Engine lubrication system

Claim 1

A LUBRICATION SYSTEM FOR AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE HAVING LUBRICANT INPUT MEANS AND LUBRICANT EXIT MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH A LUBRICANT SUMP, THE SYSTEM INCLUDING A CENTRIFUGAL FILTER, FIRST CONDUIT MEANS COMMUNICATING BETWEEN SAID SUMP AND SAID FILTER, PRESSURE DEVELOPING MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED WITH SAID FIRST CONDUIT MEANS FOR FORCING LUBRICANT UNDER PRESSURE FROM SAID SUMP OF SAID FILTER, SECOND CONDUIT MEANS COMMUNICATING BETWEEN SAID FILTER AND SAID ENGINE LUBRICANT INPUT MEANS, THIRD CONDUIT MEANS COMMUNICATING BETWEEN SAID FILTER AND SAID SUMP, A PRESSURE RELIEF BYPASS VALVE OPERATIVELY CONNECTED WITH SAID THIRD CONDUIT MEANS, SAID FILTER COMPRISING A HOUSING DEFINING A FILTERING CHAMBER AND HAVING TWO OPPOSED END WALLS AND A SIDE WALL, SAID HOUSING HAVING AN APERTURE FORMED THROUGH EACH OF SAID END WALLS AND AN APERTURE FORMED IN SAID SIDE WALL, ONE OF SAID END WALL APERTURES COMMUNICATING WITH SAID FIRST CONDUIT MEANS, THE OTHER OF SAID END WALL APERTURES COMMUNICATING WITH SAID SECOND CONDUIT MEANS, SAID SIDE WALL APERTURE COMMUNICATING WITH SAID THIRD CONDUIT MEANS, A ROTATABLE SHAFT JOURNALED IN SAID END WALLS AND EXTENDING THROUGH SAID CHAMBER, MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID ENGINE FOR ROTATING SAID SHAFT, IMPELLER MEANS ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT PROXIMATE SAID ONE END WALL APERTURE, AND A PLURALITY OF SPACED FILTERING MEANS ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT CAUSING A PLURALITY OF LAMINAR LUBRICANT LAYERS TO BE FORMED BETWEEN SAID SPACED FILTERING MEANS, VARIOUS OF SAID LAMINAR LAYERS MOVING AT DIFFERENT VELOCITIES WHEN MEASURED AT POINTS EQUIDISTANT FROM SAID SHAFT.