Apparatus for use in filtration of contaminated fluids

Claim 1

IN A FILTER SYSTEM INCLUDING A FILTER CHAMBER,, A PLURALITY OF FILTER ELEMENTS DISPOSED IN SAID CHAMBER FOR SUPPORTING PARTICULATE MATERIAL ON THE SURFACES THEREOF, MEANS FOR FEEDING CONTAMINATED LIQUID TO SAID CHAMBER, MEANS FOR WITHDRAWING FILTERED FLUID FROM SAID CHAMBER AFTER SAID FLUID HAS PASSED THROUGH SAID FILTER ELEMENTS AND MEANS FOR FEEDING PARTICULATE MATERIAL IN SAID FILTER CHAMBER: THE IMPROVEMENT IN THE LAST-MENTIONED MEANS COMPRISING A PARTICULATE MATERIAL CHAMBER SEPARATE FROM SAID FILTER CHAMBER, DRAIN MEANS COMMUNICATING SAID PARTICULATE MATERIAL CHAMBER WITH SAID FILTER CHAMBER, MEANS FOR DELIVERING FLUID TO SAID PARTICULATE MATERIAL CHAMBER, A PLURALITY OF VERTICALLY SPACED BAFFLE MEANS HORIZONTALLY DIS POSED WITHIN SAID PARTICULATE METERIAL CHAMBER ABOVE SAID DRAIN MEANS AND SAID FLUID DELIVERY MEANS, SAID BAFFLE MEANS INCLUDING A VERTICALLY EXTENDING FLUID PASSAGEWAY THERETHROUGH AND SAID BAFFLE MEANS SUPPORTING PARTICULATE MATERIAL ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID FLUID PASSAGEWAY WITHIN SAID MATERIAL CHAMBER.