TRENNMECHANISMUS, VORZUGSWEISE FUER FILTERPRESSEN

In a plate type filter press, for separating the plates, one or a pair of catch mechanisms is moved longitudinally of the press by drive means 16 that reverses its direction of travel when loaded beyond a certain limit, the catch mechanism comprising a pick-up lever 22 and a stop lever 23 both mounted on a common pivot 25, the pick-up lever having an upwardly-projecting claw portion 27 to engage a lateral pin 13 on each plate for shifting the plate along the press frame, and the stop lever having a substantially vertically abutment face that defines with the claw portion of the pick-up lever a gap in which each plate pin engaged by the claw portion lies. Both the claw portion 27 and the stop lever 23 have back faces remote from the gap that are sloped to allow plate pins to depress the pick-up lever in one direction of travel of the catch mechanism and the stop lever in the opposite direction of travel, and the pick-up lever and stop lever are so interengaged that depression of the pick-up lever also depresses the stop lever but the stop lever can be depressed without the pick-up lever. The same mechanism can also be employed for shifting along the press other apparatus such as cake discharge and cloth washing equipment and a press guard.