Slide filters

Claim 2

A slide filtration apparatus for filtering a fluid material, comprising in combination: A. a fluid flow path means having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, B. guideway means which intersects said flow path means in a substantially perpendicular relationship, said guideway means having inlet and outlet portions on opposite sides of said flow path means, thereby defining an area of flow intersection between said inlet and outlet portions, C. a slide plate having at least a front surface and a back surface, said slide plate comprising at least one breaker means formed of bores extending through said front surface to said back surface; seal contact means surrounding said at least one breaker means on at least said front surface; said seal-contact means comprising substantially flat seal-contacting surfaces spatially displaced from and substantially parallel to said front surface; the total area of said seal-contacting surfaces representing a minor fraction relative to the area of said front surface, D. seal means positioned within said guideway means; said slide plate functioning to be insertable in and through said guideway means and said seal means; said guideway means being larger in cross-section than said slide plate, and E. seal adjustment means cooperatively functioning with said seal means to adjust said seal means within said guideway means so as to contact at least said front surface of said slide plate exclusively at said seal-contacting surfaces so as to enable said slide plate to be moved with reduced friction through said guideway for substantially continuous filter changing while maintaining substantially unchanged the adjustment of said seal adjustment means.

Claim 3

Filter apparatus according to claim 1 including a slide plate having a series of said breaker means surrounded by said seal-contact means, each of said breaker means being separated from an adjacent breaker means by a commonly-shared portion of its seal-contact means.

Claim 4

Filter apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the distance across each of said breaker means in the direction in which said slide plate is movable across said fluid flow path means is smaller than the transverse dimension of said path means in said direction, to facilitate incremental movement of said slide plate across said path means in steps that are smaller than said transverse dimension.

Claim 5

Filter apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said slide plate has a width dimension that is approximately the same as a transverse dimension of said fluid flow path means, and a length dimension that is at least approximately twice said width dimension, and said front and back surfaces are substantially parallel to each other and to said width and length dimensions, for locating selected ones of said breaker means in whole or in part across said fluid flow path means.

Claim 6

Filter apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said seal adjustment means includes a tubular member within said fluid flow path means and means to apply force parallel to said flow path means.

Claim 7

Filter apparatus according to claim 1 including screen means located over said bores in said breaker means, said seal contact means surrounding said breaker means having means peripherally to retain the screen means located over said bores.

Claim 8

Filter apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said slide plate, when inserted into said guideway means defines a gap means therebetween which is sufficiently narrow to minimize flow of said fluid through said gap means.

Claim 9

Filter apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said gap means is about 0.001 inches.

Claim 10

Filter apparatus according to claim 1 including sand-pack means located over said breaker means and substantially covering said bores therein, and retainer means cooperating with said seal-contact means for holding said sand-pack means.

Claim 11

A slide filtration apparatus for filtering a fluid material, comprising in combination: A. a fluid flow path means having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, B. guideway means which intersects said flow path means in a substantially perpendicular relationship, said guideway means having inlet and outlet portions on opposite sides of said flow path means, thereby defining an area of flow intersection between said inlet and outlet portions, C. a slide plate having at least a front surface and a back surface, said slide plate comprising at least one breaker means formed of bores extending through said front surface to said back surface; seal contact means surrounding said at least one breaker means on at least said front surface; said seal-contact means comprising substantially flat seal-contacting surfaces spatially displaced from and substantially parallel to said front surface; the total area of said seal-contacting surfaces representing a minor fraction relative to the area of said front surface, D. seal means positioned exclusively within at least one of said inlet portion and said outlet portion of said guideway means; said slide plate functioning to be insertable in and through said guideway means and said seal means; said guideway means being larger in cross-section than said slide plate, and E. seal adjustment means cooperatively functioning with said seal means to adjust said seal means within said at least one portion of said guideway means so as to contact at least said front surface of said slide plate exclusively at said seal-contacting surfaces exclusively within said at least one portion of said guideway means so as to enable said slide plate to be moved with reduced friction through said guideway for substantially continuous filter changing while maintaining substantially unchanged the adjustment of said seal adjustment means.

Claim 12

A slide filtration apparatus for filtering a fluid material, comprising in combination: A. a fluid flow path means having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, B. guideway means which intersects said flow path means in a substantially perpendicular relationship, said guideway means having inlet and outlet portions on opposite sides of said flow path means, thereby defining an area of flow intersection between said inlet and outlet portions, C. a slide plate having at least a front surface and a back surface, said slide plate comprising at least one breaker means formed of bores extending through said front surface to said back surface; seal contact means surrounding said at least one breaker means on at least said front surface; said seal-contact means comprising substantially flat seal-contacting surfaces spatially displaced from and substantially parallel to said front surface; the total area of said seal-contacting surfaces representing a minor fraction relative to the area of said front surface, D. seal means positioned exclusively within at least one of said inlet portion and said outlet portion of said guideway means; said slide plate functioning to be insertable in and through said guideway means and said seal means; said guideway means being larger in cross-section than said slide plate, and E. seal adjustment means cooperatively functioning with said seal means to adjust said seal means within said at least one portion of said guideway means so as to contact at least said front surface of said slide plate exclusively at said seal-contacting surfaces exclusively within said at least one portion of said guideway means so as to enable said slide plate to be moved with reduced friction through said guideway for substantially continuous filter changing while maintaining substantially unchanged the adjustment of said seal adjustment means.

Claim 13

Filter apparatus according to claim 10 including first and second seal means located respectively within said inlet portion and outlet portion of said guideway means, and first and second force means operatively coupled respectively to each of said inlet and outlet portions to apply seal-adjustment force to each of said seal means.

Claim 14

Filter apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said at least one of said inlet and outlet portions is a substantially tubular body having inner walls confronting but spaced from said slide plate and said sealing means therein is operable under sealing force to expand in the space between said inner walls and said slide plate.

Claim 15

Filter apparatus according to claim 12 including means affixed to the outer end of said tubular body for applying sealing force in a direction into said respective inlet or outlet portion, and said sealing means is expansible in directions transverse to said force.

Claim 16

Filter apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said sealing means is made of an elastomeric material which surrounds said slide plate.

Claim 17

Filter apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said sealing means is made of cooperating wedge-shaped members which surround said slide plate.

Claim 18

Filter apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said seal means comprises expansible means, and said seal adjustment means comprises means to apply force to expand said expansible means between said slide plate and said guideway means.

Claim 19

Filter apparatus according to claim 10 having a first seal means positioned exclusively within said inlet portion of said guideway means and a second seal means positioned exclusively within said outlet portion of said guideway means; and a separate one of said seal adjustment means cooperatively functioning with each of said seal means, whereby to adjust each of said seal means independent of the other.

Claim 20

Filter apparatus according to claim 10 having a first seal means which is expandible and positioned exclusively within said inlet portion of said guideway means and a second seal means which is expandible and positioned exclusively within said outlet portion of said guideway means; and a separate one of said seal adjustment means cooperatively functioning to apply force separately to each of said seal means to cause it to expand independent of the other between said slide plate and said inlet portion or said outlet portion, respectively, of said guideway means.