Self-cleaning filter

Claim 1

A SELF-CLEANING PRESSURE FLUID FILTER INCLUDING A VESSEL HAVING AN INLET CHAMBER AND AN OUTLET CHAMBER, PARTITION MEANS SEPARATING THE INLET AND OUTLET CHAMBERS, A PLURALITY OF FILTER ELEMENTS IN THE OUTLET CHAMBEAR AND HAVING INLET ENDS WHICH COMMUNICATE WITH SAID INLET CHAMBER THROUGH THEPARTITION MEANS WHEREBY FLUID UNDER PRESSURE FLOWING THROUGH THE VESSEL IS FORCED THROUGH THE FILTER ELEMENTS, CLEANING MEANS ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID VESSEL AND HAVING A DISCHARGE PASSAGE FOR COMMUNICATING WITH THE INLET ENDS OF SAID FILTER ELEMENTS UPON ROTATION OF THE CLEANING MEANS TO PERMIT FLUID FROM SAID OUTLET CHAMBER TO FLOW IN A REVERSE DIRECTION THROUGH SAID ELEMENTS INTO THE DISCHARGE PASSAGE, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID CLEANING MEANS, AND A PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL REGULATOR INCLUDING VALVE MEANS FOR CONTROLLING FLOW THROUGH SAID DISCHARGE PASSAGE AND PRESSURE RESPONSIVE MEANS EXPOSED TO THE PRESSURE OF THE FLUID IN SAID OUTLET CHAMBER FOR IMPARTING CLOSING MOVEMENT TO THE VALVE MEANS AND EXPOSED TO THE PRESSURE OF THE FLUID IN SAID DISCHARGE PASSAGE FOR IMPARTING OPENING MOVEMENT TO SAID VALVE MEANS AND MEANS FOR HOLDING SAID VALVE OPEN UNTIL THE DIFFERENTIAL BETWEEN THE FLUID PRESSURES IN SAID OUTLET CHAMBER AND PASSAGE EXCEEDS A PREDETERMINED AMOUNT.