Water cooled sleeve

Claim 1

A sleeve for use in a mechanical screw press for compressing loose solid particles along a passage defined by screen bars supported by said sleeve to form an interior wall for said press, said screen bars defining elongated apertures along the length of said press for permitting fluids expressed from said loose solid particles to pass out of said passage, said sleeve comprising: a curved inner wall defining a first radius of curvature; a curved outer wall defining a second radius of curvature; first and second side edges extending parallel to a longitudinal axis of said sleeve and connecting said inner and outer walls; a plurality of drainage apertures formed through said walls and located between said first and second side edges for permitting drainage of fluids passing through said elongated apertures defined by said screen bars, said drainage apertures including lateral edges extending substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis; and slots between said side edges and said drainage apertures, said slots extending radially inwardly from said inner wall toward said outer wall such that fluid passing through said elongated apertures defined by said screen bars located adjacent to said side edges will flow into said slots and then through said drainage apertures.