79570377 A description the thickener 10 illustrated in fig1 is of conventional construction with the exception of the cylinder mold 20 which is the subject of the present invention generally the thickener 10 comprises a fibrous slurry input 22 through which the material enters the thickener immediately inside the housing in communication with the slurry input 22 is a chamber 24 in which the slurry is allowed to stabilize and rise slowly after the turbulent flow in through the slurry input at the top of the chamber 24 is a weir 26 extending horizontally for substantially the entire length of the cylinder mold 20 the vat 30 which has a semi cylindrical lower portion concentric with the cylinder mold 20 is only partially filled with slurry as the cylinder mold rotates the pressure head developed in the vat 30 causes the water to be forced through the porous surface of the cylinder mold 20 and the white water will then be discharged through the hollow central portion of the cylinder mold to a discharge outlet 32 at one end of the thickener the white water level in the cylinder mold 20 is controlled by the adjustable gate 25 as the white water passes through the surface of the cylinder mold 20 a fibrous web is formed on the surface of the cylinder mold as.