Patent ID: 8440082

Claim:
An apparatus for separating a solid-liquid mixture comprising: a filter chamber ( 2 ) for receiving said solid-liquid mixture, said filter chamber ( 2 ) including a fixed outside cylinder ( 12 ) and an inner perforated rotatable cylindrical filter basket ( 14 ) the exterior surface of which is covered with a filter cloth ( 18 ), an annular volume being defined between said fixed outside cylinder ( 12 ) and said cylindrical filter basket ( 14 ), said filter chamber further including an outer solid matter stripper ( 20 ), an inner contact brush ( 22 ) and a filtrate outlet ( 23 ); a worm extruder pump ( 29 ), an inlet of which is in fluid communication with said annular volume; at least one variable volume, squeeze-pressure chamber ( 8 ), including: a lower fixed squeeze-pressure plate ( 30 ); an upper fixed counter-pressure plate ( 32 ); a filter belt ( 28 ); an upper liftable and lowerable squeeze-pressure plate ( 34 ) having a surrounding seal ( 36 ); tie rods ( 50 ) between the lower squeeze-pressure plate ( 30 ) and upper fixed counter-pressure plate ( 32 ) for taking the tensional forces; and hydraulic cylinders ( 38 , 40 , 42 ) for moving the upper squeeze-pressure plate ( 34 ) together with the seal ( 36 ) wherein a continuous feed ( 4 ) introduces said solid-liquid mixture into said annular volume, wherein filtrate passes though said filter cloth ( 18 ) and said inner perforated rotatable cylindrical filter basket ( 14 ) into an interior volume defined by said cylindrical filter basket ( 14 ) and exits through said filtrate outlet ( 23 ), while a concentrated volume of the remaining solid-liquid mixture flows into said worm extruder pump ( 29 ) which then transports said remaining concentrated volume to said at least one variable volume squeeze-pressure chamber ( 8 ) through a connection line ( 10 ), where the remaining concentrated volume of the solid liquid mixture is further separated by the pumping pressure created by the worm extruder, wherein filtrate passes through filter belt ( 28 ) and is drained off downwardly from the squeeze-pressure chamber ( 8 ) through channels ( 39 ) in said lower fixed squeeze-pressure plate ( 30 ) leaving a filter cake ( 41 ) on said filter belt ( 28 ).