Filter cleaning device for air exhaust systems and the like

Claim 1

IN FILTERING APPARATUS FOR REMOVING DUST, FIBERS AND OTHER PARTICLES FROM AN EXHAUST AIR OR THE LIKE STREAM PASSING TRHOUGH A HORIZONTAL CONDUIT A PLURALITY OF JUXTAPOSED VERTICAL FILTERING SCREENS DISPOSED TRANSVERSELY ACROSS SAID CONDUIT, WHEREBY EACH OF SAID SCREENS INTERCEPTS A FRACTIONAL CROSS-SECTIONAL PORTION OF THE TOTAL STREAM THROUGH SAID CONDUIT, TO REMOVE THE PARTICLE CONTAINED THEREIN, SCREEN CLEANING MEANS COMPRISING A BLOWING TUBE FOR EACH SCREEN ARRANGED CLOSELY ADJOINING THE SURFACE ON THE DOWNSTREAM SIDE THEREOF, SAID TUBES BEING PROVIDED WITH EXIT PORTS ON THEIR SIDES ADJACENT TO SAID SCREENS, FIRST OPERATING MEANS TO MOVE ALL SAID TUBES IN UNISON TO AND FRO OVER THE AREAS OF THE RESPECTIVE SCREENS, A PLURALITY OF ADJUSTABLE SHUTTERS ONE FOR EACH SCREEN AND DISPOSED ON THE UPSTREAM SIDE THEREOF, TO PASS AND INTERCEPT, RESPECTIVELY, THE RESPECTIVE FRACTIONAL PORTIONS OF THE TOTAL STREAM THROUGH SAID CONDUIT SECOND OPERATING MEANS EFFECTIVE DURING THE OPERATION OF SAID FIRST OPERATING MEANS, TO SELECTIVELY APPLY COMPRESSED AIR TO ANY ONE OF SAID TUBES, TO CLEAN THE ASSOCIATED SCREEN SUBSTANTIALLY WITHOUT INTERRUPTING THE FILTERING ACTION OF THE REMAINING SCREENS, AND MEANS SYCHRONIZED WITH SAID SECOND OPERATING MEANS TO CLOSE THE SHUTTERS OF THE RESPECTIVE SCREENS DURING THE CLEANING THEREOF BY ITS ASSOCIATED BLOWING TUBE.