Dewatering system

Claim 2

Apparatus for dewatering flowable aqueous material or the like comprising a first endless porous belt movable along its length through an upper flight toward a rotatable dewatering drum, then through a downward arc around a portion of said dewatering drum, then through a lower return flight in a sinuous path in sequence around the arcuate upper and lower surfaces of a series of rollers, feed means for depositing flowable aqueous material on the upper surface of said first belt at a first position along the upper flight, a second endless porous belt movable along its length toward said dewatering drum into sandwiched relationship with said first endless belt about the material and movable with said first endless belt along the upper flight of said first endless belt toward said dewatering drum and around a portion of said dewatering drum and around the arcuate upper and lower surfaces of said series of rollers, and a third endless belt means movable into sandwiched relationship with said first and second endless belts and the material carried by said first and second endless belts as the first and second endless belts move along the lower return flight for urging the first and second endless belts and the material carried thereby in compression against the surfaces of the series of rollers of said plurality of rollers as said first and second endless belts move through the lower return flight, means for applying tension to said third endless belt means, said third endless belt means and said plurality of rollers being arranged to apply progressively increased pressures to the sandwiched first and second belts and the material carried thereby as the first and second endless belts move around subsequent ones of the series of rollers in the return flight.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 and wherein the diameter of a first one of the rollers of said series of said rollers about which said third endless belt means moves is larger than the diameter of a subsequent one of said rollers of said series of rollers about which said third endless belt means moves, whereby the material moving about the rollers is squeezed with more pressure as it passes about said smaller diameter subsequent one of said rollers.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 1 and wherein said first belt is movable up an incline as it moves along its upper flight.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 1 and wherein said first and second endless belts are movable apart after moving about said plurality of rollers, and further including first means for urging the material to move in a downward direction away from said first endless belt to separate from said first endless belt and to continue to move with said second endless belt as the first and second endless belts move apart from each other, and second means for urging the material to move in a downward direction away from said second endless belt to separate from the second endless belt.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 4 and wherein said first and second means for urging the material comprises means for directing a flow of air against and through said first and second endless belts.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 1 and further comprising means for detecting the porosity of said first and second endless belts, and means responsive to the detection of low porosity of said belts for directing a flow of fluid through said belts.

Claim 8

Apparatus for dewatering a flowable aqueous material and the like comprising a first endless belt movable along its length first through an approximately horizontal upper run, then through a downward arc about a dewatering drum and then through a lower return run in sequence about a series of rollers, feed means for depositing a flowable aqueous material and the like on the upper surface of said first endless belt at a first position along the upper run, a second endless belt movable along its length toward said dewatering drum and into overlying relationship with the material and said first endless belt as first endless belt moves along its upper run to hold the material between said first and second endless belts as said belts move toward said dewatering drum and movable with the material and said first endless belt about said series of roller along the lower return run, a third endless belt movable along its length into overlying relationship with and on one side of said first and second endless belts as said first and second endless belts move in sequence about said series of rollers along the lower return run whereby said third endless belt moves on the outside of said first and second endless belts and the material carried thereby and around arcs of at least two of said rollers, the diameters of said at least two of said rollers being progressively smaller from one roller to the next, means for applying tension to said third endless belt whereby progressively more pressure is applied to the material between said first and second endless belts as the material passes in sequence around arcs of said at least two of said rollers, a fourth endless belt movable along its length into overlying relationship with and on the other side of said first and second endless belts from said third endless belt as said endless belts move in sequence about said series of rollers along the lower return run whereby said fourth endless belt moves on the outside of said first, second and third endless belts and the material carried thereby and around arcs of at least two others of said rollers, the diameters of said at least two others of said rollers being progressively smaller from one roller to the next, and means for applying tension to said fourth endless belt whereby progressively more pressure is applied to the material between said first and second endless belts as the material passes in sequence around arcs of said at least two others of said rollers.

Claim 9

Apparatus for dewatering a flowable aqueous material and the like comprising a first endless belt movable along its length first through an approximately horizontal upper run, then through a downward arc about a dewatering drum and then through a lower return run in sequence about a series of rollers, feed means for depositing a flowable aqueous material and the like on the upper surface of said first endless belt at a first position along the upper run, a second endless belt movable along its length toward said dewatering drum and into overlying relationship with the material and said first endless belt as first endless belt moves along its upper run to hold the material between said first and second endless belts as said belts move toward said dewatering drum and movable with the material and said first endless belt about said series of roller along the lower return run, a third endless belt movable along its length into overlying relationship with and on one side of said first and second endless belts as said first and second endless belts move in sequence about said series of rollers along the lower return run whereby said third endless belt moves on the outside of said first and second endless belts and the material carried thereby and around arcs of at least two of said rollers, the diameters of said at least two of said rollers being progressively smaller from one roller to the next, means for applying tension to said third endless belt whereby progressively more pressure is applied to the material between said first and second endless belts as the material passes in sequence around arcs of said at least two of said rollers, a fourth endless belt movable along its length into overlying relationship with and on the other side of said first and second endless belts from said third endless belt as said endless belts move in sequence about said series of rollers along the lower return run whereby said fourth endless belt moves on the outside of said first, second and third endless belts and the material carried thereby and around arcs of at least two others of said rollers, the diameters of said at least two others of said rollers being progressively smaller from one roller to the next, and means for applying tension to said fourth endless belt whereby progressively more pressure is applied to the material between said first and second endless belts as the material passes in sequence around arcs of said at least two others of said rollers.

Claim 10

Apparatus for dewatering a flowable aqueous material or the like comprising a first endless belt movable along its length through an upper run, and then through a downward arc about a dewatering drum, and then through a lower return run in a sinuous path in sequence about a plurality of rollers with the diameters of at least two of the rollers being smaller from one roller to the next, feed means for depositing flowable aqueous material on the upper surface of said first belt along its upper run, a second endless belt movable into sandwiched relationship with said first endless belt about the material as said first endless belt moves along its upper run and then movable with said first endless belt about said dewatering drum and in sequence about said plurality of rollers, and a third belt movable over the sandwiched first and second endless belts in sequence around arcs of said at least two of the rollers of said plurality of rollers for squeezing the sandwiched first and second endless belts together about the material carried by said first and second endless belts throughout the movement of the endless belts about the arcs of the surfaces of said at least two of the rollers of said plurality of rollers with progressively increasing pressure for subsequent ones of said at least two of the rollers and substantially without imparting tension to said first and second endless belts.

Claim 11

Apparatus for dewatering a flowable aqueous material or the like comprising a first endless belt movable along its length through an upper run, and then through a downward arc about a dewatering drum, and then through a lower return run in a sinuous path in sequence about a plurality of rollers with the diameters of at least two of the rollers being smaller from one roller to the next, feed means for depositing flowable aqueous material on the upper surface of said first belt along its upper run, a second endless belt movable into sandwiched relationship with said first endless belt about the material as said first endless belt moves along its upper run and then movable with said first endless belt about said dewatering drum and in sequence about said plurality of rollers, and a third belt movable over the sandwiched first and second endless belts in sequence around arcs of said at least two of the rollers of said plurality of rollers for squeezing the sandwiched first and second endless belts together about the material carried by said first and second endless belts throughout the movement of the endless belts about the arcs of the surfaces of said at least two of the rollers of said plurality of rollers with progressively increasing pressure for subsequent ones of said at least two of the rollers and substantially without imparting tension to said first and second endless belts.

Claim 12

Apparatus for dewatering a flowable aqueous material or the like comprising a first endless woven fiber belt movable along its length through an upper run, and then through a downward arc about a dewatering drum, and then through a lower return run in a sinuous path in sequence about a plurality of rollers with the diameters of at least some of the rollers being smaller from one roller to the next, feed means for depositing flowable aqueous material on the upper surface of said first belt along its upper run, a second endless woven fiber belt movable into sandwiched relationship with said first endless belt about the material as said first endless belt moves along its upper run and then movable with said first endless belt about said dewatering drum and in sequence about said plurality of rollers, and a woven steel belt movable with said first and second belts through the lower return run in the sinuous path about the plurality of rollers and means for applying tension to said woven steel belt whereby the woven steel belt squeezes the sandwiched first and second endless belts together about the material carried by said first and second endless belts throughout the movement of the endless belts about the arcs of the surfaces of said at least some of the rollers of said plurality of rollers with progressively increasing pressure for subsequent ones of said at least some of the rollers and substantially without imparting tension to said first and second endless belts.

Claim 13

Apparatus for dewatering a flowable aqueous material or the like comprising a first endless woven fiber belt movable along its length through an upper run, and then through a downward arc about a dewatering drum, and then through a lower return run in a sinuous path in sequence about a plurality of rollers with the diameters of at least some of the rollers being smaller from one roller to the next, feed means for depositing flowable aqueous material on the upper surface of said first belt along its upper run, a second endless woven fiber belt movable into sandwiched relationship with said first endless belt about the material as said first endless belt moves along its upper run and then movable with said first endless belt about said dewatering drum and in sequence about said plurality of rollers, and a woven steel belt movable with said first and second belts through the lower return run in the sinuous path about the plurality of rollers and means for applying tension to said woven steel belt whereby the woven steel belt squeezes the sandwiched first and second endless belts together about the material carried by said first and second endless belts throughout the movement of the endless belts about the arcs of the surfaces of said at least some of the rollers of said plurality of rollers with progressively increasing pressure for subsequent ones of said at least some of the rollers and substantially without imparting tension to said first and second endless belts.

Claim 14

Apparatus for dewatering a flowable aqueous material or the like comprising a first endless belt movable along its length through an upper run, and then through a downward arc about a dewatering drum, and then through a lower return run in a sinuous path in sequence about a plurality of rollers, feed means for depositing flowable aqueous material on the upper surface of said first belt along its upper run, a second endless belt movable into sandwiched relationship with said first endless belt about the material as said first endless belt moves along its upper run and the movable with said first endless belt about said dewatering drum and in sequence about said plurality of rollers, and a third belt movable over the sandwiched first and second endless belts and around arcs of said at least two of the rollers of said plurality of rollers for squeezing the sandwiched first and second endless belts together about the material carried by said first and second endless belts throughout the movement of the endless belts about the arcs of the surfaces of at least some of the rollers of said plurality of rollers with progressively increasing pressure for subsequent ones of the rollers and substantially without imparting tension to said first and second endless belts.

Claim 15

Apparatus for dewatering a flowable aqueous material or the like comprising a first endless belt movable along its length through an upper run, and then through a downward arc about a dewatering drum, and then through a lower return run in a sinuous path in sequence about a plurality of rollers, feed means for depositing flowable aqueous material on the upper surface of said first belt along its upper run, a second endless belt movable into sandwiched relationship with said first endless belt about the material as said first endless belt moves along its upper run and the movable with said first endless belt about said dewatering drum and in sequence about said plurality of rollers, and a third belt movable over the sandwiched first and second endless belts and around arcs of said at least two of the rollers of said plurality of rollers for squeezing the sandwiched first and second endless belts together about the material carried by said first and second endless belts throughout the movement of the endless belts about the arcs of the surfaces of at least some of the rollers of said plurality of rollers with progressively increasing pressure for subsequent ones of the rollers and substantially without imparting tension to said first and second endless belts.

Claim 16

The apparatus of claim 10 and further including means for applying constant tension to said third belt.