MOVABLE FILTER MEDIA

Abstract: A plural drive fluid filtering arrangement wherein two filtering belts separately driven are fed into a dirty fluid first section of a fluid receiving tank with the dirty fluid being filtered by the filtering belts and passed as cleaned fluid to a communicating second section of the fluid receiving tank.

Description: Movable filter media BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to movable filter media for fluid filters and more particularly to a unique and novel fluid filter apparatus and method wherein plural filter belts are each separately driven through an enclosed filtering receptacle tank adapted to receive and filter particulate matter from dirty fluids introduced into the receptacle tank. The broad concept of driving a disposable sheet or belt of filter media into and out of a dirty fluid receptacle tank by means of a lower portion of an endless belt drive with the filter media filtering the dirty fluid introduced into a first section of a tank before the fluid is passed to communicating clean fluid second tank section has been long known in the fluid filtration art. In this regard, attention is directed to U.S. patents No. 3,087,620 and to U.S. patent No. 3,091 ,336. Subsequent fluid filter arrangements comparable to the structural arrangements disclosed in these patents have been introduced into the filtration art, attention being directed to the more recently issued U. S. patents No. 4,661 ,25 1 , wherein a portion of a closed loop filter media is moved through a receptacle tank by the lower flights of an endless conveyor. In the US patent No. 5,624,579, plural filter belts are disclosed as being introduced into a dirty fluid receptacle tank similar to that known in the art, one of the filter belts being of an endless permanent nature with an upper portion of tile endless permanent belt passing through the dirty fluid receptacle below a disposable filter belt which disposable filter belt is driven by the lower flight portion of a powered endless chain, the alleged principal feature of the aforenoted patent being that the lower most permanent endless filter belt is moved solely by frictional engagement with the conveyor driven disposable belt. The present invention, recognizing the desirability of the efficient use of plural filter medias in a fluid filter receptacle, further recognizes the past problems which can occur in such fluid filter systems that depend upon moving one filter media belt by frictional engagement with another filter media belt which is directly driven. In such past plural filter media arrangements these recognized problems - which are now resolved by the present invention - include unpredictable differing belt movements brought about by differing belt speeds and by difference, belt turning radii which, in turn, can lead to fluid filtering breakdown due to belt clogging and tearing and to undesirable dirty Fine particulate penetration to the clean side of a system. To avoid or at least minimize such recognized past problems and their consequences, the present invention, as described in detail hereinafter, provides an efficient, economical and straight forward arrangement which allows for the efficient fluid filtering use of plural filter media belts and, at the same time, minimizes the possible accompanying past problem occurrences. It is to be understood that various other features of the present invention will become obvious to one skilled in the art upon reading the disclosure set forth hereinafter. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION More particularly the present invention provides: a fluid filter apparatus comprising: fluid receiving tank means having opposed side walls and including a first tank section to receive a dirty fluid to be filtered from a dirty fluid source and a second tank section to receive remaining clean fluid after it has been filtered, a first longitudinally extending move- able porous filter means to separate out particulate matter from dirty fluid as the dirty fluid passes from the first tank section to the second tank section; a first drive means connected to the first filter means; a longitudinally extending at least second porous filter means cooperative with the first filter means in separating out particulate matter from the dirty fluid as the dirty fluid passes from the first tank section to the second tank section; and a second drive means for the second filter means, at least one of the first and second drive means being adjustably controlled with respect to movement of the other drive means. In addition, the present invention provides a method of filtering dirty fluid comprising: passing the dirty fluid into an enclosed dirty fluid receiving first zone communica- bly connected through a perforated septum to an enclosed clean fluid receiving second zone; and selectively and independently moving at least two porous filter medium belts through the dirty fluid receiving first zone in paths adjacent the perforated septum whereby impurities in the dirty fluids passed from the first zone to the second zone are removed by the filter belts. It is to be understood that various changes can be made by one skilled in the art in one or more of the several parts of the apparatus and the several steps of the method, as described hereinafter, without departing from the scope or spirit of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Referring to the drawings which disclose one advantageous embodiment of the present invention: Figure 1 is a broken away side view of one advantageous embodiment of the present invention; and, Figure 2 is an enlarged side view of a portion of a lower part of the apparatus as shown in Figure 1. DETAILED DESCRRPTION OF THE INVENTION As can be seen in the drawings, the novel fluid filter apparatus 2 includes a fluid receiving plenum tank 3 to receive dirty fluids to be cleaned, such as particulate laden machining fluids in one or more metal working machining operations. Tank 3, as known in the art and as disclose ion the above prior art references, includes pairs of spaced fluid impervious side walls 4 which are arranged to provide a first tank section 6 to a receive a dirty fluid to be filtered from a dirty fluid source and a successive second tank section 7, the two sections 6 and 7 being separaten by a perforated septum 8 (shown in block form). The second tank section 7 serves to provide a vacuum chamber to receive cleaned fluids, cleaned in first tank section 6 in a novel manner described hereinafter, with the cleaned fluids passing through perforated septum 8 positioned between the two successive tank sections 6 and 7. In accordance with the present invention a permanent, porous endless filter belt 9, which can be made from any one of a number of suitable permanent filter materials known in the art - such as a woven polyester - is shown as including lower portion disposed to be moved over perforated septum 8 between dirty fluid receiving first tank section 6 and clean fluid vacuum second section 7. The permanent, porous, endless filter belt 9 has a filter belt drive assembly 11 positioned externally of the fluid receiving tank 3 along one side thereof to selectively and incrementally move the lower portion of the endless belt 9 over the perforated septum 8, the filter belt 9 serving to clean the dirty fluid introduced into first tank section 6 as the fluid passes through the perforated septum 8 to the successive clean fluid second vacuum section 7 of receiving tank 3. Motor 12 through appropriate gearing 13 (only shown schematically) accompanied by a drive overload device 15 and a limit switch 20, drives roller 14 around which permanent filter belt 9 is mounted. Suitable idler rolls are positioned relative tank 3 to pass the belt below tank 3 and return the belt 9 into receiving tank 3 with the lower portion of the permanent belt 9 passing over perforated septum 8 in dirty fluid filtering position. It is to be noted that a novel permanent filter belt cleaning station 16 is provided externally of receiving tank 3 upstream of filter belt drive assembly 11. Filter belt station 16 includes a fluid capture trough 17 above which are positioned uniquely spaced idler guild rolls about which belt 9 passes so as to be in a tortuous path to thus spread open the pores of opposed belt faces for adjacent liquid flushing and brushing by spray brush and flush tools 18 shown schematically along with mist collector 18', the arrangement positioned adjacent • opposed faces of endless permanent belt 9. Thus, the porous, endless permanent filter belt 9 is brushed and brushed clean of particulate matter which might be entrapped in the permanent belt 9, before endless belt 9 is returned to the belt drive assembly around receiving tank bottom 3 and to fluid cleaning position at the lower part of first tank section 6. In another novel feature of the present invention, a disposable filter media belt supply roll 9 is disposed, along with a replacement roll extremely of receiving tank 3, at one end thereof as can be seen in Figure 1 of the drawings. A second disposable belt 21 - which can be non- woven synthetic material - is fed from the supply roll 19 into receiving tank 3 and above and adjacent along the lower portion of permanent filter belt 9. Disposable belt 21 is then moved out of receiving tank 3 to be discharged through chute. In accordance with the present invention it is important that disposable belt 21 move incrementally along with the incremental movement of permanent belt 9 so as to avoid the aforedescribed particulate accumulation therebetween, belt slippage and belt tearing. To accomplish a preselected synchronisation of movement, disposable belt 19 is separately and independently moved by an endless chain drive belt 23, the flights 24 at the lower portion of endless chain drive belt 23 engaging disposable media belt 21. To move endless chain belt 23 in a controlled and preselected synchronous and incremental fashion, a suitable drive assembly 25 can be seen in Figure 1 as including a synchronously controlled drive motor 26 and drive chain and sprocket 27 synchronised with drive motor 12 (in a manner known in the art of motor control and not shown herewith). Thus, movements of permanent filter belt 9 and disposable filter belt 21 are adjustably controlled with respect to each other minimizing the aforementioned possibilities of particulate gathering, slippage and filter belt tearing. In accordance with the novel method of the present invention dirty fluid to be cleaned of particulate matter can be passed into a first fluid receiving zone which is communicably connected through a perforated septum to enclosed clean fluid receiving zone. At least two porous filter medium belts one of which is permanent and the other disposable are synchronously and independently driven in the first fluid receiving zone in the same direction at substantially the same speed with the dirty fluid passing through both filter belts into the clean fluid zone with a minimum of slippage, particule accumulation and filter tearing. In accordance with still another feature of the novel method, the permanent belt can be cleaned outside of the zones by passing the belt through a tortuous path to spread open •the pores of the belt along opposed faces for brushing and flushing steps.

Claims: CLAIMS 1.) A fluid filter apparatus comprising: fluid receiving tank means having opposed side walls and including a first tank section to receive a dirty fluid to be filtered from a dirty fluid source and a second tank section to receive remaining clean fluid after it has been filtered, a first longitudinally extending movable porous filter means to separate out particulate matter from said dirty fluid as said dirty fluid passes from said first tank section to said second tank section, a first drive means connected to said first filter means, a longitudinally extending second porous filter means cooperative with said first filter means in separating out particulate matter from said dirty fluid as said dirty fluid passes from said first tank section to said second tank section, and a second drive means for said second filter means, at least one of said first and second drive means being adjustably controlled with respect to movement of said other drive means. 2.) The fluid filter apparatus of Claim 1 , wherein said first and second drive means are synchronised to provide for substantially the same movement of said first and second filter means. 3.) The fluid filter apparatus of Claim 1 , wherein at least one drive means provided with a drive overload and limit switch arrangement. 4.) The fluid apparatus of Claim 1 , wherein at least said first porous filter means is in the form of a permanent endless filter media belt. 5.) The fluid apparatus of Claim 1 , wherein said second filter means is in the form of a disposable filter media belt. 6.) The fluid apparatus of Claim 5, wherein said disposable filter media belt is fed from one extremity of said fluid receiving tank and collected for disposal at the opposite extremity of said tank. 7.) The fluid filter apparatus of Claim 1 , said receiving tank means including a vacuum chamber cooperatively disposed relative said first and second filter means and separated therefrom by a perforated septum to receive cleaned fluids therefrom. 8.) The fluid filter apparatus of Claim 1 , said first porous filter means is in the form of a permanent porous filter media belt and said first drive means is in the form of a belt drive assembly disposed externally of said receiving tank means. 9.) The fluid apparatus of Claim 1 , said second filter media being in the form of a disposable filter media belt fed from a rolled supply source disposed externally of said receiving tank means, said second drive means for said second filter media belt being in the form of an endless chain drive including lower flights cooperative with said disposable filter media belt to drive the same along a path between said first and second tank sections of said receiving tank means. 10.) The fluid filter apparatus of Claim 1 , and a filter belt cleaning assembly disposed externally of said tank including spaced idler rollers and fluid flush and brush cleaning tools arranged to provide a tortuous path for said permanent filter belt to spread open the pores of opposed faces of said permanent filter belt, as said belt passes therealong for fluid flush and brush cleaning thereof. 11.) A fluid filter apparatus comprising: a fluid receiving plenum tank including pairs of spaced opposed side walls to include a first tank section to receive a dirty fluid to be filtered from a dirty fluid source and a successive second tank section separated from said first tank section by a perforated septum to define a vacuum chamber to receive cleaned fluids from said first tank section; a permanent, porous endless falter belt including a lower portion disposed to.be moved over said perforated septum between said first and second tank sections, said permanent, porous, endless filter belt having a filter belt drive assembly positioned externally of said fluid receiving tank to selectively move said lower- portion of said permanent belt over said perforated septum and a filter belt cleaning assembly also positioned externally of said fluid receiving tank, said cleaning assembly including spaced idler rollers and fluid flush and brush cleaning tools arranged to provide a tortuous path for said permanent belt to spread open the pores of opposed faces of said permanent belt as said permanent belt passes therealong for fluid flush and brush cleaning thereof, a disposable filter media belt arranged to be passed from a rolled supply source disposed externally of said receiving tank means at one end thereof into said tank and along and adjacent the lower portion of said permanent filter belt and out of said receiving tank at the other end thereof, and a motor driven endless chain having lower flight portions disposed to engage said disposable filter media belt and move the same, the movements of the permanent and disposable filter media belts being adjustably controlled with respect to each other. 12.) A method of filtering dirty fluid comprising: passing said dirty fluid into an enclosed dirty fluid receiving first zone communicably connected through a perforated septum to an enclosed clean fluid receiving second zone; and selectively and independently moving at least two porous filter medium belts through said dirty fluid receiving first zone in paths adjacent said perforated septum whereby impurities in said fluids passed from said first zone to said second zone are removed by said filter belts. 13.) The filtering method of Claim 12, wherein one of said filter medium belts is permanent and the other is disposable. 14.) The filtering method of Claim 12, wherein said filter medium belts are synchronously and independently driven in the same direction at substantially the same speeds. 15.) The filtering method of Claim 13, wherein said permanent filter belt is cleaned externally of said zones by passing said belt through a tortuous zone to spread open pores on opposed belt faces and flushing and brushing opposed open pore faces.

Inventors: CROKET FRANK M, CROKET, FRANK, M.
Applicants: MANN & HUMMEL FILTER, FILTERWERK MANN+HUMMEL GMBH
Application year: 1999
Main classification: B01D29
IPC codes: B01D29