Improvements in or Applicable to Filter Presses for Treating Potter's Clay and other Substances.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Sept., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 2nd June, 1898- Accepted, 16th July, 1898
Improvements in or Applicable to Filter Presses for Treating
Potter's Clay and other Substances.
I, WILLIAM BOULTON, of Providence Foundry, Burslem, Staffordshire, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in or applicable to filter presses for
treating potter's clay and other substances, the same being specially applicable
to presses for reducing slip to the consistency of plastic clay by compressing the
water therefrom.
The present improvements are applicable to that class of such apparatus in
which the object of the invention is obtained by the combined operation of a series
of trays or filter-plates of grooved iron which are formed with a central hole, and
with peripheral rings projecting from their opposite faces, and are truly turned,
so that when two of the filter-plates are juxtaposed with their opposing faces
covered by double cloths of suitable fibrous material having central holes coincid-
ing with those of the filter-plates and being stitched together, they enclose a
chamber adapted to form a sheet of clay of the desired thickness, from the slip
which is pumped into the chamber through the central inlet and finds its way
between the cloths, the water filtering therethrough and entering the grooves in
the filter-plates and escaping thereby to a bottom outlet, while the clay is retained
between the cloths, the water being forced out by a hydraulic pump until the
clay becomes so hard or plastic that it will not admit any more water passing
through, when it is ready for being removed from the press.
In existing presses, the filter plates are supported by end standards connected
by side bars which extend the full length of the series of chambers and serve to
carry the filter-plates, the filter-plates being secured together, when in operation,
between two massive castings, one of which is fixed, while the other is actuated
by a supporting screw threaded rod which is carried by one of the end standards
and is actuated by gearing or otherwise. When it is required to remove the clay
from the chambers, the screw rod is turned sufficiently to allow of the filter-plates
being separated apart, which has hitherto been accomplished by and has required
two men, one on each side of the press, to slide the filter-plates along the side
bars, one after the other, sufficiently to permit of the sheet of clay being removed
from between them.
The present improvements have particular reference to an improved formation
of the filter-plates, whereby the turning or facing machine work on each side now
entailed in their manufacture is avoided and the manufacture is consequently
cheapened; and to the application to the press of means of enabling the filter-
plates to be separated and removed from each other, when it is required to remove
the clay from between them, and to be returned to position, by one man, in lieu of
requiring a man at each side of the press for the purpose as at present required.
To this end, in forming the filter-plates, I mould the same between opposite
truly-turned cast-iron rings, whereby the plates are caused to be moulded true on
each side with the raised parts and with a chilled and smooth surface of any

page_text: required breadth, and so that when applied to the frame and screwed up they will
truly face together with the depending cloths therebetween.
In carrying out the improvements secondly referred to, I erect, above the usual
end standards, other standards and connect the same by a horizontal top bar adapted
to carry a filter-plate lifting and shifting mechanism.
The upper part of each filter-plate, above the projections by which the cloths
are suspended, is formed with opposite lugs adapted to be engaged by a carrier
depending from a carriage which is suspended from said top bar, the carriage
being adapted to be rolled along such bar, while the filter-plate-carrier is adapted
to be raised into engagement with the filter-plate lugs as required.
The carriage is fitted with a shaft on which is secured a roller which rests on
said top bar and a pulley from which depends a rope or cord by which the
attendant can rotate the pulley and cause the carriage to travel along said top
bar, the motion of the carriage being kept in parallel relation to the axis of the
filter-plates by guide rollers fitted to it and running against the sides of the top
bar. The press-plate-carrier is mounted excentrically on a spindle carried by
the carriage and fitted with a laterally extending lever having a depending rod or
pull by which the attendant can cause the carrier to lift into engagement with
the lugs on the filter-plate after the carrier has been so moved as to bring the
carrier into position to make such engagement.
Thus, when the attendant, with one hand, causes the carrier to lift the filter-
plate from its side supporting bars, he, with the other hand, can cause the carriage
to travel along said top bar and remove the suspended filter-plate a sufficient
distance to allow of the sheet of clay being removed; and the series of filter-plates
can then be separately and successively shifted, and the clay sheets be removed,
by one man.
To avoid the furnishing of a tap to each tray or chamber as hitherto, I apply
a screwed plug to the water outlet, in order to prevent escape of the slip if a cloth
should burst under the pressure to which it is subjected.
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT.
Chartered Patent Agents, 321, High Holborn, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in or Applicable to Filter Presses for Treating
Potter's Clay and other Substances.
I, WILLIAM BOULTON, of Providence Foundry, Burslem, Staffordshire, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement: -
This invention relates to improvements in filter presses for treating potter's
clay and other substances, the improvements being especially applicable to that
class of presses used for reducing slip to the consistency of plastic clay by com-
pressing the water therefrom, in which the desired result is obtained by the
combined operation of a series of facially grooved iron trays or filter-plates each
formed with a central hole and with truly turned peripheral rings projecting
from their opposite faces, and which, when two thereof are juxtaposed with their
opposing faces covered by double fibrous cloths having central holes coinciding
with those of the filter-plates and stitched together, enclose a chamber adapted to

page_text: form a sheet of clay of the desired thickness from the slip which is pumped into
the chamber.
In existing presses of such kind, and in wooden presses to which the improve-
ments are equally applicable, the filter-plates are supported by end standards
connected by side bars which serve to carry the filter-plates, and the latter are
compressed together, when in operation, between the one end standard and a
movable head which is actuated by a screw-rod taking its bearing in the other
end standard and actuated by gearing. When it is required to remove the clay
from the chambers formed by the filter-plates, the screw-rod is turned so as to
shift said head back sufficiently to allow of the filter-plates being separated
apart, which has hitherto been accomplished by and has required two men, one
on each side of the press, to slide the filter-plates along the supporting side bars
one after the other, sufficiently far to permit of the sheets of clay being removed
from between them.
The present improvements have particular reference to an improved formation
of such grooved iron filter-plates, whereby the turning or facing machine work
on each side now entailed in their manufacture is avoided and the manufacture
is consequently cheapened; and to the application to such presses, whether fitted
with iron or wooden filter-plates, of means of the nature hereinafter described of
enabling the filter-plates to be separated apart and removed and to be closed
together by one man, in lieu of requiring two men as aforesaid.
On the accompanying drawings;
Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of a filter press adapted with the present
improvements:
Fig. 2, represents an end elevation of the same;
Fig. 3, represents an end elevation, on a larger scale, showing one of the filter-
plates and the improved means of shifting the same;
Fig. 4, represents a side elevation thereof;
Fig. 5, represents a plan thereof; and
Figs. 6, to 8, represent like views to Figs. 3, to 5, of another arrangement.
In carrying out the improvement firstly referred to, I mould the filter-plates, a,
when made of metal, between opposite truly-turned cast-iron rings, whereby the
plates are caused to be moulded true on each side with their grooved faces and
with chilled and smooth peripheral faces of the required breadth, and so that
when applied to the frame and screwed up they will truly face together without
any separate turning treatment.
In carrying out the improvement secondly referred to, I erect, above the usual
end standards, b, other standards, c, and connect the same by a horizontal top bar
or bars, c, adapted and serving to carry the filter-plate lifting and shifting
mechanism.
The upper part of each filter-plate, above its projections, a¹, by which the
usual filter-cloths are suspended, is formed with opposite lugs, a², adapted to be
engaged by a carrier, d, depending from a carriage, d, which is suspended from
the top bar or bars, c¹, the carriage being adapted to be rolled along the bar or
bars while the filter-plate carrier is adapted to be raised into engagement with the
filter-plate lugs, a², as required.
rotate
The carriage is fitted with a shaft, d³, on which are secured a roller or rollers, d³,
which rests or rest on the bar or bars, c¹, and a handwheel, or a pulley, d*, from
which depends a
can
or cord, d, by which the attendant
rope
the pulley and cause the carriage to travel along the bar or bars, c¹,
the motion of the carriage being kept in parallel relation to the axis of the
filter-plates by guide rollers, de, or by the rollers, being flanged and running
against the sides of the bar or bars, c. The carrier d, is mounted on an
excentric, d, on a spindle de, supported by the carriage and fitted with a laterally
5 extending lever arm, d, having a depending rod or pull, do, or with a depending
lever arm, d, by which the press-man can cause the carrier to rise into engage-

page_text: ment with the filter plate lugs, a², after the carriage has been shifted so as to
bring the carrier into position to make such engagement.
By such means, a single press-man, by operating the lever, d, with one hand,
can cause the carrier to lift each filter-plate from its side supporting bars, b¹,
and by operating the hand wheel d', or rope, ³, with the other hand, can cause
the carriage to travel along the bar or bars, c¹, and shift the suspended filter-
plate sufficiently to allow of the exposed sheet of clay being removed, and the
series of filter plates can thus be separately and successively shifted, and the clay
sheets be removed, by one man and without any loss of time.
A screw plug may be applied to the waste outlet a³, to avoid the furnishing of a
tap to each filter plate as hitherto and to prevent escape of the slip if a cloth
should burst when under pressure.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. The molding of filter press plates between opposite truly turned cast-iron
rings with their grooved faces and with chilled and smooth peripheral faces, as
set forth.
2. The application to filter presses for treating potter's clay and other substances,
of overhead combined lifting and traversing gear adapted and serving to enable
the shifting of the filter-plates to be singly effected by a single operative, as set
forth.
this 20th day of May 1898.
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
Chartered Patent Agents, 321, High Holborn, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
Chartered Patent Agents, 321, High Holborn, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.