Filter assembly with means to regulate axial compression

Claim 1

A FILTER UNIT COMPRISING A HOUSING HAVING A BORE AT OPPOSED ENDS THEREOF AND A CHAMBER THEREBETWEEN, INLET AND OUTLET PORTS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID CHAMBER, A FILTER ASSEMBLY LOCATED IN SAID CHAMBER AND INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID INLET AND OUTLET PORTS FOR FILTERING FLUID FLOWING THEREBETWEEN, SAID FILTER ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A COMPRESSIBLE TUBULAR ELEMENT FORMED FROM A PLURALITY OF WASHER-LIKE ELEMENTS IN REGISTERED FACE TO FACE CONTACT, SAID ELEMENTS HAVING THE OUTER PERIPHERY THEREOF COMMUNICATING WITH SAID INLET PORT AND THE INNER PERIPHERY THEREOF COMMUNICATING WITH SAID OUTLET PORT, AN ENDPLATE ABUTTING ONE END OF SAID TUBULAR ELEMENT AND LOCATED IN ONE OF SAID BORES, SEALING MEANS LOCATED BETWEEN SAID ENDPLATE AND SAID ONE BORE FOR PREVENTING FLOW THEREBETWEEN, A FERRULE AUBTTING THE OTHER END OF SAID TUBULAR ELEMENT AND LOCATED IN THE OTHER OF SAID BORED, SEALING MEANS LOCATED BETWEEN SAID FERRULE AND SAID OTHER BORE FOR PREVENTING FLOW THEREBETWEEN, SPRING MEANS OPERATIVELY CONECTED TO SAID ENDPLATE AND FERRULE FOR MAINTAINING SAME IN ABUTTING RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID TUBULAR ELEMENT, AND PASSAGE MEANS FOR COMMUNICATING THE REMOTE ENDS OF SAID ENDPLATE AND FERRULE WITH SAID OUTLET PORT.