Patent ID: 7896162

Claim:
A method of removing solids from a liquid and solids mixture feed comprising the steps of: a) providing a basket mounted in a vibratory screening apparatus, said basket having a stack of at least three screen assemblies separated from each other by a respective flow directing tray, said stack of at least three screen assemblies is provided with a flow distributor formed and arranged for: receiving filtrate from the flow directing tray associated with a primary upper screen assembly; dividing said filtrate into at least a first feed stream and a second feed stream; directing said feed streams onto respective ones of remaining first and second screen assemblies and receiving filtrate from said respective flow directing trays; b) directing a said liquid and solids mixture feed onto the primary upper screen assembly of the stack of screen assemblies; and c) using the flow distributor to: receive filtrate from the flow directing tray associated with the primary upper screen assembly; divide said filtrate into at least a first feed stream and a second feed stream; direct the first and second feed streams onto respective ones of remaining first and second screen assemblies; and to receive filtrate from said respective flow directing trays.