97 words

A filter as defined in claim 2, said means for moving and tracking said belt including annular square bottomed grooves in the hubs on opposite ends of one or more of said supporting rolls in which may ride said side links of said chains whereby said tracking of said belt may be accomplished by a pulling force directed outwardly from one side or the other of said belt and pushing forces on said belt edges are eliminated, and said chains are allowed to equalize in tension by slipping around the periphery of said annular square bottomed grooves.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 173 words

A filter as defined in claim 2 in which said supporting frame comprises a housing forming a reservoir having imperforate side walls and a bottom for holding a volume of sediment-holding liquid, at least a part of said bottom of said reservoir having an inclined planar opening, said endless filter belt extending closely over said opening, said driving and tracking means causing passage of said filter belt across said opening and then a return run back to said opening, a closed suction box beneath said opening, means for providing a vacuum in said box, means for detecting when said liquid in said reservoir reaches a predetermined level, means responsive to said detecting means for causing said driving and tracking means to move said filter belt a distance up said inclined opening whereby to present a cleaner portion of said filter belt over said opening, and including means for introducing said sediment-holding liquid into said reservoir below the level of the liquid therein, whereby to reduce turbulence and to reduce aeration of said liquid.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 229 words

A filter as defined in claim 2 in which said supporting frame comprises a housing forming a reservoir having imperforate side walls and a bottom for holding a volume of sediment-holding liquid, at least a part of said bottom of said reservoir having an inclined planar opening, said endless filter belt extending closely over said opening, said driving and tracking means causing passage of said filter belt across said opening and then a return run back to said opening, a closed suction box beneath said opening, means for providing a vacuum in said box, means for detecting when said liquid in said reservoir reaches a predetermined level, means responsive to said detecting means for causing said driving and tracking means to move said filter belt a distance up said inclined opening whereby to present a cleaner portion of said filter belt over said opening, and wherein said filter belt travels in a generally L-shape pattern with its apex at the bottom and with an operating run and a return run including a drive roll at the outer end of one leg of said L-shape pattern and a tension roll at the outside of said L-shape at the apex and with a top roll at the outer end of the other leg of said L-shape, and with an idler roll at the inside of said L-shape pattern at the apex.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 130 words

A filter as defined in claim 1, said means for moving and tracking said belt including driving sprockets on opposite ends of one of said supporting rolls meshing with said rollers of said chains, one of said sprockets fixed on its associated end of said one roll, the other of said sprockets is restrained from rotation relative to its associated end of said one roll but is free to move axially of said associated roll, to drive them equally thereby, and said sprockets of a thickness less than the length of said rollers of said chains whereby said tracking of said belt may be accomplished by a pulling force directed outwardly from one side of said belt or sideways pushing force directed inwardly toward the same side of the belt.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1981-03-27	1981-09-26	1982-03-28	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1985-03-27	1985-09-26	1986-03-28	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1989-03-27	1989-09-26	1990-03-28	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Filter belt construction

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