Apparatus for filtering engine exhaust

Claim 2

A filter container capable of removing impurities from exhaust gases of an internal combustion engine flowing therethrough, said container comprising: a generally cylindrical filter section having a closed forward end and an opened rearward end, said filter section having an inlet fitting mounted on the cylindrical wall of said filter section at said closed forward end and tangentially disposed thereto to initially direct said gases entering said inlet fitting between said cylindrical wall and a cylindrical baffle plate coaxially aligned with said closed forward end to cause said gases to swirl around the inner surface of said cylindrical wall of said filter section, a generally cylindrical trap section having an outer edge of an opened forward end alignable with the edge of said wall of said filter section at said opened rearward end, a dividing plate having an outer periphery disposable between said filter section and said trap section, means for removably securing said trap section to said filter section at their respective said edges with said outer periphery of said dividing plate disposed therebetween, said means for securing at said edges producing a gastight sealing for said container, a filter tube of pleated fiberglass material coaxially disposed within said filter section inwardly of said baffle plate to extend between the said closed forward end of said filter section and said dividing plate and to separate an axially-aligned central region of said filter section and a circumferential region of said filter section, said dividing plate having at least one opening therein aligned with the upper portion of said circumferential region to provide the only communication between said filter section and the interior of said trap section, and an outlet fitting integral with said trap section and coaxially extending therethrough, said outlet fitting having a forward portion which is received within a sealed central opening in said dividing plate to communicate with said central region of said filter section to allow said exhaust gases to flow from said container, whereby said exhaust gases will generally flow rearwardly through said container, said impurities will be removed from said exhaust gases by collection in said trap section and on said filter tube, and said means for removably securing said trap section to said filter section facilitates replacement of said filter tube and removal of said impurities from said trap section for continued use of said container.

Claim 3

A FILTER CONTAINER CAPABLE OF REMOVING IMPURITIES FROM EXHAUST GASES OF AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE FLOWING THERETHROUGH, SAID CONTAINER COMPRISING: A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL FILTER SECTION HAVING A CLOSED FORWARD END INCLUDING A COAXIALLY ALIGNED INLET FITTING EXTENDING THERETHROUGH AND AN OPENED REARWARD END, SAID FILTER SECTION HAVING A FORWARD PORTION AND A REARWARD PORTION SEPARATED BY A CENTRALLY LOCATED BAFFLE PLATE AND ENCIRCLING ARRAY OF VANES FOR BAFFLING GASES ENTERING SAID INLET FITTING TO CAUSE THEM TO SWIRL AROUND THE INNER SURFACE OF THE CYLINDRICAL WALL OF SAIDREARWARD PORTION OF SAID FILTER SECTION, A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL TRAP SECTION HAVING AN OUTER EDGE OF AN OPENED FORWARD END ALIGNABLE WITH THE EDGE OF SAID WALL OF SAID FILTER SECTION AT SAID OPENED REARWARD END, SAID TRAP SECTION HAVING A COAXIALLY ALIGNED, INTERGRAL TUBULAR PORTION EXTENDING FORWARDLY FROM A REAR WALL TO DEFINE AN OPENING THERETHROUGH, A DIVIDING PLATE HAVING AN OUTER PERIPHERY DISPOSABLE BETWEEN SAID FILTER SECTION AND SAID TRAP SECTION, MEANS FOR REMOVABLY SECURING SAID TRAP SECTION TO SAID FILTER SECTION AT THEIR RESPECTIVE SAID EDGES WITH SAID OUTER PERIPHERY OF SAID DIVIDING PLATE DISPOSED THEREBETWEEN, SAID MEANS FOR SECURING AT SAID EDGES PRODCING A GASTIGHT SEALING FOR SAID CONTAINER, A FILTER TUBE OF PLEATED FIBERGLASS MATERIAL COAXIALLY DISPOSED WITHIN SAID REARWARD PORTION OF SAID FILTER SECTION TO EXTEND BETWEEN THE SAID BAFFLE PLATE OF SAID FILTER SECTION AND SAID DIVIDING PLATE AND TO SEPARATE AN AXIALLY-ALIGNED CENTRAL REGION OF SAID FILTER SECTION AND A CIRCUMFERENTIAL REGION OF SAD FILTER SECTION, SAID DIVIDING PLATE HAAVING AT LEAST ONE OPENING THEREIN ALIGNED WITH THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID CIRCUMFERENTIAL REGION TO PROVIDE THE ONLY COMMUNICTION BETWEEN SAID FILTER SECTION AND THE INTERIOR OF SAID TRAP SECTION, AND AN OUTLET FITTING INTEGRALLY FORMED IN SAID DIVIDING PLATE TO COMMUNICATE WITH SAID CENTRAL REGION AND TO EXTEND FROM SAID DIVIDING PLATE SNUGLY THROUGH SAID TUBULAR PORTION OF SAID TRAP SECTION TO ALLOW SAID EXHAUST GASES TO FLOW FROM SAID CONTAINER, WHEREBY SAID EXHAUST GASES WILL GENERALLY FLOW REARWARDLY THROUGH SAID CONTAINER, SAID IMPURITIES WILL BE REMOVED FROM SAID EXHAUST GASES BY COLLECTION IN SAID TRAP SECTION AND ON SAID FILTER TUBE, AND SAID MEANS FOR REMOVABLY SECURING SAID TRAP SECTION TO SAID FILTER SECTION FACILITATES REPLACEMENT OF SAID FILTER TUBE A REMOVAL OF SAID IMPURITIES FROM SAID TRAP SECTION FOR CONTINUED USE OF SAID CONTAINER.

Claim 4

A FILTER CONTAINER CAPABLE OF REMOVING IMPURITIES FROM EXHAUST GASES OF AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE FLOWING THERETHROUGH, SAID CONTAINER COMPRISING: A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL FILTER SECTION HAVING A CLOSED FORWARD END INCLUDING A COAXIALLY ALIGNED INLET FITTING EXTENDING THERETHROUGH AND AN OPENED REARWARD END, SAID FILTER SECTION HAVING A FORWARD PORTION AND A REARWARD PORTION SEPARATED BY A CENTRALLY LOCATED BAFFLE PLATE AND ENCIRCLING ARRAY OF VANES FOR BAFFLING GASES ENTERING SAID INLET FITTING TO CAUSE THEM TO SWIRL AROUND THE INNER SURFACE OF THE CYLINDRICAL WALL OF SAIDREARWARD PORTION OF SAID FILTER SECTION, A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL TRAP SECTION HAVING AN OUTER EDGE OF AN OPENED FORWARD END ALIGNABLE WITH THE EDGE OF SAID WALL OF SAID FILTER SECTION AT SAID OPENED REARWARD END, SAID TRAP SECTION HAVING A COAXIALLY ALIGNED, INTERGRAL TUBULAR PORTION EXTENDING FORWARDLY FROM A REAR WALL TO DEFINE AN OPENING THERETHROUGH, A DIVIDING PLATE HAVING AN OUTER PERIPHERY DISPOSABLE BETWEEN SAID FILTER SECTION AND SAID TRAP SECTION, MEANS FOR REMOVABLY SECURING SAID TRAP SECTION TO SAID FILTER SECTION AT THEIR RESPECTIVE SAID EDGES WITH SAID OUTER PERIPHERY OF SAID DIVIDING PLATE DISPOSED THEREBETWEEN, SAID MEANS FOR SECURING AT SAID EDGES PRODCING A GASTIGHT SEALING FOR SAID CONTAINER, A FILTER TUBE OF PLEATED FIBERGLASS MATERIAL COAXIALLY DISPOSED WITHIN SAID REARWARD PORTION OF SAID FILTER SECTION TO EXTEND BETWEEN THE SAID BAFFLE PLATE OF SAID FILTER SECTION AND SAID DIVIDING PLATE AND TO SEPARATE AN AXIALLY-ALIGNED CENTRAL REGION OF SAID FILTER SECTION AND A CIRCUMFERENTIAL REGION OF SAD FILTER SECTION, SAID DIVIDING PLATE HAAVING AT LEAST ONE OPENING THEREIN ALIGNED WITH THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID CIRCUMFERENTIAL REGION TO PROVIDE THE ONLY COMMUNICTION BETWEEN SAID FILTER SECTION AND THE INTERIOR OF SAID TRAP SECTION, AND AN OUTLET FITTING INTEGRALLY FORMED IN SAID DIVIDING PLATE TO COMMUNICATE WITH SAID CENTRAL REGION AND TO EXTEND FROM SAID DIVIDING PLATE SNUGLY THROUGH SAID TUBULAR PORTION OF SAID TRAP SECTION TO ALLOW SAID EXHAUST GASES TO FLOW FROM SAID CONTAINER, WHEREBY SAID EXHAUST GASES WILL GENERALLY FLOW REARWARDLY THROUGH SAID CONTAINER, SAID IMPURITIES WILL BE REMOVED FROM SAID EXHAUST GASES BY COLLECTION IN SAID TRAP SECTION AND ON SAID FILTER TUBE, AND SAID MEANS FOR REMOVABLY SECURING SAID TRAP SECTION TO SAID FILTER SECTION FACILITATES REPLACEMENT OF SAID FILTER TUBE A REMOVAL OF SAID IMPURITIES FROM SAID TRAP SECTION FOR CONTINUED USE OF SAID CONTAINER.

Claim 5

A filter container as set forth in claim 2, further including means for muffling said exhausted gases disposed within said forward portion of said filter section.