Liquid purification or separation – Processes – Separating
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-01
2001-04-17
Savage, Matthew O. (Department: 1723)
Liquid purification or separation
Processes
Separating
C210S791000, C210S323200, C210S332000, C210S356000, C210S486000, C210S495000, C210S497010, C055S379000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06217781
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to applications of filter tubes utilizing slack filter tubes with tensioning means and particularly to embodiments having adjustable tensioning means coupled to the ends of the filters.
2. Description of Related Prior Applications
This application relates to an earlier Provisional Application Serial No. 60/084,218 filed May 5, 1998 and incorporates the subject matter of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/072,867 for Slack Filter Tube With Tensioning Means to Hobson, also filed May 5, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,051,138. In addition, the earlier listed patents to Hobson, as Well as U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,340,477 to Hobson et al., issued Jul. 20, 1982, and 4,872,981 to Hobson, issued Oct. 10, 1989, are also incorporated by reference herein.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Several patents relating to various systems for utilizing coated braided filter tubes having inner support springs were cited in the earlier filed U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/072,867 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,051,138) as follows.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,480,320 to Carrier discloses filtering apparatus supporting a plurality of filter elements at the upper and lower ends. A spring and motor at the upper end provide oscillations for removal of sludge. The upper supporting end is removable to permit removal and replacement of filters.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,570,132 to Koupal concerns apparatus for cleaning filter elements of the air-bump wash types. Loss of air is avoided by provision of a solid wall in the inlet chamber as a more suitable air storage space. The need for airtight seals is eliminated and previous impervious upper portions of the filter elements are omitted and the full length of the filters can be used with shorter elements.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,934,209 to Franck describes a fluid dehydrator with improved filtering. The fluid to be dehydrated is passed through a shell filled with a desiccant which can be contaminated by oil in the fluid. A strainer is employed at the inlet to strain out particulate material before passing through the desiccant. A second filter at the outlet provides further filtering of the fluid passing into a second desiccant chamber.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,094,784 to Hirano discloses apparatus for filtering, dehydrating and drying suspension material. A filter mesh is supported on a rotatable valve plate in a vertical cylinder. The mesh collects a cake which is dried, vibrated and dropped through a lower opening by tilting the plate.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,422,938 to Miller and 4,427,547 to Miller concern a backwashing filter apparatus which utilizes an inner tapered housing to provide an annular outer flow passage that decreases from inlet to outlet. This provides a uniform liquid velocity through the filter in both forward and back flow operation. A grid support for the inner filter is formed of a plurality of ring-like segments stacked end to end.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,522,661 to Morgan describes a liquid filter device having replaceable self-retaining filtering bags which are formed to snap fit into a groove within the upper portion of the filter housing.
As described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/072,867 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,051,138) prior filter tube systems had difficulty in removing contaminated filtering coats and left residues which could produce later contamination during the filtering cycle. The use of slack filter tubes with tensioning means has largely alleviated this problem. A movable anchor plate applies controlled levels of tension to the filter tubes during the filtering operation and relaxation of tension during agitation or shaking of the filter tubes to remove accumulated particulate matter. The use of slack filter tubes in various embodiments provides improved results.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore the primary object of the present invention to provide improved filtering systems and methods employing slack end filtering tubes with tensioning means;
It is a further object of the present invention to provide slack end filter tubes having adjustable tensioning means;
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an improved bump type filter having an outlet and tube sheet at the lower slack end and a movable anchor late at the upper end;
It is also an object of the invention to provide a slack end filter tube having an angled tube sheet having connections of varying lengths to permit use of a plurality of equal sized tubes;
An additional object is to provide an improved bump type filter having an adjustable movable anchor plate which applies tension in an extended state and relaxation in a slack state;
It is also an object of the present invention to utilize slack end filter tubes as extractor elements in a vacuum sludge receiver to improve filtering of liquid from the sludge.
These objects are achieved with a novel system and method utilizing slack end filtering tubes with tensioning means. An improved bump type filter employs a split inlet having an outlet and tube sheet at the lower slack end and a movable anchor plate at the upper end applying an adjustable tension to the filter tubes. The lower tube sheet is angled and is connected to a plurality of filters by nipples of varying length to permit filter tubes of equal size to be used. The anchor plate is movable up or down to extend or shrink the tube lengths to provide tension or relaxation of the tubes. Shaking of the tubes in the relaxed state removes accumulated materials to be flushed out.
A second embodiment of the slack end filtering tube with tensioning means is utilized in a vacuum sludge receiver as an extractor element to extract liquid from accumulated sludge. The filters are employed in a non-pressurized environment to permit filtering under atmospheric conditions with the vacuum being applied. This provides a differential which improves the flow through the filtering medium.
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Savage Matthew O.
Ward Richard W.
Weingram & Associates P.C.
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