Abstrict
A filter cloth hanging apparatus for a filter press, including
a set of first and second support arms attached pivotally to each
side face of each of filter plates, a spring attached to each of
the first and second support arms, a set of first and second horizontal
rods extending between opposite side faces of each of the filter
plates through the springs, and a filter cloth attached, at its
opposite ends, to the first and second horizontal rods and brought
into contact, at its central portion, with a bottom face of each
of the filter plates such that the first and second support arms
are pivotally coupled with each other between each pair of adjacent
ones of the filter plates.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A filter cloth hanging apparatus for a filter press comprising:
a plurality of adjacent filter plates comprised of first and second
opposed filtration faces and a first edge face, a second edge face
and a bottom face provided between said filtration faces;
each filter plate of said plurality of adjacent filter plates having
a first and second support arm member each pivotally attached at
their respective first ends to said first edge face, and a first
and second support arm member each pivotally attached at their respective
first ends to said second edge face;
each pair of adjacent filter plates having said first support arm
members of said first and second edge faces of one of said pair
of adjacent filter plates attached at their second ends to the respective
second ends of said second support arm members of said first and
second edge faces of the other of said pair of adjacent filter plates;
a spring means attached to each of said support arm members intermediate
said first and second ends;
a set of first and second horizontal rods associated with each
filter plate, said first horizontal rod hung from and extending
between said spring means attached to said first support arm member
attached to said first edge face and said spring means attached
to said first support arm member attached to said second edge face,
said second horizontal rod hung from and extending between said
spring means attached to said second support arm member attached
to said first edge face and said spring means attached to said second
support member attached to said second edge face;
a filter cloth associated with each filter plate having one end
attached to said first horizontal rod, extending over said first
filtration face and around and in contact with said bottom face,
over said second filtration face and having its other end attached
to said second horizontal rod, whereby said spring means associated
with said first and second horizontal rods exert tension on said
filter cloth in a direction to force said filter cloth against said
bottom face.
2. A filter cloth hanging apparatus as claimed in claim 1,
wherein said filter cloths are comprised of two portions and a
cloth adhesive tape for detachably attaching said two portions along
the width of said filter cloth in order that either of said portions
may be replaced.
3. A filter cloth hanging apparatus as claimed in claim 2,
wherein said two portions of said filter cloth each comprise one
half of said filter cloth.
Description BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to a filter press and more
particularly, to a filter cloth hanging apparatus for the filter
press.
As shown in FIG. 1, in a prior art filter cloth hanging apparatus
for a filter press disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,366,244,
two links 33 each constituted by a pair of support arms 32 are provided
at opposite sides of a pair of adjacent filter plates 31, respectively.
Namely, each pair of the support arms 32 are pivotally attached,
at lower ends thereof, to side faces on each side of the pair of
the adjacent filter plates 31, respectively and are pivotally coupled,
at upper ends thereof, with each other by a pin 34. A spring 35
is attached to the pin 34. A horizontal rod 36 is suspended, between
each pair of the support arms 32, from a pair of the springs 35
so as to extend between the pair of the springs 35. Each of the
support arms 32 is formed, at a proper position thereof, with a
projection 32a such that a pair of auxiliary horizontal rods 37
are extended between the projections 32a of one pair of the support
arms 32 disposed on one side of the adjacent filter plates 31 and
the corresponding projections 32a of the other pair of the support
arms 32 disposed on the other side of the adjacent filter plats
31, respectively. A filter cloth 38 is attached, at opposite ends
thereof, to lower edges of the adjacent filter plates 31. The cloth
is hung, at a central portion thereof, on the horizontal rod 36
so as to extend, at its two halfway portions between the central
portion and the opposite ends of the filter cloth 38, over the auxiliary
horizontal rods 37. A pair of side plates 39 are, respectively,
provided at the opposite sides of the filter plates 31. Meanwhile,
a pair of lugs 31a are, respectively, provided on opposite side
faces of each of the filter plates 31 so as to be slidably placed
on the side plates 39 such that the filter plates 31 are slid, via
the lugs 31a, on the side plates 39.
Thus, in the known filter cloth hanging apparatus, the filter cloth
38 is attached, at the opposite ends, to the lower edges of the
adjacent filter plates 31 and is hung, at the central portion, on
the horizontal rod 36 so as to extend, at its two halfway portions
between the central portion and the opposite ends of the filter
cloth 38, over the auxiliary horizontal rods 37 as described above.
Accordingly, when the filter plates 31 are retracted away from each
other and the horizontal rod 36 is vibrated by a filter cloth vibrator
in order to separate filer residue adhering to the filter cloth
38 the vibrations applied from a head of the filter cloth vibrator
to the horizontal rod 36 are damped by the auxiliary horizontal
rods 37. Therefore, the vibrations are not transmitted to the filter
cloth 38 as they are and a problem arises in that it is impossible
to sufficiently vibrate the filter cloth 38 as a whole.
Furthermore, in the prior art filter cloth hanging apparatus, since
the filter cloth 38 is strained so as to cover an upper space between
the adjacent filter plates 31 when the filter plates 31 are retracted
away from each other, a washing nozzle of a filter cloth washing
device cannot be angularly provided from above the filter plates
31. Thus, the filter cloth washing device is required to be provided
at one side of or downwardly of the filter plates 31, thereby necessitating
a larger filter press which is undesirable.
Moreover, in the known filter cloth hanging apparatus, the filter
cloth 38 is required to be attached, at the opposite ends, to the
lower edge of the adjacent filter plates 31 and hung on the horizontal
rod 36 so as to extend over the auxiliary horizontal rods 37. This
results in a troublesome and time-consuming filter cloth fitting
operation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an essentially object of the present invention is
to provide a filter cloth hanging apparatus for a filter press,
in which vibrations of a filter cloth vibrator are transmitted to
filter cloths as they are so as to efficiently separate from the
filter cloths filter residue adhering thereto, with substantial
elimination of the disadvantages inherent in conventional filter
cloth hanging apparatuses of this kind.
Another important object of the present invention is to provide
a filter cloth hanging apparatus of the above described type in
which a sufficient clearance can be secured between confronting
filter cloths disposed between a pair of adjacent filter plates.
Therefore, a large upper space can be obtained between the confronting
filter cloths when the filter plates are retracted away from each
other. A washing nozzle of a filter cloth washing device can thus
be provided from above the filter plates, thereby allowing the filter
press compact in size.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a filter
cloth hanging apparatus of the above described type in which a filter
cloth fitting operation can be performed easily.
In order to accomplish these objects of the present invention,
a filter cloth hanging apparatus embodying the present invention
for a filter press including a plurality of filter plates, comprises:
a set of first and second support arms which are pivotally attached
to each side face of each of said filter plates such that each pair
of adjacent ones of said filter plates are provided, on each side
face thereof, with a first set of said first and second support
arms and a second set of said first and second support arms, respectively.
The first support arm of said first set of said first and second
support arms and said second support arm of said second set of said
first and second support arms are pivotally coupled, at distal ends
thereof, with each other. A spring is attached to each of said first
and second support arms. A set of first and second horizontal rods
are provided. The first horizontal rod being hung from and extends
between said spring attached to said first support arm provided
on one side face of each of said filter plates and said spring attached
to said first support arm provided on the other side face of each
of said filter plates. The second horizontal rod is hung from and
extends between said spring attached to said second support arm
provided on one side face of each of said filter plates and said
spring attached to said second support arm provided on the other
side face of each of said filter plates. A filter cloth is attached,
at opposite ends thereof, to said set of said first and second horizontal
rods and is fitted around a bottom face of each of said filter plates
so as to extend along opposite filtration faces of each of said
filter plates. Accordingly, said filter cloth is brought into contact,
at its central portion between said opposite ends of said filter
cloth, with said bottom face of each of said filter plates.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These objects and features of the present invention will become
apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with
the preferred embodiment thereof with reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a prior art filter cloth hanging
apparatus (already referred to);
FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of a filter cloth hanging apparatus
according to the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a view as observed in the direction of the arrows III--III
in FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a top plan view of a filter cloth employed in the filter
cloth hanging apparatus of FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the filter cloth of FIG.
4; and
FIG. 6 is a view similiar to FIG. 5, particularly showing a modification
thereof.
Before the description of the present invention proceeds, it is
to be noted that like parts are designated by like reference numerals
throughout several views of the accompanying drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3,
a filter cloth hanging apparatus K for a filter press, according
to the present invention. The filter press includes a pair of side
plates 7 mounted on and extending between front and rear frames
(not shown). A plurality of filter plates 1 are provided to be slidable
between the side plates 7. Each of the filter plates 1 is formed,
at an upper portion 1a disposed on each side face thereof, with
a slurry hole (not shown). A pair of support arms 2 are coaxially
and pivotally mounted on a pin 1c secured to the upper portion 1a
so as to overlay each other. Between a pair of adjacent filter plates
1, a pair of the support arms 2 are pivotally coupled, at distal
ends thereof with each other, upwardly of each side face of the
adjacent filter plates 1 so as to constitute a link.
An arm pin 5 is secured to a proper position of each of the support
arms 2 and a coiled spring 4 is attached to the arm pin 5. Between
the pair of the adjacent filter plates 1, a shorter horizontal rod
6 is hung from and between the coiled spring 4 of one support arm
2 disposed at one side face of one filter plate 1 and the coiled
spring 4 of the other support arm 2 disposed at the other side face
of the one filter plate 1. A longer horizontal rod 6 is hung from
and between the coiled spring 4 of one support arms 2 disposed at
one side face of the other filter plate 1 and the coiled spring
4 of the other support arm 2 disposed at the other side face of
the other filter plate 1.
When the filter plates 1 are clamped to each other such that each
of the support arms 2 stands vertically, one pair of the support
arms 2 mounted on one of the filter plates 1 and another pair of
the support arms 2 mounted on a neighboring one of the filter plates
1 are spaced a predetermined clearance from each other such that
the longer horizontal rod 6 is projected out of the predetermined
clearance. The longer horizontal rod 6 is disposed downwardly of
the shorter horizontal rod 6 such that the longer and shorter horizontal
rods 6 are positively held out of contact with each other at the
time of clamping of the filter plates 1 to each other, etc. However,
it is needless to say that no problem arises even if the longer
and shorter horizontal rods 6 are disposed at an identical height.
A pair of lugs 1b are provided on opposite side faces of each of
the filter plates 1, respectively so as to be slidably placed on
the side plates 7 such that the filter plates 1 are slid forwardly
and rearwardly. A filter cloth 3 is attached, at opposite ends thereof,
to the horizontal rods 6 confronting opposite filtration faces of
each of the filter plates 1 so as to be brought into contact, at
a central portion thereof, with a bottom face of each of the filter
plates 1.
When one filtration cycle of the filter press has been completed,
a pair of the adjacent filter plates 1 are retracted away from each
other as shown in FIG. 2. Thus, a pair of the adjacent support arms
2 attached pivotally to the pair of the adjacent filter plates 1
are also retracted away from each other. Accordingly, a pair of
the adjacent filter cloths 3 are pulled apart from the adjacent
filter plates 1 by the coiled springs 4 of the pair of the adjacent
support arms 2, respectively so as to be held in a strained state.
Subsequently, when a head portion 8 of a filter cloth vibrator
is brought into contact with the horizontal rod 6 so as to vibrate
the horizontal rod 6 as shown in imaginary lines in FIG. 3, the
filter cloth 3 is slackened and strained on its surface alternately
and thus, filter residue adhering to the surface of the filter cloth
3 is separated from the filter cloth 3. When the pair of the adjacent
support arms 2 are retracted away from each other when the pair
of the adjacent filter plates are retracted away from each other,
each of the filter cloths 3 extending over the adjacent filter plates
1 is hung, at one side of the opposite filtration faces of each
of the adjacent filter plates 1, from each of the horizontal rods
6 attached to the adjacent support arms 2, respectively and then,
is turned upwardly through its contact with the bottom face of each
of the filter plates 1 so as to be hung from the horizontal rod
6 disposed at the other side of the opposite filtration faces of
each of the adjacent filter plates 1. Consequently, a sufficient
space enabling various operations is defined both between the confronting
filter cloths 3 disposed between the pair of the adjacent filter
plates 1 and upwardly of the confronting filter cloths 3.
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the filter cloth 3 has a pair of rolled
portions 3a stitched at opposite ends thereof, respectively. Meanwhile,
as shown in FIG. 6, each of the rolled portions 3a can also be formed
by using an adhesive tape 9 made of cloth. Thus, the filter cloth
3 can be further formed by two portions split in a widthwise direction
of the filter cloth 3, for example, two half portions such that
the two half portions are detachably attached to each other by the
adhesive tape. Thereby, the filter cloth fitting operation is remarkably
simplified.
As is clear from the foregoing description, in the filter cloth
hanging apparatus of the present invention, a sufficient clearance
can be secured between the confronting filter cloths strained between
the pair of the adjacent filter plates and a large upper space can
be obtained between the confronting filter cloths when the filter
plates are retracted away from each other. Accordingly, various
operations can be easily performed between the confronting filter
cloths and the washing nozzle can be provided from above the adjacent
filter plates positively.
Meanwhile, in accordance with the present invention, since the
filter cloth is hung from the pair of the support arms through the
respective springs, an unused portion of the filter cloth is reduced.
If the pair of the horizontal rods having the filter cloth hanging
therefrom are so downwardly disposed as to come close to the top
face of the filter plate, the clearance between the confronting
filter cloths or a distance between the confronting horizontal rods
can be further increased.
Furthermore, in accordance with the present invention, the filter
cloth fitting operation can be performed easily. If the filter cloth
is formed by two portions attached detachably to each other with
the adhesive tape made of cloth, only a damaged one of the two portions
is required to be replaced by a new one. Since each of the rolled
portions disposed at the opposite ends of the filter cloth is formed
by using the adhesive tape made of cloth the overall length of the
filter cloth can be adjusted easily by the rolled portions.
Moreover, in accordance with the present invention, since vibrations
of the filter cloth vibrator can be transmitted directly to the
filter cloth, it becomes possible to efficiently separate from the
filter cloth filter residue adhering thereto.
Although the present invention has been fully described by way
of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to
be noted here that various changes and modifications will be apparent
to those skilled in the art. Therefore, unless such changes and
modifications depart from the scope of the present invention, they
should be construed as being included therein.
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