Filtering apparatus for liquids

Claim 2

A filter for cleaning a flow of liquid, said filter comprising: a filter tank having upper and lower chambers; a fluid inlet assembly communicating with said lower tank chamber, said inlet assembly including at least one header member within said lower chamber which extends substantially horizontally across a substantial portion of the length of one dimension of said lower chamber; means within said tank for supporting a filter material bed, said means dividing said tank into upper and lower chambers, said header member substantially structurally supporting said filter bed supporting means; means extending through said filter bed supporting means for providing fluid communication between said upper and lower tank chambers; a bed of filter material within said upper tank chamber having a bottom surface defined and supported by said filter bed supporting means; an influent filter liquid inlet communicating with said tank upper chamber; an effluent filter liquid outlet communicating with said tank lower chamber; and an effluent backwash liquid outlet communicating with said tank upper chamber.

Claim 3

A filter as recited in claim 1 wherein said filter bed supporting means includes a corrugated plate at least partially structurally supported by said header member.

Claim 4

A filter as recited in claim 2 wherein said corrugated plate includes a plurality of channel portions and said header member includes a plurality of gas outlets, each of said gas outlets adapted to direct exiting gas into one of said channel portions.

Claim 5

A filter as recited in claim 2 wherein said header member is at least partially supported by column members mounted on the bottom of the lower tank chamber.

Claim 6

A filter as recited in claim 2 wherein said corrugated plate includes a plurality of channel portions, said channel portions comprising means for facilitating an even distribution of gas dispensed by said header member over the area of said plate.

Claim 7

A filter as recited in claim 1 wherein said filter bed supporting means includes substantially horizontally extending beam members at least partially structurally supported by said header member and a substantially planar plate at least partially supported by said beam members.

Claim 8

A filter as recited in claim 6 wherein said beam members and planar plate define a plurality of air distribution channels in said lower tank chamber.

Claim 9

A filter as recited in claim 6 wherein said header member is at least partially supported by column members mounted on the bottom of the lower tank chamber.

Claim 10

A filter for cleaning a flow of liquid, said filter comprising: a filter tank having upper and lower chambers; a fluid inlet assembly communicating with said lower tank chamber, means within said tank for supporting a filter material bed, said means dividing said tank into upper and lower chambers; means extending through said filter bed supporting means for providing fluid communication between said upper and lower tank chambers; a bed of filter material within said upper tank chamber having a bottom surface defined and supported by said filter bed supporting means; a normally open influent filter liquid inlet assembly communicating with said tank upper chamber, said inlet assembly including an inlet passage and means including a pivotally mounted, buoyant valve member for automatically closing said passage upon said upper tank chamber being filled to a predetermined level with backwash fluid; an effluent filter liquid outlet communicating with said tank lower chamber; and an effluent backwash liquid outlet communicating with said tank upper chamber and located at a level within said tank which is higher than said predetermined level and the level of said influent liquid inlet passage for providing a substantially vertical flow of said backwash liquid from the bed upper surface throughout said tank.

Claim 11

A filter for cleaning a flow of liquid, said filter comprising: a filter tank having upper and lower chambers; a fluid inlet assembly communicating with said lower tank chamber, means within said tank for supporting a filter material bed, said means dividing said tank into upper and lower chambers; means extending through said filter bed supporting means for providing fluid communication between said upper and lower tank chambers; a bed of filter material within said upper tank chamber having a bottom surface defined and supported by said filter bed supporting means; a normally open influent filter liquid inlet assembly communicating with said tank upper chamber, said inlet assembly including an inlet passage and means including a pivotally mounted, buoyant valve member for automatically closing said passage upon said upper tank chamber being filled to a predetermined level with backwash fluid; an effluent filter liquid outlet communicating with said tank lower chamber; and an effluent backwash liquid outlet communicating with said tank upper chamber and located at a level within said tank which is higher than said predetermined level and the level of said influent liquid inlet passage for providing a substantially vertical flow of said backwash liquid from the bed upper surface throughout said tank.