Concentric filter elements having assembling and locking means

Claim 1

IN A MULTI-ELEMENT FILTER-SEPARATOR COMPRISING AN OUTER SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL FILTER AND AN INNER CONCENTRIC FILTER, AN ARCUATE HANDLE OF INVERTED U-SHAPE HAVING ITS LOWER END SECURED TO THE INNER FILTER, AND COOPERATING MEANS ON SAID HANDLE AND SAID OUTER FILTER FOR LATCHING SAID FILTERS TOGETHER, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES A TONGUE LATCH AT THE LOWER END OF SAID HANDLE EXTENDING LATERALLY OUTWARD FROM SAID INNER FILTER, A HORIZONTAL FLANGE EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM THE UPPER END OF SAID OUTER FILTER, AN UPSTANDING PROJECTION ON SAID OUTER FILER, A HORIZONTAL SLOT IN ONE OF SAID TONGUE AND PROJECTION, SAID PROJECTION EXTENDING ABOVE SAID FLANGE AND BEING SECURED TO SAID OUTER FILTER, SAID TONGUE FITTING INTO SAID PROJECTION ON RELATIVE ROTATION OF SAID FILTERS, A SPRING HAVING AN ATTACHMENT TO AN INTERMEDIATE PART OF SAID HANDLE AND EXTENDING DOWNWADLY, AN OPENING IN ONE OF SAID PROJECTION AND SPRING, THE LOWER END OF SAID SPRING BEING ADJACENT TO AND IN LINE WITH SAID PROJECTION, AND COOPERATING MEANS ON THE OTHER OF SAID PROJECTION AND SPRING FOR ENTRY INTO SAID OPENING, SAID OPENING AND SAID COOPERATING MEANS BEING IN HORIZONTAL ALIGNMENT WHEN THE TONGUE IS IN LATCHED POSITION IN SAID SLOT.