Apparatus for separating a gaseous carrier from particulate matter entrained therein

Claim 1

Dust collection apparatus for effecting separation of particulate matter from a gaseous carrier thereof, comprising a perimetric housing, a tube sheet removably mounted therein operatively subdividing the interior of said housing into a clean air plenum and a dirty air plenum, a plurality of elongate filter socks of permeable filter media disposed within said dirty air plenum for limiting the flow of gaseous carrier from said dirty plenum to said clean air plenum to passage therethrough, said filter socks being suspendedly mounted on said tube sheet and displaceable in conjunction therewith externally of said perimetric housing, an inflatable hollow sealing means mounted on said perimetric housing and in spaced inflatably engageable relation with the periphery of said filter media supporting tube sheet when the latter is operatively mounted within said perimetric housing so as to permit unimpeded displacement of said tube sheet and filter media supported thereby externally of said housing when said sealing means is in uninflated condition, a source of compressed air, means for eFfecting removal of collected particulate matter from the surface of said filter media, means for selectively introducing compressed air from said source into said sealing means to displace a portion thereof into continuous gas tight sealing relationship with the surface of said tube sheet when the latter and the filter media supported thereby are mounted within housing and to thereby limit the flow of gaseous carrier from the dirty air plenum to the clean air plenum to passage through said filter media, ejector pump means responsive to a selective flow of released compressed air from said source therethrough to induce a flow of confined gaseous fluid from said sealing means and thereby positively reduce the pressure therein to a valve below that of ambient pressure and induce a collapse of said sealing means and a retraction thereof from engaged relation with said tube sheet, and valve means for selectively effecting the introduction of said compressed air into said sealing means to inflate the same and the introduction of said compressed air into said ejector pump means for effecting positive deflation of said sealing means.