Patent ID: 6911145

Claim:
An apparatus for separating liquid from a slurry of at least one liquid and at least one solid, which comprises: (A) a container sized and configured to receive the slurry, the container comprising a removable cover sized and configured to enclose an atmosphere within the container when the cover is attached to the container; (B) a filter disposed within the container, for separating liquid in the slurry from solid material in the slurry by allowing liquid to move through the filter as filtrate; and (C) a vacuum pump in fluid communication with the enclosed atmosphere of the container, which pump is configured to create a vacuum within the container that causes the liquid to move through the filter, and which pump is configured to vacuum material comprised of solid material, liquid material, gas or a combination of two or more of the foregoing while maintaining a substantially continuous level of vacuum, wherein the pump comprises: (a) a nozzle assembly which is sized and configured to (i) receive a pressurized motive liquid and a gas, and (ii) eject the pressurized motive liquid as a motive liquid flow while feeding the gas into proximity with the periphery of the motive liquid flow; (b) a housing defining a suction chamber into which the nozzle assembly may eject the motive liquid flow, the housing further defining a suction inlet and a suction outlet; (c) an outlet pipe extending from the suction outlet away from the suction chamber, the outlet pipe being configured for fluid communication with the suction chamber and being disposed to receive the motive liquid flow; the outlet pipe defining at least a first inner diameter along a portion of its length and a second inner diameter along another portion of its length, the second inner diameter being less than the first inner diameter; and (d) a suction pipe, a first end of the suction pipe opening into the suction chamber at the suction inlet, and a second end of the suction pipe in fluid communication with the enclosed atmosphere of the container; and wherein the cover comprises a flexible non-porous material capable substantially conforming to the upper level of the slurry when the slurry is in the container.