Apparatus for separating suspended particles from a carrier gas

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR SUSPENDED SOLID PARTICLES FROM A CARRIER GAS COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: A. A SOURCE OF SAID CARRIER GAS HAVING SAID PARTICLES SUSPENDED THEREIN, B. PRELIMINARY SEPARATOR MEANS FOR REMOVING A PORTION OF SAID PARTICLES FROM SAID GAS, SAID SEPARATOR MEANS HAVING AN INTAKE PORT COMMUNICATING WITH SAID SOURCE AND A DISCHARGE PORT, C. A FEED MANIFOLD COMMUNICATING WITH SAID DISCHARGE PORT, D. A PLURALITY OF FILTER CHAMBERS, E. A FILTER MEDIUM SEPARATING AN UPPER COMPARTMENT FROM A LOWER COMPARTMENT IN EACH OF SAID CHAMBERS, SAID MEDIUM BEING PERMEABLE TO SAID CARRIER GAS WHILE RETAINING SAID PARTICLES, F. A PLURALITY OF FIRST VALVE MEANS INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID FEED MANIFOLD AND THE UPPER COMPARTMENTS OF SAID CHAMBERS RESPECTIVELY AND EACH OPERABLE FOR CONNECTING THE ASSOCIATED UPPER COMPARTMENT WITH SAID FEED MANIFOLD, G. A PURGING GAS MANIFOLD COMMUNICATING WITH SAID INTAKE PORT, A PORTION OF SAID PURGING GAS MANIFOLD BEING ELONGATED IN A DIRECTION HAVING A PREDOMINANTLY HORIZONTAL COMPONENT AND BEING LOCATED BELOW SAID UPPER COMPARTMENT, H. AN UPRIGHT PIPE ASSOCIATED WITH EACH OF SAID CHAMBERS, SAID PIPE HAVING RESPECTIVE ORIFICES IN THE UPPER COMPARTMENT OF THE ASSOCIATED CHAMBER AND IN SAID PORTION OF SAID PURGING GAS MANIFOLD, I. SECOND VALVE MEANS OPERABLE FOR OPENING AND CLOSING EACH OF SAID PIPES AND FOR THEREBY CONNECTING THE ASSOCIATED CHAMBERS WITH SAID PURGING GAS MANIFOLD, J. OPERATING MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO EACH OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND VALVE MEANS FOR ALTERNATIVELY CONNECTING EACH OF SAID UPPER COMPARTMENTS TO SAID FEED MANIFOLD AND TO SAID PURGING GAS MANIFOLD, K. AN OUTLET, I. A CLEAN GAS MANIFOLD PERMANENTLY CONNECTING THE LOWER COMPARTMENT OF EACH OF SAID CHAMBERS WITH SAID OUTLET,