21,569. Herr, H. A. Oct. 23. Beet - root, treating.- Consists in an automatic filter press for use in beet sugar mills, the special features being, an enclosed pressure chamber, automatic means for filling, emptying, and cleaning this chamber, for determining a maximum pressure in the pressure cylinder, for varying this pressure, and for predetermining a time period for sustaining the maximum pressure, and means for varying this predetermination. The platen B, Fig. 1, is carried by a ram A, mounted in a frame 74 running on rollers 60. A series of drainage members D carry liquid screens on their sides and are supported by rods E and united by a chain. The lateral wall of the compression chamber is held in position by adjustable plates F, Fig. 2, and its bottom is carried on rollers Q, Figs. 2 and 4. Beneath the compression chamber is placed a conveyer 62. The prime shaft W of the machine operates the shaft V through gearing 3, 4 and is fitted with fast and loose pulleys 1, 2. The clutch wheel 5 is loosely mounted on the shaft and operates the wheel 6 on the shaft Y while the clutch wheel 8 is keyed so as to slide on the shaft, the two parts 5, 8 being separated by a spring 7. The platen B operates a pivoted lever 47 to move the driven, member 13 of a clutch, the other member 42 of which is loose on the shaft V and keyed to another shaft X which is in axial alinement with the shaft V. A stop 38 is fitted on the shaft V and provided with an inclined surface which moves the lever 12 pivoted to the member 13 out of engagement with the flange on the member 8 when the latter is in engagement with its corresponding member. Arrangements are provided to lock the parts of the two clutches in gear. The parts 13, 42 are locked before the platen has completed its backward motion and the belt shifter which is operated by a platen must also be actuated only after the parts 5, 8 are in engagement. The clutches are unlocked by projections as soon as they have completed one revolution. This mechanism comprises a compound clutch automatically transferring motion from the bottom actuating mechanism to the mechanism for actuating the top of the compression chamber. The shaft X operates the shaft Z through a lever 17 and cranks 16, 18. An arm carried by the shaft Z actuates a water collector which is held to the bottom of the compression chamber, thus opening and closing this chamber. To open and close the top of the compression chamber, the shaft Y works by means of a lever and cranks the shaft carrying the arm 68 which is connected to the sliding lid by a link. In order to settle the material to be pressed evenly in the compression chamber, the drainage racks are reciprocated. The rods E supporting the racks are connected by the bars 108 with a piece which in turn is connected with an eccentric 111. This eccentric is driven from the shaft W by chain gearing 21,22,23 and also by the chain gearing 28,29. The former gearing operates the sleeve 112 on which the eccentric is mounted through toothed gearing 19, 20 to secure a more rapid reciprocation than that given through the gearing 28, 29. On the fast speed the racks are shaken and cleaned, and on the slow speed the material is evenly distributed. The pump 139, Fig. 4, is driven by a belt which runs on the fast pulley 124 or the loose pulley 125. The pump is governed by a pressure apparatus which shifts the belt by means of the forks 123. The pressure fluid is led from the pump to the valve chamber 113 through a pipe 114, as shown in Figs. 9, 10, and 11. An accumulator chamber 142 communicates with the valve chamber and the rod of this accumulator operates through chains 126, 127, the valve controlling the passage to the belt-shifting apparatus so that it may only be opened at maximum pressure. When the valve is opened the belt is shifted to the loose pulley. A spur-wheel is fitted to the valve chamber and carries grooves for a weighted chain 129 and a lug 133. The pin:on 134 gears with the wheel 118 and operates the exhaust valve 116. The chain 129 is connected to the belt-shifting rod 122 so that the spur-wheel 118 is returned to its normal position as the shifter 123 returns to its normal position. The pressure fluid is allowed to exhaust by reason of the lug 133 being released through the oscillation of the lever 130. The weighted chain 129 now operates the toothed gearing and the valve. To reseat the valve, an arm on the lid operates the rod 122 and pulls the chain 129, so operating the wheel 118 and the valve 116 ; the belt is at the same time thrown on the tight pulley. The pressure is sustained by the following apparatus. A sleeve 161<1>, Fig. 12, fixed to the loose pulley 125 carries a worm 163 gearing with a wheel 164, shown in Figs. 12 and 13. The motion of the wheel 164 is transmitted to a pinion 169 and thus to a spring- controlled rack 170 through a clutch 166. The trip 171 is set to the position corresponding to the time it is desired to sustain the pressure, and at the end of this time contacts with the arm 130 and oscillates it to the position shown by the dotted line 159, Fig. 11. When the valve is reieased, the weight 160 on the chain 126 operates the wheel 118 and throws the clutch 166 out of gear through the link 172 and lever 173.