Filter mounting and bypass valve assembly

Claim 1

A FILTER ASSEMBLY COMPRISING: A HOUSING HAVING AN OPENING FOR RECIEVING A FILTER ELEMENT, COVER ENCLOSING SAID OPENING, AND INCLUDING FLUID INLET AND OUTLET MEANS; AN ANNULAR FILTER EMEMENT MOUNTED WITHIN SAID HOUSING ADJACENT AND HAVING ONE END IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE END COVER; ENLARGED CINDUIT MEANS FOR DIRECTING FLUID FROM THE FLUID INLET MEANS THROUGH THE FILTER ELEMENT; VALVE MEANS MOUNTED ON ONE END OF SAID CONDUIT MEANS AND COMPRISING A VALVING ELEMENT MOVEABLE TO A FIRST POSITION AWAY FROM THE FILTER ELEMENT SO THAT THE FLUID-DIRECTING MEANS DIRECT FLUID FROM THE FLUID INLET MEANS THROGUH THE FILTER ELEMENT, AND MOVABLE AWAY FROM THE FIRST POSITION TOWARD THE FILTER ELEMENT TO ALLOW FLUID TO FLOW FROM THE FLUID INLET MEANS TO THE FLUID OUTLET MEANS, BYPASSING THE FILTER ELEMENT; ANNULAR SUPPORT MEANS INCLUDING SEAL MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID CONDUIT MEANS FOR ENGAGING AND SUPPORTING THE OTHER END OF SAID FILTER ELEMENT; SAID ANNULAR SUPPORT MEANS CONSISTING OF AN INNER HUB MEMBER SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID ENLARGE CONDUIT MEANS, A RADIALLY EXTENDING FLANGE EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID HUB AND INTEGRAL THEREWITH, AN ANNULAR GROOVE SEPARATING ONE SIDE OF SAID FLANGE INTO INNER AND OUTER ANNULAR SUPPORTING SURFACES ENGAGING SAID OTHER END OF SAID FILTER ELEMENT, AND, VENT PORTS EXTENDING FROM THE GROOVE OF THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID FLANGE; AND, RESILIENT MEAND INTERPOSED BETWEEN THE VALVING ELEMENT AND THE ANNULAR SUPPORT AND SEAL MEANS, THE VALVING ELEMENT BEING BIASED THEREBY INTO SAID FIRST POSITION AND MOVABLE TOWARD THE FILTER ELEMENT AGAINST THE RESILIENCE THEREOF, THE VALVE MEANS BEING SUBJECTING THE FLUID PRESSURE OF THE FLUID INTRODUCED THROUGH THE FLUID INLET MEANS TO THE FILTER ELEMENT, SO THAT THE VALVING ELEMENT MOVES TOWARD THE FILTER ELEMENT UPON INCREASED FLUID PRESSURE BUILT UP IN THE FILTER ELEMENT.