Air filter

Claim 1

AN AIR FILTER FOR REMOVING PARTICULATE MATTER AND OTHER IMPURITIES FROM AN AIR STREAM COMPRISING: A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL CASING HAVING A CENTRAL AXIS; AN ANNULAR INLET REGION ENCIRCLING A TOP SECTION OF SAID CASING AND DEFINED BY A HOODED SECTION ATTACHED TO SAID CASING; A PLURALITY OF INLET PASSAGES EXTENDING FROM AN OUTER WALL OF SAID TOP SECTION OF SAID CASING TO AN UPPER PORTION OF A CYCLONE SEPARATING MEANS CENTRALLY DISPOSED WITHIN SAID CASING, EACH SAID PASSAGE BEING DISPOSED SUBSTANTIALLY TANGENTIALLY TO SAID CYCLONE SEPARATING MEANS AND DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID ANNULAR INLET REGION; A CYLINDRICAL BAFFLE COAXIALLY ALIGNED WITH SAID CENTRAL AXIS AND DISPOSED WITHIN SAID UPPER PORTION OF SAID CYCLONE SEPARATING MEANS TO INSURE SAID AIR STREAM ENTERING THROUGH SAID PASSAGES CIRCULES ABOUT AND DOWNWARDLY INTO A LOWER, CONICALLY-SHAPED PORTION OF SAID CYCLONE SEPARATING MEANS FOR REMOVAL OF RELATIVELY HEAVY PARTICLES FROM SAID AIR STREAM; SAID BAFFLE HAVING AN INTERIOR PASSAGE THERETHROUGH COMMUNICATING WITH AN AREA ABOVE SAID CYCLONE SEPARATING MEANS AND SPACES BETWEEN SAID INLET PASSAGES FOR EFFECTIVELY DIRECTING SAID AIR STREAM FROM SAID CYCLONE SEPARATING MEANS TO THE OUTER SURFACE OF A FILTER MEDIA ENCLOSED WITHIN SAID CASING AND SURROUNDING AND COAXIALLY ALIGNED WITH SAID CYCLONE SEPARATING MEANS, SAID FILTER MEDIA REMOVING SUBSTANTIALLY ALL THE REMAINING PARTICULATE MATTER AND IMPURITES FROM SAID STREAM; AND AIR GUIDE MEANS INCLUDING THE EXTERIOR SURFACE OF SAID LOWER, CONICALLY-SHAPED PORTION OF SAID CYCLONE SEPARATING MEANS FOR EFFECTIVELY DIRECTING THE NOW CLEANSED AIR OUT OF SAID FILTER MEDIA AND THROUGH AN OUTLET CLEANSED AIR OUT LOWER END OF SAID CASING.