Press for removing liquids from amorphous material

Claim 1

A press for removing liquid from amorphous material comprising, (a) a supporting framework, (b) a pressure chamber having an inlet at one end and an outlet at the other end, said chamber being mounted upon the supporting framework, (c) a curved screen formed from parallel bars comprising a portion of the pressure chamber, (d) said curved screen having a curved inner surface and having slots between the bars through which the liquid passes during operation, (e) pump means connected to the inlet for introducing said material into the chamber under pressure, (f) pressure control means connected to the outlet of the chamber through which material is exhausted from the chamber for controlling the pressure within the chamber, (g) a drum journaled for rotation concentrically within the chamber and spaced at a fixed uniform distance from the inner curved surface of the screen, (h) material flowing from the inlet to the outlet being thereby adapted to pass between the drum and the curved inner surface of the screen, (i) a longitudinal scraper blade between the screen and the drum extending the full length of the screen, said scraping blade having a scraping edge contacting the inner surface of the screen, and (j) the scraper blade being supported upon the drum without being connected thereto tightly to thereby permit play between the scraper blade and the drum whereby the blade tip can move to follow the contour of the screen, (k) means for imparting movement to the scraper to rotate the scraper blade within the pressure chamber whereby the scraping edge passes over the inner surface of the screen during operation, and (l) the pressure and flow of the material from the inlet through the pressure chamber to the outlet being controlled solely by the pump and the pressure control means.