Filter

Claim 1

IN A FILTER HAVING A CONTAINER PROVIDED WITH AN INLET PORT THROUGH WHICH A LIQUID TO BE FILTERED PASSES INTO SAID CONTAINER AND WITH AN OUTLET PORT THROUGH WHICH FILTERED LIQUID PASSES FROM SAID CONTAINER, AND A FIXED CYLINDRICAL FILTER BODY DISPOSED WITHIN SAID CONTAINER AND PROVIDED WITH A CYLINDRICAL FILTER SURFACE THROUGH WHICH THE LIQUID TO BE FILTERED PASSES TO THE INTERIOR OF SAID FILTER BODY, SAID OUTLET PORT BEING IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID FILTER BODY, AND THE LOWERMOST PORTION OF SAID CONTAINER EXTERIORLY OF SAID FILTER BODY CONSTITUTING A SETTLING PORTION WHEREIN FILTERED-OUT MATERIAL MAY SETTLE FOR SUBSEQUENT REMOVAL; A FILTER-CLEANING PUMP COMPRISING TWO SUBSTANTIALLY COEXTENSIVE RADIAL VANES ARRANGED WITHIN SAID FILTER BODY AND NORMALLY SPACED FROM ONE ANOTHER CIRCUMFERENTIALLY OF SAID FILTER BODY, SAID VANES BEING MOUNTED FOR ROTARY MOVEMENT ABOUT AN AXIS COINCIDING WITH THAT OF SAID FILTER BODY, MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED WITH SAID VANES FOR CONSTRAINING THE SAME TO UNIDIRECTIONAL ROTATION IN THE SAME SENSE ABOUT SAID AXIS, AND MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED WITH SAID VANES AND RESPONSIVE TO THE PRESSURE AND FLOW OF THE LIQUID BEING FILTERED FOR FIRST MOVING ONE OF SAID VANES TOWARD THE OTHER VANE AND THEN SAID OTHER VANE AWAY FROM SAID ONE VANE A PREDETERMINED AMOUNT TO REESTABLISH SUBSTANTIALLY THE ORIGINAL SPACING BETWEEN SAID VANES, WHEREBY EACH APPROACH OF SAID ONE VANE TOWARD SAID OTHER VANE FORCES ANY LIQUID THEN DISPOSED IN THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID VANES THROUGH SAID FILTER SURFACE AGAINST THE NORMAL FLOW OF LIQUID THERETHROUGH, THEREBY TO CLEAN THE RESPECTIVE SECTOR OF SAID FILTER SURFACE BY FORCING THE FILTERED-OUT MATERIAL OFF SAID SURFACE, WHILE EACH SEPARATION OF SAID OTHER VANE FROM SAID ONE VANE POSITIONS SAID PUMP OPPOSITE THE NEXT TO BE CLEANED SECTOR OF SAID FILTER SURFACE.