Apparatus for removing dust from an air stream

Claim 2

The process of claim 2 wherein the bed is a hollow cylinder and said relative moving is carried out by rotating said bed about the lonGitudinal axis thereof.

Claim 3

A filter apparatus for removing suspended particulate material from a gas stream, comprising: a compartment connected to the apparatus as a part thereof; a bed of filter bodies in the compartment having exposed surfaces for collecting said material and defining a plurality of passages communicating therethrough between opposite faces of the bed, thicknesswise of said bed; a plurality of treating stations in the apparatus disposed adjacent the bed and each arranged to operate thereupon, said stations including: a. means in the apparatus for supplying a vaporizable liquid onto the bed of filter bodies to wet the exteriorly exposed particle collecting surface in a first zone in the transverse direction across the bed; b. means connected to the apparatus for supplying a gas having suspended particulate material to one face of the bed, under pressure, so as to force the suspended particulate material-laden gas through said plurality of passages and collect particulate material in the bed, and to evaporate said vaporizable liquid from the surfaces of the bodies; c. means in the apparatus adapted to engage and impart motion to the bed for agitating the filter bodies in the bed in a second zone of said bed to free therefrom particulate material captured on said particulate collecting surfaces while wetted; d. means in the apparatus adjacent said compartment for collecting and removing the particulate material freed in the second zone of the apparatus; means in the apparatus operatively connected to the compartment for imparting relative movement between the bed and the treating station so that all portions of said bed successively and intermittently pass through said first zone and said second zone; there being a sufficient interval of drying between said first zone and said second zone, in the direction of said relative movement to permit the wetted dust collecting surfaces of the filter bodies to have become substantially dried before being wetted again; and the station at which the vaporizable liquid impinges upon the bed of filter bodies to wet said first zone being physically separated from said second zone so that the substantially dried filter bodies in said second zone are not counterproductively wetted while particulate material is being freed therefrom.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the bed of filter bodies comprises a bed of discrete, individual filter granules having said passages defined thereamong and wherein said agitating means comprises a beater arranged to beat the bed in the second zone thereof to turbulently agitate the discrete, individual filter granules to free the captured particulate material from the exteriorly exposed surfaces thereof zone

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the second zone of the filter is disposed generally horizontally and the means for collecting and removing the particulate material from the second zone comprises trough means disposed under the second zone to catch the freed particulate material and conveyor means for removing particulate material caught in the trough from the apparatus.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the bed is a hollow cylinder and the agitating means is disposed between the lower, internal face of the second zone thereof and the trough means.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 4 further including: means for varying the rate of said relative motion; vapor sensing means disposed for sensing the magnitude of vapor presence adjacent the bed at a site where the magnitude of vapor present directly affects whether the filter material will have a substantially dried condition upon becoming within said second zone; and means for automatically adjusting the rate of said relative motion in response to sensations by said vapor sensing means that adjusting of said rate is needed to ensure meeting said condition.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said bed is a hollow cylinder and said means for supplying a gas having suspended particulate material communicates with the center of the hollow cylinder bed to supply said gas to the internal face of the bed.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the second zone of filter material is disposed generally horizontally and the means for collecting and removing the particulate material from the second zone comprises trough means disposed under the second zone to catch the freed particulate material and conveyor means for conveying particulate material caught in the trough from the apparatus.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the bed is a hollow cylinder and the agitating means is disposed between the lower, internal face of the second zone and the trough means.