Patent ID: 7186347

Claim:
A vibratory apparatus for separating a liquid from a liquid laden solid material, the apparatus comprising: an inclined trough having a base, the trough defining a solids discharge point and a liquid drainage point; a deck attached to the trough base, the deck including a plurality of inverted V-shaped angles extending longitudinally along the trough base, each inverted V-shaped angle having a solid first wall surface and a solid second wall surface, the first and second wall surface of each angle meeting along a first edge at an upwardly oriented apex which defines a support point positioned above the base, the support points of the angles being spaced from one another by a distance sufficient to support the solid material above the base, and the first and second wall surface of each angle having a second edge, the second edges of adjacent angles being spaced to define a passage between adjacent support points, wherein the support points are located at an elevation sufficiently above the base to allow liquid to drain from the solid material and flow through the passage to the trough base; and a vibratory drive attached to the trough and oriented to impart a conveying motion toward the solids discharge point; wherein the solid material deposited onto the deck is advanced toward the solids discharge point by the conveying motion while the liquid flows along the trough base toward the liquid drainage point under gravity.