Particulate-type fluid-treating filter assembly

Claim 1

A FLUID-TREATING FILTER APPARATUS COMPRISING: A FLOWTHROUGH HOUSING HAVING OPPOSING SIDE WALLS AND DEFINING A GAS TREATING PLENUM; A FIRST COVER PLATE MEMBER DISPOSED ACROSS ONE END OF SAID HOUSING, SAID COVER PLATE MEMBER HAVING SPACED ROWS OF SPACED APERTURES DISPOSED THEREIN OF PRESELECTED GEOMETRIC CONFIGURATION; A SET OF PERFORATED FLUID CONDUITS DISPOSED WITHIN SAID HOUSING IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID APERTURES TO PROVIDE SPACED ROWS OF SPACED CONDUITS LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING IN PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP ALONG THE DIRECTION OF FLUID FLOW THROUGH SAID HOUSING; SPACED PAIRS OF LONGITUDINALLY-EXTENDING PERFORATED PLATE MEMBERS DISPOSED WITHIN SAID HOUSING WITH THE PLATES OF EACH PAIR BEING SPACED FROM AND ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF A ROW OF SPACED CONDUITS TO DEFINE CHAMBERS SURROUNDING SAID ROWS OF SPACED CONDUITS; SAID SPACED PAIRS OF PLATE MEMBERS EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUSLY FROM ONE OF SAID OPPOSING SIDE WALLS TO THE OTHER SAID OPPOSING SIDE WALL; SPACER MEANS TO MAINTAIN SAID PAIR OF LONGITUDINALLY-EXTENDING PERFORATED PLATE MEMBERS IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP; PARTICULATE FILTER MEANS DISPOSED IN AND SUBSTANTIALLY FILLING SAID CHAMBERS SURROUNDING SAID ROWS OF SPACED CONDUITS; AND A SECOND COVER PLATE MEANS DISPOSED ACROSS THE OTHER END OF SAID HOUSING TO SELECTIVELY COVER THE ENDS OF SAID CONDUITS AND SAID CHAMBERS SURROUNDING SAID CONDUITS ADJACENT SUCH ENDS WITHOUT COVERING THE SPACES BETWEEN PAIRS OF PERFORATED PLATES ADJACENT SUCH END TO PERMIT GAS TO BE TREATED TO FLOW IN A PATH EXTENDING FROM ONE END OF SAID HOUSING TO THE OTHER IN A COURSE INCLUDING SAID APERTURES OF SAID COVER PLATE AT ONE END, SAID PERFORATED FLUID CONDUITS, SAID SUBSTANTIALLY PARTICULATE FILLED CHAMBERS AND SAID UNCOVERED SPACES AT THE OTHER END BETWEEN PAIRS OF PERFORATED PLATES.