Patent ID: 7108793

Claim:
A method of separating liquid from a liquid-laden solid material, comprising: providing a trough having a deck and a base defining a base surface, and said deck including a plurality of inverted V-shaped angles extending longitudinally along the trough defining an inclined support surface, each 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 trough, 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 trough to allow liquid to drain from the solid material and flow through the passage to the trough; depositing the liquid-laden solid material at a feed point on the support surface so that the liquid-laden solid material is supported by the support surface; applying a vibratory force to the deck to separate a substantial portion of the liquid from the liquid-laden solid material; directing the liquid separated from the liquid-laden solid material under gravity force through the passages extending through the support surface; and conveying the solid material up the inclined support surface by the vibratory force along the support surface to a solids discharge point at an elevation above the feed point.