Filter having assembling, sealing and flushing means

Claim 1

A FILTER ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO A SOURCE OF WATER UNDER PRESSURE TO REMOVE SOLID PARTICLES THEREFROM COMPRISING AN ELONGATE CYLINDRICAL SHELL HAVING FIRST AND SECOND OPEN ENDS, MEANS MOUNTED ON THE SHELL CLOSING SAID FIRST OPEN END AND FORMING AN INLET AT THE FIRST END OF SAID SHELL ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO THE SOURCE OF WATER PRESSURE, MEANS MOUNTED ON THE SHELL FORMING A DISCHARGE OUTLET COMMUNICATING THROUGH THE SIDE OF THE SHELL, AN ELONGATE FILTER CARTRIDGE DISPOSED WITHIN THE SHELL AND EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE LENGTH THEREOF, SAID CARTRIDGE INCLUDING A FILTER MEMBRANE DEFINING AND SURROUNDING A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIMPEDED PASSAGEWAY FOR THE FLOW OF INCOMING WATER THAT EXTENDS THE LENGTH OF THE CARTRIDGE, SAID CARTRIDGE HAVING A LATERAL DIMENSION SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THE CORRESPONDING DIMENSION OF THE SHELL TO PROVIDE A SPACE BETWEEN THE CARTRIDGE AND THE SHELL, FIRST SEALING MEANS FOR DETACHABLY COUPLING ONE END OF THE FILTER CARTRIDGE TO THE MEANS FORMING THE INLET TO PROVIDE A SUBSTANTIALLY WATERTIGHT SEAL THEREBETWEEN, SAID FILTER CARTRIDGE INCLUDING A HEAD ASSEMBLY FOR DETACHABLY COUPLING THE OTHER END OF THE FILTER CARTRIDGE TO THE SECOND END OF THE SHELL, SECOND SEALING MEANS FORMING A SUBSTANTIALLY WATERTIGHT SEAL BETWEEN THE HEAD ASSEMBLY AND THE SECOND OPEN END OF THE SHELL TO CLOSE SAID SECOND OPEN END, MEANS MOUNTED ON THE HEAD ASSEMBLY FORMING A FIRST FLUSH OPENING IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE PASSAGEWAY IN SAID FILTER CARTRIDGE AND IN GENERAL ALIGNMENT THEREWITH FOR FLUSHING OUT SOLIDS TRAPPED IN THE CARTRIDGE, MEANS FOR CLOSING SAID FIRST FLUSH OPENING, MEANS FORMING A SECOND FLUSH OPENING COMMUNICATING WITH SAID SAPCE ADJACENT THE SECOND END OF THE SHELL FOR FLUSHING OUT THE FINE PARTICLES COLLECTED AT SAID END, AND MEANS FOR CLOSING SAID SECOND FLUSH OPENING, SAID MEANS FORMING SAID DISCHARGE OUTLET BEING LOCATED A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE AWAY FROM THE SECOND END OF THE SHELL SO THAT THE INCOMING WATER TRAVELS THROUGH THE CARTRIDGE AND OUT THE DISCHARGE OUTLET, WHILE THE MOMENTUM OF SOLID PARTICLES AND FINES CARRIES THEM BEYOND THE DISCHARGE OUTLET AND TOWARD THE SECOND END OF THE SHELL WHERE A RELATIVELY LOW FLOW-RATE VOLUME IS PROVIDED FOR THE ACCUMULATION OF LARGER MATERIAL WITH THE CARTRIDGE AND OF FINE PARTICLES THAT PASS THE FILTER MEMBRANE, THE FINE PARTICLES BEING PERMITTED TO SETTLE UNDER GRAVITY AND COLLECT AT THE LOWER REGION OF THE SHELL ADJACENT THE SECOND END FROM WHICH BOTH THE LARGER MATERIALS AND THE FINE PARTICLES CAN BE PERIODICALLY FLUSHED.