Multiple shell filters

Claim 1

IN A FILTER MECHANISM FOR REMOVING CONTAMINANT PARTICLES FROM A CONTAMINATED LIQUID, AT LEAST THREE SUPERIMPOSED HOLLOW SHELLS ARRANGED IN SPACED VERTICALLY STACKED RELATION PROVIDING AN UPPERMOST SHELL, AT LEAST ONE INTERMEDIATE SHELL AND A LOWERMOST SHELL, EACH OF SAID SHELLS HAVING SIDE WALLS IMPERFORATE TO SAID FLUID AND SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL UPPER AND LOWER SURFACES, THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE UPPERMOST SHELL AND THE LOWER SURFACE OF THE LOWERMOST SHELL BEING IMPERFORATE, AND THE REMAINDER OF SAID UPPER AND LOWER SURFACES OF SAID SHELLS BEING PERFORATE TO SAID FLUID, EACH OF SAID SHELLS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SAID UPPERMOST SHELL AND SAID LOWERMOST SHELL BEING SUBDIVIDED INTO UPPER AND LOWER COMPARTMENTS BY AN INTERIOR SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL FLUID IMPERVIOUS WALL, INDIVIDUAL FILTER MEDIA INTERPOSED RESPECTIVELY BETWEEN ADJACENT SHELLS, SAID MEDIA BEING IMPERFORATE TO SAID CONTAMINANTS AND PERFORATE TO SAID LIQUID AND LYING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO SAID UPPER AND LOWER SHELL SURFACES ADJACENT THERETO, THE LOWERMOST SHELL AND THE UPPER COMPARTMENT OF EACH SHELL WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SAID UPPERMOST SHELL UNDERLYING SAID MEDIA, RESPECTIVELY, AND THE UPPERMOST SHELL AND THE LOWER COMPARTMENT OF EACH SHELL WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE LOWERMOST SHELL OVERLYING SAID MEDIA, RESPECTIVELY, AN INFLATABLE PERIPHERAL SEAL CARRIED BETWEEN SHELLS AT ONE OF SAID UPPER AND LOWER SURFACES BY EACH SHELL WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ONE OF SAID UPPERMOST AND SAID LOWERMOST SHELLS, EACH SAID SEAL COMPRISING AN ANNULAR HOLLOW FLEXIBLE MEMBER HAVING A FIRST WALL AFFIXED TO SAID ONE SURFACE AND HAVING A SECOND WALL OPPOSITE SAID FIRST WALL FOR CONTACTING SAID FILTER MEDIUM TO PRESS THE SAME AGAINST THE OPPOSING HORIZONTAL SURFACE OF THE NEXT ADJACENT SHELL, SAID SEAL MEMBER HAVING SIDE WALLS EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND WALLS AND HAVING A DEFLATED CONDITION WHEREIN SAID SECOND WALL IS SELF-BIASED TO A RETRACTED POSITION BETWEEN SAID SIDE WALLS AND IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT SAID FIRST WALL SO THAT WHEN SAID SEAL MEMBER IS DEFLATED SAID SECOND WALL RETRACTS WITHIN SAID SIDE WALLS TO RELEASE SAID FILTER MEDIUM AND PROVIDE CLEARANCE FOR MOVEMENT THEREOF WITHOUT REQUIRING ANY MOVEMENT OF SAID SHELLS, AND SAID SEAL MEMBER HAVING AN INFLATED CONDITION IN WHICH SAID SECOND WALL IS EXTENDED OUT FROM WITHIN SAID SIDE WALLS TO PRESS SAID FILTER MEDIUM AGAINST SAID OPPOSING HORIZONTAL SURFACE, MEANS FOR INFLATING SAID SEALS TO DISPLACE THE MEDIA ADJACENT THERETO INTO FLUID-TIGHT ENGAGEMENT WITH THE HORIZONTAL SURFACE OF THE NEXT ADJACENT SHELL, THEREBY PERIPHERALLY SEALING THE ADJACENT HORIZONTAL SHELL SURFACES TO ONE ANOTHER WITH THE MEDIA THEREBETWEEN, MEANS FOR INTRODUCING FLUID CONTAINING CONTAMINANT PARTICLES INTO SAID UPPERMOST SHELL AND INTO THE LOWER COMPARTMENT OF EACH OF THE OTHER OF SAID SHELLS, AND MEANS FOR REMOVING FILTRATE FLUID FROM THE LOWERMOST OF SAID SHELLS AND THE UPPER COMPARTMENTS OF THE REMAINDER OF SAID SHELLS, RESPECTIVELY.