Abstract:
A disc filter assembly in which a plurality of filter discs are attached to a central shaft. The central shaft is a fabrication which has a central mandrel. Pipe segments are removably secured around the mandrel with their longitudinal axes parallel to the mandrel's longitudinal axis. The pipe segments have walls which define a trapezoid in cross-section. The walls are positioned such that two side walls define planes which converge relatively close to the longitudinal axis of the mandrel. Each pipe has at least one aperture through which filtrate from the interior of the disc filter segment passes to the interior of the pipe. The pipe is in fluid communication with an end piece having apertures therethrough. The end piece apertures have a trapezoidal cross-section corresponding to the trapezoidal shape of the pipe interior. A wear plate is attached to the outer end of the end piece and has trapezoidal apertures therethrough which are aligned with the apertures of the end piece. A valve head abuts the wear plate and has openings therethrough which have side edges which are aligned with a side edge of an aperture through the wear plate. The filter assembly is used to filter liquids from a taconite slurry.