Improvements in Filter Presses.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Mar., 1894-Accepted, 19th May, 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Filter Presses.
I, THEOBALD FRIEDRICH SEITZ of Kreuznach, Rhine Province in the
Kingdom of Prussia and German Empire, Merchant, 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 :-
The characteristic features of this filter-press are that the filtering material
which is introduced through a single pipe is brought while floating to the filtering
surfaces of the different chambers an even or regular suction of the filtered liquid
taking place over the whole filtering surface through perforated pipes com-
municating with the outflow channel: and that with the aid of plugs arranged in
the inlet and outlet chaunels and capable of being moved laterally to or fro and
with the aid of a closing plate any suitable number of chambers of the press can
be excluded in order to allow the press to be used for small as well as large
quantities of liquid requiring to be filtered. The last mentioned feature, that is to
say the quick exclusion or closing of some of the chambers is of particular
importance for the distillation of valuable material, as by thus reducing the extent
of the filtering surface only a small quantity of residual matter proceeding from
the liquid being filtered remains in the press as soon as the process is terminated.
In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention,
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the press on line y y of Figure 2.
Figure 2 is an end view partly in section shewing a filter frame.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of a portion of the press.
Figure 4 is an outside view of a separate intermediate frame.
Figure 5 is a view drawn at an enlarged scale and partly in section of one of the
movable plugs for closing the inlet and outlet channels.
The separate filter frames A of the divisions of the press are connected together
by intermediate frames B of a width corresponding to that of the divisions with the
aid of the tension screws H acting against the cover DD¹, and are made water
tight by means of suitable packing. The frames B have openings at o and o' and
these form in conjunction with the openings oo¹ of the filter press the inlet and
outlet channels hereinafter more fully referred to.
The filter frames A carry the
pipes which are inserted between the walls and these pipes are perforated and
communicate upwardly with the upper openings o as clearly shewn in Figure 2.
Between the walls of the frames and the pipes rare arranged bars C of the
thickness of the frames serving as supports for the sieves m which cover the outer
surface of the bars. The pipes e and e' form on one side the outer communication
with the channels o and o¹. The pipe e carries a branch G which extends upwards
and can be closed with a cap i or with a cock.
The communication of the other
side of the channels o and of is effected by means of tubular supports which are
closed by the caps p and p³ the cap p being provided with an outlet or draw off
tap d.
When the filter press is in use, the filtering material such as a mixture of water
and asbestos fibres is introduced through the pipe G which passes through the
channel o' in order to enter the chamber K. After a certain and sufficient quantity
of filtering material has been let in, the inlet G at the top is closed and the liquid
to be filtered is admitted through the tap .c. The same follows its course through
the filter and sieve surfaces and through the piper into the channel o whence the
filtered liquid flows out through the tap r². As the liquid being filtered follows
its through course, the filtering material settles as a membrane on the sieve bottom.
When some chambers in the press are required to be closed as is the case for

page_text: instance in the last three chambers of Figure 3 a solid metal plate is placed
in front of the front surface of the third frame A and held by the adjoining
frame B.
Moreover the plugs TT are moved inward from the left side of the channels o
and o¹ within the latter until the part of these channels which is behind the third
chamber cannot be reached by the liquid under treatment which then merely
passes through the front filtering chambers and through the front part of the
channels o and o¹.
The plugs consist of a pipe 1 Figure 5 which carries the head 2 upon which is
placed in front an india rubber ring 3 of the same width as that of the channels.
This ring can be compressed by a rod provided with a screw thread and guided
into the head 2, while a plate 5 which is mounted on the rod 4 in front of its screw
thread and is capable of turning compresses the ring 3 between itself and the
head 2. While the rod 4 is turned into the pipe 1 after the plug is introduced in
the corresponding channel o or o¹ the channel is rendered water tight against the
pressure of the liquid of the filter.
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. In a filter press with several chambers the use of movable plugs T in the
inlet and outlet channels in order to close off some of the chambers.
2. In a filter press arranged as above described the introduction of the filtering
material through a single pipe G which communicates by means of a lower
horizontal pipe O' with the chamber placed above.
3. In a press arranged as set forth the use of outlet pipes r in the filter frames
which communicate with the outlet channel o for the purpose of distributing the
filtering material and the liquid to be filtered over the surface of the frame.
Dated this 21st day of March 1894.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agents.