Radioactive gas standby treatment apparatus with high efficiency rechargeable charcoal filter

Claim 1

A HIGH EFFICIENCY GASKETLESS FILTER FOR REMOVAL OF RADIOACTIVE ISOTOPES FROM RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINATED GASES COMPRISING A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING HOUSING AND A PLURALITY OF INDIVIDUAL FILTER BEDS ARRANGED IN SPACED PARALLEL CONFIGURATION WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER IN SAID HOUSING AND IN TRANSVERSE DISPOSION TO THE LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION THEREOF, EACH FILTER BED COMPRISING (I) AN OUTER SHELL INCLUDING A PAIR OF SPACED PARALLEL PERFORATE SIDE WALLS TRANSVERSELY POSITIONED ACROSS SAID HOUSING WITH A PERIPHERAL WALL PORTION SUBSTANTIALLY ENCLOSING SAID PERFORATE SIDE WALLS. AND (II) AN INNER SHELL INCLUDING A TRANSVERSELY POSITIONED PAIR OF SPACED PARALLEL FORAMINOUS LATERAL SIDE WALLS SYMMETRICALLY DISPOSED AND SPACED BETWEEN SAID PERFORATE SIDE WALLS WITH A MARGINAL RIM WALL PORTION ENCLOSING SAID FORAMINOUS LATERAL SIDE WALLS, SAID MARGINAL RIM WALL PORTION BEING FURTHER SPACED FROM SAID PERIPHERAL WALL PORTION TO DEFINE AN ANNULAR CHAMBER BETWEEN SAID INNER AND OUTER SHELLS, MEANS INCLUDING A CLOSED THROAT CONSTITUTING AN ENTRANCE PASSAGEWAY FOR ADMITTING RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINATED GAS TO THE INTERIOR OF SAID INNER SHELLS THROUGH CORRESPONDING PERIPHERAL AND MARGINAL RIM WALL PORTIONS OF EACH OF SAID FILTER BEDS, AN INLET PLENUM LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING THROUGH SAID HOUSING AND HAVING OPENINGS THEREIN REGISTERING WITH THE RESPECTIVE THROATS OF SAID FILTER BEDS, AND AN OUTLET PLENUM WITHIN SAID HOUSING COMMUNICATING WITH THE SPACES BETWEEN ADJACENT FILTER BEDS, MEANS FOR FILLING THE ANNULAR CHAMBER OF EACH OF SAID FILTER BEDS WITH PARTICULATE ADSORBENT SO THAT THE INTERIOR OF SAID INNER SHELLS AND THE CORRESPONDING THROAT IN COMMUNICATION THEREWITH DEFINES A BLIND PASSAGEWAY ENTIRELY SUBMERGED IN A CAGE OF PARTICULATE ADSORBENT. MEANS FOR DRAWING THE RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINATED GASES THROUGH THE INLET PLENUM WHEREBY THE GAS IS SQUEEZED LATERALLY IN LAMINAR FLOW DISPOSITION THROUGH THE PARTICULATE ADSORBENT SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO THE CAGES THEREOF AND INTO THE SPACES COMMUNICATING WITH THE OUTLET PLENUM, AND MEANS FOR REMOVING PARTICULATE ADSORBENT FROM THE ANNULAR CHAMBER AND SAID HOUSING WHEN THE ADSORPTIVE EFFICACY OF THE PARTICULATE MATERIAL IS EXPENDED.