Patent GB-1218822-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to filter presses
IPC: B01D25/172
Filed: 1968-01-27
Abstract: 1,218,822. Filter press-opening mechanism. MANOR ENG. CO. Ltd. 2 April, 1969 [27 Jan., 1968; 27 Feb., 1968; 29 March, 1968], Nos. 4384/68, 9374/68 and 15161/68. Heading B1D. Filter press plates are individually suspended by rollers 12 and guided by staggered rollers 14 on an I-section girder 19, and a carriage 40, frictionally mounted on a slotted tube 20, is reciprocated axially along the press to shift the plates 11 individually to the left by engaging them with spring-loaded pawl 60. Tube 20 is reciprocated by a cylinder (24), to whose rod (22) the tube is connected, the air supply to the cylinder being reversed by valves or switches (28, 30) engaged by block (26) carried by tube 20 (Fig. 1A, not shown). Carriage 40 moves leftwards with tube 20, which slides along a flange extending through its slot (Fig. 3, not shown), and pawl 60 carries plate 11a with the carriage. Towards the end of the stroke, the carriage is restrained against movement and consequently slides rightwards relative to tube 20, whose subsequent rightward movement conveys the carriage with it, so that pawl 60 latches over and engages behind the next plate 11b. The carriage could be restrained by plate 11a engaging plates 11 previously moved, but a separate restraining mechanism is illustrated, comprising a locking carriage 76, 78, frictionally slidable along a slotted tube 70 which is pivotable about its axis by rams (74) at each end. As shown, a spring-loaded detent 84 (Fig. 3) engages between plates 11a, 11b to prevent plate 11b being moved with plate 11a if the filter cake is sticky. An abutment 92 on carriage 40 engages a cam lever 90 on carriage 78, which turns the lever locking carriage 78 to flange (72) (Fig. 2, not shown) and restraining carriage 40 against further movement leftwards. As carriage 40 subsequently moves rightwards, lever 90 is released and carriage 40 engages abutment 86 so that carriages 40, 76, 78 move rightwards together. Stops (104, 106) on tube 20 actuate switches controlling rams (74) to pivot tube 70 about flange (72), so that detent 84 passes plate 11b, then engages between plates 11b, 11c to stop the carriages. At the end of a plate spreading run, the carriages are at the right-hand ends of their tubes 20, 70, and a rack 56 projecting from carriage 40 is forced leftwards by engaging an end stop, to unscrew an array of pins (44) (Figs. 4, 5, not shown) to relax the frictional engagement of carriage 40 and tube 20. Simultaneously a projection 105 is forced leftwards, shifting the spring loading of pawl 60 to raise the pawl. A cylinder 114, extending the length of the press is then automatically supplied with air, driving its piston to the right, this piston 'being joined by wire ropes 116, passing along the cylinder in both directions, round end pulleys to carriage 76, 78, which is thus moved to the left-hand end of the press, pushing carriage 40 before it. Cylinder 24 could be replaced by a linear electric motor, controlled by radio. Carriage 40 could have 'two pawls used in alternate spreading runs to move the plates to one or other ends of the press.